DECERTIFY NRLCA

[arielflight]

Hello Everyone It is high time to decertify the NRLCA, for lack of representation. We need to contact the Department of Labor for advice on how to do this since we are all scattered throughout the country. Maybe you haven't lost too much this year, but management will get you, like us. Our 22 routes are all 40 and less, this count. Think how much more influential we would be in joining the NLCA. Go visit their website, ANYONE can, it gives all the information to everyone, there is usually Union Stewards in YOUR OFFICE, not 60 miles or more away, more than one if it is a large office. (if there is enought CITY carriers to have one , if you join there will be). The NLCA will be stronger and we would have a say. No Union is perfect, but the NRLCA is hopeless. I have been a member for 25 years, a Union Steward, and VP of my County. I HAVE tried to change things. What a farce! 1. Mail is being delayed, proof from the carriers in the states that were lucky enough to find mail in trucks and plants. That ALONE should throw out this count. 2.Counting mail at this time of year is unfair, especially to routes with snowbirds. We need to alternate counts or something different. 3. The fox is guarding the henhouse......pleassse, how is this fair? The carriers have to constantly be vigilant, AND still do their job in blizzards snowstorms etc,, while most management and counters have nothing else to do but count. If we try to verify their count we will have a difficult time to execute our job duties in a timely manner. 4.Many and I mean very MANY routes have gone to 40 hours or less. We cannot LWOP Saturdays without management approval, using up what little AL we have because management will not approve leave without pay if you have Leave. There goes your free Saturdays, most in our office are now 6 days. No more vacation if you need to do business any day but Sunday. 5. I have a lot more and I am sure you all do too. What do you all think? arielfight

[don]

I agree with you about the ineptitude of our union.
However, LWOP on Saturday is at the carrier's discretion.

[arielflight]

Hi Don

At my office, it  has to be approved by the Postmaster.  My state steward goes along with this.
arielflight

[Frazzled]

I think my route is going from a K to a J.  So I would be able to use lwop and keep having every saturday off.  Thanks

[dolphin]

we need to all pull together and vote out the association, so we can then join the city carriers union. How can we do this nation wide?? I think we need 2/3 's of carriers to disband. I'm in....I will do whatever it takes....

[Falcon57]

Before we go half cocked on the idea of decertifing the union, ask yourselves one question: Why did the rural carriers leave the city carrier's union the first place?  As I understand it, the city carriers union pretty much step all over the rurals and treated them like unwanted relatives or second class members.

What is really needed is to send a clear and defined message to those that are claiming to reprent us.  The national convention is coming up soon, and those of you on this board that intend to go, let them know in no uncertain terms they need to either get off the USPS gravey train or get out.  I just sent the board a letter spelling this out.  I encourage you to do the same and quickly.

I can post the letter if anyone wants me to, so they can get an idea what to say.  Write one in your own words and in a civil and clear manner.

[Jimbo_in_KY]

I could have swore that the LWOP issue is in the contract. Management CANNOT deny LWOP. They can try to deny it and simply file a grievence.

[JBK]

Don.....like many "issues" across the nation here in Lakeland FL the Saturday LWOP at the carriers discretion is a no-go.  If you have leave you use it first but even if you don't they will not let you have it and our union steward evidently agrees because no regular is doing it...

[dolphin]

I have never seen the association do any good for us. We have a few that try so hard to fight for us, only to have State stewards deny what they feel is right. I'm done with them, what did they do after the last count when carriers lost so much money????? oh nothing.....I went from a 43k to 41h ..........now I will lose my home cause I can't make ends meet. tell that to the association......tks for nothing

-----Original Message-----
From: Falcon57 (via Nabble) <[hidden email]>
To: dolphin <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sat, 14 Mar 2009 7:04 pm
Subject: Re: DECERTIFY NRLCA

Before we go half cocked on the idea of decertifing the union, ask yourselves one question: Why did the rural carriers leave the city carrier's union the first place?  As I understand it, the city carriers union pretty much step all over the rurals and treated them like unwanted relatives or second class members.

What is really needed is to send a clear and defined message to those that are claiming to reprent us.  The national convention is coming up soon, and those of you on this board that intend to go, let them know in no uncertain terms they need to either get off the USPS gravey train or get out.  I just sent the board a letter spelling this out.  I encourage you to do the same and quickly.

I can post the letter if anyone wants me to, so they can get an idea what to say.  Write one in your own words and in a civil and clear manner.

---

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[Karate Chick]

2006-2010 National Agreement
Article 10.4.A.3
B. Upon request, a rural carrier shall be granted annual
leave or leave without pay on Saturday, at the carrier’s
option, provided a leave replacement is available.

[don]

Thanks Karate Chick,
Article 10.4.A.3 is precisely what I was referring to in my previous post.  Use of the word "shall' makes leave mandatory "provided a leave replacement is available".  Hope you had a good count.  I lost 3 hours.

[gjtrisa]

You are probably looking for Article 10.4B  It does grant you LWOP on Saturday but only if the sub is available.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jimbo_in_KY (via Nabble) <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: DECERTIFY NRLCA

I could have swore that the LWOP issue is in the contract. Management CANNOT deny LWOP. They can try to deny it and simply file a grievence.

---

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[Karate Chick]

I went from a 42 K to a 43J.

[arielflight]

There are two ways to decertify a union, according to the National Labor Relations Board. The first is to obtain signatures of 30 percent or more of employees in order to hold an election to decertify.
Because they enjoy the special privilege of exclusive representation, unions have a legal duty to represent fairly all employees in their bargaining units. Unions are legally required to represent nonmember employees the same as members, but unfortunately this duty is often breached.
Is it fair, and is the NRLCA fairly representing all the carriers who have snowbirds 3 months of the year Jan-Mar, during mail count?  Is it fair that the other 9 months of the year we deliver all of their mail for free?
Is this fairly representing all employees?
  In my office we had a dues paying rca who the union rejected her grievance of senority.  She had to write a letter to NRLCA President  threatening legal action.  The union then approved and won her so-called unwinable greivance.  She had yet to see the paper work.  It has been over 6 months.
I am sure many of you have many other cases of unfair representation. I know I do.

[pdub]

Rural carrier union will eventually cease to exist unless we do 1 of 2 things: either go hourly like every other craft in P.O. or join with city craft, or both..I dont think either option is available at this point since mgt is reaming us on every count..How did we even get to a Feb/Mar count as opposed to Sept. counts that were in place for 20+ years? OH dont forget, 90% of us haven't recieved FSS(dps flats) yet..IT AIN'T OVER!.

[ctrr03]

Ya know,  I might be mistaken here, but doubt it.   I recall National making a promise that if ONE MORE THING happened, they would demand going hourly.  Well, several things have happened since that time.  So, maybe it't time to hold their hands and feet..and heads to the fire and DEMAND it.  Of course, these clowns aren't going to even TRY, because it would jeopardize their very jobs once they aren't union members anymore.   Do ANY of them actually work under the conditions they force on us?     If you are a UNION member, you can't file a complaint with the labor board because they tell you to go to your union.  However, NON-union members can do this.   So, maybe there needs to be a couple non-union members to file againlst the USPS with the dept of labor showing all the discrepancies with count., how they claim so much is BUILT IN, but won't provide a list of where or any time standards for it, and so on.   Especially how we are forced to do work that we aren't paid for.  At teh VERY LEAST, the NRLCA should say,  OK...THIS is your evaluation.  THIS is ALL the work you do daily....like the city guys do.

[mstfc]

Good idea. Let's keep beating our time evaluations - especially during the count - and blame it on the union. We're too dumb to slow down during the count. City carriers must be laughing their butts off at this.

[nette]

The Dept of Labor loves to go after the Postal Service.  Years ago when I was an RCA, they were not paying me for hours actually worked.  They were paying me the evaluated time of the aux I was running which was 4 hrs/day and then pivoting me to other routes to case curtailed mail.  I kept track, anyway, to make a long story short, after MONTHS of trying to get paid, I called the Dept of Labor.  Their enthusiasm totally surprised me.  The man I spoke to said they were very aware of the shady practices USPS managers performed and asked for my proof.  They wanted to proceed ASAP.  Armed with that info, the Asst PM, made sure I got paid the next pp.

I am extremely frustrated with NRLCA.  When I went to the contract ratification meeting that was held by one of our National Officers from DC, we let him know what we thought.  Our state held nothing back from this guy.  I'm sure he was looking for a back door to get out of there at a few points.  What really got us was the explanation fo the COA/yellow sticker standards.  He said since we didn't have to handle COAs anymore, the contract would reflect a change in standards.  We were outraged.  We asked him why he thought we didn't fill out COA forms anymore and he said that was what the NRLCA board was told by USPS.  OMG!!  After we explained to him that we do still have to fill out COAs, he stated that they were lied to.  You THINK?  They don't know what we do in the field anymore.  They are listening to the USPS and have lost touch with the people they are representing.  I still shake my head when I think about that meeting.  We voted that contract down and I think it was a huge wake up call for the National officers.  Was it enough, I don't know.  But I think a lot of good people are trying very hard to make a difference and I hope we can get some new blood in there that knows what our craft actually does!!!

This is the only Union we got, guys.  We can't give up on it.  We have to become more involved and let our leaders know, we are sick and tired of not being heard.  The crisis is upon us.  We don't have time to decertify and install a new Union.  The USPS would love for us to turn on each other.  We can't let that happen.  This forum is a great thing for us to get our thoughts and concerns out there.  I have learned so much in the past month.  I am a past president of our local union and will accept that office again this year if asked.  We can't sit around and hope that the other guy takes care of things anymore.  I do have to say, we have some state officers that have to go and we know it.  We will see a big change in my state this year.  The good ol boy network is not going to win in 09.

[mstfc]

Really?

Be careful what you wish for. You have a good deal going. It's not the Postal Service's fault nor the union for the lack of mail volume throughout the country. Maybe you could end up like the UAW if your wish comes true.
Do your job and support your union. They get you pay raises and cola increases and no lay-off clauses. In return for pay increases, the time standards are changed. Don't expect pay increases if you don't want to do more work. Simple economics. Give and take.

[vax]

   O please they have been the lap dog of the Postal service for so many years, have done a poor job at contract talks and at arbitrations have been told how poor a job they have done!   Even the worst arbriter gave us a little when our ass  ociation let us down!