3.10.10
For a viable Postal Service: USPS must have flexibility to manage its workforce efficiently
The Postal Service has been named the most trusted government agency for five consecutive years. This annual survey of Americans found that the ranking is tied directly to the trust customers place in their letter carriers.
But the changing face of the Postal Service makes workforce changes inevitable.
“We want to make sure we’ve got the right people in the right place at the right time — and have the flexibility to deal with the changes in demand in the coming years,” says PMG Jack Potter. “That will make us more efficient, by making sure we’re serving our customers when they need us and where they need us. We’ll be focusing on this during the upcoming rounds of collective bargaining.”
The Postal Service of the future will be different, according to Potter, but its action plan for the next decade will continue to drive commerce, serve communities and deliver value. A few highlights of workforce changes include:
- A leaner workforce better aligned with changing customer needs will be achieved through attrition and working with labor unions and management associations to optimize the workforce.
- The large number of expected retirements through 2020, coupled with upcoming labor negotiations, presents a unique opportunity to establish a more flexible workforce.
- The financial health of the Postal Service should be taken into consideration by an interest arbitrator during the collective bargaining process.
Source: USPS
The “financial health of the Postal Service should be taken into consideration by an interest arbitrator during the collective bargaining process”. PLEASE. When did the Postal Service ever take the financial health of a bottom rung employee when they put them on the street, without pay, for a bogus reason they knew would be overturned if grieved, but did it anyway, just to get even and punish the poor SOB?
Thanks to an APWU local president for pointing out the fact that the USPS Headuarters Staffing has grown by over 40% since 2000 while the staffing of the rest of the postal service is down by over 20%. Becoming more top heavy is not a solution to USPS problems. USPS must also manage it’s Headquarters more efficiently. The leadership is the major problem with the USPS.
No, I am sure the post office won’t leave a redundant number of managers intact. In fact, I am sure they will find a reason to hire MORE managers and MORE supervisors. That is the postal way. They prefer to find a way to get rid of craft employees and anyone else that actually has their hands on the mail. Right now the safest position in the post office is to be a manager. In fact, the P.O. is giving those jobs away like candy. It is pathetic. With a reduction in craft employees and a reduction of mail, one has to ask what all these managers are managing in the first place and why are there more managers now than ever??????
A leaner workforce? Does not just mean elimination of more (craft) employees while leaving the amount of redundant Managerial and Supervisor “FAT” intact because, just like in a fine Prime Steak, you need lots of fat mixture left untrimmed to add Flavor. Excuse me while I vomit!