Number of Postal Employees Continues to Decline

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June 30, 2009

USPS filed their ON ROLLS AND PAID EMPLOYEE STATISTICS with the PRC recently. The results of this report indicates that the decline in the number of postal employees continues. Due to automation and the decline in volume the clerk craft is losing the greatest number of employees. From June 2008 to June 2009 the clerk craft lost approximately 8% of their employees – a loss of 15,374 employees.

Below is a sample of jobs/positions lost over the past year. The first figure represents the number of jobs/positions lost and the second figure represents the number of current employees within that craft or position:

CLERKS/NURSES: 15,374 – 182,592
CITY CARRIERS: 11,435 – 202,971
RURAL CARRIERS: 753 – 67,950
MAILHANDLERS: 2938 – 53,651
MOTOR VEHICLE OPERATORS: 385 – 8241
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE: 127 – 5299
MAINTENANCE: SERVICE: 303 – 39.807

GM/PM/INSTAL HEAD: 1816 – 23,285
SUPERVISORS/MANAGERS: 1902 – 29,997

TOTAL CAREER WORKFORCE: 35,977 – 621,929

Source: PRC

25 Responses to "Number of Postal Employees Continues to Decline"

  1. Yeah our wages are covered by the services we sell. Just like any other service provider. Also I’m a clerk and I am pleasant to EVERYONE. Don’t lump us all together. I have worked for the post office for over 31 years. I have seen lots of changes. I’m glad I’ll be retiring soon. They’re always trying to privitize the postal service, YOU’LL HAVE NO SERVICE IF THAT HAPPENS OR IT’LL BE EXPENSIVE. BELIEVE ME YOU’LL MISS US WHEN WE’RE GONE.

  2. Ask a UPS guy what he makes an hour and what his retirement would be after 35 years. Then tell us whose retirement is outrageous!

  3. We are not grossly overpaid…U try delivering mail in rain, snowstorms & sleet..If anything we are grossly underpaid…

  4. The post office grossly overpays employees compared to the competitive marketplace, so no wonder it’s bankrupt. It’s the taxpayer’s money, people should WORK extra, not MAKE extra. And maybe smile and care about your jobs, counter clerks–you’re the worst… Delivery people have always been exceptionally nice, though.

  5. As a mailhandler for almost 18 years, I have seen alot. Today, its worse than any other time since I have been there. The employees that actually come to work to do their jobs are underappreciated ( i know, what a shocker), and the same ones that dont work and complain that they do everything get left alone.
    We have more mail, and not just any mail, 3rd class mail, which is the heaviest in weight. We have people that come to work in pain every day, but do they say anything? Of course not, if you get hurt, its your fault. The equipment that is supposed to help you do your job safely is either off to the “contractor” to be repaired and never seen again, or just doesnt work at all. Clerks got screwed by the contract that allowed PSE’s, and Im sure we are going down the same road as mailhandlers.
    We are supposed to take pride in our jobs, and I do, but when its like we are all working against each other instead of with each other, its so hard to come to work and be the employee that you want to be.
    People who have never worked the jobs are the ones making the decisions without even consulting with actual employees in those pay locations. Chaos and disorganization. No wonder the postal service is going broke, its not just the prefunding, its the blatent disregard for employees and the impact it has on the organization as a whole.

  6. Working for the USPS use to be great a decade ago before management screwed everything up.All the millions of dollars they spent on automation like FSS was just one of the dumbest thing you can do.Thinking that machines can do better than humans.Management should be paying our union dues because the only thing our unions do is bend over and take whatever the higher ups told them to do.

    Management is the one that needs to be cut down not us who are working our butts off.We have 4 supervisors walking the floor telling us to leave early and do your routes in 8hrs Once we are on the street they do nothing but smoke and wait for our calls needing help to finish the route.

    Then my fellow co-workers don’t be running yours routes,not taking your breaks and lunches just to make you look good in your supervisors eyes.In the end your routes is going to get longer and your butt’s going to be in trouble for not being able to do it in 8hrs everyday..

  7. Actually, just a few years ago, there were over 900,000 employees, and now there are less than 600,000, with many more thousands set to retire with the last rounds of retirement incentives.

    While mail revenue has gone down, the actual mail volume has not declined so much, except in the “flat” portion. The class of mail has shifted to less first class mail, which is the main money maker. All other classes add profit, just as selling empty airline seats in economy class is revenue that is welcome to help pay for what you are already going to do.

    As a letter carrier of almost 30 years, I think we could manage with no Saturday delivery, but less than five days will merely create added costs of overtime to make up for less days.

    Management’s answers to most problems are always more micromanagement, more reports, more discipline for not meeting pie-in-the-sky goals, adding more useless scan points, and harassing methods in general, which 99 percent of us don’t need.

  8. Want to create substantial savings? Reduce delivery to Monday-Wednesday-Friday and reduce the size of the workforce accordingly. Of course, the union would never stand for this. They wouldn’t want any reduction in the $14 Million a month in dues they take in from carrier dues…

  9. Employee bargaining total 555,212. Management total 53,282 . What is wrong with this picture? We need a supvr/mgmt for ever 10 1/2 employees?
    Management numbers need to be cut more than half and that is where the real “Big” money savings will come from.

  10. Back in 1994 the postal managers pleaded with the Postal Rate Commission to allow the USPS to ‘automate” . They told the PRC if they could do this the service would lose 45,000 positions due to automation. This going to be the “natural” attrition that would set the USPS up for ‘breakeven status for many years to come. There was 623,000 career employees at that time. Now there are over 640,000 career employees……something smacks of data being manipulated. Typical bureaucrats. Do away with the Private Express Statutes and real business with do the job and make money at it.

  11. What is the main reason for the post office laying off so many people?? I do not or have not worked for the usps, but have friends that do/did. They have told me that some places are more organized than other places/townes. Is the Gov’t trying to break the union with a democrat president in office? Doesn’t make sense to me. Why is this happening now? uncle Jerr

  12. the postal union is a joke – my husband was forced into retirement after 40 years – the postal union would not help him – just wait all you union creeps till you need help from the nalc – no dice – oh he worked for harwood heights, illinois

  13. I have read and I feel sorrow for those who have commented, mostly because I understand their concern….after 21yrs I too have felt ALL the reprecusions of the usps! There is NO Honor or Respect…for what you have given up or sacrificed! It is ALL in the numbers! Don’t be side tracked with how you have given up lunches or brks! Seriously! They do not care! Maybe at the moment but when the ball get’s rolling ……what ,huh…..I don’t know what you are talkin about!!!! Pivot? That’s a thing of the past!….I carried alot of folks I covered for many and everyone forgot who I was when it came down to it! This organization is goin down because they are not in sync with the people who do thw actual work! 21 yrs and I used to have a ray of hope in the system but I finally realized I was a sucker!!! No one had my back, but I had theirs! Supervisors and management! Do not think if you help them out, “THEY GOT YOU!” They DO NOT! They catch amnesia when you need them! I did all I could do to appease the usps and I was stabbed in the back…..by every one! It is ALL about the numbers! Do Not Trust Anyone in a supervisory position or management! Just don’t, they ARE NOT IN CHARGE! They have upper mgnt tellin them what to do they r nobody! And the Union has no pull!

  14. I have just started as a TE and what I have seen so far is massive disorganization. It seems one hand does not know what the other is doing. The post office is so far in debt and to top it all off nobody seems to know or want to do anything about it. Cut Saturaday delivery is one method. Hire decent help and train them well. Hire enough people so other employees get time off when needed. The post office needs to take an interest in their employees and think of them as assets not something that has no family or any other form of life. Perhaps allow private enterprises take a shot at it. I know I could do better.

  15. We cannort answer HR questions. Please use the contact information provided.
    Customer Service – PEN

  16. Supervisors & Mangers (Who Cut 204b’s) They leave on Detail to get higher Retirerment Rank…. Bonus is Called “Cost of Living Increase..”

    In the Post office it’s Not “What you know, but Who you Know”
    I am a “Transional Employee.” 3 years Casual & Now on 2nd contract. I work 6 days week as tool for Supervisors. “Be lucky you have a job.” (deserve respect)

    They Say….50+ hour weeks, every day 1 hr PIVOT & Skipped Lunches….. TE life
    I know I will never get 3rd contract, but I am Worked like they are making ,me Quit. The Asian Superviors are the Worse & I am Filipino, 5 years wasted..

    I have 2 weeks Vacation time that SUP’s. will never give Spot leave. Somehow
    They play dumb when I bring the form for Doc appt’s or Spot leave, Scedule not made I Resedule or just Take it for the team???? Union help???
    The Union Forces me to Crosscrafts & Do clerk Work, They gave up on TE’s.
    I Got Uniform Alowance 2nd Contract……. (1st contract allowance??? Bonus?)

    I can’t make Grevinces for everything they force me to do, because it will effect my chances down the Road. One Can go Insane on situation… HELP!
    Now USPS will not give anyone chance to take postal exam. (no hiring PTF”S) I get ignored on saftey issues, & intimdated to do thing fast. BT time is start Street
    Time. No flow chart . 5 hr Routes No Lunch… Will This Cycle ever End??? Who will help us? Bring on Auto flats & 5 day week delivery or Consolidate my office…
    I Guess in the End this the life of Postal Temps. I Guess I will stick it out to get my 8 months of unemployment… LET MR GO!……..

  17. It is scary. The clerk craft is being destroyed. Almost half of the jobs lost were from the clerk craft. Maintenance seems to be doing pretty good and the MVS craft is really hurting. All in all the the number of union members is dwindling. We need our Unions to be strong and maybe look at joining forces. I know I just committed a crime by saying that. But it is just a thought.

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