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‘Why Do You Do It, Dad?’
(This article first appeared in the September/October 2009 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
As my two lovely daughters were growing up, they learned more and more about Dad’s profession. And by the time they had become young women and were working in a professional atmosphere in Florida, they had read and seen on TV more than the usual share of negative portrayals of labor-union officials. Their question, invariably, was: “Why do you do it?”
My involvement with the union began when I was a young man, and it began as a challenge — the “kick the hell out of the company” challenge. It was a thrill, too, to try to pull off the impossible, through persuasion, charm, or sheer perseverance. As I became more involved, I realized how many people the union affects.
We all know that no one lives a full life without encountering some problems along the way. And union officials often have to pull a rabbit out of a hat in order to help members through their rough patches. So one of the primary answers to the question “why,” is that being a union official is very rewarding. You have the opportunity to help people in their daily lives.
Is the Field Level?
But circumstances today are nothing like they were a few years ago. There is little professionalism within the ranks of management anymore; it’s all about the numbers: “How can the postmaster get rid of 100 employees today?”
Managers don’t seem to care where you go, how inconvenient it is for you, or whether you lose your job entirely. Their main concern is to make their bosses happy. If excessing will do that, then so be it. This is the attitude from the top down.
I recently distributed a copy of a memo from Postmaster General John E. Potter, titled “Collective Bargaining Agreement — Our Bond with Our Employees.” In the memo, he mentions the sorry state of the economy, talks about the leadership of his managers during this difficult adjustment period, and, finally, he talks about the Collective Bargaining Agreement:
“One thing cannot change, our adherence to the provisions of our agreements. They are our word. They are our pledge of fairness to our employees.”
This memo was received by President Burrus on approximately April 1, 2009. Since that time, I have come to the conclusion that the original memo must have been sent to only one place: APWU headquarters — and that was on April Fool’s Day.
Nothing But Disdain
Never before have I seen so many managers show such disregard for their employees’ rights or privileges. In late spring, an employee was excessed 600 miles and was required to go to Window School. During this time frame, the employee stayed in a hotel paid for by the USPS. Five minutes after being notified that the employee had failed to qualify for the window, the postmaster informed the employee that the hotel room was cancelled and that postal employment had been terminated. And this was an employee with 10 years of service.
In another instance, an employee met the minimum qualification to become a letter carrier and was excessed into a position 800 miles away. Four weeks into the job, the employee was injured. The USPS made the determination that this employee should have been given a more extensive examination and ordered the employee back to his original office.
Instances like these are often referred to as “Hot Potatoes.” We all know that if you get tossed a hot potato you immediately pass it along. Case in point: At Area meetings the USPS makes a greater effort to move responsibility for excessing to the Districts than they do in finding residual vacancies for the employees or addressing controversial violations occurring in the excessing process. In fact, the five Areas of the USPS are ranked and rewarded based on how fast excessing events are completed. So much for their pledge of fairness to the employees.
