Beat the Clock
In the late 1960’s through the early 1970’s there was a game show called “Beat the Clock”. The premise of the show was to have contestants perform crazy tasks within 60 seconds to win a prize. The Postal Service has now come up with their own version of “Beat the Clock” where the carriers rush through their office functions to get out of the office within one hour. In a few offices here on Long Island Management has installed a clock to time the carriers. Management will then go around to every carrier and tell them how much time has elapsed from the 60 minutes in order to rush the carrier out of the office towards delivering.
Management has come up with this idea after they have recently ended the Flat Sorting System (FSS) for all the offices in the Long Island District. Now you have more mail to case and Management thinks you can get out to the street faster? Management has also implemented a new system where the Small Parcels and Rolls (SPR’s) are placed into a bag and brought to the individual carrier routes. This takes time as well to open and sort what is inside these bags. In many instances, there is also flat mail along with parcels. This flat mail is not credited to your count, and you must notify Management of the additional mail. The parcels need to be scanned arrived at office by the clerks before they can be placed in the parcel area. Let’s not forget now you also must place that empty bag somewhere as well. All this takes time that is not factored in, yet Management still thinks you can get out in 60 minutes or less.
One of the major problems with Management’s program is that the offices already have established office times. Many of the offices here on the Long Island District were inspected in 2019. Management wants you to forget that the only way to change your office time is to go through a Route Count and Inspection. In some offices over the three-year period many carriers have bid onto different routes that were not inspected with the carrier on it and the established times are not based on their ability.
The Handbook M-39 determines your office leave time not Management’s projected DOIS numbers. DOIS is a tool for Management and not enforceable to the carriers’ leaving times. DOIS is only an estimate and does not include many office functions carriers perform.
The M-39 Section 122 states:
122.2 Carriers’ Leaving Schedules
122.21 Establishing Leaving Schedule
The leaving time for the carrier is determined by the following:
a. Workload. The normal workload for the route;
b. Availability of Mail. The time all the mail for the same day’s delivery is available;
c. Necessary Office Time. Time required to case this mail, withdraw, tray or strap out mail, obtain parcels, and complete other required office duties; and
d. Business Hours. Normal community business hours
I must point out that there are also agreements from the National parties which state that DOIS Projections do not establish the office leaving time or the return time. Three such agreements are Material Reference System (MRS)
M-01624 clearly states in relevant part: that DOIS does not replace a supervisor’s ability or responsibility to make decisions. It is the Supervisors responsibility to review P.S Forms 3996 and assess any unusual circumstances.
MOU M1664 states in part: The Delivery Operations Information System (DOIS) is a management tool for estimating a carrier's daily workload. The use of DOIS does not change the letter carrier's reporting requirements outlined in section 131.4 of Handbook M-41, the supervisor's scheduling responsibilities outlined in section 122 of Handbook M-39, or the letter carrier's and supervisor's responsibilities contained in Section 28 of Handbook M-41. DOIS projections are not the sole determinant of a carriers leaving or return time, or daily workload
MOU, M-1769 which states in part:
Projections are not the sole determinant of a carrier’s leaving or return time, or daily workload. Accordingly, the resulting projections will not constitute the sole basis for corrective action.
When you have the purple packs to deliver look at the printing on the papers and determine if they state WSH or WSS. If it states WSH then it goes in the case and remember the minimum standard for casing flat mail is 8 flats per minute. If the mail states WSS then it is a third bundle and does not get cased. However, you still have the right to cut the straps and tray out the mail. If you are just taking those bundles straight out to the street in their plastic straps you are cheating yourself out of office time you are entitled to.
I am also listing the minimum times for other functions we do in the office as well.
When you have accountable mail you get 6 minutes of office time to complete the Form 3849, you get 5 minutes to sweep the mail and 3 minutes for inspecting your vehicle. However, if you take longer on these functions, you get the credit for the amount of time it takes. After casing all your mail, the rate is 70 pieces per minute, and you get a minimum of 3 minutes to pull down the mail. Most offices get a 10 minute break office break and you get 5 minutes personal time and some offices have a 5 minute washup time before they leave for the street. How is it possible to do all the above in 60 minutes? The Handbook M-39 states in part:
(2) Line 2. Record 1 minute for the routing of each 8 pieces of other size mail in the standard 6-shelf case. (3) Line 4. Record 1 minute for the strapping out of each 70 pieces of mail, with a minimum of 3 minutes.
There shall be established for each letter route a base minimum time allowance for each of line functions 14, 15, 19, and 21 of PS Form 1838, where applicable. Those base minimum times shall be fixed at 6 minutes for line 14; 5 minutes for line 15; 3 minutes for line 19; and 9 minutes for line 21. If during the week of count and inspection, the carrier’s average actual time for any of those line items exceeds the base minimum for the function, the carrier shall be credited with the average actual time, unless an adjustment to that time can be supported by appropriate comments on PS Forms 1838 or 1840 or any attachments thereto. In no event may the standard time for these functions be below the base minimum.
The bottom line is there is no agreement between the Union or the Postal Service stating that you must get out to the street within 60 minutes nor load your vehicle within 22 minutes as some Managers are claiming. Your mail volume will determine your leaving time. Don’t play Management’s game. Simply tell them “You are doing the best you can”. If you take part in their game the only prize you may win will be extra work with no additional pay.
I’d like to wish everyone a Happy St Patrick’s Day and a Happy Easter and Passover Holiday.
