Transcript

R.E.S.P.E.C.T · United We Scan

0:34
Hey, welcome to the United We Scan podcast.
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Just a quick disclaimer here that any of the views and
0:39
opinions expressed by the individuals are not that of the
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USPS or the NRLCA. This podcast is for
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entertainment purposes only and if you are in need of any
0:53
assistance, please contact your designated union representative.
0:58
Thank you. Welcome back everybody.
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Episode 144. We're kind of going to have some
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fun tonight going over some no tolerance policies and respect
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and all that fun stuff to deep dive in that not only pertains
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to US craft employees, but to management as well.
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Sue, how was your week in New Year's, Josh?
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They were pretty good. It's nice to have a short week.
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It was nice to actually have a day, excuse me, at least one day
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with like no volume, like there were no flats, hardly any raw
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mail, one tray DPS for the whole route, pretty much everyone in
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the building, nice early day, and we'll talk about this for
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the rest of the week. Yeah, it was pretty, you know,
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pretty decent week. Weather's been, luckily for me,
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has been on the mild side and mostly wet, not frigid.
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I apologize. Kristen Meow, how was your week
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years? By week in New Year's, man, it
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was a it was last year, you know, last Sunday, you know,
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hard, hard, hard, hard but no, my week was pretty good.
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It felt it felt nice to actually have a day off and no
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obligation, you know, to having to go out and everything it you
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know, I love seeing my family and everything, but I needed a a
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rest day. So now that I got that over
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with, then it's now I feel a little slowly but surely, you
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know, you had to regain after peak season and your energy and
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everything. So but overall it wasn't it
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wasn't too too bad. The, the weather here is
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shockingly nice and it's kind of scary because I don't want us to
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go into a drought and have there be a bunch of wildfires.
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So little bit worried about that.
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But I think that come March, I've been a knock on wood 'cause
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I don't like the dreaded S word either.
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But I recognize that we need it to survive and be safe and all
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that. So there's that.
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It's it's a a love hate relationship with it.
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I guess so. But how was your week, Kristen?
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Oh, Monday was a long day, just because I had to play catch up
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from what wasn't delivered over the weekend.
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But other than that Tuesday and Wednesday, Tuesday was so light.
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It was, it was so nice and just it, it was wonderful.
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It's the first time I've had less than 100 scans in quite a
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long time. I went from like 2:15 on Monday
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to 88 on Tuesday and then back up to 113 or something like that
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on Wednesday. But no, it wasn't a bad week at
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all. It was even Friday wasn't bad
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heart. I wasn't.
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Friday was. I was done under eval, so I
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can't really complain. It's kind of nice to get back to
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a little bit of normalcy again despite the weather.
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Mine's been kind of crazy. Monday was cold, windy and there
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were spots when I pulled another One Cup boxes at my one condos,
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the truck just swayed back and forth.
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That wind was just oh, it was horrible.
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Monday it was cold and I was hoping once I got off the lake
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under the back half it helped, but Nope, didn't help one bit.
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But Tuesday was a little bit better.
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Weather wise. Wednesday hasn't been bad.
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So it's you know well and all been a decent week nothing too
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amazingly weird too we're. Gonna tonight, yeah, we got fun
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stuff. I thought we could yeah.
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I I've been kind of going back and forth with this 'cause I
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know you guys have kind of done episodes in the past regarding
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this stuff too, but I just think that it's important to start the
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new year with this. And due to the increase of.
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I just see a lot of stuff on social media.
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I hear it from my Co workers, my peers, you know, the lack of
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respect for all employees and but the, the word of the night
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is respect. And I'm personally tired of
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hearing management talking down to rural carriers and just the
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utter disrespect that it seems like some of them have for us.
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And I just want to re emphasize that all of the postal policies
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and procedures that we are going to be reading and explaining
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tonight not only pertain to rule carriers, but they pertain to
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managers. And when you're having a stand
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up talk and management is reading you, you know, some of
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this language, it's tit for tat. It's you still have to treat me
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with the same dignity, fairness and respect that I'm treating
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you with. And I think that it's this, I
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don't know if I'd call it a power trip or just a superiority
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complex of it or the frustration of the job.
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I think that it's important for us to realize, you know, if you
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have a manager who's standing there and yelling at you or
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berating you or hand gestures, you know, and there's going to
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be different scenarios for things that could happen.
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But if somebody's talking to you in a disrespectful way,
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obviously you're going to react a certain way and you can only
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control your own actions. And I think that this is just a
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good reminder for all of us to remember, like we just want to
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get our job done and get home safe to our families and go
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home. And I'm sure the managers do
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too, and that there's numbers and whatever else they're
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looking at and the pressure that they get from higher up
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managers. Regardless of any of that, we
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still have postal policies and procedures for dignity, fairness
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and respect for one another. So, but the first thing I wanted
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to, we're going to go real basic with it for a minute here.
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The word respect, the definition of it is a feeling or
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understanding that someone or something is important, serious,
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etcetera and deserves appropriate treatment or regard
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or it's a high or special regard or it's a state of being
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esteemed. Now I want to go back to the A
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feeling or understanding that someone or something is
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important or serious. Every single postal worker at
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every single rule carrier is special and deserves respect.
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We are what make the Postal Service function and we are the
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ones who deliver the mail every day.
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We go out there, we are out there in the elements and doing
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the wear and tear on our bodies. And thus I personally think that
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we are all important and the Postal Service would not
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function without us. Thus we deserved to be treated
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with respect. The other thing I'm going to
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read right now, and a lot of the resources that I'm going to read
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here is on the union website, thenrlstate.org in the dignity,
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fairness and respect area, workplace harassment and
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violence in the workplace and the 0 tolerance policy.
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So stand up talks, respect in the workplace.
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So #1 being respectful in the workplace.
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Good morning. This is the first in a series of
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talks to discuss a topic that's important to the Postal Service
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and to each of us. Respect in our workplace.
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I think we can all agree that treating each other with respect
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is the right thing to do. There's plenty of evidence that
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a respectful workplace is both productive and successful.
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Respect is also important for our business, and there's
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another reason we need to have a a desirable right work
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environments. We work in a very active
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facility and competitive business, so there will be times
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when things are said or done that we don't like.
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But if we're going to work in a respectful environment, we have
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to learn to deal with those situations, or better yet, keep
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them from happening. One of the best ways to respect
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each other is to simply be considerate.
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Showing basic courtesy is how in how we speak to and treat others
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is important. Courtesy, politeness and a thank
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you go a long way. That sounds like common sense
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and it is unfortunately, it's not always common practice.
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Another way we we can show respect is by listening to each
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other. And I'm going to repeat that
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again because I, I just, if you're a manager that's
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listening to this, please like this one's for you.
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Another way we can show respect is by listening to each other
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hear people out instead of interrupting.
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We owe it to each other to listen completely before
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interrupting with our own opinion.
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A respectful workplace is 1 where people don't insult each
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other, spread gossip, or put each other down.
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Try to choose your words, your tone of voice carefully.
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We can help a lot by lowering our voices.
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Our jobs put us in constant contact with other people so we
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need to be sensitive to their views and opinions.
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Let people know we welcome their ideas even when we disagree.
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Stop and think before we do or stay and something that might be
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seen as disrespectful. I want to finish by talking
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about what you can do when things don't go as you'd like
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and you have a problem with a Co worker.
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It could be something that was said the way it was said or
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something that was said but you're unhappy and feel you were
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disrespected. Obviously it's important if if
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you can work it out peacefully between yourselves.
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The heat of the moment is usually not the time for that,
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but after things cool down, it's helpful to sit and talk through
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things through. It's best to address issues as
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soon as possible rather than letting them escalate into
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something that causes stress and tension and disrupts our work.
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Sometimes we just need to let people have their say, admit if
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we were wrong, and move on. Some problems can't be easily
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fixed. They may involve illegal
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behavior such as harassment based on race, color, religion,
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genetic information, national origin, sex, age 40 plus
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physical or mental disability, or retaliation for engaging in
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prior EEO protected activity. In those cases, it's important
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to know your rights and remedies available to you.
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If you need help resolving an issue or disrespect or
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harassment, you can contact a supervisor or or human resources
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for issues of illegal harassment.
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You can also call the EEO number at 888-336-8777 or TTY at
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888-325-2914. Found on posters in this
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facility. Call EEO for other issues or
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legal discrimination too. In all cases, you can also
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contact the Employee Assistance Program at 800 EAP for you,
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which is 800-327-4968 or at www.eapthe#4uyou.com.
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If you make an EO complaint about illegal discrimination or
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harassment by calling the EEO number, you'll be required to
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engage in counseling. If counseling does not resolve
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your complaint, you will be able to file a formal complaint of
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discrimination. If you're not satisfied with the
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Postal Services resolution of your formal complaint, you will
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be able to appeal the EEO to the EE, the Equal Employment
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Opportunity Commission, appeal to the Merit Systems Protection
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Board, and or file lawsuit against post service depending
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on the nature of your complaint. In some cases you are able to
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file a complaint about legal discrimination directly with the
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Merit Service Systems Protection Board instead of calling the EEO
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number. And I'm going to, I'm just going
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to also preface this right here and say you also have the
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ability as rule carriers to file a grievance.
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Also, if you are, yeah, if you're covered by a collective
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bargaining agreement, you can always file a grievance about
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illegal discrimination or harassment.
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And Josh will read something here in a little bit too.
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That's in our contract. If it is determined that you
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were treated in a way that was against the law, your remedies
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could include being placed in the position you would have
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occupied if the discrimination had not occurred, back pay,
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compensatory damages and some of all of your attorney fees.
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Once again, the exact remedies available to you depend on the
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nature of your claim and the circumstances.
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And there is a publication 133, what you need to know about EEO.
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And the important thing is to settle issues in a way that
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respects everyone's rights. And I can't believe that this is
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even. There's a famous quote that says
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courtesy is the shortest distance between two people.
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We want to keep that distance as short as possible by treating
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each other with respect. Thank you.
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And then there is a second one in here and I won't read the
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entire thing 'cause some of it goes again about EE OS Good
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morning. This is the second in the talks
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about respect in the workplace. It's a subject that's important
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to both us and the Postal Service.
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I want to talk about what it means to have a respectful
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workplace, why that's important, and what what to do if you feel
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you haven't received the respect you deserve.
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A general good rule is to put yourself in the other person's
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shoes. If we take a little time to
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think before we speak or do something, we'll generally make
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the right choice and show the proper respect to others.
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There's no doubt that people find it more pleasant to come to
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work when they know the atmosphere will be civil.
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Good working relationships are important because we're together
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several hours a day in a fast-paced job.
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A respectful workplace is also good for our bottom line.
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People who study organizations say a respectful environment,
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one that lets everyone feel welcome and included, is
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important in achieving success and staying competitive.
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We all know the challenges the Postal Service is facing today,
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so anything that helps us keep our competitive edge is
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important. When the working environment is
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good, there's less stress, less stress related illness and less
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absenteeism. Sorry, people who are respected
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at work are more likely to be committed to their job and their
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company. That makes them and us more
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productive. So a few simple things, hearing
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people out, being courteous have a positive impact on us and the
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organization we work for. Finally, I want to talk again
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about remedies and again, it's the things with regarding EE OS.
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So then this is the third one. Today we're going to talk about
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humor and choosing our words carefully.
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Most experts agree that humor in the workplace can have
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beneficial effects, but when and how it's used must be
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appropriate in nature and shouldn't be offensive to the
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ordinary or reasonable person. When we use humor appropriately,
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we do it without hurting others or seriously undermining the
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word culture. Jokes about race, age, gender,
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or national origin, to name a few topics, are not appropriate
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and may lead to harassment claims.
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Jokes about a person's weight or physical appearance may be
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illegal in some circumstances, and even when they are not
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illegal, they are certainly inappropriate.
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Further, even if the person to whom the joke is told is not
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offended, other persons hearing the joke could be.
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With that said, humor has the power to bring people together,
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create a sense of teamwork, and even help contribute to
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improving our overall workplace. Researchers say humor in the
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workplace is beneficial because happy employees are more loyal
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and productive employees. In fact, absenteeism and tardius
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rates may decrease as people look forward to coming to work.
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You may have heard the old saying laughter is the best
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medicine. It's true.
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Laughter releases endorphins, a chemical 10 times more powerful
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than the pain relieving drug morphine, into the body, with
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the same exhilarating effects as doing strenuous exercise.
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Laughing increases oxygen intake, which replenishes and
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invigorate cells. It also increases the pain
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threshold, boost immunity and relieves stress.
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Choosing your words carefully involves every interaction we
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have. As we discussed the value of
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humor, we must remember that is never in never appropriate to
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try to use humor as a mask when we're upset or angry or in
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conflict with someone. Sometimes people try to mask
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their discomfort with humor, but the result is a put down or a
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stereotype. Sharing genuine humor also
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includes self effacing humor, otherwise known as making fun of
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ourselves. When we make fun of ourselves,
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it just demonstrates a healthy outlook.
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When we make fun of ourselves, it demonstrates a healthy outfit
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outlook, showing we don't take ourselves so seriously.
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As a result, we're regarded as much much more approachable and
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down to earth. But don't overdo it.
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Such humor loses its effect with overuse.
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Like me saying it's my first day as an example, choosing our
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words carefully means every interaction every time.
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Whether we're providing feedback, asking a question, or
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being the ones receiving feedback and answering a
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question, we should be aware of how we're expressing ourselves
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and the impact that we have on others.
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Although this talk is about communication, we also want to
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take this opportunity to to reaffirm employees rights that
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were discussed in previous things.
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So what we can do if if what I'd say, what can you do when things
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don't go as you'd like or you have a problem with a Co worker?
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It could be something that was said the way it was said or
21:07
something that was done but you're unhappy and you feel you
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were disrespected. Obviously it's best if you can
21:13
work it out peacefully between yourselves.
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The heat of the moment is not always the time for that, but
21:19
after things cool down, it's helpful to sit and talk through
21:22
things. It's best to address issues as
21:25
soon as possible rather than letting them escalate into
21:27
something that could cause stress, tension and disrupts our
21:31
work. Sometimes we need to let people
21:34
have their say, admit if we were wrong, and move on.
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And so then again, it talks about the EEO process, the
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grievance procedures and and so forth.
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And then, OK, so I'm not going to fully read this one all the
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way unless you want me to Kristen, which.
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One is it. This one is #4 it's asking
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questions and providing feedback.
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So it's about asking the right questions is a valuable
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communication skill. It's been said successful people
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ask better questions and as a result, they get better answers.
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The same is true for successful organizations.
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When you ask a question, try to phase phrase it so the answer
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will be constructive. One of the ways to do that is to
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ask open-ended questions. open-ended questions, Ones that
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begin with who, what, where, when, why or how.
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Allow the other person to volunteer information.
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Yeah, I'm going to read this. I'm going to read all of it,
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that part of it, because I was like, it just, it just dawned on
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me because I asked my managers questions that are open-ended
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like that. And then a lot of times they'll
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go, well, I don't know. And that's it.
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And I'm like, OK, well, can you find an answer for me?
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Like it shouldn't just be, well, I don't know, you know that
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like, let's be productive in this and, and find a solution to
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this. If you have to ask questions
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that the other people that other people might object to
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answering, explain how you'll use their responses or why you
23:05
need the answers. Give them the big picture of
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what you're trying to do and where you're going with your
23:11
questions can alleviate their concerns about your motives.
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Feedback is an essential part of keeping a company or
23:19
organization running efficiently.
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It's one of the ways we all communicate.
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How feedback is given is important.
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Poorly given feedback will often affect a person's performance as
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well as create confusion and misunderstanding.
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To provide effective feedback, it's important to keep the
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following points in mind. The feedback should be timely.
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Timely feedback allows everyone involved to solve any problems
23:43
quickly. If feedback is delayed, the
23:45
problem can continue to grow and by the time it's addressed it
23:48
may have grown more complicated or too big to be handled with a
23:52
simple informal meeting. The feedback should address just
23:56
the issue being discussed. Don't talk about past conduct
24:00
and behavior unless it's relevant.
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Feedback is a two way St. Many view feedback as some sort
24:07
of dictate for management, as a kind of the boss says to do
24:12
this, it's not effective. Feedback is just another form of
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communication between managers and employees.
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For employees giving feedback to managers, it can be as simple as
24:23
sharing your thoughts on his or her performance as a manager as
24:27
it impacts your duties. Saying something like I'd like
24:31
to to be doing a better job than I'm doing now.
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There are some things that you're doing that make it
24:37
difficult for me to do my best. Could we talk about about it
24:42
open the door to dialogues and solutions?
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Although this talk is about communication, we want to take
24:49
this opportunity. And then it's the about the EE
24:52
OS again. The next one is about gossip.
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You want me to go over that one? Yes, yes, please.
24:59
Yes. Is man, each one of these is
25:03
just really striking home for all of us a little bit, you
25:06
know? They only realized how much.
25:11
This, the topic this week is gossiping in the workplace,
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Teddy Roosevelt's daughter Alice is quoted as saying.
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If you haven't got anything nice to say about someone, come sit
25:23
next to me. Gossip is something we all
25:26
encounter at some point. We've probably all shared a
25:29
gossipy story with someone, been told a bit of gossip, or been
25:34
gossiped about. When we think about gossip, we
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usually think of information that's false, personal, or
25:42
likely to surprise or shock the person's hearing it.
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Before you share gossip, ask yourself these questions.
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Do I know all the facts? You wouldn't want someone out
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talking about you if they didn't know the facts, would you?
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Why am I taking the time to share this?
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What's in it for me? Does gossiping about this topic
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make me feel better than the person I'm talking about?
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Am I using the gossip to make myself look better at someone
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else's expense? You know the answer.
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Spreading gossip, especially gossip that is false to make
26:18
ourselves feel better or look good is negative and unfair.
26:23
People often confuse gossip with news.
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If the information is likely to harm someone, it's gossip.
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If the information isn't an attempt to help, then it's news.
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Research has shown that 20 to 60% of daily conversations is
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gossip related, with men participating as much or more
26:43
than women. So sure, men can call it shoot
26:46
in the breeze, but it's still gossip.
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Gossiping may be normal behavior, but it hurts the
26:52
workplace. When gossiping becomes
26:54
disruptive, creates tension, spreads false information or is
26:59
derogatory, then it's inappropriate for the workplace.
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Gossiping about a Co worker goes against one of the basic ideas
27:06
of the Postal Service creating an inclusive workplace.
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An inclusive workplace welcomes and celebrates people of all
27:13
work of life. Gossiping can cause dissension
27:18
and division. Gossiping that is disruptive
27:21
creates tensions, spreads false information or is derogatory,
27:25
excludes people, and creates an unhealthy work environment.
27:29
The Postal Service is committed to an inclusive workplace, a
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place where anyone can come to work and be treated with dignity
27:36
and respect. The USPS is an organization
27:40
filled with people from diverse backgrounds and communities.
27:43
We value the perspectives and contributions of people of all
27:47
ethnic backgrounds and try to incorporate the needs and
27:50
viewpoints of our diverse communities.
27:53
Not all people respond in the same way to messages, so it's
27:57
important for us all to communicate and culturally
28:01
appropriate and sensitive waves. Gossiping isn't one of those
28:06
ways. And then all employees share the
28:09
responsibility. All employees share the
28:12
responsibility for maintaining an inclusive workplace.
28:15
To build mutual respect, we must value the differences and
28:19
cultures of others. There are no simple answers to
28:22
the challenges of living in a diverse world, But the Postal
28:25
Service understands that conflict is natural, and we do
28:29
our best to effectively anticipate, manage and resolve
28:33
it. And then if you have questions
28:36
or concerns about how you're being treated, spoken to or
28:40
talked about, contact your supervisor or human resources.
28:45
And then again, reminder of the EEO policy.
28:49
So the next one is bullying in the workplace.
28:54
Many of us may have thought, I just.
28:59
They. Yeah.
29:01
And I just, I want to all of this again by saying, not only
29:08
does this apply to rural carriers, it's city.
29:11
If there's a city carrier listening, if there's a manager
29:14
listening and manager on manager workplace harassment, they also
29:19
need to maintenance all of us. We all have to treat each other
29:25
with respect. The topic this week is bullying
29:29
in the workplace. Many of us may have thought
29:32
bullying ended in the schoolyard, but it's being
29:35
recognized in the corporate world too.
29:38
And like any form of disrespect, it's inappropriate in the
29:41
workplace. Bullying in the workplace can
29:44
take many forms. Being yelled at, called names,
29:48
or made to feel less than others are all forms of bullying.
29:53
Receiving discipline for trivial matters or based on false
29:57
allegations on a regular basis is a form of bullying.
30:01
In addition, constant attempts to undermine your status, value,
30:07
position, and potential is all also bullying.
30:12
Even being put down or patronized constantly,
30:16
especially in front of others, is bullying.
30:19
There are certain types, certain things you have to remember when
30:23
dealing with a bully in the workplace.
30:26
Start to gain control back. Recognize what's happening to
30:31
you and admit that you're being bullied.
30:34
There's no shame in it. It's not something you're at
30:37
fault for. Criticism from a bully about
30:40
your work are intended to put you down and make you second
30:45
guess yourself. Don't give in to these fears.
30:49
If you know you're producing work of a high standard and your
30:52
manager has no complaints, then don't worry about it.
30:57
You're not alone. Bullying in the workplace is
31:00
common, but it's usually consists of mental cruelty more
31:04
than physical violence. The bully wants the attention or
31:08
credit you get for the work you are producing.
31:11
It often happens that the bully will steal your ideas for his or
31:15
her own. Do not let the bully make you
31:18
feel shame, guilt or fear. This is what bullies rely on to
31:24
keep their hold over you. Guilt and fear strategies are
31:28
the bully's best friend. It's how all abusers silence
31:31
their victims. Don't try to handle bullying
31:35
alone. Bullies pick up pick on those
31:38
who are afraid to tell others of the problem.
31:41
It's important to remember there's no shame in asking for
31:44
help. A bully will try hard to make
31:48
you feel inadequate and belittle you, making you believe that
31:51
asking for help and not being able to deal with the problem on
31:54
your own like an adult is cowardly.
31:57
Tell a colleague at the very least, or preferably your
32:00
supervisor if you can or you need steward.
32:04
Bullying is harassment and the Postal Service won't tolerate
32:07
harassment. Take action against your bully.
32:10
Keep a written account of bullying incidents right in
32:15
great detail, what happened and where, including times and dates
32:19
and share this information with your supervisor.
32:22
I'll also include or if there's other people around that's also
32:27
important. And then again, if you're
32:30
feeling if you need more help resolving A bullying situation,
32:36
a disrespect issue, you can contact human resources.
32:39
You also have the ability to file a grievance.
32:44
The next one is harassment in the workplace.
32:48
Think of harassment as using words or actions to make the
32:51
workplace uncomfortable or hostile for a group or an
32:55
individual. The Postal Service wants you to
32:59
know that harassment, sexual or otherwise, and inappropriate
33:02
sexual conduct will not be tolerated in the workplace.
33:05
Publication 553 Employees Guide to Understanding, Preventing and
33:09
Reporting Harassment talks about harassment and inappropriate
33:12
conduct. This is important because the
33:16
only way to achieve a workplace free of this behavior is to make
33:20
sure everyone knows what it is and what to do about it when it
33:24
happens. You have to do your part.
33:27
Become familiar with this guide and report improper behavior.
33:31
You can help prevent harassment in the workplace by thinking
33:33
before you speak. No one wants to be disrespected
33:36
or disrespectful. Ask yourself will this offend
33:40
someone? Keep AG rated workplace.
33:43
Not everyone shares your attitudes and comfort levels.
33:47
Avoid making negative comments about someone.
33:49
You would not let a Co worker in an unsafe area or work with
33:53
unsafe equipment. In the same way, you do not want
33:56
your Co workers working in an environment that makes them feel
33:59
unsafe or uncomfortable. Many times harassment in the
34:04
form of a hostile work environment occurs because
34:07
employees do not think about how their actions and words affect
34:11
other Co workers. Think about what you say and
34:14
then wow, that one ends like abruptly if you have questions
34:18
about it and it like has like a mailing and shipping service
34:22
alert on the bottom of that. But if you have questions or
34:25
concerns, again, it's another reminder about the EE OS.
34:30
So that was a lot of reading there.
34:33
I am, I apologize for that, but it pretty much spells it out and
34:40
you know, it's sorry. And I just saw that in the chat.
34:44
I, I know that I've had personal encounters.
34:48
I'm, I'm in this thing. I'm more, I'm more professing
34:52
this with the way that management acts towards us and
34:58
the belittling and the yelling from across the workroom floor
35:04
or just the, the lack of respect that they have for rule
35:10
carriers. And, or, and I don't know if
35:13
it's just because, you know, they're in their, their district
35:19
meetings or their poom group meetings and they're being
35:23
yelled at by other managers. And so they feel like they have
35:26
to yell at other managers and then the managers yell at us.
35:30
And I just, it's it, it shouldn't be tolerated and it
35:36
shouldn't become a normal thing. And if, if they're getting, if
35:42
there's retaliation as a result of you filing a complaint, then
35:49
you need to be filing a grievance or and contacting your
35:51
union steward and going that route too.
35:56
The next one I'm going to read is the United States Postal
36:00
Service Diversity and Inclusion statement.
36:03
It is the policy of the United States Postal Service to promote
36:07
the diversity and inclusion of our employees, the customers we
36:11
serve and the suppliers we do business with so that we may
36:14
achieve, might achieve a competitive advantage in the
36:17
global market. Excuse me.
36:20
Diversity and inclusion in the Postal Service means that we
36:23
build, we will build an inclusive environment that
36:27
respects the uniqueness of every individual and encourages the
36:31
contributions of people from different backgrounds,
36:33
experiences and perspectives. Diversity and inclusion is key
36:38
to our corporate success because it affects every aspect of the
36:41
organization, employees, customers in the business, our
36:44
investments. Our investment in a strong
36:47
diversity program creates a positive work environment that
36:50
recognizes the contributions of all of our employees and it
36:54
provides us with a strategic advantage.
36:57
The Postal Service will focus on diversity and inclusion in the
37:00
recruitment, development, excuse me and retention of of
37:06
employees. When developing succession plans
37:09
and making promotions, the Postal Service will strongly
37:12
support diversity there, thereby creating an even playing field
37:17
for all employees. To ensure that the Postal
37:19
Service meets the needs of the diverse communities it serves,
37:24
it will eliminate barriers and create products and services
37:26
designed to increase customer satisfaction, ease of use, and
37:29
revenue. The Postal Service will ensure
37:32
that all qualified suppliers have had the opportunity to
37:35
complete Pete for its contracts that are competitive and
37:39
awarded. All employees share their
37:41
responsibility for achieving diversity goals.
37:44
For diversity inclusion to be successful successfully
37:48
integrated into the Postal Service, diversity and inclusion
37:52
initiatives must continue to be guided by leadership's full
37:56
commitment. All executives, managers, and
37:59
supervisors are responsible and accountable for managing and
38:04
integrating diversity and inclusion into the business
38:07
management process To build mutual respect into all of our
38:11
relationships, employees at all levels must value the
38:16
differences and cultures of others.
38:19
This requires treating everyone with dignity and having
38:23
compassion for others. These actions are critical to
38:26
diversity and inclusion becoming an integral part of the
38:30
organization. Not only do they benefit each
38:33
employee, they also enhance our standing in the national and
38:36
global marketplaces. By valuing diversity and
38:40
inclusion, the Postal Service will achieve maximum corporate
38:43
success and positive recognition as a world class business
38:46
leader. And you can go on light blue and
38:51
there is click on diversity inclusion under the subtitle Hot
38:55
Topics. And that was signed by Dejoy,
38:58
Louis Dejoy. So again, it's just to
39:04
reiterate, I mean, he even said it there too that this goes for
39:09
managers too. And I mean, even, what was it at
39:14
National a couple years ago, every year we usually have at
39:17
least one person who gets up and they're in tears because there's
39:21
a manager that they have and they just keep kicking them down
39:24
the road. And I'm, I'm, this partly is, is
39:29
for them. You know, that you need to start
39:32
writing the, it's exhausting. I know that.
39:35
And I don't ever want anybody to ever deal with any of that
39:37
stuff. I don't want any of us being
39:39
harassed. But I, I also know, and I hate
39:43
this, that it, it is happening. And if there's things like that
39:47
happening, keeping a notebook and writing down the things that
39:51
are happening, the things that are said by managers, filing
39:54
grievances, filing EO's and using this language that yeah,
40:01
who, what, where, when and if there's people around you.
40:06
That also heard it. That also is a key piece to it
40:10
and can help. Management has what is Article 3
40:15
is management has the right to manage, but that also means
40:18
management has the right to manage and follow all of these
40:25
provisions that I just read. There is a lot of other language
40:32
that I can read. I'm going to let Josh read MOU
40:36
25 because I need a second to chug some water after reading
40:43
all that and try not to fuck with it myself.
40:45
To prepaid this if you are if you do have issues with hostile
40:53
work environment harassment Boeing or any of the other
40:57
issues that we bought we that I was brought up and you're filing
41:01
and filing and filing. At some point you're district
41:04
representative can invoke MOU 25 #25 Memorandum of understanding
41:12
between the United States Postal Service and the National World
41:15
Letter Carriers Association Joint Workplace improvement
41:19
process. The part committed to creating
41:22
and enhancing a culture in the workplace that improves
41:28
relationships between management and rural letter carriers for
41:32
the purpose of providing a safe, efficient work environment in
41:38
which all employees are treated with dignity and respect.
41:41
The parties recognize that such a work environment puts the
41:45
Postal Service and its employees in the best position to
41:49
accomplish our mission of providing the highest quality
41:53
service to our customers. Therefore, the parties agree to
41:57
the following rural joint workplace improvement process.
42:01
RJWIP rural joint workplace improvement process.
42:06
The process will be overseen by the Vice President, Labor
42:11
Relations and the President of the General Letter Carriers
42:15
Association and RLCA or their designees.
42:19
Representatives will be designated at the area and
42:23
district levels. These representatives will work
42:26
in teams of two with one member representing the Postal Service
42:31
member representing the NRLCA area.
42:34
Teams will be compromised are comprised of the Area Manager,
42:39
Labour Relations and the NRLCA Executive Committeeman for that
42:44
area or their designate which would be your non resident
42:49
officers. The district team will jointly
42:52
identify identify locations. Sorry, got ahead of myself there
42:57
a little bit. District teams will include the
43:01
District Manager of Labor Relations and the NRLCA District
43:05
representative or their designees.
43:07
The district teams will jointly identify locations to implement
43:11
the RJWIP. Once a location is identified,
43:17
the team will thoroughly review all relevant factors that affect
43:21
the workplace culture or safety of that location.
43:24
These factors include what are not limited to the treatment of
43:28
employees, communication between the rural letter carriers, union
43:32
representatives, and local management policies and
43:35
practices regarding safety both in the office and on the street.
43:41
After the review above. Sorry.
43:44
After the review above is completed, the team will jointly
43:48
develop recommendations or changes and an action plan to
43:53
implement in each location. A copy of the findings and
43:58
recommendations will be forwarded to District Manager,
44:02
Labor Relations for review and assignment of responsibility for
44:07
implementing changes. The team will monitor the
44:10
progress of the action plan and ensure timely implementation of
44:15
the changes. If either District team member
44:18
believes that the location should receive a review and this
44:22
is not supported by the plentative counterpart, the
44:26
location and A and appropriate justification for review should
44:32
be forwarded to the Area team with a copy of the Area Manager.
44:36
Labour Relations The area team will make a determination as to
44:41
whether the RJWIP should be implemented in that location and
44:46
assign the necessary. How completely Review When an
44:51
area team is involved in identifying or reviewing a
44:55
location, a copy of their findings and recommendations
44:59
must be sent to the Vice President, Labor Relations and
45:03
the President and our LCA for their designees.
45:07
Should any issue be escalated to the national level, the party
45:11
should determine whether the UIP will be implemented to include
45:17
recommendations and monitoring changes and.
45:20
This is signed by Vice President Labor Relations Doug Culino and
45:28
past president of the National World War Carriers Association,
45:32
Ronnie Stutz. Hey Doug, Telino's got a few
45:34
more titles to add to that now. Yes, he's a man that wears mini
45:39
hats. Yeah.
45:45
So to kind of preface what Josh was kind of saying here too, it
45:51
that's kind of like something that's set up.
45:54
If you have an office that's that's pretty there's a lot
45:59
going on. You know, the whole management
46:01
team might be let's throw the whole management team in the
46:04
trash. No, let's not do that.
46:06
But what we're that's an effort on the unions part to try and
46:10
work together and figure out what the the core problem is in,
46:15
in determining workplace harassment.
46:19
Now, I personally think that that MOU can be improved upon,
46:23
but it is what we have. And it also re emphasizes all
46:28
the things that I read, the things that Dejoy read.
46:31
And there's other there's two other documents that I'm not
46:35
going to necessarily read tonight because they're they're
46:37
long, but it's Publication 553 and Publication 552.
46:44
Publication 553. Sorry, let me get back to it.
46:51
I was looking at the contract while I was listening to Josh
46:54
Reed that thought I had it up. Workplace harassment.
46:58
So Pub 5553 is Employees Guide to Understanding and Preventing
47:05
and Reporting Harassment, and I'll read a little bit from
47:08
that, but then Publication 552, which is a lot longer, is
47:13
Manager's Guide to Understanding, Investigating and
47:16
Preventing Harassment. And if there's a big complaint
47:21
that somebody might have against somebody, then that would be the
47:29
processes that they would use to to determine if, if that's if
47:35
there's workplace harassment going on.
47:38
And there's another document. But I think it's already been
47:41
kind of said that's the postal services policy on workplace
47:46
harassment, and it just talks again about prohibited
47:51
harassment. And again, all managers and
47:54
supervisors are responsible for preventing harassing conduct and
47:58
inappropriate behavior that could lead to prohibited
48:01
harassment or illegal harassment and must respond promptly when
48:05
they learn of any such conduct. Any manager or supervisor who
48:10
receives A complaint or learns of harassing conduct or
48:14
inappropriate behavior that could lead to prohibited
48:17
harassment or illegal harassment must see that prompt and
48:20
thorough action is taken. Harassing conduct must be
48:23
corrected before it becomes severe and pervasive.
48:26
Management must take action in accordance with Publication 552
48:31
Managers Guide to Understanding and Investigating and Preventing
48:34
Harassment. And then again, this also talks
48:38
about your rights in from the HR contacting the HR manager
48:44
Employees Guide to Understanding and Preventing and Reporting
48:47
Harassment and then again, you also have the ability to call
48:55
the you could do an EEO or grievance.
48:59
There is also Elm language and I don't have it fully up right
49:03
now, it just references it. It's Elm 666.3 and it's
49:09
whistleblower protection describes procedures for
49:12
reporting allegations of reprisal for making
49:15
whistleblower protected disclosures as a enclosed like
49:21
if there's you can't be retaliated against.
49:24
If you're a whistleblower, like say you're seeing harassment or
49:28
you know, one of the things might be you see a manager
49:31
screaming at another manager or screaming at another employee.
49:38
I mean, there's, there's different levels of harassing
49:42
behavior that it just depends upon the circumstances and the
49:46
things that are said. But a lot of the time the most
49:50
of the things that I see are managers screaming at other
49:55
carriers and I'll be right back. Hold on, sorry, I'll be right
49:58
back. I see some of it with the
50:00
screaming, but not as much as I get.
50:03
I see personally it's just management crash talking an
50:09
employee to other management either on the work room floor or
50:15
on speakerphone and earshot of other employees.
50:20
I see that more, gosh, I lose. Oh, he's going to be right.
50:24
I guess we're going to take a break.
50:26
Hello. Hello.
50:28
I'm back. Yeah.
50:30
I was to say that I've seen where the supervisor or manager
50:35
wasn't didn't necessarily like what was said done performance
50:40
and kind of was throwing a temper tantrum and raising their
50:43
voice that way. I.
50:44
I've seen management throw a temper tantrum on the floor too
50:47
because they didn't get their way.
50:49
Yeah. Off and off and slam in the
50:51
office door and wait, no. Sorry, I'm, I'm back.
50:57
I my cat decided he wanted to drop my Lego set on the ground.
51:05
Yeah, and I don't know where all the pieces.
51:07
Put them on the porch. Yeah.
51:09
Go find him at 3:00 in the morning when you're.
51:11
No, I'm not going to put him on the porch.
51:13
He is my baby kitten. With a leash, of course.
51:17
With a leash award so he can't run away.
51:20
Yeah, so. Unless of course the porch is
51:22
screened in, then it doesn't matter.
51:25
No, it is not. So sorry to leave you hanging
51:27
there, Kristen. Like it's all good.
51:32
It's all good. We were good until we realized
51:35
the microphone didn't work again.
51:38
Of course it didn't, Josh. Of course it didn't.
51:41
User error. Yep, I think I think it's a user
51:44
right now, probably. Sorry, that's workplace
51:48
harassment. No, I'm, I'm not, I'm not
51:50
joking. No, I am joking.
51:51
I'm gonna be doing that. But anyways, I just, I know that
51:54
like, sometimes though, managers repeatedly throwing temper
51:57
tantrums that could be considered harassment to some
52:01
people. And if you're somebody who's not
52:04
like there's people that might have like PTSD from their
52:09
childhood of being screamed at. And all of a sudden, like you
52:13
have the supervisor who is just screaming at you.
52:17
And you know, there's, there's different ways to react to it.
52:22
And you know, if, if you have a supervisor who's saying things
52:25
like that, it's I am a crier. So when I get really mad or
52:31
upset, I cry. And so sometimes it's really
52:33
hard for me to, I used to have a, a manager who would scream at
52:39
me. And in retrospect, there's
52:42
things that I probably like. It was I was more early on in my
52:46
poster career, but she also would it seemed like she was
52:53
specifically harassing me because I was louder or my
52:57
voice. Is it sometimes it's it comes
52:59
across like I'm yelling, but I'm not yelling.
53:02
I just talk really loud sometimes.
53:04
And so I think there was like a misunderstanding of that.
53:08
And I eventually like her. And I've had, you know,
53:11
different conversations of hey, look, like I'm not, I'm not
53:15
trying to disrupt the work room floor.
53:19
I'm just my voice is loud. And sometimes that that's just
53:23
that's just how how it is. But I just don't think that
53:29
there's managers that are used to being screamed out on these
53:33
telecons and what not. And I'm wondering if maybe they
53:36
think that it's OK to scream at other at the employees and it's,
53:42
there's some people that can take it in the, and everybody's
53:44
office culture might be different, but I just don't
53:46
think that it should be made to people.
53:51
Can't mate be made to feel like that's the normal.
53:54
And personally from as an employee looking at the state of
54:01
our, of the Postal Service and the fact that we are so
54:05
shorthanded on Subs and we're losing regulars, I think that
54:10
this is a, a problem across the entire country.
54:15
I don't think that it's localized to 1 area.
54:17
Granted, I know that there's going to be some offices where
54:20
there's there's the Unicorn managers and they're treating
54:24
everybody fairly. And I also recognize that
54:28
there's going to be, you know, situations where, you know,
54:32
yeah, maybe it is the carrier who was, you know, screaming at
54:36
the manager. But also sometimes that might
54:40
have been what's perceived now as the normal because the
54:43
managers are always screaming at everybody.
54:46
You just have to kind of take it in in each situation.
54:50
But if you have a manager that is talking to you like that, try
54:55
and stay calm and just go, all right, I'm not going to have
54:59
this conversation with you if you're going to be talking to me
55:02
in a disrespectful tone and trying to like staying calm in
55:07
that. Or, you know, if you're in your
55:10
case, politely telling them, I wish I'm trying to do my job,
55:16
you know, can you please leave me alone?
55:18
And you can repeatedly ask them that.
55:20
And if they're not then trying to leave the area there, it just
55:24
depends upon the circumstances that led to that moment.
55:28
But I've I just say that's more of the commonalities that I
55:32
hear. And yeah.
55:35
Is there anything else you want to add on that part of it,
55:37
Kristen? No, you know, like I like I was
55:41
saying before when you had to leave for a moment, you know, I
55:44
see a lot of when management's trash talking an employee to
55:49
other people of management supervisor or whatnot and
55:53
they're doing it within earshot of the workroom floor or it's on
55:57
speakerphone as they're walking across the workroom floor.
56:01
Yeah, and that's, that's not OK either.
56:03
No, no it's not. There's stuff too, that, you
56:06
know, managers shouldn't be leaving.
56:08
You know, I've seen this happen before too, where managers are
56:10
leaving paperwork on a desk for everybody to see.
56:14
And it's like maybe it's an investigative interview notes or
56:16
discipline. And I've seen one before and
56:19
usually if I see them, I go, you need to put that in a closed
56:23
office And it because I has employees like private
56:27
information. And it wasn't like it was like
56:30
hidden away. It was like right there, like
56:32
where the employees walk by or put like carrier pickup forms.
56:38
You know, it wasn't, it wasn't in a me Snoop it on a desk, you
56:41
know, but managers need to be mindful.
56:46
I mean, they, they tell the union stewards also to be
56:49
mindful of those sorts of things too.
56:51
And you know, when you, when union stewards are meeting with
56:55
management, they're on the same level.
56:57
And I do recognize that if you're a carrier, it's not
57:01
always the same in that sense. But that's why I wanted to
57:04
emphasize and read a lot of this information because management
57:09
does have that obligation to treat us with dignity, fairness
57:12
and respect. And I just I hope that helped
57:16
reiterate some of this. I know that, you know, like you
57:20
guys bit you and Bill and and James have gone over a lot of
57:23
this stuff in the past, but it's.
57:26
Just can't go over it enough though, because it it, it's
57:30
still happening every day across the country.
57:34
Yeah. And I mean, and, and the fact
57:35
that we have, I mean it just alone in the, in the Steward
57:40
reference guide under harassment, there is 12345678.
57:48
There's 14 documents. I mean, and there's, and it's
57:51
in, there's documents here and then there's more documents
57:55
under the 0 tolerance policy. Like there is, you can tell that
57:59
the Postal Service recognizes that there's issues of it and,
58:04
you know, there's the term of going postal and those sorts of
58:08
things. And I know that there's stress,
58:11
you know, from the holiday season was a big thing that
58:15
people, you know, we're, we were all dealing with whatever we
58:19
were dealing with during that and the demands of that and not
58:23
being home with our families, you know, is rough too.
58:27
But we still have a job to do. We still have an obligation to
58:32
help our customers and management also has an
58:34
obligation to make sure that all of us are, are, are able to do
58:39
our job effectively and efficiently and as safely as we
58:44
can. And if you're an employee who
58:47
doesn't feel safe coming to work, I mean, I, I can see that.
58:51
That's why a lot of our retention issues and you know,
58:55
there's been people who have called in.
58:59
There's, there is the EAP, you know, also has stuff in regards
59:06
to it. There's been a situation one
59:09
time where I know that a manager was like there was back and
59:13
forth with a manager before. And, and I know of, of people
59:18
who have gone and called EAP because they just needed to vent
59:23
to somebody who wasn't the manager.
59:25
They were doing it in a cathartic way.
59:28
But I just, I know, I want people to know that there's a
59:31
lot of avenues and you shouldn't be Yeah.
59:36
And resources. And there's people that are
59:38
there for you. We're there for you.
59:42
We'll, we can help you in that regard.
59:46
And I just, I, I hope that if. Hey, Doug Teleno, if you're
59:52
listening, you know, please, please try.
59:58
He might not be, but I'm sure. Somebody else?
1:00:01
'S I was like, he might yeah, one of his underlings or one of
1:00:05
the. People, hey, they might be it,
1:00:09
it, it all boils down from the top down.
1:00:12
And if the top people in the Postal Service are emphasizing
1:00:18
these policies that they created in here and in with applicable
1:00:23
labor laws and all those sorts of things, if they're
1:00:25
emphasizing these things to their management staff and
1:00:29
you're not having these managers in these meetings just cussing
1:00:32
at each other and screaming and thinking that that's OK, that
1:00:36
that's not the work culture. It offends some people.
1:00:40
And you know, I personally like I cuss a lot and I've been
1:00:47
trying to watch that because I have a 5 year old child who will
1:00:50
repeat the words that I say. But sometimes it's cathartic for
1:00:54
me to drop an F bomb and not going to do it on here.
1:00:58
And I know that there is a time and a place where you can drop F
1:01:01
bombs in a in a effective and cathartic way.
1:01:04
And on the workroom floor is not always that place.
1:01:08
So to drop those therapeutic yes.
1:01:14
And it's, and I also know, you know, there's some people who
1:01:19
have different religious views, there's some people who never
1:01:22
curse. And you know, I, I, I remember
1:01:26
like even in, you know, I was in high school and I go over to one
1:01:29
of my friends houses and her mom did not like curse words at all.
1:01:34
And so I have to remember, you know, those sorts of things
1:01:37
where you know, you have to you got to be mindful and respectful
1:01:42
of the location that you're in and knowing when and when it's
1:01:47
inappropriate and when it's inappropriate to use certain
1:01:50
things and language. And you know, that's that's what
1:01:55
a lot of these policies exist because obviously somebody
1:01:58
somewhere said something bad and it offended somebody.
1:02:03
And so that's why you got to keep it more on the the G rated
1:02:07
side of things. Yeah, it's just one of those
1:02:11
things that if they're listening and almost, you need to practice
1:02:15
what you. Yes, sorry, I got a message and
1:02:18
I went, oh, they're on to that. But but yeah, I mean, and if you
1:02:25
want to reference any of this material again, it's all on the
1:02:28
union website, it's under the harassment section.
1:02:32
And then there's workplace environment and then there's
1:02:35
also the zero tolerance policy. And again, the, this, all of it
1:02:42
pertains to management too. So I'm not saying I'm saying I
1:02:48
it's, it's more because of the managers disrespecting carriers
1:02:53
that I am just tired of it. And I just felt like today was
1:02:56
the day that needed a for it to be said so.
1:03:02
No, I agree. I, I do it's, it's always one of
1:03:06
those. And trust me, we'll be getting
1:03:08
those stand up talks starting, you know, towards the end of the
1:03:10
month and end of February we'll be hearing it again as the
1:03:15
annual repeat from management for, you know, stand up talks.
1:03:19
So we're a little bit of time guys.
1:03:22
That's when you could just look at them and, you know, be like
1:03:25
and that applies to you too. Yes, I am in the past too.
1:03:29
I know there's been grievance settlements where managers had
1:03:34
to provide the 0 tolerance policy and that language to
1:03:40
other managers and ensure that other managers have read and
1:03:44
understand that language. That is it a that is a remedy
1:03:48
that can be asked. It could be asked that the that
1:03:52
the managers read the zero tolerance policy to all
1:03:55
employees or the manager reads it to all of the managers while
1:04:01
the union stewards present. You know, there's a lot of
1:04:05
things that that can can happen. It just depends on the
1:04:10
circumstances. Yeah, you can get afraid of with
1:04:13
with that one for agreement settlements.
1:04:17
Yeah, it just depends on the and they're made, you know, the
1:04:20
union might have different remedy cases in those
1:04:23
circumstances. But building that pit if, if
1:04:27
there ends up becoming grievances and you file
1:04:30
grievances on it and it's repeated, you're building that
1:04:34
paper trail and it's, it's helping to I know that we want
1:04:41
the instant gratification of the solution, you know, it being
1:04:45
solved. And honestly, in this case it
1:04:48
should be. And the moment that it's not,
1:04:51
then you have the grievance procedures and you have the EEO
1:04:55
procedures to protect you. And then if it really ever gets
1:05:01
to the worst bit of it and it's, it's physical violence and
1:05:07
there's those sorts of things, there's 911, which I don't like
1:05:11
to, I hope that it never gets to that point.
1:05:14
But if it, if it becomes to that degree, like to that next level
1:05:20
of, of threatening behavior, then that's what you have to do
1:05:24
to protect yourself and your, and your Co workers and, and
1:05:28
those sorts of things. But the main purpose of this was
1:05:33
the just the way that people talk to one another.
1:05:37
And I just don't think there's, I even, I even have some people
1:05:41
who they just talk loud and it sounds like they're yelling.
1:05:44
And I just realized, Oh, that's how they always talk.
1:05:47
So there's a difference in that versus like a manager's like you
1:05:51
have a second you haven't expressed.
1:05:53
Why are you not delivering your express, you know, or why did
1:05:56
you not answer your phone or like ridiculous things like
1:05:59
that? Or did you have this parse, you
1:06:02
know, the like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, like take a
1:06:06
second back here. Like, you know, it's just, I, it
1:06:10
appalls me to hear it. And I know that it's happening
1:06:14
And I just I hope it, I hope this will will help.
1:06:19
You're not alone in it. And there is pulsal language and
1:06:24
procedures to protect you the. Only thing I would add is if
1:06:28
they start coming in hot like that don't go to their level
1:06:33
because that's just going to get you in trouble in the long run.
1:06:35
Just stay calm, which I know can be difficult, especially for
1:06:38
people that are hot headed and short tempered, but just stay
1:06:41
calm and you can respectfully say I will address your question
1:06:46
when you address me in a respectful manner.
1:06:50
And if they don't, you just walk away and write up a statement,
1:06:54
put it in your journal what the date and time is and what was
1:06:57
said, how they said it, who said it.
1:06:59
If anyone was around to hear it. You potentially could ask those
1:07:02
other people that were around to hear it if they'd be willing to
1:07:05
write a statement for you saying that they heard the supervisor
1:07:08
manager speaking to you in that aggravated, yeah, aggressive
1:07:13
matter. The other thing too is, Oh my
1:07:17
gosh, I just lost my train of thought with that.
1:07:19
I'm sorry, I was going to. I derailed.
1:07:21
You I, I was going to say I would let them just yell at me
1:07:25
and I just stand there and when they're done, I'm going to ask
1:07:27
them, are you done yet? Or do I start doing waiting time
1:07:30
because you're taking up my time here?
1:07:33
From the screaming. If you're back, it's in the
1:07:37
afternoon here. I'm returning to you anyway.
1:07:39
Oh yeah. But you know, if it's during the
1:07:41
day, if it's in the morning. This is true.
1:07:46
I'm going to be like and the clock starts now and let me know
1:07:51
when you're done so I can, you know, appropriately put down
1:07:56
8127 time for listening to your BS.
1:07:59
Yeah, for you saying this. To I actually do that pull up
1:08:02
their phone and pull up the stopwatch and start it since the
1:08:06
manager started yelling and like what are you doing?
1:08:08
I'm like timing the wait time for you to get this out of your
1:08:12
system which did not help improve that managers mood.
1:08:18
Mine would shut up and walk away.
1:08:19
If I pulled that. Mine would shut up and walk
1:08:21
away. Yeah.
1:08:23
And you know, the, the, the no tolerance does go across the
1:08:28
board. They can preach it all they want
1:08:30
to us, but we can hold them accountable to those standards
1:08:34
as well. Yep, yes, we can.
1:08:38
And I've done it and I know others that have.
1:08:41
And typically in those situations now too, I, me and my
1:08:47
managers get along pretty well because of it.
1:08:50
And they know there's moments where like I, they all know that
1:08:53
I cry when I'm mad too. I think everybody does.
1:08:56
But they usually, I don't understand.
1:09:00
Yeah, they usually understand. And they don't ever usually come
1:09:03
at me like that because I, I try and stay calm and I as much as I
1:09:09
can. And then later on I'll, you
1:09:11
know, maybe I'll get in my vehicle and start crying then,
1:09:13
but I don't want to go do a second trip.
1:09:16
I I, you know, I can just pull through the excuse that it's a
1:09:20
perimenopausal mood swing and, and usually they'll back right
1:09:24
down then anyway, they go oh. What do you mean?
1:09:27
The guys just, they, they, they'll run, but you know,
1:09:30
management will just be like, Oh yeah, OK.
1:09:34
Because, well, they were both warned.
1:09:38
Yeah, and unlike you're my postmaster, I can't take any
1:09:42
type of hormonal replacement therapy.
1:09:44
So guess what, guys? Don't piss me off.
1:09:48
This is how it's. Going to be.
1:09:50
Yeah, this is how it's going to be and you're just going to have
1:09:54
to grin and bear it. And if I'm pushed to that point
1:09:57
of of that mood swing popping then y'all really need to pay
1:10:02
attention to what the actual problem is.
1:10:04
Because I probably been telling you for.
1:10:07
Yeah, the other thing I the one last thing and I'll and then you
1:10:10
can cut it off. I think probably.
1:10:12
But they also will move managers around.
1:10:16
I've also seen that happen. And we've also had it to the
1:10:20
point where they there was a manager who they moved him like
1:10:24
twice and then they moved him to an office where he was the only
1:10:30
employee because how many issues he had with different carriers.
1:10:39
And then he actually doesn't work for the Postal Service
1:10:41
anymore. But they moved him because it
1:10:43
was repeated infractions and there was paperwork and district
1:10:50
was involved and it escalated to that point to.
1:10:54
The point that he was being what they used to call a postmaster
1:10:57
relief and a little RMPO or no routes are at.
1:11:01
Yep, and he's the only one. And he became a glorified clerk.
1:11:07
Yes, yes he did. And it was.
1:11:11
Very well, like my father-in-law.
1:11:13
Yeah. You know, like my father-in-law
1:11:14
was head of maintenance of a maintenance team of 1.
1:11:18
Wow of just him. Yep, Yep, he had the title Head
1:11:24
of maintenance. Yeah, he became postmaster of
1:11:27
just an office by himself. So it it's, it is doable.
1:11:31
They they do have that ability. And sometimes it gets to the
1:11:35
point where even the customers see it and the customers are
1:11:38
also contacting district and the appropriate channels there too.
1:11:45
So it just depends on the situation in the area that
1:11:48
you're in. So, but I think that's it.
1:11:52
I could keep going. I really could.
1:11:54
I could just always because I really do, I, I just feel I,
1:12:00
I've seen it and I just, I don't want to it.
1:12:03
It hurts my heart seeing and hearing people being screamed at
1:12:08
and knowing we've lost Subs for that.
1:12:12
And I know there's other stuff with retention and I, we could
1:12:16
go on a whole other thing about leave replacement retention and
1:12:20
we have a regular, regular carrier retention.
1:12:23
But it, all of it boils down to the way that we are treated as
1:12:28
employees and the way that management talks to us.
1:12:32
It's, it's just a simple thing. You know, we are mostly by
1:12:36
ourselves. I mean, I think that's one of
1:12:38
the advantages to us being row carriers, you know, especially
1:12:42
on those really rural routes. But I enjoy that I've worked in
1:12:46
customer service prior, but I and I have those skills for if I
1:12:50
have customers come in and talk to talking to me, but I actually
1:12:53
enjoy the fact that I'm for the most part independent out there
1:12:57
on my route. And but it's just sometimes the
1:13:01
office culture can can get to you.
1:13:06
So but. That it can and I've seen many,
1:13:13
many of newer RCA's who are good walk out the door and never come
1:13:18
back because of that office culture.
1:13:20
Yep, sadly and honestly, I know if I didn't have as much time
1:13:24
invested as I do I, and if I was brand new walking in and I
1:13:28
walked into that culture, I'd be like, yeah, no, I'm out of here
1:13:31
too. I, I, I can't blame them for
1:13:33
that. You know, it's nobody wants to
1:13:36
come into a job and have to go through that, especially when
1:13:39
you're brand new, let alone if you're somebody that's been
1:13:41
there for a decade or more that's not.
1:13:43
Yeah, and you know, and you find another job.
1:13:47
Hello. Yes.
1:13:49
OK. Yeah, when you can find,
1:13:51
especially when you can find another job with comparable
1:13:55
money. I'm not going to say the same
1:13:56
money, but comparable money, like most places are comparable
1:14:00
to what our starting pay is for an RCA right off the street.
1:14:05
Yeah, with a lot less. Yes.
1:14:08
Entailed in the job, completely different mindset for
1:14:13
management. Yeah.
1:14:15
And then depending on the area you're in as a regular, you
1:14:19
know, maybe just at their wit's end with it too, you may or may
1:14:24
not have a job opportunity out there making the same amount
1:14:28
with, you know, similar benefits and whatnot.
1:14:31
That may be more difficult. And that may be why a lot of
1:14:34
them are still sticking on. But those that can find it or
1:14:37
don't need to work I they're jumping ship.
1:14:39
Yep. Yep, Bye Felicia.
1:14:43
I'm leaving. I'm not going to stick around
1:14:45
and get yelled at by my manager every day.
1:14:46
I have never seen the amount of regulars that have been leaving
1:14:52
that I've seen in the last five years.
1:14:54
It's a lot. And it started before Rex was
1:14:57
implemented. It is.
1:14:58
Yep. And then it gets worse with Rex.
1:15:00
Yep. I think it's the way that we'll
1:15:02
talk to and the way that we're treated.
1:15:04
I really do. Yeah, and then and then you see
1:15:08
the new ones coming in and it's like they're treated like their
1:15:12
guide's gift because they're a warm body and they don't want to
1:15:15
lose them. Yeah.
1:15:16
And then, but then they're not holding them accountable either
1:15:19
to do the job up to standards. Right.
1:15:22
Yeah, it's multi multifaceted without it.
1:15:24
Definitely. What was the the problem there
1:15:27
is, is the course correction. In the course correction,
1:15:30
they're overcorrected and they haven't balanced backing.
1:15:33
Or they just haven't corrected them at all because they don't
1:15:36
want to lose them. We know I'm saying from them
1:15:40
being to the one extreme switching, going to the other
1:15:43
extreme with the new hires. And you know, they, that's what
1:15:48
I meant by, you know, overcorrecting.
1:15:51
They've overcorrected and haven't, it hasn't balanced out
1:15:54
yet. Eventually they'll learn because
1:15:56
then you're going to have all this whole new breed of
1:15:58
employees that have gotten hold and then they're going to get
1:16:02
their first, their first route and not be able to do the job
1:16:06
properly because it's never been fully, I don't want to say fully
1:16:10
trained, but never, you know, learn all the nuances.
1:16:14
Or held accountable. Fly.
1:16:18
Oh, trust me, trust me. I mean, you, you, we're talking
1:16:20
about stuff in my office right now without even me talking
1:16:23
about it. So yeah, you know it, it is.
1:16:28
And I think on that before we start deep diving into too many
1:16:32
rabbit holes and and other stuff that we'll go ahead and wrap
1:16:36
this up for this evening. Gosh, OK.
1:16:41
Have a good week out there. Like I said, you know, it's been
1:16:44
weather has been pretty mild, at least in my area, but you know,
1:16:48
like Kristen just got slammed with the ugliness and nastiness
1:16:53
and wetness. Dress appropriately in liars.
1:16:56
Hydrate, be safe, don't get overwhelmed.
1:17:00
Even though the holidays are over, it's still possible to get
1:17:02
over what you know, male volume fluctuates day-to-day right now.
1:17:07
So don't walk in there tomorrow and have like 10 tubs of we're
1:17:12
all working out and get overwhelmed.
1:17:15
Take a step back, take a deep breath and step back in.
1:17:18
We'll catch you next time, you know.
1:17:20
What if I want to get overwhelmed by my 10 tubs of
1:17:23
working mail? No, I don't I.
1:17:24
Don't want it? Only during mini mail survey?
1:17:27
Yeah. Only during, yeah.
1:17:29
Hey, if that's that's what gets you through the day.
1:17:34
Hey, that's the only time where I don't mind that, you know,
1:17:38
water bills come in raw or garbage bills come in raw or or
1:17:43
grocery store rewards things come in raw.
1:17:46
I don't get mad when that comes in raw during many mail survey.
1:17:51
The dollar sign? For full coverage in the DPS
1:17:54
that are all upside down. Exactly.
1:17:56
Oh yeah. You know, there's 4-4 weeks out
1:17:59
of the year. I'm not upset about that stuff.
1:18:06
All right guys, well thank you. Thank you for letting me do my
1:18:10
RESPECT. Rant to you all 'cause it just I
1:18:16
man. And some of that language I
1:18:18
actually had never read before. So that was good to to it was
1:18:22
good for my own self. It was to read and remember to
1:18:26
that that language exists. But stay safe guys.
1:18:30
Again, keep drinking water. I know my weather's not as bad
1:18:34
as it is in other places. And again, the phone number, if
1:18:40
you need any, if you need help, if you just need to talk to
1:18:42
somebody, if you have issues going on in your household, if
1:18:46
you know if somebody in your family you know needs some help,
1:18:50
there is the EAP, the employee assistance program that can help
1:18:55
you. The phone number is 800 EAP for
1:18:59
you or 800-327-4968. Just let you guys.
1:19:07
I mean, I know it's kind of a, a heated topic and it could bring
1:19:11
up some, you know, personally, like I know I'm laughing a
1:19:14
little bit joking, but there there has, I've had personal
1:19:18
issues with management before and it does kind of bring up
1:19:21
that like heightened of like, Oh yeah, this happened.
1:19:24
And hey, PTSD is a real thing, especially if you're a veteran
1:19:29
and, and, or you had a rough childhood or anything too.
1:19:33
So again, use that EAP number and be safe and hopefully this
1:19:38
week is good to you. So Kristen.
1:19:42
Thank you, guys. It's always an enlightening
1:19:45
conversation of one way or another.
1:19:48
Oh, but yeah, I mean, be wary of the weather, especially those of
1:19:52
us in the Midwest have had some funky stuff lately.
1:19:54
And I, you know, ice skating in an LLV is always an adventure, I
1:19:58
have to say. You know, we do what we can.
1:20:01
And if we can't do it, well, there's always the next day.
1:20:04
But on that, No, guys, stay hydrated.
1:20:06
Stayware, stay safe. And we'll be back next week.