ThoughtsandFrustations

Thoughts and Frustrations

Stories Shared By Our Brothers and Sisters Across the Country

People Over Bonuses

Excerpted from the article
Branch 214 members say no
to abuse, picket Bryant Annex

By Bill Thorton, Vice President

There is a negative impact to monetary incentives, manager bonus system and computer generated work estimates in place today.

In the current environment, there is a grueling, daily stressful, anxiety ridden work floor. Those of us who started before Reorganization and he birth of the Postal Service and
into the 70's and 80's do not remember such condition. While never an easy job, and with a sort of militaristic management style, there was also a sense of decency. The mail
may have gotten heavy but there was no marriage mail, only 2 bundles for park and loop routes and foot routes, no DPS, Verticle Flat Cases, scanning responsibilities, and
certainly no computer driven work load estimates. Station managers and supervisors issued few disciplines. Employees worked for salaries. It was a service and monetary
reason for managerial abuse were basically no-existent.

So what happened? It is reasonable to look for some of the reasons behind the changes in working conditions. These changes didn't drop from the sky.

"Pay for Performance"

This is the name for the Postal Service bonus plan for managers. It replaced EVA or Economic Value Added, the previous bonus system, in 2003.
(Pay-for-performance plan boosts managers' salaries,Dan Davidson, Federal Times, July 12, 2006) Management explains the system as follows,

"About 74,000 postmasters, executives, supervisors and administative workers participate in the new pay for performance program... the highest possible performance raise
under EVA was 6 percent. Under the new system, participants can receive a raise that ranges from 0 to 12 percent."

Changes in the way work is performed and monitored.DOIS

(Patrick Donohue, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Postmaster General, Optimizing Delivery at the US Postal Service, 5/15/2004)

The US Postal Service believed that the key to success in this delivery environment is a skilled front-line supervisory team with technology tools that provide actionable data
for daily management decisions. To provide that data, the US Postal Service implemented the Delivery Operations Information System (DOIS).

The national union has acknowledged,if only indirectly, that DOIS is not going away. As President Young has pointed out, the Postal Service needs a DOIS system-a DOIS system
that is accurate and that could help modernize and improve delivery management. (What's the Deal with DOIS? May 2006, Postal Record)

Union/carrier responses

The union cannot stop the automation or the volume recording systems like DOIS and cannot keep managemers off the workroom floor. Article 3 gives management the right to
manage. The union oversees management responsibility regarding wages and workroom floor conditions. It is in these areas union/carrier can fight abuses of those systems.

The players and programs may change but there is no change in the accepted contractual procedures concerning workload assessment-how much time it will take to finish the
route.

Form 3996 is not about carrier performance but is the mechanism for the carrier to inform management when they cannot finish duties within 8 hours.

Fighting abuse one 3996 at a time

San Francisco managment continues to impose their version of the The Carrier Commitment Program. This was resurrected from the past when some offices had opted out of
131.4 M-41.

Nonetheless, commitment has reared its ugly head again. Supervisors come around early and inform carriers how much they will be working verbally, and maybe even give
some unclear instructions on what to curtail. This is a way to get around 131.4 of the M-41 and the rules on the misuse of DOIS/computer generated management workload
estimates.

The Reporting Requirements have not changed despite management's less than clever attempts to ignore them.

It has become obvious that management is intent on ignoring these requirements and forcing carriers to accept their figures. Don't accept this. The union can fight this but
only if carriers submit the 3996 when appropriate/needed. That means anytime you cannot complete all your duties in 8 hours.

However, when a carrier has verbally stated or given a Form 3996 to management informing them that he or she cannot follow that instruction, management must make a
decision. The instruction actually contains 2 directives. The carrier has informed management that he or she can do one or the other. It is management's responsibility to
decide which one it wants complied with. When a manager refuses to clearly instruct as to whether the carrier should complete the assignment or return within 8 hours, the
carrier may have to call from the street. At that time, the carrier is to inform the supervisor where he or she is, what is left and an estimate of what time they will return to the
office. The manager will then have a second opportunity to give clear instructions that can be followed. If none are given, then the carrier is to complete as much as possible
without going into overtime. If instructed to complete the route, he or she must follow the instuction. No carrier has the authority to curtail mail; only management may make
that decision.

If the carrier is told to finish that means that overtime is authorized.

No matter what kind of scheme, recording system or management bonus system they come up with at L'Enfant Plaza at Postal Headquaters in Washington, D.C, one thing
remains the same. You do the work.

Informational picketing and picketing in general has been proudly used by groups (including labor unions) seeking redress of violations of rights when normal channels of
redress have been inadequate, too slow, or frustration over conditions reach crisis levels. It is a first amendment right guaranteed by the constitution.

Management, of course, hates this type of mass action because it moves discusions outside of the accepted venues of redress like the grievance procedure and opens
management up to public embarrassment and scrutiny. It also allows workers to mass together and exercise a solidarity that is threatening to management's control. The labor
movementhas its roots in street actions and even with collective bargaining and contractual rights, the usefulness of the picket remains.

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A Typical Day of a Delivery Supervisor

From The Guardian
Branch #320, Waterford, Michigan
and Branch 725 members (add on)

7-7:30 Shoot the breeze with other NP's
7:30-7:45 Spy on carriers doing their vehicle inspections while having a supervisory smoke break
7:45-8:45 Watch people (carriers and clerks) do real work
8:45-9:00 Service talk about how the PO is in debt and instruct people to take AL or LWOP to help save the PO a buck (and insure management's raises)
9:00-9:30 Spy on carriers preparing for the field while having a supervisor smoke break
9:00-9:30 Punch some buttons on a keyboard
9:33 Call and make a barber appointment(Management has to look good you know?)
9:35-10:00 Pick out new carpeting and new paint for the new office
10:00-11:00 Haircut
11:00-12:30 Lunch 12:30-1:30 Telecom with other NP's about how great it is being a supervisor(all this money and no work?)
1:30-2:00 Solitaire on the computer
2:00-2:30 Shoot the breeze with other NP's
2:30 Leave for golf league

And they say that we are the ones that cost the Post Office all the money

The Penalty of Penalty Overtime

By Chuck Clark
Branch #3825, Montgomery Village, Md.

Portions of Article 8 of the National Agreement have failed to protect those carriers who do not wish to work overtime. Likewise, these same provisions have resulted in
carriers who want to work overtime being denied this available work.

The "Letter Carrier Paragraph referenced in JCAM 8-14, states that management is required to use auxiliary assistance before requiring a carrier not on the overtime desired
list or work assignment list to work overtime on their own route on a regularly scheduled day. Management must use TE's, PTF's and "full-time carriers from the overtime
desired list at the regular overtime rate" to provide assistance to these non-ODL carriers. For further clarification it reads, "management does not have to use ODL carriers to
provide auxiliary assistance if such an asisgment would mean that the ODL carriers would be working penalty overtime."

Article 8.4.D, taken in conjunction with the Letter Carrier Paragraph, means that a carrier who is not on the ODL is forced to work overtime on their own route if the only
available assistance is an ODL carrier who is eligible for penalty overtime. In this situation you have a carrier who wants to work the overtime being denied available work and
the carrier who does not wish to work over eight hours being forced to work overtime. And it's all contractually correct. But it doesn't make sense.

The problem is the requirement to pay penalty overtime. Many years ago a National officer told me that the penalty overtime provisions were introduced into the National
Agreement as a means of addressing overburdened routes and understaffing. Well, it is a matter of opinion whether the penalty overtime requirements have had the desired
effect.

Penalty overtime requirements have casued non-ODL carriers to work unwanted overtime on their own assignments. If an ODL carrier is working their 5th day of weekly
overtime or eight hours on a non-scheduled day or ten hours, management has no contractual obligation to use them to provide assistance to a non-ODL carrier working
overtime on their assignment because of the need to pay penalty overtime.

I feel that it is time for the parties to negotiate penalty overtime out of the National Agreement. Instead of penalty overtime the NALC and the USPS should negotiate a ratio of
PTF positions to regular routes. There could be, as an example, one PTF for every six routes in an office. At this 6:1 ratio there would be carriers to provide auxilliary
assistance and to cover for leave replacement.

The removal of the penalty overtime provisions would also result in ODL carriers working available overtime in more situations than currently apply. The only limitations on
ODL carrier overtime should be ten or twelve hours in a day (depending on the 10 or 12 hour list) and sixty hours in a week. With the addition of a negotiated PTF staffing
requirement and the lifting of restrictions on ODL assignments, non-ODL carriers would be afforded more protection from working unwanted overtime.

Article 8.5.C.2.d, JCAM 8-13, states that overtime worked on an employee's own route on an employee's regularly scheduled day is not counted as an opportunity for the
purpose of administration of Overtime Desired List equitability. The June 8, 1988, M-00833, Joint Statement on Overtime states that: "Nor is a carrier on the regular OTDL ever
entitled to any specific overtime, even if it occurs on his/her own route."

In order to facilitate overtime hours and opportunities for ODL carriers many offices have these carriers exchange concurrent overtime with one another so that the hours and
opportunities can be used when determining equitability. In this era of $4+ gas, this is crazy. True equitability would be the inclusion of any and all overtime hours and
opportunities worked by ODL carriers.

Overtime should go to those carriers who have signed the overtime list indicating their desire to work overtime. This is not attainable as long as we have penalty overtime that
permits management to force non-ODL carriers to work overtime even when an ODL carrier is "available" to do the work.

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SCAMMING THE CARRIERS
Have you been pivoted due to undertime lately?

July/August 2002

By Lili Buencamino, Executive Vice President
Branch #214

"Undertime" is a term management uses when the workload on a carrier's route is theoretically less than eight hours on any given day. Management describes "undertime" as
volume driven, meaning that a route is usually "undertime" when its total caseable mail volume falls below the route's "base" volume. "Base" volume is the amount of
caseable mail a route must receive in order for the regular carrier to do the route in eight hours.

Linear volume not acceptable
"Base" volume is calculated from the route's last inspection data and should be listed in the carrier route book on the PS Form 1564A. However, this figure may be inaccurate if
the route has not been inspected within the last year or two. Furthermore, our union does not recognize linear measurement or counting mail by volume in determining
workload and /or work hours.

Carriers who have "undertime" on their routes are usually "pivoted" on to other assignments. "Pivoting" is a term used by management when requiring a carrier to work on
another assignment in addition to his/her bid assignment for the amount of "undertime" on that carrier's assignment. When a carrier is "pivoted" he/she is authorized to work
only eight hours despite having to finish his/her own assignment then part of another assignment.

"Undertime" is also predicated on a route's "leaving time". "Leaving time" is the time by which a carrier must leave the office to begin delivering in order to do the route in
eight hours. It is also calculated from the route's last inspection data but may also be inaccurate if the route has not been inspected recently. Although "leaving time" is often
ignored by management when pertaining to "undertime", it is instrumental in determining whether "undertime" is legitimate. For example, if a route's leaving time is 10:30am
and the carrier is pulled down and ready to deliver mail by 10:00am, management can assert that this carrier has 30 minutes of legitimate undertime and may pivothim/her for 30
minutes. On the other hand, it is improper for management to assert that a carrier with 10:30am leaving time has "undertime" if that carrier has not yet received the last
dispatch of mail, has not yet pulled down, and it is already 10:15am. In this case, the simple arithmetic would conclude that this carrierwill have no "undertime" and may need
overtime even though that day's volume may be less than the route's "base volume".

Don't skip lunch and breaks Many carriers to not know how to deal with "undertime". They buy into management's "mail volume" theory and run their routes sacrificing their
lunch and breaks to finish their assignments within the authorized eight hours. Meanwhile, management is glad that these carriers have bought into the concept of
"undertime" and are on their way to showing their assignments to be less than eight hours on a regular basis. Management does not care that these carriers are sacrificing
their breaks to finish their assignments.

There is a management strategy behind "undertime" and it may be coming soon to your station. You see, if management can document that a route consistenly has "undertime"
it can successfully prove that this route is less than eight hours. then management can justify doing a minor adjustment to the route by adding to it to make it eight hours
again. Before we know it, auxiliary and residual routes may be absorbed into those routes inaccurately documented as less than eight hours.

Artificial undertime In fact, to achieve this end, sometimes management will create "undertime" on a route by instructing the carrier to curtail mail. If this occurs, that carrier
should request from his/her supervisor a curtailment slip
The union's position has always been to determine workload/work hours by counting total pieces of mail, not volume, as described in the Carrier's Duties & Responsibilites
handbook, M-41 section 121. Carrier's should not so easily believe management's positionthat caseable mail volume solely determines their workload and work hours. There
are so many oher (new) carrier duties, not yet mentioned in the M-41, that may not necessarily impact their office time but would greatly impact their delivery time. These duties
are ignored by management hence leading to many disputes between carrier and supervisor over whether the carrier has "undertime".

The best way to handle these types of dispute is for carriers to complete and submit PS Form 3996 requesting overtime or auxiliary assistance if being pivoted due to
undertime would require them to work overtime. Carriers should always request from management copies of their completed PS Form 3996's and 1571's to keep for their
records. These forms help document the amount of time needed to complete a route. These forms would protect the route from accusations of being less than eight hours. In
fact, these forms may establish a route to be over eight hours and help qualify it for a special route inspection.

Asking for overtime
As a rule, 3996's should be submitted approximately 1.5 hours before the carrier's scheduled leaving time. The carrier submitting the 3996 should consider the following
factors in determining how much to request:
1) scheduled leaving time; 2) the amount of remaining caseable mail; 3) the number of other related duties yet to perform and estimated time for these duties; 4) the estimated
pulldown time (as per the M-41 pull-down time is calculated at 70 pieces per minute); 5) the number of mark-up mail pieces (as per M-41 time allowance is calculated at 4 pieces
per minute); 6) the number of change of address entries (2 minutes each including Form 3546, recorded on Forms 1564B and 3982 as per the M-41); 7) extra time for handling
full coverages (marriage mail) during street duties; 8) scanning MSP (managed service points); 9) scanning delivery confirmation pieces, express mail pieces, accountable
items; 10) the number of parcels beyond the average from the last route inspection; and 11) the amount of DPS mail (as per pre-arb settlement 10/21/98 M-01366, MRS '98).

If management still insist on "pivoting" the carrier after receiving the 3996, the carrier should follow instructions but make sure any overtime he/she will eventually work is
AUTHORIZED to avoid disciplinary action. Then the carrier should file a grievance for being forced to work off assignment overtime (unless it is an ODL carrier) and/or for
management placing unreasonable expectations on him/her. A carrier should not sacrifice or skip their lunch and/or break under any circumstances. Doing so would reduce a
route's time by up to 40-50 minutes (if both breaks and lunch were skipped) and document the route time as less than eight hours. It would also indicate to management that
the carrier could do the route in less than eight hours daily.

The most effective way to deal with "undertime" is for carriers to do everything by the book, exercise their contractual rights, and not be persuaded into believing that mail
volume drives their workload and work hours.

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Did You Know?

Source: Carriers in a Common Cause--A History of Letter Carriers and NALC Branch 782 E. A. Baker Union Update

"...The Postal Record reported that 'the average American family' earned $5,520 ayear before taxes in 1955 while the average Letter Carrier earned $4,400--$1,120 a year less
(Editor-guy note: 20% less income...)

...By 1960, Letter Carriers were having serious financial difficulties. Many Carriers worked two jobs to support their families, and their wives were forced to work to supplement
Carriers' meager income. A substantial number of Letter Carriers could not even qualify for an FHA loan to buy a home.

...1970--A Strike is called: Not surprisingly, New York was the center of the drama, for the city itself had been a cauldron of social unrest, with protests against the Vietnam War,
urban race riots, strikes by teahcers, transportation and sanitation workers dominating the news for several years. Angry Branch 36 members had already raised their voices
protesting the federal government's indifference to their plight and their own union's ambivalence...the vote on March 17, 1970 at the Manhattan Center dragged on until
around10:30 p.m. Some30 minutes later, the results were announced to the members: 1,555- yes; 1,055 - no. NALC's largest local had chosen by a 3-to-2 margin to strike against
the U.S. Government regardless of whether the national union joined the strike.

...Since Branch 36 had night routers, the strike began throughout Manhattan and the Bronx earlier than elsewhere in the New York area. At 12:01 a.m., March 18, members of
Branch 36 set up picket lines outside post offices and, although not all the members had votes, almost every Letter Carrier in Branch 36 stayed out. Immediately, over 25,000
postal clerks and drivers ...honored the picket lines...And then the wildfire swept the nation: Branch34, Boston, Massachusetts; Branch 157, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Branch
1, Detroit, Michigan; Branch 40 Clevland, Ohio; Branch 84, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Branch 214, San Francisco, California; Branch 9, Minniapolis and Branch 28, St. Paul,
Minnesota; Branch 47, Denver, Colorado; Branch 11, Chicago, Illinois. In large and small communities alike, from coast to coast, Letter Carriers and postal clerks walked off
their jobs, joined the picket lines, and dug in for the duration. By march 23, the strikers numbered over 200,000 strong.

...only with a strike could Carriers have achieved substantial economic and legislative gain. The long struggle of Letter Carriers for dignity and justice had taken a great step
forward. The stike--what news magazines at the time termed "Revolt of the Good Guys"-- was an uncoordinated, spontaneous uprising of aggrieved workers, longing not only
for economic justice but also for a voice and recognition of their dignity and humanity."

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AJ KEARNEY, UNDER APPRECIATED AS USUAL ....
FEBRUARY 6, 2010

Got up this morning and saw the conditions outside. Good thing I got up early. Put the TV on and the computer to check conditions and to see if there was any alerts about the
post office or a State of Emergency. Nothing yet. Got my shower went out and shoveled a path to the street so I could walk to work. Only a little over a mile each way and not
worth looking for a parking spot once I get there. Then having to clear my car out again to get home, park two blocks away, walk back to the house and shovel my driveway
again and then park my car. Got to work early and there wasn't any mail. Waited two hours and then Management says we are going to deliver first class and daily mail. An hour
later still no mail. Finally they come down and said Postal Operations are suspended. Wanted to know if anyone wants to take annual leave for the rest of the day. Told them no I
made the effort to get here and will stay until the end of the day if I have to in order to get paid. They wouldn't commit to allowing us to leave and getting paid administrative
time so I sat back down at my case and waited. Finally they said they would do it but did not have approval yet. They would deal with that later but were sure that is what was
going to happen. Talked to President Jimmy McCullough and let him know what transpired. Told management that we were leaving but if we don't get paid for the rest of the
day we will be filling a grievance for the time. What idiots we work for. Flights were canceled. SEPTA wouldn't let their buses leave their terminals. And they were canceling
trains as well. What made the Postal Service not realize that mail delivery today was not going to happen. And then to try to screw the clerks and carriers out of money that
made such a sacrifice to make work today boggles the mind. It would have been easy to pick up the phone and say that I tried to make it but can't or I don't feel well today. But
no, we got to work and were treated with a "Thanks for coming but we don't need you today. We may or may not pay you for most of your time." Really added insult to a very bad
day to begin with.

Hope you had a better experience today but you were probably treated to the same day I was.

Andy Kearney
Letter Carrier, Branch 725

The Big Squeeze

By Eric K. Jackson, Branch 725

I don’t know if you have noticed lately, but there seems to be a plan by management afoot to squeeze Letter Carriers bone dry. Some call it the “stuff” rolls down hill style of
management. Well, it’s basically manifest management. These styles ask so much more of its employees than in most cases is humanly possible. And of course it works. If you
tell someone facing 10 hours of work to be back in eight hours of course they won’t be back in eight. But a lot of carriers will come back anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour
earlier than they should. Why, just to avoid the “Chinese water torture” of answering the daily questions of why. “It’s obvious you bleepedy bleep” say most carriers.

First came the window of operation excuse to limit carriers from working after 5:00 p.m. and thereby, limiting overtime. Not only does this “process” attempt to limit overtime,
but all levels of management choosing that as one of their “goals” (which management uses to determine their PFP-Rating. Pay for Performance is the bonus system for
management) helps to ensure that supervisors will pressure, intimidate, and place unrealistic expectations on the carriers. You see, since lower level management has to
report all carriers out after 5:00 p.m., it pressures them to “make it happen”. In the end, they all benefit at bonus time. But it places a lot of stress on the letter carriers.
Unfortunately, our brothers and sisters but into their 5:00p.m. goal as a “rule”. I’ve even heard stories of carriers risking discipline by clocking into the office and going back to
deliver mail on the street. If that carrier happens to be involved in a motor vehicle accident or something similar, he most assuredly will be put up for removal. So, that “deal”
won’t be able to be protected by that supervisor that you are “helping”. Some are running and skipping lunches and breaks just avoid the annoying questions from their
supervisors.

Next came the change of start times. This is a reaction to management’s inability to get the mail to the offices on time. And in some cases, reactions to carriers exercising their
rights to fill out P.S. form 3996s as a result of the late delivery of the mail by the trucks. So, if letter carriers on the ODL are starting at 8:30 A.M., and can only work until 5:00P.M.
, that forces carriers not on the overtime desired list to work daily overtime (because the unrealistic expectations of DOIS ends up having everyone be forced to work
overtime). This forces the Shop Stewards to submit grievances, not only to manage the ODL, but also to defend associated issues that arise as a result.

Then came the edict from upper management to schedule a certain percentage of routes open. The result (in my office) was in one week, carriers not on the ODL were forced
to work their drop day while carrier on the ODL were not brought in to work their drop day. Local management now has to check with their POOMs daily to be micro-managed
and told if they can bring in someone for overtime. The weak supervisors take heed and just do as their told. Other supervisors find creative ways to rectify these situations.
People not on the ODL are being forced to work daily when other people want to work. This “atmosphere” perpetuates the daily violation of the contract. As a result, most local
management is adhering to the pressures of their bosses. They either are kiss buts and trying to get another job (what a surprise) or just afraid and scared of their own
shadows. These people call the Union office and beg the President to do something. This is the same man burdened by your actions and cowardice and now you want HIS help.
What local management is doing is taking the path of least resistance. Would they rather “whip you on the back” with intimidation, unrealistic expectations, and basically the
lies of DOIS and maybe face grievances and complaints, or answer to people who they are in concert with with regards to bonuses and hold their future advancement in their
hands. We all know that answer!

How do we combat the “Big Squeeze”? Well, we don’t have a choice. As letter carriers, our backs are against the wall. Years ago our national office sent out a route protection
pamphlet to every carrier in the country. And that’s what we are talking about. We are the righteous ones (and always have been) in the situation. The only thing is, it appears
that management has been taking a war type posture with us and we are the last ones to realize it! Protecting not only our routes, but our rights as well. That’s what every
union member should be concerned about. People fought long and hard and hard to win the rights that we work under. It would be a shame if we just continue to give
management back our rights. Well, by not protecting our routes with 3996’s and 1571’s, by working unsafely to “make time”, we just hurt ourselves. To the contrary, now we
should be doing everything according to the M-39, M-41. It not only protects us; it’s the only way to go now. You know what they say “do it your way, you save money, do it
managements way and you will make money” and save your job. The times have certainly changed brothers and sisters. Don’t be a victim of the “Big Squeeze”!

Fraternally,

Eric K. Jackson
Branch 725

Don't Let This Happen To You

Source: Bobbi Green, Vice-President
Branch 3126, Royal Oak, Michigan

A few months ago a carrier was out on the route delivering mail when a dog came out of nowhere and jumped on him. The carrier was knocked to the ground. The mail went
everywhere. The dog's owner was nowhere to be found. The dog would not let the carrier get close enough to pick up the mail. The carrier called his supervisor who came out
to the scene. The police were called to help with the dog. The dog's owner was located and took the dog inside.

The supervisor had two TEs come out and take the rest of the route. the carrier and the supervisor went back to the post office. The supervisor asked the carrier if he wanted
to go to the clinic. The carrier said no. He was in pain but thought he would feel fine by the next day and if not, he could go to the clinic then.

By the next day, the pain had not subsided; so the carrier decided to go to his own physician. The carrier filled out a CA-1 for traumatic injury and asked for a CA-17 in case the
doctor gave him restrictions, a CA-20 (physician's report) and a CA-16 (authorization of payment for medical treatment) to take to his doctor.

The carrier followed all the steps to properly report and process an on-the-job-injury. The carrier went to the doctor and was allowed to return to work with restrictions for a
few weeks. The carrier continued to work for two months, even though he was often in pain. When the pain became worse, the carrier called in sick, hoping being off work
would let the swelling go down and stop the pain.

Unfortunately, he had to go to the emergency room because the pain became unbearable. The carrier called the union for assistance. We could not locate a copy of the paper
work the carrier had filled out two months earlier. The physician's office received payment, but they lost the contents of the carrier's file. The carrier did not keep copies of the
paper work he filled out the day after he was attacked by the dog.

We put in an official request for all information pertaining to the injury date of that carrier to the supervisor. The supervisor said the carrier never filed a claim so no paper
workwas filled out. We knew that was not true. We then put in a request for information to the injury compensation department requesting a copy of any and all information
pertaining to the carrier's on-the-job-injury. The injury compensation department said they had no inforamtion on file for any injury in 2008 for this carrier.

I therefore, asked for a new CA-1 to be given to the carrier. The supervisor refused to provide it because he claimed he had located the original CA-1. I requested a copy of it
and the receipt that should have originally been provided the carrier at the time of the injury.

I knew the supervisor had not found the original CA-1 or he would have showed it to me. I downloaded a new Ca-1 online and had the carrier fill it out. He went back to his
physician. I attempted to sumit the CA-1 to his supervisor for him so the supervisor could forward it to the injury compensation office. I also wanted a receipt for the CA-1. The
supervisor refused to accept the CA-1.

I warned the supervisor he was violating the FECA laws and that his refusal to accept the CA-1 would force me to initiate several grievances. This did not even faze the
supervisor.

I faxed a copy of the new CA-1 to the postmaster and asked him to contact me and supply us with a receipt for the CA-1. I wrote a letter notifying the postmaster of the
supervisor's actions. I forwarded the CA-1 to the injury compensation department. I called the Office of Worker's Compensation Department (OWCP) and spoke to the senior
claims examiner who asked me to forward the information to her.

The next day, the carrier received a letter from the Post Office stating the carrier's original CA-1 had been timely forwarded to OWCP. They enclosed a copy which we reviewed.
It was, indeed, the originalCA-1 filled out by the employee, with one exception. The carrier's name was signed on the form but not by him. The date on the form was only ten
days prior. It should have been months ago.

We immediately called injury compensation to find out who signed the form. there was no answer, so I left a message. I tried numerous times to speak to someone. My calls
were not returned. We notified OWCP.

The carrier's claim was approved. The carrier ended up having to have surgery. I spoke with one manager who showed me a statement written months after the attack by the
dog's onwer. Apparently, management had to go to a meeting because the CA-1 forms had not been handled properly. Just before the meeting, the supervisor was sent to take
pictures of the area where the carrier was attacked for the meeting.

Coincidentaly, when the manager was out taking photos, the owner offered up a statement saying the carrier was never knocked down. I found this quite amazing considering
the police had to contain the dog and locate the owner because they were not there when the carrier was attacked. The manager argued that the police were never on site.
Fortunately,we got a copy of the police report.

The supervisor warned me that the carrier was under investigation because he had been known to play sports. We are currently waiting to here from OWCP. This carrier was
attacked and did everything he was supposed to do. Every grievance that could have been filed was filed. Unfortunately, this doesn't change the hardship the carrier suffered
at the hands of management.

I worte this to demonstrate how quickly management can turn on any employee. This issue is not over. If one lesson is learned by this, it is that if you are injured on the job,
please seek assistance and always make copies of everything.