USPS Restructuring

[hedrap]

Anyone else been clipped by the restructuring? Forced retirements, hub closings are in swing. The delay is supposed to add 1.5 days to delivery, but in some areas, very little movement. Things are sitting in distribution for days on end. Federal workers aren't allowed to strike, ya know...

[Blue Meanie]

Anyone else been clipped by the restructuring? Forced retirements, hub closings are in swing. The delay is supposed to add 1.5 days to delivery, but in some areas, very little movement. Things are sitting in distribution for days on end. Federal workers aren't allowed to strike, ya know...

Post Office isn't a Federal job/workplace.

[hedrap]

True, but they fall under FERS, Federal Employee Retirement, have the same collective bargaining rights, and no longer the right to strike.

[Blue Meanie]

A friend of mine is a Postal Carrier I'll ask him if that is true. He's been with them for 10 years and is a full timer and not a temp carrier.

[hedrap]

Please do. I'd like to know what's going on your way. The people I've gotten info from are in the West and Mid-West. Forced retirements are from being friendly with my local office. Most of them are phasing out by next fall.

[Hector]

Postal employees are federal employees. The word “civilian” is used to distinguish that federal service from military service. In other words, you have to have been a FERS-covered employee for at least 10 years to be eligible for a deferred annuity. No credit can be given for military service, even if a deposit is made.

[Hector]

Striking has always been illegal in the Postal Service (employees never had the right)...you can't strike against the federal government.

But postal workers broke that line...and went on strike regardless (first and last time)...this was way back in 1970...

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._postal_strike_of_1970

[Hector]

Please do. I'd like to know what's going on your way. The people I've gotten info from are in the West and Mid-West. Forced retirements are from being friendly with my local office. Most of them are phasing out by next fall.

There are no such thing as forced retirements for full time Union employees in the postal service...but they are being encouraged to do so...most employees don't...so the postal service just places a freeze on hiring, and wait until employees reach the required retirement age. A few do and take a lump sum, rely on their thrift savings (or get another job)...and wait until the official postal retirements kicks in, usually after age 56, or 30 years or so of service.

I believe you are talking about non full time Union employees. Part timers have little rights...they can let go at anytime...especially if they have less than six years of service.

[Nostalgiabuff]

they have been closing distribution facilities for a while. that is why when you watch a tracking number online the package is all over the place before it arrives at destination

[Hector]

When a certain postal location shuts down...the full time Union employees are given choices...to move to another facility (this could be far away from home)..or retire. Many don't bother or want the hassle of relocating...so they just take their lump sum and move on.

[Hector]

The facilities that are the safest to survive...are the ones at airports...the postal service needs to be there to receive mail from planes abroad...airlines and the postal service work together in the distribution facilities.

[hedrap]

Good Lookin Out, Hector.

You're right in that it's not technically "forced", but options are being eliminated. Some do not want to go, others are burnt out.

I have a friend who just got hired as a carrier and he was told during training he got in because he's "active" and there are zero hub jobs available, even though they have unfilled positions.

[TrekStar]

One of my longtime best friends is a mail carrier, been doing it for about 18 years, he tells me nothing
but horror stories about the post office and how they handle employees, supposedly the Union does hardly anything
for them and after he retires he will only being receiving 30% of his retirement income.

These carriers deliver in all different types of weather conditions, especially here in Mass, after awhile it takes
a toll on your body, but apparently there treated like poop.

[Nostalgiabuff]

let's face it, it has become the American way for the company you work for to treat employees like ****e. sad but true

[Rallygirl]

I come from a postal family, my grandpa and three aunts retired from there, while one aunt and two cousins are still there. I worked as a casual, both clerking and carrying, during my first three years college. Don't feel sorry for them. $25 dollars an hour. THOUSANDS of dollars in Christmas gifts from customers. Being on the approved OT list and getting paid double or triple time for not actually working OT. Delivering packages on holidays for double and occasionally triple time. Fabulous health insurance.

That being said, casual work didn't fit into my schedule my last year off college, so I defected and worked a year for UPS. I would take working for the USPS over UPS any day.