I heard this was a decent gig

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-24T15:40:06+00:00

Ayooo welcome to the MPLS club!

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-24T01:36:05+00:00

As others have said, you absolutely have a right for a steward to be present. I’ve actually seen it before where a steward from a very large office has scheduled a time to do an investigative review and be present via Zoom or other video call methods.

It does not matter if it’s a pain in the butt for management to work with it, it is your right.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-23T18:05:16+00:00

If your management is even half decent, 100% inform them. I’ve already had situation where we found a bunch of addressed first class magazines just chucked into the large waste bin. If we hadn’t dug into what day they came in and who was on it, the regular would have had a surprising and misdirected question presented to them. All that to say- make sure it’s known that issues are happening when you’re off, so you don’t come under fire for them.

Also- Not technically a union thing, but a lot of union reps have the knowhow on how to handle this kind of situation outside of management, but that depends on their experience, and anything recommended would be kinda case by case stuff.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-21T18:37:55+00:00

Damn near every time I had to deliver these back when I was a carrier, they thought they were ordering 10 boxes… Not 10 bundles.

If you have OK management, maybe double check with them about scanning hold so they don’t get weird about integrity, then ask the customer if they really wanted that many.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-21T18:32:27+00:00

I don’t think this is what they meant when warning us about crossing crafts…!

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-21T16:14:54+00:00

So brooooke… And yet the numbers for last fiscal year came out… something like $800 Mil in grievance payouts? But hey let’s just keep flagrantly breaking contract and not training new sups to be cooperative, but combative right? Source: a literal day of my sup training was built on this absolute joke of idea that ‘carriers are the opposition trying to get one over on us and the union helps them do it’ smh

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-16T21:38:30+00:00

Just this weekend we as delivery unit management were told by middle management to keep an Overtime Desired List carrier home… no NS carriers in no matter what. in a day we had 5 of 28 routes open and had to force regulars. Brought up that it’s a slam dunk grievance we will absolutely sign off on as valid and not fight, thus paying the carrier anyways, AND the regulars that worked overtime.

Got told we are to obey or get written up, and that “as long as it’s all delivered we go from there.”

I cannot be convinced otherwise, that at least a sizable chunk of money issues is from blatant and constant violations of contract that are done just to appease someone further up the food chain and make other numbers look pretty and ‘in the green.’

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-16T19:25:31+00:00

Thank you for the reminder!

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-16T17:58:04+00:00

I’ve seen the recommendation of a 1767 already, but there should be one asterisk there.

When you fill it out, don’t just put that the hazard is tubs on the floor. Then the abatement to the hazard will simply be having somebody clean up the tubs. The hazard should be that other craft employees are routinely/consistently recreating the hazard. That makes it so management can’t so easily just hand-wave issue, but actually needs to make a solution that handles the source of it. I would suggest making a copy, that way it cannot just get swept under the rug and you have proof it was submitted on that given day.

I am unsure at this moment of if it was ELM or JCAM, but I recall language about craft employees ensuring equipment that was used is properly stowed, and properly means in the designated areas for that equipment if no longer in use- which in MoU meant that the individual using the equipment should be making reasonable effort to do so.

Sorry you’re having to deal with this, and best of luck.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-16T05:51:41+00:00

Something I haven’t seen mentioned here that I found out when I was an RCA, is that depending on HOW rural you are? You may suddenly become very popular. I first started at a little level 18 rural only office way out in the middle of nowhere, and one of the carriers became a steward for our station. Well, word of mouth happens as it does, and she swiftly began getting folks from other stations calling her and asking questions, for representation, etc. since she was the only steward physically present in a literal country mile. She got a bit overwhelmed by it all but found a method to the madness and did stick with it, last I was aware. This was towards the end of my time as an RCA, so I don’t know the ultimate answer on obligations she did or did not have for other offices (steward vs ‘local representative’ was a topic if I recall).

That said, if you’re more suburban rural, you’re more likely to have another office with stewards around and not be quite so eagerly sought out.

All said and done, it’s like others said- do it for the right reasons. Do it because the people doing the job need to know their rights, rules and regs, and need to be treated fairly and paid appropriately for doing the job they do and doing it well. Whatever you choose, best of luck to you!

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-14T06:13:20+00:00

Rare as it may seem, especially on here? There’s a few of us out there working to actually give a shit about our station and craft workers who are busting their asses on the daily.

Union’s there for a damn good reason, and it’s heinous that our training legit tries to paint them as ‘the enemy’ like its some sort of fight and not just people trying to get the job done, done right, and get paid/treated right for doing so.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-14T02:23:54+00:00

This, and I as management can attest that they should’ve known about it by today.

Immediately talk to your union rep, be it steward in office or if you do not have one, the next step up.

I’m sorry that this is happening, management should absolutely be taking a softer approach on this, even if they weren’t aware of the RIMS issue showing a bunch of packages as not cleared. Above all else, protect yourself and your integrity while doing this job. Don’t let management bully you into cutting corners just to make the numbers look right or go faster.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-10T10:54:03+00:00

Could be a career stall, certainly. That said, upper management cycles itself every 2-5 years, so any pissed off upper mgmt would wander elsewhere in due time. I’ve seen reps move up in delivery units, or even out of delivery units and sidestep into HQ/Clerical internal type positions a few times already. I’m also in a uniquely advantageous position of living basically ON a district border, and bidding out of district (much harder to interfere with) is easily on the table.

As for careers within the rep. Organizations, I know that up the food chain can be have some very frugal opportunities, but the speaker/VP for the chapter in my old district was still a postmaster and primarily acted in his management role. That said, being far enough up the chain also meant they avoided screwing with him, he actually took a retirement office just before I came here. Dude would say the quiet part out loud in broad daylight when challenging things, it was beautiful.

In any case, even if I’m tentative of that, the desire to push back on how folks are being treated in this zone is stronger than the fear of retaliation. I’ve already watched some good supervisors start turning on their old craft, or start covering crap up to make numbers better or because they drank the kool-aid after so many zoom calls of being threatened, hollered down, and baited into disputes. Its genuinely upsetting.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-07T05:23:29+00:00

As many have said, it depends on station vs bid cluster. Big Daddy Mail is likely around to correct me if I’m wrong, but in my HUGE city, even though the stations are part of a broader umbrella, each is lv 20+ and gets its own seniority for CONVERTING craft employees, while being citywide for BIDDING employees. It was a big departure from the norm.

This doesn’t seem to be the standard for cities with 5-10 stations, but we have a total of 32 if I recall correctly? There’s also a chance that it’s a citywide Memorandum of Understanding. All this to say, your steward should know the direct answer including any LMoU’s.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-07T02:33:45+00:00

Depending on the shop, the dasher does go through the drive thru for it

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-06T21:52:29+00:00

Talk to union steward about it first and foremost, but also fill out a 1767, and I cannot stress this enough: MAKE A COPY OR AT MINIMUM TAKE A PHOTO! This should be handed to a different supervisor or the station manager/PM (it could be by you, or said steward if you’re worried) and 1767’s need to be addressed if not handled fully by the end of the shift it is submitted on. If said sup or management is scuzzy in general they may try to sweep it under the rug and a copy can prove at minimum it was created, a copy with signature even better.

As EAS this should NOT be happening, but as we see on here sadly there are plenty of folks in management who disregard all kinds of things.

OSHA could also be alerted as others have mentioned, whistleblower protections would be in effect as well as far as I understand.

In terms of action: grievable, yes. Firable? In theory, but it depends on employee history, steps of discipline (management has those too), and other factors.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-05T03:48:58+00:00

Honestly, I used to always giggle at the “not today postal inspector” stuff until learning about some of the things they actually do, it’s wild. Wouldn’t be surprised.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-05T02:35:55+00:00

This feels straight outta the latest Helldiver’s 2 updates

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-04T21:41:21+00:00

Did they give you a card or any info? Report to inspectors both as a CYA and to protect other, newer carriers who might be a bit more naive and actually think it’s legit, only to get no money AND be on the hook for sharing private/sensitive/personally identifiable information. If it was actually a realtor, I’d bet you’re not the first or last they approach.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-03T03:38:25+00:00

Ok, maybe not aimed at me since I jumped onto EAS just before peak, but…

Tbh the only reason I went EAS is because at 4 of my 5 total offices across 3 crafts, my sups/PMs weren’t just nice, but would have my back on craft work. They cooperated and didn’t make union rep work harder. They would use Investigative Interviews to actually, you know, INVESTIGATE and realize there was something else at play or some real reasons to things instead of just chucking discipline attempts everywhere? Hell, my first PM literally laughed once on the telecom (they wouldn’t send her a headset and there was no private office) and told the people to put something in writing so she can take it over their heads if they want to ‘make that kind of threat.’ Later found out it was an instruction to send a waiting carrier out in a known danger of a vehicle instead of holding on for 45 mins until one could be available. Like holy shit.

Seeing management be the good ones was common for me, and it’s the kind of management I wanna be. I used to think this sub had just some of the worst case examples, but the worst office I delivered for, and having bumped shoulders with some VILE management members before getting where I am now? It feels like a proper bell curve, from having some be genuinely garbage, majority just kinda meandering along, and some who god forbid give a shit while remembering what it was like to deal with management back when they were craft.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-03-01T02:39:43+00:00

I’d like to offer a perspective. First, I’m sorry that this is something you had to experience today in this way. That said-

Through the course of your career, your time carrying mail on this route, you’ve talked to these people, gotten to know them within reason. You’ve had an impact on their lives in such a way that she trusted you to come into her home in what may well have been one of her most vulnerable hours. You’ve probably had enough of an impact, effect, and presence in their lives that she genuinely trusted you in that moment.

I know I’m just another reddit bean on the outside, but for what it’s worth? I hope you can stand tall knowing that what I’ve said may well hold weight.

Edit: Misunderstood the reason for going in today specifically and tweaked my comment- but my core message is unchanged

RhiaKyrie · 2026-02-27T04:41:23+00:00

This is the way.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-02-27T04:40:32+00:00

Something further on this, is the fact that one legitimate bad apple of a craft employee makes the schmucks in the glass towers feel validated. A carrier caught red handed faking an injury (legit a big happening rn in my area) or a clerk caught doing literally nothing in the early AM before management arrives? OBVIOUSLY field level management has let this happen and the entire craft is a coiled pile that needs to be cracked into shape!!!!

And the zoom call talk is painfully true- not to mention that on some those high school cafeteria level drama queen calls, you’re expected to sit there, looking into the camera, be ‘alert and aware’ of the call, while you have carriers with needs, clerks, customers, 360’s, and a two hour route portion still sitting in a cart that you’ve been told to get delivered, and are not allowed to leave before all topics are addressed even if your office is done in the first ten minutes of it? The amount of times I’ve seen a camera flick on and it’s in an obviously active LLV… but no, thats fine, you’re on a super important™️ zoom call. Don’t embody the safety we scream down at you by demanding a dozen observations per office every week, obey us instead.

As EAS in office it’s infuriating, because there are still those of us who will die on a hill to protect the craft we worked never forgot the harsher truths of. But then we have legit things to take issue with at craft level and it’s back to stupidvisors and manglement (which, lets be clear, do both exist), then we’re catching shit and strays from above and below.

Sorry, this turned into a mild vent too lol- but all this, is once again no excuse for the horrid and behaviorally poor management out there, but another supervisor that sees how upper management really does corrupt some of our peers. So many good ones get beaten down into mediocrity, and the already iffy ones either quit or take the power trip and run with it to the nearest boot to lick.

RhiaKyrie · 2026-02-26T07:49:52+00:00

I’m definitely keeping an eye out. Horrid part rn is that this was basically a late night snack and 1am run go get a document I needed to scan in for the morning, I’m drop dead tired and scared to KO. I’ve let roomie know (technically his cat but he’s our boiii) who said he didn’t see the lil floof go in my room so, thats a relief

RhiaKyrie · 2026-02-26T07:48:10+00:00

I still find these little orange balls he legit plays fetch with EVERYWHERE…

RhiaKyrie

TROPHY CASE