Reply #46: I'm a plant worker [View All]

[Occulus]

Full-time regular, one of the last groups to be hired in. I have a couple expansions on what you said:

"They would love to break the union."

The way I look at it, they already did, into three parts. APWU, NALC, and NPMHU. We would be much more powerful as a single, monolithic entity than we are now as three occasionally-competing factions.

"We already hire many 'casual workers'- that is temporary employees to help move the mail."

So-called 'casuals' were provided for in the last APWU contract (the one in place prior to the most recent contract negotiations, I mean). Interestingly, they were meant to be used only for the December "exception" period (for non-postal people, that's the period when no vacation time is allwed; offices are expected to be very busy).

What happened was, management decided that it could have its cake and eat it, too; to that end they began 'reverting' jobs (that is, pulling the bid- and a job- from existence), then filling the actual need with casuals during the whole year. This accomplishes a few things; as you mentioned, there's the pay issue- casuals make less than I do, and are forced to work for more hours (one would think their hours demonstrate a legitimate need for full-time positions, but what do I know). However, there are additional benefits to using casuals from a management perspective; they are not awarded vacation time or sick leave, receive no health benefits, and can be fired for any reason.

Do I really need to go into how they are treated in some places? I won't even mention their (lack of) training... training I end up giving them, but don't for some reason get the additional few pennies for being their OJI (on the job instructor)...

"I don't want someone who gets paid $10 an hour to deliver my mail."

Indeed.

"And that all important arrow key- the key that can open up any mailbox in the United States- I want someone who has to be accountable to have it."

What exactly is that? I'm curious; I've never once heard it mentioned (but then, in the plant, I don't see many carriers).

Kudos to you for taking some pride in our largely thankless job. Oh, I know customers appreciate you, but the managers are another ball of wax some (why be nice? most) of the time.