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Rooney On The Post Office

October 4, 2009 5:00 PM

Andy Rooney has gotten wind of potential changes to the postal service and he's not a fan.

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by November 26, 2009 12:12 AM EST
Want to hear two more reasons why USPS is losing money?

1) We were recently given a service talk mentioning that the USPS is installing GPS units (TRACKING, not navigation) in all letter carrier vehicles. Our right hand drive vehicles are over 20 years old. We have vehicles that need repairs. USPS says that the move is to determine fuel usage and for safety. WAIT a minute! We're given scanners in which we have to scan up to 9 bar codes per day TELLING management EXACTLY where we are at any given point of the day.

2) I just found out today that the plant will be implementing a "green tag" program. If a tray of SORTED mail from the plant has a green tag, that carrier has to verify (check every single piece) in that tray and pull out all misorted mail (which we do on the street during delivery) and it has to be manually sorted by our clerks BEFORE we leave out on the street. Verifying a tray can take up to 20 minutes (can be up to nearly 500 pieces in one tray). This is a WASTE of time and money because now every carrier has to be delayed because of this "idea." Instead of the plant getting the mail sorted correctly (they can actually point out where the mistakes are, but don't fix them), they dump the work on us letter carriers as if we don't have enough to do.

USPS management has done everything to eliminate service. It's the letter carriers, clerks, and mail handlers who are trying to keep service.
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by popcarule November 6, 2009 8:08 PM EST
as a 27 year rural carrier for the usps i can tell you what the problem is with the service in 2 words INCOMPETANT MANAGEMENT. Until the last few years the problem had not affected the rural craft as much as the others. But that has changed and now we are seeing bigger than ever losses. we are being managed to death! the workers are being harrassed by managers who try to enforce rules they do not follow. they allow postmasters and other managment to use thier position to show favoritism to certain employees then wonder why everyone doesnt just accept it. They will do something knowing it is wrong just hoping you wont file a greivance but if you do and they loose, which they almost always do, then there is no punishment for them, and they just keep on. there is absolutley no accountability. even for falsifying records of pay and every other level of reporting. even when the district managers are notified nothing is done. most of the good people will leave the service as soon as they can because they dont like the fraud and terrible customer service we are being forced to give in order to meet the bosses bonuses, or just the atta boy that will do it for some of these egomaniacs.in our office if all the employees with a concious could afford to leave the PM would have the employee base he so deserves, unfortunatley the community would have to suffer the consequences.
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by popcarule November 6, 2009 8:08 PM EST
as a 27 year rural carrier for the usps i can tell you what the problem is with the service in 2 words INCOMPETANT MANAGEMENT. Until the last few years the problem had not affected the rural craft as much as the others. But that has changed and now we are seeing bigger than ever losses. we are being managed to death! the workers are being harrassed by managers who try to enforce rules they do not follow. they allow postmasters and other managment to use thier position to show favoritism to certain employees then wonder why everyone doesnt just accept it. They will do something knowing it is wrong just hoping you wont file a greivance but if you do and they loose, which they almost always do, then there is no punishment for them, and they just keep on. there is absolutley no accountability. even for falsifying records of pay and every other level of reporting. even when the district managers are notified nothing is done. most of the good people will leave the service as soon as they can because they dont like the fraud and terrible customer service we are being forced to give in order to meet the bosses bonuses, or just the atta boy that will do it for some of these egomaniacs.in our office if all the employees with a concious could afford to leave the PM would have the employee base he so deserves, unfortunatley the community would have to suffer the consequences.
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by justamule55 November 3, 2009 9:26 PM EST
Andy, Thanks for having our backs as American Workers. I am one of those people fighting for my job. I have been with the postal service for 12 years and now am being as I call it "transplanted" into another office where from my understanding they do not have a position for me. I have worked my feet and fingers to the bone for a company that only sees the bottom line dollar! Execs get pay for performance bonuses. that is make your workers perform better and we will pay "YOU!" what is this service coming to!?
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by kooljazz1966 October 9, 2009 12:23 PM EDT
As a recently U.S. Army retired now City Carrier Transitional Employee (TE), I must say this piece was very true and refreshing to view. Andy I hope you delve deeper into the USPS's situation. The USPS never got a bailout, never asked for one or expected one. As a neophyte to the USPS, just finished my 90 day probationary period this week, I feel the Feds forcing the USPS to front/pre-fund retirement compensation accounts upfront is the ultimate nail in the coffin. No fiscally responsible organization that I can recall operates that way. Again, I'm not an reknown economist; I'm a boots on the ground blue collar God fearing American that loves this country and it's way of life.

Kudos,

Ken Figueroa
MSG, USA (RET)
San Antonio, TX
Thousand Oaks Station
"Work smarter not harder!"
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by ukbasketnea October 7, 2009 6:57 PM EDT
The best value in our country today is a first class stamp at the cost of .44 cents. You can mail your letter and that is the end of the cost. You will not have a monthly computer payment, internet bill, electricity bill and possible telephone or cable bill if you have to tie your internet in a bundle package to get online. Plus while online you need internet security to keep the hackers from getting your personal identity.
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by firstmagnitude October 7, 2009 6:26 PM EDT
When I worked at the post office some 20 years ago, I was told that automation was some 20 to 30 years behind what Europe had in place at the time. Why? Because the postal unions did not want change for fear of job losses. With all those dues (revenue) potentially being lost, why would the postal union wanted things changed to where your mail was delivered more accurately and rapidly. That doesn't pay or sustain the unions.
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by TouchMeGreetings October 7, 2009 1:28 PM EDT
Once again Andy Rooney puts it in terms that make so much sense! TouchMeGreetings.com and SendOut Cards uses technology to make personally reaching out to people more convenient than ever!
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by kathie1216 October 7, 2009 9:03 AM EDT
Hi Andy!! Great story! If the citizens of our country do not like any of the options that the Postal Service has on the table to cut costs, we have to change that. More & more people are communicating by e-mail, paying their bills on-line & even sending e-cards; the Postal Service does not have much of a choice due to the huge decline in mail volume. I always send my bills through the mail, use e-mail very sparingly and everyone loves to get a card that shows a little bit of effort that you are thinking of them. For years people have saved their letters & cards (memories); what will they do now? The Postal Service is history, then & now, that made our country and we have to try & preserve that. I was in the post office one day & heard a very irritated customer complaining about the cost of a stamp. The clerk could not calm this person down no matter what explaination she gave the woman. A supervisor came out to the lobby and tried to explain the 2 cent increase to no avail. He finally said to her, "Where can you go to send a letter across the country & pay 44 cents?" I say....Good point!!! I wish that everyone could see what a typical letter goes through to get to it's destination. It AMAZES me that we only pay 44 cents!!! Remember that it is trucked and flown....talk about cheap; good thing that we are not having to pay the full cost of a gallon of gas to get it there! What this letter comes down to is that our country, businesses & families, are all in a financial downturn. If you do not like the changes that have to be made to keep the Postal Service afloat, then do your part & look at what you do every day. We all like to complain about what we have, but what if we didn't have it anymore? Thank you, Mr. Rooney! Kathie-Cape Coral, FL
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by rupertmom October 6, 2009 10:27 PM EDT
My grandfather, a retired mail carrier who loved his career, passed away exactly one year ago on 10/4, when this segment aired.

We think he was sending us a "letter" from the "big post office in the sky" as he used to call his version of heaven when he was alive. Andy delivered the message.

Thanks, Poppy. We miss you, too.
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