From PostalReporter reader: Our Union is in receipt of the attached arbitration case. It has awarded close to $30,000 to letter carriers in the Milford Post Office (New Hampshire) . It also includes some retirees and transfers from the Milford Post Office. The case deals with Postal Managers that “Stole Time” from the electronic time card records of letter carriers that worked overtime. The Managers were found guilty in arbitration but it appears never charged with a crime. I do not even think they received discipline.
This is not right to come to work and have a manager steal time from us. I have been a letter carrier for many years and I have never stolen anything. We took an oath! These managers stole from us and did not even get disciplined.
Arbitration Award Summary
Management violated Article 19 of the National Agreement when they altered Milford City Carrier clock rings for the period 2003-2008. The grievances are sustained. For a remedial award I find:
1. The Service agreed based on the evidence, that all the carriers who were adversely impacted by the altered clock rings are entitled to a make whole remedy for the period 2003-2008; the details to be worked out by the parties. Thus, all employees adversely impacted by the altered click rings are to be made whole.
2. Management at the Milford Post Office engaged in a pattern of intentional, repeated and flagrant violations of the contract when they altered the City Carrier clock rings for the period 2003-2008. Management’s violations were so egregious over a period of many years that punitive damages are warranted to deter the Service from further clock ring violations. This, I award $1500.00 to all current career city carriers at the Milford, New Hampshire PO.
3. As a result of Management’s contractual violations, part-time flexible carriers West and McGaughey were not converted to full-time regular status. Based on the documentation presented, I conclude that PTF carriers West and McGaughey are qualified for conversion to full-time status. I find that PTF carriers West and McGaughey are to be converted to full-time regular carriers, effective 30 days from the date of the award, into the two positions curreently being withheld under Article 12.
Also: Specifically over a six year period Supervisor Cohen and Postmaster Mottlard deliberately made 805 changes to carriers pay and thousands of changes and modifications in clock ring codes in violation of the National Agreement resulting in loss of pay to the carriers. Moreover in one year ther were several weeks of training time that affected the carriers jobs in a seven route office. Supervisor Colen put carriers in for training time when they were actually working. For example, in 2005 there were over 9 weeks of training time recorded although there were only seven full-time letter carriers and two part-time flexible carriers. Falsely listing the carrier training time negatively affected the evaluation of the routes.
Sherri Rose Talmadge, Esq., Arbitrator
Related link: Postal Manager of Somersworth Post Office Escorted From Building By OIG
WAKE UP POTTER! It’s s__t like this that causes a major part of the massive postal deficit. When are you going to realize that arbitrations are extremely expensive? That’s not to mention how expensive that settlements will be. How much of your labor costs are spent on grievance settlements, arbitration settlements and arbitatrations? I never see or hear this discussed anywhere.
There is no way to justify this type of Crime. Letter Carriers show up for work each and every day, and work very hard. If a letter carrier is caught stealing the other carriers do not shed a tear, knowing that no thief can have honor among good letter carriers. In management they justify their deeds on the way to their next promotion. Here in New Hampshire not one manager has been fired in this point shaving scandal. Milford, Somersworth, Manchester South & West. Some are still supervising in the same units they stole pay checks. What does that tell you about the quality of postal management?
Sirs,
this stealing of work time off employees time cards has been a management trick for years. I myself have had overtime hours deleted from my paycheck by managers and no managers are held accountble by their superiors. Why are they not fired for theft ? That is actually an easier question to answer than you might think.
In my opinion two reasons come to mind :
First – because many managers above the floor supervisors have done the same thing. The Postal Service has never backed up it’s policy about not stealing from the employees with any force so essentially the message is don’t worry about if you get caught. The employee supervisors can look up art their superiors and see that stealing didn’t hurt their careers so it won’t hurt mine. I personally cannot seem to be paid correctly no matter what paperwork I hand in. And, naturally, the aleged accidental mistakes are, somehow, always dock