Delivering for America—Isn’t That What We’ve Always Done?
By Richard Green
NAPS Eastern Region Vice President
2/13/25 – As a 34-year postal employee with over 25 years as a management official and over 20 years as a NAPS local and national officer, I think back over the years of the different terminology we have used as slogans for providing mail processing and delivery services to the American people. There have been so many, I can’t recall them all.
I just know that, as a frontline manager/supervisor, our daily objective was the efficient processing and delivery of every piece of committed mail each and every day. As I watch the transformation of the agency I loved working for and the people I loved working with, I am concerned the senior leaders of this great American treasure have forgotten those objectives. In the midst of trying to transform the Postal Service, I am sad to say it looks like senior leaders have lost their way to the detriment of this great institution.
I am not against change. Change is a good thing when everyone is brought to the table, the vision is shared so everyone knows their roles and feels equipped and ready to bring forth their best efforts to enact the changes required for success. What I am against is not bringing all stakeholders to the table to have input in the “Delivering for America” (DFA) plan and having open and honest discussions on how to implement the changes being made.
NAPS represents over 40,000 managerial and supervisory employees who are expected to implement the DFA. As of yet, we have not been engaged or asked to be at the table with senior postal officials to have a voice in the changes we are expected to manage on a day-to-day basis. Our members across the country are confused and frustrated; every day, they
Their pay raises are tied to ambiguous and ever-changing goals. They are not provided the tools they need to be successful. And they continually are degraded, sometimes even abused by some managers. I can’t call these managers leaders because leaders, of which there are many in the USPS, uplift their teams and bosses; well, you get the point.
I would like to encourage our senior postal leaders that it’s not too late to engage with NAPS. It’s not too late to bring all stakeholders to the table to enact the vision for the future. It’s not too late to communicate the vision to the managers and supervisory staff who will bring your vision of the new USPS to fruition.
And it’s not too late to change how some managers and supervisors are treated. Our members are ready and willing to be the change agents needed for the success of this great institution.
I want to let all the EAS managers and supervisors across the country know we are with you! The American public appreciates the service you provide every day. The work you do managing the day-to-day operations of the Postal Service is recognized and respected.
You are the backbone of this great agency. Keep delivering for America as you have for over 240 years!
Fighting for membership…
Dejoy has said many things during his tenure, most of it political speak. If you read his words closely, you’ll find that on more than one occasion he has said that the USPS is poorly managed, both currently and in the past. He’s certainly not referring to himself either. For whatever reason, he doesn’t think that overall management is doing a good job; he even went so far in his latest comments to the BOG that “we need to manage better.” Another previous comment to “lean out” the organization surely is directed to management. When DFA consolidation is finished, there simply will be no need for supervision and postmasters in the numbers we see today. He has no patience for the type of results management is currently delivering; Palmetto has had five plant managers and is soon to have six with the abysmal performance to date. Too many managers in today’s USPS have incredibly poor people skills. They simply don’t understand that you have to get people to work FOR you, otherwise they will work against you. As far as being the backbone of the USPS, NAPS members fall into the category of employees most at risk for job elimination; those that don’t touch the mail.
Well said. I cannot remember how many PMGs I went through in my 35 years at USPS before retiring in 2007….but, I can tell you that none of them even come close to the work that DeJoy is showing…whether good or bad. Changes that affect employees and politicians will always make a lot of people angry. The unions are running scared at this time, especially with Trump back in office. DeJoy – yes, he has made and will make mistakes…just like everyone else but at least he is trying.