Zero Base Initiative, Zero Change
(This article appears in the May-June 2014 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Michael Foster, Motor Vehicle Service Division Director
The Zero Base Initiative, which is the Postal Service’s new terminology for the old Breakthrough Productivity Initiative (BPI), is causing concern among many Motor Vehicle Craft union members.
While the name has changed, the stated goal of the program remains the same: to improve vehicle utilization by eliminating unnecessary transportation, reducing the number of trips, and curtailing unassigned drive time.
That sounds great – if only there were excesses to cut!
Unfortunately, most PVS operations are short of complement, which is clearly demonstrated by extreme amounts of overtime. Another indicator of short-staffing is the increase in the amount of doubling-up that is necessary to meet dispatches.
How They Work
To find opportunities to make cuts, Zero Base teams conduct audits of transportation operations, using teams of transportation officials from other locations. They begin by conducting an “entrance meeting” with key players, including local managers.
The entrance meeting presents an opportunity to discover the methodology the Postal Service plans to use, as well as an opportunity to ask questions.
Next, the teams conduct an audit, observing transportation operations to find ways to “improve efficiency.”
They evaluate whether there are too many trips to a single location, whether there is sufficient mail volume to justify a given run, whether vehicle utilization matches mail volume, etc.
After teams have conducted their observations, they hold an “exit meeting,” where they share their findings and recommendations.
All MVS Craft Directors should find out when the entrance and exit meetings will be held and request to participate in them. The local should also request copies of the Zero Base reports.
If possible, the local should set up a strategy meeting with all drivers before the audit begins, to relay information disclosed at the entrance meeting. Drivers should be made aware of the process that will take place and they should be reminded to properly document trips so that the record reflects reality. Special emphasis should be given to annotating extra trips and doubling- up on trips, which will show the need for additional runs and/or drivers.
CDL Health Issues
Those of us who hold Commercial Driver’s Licenses often treat the every-two-years medical exams required by the Department of Transportation as a nuisance. We should take them seriously.
Before we have our DOT physicals, we should schedule an appointment with our personal doctors. As members of the APWU, we have the right to select healthcare coverage from among some of the best health insurance plans in the country. Don’t waste this vital benefit!
It’s important to let your doctor know if you have a family history of ailments that could interfere with your ability to operate a commercial motor vehicle. If left uncontrolled, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and other illnesses can inhibit your ability to drive safely.
Sleep apnea, which disrupts sleep and often goes undiagnosed, can cause chronic drowsiness. Most sufferers do not know they have sleep apnea – a family member may be the first to notice the signs. Doctors usually cannot detect the condition during routine office visits, and no blood test can help diagnose it, but there are risk factors that doctors can check for.
If you suffer from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure or other serious conditions and you are neglecting to treat or control them, the DOT may require you to take a physical every year.
So, have a frank conversation with your personal doctor and get treatment for medical conditions that require attention. It’s always good practice to be prepared, especially when dealing with a Postal Service doctor!
MVS Files Charges at NLRB!
The Motor Vehicle Division filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Feb. 7, 2014, protesting management’s refusal to provide PS Form 7463A, Negotiated Cost Statement – Highway Transportation Contracts. The charge asserts that since mid-August 2013 and continuing to date, the Postal Service has “failed and refused to bargain in good faith” by failing to provide information contained in the Postal Service Form 7463A.
“Form 7463A is a cost-statement submitted by Highway Contractors seeking to renew contract trucking routes,” the charge notes. “The information contained on this form will assist the APWU in ensuring that the Postal Service has conducted the contractually required fair comparison of all reasonable costs before awarding the contract to the Highway contractor.”
The charge continues, “On May 3, 2013, Michael Foster, Director, Motor Vehicle Service Division, requested Form 7463A, via letter, for 8 highway contract routes which the APWU had been informed were up for renewal. On Aug. 14, 2013, the Postal Service denied the APWU’s request.”
We believe that once the agreement between contractors and the USPS is disclosed, we will be able to utilize the Contracting or Insourcing of Contracted Services Memorandum of Understanding in the Collective Bargaining Agreement to win additional work and jobs for APWU members. The memo states:
“It is understood that if the service can be performed at a cost equal to or less than that of contract service, when a fair comparison is made of all reasonable costs, the work will be performed in-house.”
To be effective, bargaining agents for the MVS Craft must continue to be vigilant in our pursuit of information that is critical to enforcing our contract. We encourage each local officer to do the same.