The Post Office

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by miked

I first meet several postal employees when I was in high school, we all worked at a small business, they needed the additional income, I was a kid. These guys told me horror stories of management abuse that I have never seen in any industry I have worked in. Later I got to know a postal employee in the 90's and the abuse of fellow employees had continued. Apparently this is something that is nurtured in the post office and has not been properly delt with by any management since the mid sixties at the very least.

Experience has lead me to the conclusion that with every bad orgaization the problems are the responsibility of the person at the top. They caused the problems or allowed the problems to exsist. Since congress is the "one at the top" and no one is really in charge in congress I hold little hope the situation getting better.

In the mean time employees and their families suffer with the uncertainy of their future. I met an employer the other day on base at the store and he is one pi**ed off employee. How can service be held to a good standard when your work force is under such stress. Mike.

---

They learn the techniques at supervisor training in Chicago. I was carrying mail in Omaha, Ne. (West Omaha branch) and a friend of mine became a supervisor. He went to supervisor school. When he came back, he'd changed. (I was the Union Steward). I asked him why he was doing the stuff he did and he told me that's how they trained him (he'd assured me becoming a supervisor wouldn't change him). He proved that I couldn't trust him anymore and that was the end of a good friendship.

I use to coach my daughters basketball team for the rec center. I volunteered for this. I told management that I was doing this and they said that was fine. I scheduled all my practices and games for like 730 at night so that if management forced me to work overtime I could still make the practice or game time. Well as luck would have it one night they tryed to forve me to work till 830 which would have been a 12 hour day. I told them no I had to get to a game at 8 and walked out. The next morning the post master called me into his office and told me if I could make more money coaching kids sports that maybe I should do that instead.

When all management has to do is pay money that isnt theirs for breaking the rules. There is no penalty for them. Now if the employee breaks a rule managment trys to fire them. Little unfair if you ask me.

Very, very strange management techniques, it truely makes no sense to me but it seems to be traditional.

The postal workers I met in the sixties told me that the sorting room, where the would put togeter their mail for the route that day, had fake walls. They said the room had a hidden walkway that the managers could watch them through peep holes. One told me that the manager would follow him on his walking route and hide behind bushes trying to catch him doing something wrong. They must get promoted by the number of employees they are able to write up. So the post office has significant problems besides the regulations put on them from congress. Mike.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by miked

Very, very strange management techniques, it truely makes no sense to me but it seems to be traditional.

The postal workers I met in the sixties told me that the sorting room, where the would put togeter their mail for the route that day, had fake walls. They said the room had a hidden walkway that the managers could watch them through peep holes.

Postal Inspectors would hide and watch there, also.

One told me that the manager would follow him on his walking route and hide behind bushes trying to catch him doing something wrong.

That was common. In Omaha, They'd have two to a car and crouch down so you couldn't see them. If you called in sick, it was routine to have an inspector watching your house that day.

They must get promoted by the number of employees they are able to write up.

Basically, that is one of the evaluation criteria.


So the post office has significant problems besides the regulations put on them from congress. Mike.

---

Best day of my postal career was the last one. I told the supervisor what I thought.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by miked

Very, very strange management techniques, it truely makes no sense to me but it seems to be traditional.

The postal workers I met in the sixties told me that the sorting room, where the would put togeter their mail for the route that day, had fake walls. They said the room had a hidden walkway that the managers could watch them through peep holes. One told me that the manager would follow him on his walking route and hide behind bushes trying to catch him doing something wrong. They must get promoted by the number of employees they are able to write up. So the post office has significant problems besides the regulations put on them from congress. Mike.

---

Yep we have that same walkway in our building. They have a tinted viewing window about every 6 feet so you cant see if anyone is up there. Also the supervisors do hide out on your route and try to catch you doing things worng. They also will walk with you on your route and nag you about how slow your going and what not also.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PartTimeScrapper

Yep we have that same walkway in our building. They have a tinted viewing window about every 6 feet so you cant see if anyone is up there. Also the supervisors do hide out on your route and try to catch you doing things worng. They also will walk with you on your route and nag you about how slow your going and what not also.

---

I don't think the public even knows a little about what goes on in the post office. I am anti-union(I have my personal reasons) but the postal workers union is missing the boat with all this. They should be shouting from the roof tops what has been going on at the post office. It makes me question if the union isn't in the bag. Maybe more conflict leads to loyalty from the union members rather than solving the problems. Mike.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by miked

... It makes me question if the union isn't in the bag. Maybe more conflict leads to loyalty from the union members rather than solving the problems. Mike.

---

You probably didn't realize it, but you hit the nail on the head. Supervisors are recruited from the ranks of the union stewards. I was an effective steward and resisted the overtures for a long time. They finally made an offer "too good to refuse". I accepted and resigned as steward. The day before I was to start as supervisor (and at the end of the shift) I was told "Sorry but I was told by upper management to select a woman as I haven't had a female supervisor". I was to stay as a carrier. Since I'd accepted the offer, I was barred from being a steward again. The next steward was more acceptable to management.