You said "the sub that was assigned to the route is getting the hours...." If the sub is the sub of record for the route the regular is off, then they're entitled to them, regardless of seniority.
What is a "PDI."
Why would the pm want you to report at 9:30 or 10:00am?

supposedly the reg sub working the route was to case and i was to deliver. but the sub left to deliver at 8:30 am.
As far as the open route, the sub of record gets the hours, but for how long?PDI= Pre Disciplinary Interview

i know this may be a little hasty...but when will open routes be up for bid again?

one more thing...does a trc have choice over me to sub a route?

Hey 2yrs&counting...the sub (primary sub for that route) of record is entitled to and gets every single day that the RC is out. Whether the RC is out for a single day or for the length of time that the route must be held down. You are NOT entiteled to any time on that route unless you are next on the MATRIX AND the primary sub is unavailable. You would only fill in when the primary is unavailable.
As far as when are routes available again, that depends on when DPS Flats come into play and routes are adjusted accordingly. The USPS wants to keep routes open to either chop up to beef up other routes or use them to excess out the Carriers they don't "like", meaning the most Junior RC would be excessed out. IF the routes even ever go up for bid, it could be years...my guess at least two...and even then...the RC in the office get to bid first on the open route, then the rest in order of title in your office. So, the route you are talking about, may very well even go to another RC in the office, leaving THAT route that was vacated, up for bid amongst the remaining plebs in the office.
My advice...you seem to have other RCAs ahead of you with lots more seniority. Either find yourself another office that is in need of a sub that will get you higher on the food chain or unfortunately, you will never go full time, IMHO. I've been working out of a bunch of offices over the years and frankly...I am looking for a GOOD job now that pays regulary. The days of the RCAs are numbered thru the process of 90% of routes in my area (CT) going into "H" status. I won't even have a single day I can count on to work anylonger and damned if I am going to sit by the phone in hopes they call. Kiss my butt. I have worked my ass off for this company and they have basically, chit on me.
Really, 2yrs&counting, not to be mean but you really need to forget the USPS and find another job. 2yrs is NOTHING for seniority and if the routes in your area go "H", well what will you use to eat with? Maybe the they will set up "USPS Soup Kitchens and Food Pantries" to help out all us displaced RCAs? I know so many RCAs NOW who frequent the various town's food pantries and soup kitchens, get food stamps and welfare healthcare that it's disgusting. All I can say is, "Good Luck" to management finding subs in the near future to fill in for SL/AL days the RCs take. We are all trying to find REAL jobs and not be just given the crumbs. Do you know the difference between a Regular and an RCA, anyway? NOTHING...except they get paid MORE money, have the opportunity for benefits, get accrued AL and SL and they are supposed to do the edit book and case labeling...guess what? MY RC doesn't even do that...I do it and got paid on a Green Card before the count because my RC is so stupid she doesn't even know how to do that! So all you high and mightly RCs out there who never appreciated us RCAs, get ready to have your AL denied because there will be no one to cover....except maybe your PM or Super. What a joke....3 yrs of my life totally wasted on this nonsense...I have totally had it and yup, am bitter about wasting the last 3 whole years of my life going absolutely NOWHERE. All you RCAs, are you better off now than when you started? I bet not.

I am out due to foot surgery for 12 weeks. Yesterday my sub, who is covering the route, had a roll away accident. There were no injuries, just damage to her car. They say she can't work until they investigate. What is going to happen to her, and how long do you think it will be before she can get back to work?

thanks 3yrRCA for responding. Yeah, me too. I have been sitting by the phone for the past year waiting for my pm to call, all for him to tell me that I am unavailable. it is bs. And when you take it to the union, they can't be bothered. I am looking for another job. Thing is, i am actually 2nd in line as far as seniority goes, but that does not mean that another RC from another office will not be excessed to the open route. That is, the route that is open once all the RCs in my office get to bid on this one.
They are actually talking about absorbing the vacant route after counts come in. Seems pretty close to impossible as far as I can tell, cause all the existing routes have more than enough customers. What do i know? Nothing. Thats why i'm wasting my time here. But. At least two other RCs in my office are within 5 yrs of retirement. So I dunno. The USPS cr@ps on their employees, this is true. But getting cr@pped on sure pays the bills.
I just cant believe he is insisting that i did not show up to work considering he told me he would call me, and there was no mail to deliver anyway. Exactly what do i say in the PDI? Short and sweet, right? Im sorry I disagree it didn't happen like that and wait for the discipline so I can grieve it? Its bs. Hes just taking my sub hours away so he can use subs from other offices. Its so obviously a setup. He can't prove that he told me to show up considering that the route was already being delivered at 8:30 am can he?

mailbag--first question is always of course, did your sub make her 90 days yet? If so, it would be more difficult but on the other hand, im pretty sure there is a zero tolerance policy for rollaways. Period. Excuse me for asking, but what does it matter to you? Let the PM handle it. Your out on medical right?

3yrs--just to clarify...the RC that had the route that her sub is working is now retired. So her sub gets the vacant route indefinitely? Until it goes up for bid?

Yes, the sub has worked for the USPS for about 7 years now. I care because I don't want her to lose her job, and she's a friend of mine. I know there is nothing I can do, and it's totally up to the PM (OIC in this case), to take care of things, but I still wonder what's going to happen to her.

Your PM is full of chit. If you are going in on a PDI (PRE Disciplinary Interview...it does NOT mean you are going to be disciplined...just an interview to scare you or maybe will be disciplined in the future) then, walk into the PMs office and very 1st thing say, "Is this a PDI?" If the PM says YES, then you say, "I'm sorry. But I do not do PDIs without a steward present. When you can get a steward in here, we can continue. May I go back to work now?"

Truthfully, I wouldn't worry about it. And remember, stick with answers like these ALWAYS: YES, NO, I don't recall/remember. That's it. Let your steward do the talking. I can't tell you how many times I have gone into a grievance only to see that the carrier said WAY more than they should have to the PM and they have twisted it. I don't see a PDI here for anything. If you weren't scheduled to work on the weeks paper schedule posted on the wall, then you didn't know you had to work.

I know the contract fairly well...not everything....but alot. I personally think your PM is a screw up/control problem. Does the PM or Super do the scheduling? On your MATRIX schedule for the day/week in question, where you written down to cover the route that day? If not, what proof does the PM have you were to do the route? Verbal doesn't count when a disagreement occurs and you are well within your rights to say that nothing was etched in stone as to you working that day. Hogwash...you don't have TWO subs doing a route unless there is a problem...why was the first casing it and you taking it out anyway? Sounds stupid unless you were learning the route. Nope...I won't do a route unless I get the full eval...if the RC leaves sick at 11:00 and the truck is loaded, for example, I STILL want (and get by contract) the FULL DAYS ROUTE EVALUATION even thought the RC worked most of the day. There is really NO way for the USPS to pay an RC for a partial day anyway, so if you don't demand a full days eval on a 4240 (screw the green card) then the USPS just pays for the time YOU put in and the RC just worked for free.

I read in one of your emails that you probably live right next door to the PO, thus you really want to keep this job. Unfortunately, it ain't in the cards. Best to get out now, get some benefits and a GOOD job...stop taking the chit. And another thought, if you live right next to the PO, why on Earth would you blow a day off from work if you knew you had to work? Why didn't the other sub (or somebody) go knock on your door to get you in if they (the sub casing the route) had to leave? I see no PDI and just a bunch of crap. From now on, get it in writing when you are supposed to cover and have it round-robin stamped.

And yes to your question. The primary sub of record, no matter how much time or seniority she has, gets every day INDEFINITELY until that route is either awarded to someone permanently and they start to work it OR the sub is unavaiable and the Matrix is exhausted for a replacement because that sub of record is unavailable. If no one on the MATRIX is available, then people get called, asked and scheduled by most seniority. Even then, that sub will ALWAYS be the sub of record on that route unless she is DESIREOUS of change...no one can bump her off. She must bump herself and that can only be done in very few circumstances. Sorry, you have no bitch about anything and the hours are ALL hers.

I've been practicing today....Welcome to Walmart! A greeter job after so much stress at the USPS would be a most welcome mind relaxer : ) Good luck and let us know how your PDI went : )

2yrs&counting...there is NO WAY your PM can pull in another sub to ANY route in your office without YOU being asked to do it first, even if it is over the (3) required to learn. We have 18 routes in my office and only (4) subs left now. You can bet the grievances will be flying if the PM or Super tries to call in another sub without asking EVERY SINGLE sub in our office first for the work! If your PM is bringing in other subs, and by passing the subs in your office....CALL YOUR STEWARD NOW...SMILE AND FILE! They have no right to bring other subs in when you are sitting by your phone. Good luck : )

Edited by author 04-02-2009 03:28 PM
I have a question.
I am an RCA that is assigned to a route where the regular is off.
I have been doing this for 6 months now. Today was my scheduled day off.
Today another carrier below me in seniority was brought in to cover the route she is also holding down because her regular is off too. Now she will have six days after tomorrow. She has already been told she will have to work the six days. Also, they brought in another sub from another office today to cover a route.
Should I have been called in to do my route and been given the six days? and the sub who ran my route (his first time on it)been put on the lower seniority persons route?
And just for more information. If I had worked today and been given the six days I would NOT have even gotten 40 hours for the week.
I average 6 to 6 1/2 hours everyday on this route.
Just curious...should I have been called in and paid for today over the lower senior person and the sub from another office?

Hey RCA@home...if I am reading your post correctly, you worked UNDER 40 hours in a single (6) day work week which begins on Saturdays, yes? If so, yes, indeed you should have worked and NOT another sub, whether from your office or another. They can't even use the lame bitch, "Well...we didn't want to pay out overtime!", as you would have been UNDER your 40 hours during the 6 day work week.

Believe it or not, I did a route a couple of weeks ago that is evaled at 8.25 daily. I did (6) days in 39.45 hours, thus...I got paid the full (6) day eval of 49.50, even though I only worked the 39.45 (UNDER 40 hours and 1 minute or you screw yourself!)My supervisor called me over and believe it or not tried to say I wrote wrong times in my 4240 to avoid paying me the extra 10 hours I was friggin' entitled to! CHIT! I told her pay me or we will be filling out paperwork with the Steward. She backed down and paid.

BUT...You are entitled to the work as holding it down and I assume, you are the primary, yes? So, contact your steward and file TOMORROW. You WILL be paid for that day you were supposed to work but sat home next to phone. Even though another worked, they will be paid and YOU WILL ALSO GET PAID THE ROUTE EVAL, which punishes management for being so stupid. Do this and I garrantee that they will NEVER do it again as this would be another costly mistake for not scheduling the correct sub. Good luck : )

Edited by author 04-03-2009 12:24 AM
Yes 3yrRCA you read correctly! :> I have worked 4 days this week. Sat, Mon, Tues,Wed, off Thurs, and will work tomorrow. I have almost 24 hours for the 4 days. Route is evaluated at 8.8 hrs per day. After April 25th it will be less. Lost 3 hours at count. ouch! And yes you are correct, if I had worked today I would have been well under 40 just like you did.
Yes, I am also holding down the route and have been for over 6 months. It is my primary. :>
Also the other sub that is working 6 days holding down her primary route is below me in seniority. She is also OVER 40 hours after her 5 days today. So tomorrow she will work 8 to 9 hours for overtime. I would not have gotten overtime but evaluated for the day.
My regular also took the high option after count. Management has informed me starting April 25th I will be working 6 days every other week.
So what was wrong with today?? Also, management knew Wednesday evening that they would be putting the other carrier on for 6 days and also bringing in a sub from another office. That's the killer in all this.
I will be talking to my steward. Thanks for enforcing what I already knew too! :>

Hey, I got a copy of the book written by the chief steward of Royal Oak at their PO shooting in 91. It is called "The Tainted Eagle" 'The Truth Behind the Tragedy'. by Charlie Withers.
Pretty bizarre. So far it starts out, that on the morning of the shootings, management was making a big deal about people keeping the noise down. On his way, with another steward to write up grievances on managers who had been making racial slurs, two individuals were sent home. One two loud, one for whistling "It's beginning to look like Christmas". Then the gunshots started going off. Management that had been investigated in Indianapolis by Congress for bad behavior had been sent to Royal Oak, and had created a bad environment. The union knew, but failed to pass this on. National even tried to get him to do nothing about the fact that management was highly aware of the threats by the employee/gunman, and their request for protection never came, yet they failed to warn employee's. National failed protocol in warning the Chief steward, that the employee who went over the edge, had lost his arbitration, so that there was no warning for employees. The harassment towards the angry employee had escalated after he had filed an EEO complaint. Skipping through the book, there are some pretty bizarre incidents of harassment, such as a mgr, knowing he was terminated, went so far to call Tom McCelvane's home, and when she got a busy signal, used an operator to interrupt his call, saying it was an emergency, and actually ordering him to report to work. Guess he didn't have call-waiting back then. Doctoring of his tape-recorder which an expert examined, destroying documents, all managers involved, and some that weren't even there all were given indefinite stress leave, while traumatized employees got nothing. Even when a shot steward's attorney sued the local union, NALC wrote letter they would not aid the local financially. Lot's of page of documents included in the book, to include Committee On Post Office and Civil Service U.S. House of Reprentatives (didn't know we had one) that managements harrassement "drove a man to kill" and lack of the USPS providing security. To me it's alot of postal terms that the public might not understand, but thought it would be a good read for employees, managers, and their "families" to see just how the USPS works and the early signs to possibly keep this type of horror from happening ever again. There seems to be a pattern, such as we all know about the remove promote the bad ones. A local Target had the book, but not sure all Targets. A link CWITHERS58@yahoo.com Bookstores Xlibris.com or by phone at 1-888-795-4274 ext. 7876, Barnesandnoble.com , Borders.com