Early Outs for rural carriers

[Postaltexan]

In an earlier message the membership was informed that President Pitts had been in contact with Postal Headquarters regarding the rumors and speculation concerning the possibility of early outs for rural letter carriers. At that time no confirmed details were known specifically relating to rural letter carriers. However, late yesterday President Pitts was notified that the Postal Service had filed an application with OPM this week requesting permission to offer early outs to employees in the rural letter carrier, city letter carrier, motor vehicle and maintenance crafts. It could be several weeks before OPM’s decision is received by the Postal Service. Once the NRLCA learns of OPM’s decision, the membership will be advised as soon as practicable.

This is the latest information from the NRLCA..  The latest rumors are that we should have some details about it by the end of the month.  Keep in mind it is only a rumor, so I guess we shall see...

[DisGruntled]

Ok, it's been over 2 weeks now since the last announcement.  They need to sh*t or get off the pot.  Here's hoping for the former.

[SCriverroute]

 The "Early Out" list(for carriers) is coming. I really don't look for many carriers to take it. The "Early outs" will have to come from management. Look for the "micro managed",stressed out PMs to take the bonus,at the end of the year, and run. Who wants a PM job? The USPS is already finding it hard to fill the PM positions. Filling the PM positions will only get harder to do, because the Rural and City carriers are too smart to go there.

[Underdog]

 You're right about that...carriers are WAY too smart to want to get into management.

 I'm been hoping and praying for an early out forever, but even if I'm eligible it doesn't sound like they intend to offer and incentives and I don't know many carrier who can afford to leave unless they gave us some great deal....I've gotten used to eating and living indoors...

[manOman]

We hear a lot of management refer to our employer as a "company".

Here's what a real company does when they want to cut employees:

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080730/nissan_mover.html?.v=2

Nissan is offering their employees $100,000 to 125,000 buyouts. What is the USPS offering us?

[Underdog]

 I heard that yesterday...I heard up to $175,000.

What little buzz I'm hearing is that basically they'll "let" us retire early...big whoop! Gimme 100 grand and I might leave quietly!

[DisGruntled]

It is likely that most won't leave on an early out that lacks monetary incentive, yet there are a few who may have prepared for the possibility of an early retirement (i.e. not biting off more than they could chew in the financial sense) and will go quietly at the first opportunity.  Never forget that the one thing you can never buy back is time.  



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Everybody knows the fight was fixed

[Kirk]

[Kirk]

You can go back and forth forever on the pros and cons ( We being the pros, mangement the cons) but it really boils down to your individual situation. I've had 2 orthopedists and a neurosurgeon who told me at least five years ago that unless I get disability or something like an "early out" that my shoulders, wrists, and back were not going to last 10 more years at the outside. The back Dr. said all of the rotating we do eventually destroys thediscs. I've already had 1 replaced. I get about 2 or 3 cortisone shots in my shoulder and in my elbow every year and those aren't good for you longrun.I'm only 56. If I go out now wothout early out I'll lose 30% of my retirement. With the early out,supposedly, you don't lose the 5% annually. either way the best I can get is about 10 grand a year.either now with early out or when I reach 62 (if all the Dr.'s are wrong) so In my case if they offer I'm outta here. I've been doing this since 1981. enough is enough.If you're lucky enought to have no orthopedic problems, go for your 41 years. A friend of mine made it but he was supervising the last 10. he's now getting 80% of his high 3. That's good money for playing on the computer. My point is, it's totally an individual choice and we don't even know if it will ever be offered to us at all. But if it is, I know someone wants this job more than me. I used to love working for the PO.Parting advice< find a small office with no more than 40 total employees. I've run the gammut and that's the best it gets, in my opinion. I hope this helps people decide what's right for them, but remember, we haven't been offered anything yet.

[DisGruntled]

Kirk, as long as you're over 55 you won't lose "5%" per year of your retirement annuity, but rather 2% per year under CSRS and an even smaller percentage under FERS.  It depends on what part of the year you started in 1981 (early 1981:  Desig. 73:  CSRS, later 1981:  Desig.75 RCR: probably FERS) but considering your med. complications, as long as you could manage to squeak by on the annuity, my advice would be to take the early out if it's eventually offered.  Again, if you are over 55 and began in 1981 and are in the CSRS system, your annuity reduction would be a mere 4% per year.  Small price to pay for no longer having to deal with those USPS management clowns.

[DisGruntled]

correction:  under CSRS the annuity reduction is 2% per year if you're 55 or over.  Add another 2% per year reduction if you're under 55.  

It's difficult to imagine holding out for 41 years for the 80%.  No way no how.

Would rather be poor + healthy than rich + sick (or worse).

[Kirk]

I'm fers, They changed over from csrseither earlier in '81 or in '80. I missed by less than a year. To clarify my situation, I was an rcr for 3 years. I had to move and my PM incorrectly advised me that the only thing I could do was resign and then get re-hired elsewhere. Bad info. I actually could have transferred to any office needing an rcr, just as an rca can now. Anyway, due to his bad info, I had a 6 month separation and was rehired in '84 or '85. I became an rca very soon after and made regular in '87. So I only have a bout 20.5 years. They sent me an info packet that says if I have under 30 I will lose 5% yearly if I leave before I'm 62. This applies to regular retirement though. Are you saying that this hypothetical early out will change that? If so, I would really appreciate some documentation about it. I've never seen any, but I sure hope you're right. Thanks a lot for responding. I hope we're not all not just doing an exercise in futility since as of today there hasn't even been an offer made and I keep hearing people talking like it's a done deal. My station mgr, told me 3 weeks ago that it applied to any full time employee in any craft. I told her she was mistaken but, station mgrs. Can be wrong too. She proves it to me regularly. She's very knowledgeable until it comes to our craft, then she just tells me "you're wrong. Don't you think I should know more about it than you?" I do think so, but she doesn't. As you know you pick up a lot of facts in 25 years. Thanks again.

Kirk

[Underdog]

"....Don't you think I should know more about it than you..." Oh thats FUNNY! 99% of the time management is CLUELESS!


 Kirk, you seem to be talking about a normal early out, but if your doctors have been telling you tel get out it sounds like you could get a disability retirement. You don't need to be totally disabled for a postal disability...just unable to do one aspect of your job. You would end of much better off financially .

[Kirk]

I'm glad you read that the way I meant it. When I looked at it I saw how it could have been taken 2 ways. The fact is, almost everytime I disagree with her, she's wrong. Yet not once has she come back and said" You were right Kirk, I guess I should check my facts before making statements like that". If you even have 1/2 a brain and you've been a carrier as long as I have, chances are you're going to know more about the duties and resposibilies of the job than someone who was a city carrier for less than a year and then went into management. I put in for annual leave this year for January 6 through 8 or around then, knowing that we received our leave on 1/5/08. My supervisor and station manager changed it to wop because it didn't show up yet on the computer. No matter how I tried I couldn't get them to grasp that leave can be used starting on the 1st sat. in January that is in a pay period that starts and ends in that january. If 12/31 is the 1st day of a p.p. you don't get your leave until january 12th. That's the worst it can be. The best of course is for pp1 to start on jan.1st. and it does every 13 or 14 yrs. or so. For those of you who didn't know this, now you do. And I'll bet anybody their paycheck against mine that I'm right. but trying to explain this to a supervisor or st. mgr. who was never a rural carrier is like sticking a fork in your eye, not that I've tried it. Anyway, I made them do a pay adjustment (which costs them about $75) so maybe, just maybe, next year they'll get it right. If they would just listen to us, and use our ideas, The PO could be a great place to work. Sorry I got long winded. Remember, take care of your customers,screw the managers.

[Postaltexan]

I notice they have skipped right over the early out for carriers, continuing with the VERA for Headquarters..  Interesting that the upper echelon of USPS just got a 39% raise a few months ago.  Wonder how that will factor into their high 3??  Wonder how many will take the early out and run from hdqtrs??  

An officer in my state said they had heard rural carriers would be the last VERA offered..  Dont know if it is true, but we will see..

[Underdog]

Well at the rate they're going maybe I'll have my 20 years when  they finally get to us!


Not that I'm holding my breath for an offer I can't refuse.....

[SCriverroute]

Underdog,
 That makes sense. The USPS needs Rural carriers, left in the building ,to do the work. Ha!

[DisGruntled]

They'll be leaving HQ like rats from a sinking ship.  That huge 39% raise they gave themselves last year was an obvious preparation for their upcoming higher annuities, the crooks.  They likely stole enough $ from the rural carriers via the last count to give themselves the raise.

Only figures that rural carriers, (along w/city carriers, being a few of the absolutely essential personnel, unlike the layer upon layer of redundant management) will be the last to receive a VER offer.  Oh well... only 2 years left here to hit the required 30 anyway.

[Donna Patten]

When do you think this offer is coming around, I can't wait!!!!

[Kirk]

Some javascript/style in this post has been disabled (why?)

About a year ago.

----- Original Message -----

From: [hidden email]

To: [hidden email]

Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 5:44 PM

Subject: Re: Early Outs for rural carriers

When do you think this offer is coming around, I can't wait!!!!