Postal Supervisor

JOB DESCRIPTION

There is an old cliche, “When your neighbor loses his job we are in a recession, when you lose your job we are in a depression”! Well, we all still have a job so I guess we are in a recession and anyone who has been on the workfloor over the last couple of months just might think differently. All our bread and butter mail, the credit card solicitations, the catalogs, the magazines, even the charity (non-profit) mail has diminished.

It is not our fault, do not blame yourself, just pick up the paper and turn on the TV and another long established firm has folded putting more of our neighbors on the unemployment lines. Then there’s the Big 3 automakers begging for money from Uncle Sam with so much riding on the outcome. Besides the current employees, hundreds of thousands of retirees are in jeopardy. Parts manufacturers depend on the auto industry for their livelihood, no cars sold, no need for parts, another business gone. No cars selling, no advertising mail for USPS. My home Borough of Staten Island, part of the Big Apple with a population of over 400,000 had one Ford Dealer, go under.

All of this comes back to USPS and our future. This era makes the 1992 reorganization aka RIF look insignificant. I have never felt the pain from every level of employee. Carriers who for years shrugged off the clerk automation woes with the crack “What are they going to do, get robots?” Now wonder if they will have a route and even the senior carriers are concerned with their real street time in the DPS, FSS and no volume mode.

The most popular website is the appropriate Union WWW and the contract is read over and over with the inevitable question, Can they really do that? Several months ago I was honored when another member asked for re-print rights to my article “The Job we Love to Hate”. No one wants to lose their job especially if you are in mid career and recognize just how tough the brutal, cold reality of this economy can be.

We have survived every challenge from the telegraph, telephone and now computers with their e-mail. We have managed to re-invent ourselves time and time again to survive as The Post Office. Will the government come to our rescue and realize we perform a PUBLIC SERVICE? Do the Police and Fire Departments pay their own way? As someone who started his career as POD being a cabinet level position with appropriations from Uncle Sam, providing universal Postal Service. Is it time to look back to our future?

Will the very same politicians who say no, no, no to any and all consolidations to save money be willing to step up to the plate and provide the funds to continue reliable Postal Service? These politicians hear the daily complaints of no and late delivery. Make a few phone calls and everything is good or is it? The local station, branch, Post Office is the most visible part of our government to the entire country. Politicians know this and jump on the slightest chance to play the part of the hero with a press conference and “I will not tolerate any cuts in service”.

We have our greatest opportunity at this LTS to send the message from Maine to Alaska, YOU cannot have it both ways, we can not continue as a cash cow and maintain the level of service your constituents expect and deserve.

We have a new administration, that must be educated on what is going on in the Post Office real world, this is NOT a game show, This is the future of a 233 year old American Institution with its roots to Ben Franklin and all the founding fathers. We dare not fail!

Tommy Roma