A Post For The Postally Impaired
Let's face it, I like to bitch about my job. Moreover, I like to bitch about my job here! I'm quite certain that my postal rants have left plenty of you scratching your heads and wondering what the hell I am talking about.
Here are some quick lessons on the art of postal work.
All postal workers are not created equal. The employees working in your local post office belong to three seperate crafts, hence they have three seperate unions to represent them. Clerks (those who sort mail and work at the window) and city carriers (the carriers with the uniforms) are paid an hourly wage. The can earn overtime on a daily basis. Rural carriers (deliver from vehicle, no uniform) are paid a salary based on an anual count of the mail that they handle during a predetermined 2 - 4 week period. They can earn overtime pay only during the three weeks prior to Christmas. Their hourly pay rate is less than that of a city carrier. I am a rural carrier, a member of the few, the proud, the SCREWED!
Classes of mail explained...
First class mail - Individual corresponence, bills, etc. This mail costs the most to send and is expected to be delivered anywhere in the US within three days. The rate of success for this is about 95%. Not bad...
Periodicals (formerly second class mail) - As the name implies, this is mostly magazines and newspapers. The postage rate for this mail is slightly lower. Can be curtailed only in the most extreme circumstances.
Standard mail (formerly bulk rate or third class mail) - This covers the majority of mass mailings, such as catalogs and solicitations for funds. The postage rate is very low. Unless the mailer specifies a delivery date(s), this class of mail can be curtailed for long periods of time.
Mail count explained...
The longer the count, the more accurate it is. This year's count lasts a mere two weeks. During this period of time, every piece of mail that a rural carrier handles is counted. A time value is assigned to each size of mail. Parcels and magazines are worth more time than an ordinary letter. Each extra procedure that a carrier must perform is also assigned a time value, obtaining signatures, scanning barcodes, address corrections, etc. Additional credit is also given for the length of the route and the number of boxes served. All of the figures are added together and divided by the number of days in the count to determine a route's salary (evaluation).
It is easy to see how the post office can save quite a bit of money by curtailing standard mail during the count. Fewer mailpieces = less money paid in salaries...
But they would never do such a dishonest thing to their loyal employees, would they?!
Hell, yeah, they would!
This concludes your lesson in the art of postal work.
