NEWS BY NINE
The Postal Service both nationally and locally has gone on the offensive and the target appears to be the letter carriers and the NALC.
One week before negotiations are to begin with the NALC, USPS Headquarters issued a stand-up talk to all workplaces announcing it was exploring additional legislative proposals to deal with the current “fiscal crisis” In an effort to turn back the clock to before the strike, the USPS is suggesting that Congress allow the Postal Service, to remove Postal employees and retirees from the FEHBP and the CSRS/FERS programs for health and retirement benefits for programs that would be administered by the Postal Service. They are also want to “improve its workforce flexibility” by eliminating the no lay-off clause and prohibit the use of the grievance procedure in dealing with management’s decisions. Enclosed you will find NALC President Rolando response to these proposals.
While the USPS is supposedly
barred from lobbying congress, the Postal Service released two discussion
drafts (white papers) on these proposals to members of congress. The reasons
for these actions are clear, they want to cut, slash, burn and destroy the
jobs, wages and benefits of career postal employees. They clearly have no desire
to attempt to negotiate with the NALC they want congress to step in and act in
place of the collective bargaining process because they know that these
positions would never survive in front of an arbitrator. So they use outright
lies and falsehoods by comparing the Postal Service with the auto industry and
implying that the Postal Service is bankrupt and in need of the same
restructuring. Enclosed you will also find President Rolando statement on why
you shouldn't believe the Postal Service's "Big Lie," and learn the
truth about a common-sense, legislative solution to the Postal Service's
financial problems. Read it and then act. Here’s what you need do: Call your House member and—
· Tell
him or her to oppose the Postal Service's proposals to downsize its workforce
through layoffs and to gut its employees' health and pension benefits.
· Tell him or her to support H.R. 1351, a legislative first step toward ensuring a sound financial future for the Postal Service.
Locally management is using words like “holding people accountable” when it comes to scanning and making leave times among other things which basically means discipline.
Management has taken the stance that discipline will be the only answer anytime a carrier cannot fulfill the instructions given in the morning and there is no acceptable reason that a carrier can use as a defense. Some stations have started to issue Letters of Warning for a variety of issues whether it is for missing 1 MSP scan or not making a DOIS prescribed leave time or any other issue that before could have been taken care of with a simple discussion. If it hasn’t come to your station yet, think again it will. The NALC has been down this road before, maybe not to the extent it is now, but other parts of the country have faced these issues before and now it has come to the Northland District. Rest assured the discipline will be investigated and grievances will be filed where management acted improperly. The old rule of thumb still holds true in this case and that carriers are to follow the instructions and grieve later. The only times that it is permitted for us to disregard an instruction is 1 - when it is against the law and 2 - when it will put our personal safety at risk. We are urging the carriers to continue to do their jobs safely and consistently Do your scans and follow management’s instructions regarding warning cards and scanning on other routes. Let management know when you can’t meet your leaving times or finish in the time that they want and they will soon run out of reasons on how to blame the carriers for not making their numbers.
If you are issued discipline contact your steward.
Mike & Darrell