Over the last several weeks I have been visiting the Depot to review the problems and concerns that members have with their routes.
Many of the issues have been there since the beginning of the implementation of the last restructure. Currently we are in the middle of several supervisor verification of the routes to see if the Corporation will then proceed to a proper Article 50.As many Letter Carriers are aware, when you fail to finish your route on a consistent basis within your eight hour day, you should ask for an Article 50. The Corporation has added an additional step to this process. It is a process that has never been negotiated between the parties but it is the process that is called “Supervisor Route Verification”.
The first step in the process is the supervisor reviews whether you are doing overtime, and/or have taken any 17.04 overtime on another route. The supervisor will look at whether you have a pattern to the overtime and if you work overtime on Friday. The supervisor will look to see if the header board is up to date, and whether the Letter Carrier leaves in the morning on time. They then look at how much sort and prepare time is on the route and if the Letter Carrier is leaving on time. They also do a test for sortation speed (which the Union won in arbitration; that it can’t be used against the Letter Carrier). The supervisor will do five (5) periods of two (2) minutes to see how many Short/Long (S/L) mail you sort; which they also do for oversize mail during this period. The expectation (which the Union disagrees with) is for S/L twenty-five (25) pieces per minute and for oversize, ten (10) pieces.
There is also a question for the supervisor, in their opinion, whether there is continually excessive volume on the route compared to routes having similar types of calls.
There is also questions on householder values, mailing per day, total pieces of mail, and whether the Letter Carrier is doing one-third (1/3) preparation. This assessment continues throughout the Letter Carrier’s day and duties, trying to find a reason to deny the official Article 50. Once the supervisor(s) have completed this evaluation form, they meet with the Letter Carrier and Union and explain their findings.
At the present time, we have three (3) routes that are currently undergoing this verification. The members that are involved in these verifications have noticed that the supervisor and Corporation are proceeding slowly on whether these routes should get an official Article 50. We are aware that for one route the Corporation did not start the observation of the route on Mondays, the heaviest day; this may matter for excessive volume but not for their two (2) minute sort test. They have told the Carriers to cut off the mail, stop delivery, bring back the mail – even thought the form they fill out states, “What is the Letter Carrier’s average actual completion time for first portion of the route? What is the average actual completion time for second portion of the route?” Bringing back the mail would impact the completion of delivery.
We have also stopped management from changing the line of travel until they meet with the member and Union. Once they meet with us, they can then propose solutions to the problems they perceive. All changes need to be reviewed by the route measurement department of the Corporation. The Union is currently in the process of setting up meetings with the Depot Superintendent so that the parties can review the superviors’ route verifications and what steps they are taking to fix these routes.
If you have any questions or concerns please call the Union hall on these issues or any other issues that you may have.
In Solidarity,
Pat Bertrand
1st Vice-President