Holiday overtime

Saturday is the beginning of holiday pay.

Overtime is not allowed in our office. We are fine with that. Help is welcome. It gives the RCAs a little extra Holiday money.

Lack of opportunity for extra pay is not my complaint. Rather it is the scrutiny of letter and flat mail verses time on the route. This is the conversation. “The mail is light today, you should get back under your evaluation.” No mention of parcels.

For this reason, I am writing the number of dismounts I have each day in the comments section of the 4240, time sheet during the Holiday season. This would include large packages, accountable mail, and hardships.

Here is an example of how this affected my route. Monday, the mail was fairly normal but there were loads of packages, many too large for the box. Tuesday, we had essentially the same amount of mail but far fewer packages. I finished the route exactly one hour earlier Tuesday.

At least I will have some documentation for daily delivery time verses volume of mail.

Monster Cookies

We just completed a sharp Rural Carrier Academy class. They were first rate particpants and will make excellent rural carriers. I made Monster cookies and promised to post the recipe here. Warning: this recipe will make a tub of cookies--post office tub that is!

Monster Cookies
12 eggs
2 lbs brown sugar
4 cups white sugar
1 T. vanilla
1 T. syrup
8 teaspoons soda
1 lb. butter
3lbs. peanut butter (crunchy)
18 cups oatmeal
1 lb. chocolate chips
1 lb M & Ms
Note: I add about three cups flour. You might want to experiment with this a little.

Mix in order given in large dish pan. Bake 350 7 to 10 minutes for a medium size cookie or longer for a ice cream scoop size cookie.

QWL/EI is Discontinued

In a letter dated November 17, 2008, to the Vice Presidents, Area Operations, Doug A. Tulino, Vice President, Labor Relations, stated the following:

Don Cantriel, President, National Rural Letter Carriers' Association (NRLCA) informed me on Friday, November 14, 2008, that the NRLCA is withdrawing from the Quality of Work Life/Employee Involvement (QWL/EI) process effective January 1,2009.

Effective immediately, all QWL/EI training will be discontinued. Any on-going project or activity will have to be completed no later than December 31, 2008 as a result of the NRLCA's decision to terminate their participation in the QWL/EI process.

There are a few activities that currently require District Joint Steering Committee involvement (e.g. selection of rural carrier academy instructors and monitoring implementation of DPS letters). We are discussing the transition of these responsibilities and will be providing information in the near future.

While I am disappointed in the NRLCA's decision, I hope the experience of QWL/EI for the past 26 years has created a positive working environment among managers and rural carriers that will continue in the future.

QWL/EI has been an important part of my postal career. I have participated in district training, Rural Carrier Academy as well as a facilitator.

In Kansas, the QWL problem-solving techniques of bringing all parties together, applying sequential steps to a solution, and finally reaching a consensus were never fully utilized as far as workplace disagreements between management and craft. Work teams concentrated on "projects" that rarely were approved and most rural carriers did not know about nor cared. The DJSC published a bulletin that was informative and widely read. It will be missed.

I learned a great deal from my participation. It benefitted me personally even if deemed not to be helpful to rural carriers as a whole.

Latest Update on Sick Leave Retirement Credit Bill

The following is from the NAPUS (National Association of Postmasters of the United States) bulletin:

FERS Sick Leave Credit

Earlier this week, Sen. Cornyn, the Senate sponsor of the Senate companion to HR 1108, legislation to give the Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority of the tobacco products, indicated that the Senate is unlikely to take up the measure this year. HR 1108 includes a provision, authored by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-CA) that provides FERS retirement credit for unused sick leave. The House passed its version of the bill on July 30 by a 326-102 margin. The September 10 issue of CQ Today reported that when Sen. Cornyn was asked about whether the Senate would take up H.R. 1108, he answered, “Realistically, I don’t think so.” According to Senate leadership staff, the crowded end-session legislative calendar renders consideration highly doubtful.

Poll on Eliminating Saturday Delivery

The Lawrence Journal World posted the following question on their on line poll today: "Would you miss receiving mail on Saturdays if the United States Postal Service eliminated delivery that day?"

Click here for the results and comments.

As usual, the people who take the time to comment were negative. However, there were several positive posts. Be sure to find the post written by a former RCA. Unfortunately, I do not agree with her that eliminating Saturday delivery will not affect rural carriers not to mention the RCAs.

It is also interesting that a whopping 875 people responded. I follow these polls and this is significant. It appears the feeling is nearly 50/50 for or against. Personally, I thought there would be a stronger feeling for keeping the six day delivery. For those not familiar with this part of Kansas, Lawrence is in middle of the Kansas City to Topeka corridor. People in the central and western part of the state would be much less willing to give up Saturday delivery.

Mail count over my shoulder

There is an interesting happening in our office; one that really has nothing to do with mail count other than the time of year we are required to conduct it.

The news tells us the housing market is drastically down. However, in our little office, the three and a half routes have grown at least four or more boxes each since count ended. For two of us, had we had those boxes, our routes would have evaluated a step higher.

It seems not only is the February count a bad time for mail volume, but it is a time when no one is changing or moving. Spring comes, everything comes alive, people move into vacant rentals, existing homes sell and new homes break ground.

Too bad we lost that October mail count.

Quality of Work Life/Employee Involvement

Hopefully, rural carriers reading this post are familiar with the concept. Having participated in QWL/EI for over 14 years, I think the principle is valid.

I am currently a trainer at the Rural Carrier Academy after previously serving five years in the late 90s before there was a time limit. Between the training stints, I was a member of a facilitator team.

Why did I decide to participation in the QWL/EI process?

First, and most importantly, as it turns out, the facilitator and academy instructor training is comprehensive and informative. No one should feel intimidated, as the point of the time spent in the classes is to help alleviate anxiety. The area trainers do it well.

At all times, QWL/EI involves participation by management and craft working together. This concept appeals to me.

Facilitator training is about identifying problems, listing possible solutions and agreeing on the best answer, which is helpful in my life outside the work place.

Finally, I cannot say enough about the people I have met while involved in QWL/EI. Probably the most rewarding is getting to know new RCAs and TRCs while they spend three days in the training academy. Their enthusiasm is contagious.

If you feel you would like to expand your postal experience beyond the route, seek out QWL/EI. Contact a state union officer for opportunities in your area.

How do they get there?

By LindaK
It is always a surprise when a bright spring flower shows up all by itself along a gravel road on my route. My guess is a squirrel. Or, maybe a lone bulb fell out of the sack. It doesn't matter as I enjoy their cheery nod the short while they come out of hiding.

State Convention

The State Convention of the Kansas Rural Letter Carriers will be held Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, June 8 - 10, 2008, in Park City, Kansas. Check your Kansas Carrier for hotel information and itinerary. Monday evening, June 9th, 2008, is the banquet. The entertainment will be the Diamond W. Ranglers, a cowboy music group based out of Wichita.

Quoting from their website

They perform classic Western Music of the silver-screen cowboy era, such as "Cool Water," "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," and "Ghost Riders In The Sky," as well as classic cowboy trail songs and Prairie Rose Wranglers originals. The tight harmonies and sidesplitting humor of the Wranglers make for a show that whole family will enjoy....good, clean entertainment, the way it should be...the Cowboy Way.

Click here for a sample of their music.

First District Meeting

The attendance was low, but expected considering the beautiful spring day. Agenda included old friends, fun and information about the State Convention in June.

Wildlife Count

Midway through my route today, I spotted something, or more specifically some things, on the road. I immediately slowed down because, as I moved closer, it obviously was a covey of quail.

I am excited as around this part of Kansas, we don’t see as many quail as in years past. Also, it was a particularly hard winter, with several severe ice storms. It is a good sign the birds are out on the road, perhaps enjoying bits of salt.

The quail prompted me to remember my early days as a carrier when we conducted wildlife counts twice a year. Management brought each carrier a list of animals with columns for each day of the week. The list included rabbits, squirrel, quail, and pheasant. Deer might have also been on the list. Let's see, were box turtles on the list? I don’t think so, I added them at the bottom just so I had more things to count.

The rural carrier wildlife count was an important measurement for the Kansas Wildlife and Parks (probably then Kansas Fish and Game). I wonder why we are no longer asked to do this task.

Probably someone thought it is not part of our job description or could be a safety hazard. It is too bad because I was conscientious and considered it a fun assignment.

A Sad Goodbye

By LindaK

I am going to miss Sonoma, always dependable, hardly ever disagreeable and my best friend in the post office. However, it is time for her to have less stress and hard work. Lately, she has developed several illnesses that could be considered terminal unless she retires and takes it easy. Hopefully, she will find a new home, living out her days carrying fishing gear.

The replacement 2000 S10 is not nearly as nice looking and has a bad complexion (a few minor dents). He will be OK, but I am loyal to my old friends. He will have to earn my respect.

Mail Count is history.

Mail count is over, thankfully. I observed to a friend that mail count brings out the worst in everyone.

All I want is a fair count. Read the rules and stand by them.

I am not going to rant about how much mail we received the two days following mail count. It serves no purpose. It is over; we have to live with what we received.

Here are my results. Our last count two years ago was 51 hours 42 minutes with 394 boxes. My just completed count was 52 hours 4 minutes with 404 boxes.

Those two results show how much the mail has declined the past two years. I am still a 43K. The flats were noticeably down but more parcels, scans. accountable mail, as well as the ten additional boxes, saved me from a loss.

I actually had accumulated the 13 boxes necessary to increase to a 44K before the count, but due to moves and slow home sales, I did not fill vacant homes in the 90 days necessary. I also have two new constructions, but no mailbox up. That is one thing our postmaster has been consistent about over the years, no mailbox, no count.

It is easy after the fact to think a couple more boxes here, a few more flats counted as parcels there and I would be making over $1,000 more this year.

I am telling myself to just be thankful for a good job, good health insurance and hopefully, adequate retirement. What ifs are not worth the stress. I hear rumblings that many carriers on L Routes lost significant evaluation. I feel lucky.

Now maybe we can settle down and enjoy the beautiful spring weather that is finally coming our way

NOTE: Click here and follow the links for a route calculator and here for a Table of Evaluated Hours for Regular Rural Routes.

Update on Sick Leave Reimbursement Bill

Rep. James Moran D VA, is introducing the sick leave reimbursement bill on Monday, March 10th, reported in today's Federal Times.

Terms are 10% of high three hourly wage for all but first 500 hours unused sick leave.

Frankly, I do not know how to figure my hourly wage since I have overtime built into it. It appears the higher your salary, the more you will get back. Even though I will have 1500 hours unused sick leave, I will not receive the maximum $10,000.

Quoting from the article:

Moran’s bill would provide employees retiring under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) up to $10,000 in compensation. Employees would be paid 10 percent of the hourly average of their three highest salaries for all but the first 500 hours of their unused sick leave

.

Mail Count So Far Here At Berryton

Half way through mail count and we are still treading water, but don’t think we’re gaining.

Of course, the last week of the month is sometimes slow. With no “Hallmark” holiday, the first class mail is limited to bills. For my 403 customer route, I usually get five to six feet of letters. Two days last week, I only had four feet.

The flats were conspicuously down. We were all very concerned. Finally toward the end of the week, the magazines picked up. I noticed there were quite a few dated advertisements ready for Monday delivery when I left yesterday.

Our only “discussions” have been over flat versus parcel. I always try to present my side. Then we have to bring out the ruler. I have won a few; however, our postmaster is good about checking sizes so I feel we usually get a fair count.

I’ve been lucky in that I’ve had a steady stream of Certified letters and a few COAs. Last mail count I was unusually short in that column. Anytime we have a positive change over last mail count is a bonus.

Finally, I am definitely missing my carrier pickup orders. There were about five orders a week previously. I have had ONE since the count began. And, this time it rolls into our route evaluation. All I can hope is that my Ebayers sell some things this weekend!

I have not figured my route. I make it a point not to do that. It is stressful and proves very little. We’ll see next weekend. Good luck!

Recent Changes in Mail Count Regulations of Special Interest

1. DPS for a Closed School or Business: Credit for DPS closed school or business letter mail, whether cased or taken to the street will be credited in the following manner:
a. Credit will be given in Column A, Letters, for each piece when there are seven pieces or less
b. Credit will be given in Column D, Parcels, for one parcel when there are eight pieces or more
c. These mail pieces will not be deducted from Column L, DPS mail.

2. Form 3982-R Rural Boxholder Nondelivery Request: Time will be credited during the mail count in the following manner:
a. One markup in Column J for transcribing information on PS Form 3982-R or annotating or discarding the form when receiving a reinstatement of delivery.
b. One piece in Column A for casing Form 3982-R
c. One piece in Column N, Letters and Flats Collected, for bringing PS Form 3982-R back from the route.

3. Change of Address (COA) Procedure: The time allowance for Changes of Address (COAs) will be 15 seconds for each PS Form 3982 (yellow) label received during the count period and recorded in Column R. If the carrier is required to perform any additional duties of completing the following forms and/or writing on Form 3982 label, the credit will be two (2) minutes.
• PS Form 3575, Change of Address
• PS Form 3575-WWW, Internet Change of Address
• PS Form 3575-Z Employee generated Change of Address
• PS Form 3546 Official Change/Correction to Mail Forwarding Change of Address

4. Markups: The time allowance for markups will be 15 seconds per markup. The only individual markups will be
a)Deceased,
b)No Record Mail (CFS returns),
c)transcribing information to PS Form 3982-R and
d)others required by management

5. Carrier Pick-up Packages picked up only through the carrier pick-up Web application will receive 90 seconds for each carrier pick-up request completed and nine seconds for each Express Mail, Priority Mail and International Mail item collected with the pickup request and recorded in Column R. Prepaid ordinary and insured parcels and letters or flats collected in conjunction with the carrier pick-up items are recorded in columns N or O, as appropriate.

6. Mail History Tracking System (MHTS): Actual time to locate and remove errors from DPS associated with the Mail History Tracking System process is included in riffling time and credited in Column R

7. Do Not Bend/Do Not Fold: Non-rigid items endorsed Do Not Bend or Do Not Fold will NOT be credited as parcels unless they have been properly prepared in accordance with DMM (prepared with a stiffener) or unless the item would be damaged when casing with other mail.

8. Fletters: Letters (6 1/8" and under) processed on automated flat machines and found in automation processed flat tubs will be credited only in Column A, Letters per arbitration decision QOOR-4Q-C 030089889

NOTE: Results of mail count will be effective April 26, 2008

Berryton Rural Carrier Blazes Trail

By LindaK
Well, I was the first down this road anyway.

One of those mail delivery moments

Mail delivery sometimes has little embarrassing moments. Fleeting times of flushed face. Things quickly forgotten. Like forgetting a customer's name or needing a signature without a pen in sight. Earlier this week I had one of those

First, I have to say that when the roads are bad with snow or ice, I drive a Beater, or in other words a 1987 Oldsmobile front wheel drive. It’s a jewel. Everything works except the radio. With studded front tires, it gets me around the route in fine shape most Kansas winters.

It wasn’t entirely the car’s fault. We knew the muffler was loose. It wasn’t too bad and my husband had the parts. I didn’t anticipate two things. First, the trash truck making its rounds when the roads were soft creating deep ruts. Second, the temperature dropping and those ruts freezing.

After about the third time the Olds high centered on a frozen mud rut, the muffler fell off. Now I am delivering mail sounding like an old dump truck. It was near the end of the route. However, I did have to make one stop at a residence for a carrier pickup. I no sooner pulled up when the customer came running out to see who was taking their stuff. They saw it was me and looked bewildered as I started the car.

Only slightly red faced, I waved and roared away.

Frosty morning

By LindaK

Deal reached on bill to compensate feds for unused sick leave

is the headline for a Federal Times article by Stephen Losey today. According to the article Retiring employees under the Federal Employees Retirement System would get up to $10,000 in compensation under the latest version of a bill drafted by Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va. The previous bill was capped at $5,000.

No word is given as to how the compension will be figured. It is generally thought that there will be a minimum number of hours required before compension will begin.

This is good news!

Fortuneteller Anyone?

I am a USPS FERS employee.

My full time hiring date was February 1984. The retirement system underwent massive change in January of 1984. No one explained it to me. I guess I could have been both CSRS and FERS had I known. In fact, it wasn’t until the National Rural Letter Carrier Convention in Chicago did I hear anyone spend time talking about FERS retirement. It was probably out there, but retirement was so far away that I just took out the maximum amount for investment each pay period and didn’t think much about it.

As it turns out, in all my ignorance, FERS has been good for me. My choices of investments have paid well through the years. And, they are mine. Unlike CSRS, I have been able to build sum of money that stays with me, and more importantly, my family whenever I die.

Of course, we all know the sick leave situation. It’s true, when I finally roll up the windows in my mail truck for the last time, I might loose a year’s worth of sick leave. On the other hand, if I need it for a major illness it is there. And, maybe legislation will be passed to compensate for a percentage. After all, the politicians are on the same plan as rural carriers.

The question remains, have I made the right decision to retire before my full retirement age of 66. I just read a blog entitled "Wait if you Can" by Dr. Ron Evans, a semi retired professor at Washburn University in Topeka. He suggested, in jest, consulting a fortuneteller. After all, when one should take retirement depends on length of life. Eighty years is the breaking point to make up the difference between the lesser amount at 62 and the full amount at 66.

As I said, the decision is made. Unless there is an unforeseen circumstance, I am retiring before the full age of 66. Maybe because I am even writing this, I have second thoughts. If anyone would like to weigh in on determining his or her retirement date, I am interested. Comments are welcome.

Anyone having thoughts like this?

FERS sick leave compensation

The January 11th Federal Times had an article concerning the new legislation concerning sick leave compensation entitled "Sick leave plan falls short, managers groups say" by Amy Doolittle.

It seems FERS employees have reached retirement age and have many hours of sick leave accumulated.

CSRS employees' sick leave is added on to the end of their retirement.

Not unexpectedly, FERS employees nearing retirement are finding themselves with a year of sick leave (in my case) or even more that will be completely lost at the time of retirement. Consequently, as they near retirement, more and more FERS people are using their sick leave--not illegally, but at the hint of an illness or as legitimate family leave. As the article indicates, it is costing the government millions.

Notice to FERS employees: We need to rally behind this!

Mailbox or In Box

The New York Time published an article Sunday, December 16, by Phyllis Korkki entitled Still Choosing the Mailbox Over the In-Box.

In the article Ms Korkki noted that today 275 million first-class cards and letters are expected to be mailed. From Thanksgiving to Christmas the USPS estimates 20 billion cards, letters, packages and other pieces of mail will be handled.

Korkki goes on to say many thought the Internet would be the beginning of the end of the USPS. Instead, the Internet, especially the online shopping aspect, has created the need for hard copy as well as a service to ship the packages. Consequently, since 2001, the first class volume of mail has remained fairly steady.

Finally, Korkki says,"...although email is now a permanent part of the communication landscape, the old-fashioned letter is far from dead...."

I agree. It is a great feeling to open my mailbox and find a letter from family or friends. I can reread it as often as I like and save it for reference later when I return the favor. And, sometimes the short three sentence notes are meaningful. My grand kids love to receive a note about something significant in their lives.

What do you think. Do you still choose the mailbox over the in-box?