Falling From Grace
As I write this, fall is at our doorstep and the general election is only 7 weeks away. My last article was titled “A summer of Hell”. I think I hit the target with that one. This summer was an absolute horror show in many offices across the country. Now the next step is falling from Grace. What I mean by that is that the Trump administration seems to be doing everything in their power to turn the public against us. The corruption in our government seems to know no bounds. And I include all parties in Washington, not just one side. We have become a lightning rod to the political spectrum. Instead of just being allowed to do our jobs we have become the political football in Washington’s endgame.
In my 37 years of service I have never, and I repeat, Never, observed the delay of first-class mail that we are witnessing today. It is an abomination what this new postmaster General has brought to our doorstep.
This summer and continuing into the fall, I have observed day after day full routes not being delivered. First class mail being left behind the clerks in the morning, so it does not get to the carriers. Mail being left on the dock in the afternoon because management refuses to send a truck to pick it up. I have heard the stories of trucks leaving the plants with no mail in them just to the PMG’s “maintain schedule” mandate. Almost all of what is currently transpiring is a product of our new PMG (Trump’s guy). A man that was not part of the original package of possible hires. He was snuck into the hiring package after the vetting of the final applicants started, by one of the people on the Board of Governors (by another “Trump guy”). This has never been done before. This man, with no workable knowledge of inner workings of the USPS, was handed the job over numerous credible candidates. Why? Because of his attachment to the Republican Party and Donald Trump through millions of dollars in donations. Since his reign started, he has dismantled over 130 sorting machines. Machines that we need as the mail again will increase. He could have just turned them off for the time being, but no, lets dismantle them so they are of no use to us. This also has never been done before. He has pushed to delay first class mail daily while at the same time telling Congress that he is not doing that. Obviously lying is a necessity in this administration. He has pushed to cut truck runs and is behind the trucks leaving empty to keep schedule. He has pushed to cut overtime. This guy is a horror show unto himself. He has already been called before congress, both the Senate and House to answer for his seemingly incompetent and destructive actions. From what I have observed and read, he was just as pompous and bullying during those hearings as I have heard he was in his previous company. Especially in the House since President Trump pretty much owns the Senate. Since this man has taken office, he has put us on a clear path to destruction. It looks more and more like the game plan is to make the USPS look grossly incompetent to the public. I have stated many times over the years, because of our deep connection to our patrons it extremely hard to take us down. But this administration just keeps chipping away. You see us in the news daily which is not usually a good thing. The more we look incompetent (fall from grace), the better this administration likes it. It fits their political agenda. So afraid of “Vote by mail” that they are taking a “Scorched Earth” approach to see that it either does not happen or at least muddies the waters to contest an election result.
I cannot comprehend leaving first class mail behind. Never happened before like this. And what makes it more disturbing is that management is making sure the parcels, especially Amazon, are getting delivered in place of the first-class mail. And if the parcels cannot be delivered because of any reason, many carriers are being told to scan “business closed” as if it were attempted. Who would have thought that first-class mail along with priority mail would take a back set to parcels and bulk mail? This is a surefire way to bring us to our knees. I need to say this and if you do not like it, sorry. Supervisors and postmasters have constantly made comments to me about what is transpiring in the service today. A large majority condemn it yet are afraid to say anything and just follow along.
For those managers who keep buying into this abomination, you are fully complicit in the ongoing assisted suicide of the USPS. The very job that takes care of your family. Helps pay your bills. Puts food on your table and clothes on your kids backs. Where are you going to turn when the USPS dissolves? Just saying you are following orders does not cut it. I hear from those in the district that we want to get the mail delivered yet they do not mean it. They have forced almost every office to change start times up to 9:00 am. This has created havoc in the carrier’s personal lives. Mail is being delivered at ungodly hours. Management does not care anything about you or your families.
All we get are empty words and empty promises from empty suits. That should be the new motto of the USPS. Then maybe the public would understand the reality of the situation the carriers are in.
