Sort and Distribution Center (S&DC) and Some Pitfalls
The Postal Service announced back on March 23, 2021, its long-term strategic plan to stabilize mail delivery. This plan included the creation of large delivery units called Sorting and Distribution Centers (S&DC’s) across the country. The establishment of these S&DCs involves moving city letter carriers from their current work locations to a larger facility that can accommodate many routes from multiple offices.
The Postal Service intends to make over 400 Sort and Distribution Centers throughout the country. The Postal Service selects markets where they believe the potential growth in package delivery will be. This is part of the Postal Services Plan to offset a projected 160-billion-dollar loss over the next 10 years by off our backs. The Postal Service has stated that the goal of creating these centers is to streamline the process by having parcel sorting machinery and the carrier craft housed into one unit.
When the S&DC’s locations are decided, the Postal Service remodels the buildings so that each facility is structured the same as the others. Here on Long Island the Huntington Station Post Office has been selected to become an S & DC. In the building the Letter carriers worked through numerous issues while the office was transformed into a S&DC. The renovations included remodeled bathrooms with new fixtures, water fountains that include bottle fillers and remodeled break rooms with ice machines. The Letter carrier cases also were changed to new cases that are blue instead of the traditional green cases. The Huntington Station Post Office also has been equipped with a package-sorting machine called a Small Delivery Unit Sorter (SDUS), which can sort parcels by carrier route(s). The SDUS machine can sort up to 700 parcels an hour. To some these alterations may sound like great improvements however the carriers had to endure this transformation while working in the building. The new cases were set up without spaces for the following Forms 3982’s (removal cards), dog warning cards or alert cards.
The SDUS machine was installed, without a fire suppression system which the Union also had to address as well. The Postal Service’s first response was that the system did not need a fire suppression system, however, it was later agreed that a system will be installed within 120 days of when the machinery went live. The system is only currently being installed.
The Postal Service also instituted white boards, also called huddle boards, where Management lists many objectives for the carriers. Every morning the Supervisors bring the carriers to the huddle board and review the prior days performance and goals for the new day. Management attempted to pit carriers against carriers by listing the top 3 who performed within Management’s projected times. Management also listed that the carriers had 60 minutes to case their assignments and 22 minutes to load their vehicles.
The office was also given new blue hampers to accommodate the number of parcels the SDUS machine sorts. These hampers are not the regular size in your office, these hampers are almost twice the length and one and a half times wider. The hampers are used to place the mail and parcels the carriers are going to deliver as well. They are safety issues due to the extreme weight of all the mail the carriers must now push to their vehicles. Due to the height of the hampers the carriers now must lift all items using their backs not their legs. Many grievances had to be filed due to these issues and the Union was able to get most resolved while others are still in the grievance process.
After 30 days of operation the S & DC offices will undergo route inspections through the Technology Integrated Alternate Route Evaluation Adjustment Process (TIAREAP). Due to the preexisting routes and now the new offices added into the building all the assignments will undergo the evaluation period. The evaluation will be based on days 31 through 75 of the process for their new office and street times.
I want to thank all the Veterans for their service and to all a Happy Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and a Happy New Year.
