Excerpts from the Unionizer, East Bay Area Local #47’s Quarterly Publication, January-March 2009 issue
Falsification of PO Box Distribution Time
By Stephen Lysaght, President
As I reported in the last issue of the Unionizer, the District [PR note: Bay-Valley District] issued a policy in response to complaints that I lodged about supervisors and postmasters either instructing Clerks to falsify the time by which PO box mail was distributed, or falsifying the time themselves. In that I continued to receive reports of such fraud even after issuance of the policy, at the Local’s behest the memorandum in the box to the right [see letter below] was issued to the field on Dec. 30, 2008.
I encourage any member required to falsify the time by which all committed mail is distributed to report it to your Shop Steward or the Union Office. Supervisors and managers should be held accountable and punished for fraud, just as any bargaining unit employee would be.
Policy Letter
Postmasters/Officers-In-Charge
Managers, Customer Services
Subject: PO Box Up Time (SPMS)
There have been recent reports by Union officials that managers have instructed supervisors and employees to scan the PO Box barcode before all committed mail has been placed in the box.
The subject of PO Box scanning has been covered in Focus ON Results meetings. Managers were also required to share the attached Committed Mail poster with all employees having box walling responsibilities and to post it in the box section by November 29.
Falsification of the up time by scanning before walling is completed will not be tolerated. Postmasters and station managers will be held personally accountable for ensuring compliance with instructions.
Contact your respective MPOO or Host Postmaster if you have any questions or need clarification.
Cedric Brown Ed Kimble Oscar Munoz
MPOO-A MPOO-B MPOO-C
Darrell Stoke Lowana Gooch Sam Vasquez
MPOO-D Host PM Oakland Host PM Sam Jose
Joe the Plummer says:
In our box section on Tour 3 we have three clerks. This week we have a guy from region here following the different clerks literally everywhere they go all day. This is to determine whether all the positions are needed. Seems to me the first position they should be looking at is that guy. At least the three clerks are doing SOMETHING with the mail.
April 3, 2009, 12:12 amxxx says:
what else is new in this shithole!
April 3, 2009, 8:01 amjackpot says:
Boy do I remember the old days in Lansing, Illinois. We would literally read almost anything just to keep busy while doing the box section! Talk about waste!
April 3, 2009, 9:49 amO Bam YoMama says:
1 guy followin 3, souns lik yo gonna loose 2. bout time we c sum action. affer yo be gons i gits my bros an sistas yo jobs.
April 3, 2009, 11:30 amThe Watch Man says:
hey, Joe the Plummer…remember there is a seperation between EAS and Craft. He cannot touch the mail, that is the responsibility of the 3 clerks he was auditing.
April 3, 2009, 1:39 pmV.P. of Bonuses says:
Don’t be messing with my bonus. I want the figures to be right regardless of the time.
April 3, 2009, 1:45 pmBig Daddy says:
We’ve been told by upper management that there is a need to cut EAS positions because of the budget short falls yet they will protect their inner circle by instead of following RIF procedure’s they will create other slots to slide them into. The upper level has done whatever they have felt like for years now including throwing the ELM under the bus anytime it kept them from doing what they have felt like doing. I think that befor we do anything else with the Postal Service that we have a Senate subcommitte investigation done so everyone can really see what has been going on within the postal service over the last few years and this investigation should include the unions because they have had a part in the picture that is being shown. GM’s head man and many others in the upper echelon of that company had to step down to get help and maybe the same should happen for us.
April 3, 2009, 6:13 pmclerk waste says:
box section can be done in 10 minutes it is not work.
April 4, 2009, 7:52 ambob says:
we used to have clowns follow us around with a clipboard and short the reports by logging too much time and a smaller volume just to make the supv look bad on the very same reports. These people are PM’s and supervisors from small offices who have nothing to do so they send them out on details like that. Had one call me easy money when I was staging some flats and I told him that his fat ass had the nerve to call me easy money…you should have seen his face and the faces of the other two do nothings who were with him…it was priceless…LOL
April 4, 2009, 9:50 amAnonymous says:
false pride maintaining the illusion of performance
April 4, 2009, 12:29 pmjust left says:
Hey jackpot, I worked in Lansing too! I remember those days. Just retired in Colorado and they are still scanning before the mail is up. I guess no one supervisors takes cares, it’s all about their numbers still.
April 4, 2009, 3:01 pmMel Lewis says:
you have an answer listed get rid of the pooms and let postmasters do their jobs like they use to
April 5, 2009, 2:21 amMel Lewis says:
Can any one tell me the correct way to do ubbm mail our poom in our district makes us just dump it witout going thru it please send answer to my e mail I have 37 years in and have tried to say it was wrong but what do I know with a poom that has 15 years
April 5, 2009, 2:25 amOh yah says:
I have seen it in our office as well! The PMR says why do we even have to scan this dumb thing, the postmaster says I have to always scan this before 9:00 if I’m done with the mail or not! Well do what you feel is right, I don’t know if there is a correct answer with this organization!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 5, 2009, 7:59 pmkidding says:
In reponse to clerk waste, “WHERE THE F… ARE YOU”? You must be EAS, you havent worked one day since you were hired.Now thats a waste!
April 7, 2009, 7:09 pmF/4 says:
Hey Watchman,
Yea that’s a real good ratio, 1 supervisor for 3 workers! Actually it is 2 supervisors for 3 workers because the one following the 3 workers around is not their real supervisor anyway. I’m sure he could justify getting rid of 1 of the workers so the ratio could be 1 supervisor for each worker. Yea, that’s what we need, a personal trainer for everybody!!! Talk about productivity in these troubled economic times.
April 8, 2009, 1:45 pmohio postal says:
The issue is falsification…it is very disheartening to read all of this biting at each other. Neither union is perfect, but without them, none of US postal emp. would have the benefits that we have. We do still have jobs with good salaries to pay the bills unlike so many in this country right now! Mgmt is the problem. We need to be united against all of the idiocy like SCANNING and MYSTERY SHOPPERS. These programs are not being used as they are intended. District Mgmt pays ABSOLUTELY NO attn to the info that they are supposed to provide. They intimidate the local managers to the point that Local mgmt then uses it to discipline. We are called everyday to remind us to make sure we scan the box scan on time. It doesn’t matter if the mail is up or not. Just make sure it is scanned and on time. We all know it. Carrier scan points, Box up scans, Mystery shopper scores. All supposed to serve a purpose and all just cause LOWs and more. Kudos to the ONE manager who knows and uses them properly. I can guarantee you that you are a RARE exception. It is just a shame. Please can we work together to find solutions. I only have 3 years and fear that I may not make it based on the comments I have read here. FROM OHIO
April 8, 2009, 7:48 pmohio postal | 04.05.09 – 8:53 pm | #
IN the Know says:
The problem is Mgmt.mainly HQ’s thats where the Senate should investigate.They are trying to cut costs by offering VERA’s but penalizing the personel they should cut as many $80,000.00 and up jobs as possible.When you start by doing that then add what the Postal Service pays in benefits and time and your well over 100K for these people woudn’t that save 40-50,000 $’s more than cutting your clerks & carriers the people actually doing the work and keeping the company going I bet if they would use this formula nation wide they would save alot of $$. But then again most of you who have 25+ yrs or more know Postal Rule (PR) #1 IF IT IS LOGICAL & SENSIBLE MGMT. WILL DO THE OPPOSITE Since Jack Potter has implemented his Transistion Plan we are in the business to lose $$ so that will equal PRIVITIZATION!!!!!!!!!
April 10, 2009, 6:17 pm