5 day work week

[Worried RCA]

Hi
I am a rca for a k for 2 years. What is going to happen to the rcas if we go to the 5 day work week. They will have to keep some for sick days and vacation days, won't they. Probalbly senority, too. They are talking about cutting us and we have way too many clerks running around . Working the first couple hours , then when later sitting on the back dock smoking and talking on cell phones all day. Its not fair. Do you think they will go tothe five day?
:(

[middle of nowhere]

   its all a guessing game at this point. some larger k routes could  possibly be cut to a 4 day week with the rca still working a day each week. others may drop into the j day slot will rca's working one day every other week. small k's , j's, and h's may not have any weekly days off. being laid off shouldn't be a concern. part of giving up benefits for rca's years ago, was being able to have a sub for each route. - regardless of how many days they would be able to work.
 
       it might not be a bad time to move up quickly as no doubt some will become discouraged, and quit on their own - leaving more work for those that are left, as well as a choice of more routes.  there will always be the vacation and sick days to cover.  unless you have more subs then routes, your job should be safe.

[RogerR]

some larger k routes could  possibly be cut to a 4 day week

Can't imagine that happening.  That would have to be agreed to by the USPS, and in many places a 10 hour day (or longer) would make it impossible to get back by dispatch.

Not a can of worms I can see them wanting to open.

[middle of nowhere]

   rogerr,
     say you have a route evaluated in the 55-56 hour range.  if 5 day delivery comes in and the route loses 4-5 hrs in time.  you might end up with a route at 51-52 hrs.  the largest j route comes in  at 50 3/4 hrs. and the largest h is 46 1/2 hrs.  do you think they will pay the regular carrier 11-12 hrs overtime a week to work 5 days when they can cut them to 40-41 hrs. in 4 days, and get the 5th day delivered by an rca at a cut rate.  this is being thought about as a money saving effort, working the regular carrier 5 days will cost more.  with all the things that have to change,  dispatch times might just be another.

[just me]

Don't know of anyone who is going to hang around for a couple of weeks a year and a few days a month(sick days)maybe.  Bet a lot of subs start looking for other jobs and eventually quit if they go to the 5 day a week delivery.  Don't mean to sound like a spoil sport but that's the way I see it from talking to rca's and trc's.

So, all of you who think 5 day a week is so good, think hard on this one, shortage of subs means what?  Oh yeah, the subs that do stay will pick up the slack by splitting routes.  silly me

[rca60]

Well the only thing I can post is bad news as this is what was told to me today and I call around and so far everything I heard is what the PM said.

He told the carriers today we are going before congress in September and asking for five day mail delivery again.  We are asking to cut out matching anything you put into your TSP.  They are also on the block is how much money we are getting paid as well as how much A/S time we earn.  He told us the lowest starting salary for a postal employee is 65K a year.  He told the three PTF in the city side to give up the idea of ever getting full time.  I am not sure what is going to happen to our TE employee on the city side.  He told them that we will fire all but three RCA.  He also told the regs not to go around telling people that they are getting fired.

So if this all happens it will go in affect within 60 days.  But if you also watch Pat little video I believe someone said he said 50,000 RCA and 4,000 TRC would have to go anyway.  He also said we have to get rid of 170,000 employee as well.

I can't worry about it anymore...... I am sick of going into work everyday and having something like this getting told to me.  If they are going to fire me, I wish they just come out and say it and stop pussyfooting around the subject.

[middle of nowhere]

     don't believe anything till it happens.  what savings will there be by getting rid of rca's that are already trained?  where do i have to go to get the 65k a year?  5 day delivery is probably a year away. contracts are coming due next year, and we always seem to be in dire straits as our contracts are coming due.  our contract also says we shall have 90 days notice in contemplated changes in number of delivery days.  talk continues to be cheap.

[OHfemail]

"He told us the lowest starting salary for a postal employee is 65K a year."

That sentence alone should tell you he's full of shit. Do NOT let management get you riled up - they don't know any more than you or me. The one thing I know for sure is that they like to toss things out to see who bites...just remain a little fish in a big pond and go with the flow.

[rca60]

Middle of nowhere,

    I know your right that talk in cheap, and after looking over the net since I posted that I haven't been able to find anything going before a vote.  I have also question why did we hire new RCAs if we are all getting the ax in November but I could not get an answer to that.  While I think five days will happen in my life time, I for the life of me can not see how we will get away with only three RCA in my office and even told the PM that.

Now for your 65K a year, I have no clue which rural carriers are getting paid that.  Only one told me he got paid that and that was so many years ago it not funny.  But he also the one who used to tell me they could report to work at four or five in the morning back in “The good old days.”


Ohfemail,

   I believe your right, I think it their idea of a scare tactic to see how many people they can get to jump the ship.  But I am doing like you said, I just keep going in and doing my job until the they tell me not to report anymore for work.

[WV Rural girl]

I am  thinking the 65K/year might be coming from the benefits we receive. Remember getting that little postal statement that has what you pay for health insurance and what the PO pays for your insurance? If you use the postal figures it might come out to the 65K they spoke about. You know, don't you, that soon we will be taxed on those figures as income. It is coming, I can smell it.

[RogerR]

you might end up with a route at 51-52 hrs.

Yes, and I contend that would be overburdened and would need to be cut.  And either added to other routes, or creating an aux.  You didn't address the logistical difficulties in 10 hour/day routes being accepted as normal.  But I can't see the USPS stepping into that.  

There is now no provision for 4 day weeks.  Under the current 6 day regime, a Regular qualifies for a relief day if they can still have about 40 hours per week evaluated time after subtracting the relief day.  Under your scenario, that means a 10 hour day would be the minimum for a 4 day week.  What happens when a route grows to a "45" for the regular?  11 hour days.   This is not something I think will be accepted.

Also, under your scenario, there isn't 11-12 hours per week of OT.  Premium pay is NOT OT.  But if a regular goes over 12 per day or 56 per week, then there is OT.  What will happen when mail is heavy, the roads are snow covered or icy, and the carrier has an 11 hour per day route?  Then you will see OT on top of Premium pay.

If the USPS doesn't want to pay Premium pay anymore, they can merely ask the arbitrator to allow them to cut routes back to 40.  But that isn't the cost savings idea you think it is.  Creating more routes, and more rurals with benefit packages is a lot more expensive than you think.