NALC Branch VP: Limited Duty Carriers Suffer The Ultimate Harm

May 13, 2009 by postal
Filed under: Injured On Duty, NALC, postal, usps 

Here is more info about USPS To Expand National Reassessment Process With New Pilot Program??] that  PostalReporter posted back in March of this year: 

LIMITED DUTY CARRIERS SUFFER THE ULTIMATE HARM
By: Ray Hill, Executive Vice-President
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS AFL-CIO Branch 2902 (Chatsworth, CA)

I’m sure you are all at least somewhat familiar with the story of Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, the pilot that successfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on January 15th, saving his crew and all 155 passengers on board in the process. Ever since I heard about his heroic Hudson River landing, when the word pilot comes to my mind, I immediately think of Mr. Sullenberger. On the other hand, when USPS Management thinks about the word pilot, sadly, it isn’t Mr. Sully Sullenberger that pops into their minds.

Speaking of the word pilot, the USPS has just launched their brand, spanking new “Limited Duty Pilot Program”.No, when USPS Management thinks of the word pilot, they don’t see Sully Sullenberger III; they see visions of their injured carriers being kicked in the a** as they shove them out the door.

Thanks to this particular pilot, many of the Sierra-Coastal District’s already injured Letter Carriers are now suffering from new injuries that are being inflicted upon them by USPS Management. The good news is that this disastrous “Pilot Program” is only being tested in 4 USPS Districts in the entire country. The bad news is that the Sierra-Coastal District is one of them. The worst news is that USPS Management will probably embrace the havoc wreaked by the Pilot Program and eventually implement it across the nation.

Apparently the National Reassessment Process (NRP) was not proceeding fast enough for their liking, so the USPS came up with this Pilot Program to hasten the harm to those Letter Carriers that have sustained on-the-job injuries and have been working modified assignments for several years.

In Branch 2902 the Pilot Program crash-landed in the Reseda and Woodland Hills Post Offices on Friday, April 3, 2009 as Management Teams went into those offices and met with the limited duty carriers.

On Monday, April 6, 2009 the Pilot Program crashed into the North Hollywood and Sylmar offices. Throughout the weeks of April 6th and April 13th, the Management Teams have continued the meetings in Post Offices throughout the Branch.

Most of the limited duty carriers that I have spoken to say that they requested Union representation in their meeting with Management and that their requests were denied.Branch 2902 will be filing grievances in any and all offices where carriers requested Union representation and their requests were denied.

Some of our injured carriers were offered no work at all and sent home with a Form CA-7, while other carriers were offered varying amounts of work totaling less than 8 hours per day.

Regarding the offers of less than 8 hour’s work per day that were given to the carriers, it is really a mixed bag. For example, one carrier was offered 1 hour of work per day, another carrier was offered 2 hours of work per day while yet another carrier was offered 6 hours of work per day.

Injured carriers that have been carrying routes have, for the most part, been offered 8 hours of work per day.

In my correct opinion, it is really a slap in the face to offer someone 1, 2 or 3 hours of work per day. I take that back. It is more of a kick in the ass than a slap in the face.
Some of the injured carriers that were given these insulting job offers commute from long distances (i.e. Palmdale, Lancaster, Rancho Cucamonga, Inglewood, etc.) and their commutes will take them longer than they will be working. That, Brothers and Sisters, is just plain, unadulterated, Grade-A B.S.

We are advising all the limited duty carriers being adversely affected by the pilot program to contact the steward in their office to file a grievance immediately when they are given offers of anything less than 8 hours of work within their medical restrictions per day.

We are also advising these carriers to provide their stewards with a detailed statement explaining what work they have been doing since they suffered their injuries.

The work that the limited duty carriers have been doing all these years did not magically disappear when Management kicked them out the door. Someone has to be doing that work. The question is: Who is now doing the work that our injured carriers have been doing for years?

I carried mail in North Hollywood, where Management has a long history of doing craft work when they think they can get away with it. Supervisors have been known to case routes, pull down routes, deliver mail, deliver Express Mail, spread mail, pull the hot case for carriers, etc. When we find out about the violations, we file grievances and are successful getting letter carriers paid for craft work that was performed by Management.

I find it criminal that Management has the gall to kick injured carriers out the door because they allegedly have no work for them and then sneak around doing the work that the injured carrier used to do. Help us with this, Brothers and Sisters! Let us know if and when you observe any violations of Management doing the craft work that our injured carriers used to do and should still be doing! Remember, “There but for the grace of God walketh I”.

 

 

 

 

see full article (PDf) | Full Bulletin from NALC 2902

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Comments

28 Comments on NALC Branch VP: Limited Duty Carriers Suffer The Ultimate Harm

  1. PMG Potter on Thu, 14th May 2009 1:54 am

    2. I have the best interests of all craft employees in mind.

  2. James W Larkin on Thu, 14th May 2009 2:42 am

    3. Would you expect anything less from postal management. I wonder how these folks sleep at night. They are truly Heartless.

  3. Mad Jack on Thu, 14th May 2009 3:44 am

    4. Brother Hill makes a lot of sense, but I would point out that Management IS allowed to deliver Express Mail. Even a janitor can do that, the arguement being that if the piece isn’t delivered on time it results in lost revenue.

  4. Reality on Thu, 14th May 2009 4:03 am

    5. Express Mail is a craft function. Mgt. can only deliver if a craft employee is not available to deliver in a timely manner.(JCAM-APWU)

  5. PostalCousin on Thu, 14th May 2009 4:16 am

    6. How long does one get to be injured & have light duty? Boy I need a job at the post office. As a self employed contractor with no benefits, no disability, if I was injured I would be replaced in a heartbeat.

  6. Clerk on Thu, 14th May 2009 5:20 am

    7. PostalCousin, Man you better go get a job at the PO. On your 91st day you can become light or limited duty, and stay that way, esp. if you are a clerk. I saw it up close and personal. I know of several manual clerks that have spent their entire 20-30 year career on light duty, bilking the system. And they are the ones they need to get rid of,because these are the ones making it bad for the legit cases. I mean really, how can you become injured pitching letters, or loafing in hand stamp?But it’s too much of an effort for mngmnt to do their job and get these people to work or OUT THE DOOR!I’m not talking about carriers or any other craft.I spent my 40 yrs in thr clerk craft.In 40 yrs never on light duty once.

  7. j tull on Thu, 14th May 2009 7:18 am

    8. I know of at least ten emplyees all females who got hired made regular and convenently had accident with back or knee injuries and have collected more than two or three work comp claims and on limited duty for 10 years or more. some have been on almost twenty years they came from other federal agencies and did a lateral move but couldnt be fired because they were civil service. too fat to do the job after 90 days as a carrier. we all know these people and the union has to protect the few malingerers. sorry but its time for the fat lady to sing. hymn 43

  8. unwashed mass on Thu, 14th May 2009 7:19 am

    9. I asked my supervisor how long he was going to allow these two women with allegedly bad feet to STAND and talk. He looked at me and said they have notes. People fake illnesses and injuries – get restrictions – violate the restrictions in plain view of management and are NEVER EVER questioned. We work harder to take up the slack of these fakers while they get blisters on their butts and lips from sitting and talking. LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO DEAL WITH THIS B.S.!!!! Shut it dowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn!!!

  9. two years to go on Thu, 14th May 2009 8:25 am

    10. I am sorry to see so much resentment from our postal workers who are not injured. I am one of the injured workers and up till this last month, I was working still as a carrier , eight hours a day with modifactions. Trouble was I was working harder than my capibilites allowed and now I am off work again with my foot injury.

    I would happily trade places with any carrier who doesn’t have any injuries. I would like my life back again without the pain or stress that comes with it.

  10. oh boy on Thu, 14th May 2009 11:20 am

    11. Gee you guys are lucky the “Snow Award” back in the late 80’s was ignored by all. IT says that Carriers HAVE NO FRICKEN BUSINESS IN THE CLERK CRAFT AND MUST GO HOME A DRAW A PAY CHECK FOR DOING NOTHING. UNLESS APWU AGREES TO ALLOW A CARRIER INTO THE CLERK CRAFT ALL BETS ARE OFF. You lazy ass carriers have gotten away with doing the primo clerk jobs for years. Cry baby cry now or go find a job at wal-mart. Good bye slugs.

  11. archer anders on Thu, 14th May 2009 12:02 pm

    12. One must stand back and look at the situation with intelligent perspective.

    1. the USPS is about delivering the mail.
    2. the USPS needs employees able to do their job.
    3. There are federal rules in place to deal with Injured on duty employees who are no longer able to do what they were hired to do.
    4. Part of these Federal regulations includes vocational rehabilitation.
    5. If it was YOUR business, and you were cutting the checks every 2 weeks, you would want injured people gone too, replaced with able-bodied workers. Be honest, now. This is a business, not a charity.

    So, the Agency will do whatever it takes to replace those who cannot pull their own weight anymore. Its simple. the sad and simple truth. We are only worth what we can do for our employers. We all need to understand this and accept it. Only our Mamas and our spouses love us in sickness and in health.

    The Agency needs to properly reassess injured on duty people. They need to root out the fakers, and yes there are some, but most were really injured, some permanently.

    those who can’t do the work need to go. period. Rehabbed into things they CAN do. Why can’t they train on computers and office skills and then apply for other federal agency jobs? They can. And they should.

    We have had carriers come into clerk craft jobs in droves. Which is requiring clerks to be excessed from our installation now. I feel bad that invasion from the carrier craft has resulted in our junior clerks being forced into carrier jobs 100 miles away, and some getting fired for not passing the driving exam. How fair is that?

    this is why I think that these injured people need to be rehabbed out of the USPS agency, if they can’t do what they were hired to do. Why hurt innocent people in other crafts who are able-bodied, young, and have 20 good years left in them?

    I have had injuries. Back, shoulder, arm, hip. I am old and falling apart. But I do my physical therapy and really TRY to get better. And I do NOT let the USPS know I am hurt. Never. No Way. Never let’em know you are hurt, unless you really can’t get out of bed due to your injury. Just as people can fake their way through a rehad career, I can and continue to fake my way through a full duty career. No one has to know that it hurts to walk or lift. No one needs to know my hands are numb and I drop stuff. To the Agency, I am just another cog, able to work, never using sick leave, with 15 years left in a 35 year postal career.

    I pray my facade can continue, but if it can’t, I expect to be rehabbed out of the Post Office, because I can’t in good conscience take up space in a place that is rapidly downsizing and has no room for useless employees anymore.

  12. Super on Thu, 14th May 2009 1:00 pm

    13. Im all for this new pilot program, there are too many so called injured employees that never get better. I have had a couple of back surgeries and I never missed any work or had any restrictions after I returned to duty. Face it there are just too many bums trying to get a free pass and want to sit around and answer phones or file paper. If you cant do the job, go get a job you can handle at Taco bell for minimum wage…..

  13. worker on Thu, 14th May 2009 1:22 pm

    14. The problem is, we have all seen the injured employee at work. But off work they seem rejuvenated. Pain is only during thier tours when the second job starts they are fine. When an employee is truly injured They are lost in the vast sea of con games going on. We have limited people that have full time jobs after they pull thier tours. Call the authorities and they dont have time for internal fraud because they are also Postal employees.

  14. Rumbo on Thu, 14th May 2009 5:12 pm

    15. Post Office still hiring !

    A guy goes into the U.S. Post Office to apply for a job. The interviewer asks him, “Have you been in the service?”

    “Yes,” he says. “I was in Vietnam for three years.”

    The interviewer says, “That will give you extra points toward employment” and then asks, “Are you disabled in any way?”

    The guy says, “Yes 100%…a mortar round exploded near me and blew my TESTICLES OFF.”

    The interviewer tells the guy, “OK. I can hire you right now. The hours are from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. You can start tomorrow. Come in at 10:00 A.M.”

    The guy is puzzled and says, “If the hours are from 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. then why do you want me to come in at 10:00 A.M.?”

    “This is a government job,” the interviewer says. “For the first two hours we stand around scratching our balls. No point for you coming in for that.”

  15. Bagofclay on Thu, 14th May 2009 7:10 pm

    16. Belive me you can get hurt pitching letters .. just like carriers get injured casing their mail… you can even get injured emptying trash cans…. all crafts get injured….. but get hurt somewhere else besides the PO and you are out the door…

  16. Mike on Thu, 14th May 2009 7:42 pm

    17. The NALC is just sitting on their hands, while the limited duty carriers get screwed by the Reassessment Program. The NALC claims a grievance is in process, while they then do nothing to help the injured employees.

    I was forced to become a Window Clerk, while the NALC allowed the Postal Service to keep me in the Carrier craft. Needless to say, the other Clerks filed numerous grievances against me and created a “hostile work environment” for me. All while the NALC did nothing! The Clerks made it as hard on me as possible, never answering my questions, or telling me where to get window stock to sell.

    Thanks NALC for nothing…paid dues to NALC for 22 years to be treated like this. Even took out a $125 full page ad to help get the NALC officers elected…how do they thank me? By not helping me with the Reassessment Process.

    Screw the NALC!

  17. Sicktodeathofit on Fri, 15th May 2009 12:09 pm

    18. we have an “injured” carrier working in our office. The poor baby wore out his thumb sockets casing letters so he can’t do his job anymore. He sits in the office and does nothing until management finds something that fits his restrictions. My questions are many; how does he eat? drink? wipe his arse? Pee? wipe his nose? change channels on his tv? drive a car? tie his shoes? I think you see where I’m going with this. He is a malingerer, pure and simple and he makes me sick. I know many people, myself included, that work around this office every day with plenty of pain to go around (certainly more than him) and we are still here doing our jobs. He represents everything that is wrong with the PO, and pukes like him will be the death of it.

  18. If you got hurt at McDonald's on Fri, 15th May 2009 1:04 pm

    19. You would not have a job. You should not have one at the USPS as well. This is why we are losing so much money. The lame and lazy are just sitting around.

  19. Fred on Fri, 15th May 2009 3:14 pm

    20. Perhaps the NALC could “help” management in this endeavor just like the interim route adjustments

  20. hoss on Fri, 15th May 2009 3:29 pm

    21. You people are all a bunch of FOOLS!!
    NALC is doing something to help the fired carriers. A lawsuit is going through the courts right now.
    The PO is breaking Federal Law.
    It doesn’t matter if you agree with that law or not. They are required to provide work for these people.
    If you let the PO get rid of injured employees, next they go after the HEALTHY employees!!
    You may be next to be terminated!
    WAKE UP!!

  21. Agape on Fri, 15th May 2009 10:48 pm

    22. I am a injured employee,in my facility I was told to stop working and sent into a room for 7 hours,told not to read,eat or even have a drink of water,when I went to the restroom,my supervisor and her able body croonies were sitting were I was working talking, eating, reading.This has become common place in my plant,lock us up in a room to give the impression there is no work available for the injured so lazy able bodies can goof off.

  22. BoBo on Sat, 16th May 2009 11:15 am

    23. I say alll the injured on duty people should be given purple hearts…as they were injured while serving the country…You heard it here first..JOCO

  23. John on Sat, 16th May 2009 8:22 pm

    24. Mike Richards played a contact sport at the highest possible level (NHL PLAYOFFS) with 2 seperated shoulders. We have employees who cant put up box mail because they sprained thier shoudler, back, knee, ass etc 5 years ago. I understand people get hurt but at some point your body heals.

  24. San Bernardio on Sun, 17th May 2009 6:31 am

    25. San Bernardino NALC NRP rep is giving high praise to accept the NRP assignments, offer for retirement, or going to OWCP under “no work avail”

  25. tang ina mo on Sun, 17th May 2009 11:36 am

    26. In 33 yrs. with the P.O. I’ve seen carriers slightly injured that NEVER HEALED. List of their injuries: paper cut on their finger, sprained ankle, back hurt because of lifting parcels, shoulder hurt(satchel too heavy), arm & shoulder hurts(closing & opening vehicle door)foot hurt can’t walk(postal shoe was the reason).
    Some carriers REALLY get hurt and some are just
    FAKING it.

  26. Agape on Mon, 18th May 2009 8:39 am

    27. The nrp is not only for carriers,Its for all injured on the job,those working on sorting machines,with very high tru put quotas.Some injuries are neck and spine damage,calling for operations that may peralize,or cripple you.Its not all carpal tunnel.

  27. Union Man on Tue, 19th May 2009 4:49 am

    28. Nobody is talking about those who have been healed and returned to their routes after this process started. Hmm, it is a miracle.

  28. Get It Together on Thu, 21st May 2009 3:04 am

    29. First of all eeveryone that has an opinion ned to just mind their own business if they dont know what they are talking about.