Coronavirus Thoughts
As I sit here attempting to write this article I do not know where to start. It is April 8th and the information and phone calls keep flooding in. every day the information seems to change in some way or another. It is almost impossible to keep up with. The full-time officers have been quarantined at the office for the past 3 weeks. President Barton has ordered us to not visit offices for the foreseeable future. This is done with both your and our safety. With only a small collection of full-time officers situated in this small office, it will not bode well for the Branch if we all get ill; nor would it be good for the membership if we were unable to man the office. At one point we were down to 5 officers to cover with the possibility that it could get worse. Fortunately, we did not have to cross that bridge. The office has been manned every day since the virus struck. We will continue to represent the membership to the best of our ability.
Many members and their spouses ask why we are still working; why are we considered essential to the country. The fact is we keep this country moving forward during every period of natural and man-made disaster. We should all be proud of our designation and the importance of our positions. Being a Letter Carrier is a long and proud profession. Unfortunately, over the past 15 or 20 years we have slid due to the gross mismanagement and incompetence of those running this company. Now is not the time to discuss that subject, but understand this, what we do matters! It matters to the elderly who sit and wait to see their mailperson. To those that wait at home for a letter or a parcel. To those at home who need their medications. Last year we delivered over 1 billion prescriptions to our patrons. We are more important now than ever before. We are the face of the government. We are the most trusted government employees year after year. When your patrons see you out delivering the mail in uniform, they get a feeling of normalcy during these troubled times. Own that! Be proud to be needed and appreciated by the public even though we are not by those that employ us.
These are unprecedented times, and many do not know how to react. There is no rhyme or reason as to why people react as they do except to say that we all have our own way of dealing with unforeseen stressful situations. I have always taken the position to try to remain calm. Do not overreact to every little thing that goes wrong. I make a concerted attempt to make sure my members understand that overreaction only leads to deeper problems. None of use has ever had to deal with a situation such as this. I believe that staying calm, not overreacting and using common sense is the best way to combat what’s going on. Follow the CDC’s directions. Keeping a separation of at least 6 feet seems to work well. Wearing a mask now is the right thing to do. Washing your hands religiously multiple time a day works as well as using hand sanitizer. Do NOT touch your face if possible. Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes. I have observed many carriers wearing gloves while casing and working in the office then go to the swing room and while wearing those same gloves, pick up a sandwich, donut or some other piece of food and put it in their mouths. Not smart! Use common sense and take the gloves off to eat. Minimize your trips to the supermarket or drug store. Those places are like petri-dishes of germs. If you must go, wear those gloves and masks. Wipe down the cart first if you have wipes. Just some commonsense things to keep you safe.
We are all in this together as a country. We must work together and help others whenever possible. Report to work and do your job when safe. Nobody can make you put your safety and health in jeopardy, but just because someone was near someone who may or may not have tested positive is a reason to stay home.
You must read the CDC criteria as to who must be quarantined and/or tested. There is not enough space to write all these regulations in this column. Look at the NALC.ORG website for information. The bottom line is that you do have some control over these decisions. Do not yell, scream or threaten when you become stressed out. It will only lead to more problems for you. Better to walk away for a moment than react that way. If you have a question do not hesitate to contact the Branch and speak to your fulltime officer. We are here for you.
Please stay safe and may God bless us all, including family and friends, during this period of uncertainty. Keep the faith that we will persevere.
