can a PTF get partial unemployment benefits if hours are cut to one day a week??? Been working for 2 years at 40 plus hours, have a family and a mortgage!! What are we suppose to do??

I'd like to know how the union (Pres. Burrus) agreed to the "buyout" without including those of us that retired under VER. I myself, just retired a month ago.....24 days shy of being eligible for the $15,000 incentive. I thought that he would have also had our "backs". I feel like it's so very unfair. If they were planning this for two months, why didn't they make it known that there was a possible agreement on the table? I'm sure that most of is, if not all, would have delayed retiring. Therefore, we have to settle for nothing........so disappointing!!

Okay, here's a good one and if anyone knows what steps I need to take beyond union grievances (being processed now for all that's worth!), let me know. I am an above 40 y/o female PTF in a medium sized office outside of St. Louis. Since the day I stepped foot in this office, I have been harassed non-stop by both management and a few employees. Any heavy work management wants done falls to me to do (ex: presort bundles and tubs, throwing parcels, phone books, scanning all parcels as arrived at unit which means staying in a bent over position to scan 27 hampers of parcels.) None of the other clerks help me do this work, yet I'm specifically told to help them if, by some odd chance, I actually get to do something else. But when they see me doing anything else besides the above mentioned, they will pull me off of whatever it is (throwing loose letters or magazines, etc) and make me go to the "heavy work". I have even been pulled off of breaks or out of the bathroom to do something even tho there are four other PTFs in the office. I have been told by management, as well as a couple of PTF "pets" that I should just transfer out of the office--find another office to go to. I only live a mile from this office so what is the feasibility of transferring out? When I went to another office for window training, my office called ahead and told this office I had an attitude problem and I would probably cause them a lot of problems, so be forewarned. I only found this out after working at this other office for four days. When they saw I wasn't anything like they had been warned, they told me what my office had told them about me. Now, as a result of the constant bending, lifting, throwing, etc., I have lower back problems. Two weeks ago I was the ONLY clerk throwing letters--two PTFs senior to me were throwing parcels. The supervisor told me to go "help" them throw. (There were only four cages to throw and these two are just as fast as I am at throwing.) I refused based on the fact it was my first day back from being off a week with back strain. The supervisor put me on heavy work anyway which ended up with me having to leave again--this time with a bulging disc. After doing an MRI, the doc says I have osteoarthritis in my lower back and by doing the repetitive things I do six days a week, it's only accelerating the condition. I was out the second time for two weeks, then placed on light duty with a specific list of jobs I could do by the doc, in addition to having to go to rehab three days a week. Our postmaster decided he "couldn't" put me on the jobs outlined by my light duty slip from the doc (machine operation, throwing loose letters and flats or counter shifts) and therefore, I would not be allowed back to work, even tho I was released by the doctor, until which time I could come back without restrictions. Did I mention the restriction time was a minimum of one month? Did I also mention he has allowed rural carriers to go on light duty assignments i.e., answering phones, paperwork, etc. He said I was a liability to him and the Postal Service and he wouldn't allow me to work. He told me I would have to call my doctor and tell him to take me off restrictive duty, then he would put me back to work immediately. Being a single mother of two, I cannot afford to be on LWOP, so I was forced to call the doc to have the restrictions reverted to unrestrictive full duty. The union has said they will start filing grievances on my behalf the day I step foot back in the office but that isn't going to stop them from continuing doing what they've been doing and treating me the way they have treated me for five years. I am refused sick time or annual leave time based on "needs of service" but none of the others have problems getting days off. I have to go to PT three times a week for my back, yet they schedule me to where I'm working just late enough that I can't go to therapy. I realize they've been trying to force me out of the office and since they haven't succeeded, are they now trying to force me into permanent disability? What steps does anyone recommend I take now. I have filed complaint with the EEOC, but have yet to hear anything back beyond the paperwork.

I work in a office where we are short on clerks and have been for some time and there is a contractual custodian who puts around flat tubs, puts mail in the holes for carriers, scan and throws parcels and the list goes on and on. On top of this the office is filthy. With all of this going on the post office is still complaining about being in a deficit. If they stop doing stupid s _ _ _ like this maybe we might have a chance.

supervisors are very abusive, they lie and do not have respect for their employees. additionally, they take advantage of their authority. what bothers me the most is that they can work only four hours and get paid for eight. thats one of the reasons why we are going down, down, down.

Is anywhere else other than just "Cincnnati" working their PTF's 4 hours or less and that's it???

I've been a PTF for three years now. For three years I've watched carriers bleed the post office for everything that they can. Now volume is dropping drastically and all they do is go slower and slower to get their 8hrs in. John Potter makes next to nothing compared to a CEO of a private corporation that does the volume of buisness in retail, and has such a large workforce and vehicle force that the post office does. Get some integity and stop whining. If there is 6 hours worth of work, do it in 6 hours and not 8. At least that way I could still count on the post office being a viable job for me and all the other people who believe in an honest days work for years to come.

In 2 weeks USPS kicks a money making restaurant out of the DC post office. They're giving that space to Smithsonian RENT FREE. Half a million in rent given up so we can look at stamps instead of have jobs.

I read the comment on retirements , and want to put forth
lets say a hypothetical situation:

a. Small Office, with 2 routes one auxillary
b. enter a hire, orignally hired after 2 year hiring freeze
and told he would not get many hours, decides to go for unemployment
but then due to series of unfortunate events for co workers
he ends up with more hours, first becoming a PTF, than
working up to FTR
c. Series of changes , Old Post master retires,
new PM comes aboard
d. Carrier works for another 6 years, but mangement
style is changed from non comfrontational , orignally
told he is asset to PO, but with new mangement
constantly harrassed , until relations between labor
and managment becomes stressed
e. New mangement makes decisions not on common sense
but more on perception of threats and itimidations
d. Now comes the retirement issue, of 2 retirements
of fellow carriers, for a 2 route, one aux office
e. Injury of fellow remaining carrier, tying up
office, for owcp matters.
f. Due to district numbers, upper management makes
decision of now no hire, leaving carrier as only
carrier for 20 hours of routes a day.
g. eventually allowed one day off for consultation with union
on situation, allowed 10 minutes to fax situation
and eventually gets a hire approved.
h. no new listing results in more months on duty without
help
i. use of duel casual hired, and no time off for carrier
because of duels responsibilty to other office.
j. finally gets help in office with hire of one ptf
but duel casual falls at home and is no longer in office working.
k. both ptf and carrier have weddings, by this time another
ptf hired but limited hours, told can not attend weddings
due to staffing shortage.
l. New casual allowed after fight about weddings
m. Confrontations continue with management about
removal of injured carrier, training of ptf's,
resulting in removal of casual.
n. FTR carrier dies after removal of casual.
o. mangement carrys mail day of funeral even
with 2 ptr in office, refuses to lower flag in honor
of carrier, offers to help with insurnace matters to widow.
p. investigation on behalf of union by postal inspection office
overtime hours of last month reported only, told he was
adequately staffed, and not much rougher than most post offices.
PM is reported to feel as a friend of carrier.
question: is this scenario likely in event of sudden retirments
and no hiring policy to handled finacial situation in mangement
of Postal office and cut backs?
And is management held responsible for carrier becoming only
carrier with 2 routes and one aux?
o. eventually route adjustments are made and now small office
is cut back , 3 routes magically become 2, and thus
nessitating only hire of 2 ptf's, and not 3rd.
p. does the scenario play out on a larger field in bigger
offices with forced layoffs and early retirements and no hiring.
q. questions abound, the carrier widow is told he is not
member of his own union, postal inevestigation is false,
about hours and routes, and policy has been enforced,
protection of managment resulted.
r. responsibillty of reality verses management in the
twilight zone, falls to whom in this situation,
the postal inspectors office for not investigating properly,
so it results are in unions favor for hiring on retirement,
or on union for admitting no calls made from small office,
or on mangement for notice of retirements, and no hire?
s. this senseless case is actually reality not twilight zone.
t. this matter of lay offs, retirements, is complicated
in our day and age of financial insanity, but at what cost
mangement saved how much money from lack of hire,
'and of course carrier did not retire, he expired.
u. I agree with the statement about upper management
is where cut backs need to take place, small offices
do not need to be understaffed, but staffed at a normal ratio
in order to help small towns survive.
It is only the lack of common sense that has died.

How could unemployment rate drop, if lay off is continuously going? The “market” has fallen and with this, many companies around the country are starting to collapse, which results to lay off employees. We aren't out of the woods yet, but we have the tools to get us there. On the other hand, the payday loans that are about to be made to the nation from the stimulus package, there is more good news on the horizon. Retail sales have stopped falling, and in fact, retail spending has risen. I think so many layoffs and the drop in economic activity had more to do with consumer panic, than anything. This is good news for the economy.

Now here this all dvd casuals strap up the ax is finally coming down hope you are one of the 14 good luck

after 38 yrs. and having my route re-adjusted to managements whims without route evaluations in at least 20 years or since DPS when i decided to start driving again and have had my route changed more times then some supervisors have years on the job!!!!

where does the s___t stop ???

how about starting with the brass with all their vacation homes and can't get us toilet paper or paper towels !!!!!!!!

I know this is a format for regular and career workers but is there any concern for casuals that pick up most of the slack and looked upon for most of the grunt work what is our future like in the p.o. I need an answer not a rumor

1st of all, I would like to know how much money John Potter and those immediately under him make. Maybe a pay-cut should be in place for certain areas. Not that I believe employees shouldn't be entitled to fair compensation for the amount of work they do.
2nd Cutting out Saturday delivery only temporarily solves the Postal Services money issues, WHILE creating more problems for the U.S. Government. By cutting out Saturday delivery you would be laying off thousands of workers that would be entitled to unemployment benefits. Our economy is already struggling, do you think more jobless people is really going to help our situation.
3rd Hold people accountable for getting their job done. I am an RCA in a small office with only four rural routes. We have two PTF's and a Postmaster. We all manage to get our jobs done in a timely fashion without many problems.(with exception to the occasional hair-brained rules, that never work but you have to follow.) However, the same can not be said about all offices. For example, on one particular Saturday we received a second delivery of mail to our office from the Distribution facility. On this second truck was one Postcom containing the outgoing mail that had been sent from our office the evening before. (all of which had been properly tagged) This is where money is being wasted, sending people out to do a job that wasn't necessary or should have already been done by someone else. Our distribution facility is also sending out express mail after our carriers have left on their routes, making it necessary to pay someone else to go out to deliver them. Make the mail-handlers, clerks, and carriers accountable in being able to complete their tasks in a timely, efficient, and correct manner.
4th if rural routes have an evaluated time, so should city routes. I have seen and heard of city carriers taking their time just to make more money. An evaluated system for city routes could help save money. All routes, city and rural need a better evaluation system than the ones presently used.
5th Management is not all to blame. Sure there are some people in management that are useless. Some management jobs should be cut. Supervisor positions should be reduced, there are no need to have as many supervisors as some offices do. Postmasters, however, are often under-appreciated. Their jobs are often difficult, trying to keep peace between their employees is hard enough. Many postmasters do more than one task in their office, often they are found running the retail window, breaking down and sorting the mail, and counting stocks and cash drawers. Also, a postmaster's pay is based on a performance evaluation, which factors in revenue, sick leave and annual leave used within the office, grievances and a number of other factors. Most Postmasters work really hard and deserve every bit of the pay they receive.
6th A better evaluation is needed for the amount of EMA carriers receive. Now it is based on a quarterly evaluation. Most complaints I hear is how when gas prices go down we are making too much. That is not true though, you also have to think of how long it took us to get those raises after gas prices rose. EMA should be evaluated monthly in order to make carriers happier as well as making an attempt to save some money.
7th If everyone would quit complaining about their job and do it to their best ability, more work could be done in the same amount of time. I can not begin to tell you how many times I have seen a person complain for 5minutes or longer about rule changes or about the work in general. If they would just get to work and stop wasting their time and do the work the Postal Service would become more efficient.

My wife is new (less than 1 year) with the Postal Service. She has trained as a clerk in addition to dispatching the mail. She is a PTF (Part-Time Flexible. She schedule can put her starting work as early as four a.m. and working for stwo to four hours, being sent home and haveing to show up again in the afternoon for another two hours. She is able to be worked anywhere from two to eight hours in a twelve hour period, is guaranteed only 12 hours a week and has only Sunday off. For a part time job, the wages are good, but the job is already taking its toll on her health.

I've been carrying mail for 30 years. I have 2 years to go. The management is horrible. I know i'm getting old, but I deserve to be treated with respect. I'm a middle aged woman and the 30 year olds that run the office hate older women. They don't like hearing me talk. I got a letter for mis-deliveing a piece of mail. They are supposed to give me a chance to correct my error. PDI one day next day letter. I had quadruple bypass in August and I never got one minute of aux help even after a holiday. I work trough my lunch most day cause of the bad weather. I can not afford to get fired. I have 2 years to go. They treat me like sh+*. People are so mean to the older worker. I'm not as fast as I was when I was 24, but for goodness sake, I'm not 84!! I can only hope they get old someday. When my Dad was dying, I had used my vacation time to go back and forth to the hospital and help my Mom. When he died my boss denied me bereavment until he was forced to by the union to let me use sick. He wasted alot of resources because it is in our contract we can use sick leave for a parent's death. 3 days. I hate him I think he is unfit and he should be lay off. He wastes so much money it is a sin.

I'm on the Hiring List so things can't be too bad.