Perfect Timing – No Brainer
The right to do something doesn’t necessarily make it the right thing to do.
Calls have come in from the Bronx stating carriers are getting PDI’s and write-
ups for failure to secure a push-cart/mail. Talk about being stuck between a rock
and a hard spot.
No one leaves their mail “unsafeguarded” on purpose. Everyone is trying to
get the job done as best as possible and quickly as possible. That’s easier said
than done though. Some buildings aren’t spine or pushcart friendly. In order to
get your cart into some buildings, you have to lift it up a few stairs, if not a lot of
them, or you have to go through some side door that takes an extra ten minutes
just to get to the elevator.
There are a few discussions to be had about this situation. The first one is
how to respond to the discipline. The second discussion is how to keep yourself
and the mail as best safeguarded as possible going forward. And, the third one is
how this has an ironic twist of fate to foot routes and TIAREAP.
The first thing I would do is file a grievance and speak to my steward about
the discipline. Ask for a record of the 3999s performed on the route in the past.
Note prior delivery at this point and 3999s where there’s no mention of safety
issues at your delivery point by the person conducting the 3999 with you. The
manuals require them to notify you about something like this, specifically. Leave
the rest of the arguing and positions to us. If you have any of your own though,
document them and forward them to your steward.
Next, let “them” know it won’t happen again and move on. However, if this
was a stance “they” were going to take, then “they” should have informed you
about it before “they” wrote you up. “They” should have at least given some time
to adjust the new rule reflecting a new high and mighty position on safeguarding
mail. How do you adjust exactly? Allow me to show you.
Think about the relays on your route(s), thoroughly. What addresses can you
enter with your pushcart without having to lift or drag your pushcart up one stair,
yet still permitting you to access your mailboxes (using main, or side entrances
friendly to pushcarts)? You’re going to use every side door, hidden door and trap
door if for some reason the main entrance has any obstruction requiring you to
both lift the pushcart and leave it alone because it’s unsafe to do so, no matter
how long it takes to get in and out of the building. Deliver those addresses ini-
tially, within the relay. This ensures the mail stays with you at all times within
your pushcart, and by your side. Be as proficient and sequential as possible, as
you determine what buildings are delivered in what sequence.
Next, we’re going to deliver mail to the addresses you’d have to leave that
mail out in front and unsafe. The ones you can’t enter without having to break
your back or bicep trying to lift the cart up some stairs. Make sure management
has issued you your shoulder bag and take all the mail that you can (without hurt-
ing yourself), in your shoulder bag, back and forth for the remaining addresses
until you’re done with that relay (up to 35lbs). Propose the change in sequence
be reflected in your AMS book with at least two reasons for justification:
- The Notice of Action taken against you for “failing to secure” the mail in
some way.
- The 1767 you submitted the day after you were written up for an unsafe
condition.
When you’re done with this relay, build the cart back up and move onto the
next relay. Rinse and repeat for the most part, and tweak here and there as needed.
The irony doesn’t get any better, though. First of all, this is legitimate, especially
if you’re going to be disciplined about it. I personally would not leave my push
cart anywhere I could not leave my wallet or social security card. This is how I
delivered my mail. Ask anyone in the station that I came from. My mail did not
leave my arm’s reach, period.
Back to the irony. TIAREAP is the joint route adjustment process. Management
is looking to go into stations to inspect and adjust them. They don’t look to inspect
assignments/stations unless they feel they will take routes away. This is perfect tim-
ing to legitimately adjust your sequence of delivery, in the name of safety.
You now have to break your cart down in the applicable relays that house
buildings/addresses which place your spine and the mail’s safety in jeopardy
altogether. This creates street time on your route that wasn’t counted in the past.
This newly recognized street time compensates for the lost street time due to the
decline in volume in recent decades.
Remember, this reaction (re-action) didn’t come from the middle of the
galaxy un-instigated, and from nowhere. This happened primarily because you
or your fellow brothers/sisters were disciplined for failing to safeguard mail in
some fashion and secondarily, because that discipline illuminated your ability
to realize what safe and unsafe is when it comes to management hypocritically
pursuing this topic. There’s nothing requiring you to lift a pushcart up one stair,
much less many. You are required to keep the mail safe though. It’s a no brainer.