Shopsteward11030

Responding to yykg0b:

There are several errors in your comments which would lend me to think that you do not even work for the Postal Service. There is a layoff off protection clause in the contract but it is after 6 years of service not 90 days. Clerks can not specifically be excessed into the letter carrier craft. Letter carriers nationwide are going through route reviews due to the loss of mail volume. Routes are being condensed and lengthened, thereby eliminating carrier positions. That will leave an excess number of carriers that will be dealt with through attrition, which leaves no room for clerks to be placed.
The larger problem seems to be that 30% of the workforce in the postal service makes nearly 50% of the payroll and never touch the mail. The Postal Service is top heavy and needs to reduce managerial numbers. In the last ten years the postal service has eliminated 150,000 craft positions while management ranks grew by 10%!! There currently are 7 employees for every manager service wide. That is an atrocious number is needs to be brought in line. The other issue is the restraint that congress has applied to the USPS regarding pre-funding of retiree healthcare costs. This comes to about 5 billion dollars a year. Meaning last year the postal service would not have lost any money and this year the projected loss would be minimal. The reduction of workhours and the increase in performance have been excellant, but there is much to be done. It must start with congress (the house of representatives will this week pass HR 22, releaving this requirement for 3 years) and postal management must be pared down in line with the number of employees. The unions have been saving the postal service from itself for years and will continue to do so. Contact your Congressman!!!