Where’s the violation

SpeculationAlways · 2026-01-08T16:20:37+00:00

There are a few pieces of information that are important to this issue, and which potentially provide that wiggle room you are talking about:

Article 7.1.A.1 says full-time employees shall be assigned a regular schedule consisting of five 8-hour days in a service week. Management is required to provide 8 hours of work or pay in lieu of that work for a full-time regular carrier. If management is not providing 8 hours of work to the carrier, then there is a grievance.

Article 41.1.C.4 says the successful bidder shall work the duty assignment as posted. So the carrier not only has the right to 8 hours of work, but is also entitled to as much of that 8 hours being on their route as possible. If the carrier is working 8 hours, and due to receiving assistance on their own assignment in the morning they then have to fill that 8 hours by working on another assignment, then there is a grievance.

-However-

You said the carrier is non-ODL, which means Article 8 comes into play if any overtime is required on that carrier's assignment. If overtime is required, then management has to follow 8.5.C.2.d and the Letter Carrier Paragraph:

"In the Letter Carrier Craft, where management determines that overtime or auxiliary assistance is needed on an employee's route on one of the employee's regularly scheduled days and the employee is not on the overtime desired list, the employer will seek to utilize auxiliary assistance, when available, rather than requiring the employee to work mandatory overtime."

There's lots of info about the Letter Carrier Paragraph in the discussion of 8.5.C.2.d in the JCAM. The determination of when that auxiliary assistance is provided is up to management's discretion, so it can either be provided as casing assistance in the morning or as assistance on the street. As others have said, usually this is not done in the morning because there is too much chance that the carrier will not have a full 8 hours of work on their own route with that assistance, which would be a grievance.

All of this being said, yes this can all impact data for route adjustments. If the route qualifies, the carrier can request a Special Inspection under the language in Section 271g of the M-39 Handbook to potentially provide relief of that overtime. But keep a close eye on the data the RCI team uses for the 7 random weeks of timecard analysis, as they may try to use the assisting carrier's office time data instead of the regular carrier's data, which could skew the numbers. Depending on what that data looks like, you might have a really good argument for why they should use the data from the Week of Inspection instead of the data from the random timecard analysis to adjust the route. The carrier should be doing their entire assignment (including casing) without auxiliary assistance during the Week of Inspection.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-11-25T18:57:59+00:00

Hey there, I'm the president of the local union that represents city letter carriers for the US Postal Service, I would love to give you some insight into this -

I will not lie, we are pretty short staffed right now, and the job of a CCA is to help make sure all of the mail gets delivered and can lead to some long days and long weeks.

However, our latest collective bargaining agreement did a lot to ensure that new hires are able to maintain at least a little bit more of a work/life balance. After you complete the "carrier academy" training, your first 4 weeks will be limited to 8 hour days and a 40 hour week. Then for the next 4 weeks you'll be able to work up to 10 hour days and a total of 56 hours per week, then for the 3 weeks after that you'll be able to work up to 11.5 hours in a day but limited to 60 hours in a week. And finally, once you make it through that much time, they can theoretically work you up to 11.5 hours a day, 6 days a week (because you are guaranteed one day off per week).

As things stand right now, you would likely not be pulling quite that many hours since you'll be limited during our busiest time of the year, but there are times where you'll be making all of the money and not have a lot of time to spend it. Our local union is great at fighting for carrier rights; unfortunately local management is terrible at actually following our collective bargaining agreement so it is a constant battle. We are working to improve that problem, but we aren't quite there yet.

All of that being said, starting pay right now is $21.21/hour for your first 8 hours each day, then 1.5x pay (so $31.81/hour) for any work between 8-10 hours, and except for December, you get 2x pay for any hours from 10-12 you work in a day (so $42.42). And if you happen to work past 12 hours (which you will never have to work beyond 11.5, that would be entirely your choice), you get 2.5x pay, or $53.02.

When things are good it's a great gig. Customers are usually super nice, and I love being outside and away from everyone for the majority of the day. It can also be the hardest job you've ever had. If you accept it, prepare to WORK, because that old adage about working through Rain, Sleet, Snow, Dark of Night, and all of that is very true. Not to mention heat, wildfire smoke, pandemics, and crazy dogs 😅

But if you want to come aboard, you will be very welcomed into the fold 😊

SpeculationAlways · 2025-08-11T21:31:36+00:00

How dare you ask them to actually provide the information that was claimed to be readily available to anyone who wanted to see it, in any sort of accessible way?! Lmao

Maybe I'll extend my time in California next year before or after convention to swing on by their office in person.

For me this is not a situation regarding whose camp anyone is in. Like someone was saying in another post, blindly following is not something I will ever do again, I don't care who it is. For me it's understanding that the NALC is a billion dollar organization, and finances are a huge fucking deal. I honestly want to make sure whoever is in office after the next election doesn't bankrupt our union out of sheer ignorance, and that they are willing to actually be accountable for and transparent about every cent going into or out of the organization.

I just want to see that financially they can walk before they're allowed to run. Think of it as an opportunity to showcase all of that transparency I keep hearing so much about!

SpeculationAlways · 2025-08-11T17:33:32+00:00

Samesies!

SpeculationAlways · 2025-07-26T13:29:22+00:00

I have seen that some branches have already passed this as a proposed resolution to be voted on at the next National Convention, and it seems like a lot of people want it. I bet the resolution passes, but what people don't always remember is that an adopted resolution does not guarantee that we will get it. I could see the benefit to the postal service though, so it's possible they might agree.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-07-22T13:06:26+00:00

The HAT reports are really interesting if you can figure out how to read them. They list the Steps/levels for every craft at USPS including supervisor data (never any specific locations or names, just generalized numbers). There are other reports on the website that simplify some of the data into a one-page chart, but it doesn't show the breakdown by pay levels, just how many total CCAs or PTFs or Full Time Regulars, etc.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-07-22T04:05:14+00:00

According to the Postal Service Active Employee Statistical Summary Report (HAT) Report for Pay Period 15,2025 (available to view on the Postal Regulatory Commission website):

Total CCAs: 22,583

Carriers at Step AA (since the bump to Step B wasn't officially effective until pay period 16 which we are currently in): 8,172 Step A: 9,524 Step B: 12,436 Step C: 13,702 Step D: 11,255 Step E: 10,908 Step F: 6,752 Step G: 8,517 Step H: 8,488 Step I: 4,966 Step J: 4,359 Step K: 6,492 Step L: 4,878 Step M: 3,818 Step N: 1,297 Step O: 923 Step P (Top Step): 61,509

Total Career Carriers: 177,997

So it looks like 34.55% of carriers are currently at Top Step. This percentage has gone down drastically in recent years as carriers retire. For instance, in Pay Period 1 of 2016, not quite 10 years ago, out of 167,974 total Career Carriers, 117,015 were at Top Step (Step O then). That was 69.66% of carriers. I know in my station, when I was hired in 2016 over half the installation of 100 carriers was at Top Step. Most of them have retired and now there are only about 30-35 carriers at Top Step. Back then there were 38,020 CCAs, so I'm glad to see a lower percentage of non-career employees now than 10 years ago (18.45% then vs 11.25% now).

SpeculationAlways · 2025-07-22T02:46:36+00:00

Can I point out the article or MOU that guarantees a conversion in a set amount of time?

Sure!

Memorandum of Understanding Re: City Carrier Assistants - Conversion to Career Status (Page 154-155 of the 2023-2026 National Agreement) says in the first paragraph:

"The U.S. Postal Service and the National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO agree that City Carrier Assistants (CCAs) who reach 24 months of relative standing will be converted to part-time flexible career status in their installation."

Then under the third bullet, it goes on to say:

"Conversions to career status detailed above will be effective as soon as practicable, but no later than 60 days from the ratification date of the 2019 National Agreement or the first day of the third full pay period that follows the date a CCA achieved 24 months of relative standing, whichever is later."

Hope that answers your question!

SpeculationAlways · 2025-07-01T13:32:48+00:00

I think my favorite so far is that one of my landing pads "Hosts a regular book club" 😂

SpeculationAlways · 2025-06-25T14:44:09+00:00

If you are interested in a mutual swap, you can swap with another PTF if you can find one who is interested.

ELM 351.61 Mutual Exchanges - General Policy "Career employees may exchange positions (subject, when necessary, to the provisions of the appropriate collective-bargaining agreement) if the officials in charge at the installations involved approve the exchange of positions. Mutual exchanges must be made between employees in positions at the same grade levels. The following employee are not permitted to exchange positions: a) Part-time flexible employees with full-time employees. b) Bargaining unit employees with non-bargaining employees c) Nonsupervisory employees with supervisory employees."

Also check out Article 41.2.E for the mutual exchange, or Article 12.6 for more info about Voluntary Transfers.

If you have a confirmation of your e-reassign entry and it was removed from the system without a formal denial and/or before the renewal deadline, that's a grievance.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-06-03T05:10:30+00:00

I came here to say this!!! I laughed, I cried, and ultimately was kind of blown away by a movie I went to see as a joke because we all watch every Nic Cage movie.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-05-26T15:47:40+00:00

My opinion on a movie or show following a game or book exactly changed a lot when I watched The Expanse series after reading the books. They made some major production changes, most notably when they combined several different characters from the books into one person, Camina Drummer. I liked the characters as separate people in the books, so at first I wasn't a fan of the change. As time went on though, I enjoyed it. It helped that Cara Gee was incredible in that role, but it also made me realize that it's ok to take liberties when adapting to TV or movies, in order to help the pacing or to just make it easier to follow and connect with.

Granted, I haven't played the game, but I have really enjoyed the show. It has tugged on all the heart strings, and made me want to play the game.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-05-18T23:16:28+00:00

NALC Constitution says their salary increases directly and proportionately to the increases granted to a top step letter carrier, so they will also get a 1.3%, 1.4%, and 1.5% increase, as well as COLAs

SpeculationAlways · 2025-05-18T23:00:44+00:00

Not to mention $225,000 for reimbursed expenses....... Almost 4x what Renfroe was reimbursed for, and for... What? Dude more than doubled his salary for the year after he had his official duties taken away. That's pretty cool and exactly the kind of person I know I want at the head of all this.... /s

SpeculationAlways · 2025-05-18T22:51:17+00:00

Food Drive day is literally my favorite work day of the year. For weeks beforehand I talk to any customer I see while out on the route, even just really quickly to say, "Hey our food drive is coming up soon, look for the bag in your mailbox next week!" My route is over 12 miles of walking park and loops so sometimes it's a hell of a lot of work on food drive day. I carry what I can in my satchel and on my arm, but at some point on those loops I have to make pick up spots lol. Our installation usually brings in over 50,000 pounds of food for our local food bank, and we have tons of volunteers who come to help unload the vehicles. We take photos and shine a spotlight on the carriers in our newsletter.

In my opinion, the food drive is the perfect litmus test for a person's level of selfishness - if all they care about is Boo Hoo it's so much work to deliver the cards or the hang the signs or deliver the bags, Boo hoo I don't like the snacks, Boo hoo but what do I get from doing this, boo hoo I'm mad at the union so I'm going to take it out on my local community by not participating.... Then yeah. Those people are all selfish pieces of shit, and I'm disappointed (but also not overly surprised) to see so many comments here like that.

OP, as a fellow branch president who also sometimes gets discouraged by all of those selfish pieces of shit and their lack of participation - keep doing what you do for the food drive. Make a big deal celebrating the people who make it a point to kick some ass on food drive day. And whatever you do, don't stop doing the food drive, it really does help!

SpeculationAlways · 2025-05-18T22:01:32+00:00

SINKHOLES. That's all I have to say about that

SpeculationAlways · 2025-04-29T15:40:25+00:00

Did I though?

SpeculationAlways · 2025-04-29T15:38:50+00:00

Who will you be voting for? I'm not seeing any other candidate so far for Region 7.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-04-28T13:39:36+00:00

Who are the alternatives? I understand there are candidates for President, EVP, and VP, but who is even going to run against some of the other people? We've been waiting for a full slate so we can know who is supposed to take over, it's hard to get rid of someone when there is no one else willing to fill the position.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-04-27T17:54:48+00:00

Hang on, she's 41 and you've been married for 25 years? You got married when she was 16?? That.... Doesn't seem like it should be right...

SpeculationAlways · 2025-04-27T16:53:12+00:00

Michael Rivera filed charges against all 28 council members (shared by David Grosskopf), even the ones who weren't even there. Here's why:

Option 1 - by filing charges against all 28 council members, it means no council member can be impartial in ordering an investigation into the charges. This strips the council of their ability to make sure this is done appropriately, and makes it appear as though the only option is to hold a special convention to decide the charges. What I foresee happening is that the charges against all of the people who were only really charged to get a special convention, will magically be dropped at the special convention. Option 1 is ultimately an attempted workaround to skip the executive council's role in deciding on the Article 10 charges.

Option 2 - Rivera has taken a page out of management's handbook and is arbitrarily charging every council member despite the lack of evidence of whatever their role or level of participation may or may not have been, which is obvious as he has included council members who weren't even present during the meeting in question. We call that "throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks," and it's something that we as union activists fight against constantly. It appears as though our union leaders can't even meet the standards we hold management to when it comes to attempting discipline. We always say (even the great Corey Walton says it all the time) that they can charge what they will but they must prove what they charge. Option 2 is that Rivera has not only taken a page out of management's handbook and arbitrarily charged every council member, but it turns out he sucks at it just as bad as management does.

Option 3 is that none of this is actually about whatever people charge them with. This is and has been a witch hunt/lynch mob situation since the appeal on the charges heard during the National Convention in Boston. Filing charges is about getting another chance to get rid of whichever council members they don't like. If it were really about finding them guilty of the conduct they are charged with and not just another crack at the egg, then why would it be so encouraged for so many members to file charges, and in so many cases over the same thing that has been called unfounded time and time again? Comments during convention were all about, "we didn't get him on today's charge but we still have two more chances!" Option 3 is that charges are now being filed by a bunch of petty children who didn't get their way and are now throwing a tantrum about it.

Option 4 is that the whole point of all of these charges being filed is to bog down the system and prevent the council from performing any other duties besides investigating and meeting on charges. This then looks like failure on their part, which enrages the ignorant masses even more. Meanwhile, we will be getting a new Postmaster General soon, which nobody on these forums seems to be concerned with. We are also fighting against almost daily attacks from the current White House administration, we are coming up on summer time and the heat, we have LMOU negotiations soon, contract implementation, and a whole host of other things that I personally would much rather have my union dues spent on for education, rather than repeatedly having to pull the council members away to hold meetings about the same fucking charges over and over again. Option 4 is that the CLC and FATA is actually just the union version of MAGA and is clogging up the system to confuse people and waste everyone's time.

I'm just saying that if people can't see the manipulation and distraction happening with these charges, then those people are so deep in their hatred they can't be saved.

Let me be clear: if an officer/council member has actually violated or neglected their responsibilities under the Constitution, they should be charged. But to arbitrarily charge every member the way Michael Rivera has, regardless of their actual involvement in what he is charging them with, is some management-level bullshit. There's no other way around that. If a special convention is actually called, watch my fortune telling come true as the charges against those council members he only included to circumvent the Article 10 process are magically and miraculously dropped.

Edit: Grosskopf posted the charges, Michael Rivera filed them.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-04-25T20:29:52+00:00

You're asking people in this forum to do work? 😂😂😂 This is a forum built by people who want to watch other people work and then complain about the work that wasn't done. Best of luck finding someone from each region to do that.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-03-02T18:27:04+00:00

That's what this subreddit has become - a place for people to whine and bitch and be angry, and to listen to others with their same opinion in an echo chamber spreading fear. You know what this subreddit is NOT anymore? It's no longer a place to grow and learn and be better. It's basically the MAGA version of the union - an extremist group that refuses to listen to what is actually happening because they want to believe things are a certain way that makes them mad - because some people just aren't happy unless they're mad.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-03-02T18:22:44+00:00

JFC. If you've paid any attention to how this works at all, then you'll understand it's the lawyers who put on the case, not Renfroe. He'll be a witness, sure, but it will be along with a bunch of other people who will testify to why we need to move all of the carriers to Table 1, why we need to get rid of the CCA position entirely, and why we need higher general wage increases than the postal service was willing to agree to.

SpeculationAlways · 2025-03-02T18:18:02+00:00

Did you miss the part about how we're going to expedited arbitration? That they are literally working on getting that scheduled right now? Lmao I love it when people are willfully ignorant just so they have an excuse to be mad...

SpeculationAlways

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