The Summer of Hell
Here comes the summer, and what a summer it may be. There are numerous issues we will be dealing with this summer. The COVID pandemic, the ongoing demonstrations, the upcoming rhetoric regarding the November elections, the over 100% increase in parcels, the understaffing of CCAs and employees in many offices, management’s upcoming harassment due to the previous cited events. After dealing with management for over 35 years I see it all coming together for what I see as a summer from hell.
The COVID pandemic has turned the world as well as the Postal Service on its collective head. I have compared it with superstorm Sandy. We were not expecting it. We were not prepared for the aftermath. The pandemic has caused 251 employees of the Long Island district to test positive. I am aware of at least three deaths including one letter carrier. The closing of schools has added to the ongoing angst for all the workforce. Worrying about your children adds to the pressures of our daily workloads. Allowing parents to take leave to care for their children and/or parents was a stroke of humanity. Unfortunately, it only added to the burden of those that reported to work every day. Add to that an increase of over 100% on the parcel delivery side, it does not take a genius to see the problems. Carriers are being asked to carry a bulk of the workload with no end in sight. There was no way to prepare for this. Now we go into the prime-time vacation season with even less workers to do more. Management will start to ramp up the pressure even more to get the job done. At some point the system may break with more injuries and frayed nerves complicating it even more. It will take a great effort on our part to get through it all. I say our part because I have no faith in management being reasonable in the coming months. There is a new PMG and Deputy PMG on their way. Where do they stand? The new PMG is a Republican benefactor who has never worked for the USPS. Is he going to be a lap dog for the President or is going to stand on his own? The same can be asked about the new Deputy PMG. Where does he stand on the issues that the service is dealing with? This all concerns me as it should you also. President Trump has been pushing to destroy the service for some time now. Will his new appointees take his ball and run with it or will they take a stand for the service and try to right the ship without destroying it? The upcoming months will also have us dealing with a new arbitration for a contract. All the things I just wrote about will affect this arbitration. The service is crying poverty and requesting billions in a bailout. Is this all just posturing? I find it very telling that President Trump and the Senate refuse to assist the USPS during these difficult times but did not hesitate to hand out money like candy at Halloween to just about anyone else that asked. I guess they do not care about the USPS, an American institution grounded in the US Constitution. The President is more concerned about his petty beef with Amazon owner Jeff Bezos than he is about the 600,000+ employees of the USPS.
There are many obstacles in front of us, but they are not insurmountable. Keep your head in the game and pay attention to what is going on around you. Management does not care about you so make sure you take care for yourself. If you are exhausted due to the excessive workload, let management know you need time. If they ignore your request, I suggest you make an appointment with your doctor. Have him/her look you over and give you medical advice. There comes a time you need to care for yourself to keep you safe.
I apologize for the negativity of the article, but I felt the need to say it. We are in tough times, but we will persevere. Use common sense when dealing with these situations. Wear a facemask when around others. Keep social distancing when out and around. Wash hands regularly. Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth without first washing those hands. Do not put yourself in any situation that could cause you harm. People are under great duress and you never know how someone will react to what you say or do. Keep your opinions to yourself while at work. The workroom floor is not the place to discuss your political views. Remember – ZERO tolerance. I have seen an uptick on verbal confrontations due to all the stress we are under. You need to control it, or it will control you. If that happens, you may lose your job.
I pray that when all of this is over, we will be in a better place. It will not be easy, but if we all collectively work at it, we sill succeed.
Make sure you and your family members are registered to vote. Follow the NALC.org website for all the ongoing issues we are dealing with. Write, call, or email your congressman/Senators and remind them of the job the USPS does. Ask for their continued support. Give to the Letter Carrier Political Fund. Your jobs and benefits depend on these things.
