Layoffs

Some of you may be aware that the United States Postal Service is considering layoffs or a "Reduction in Force" (RIF) for the first time in its history.  The ever declining mail volume as well as the state of the national economy, e-mail, do not mail lists, eco-friendly printing and paper recycling have all added to put this pressure on the postal service to reduce the workforce. 

10 years ago we had 800,000 employees and were the largest employer in the nation.  We kept America communicating, birthday cards, x-mas cards and the letters from grandma all got to where they were supposed to including bills and banking statements.  Just to look at the volume we have lost over the last 10 years it is amazing that we still have 680,000 employees in the Postal Service.  Unfortunately, now it gets worse!

Based on all the previously lost volume to fax, e-mail, online bill pay and direct deposit we now have all the issues mentioned in the first paragraph.  The Postal Service is also taking on the largest automation project since Delivery Point Sequence (DPS) mail and it is known as FSS; Flat Sequencing System.  The first craft to be affected will the the clerks.  This machine will eliminate thousands of jobs throughout the clerk craft.

Clerks have been getting excessed for years now and are pretty much at the saturation level of there being no where else to excess them to.  In the Triboro district where FSS is not planned to go online in the immeadiate future, due to space restrictions,  the Postal Service is going to excess clerks to the letter carrier craft.  This will allow some excessing into the Triboro district of clerks from surrounding districts,  but not alot.  That leaves the RIF! 

Once the letter carrier craft is at full complement and FSS is online the Postal Service will then be looking to eliminate routes.  The plan is to reduce office sorting time by letter carriers by at least 2 hours therefore adding 2 hours of street time.  Simply by the math that means at least 20% less routes per office and thereby 20-30% less letter carriers. 

The Postal Service has already stated that they will not offer an incentive package to the voluntary early retirement (VER) (which really isn't  a feasible option for most).  The current VER is only getting the mildest of interest.  Early reports are that there will only be about 15,000 employees to take the VER, the Postal Service was hoping for 45,000.  The Postal Service has no incentive to offer any kind of package for retiring early being that they will be able to eliminate employees through the Reduction in Force which is in all the labor contracts.

President of the APWU , Mr. Burrus, has already stated to the best of his knowledge that there are only about 16,000 clerks eligible to be laid-off.  The NALC hasn't even seemed to mention the situation as of yet.  Yes, there are some triggers that would have to be met contractually for the RIF to happen, but they are mostly there and the ones that aren't are easily attainable.

This is real and this is going to happen.  I urge all postal employees to look at this issue seriously!  We are facing grave time in the postal service as well as nationally.  The Postal Service is facing the same battle as are all companies at the moment. 

NOW FOR THE SOLUTION!  The only way to protect our jobs are to do 2 things. 

 First:  Do your job the way you are supposed.  Do not shortcut safety in liu of time.  Work smarter and work safer.  Do your job as it is laid out in all the manuals including the M-41, M-39 and the ELM as well as all negotiated contracts.  This does not mean slow down!  This just states that we need to do our jobs as they are prescribed to be done.

Second: This may sound odd but, order catalogs.  The more catalogs that you and your family and friends order the more volume, the more volume the more revenue that is added to the Postal Service.  If you have any stores or business' that family and friends own or on your route get them to ship with the USPS.  We are less expensive and offer all the same features as the other shippers.  Recieve paper bills in the mail.  You are saving companies millions of dollars a year in postage by recieving your bills online, thereby costing the Postal Service.  GET PAPER BILLS!

As it always has been it will take the employees of the United Stated Postal Service to save it from itself.  We all have a debt to America to make sure universal delivery remains in effect in this country and for the delivery to be performed by well trained United Stated Postal Service Employees, not some fly-by-night operation.  Employees that move the mail are the U.S.P.S. and we will deliver for America!

Think about it, I have been in the PO since 1983 and I have yet to see a layoff. Each time we have done it through attrition and that is the way it is being handled now. There may be more VER and there will be some excessing but folks will still have jobs... There is a difference between a layoff and a RIF.

career employee reduction will come by attrition and VER, but if a layoff were to happen you would not be protected unless you are a 10pt vet (30% or greater disability). Read your contract to gain more info, as a less than 6 year employee you may be at risk but I doubt it.

We are an office of the executive branch and the last thing the new pres wants to do is put gov't employees on the street looking for work.