The decision last week (see April 2, 2004 Bulletin) to impose a moratorium on all pending route inspections and minor adjustments was an historic leap by the NALC and the Postal Service toward resolution of a nagging source of stress and conflict. The freeze gives us time to conduct tests to determine just what the cased mail volume really looks like in today’s delivery units.

Getting a firm idea of cased volume is essential because there have been too many disagreements over the figures entered in the DOIS to place any confidence in those numbers. For the next two months letter carriers, with branch designees backing them up, will have the right to agree to the figures before they are entered into DOIS.

I have long contended that we can find ways to evaluate and adjust routes without increasing anxiety levels and disrupting service. To effectively accomplish that task, the first thing we have to do is get a handle on what the cased mail volume is in today’s environment.

Prior to this agreement, managers could choose their method of inspection and adjustment from a menu that included joint cooperation with the union, minor route adjustments, and the traditional management-dominated approach. In the April Postal Record I outlined the dangers of such a mixed approach. Too many managers were being “traditional” and overly aggressive in implementing adjustments. The result has been poor service that creates bad publicity, undermining our postal reform agenda.

The process itself seems to be poisoned and it’s not surprising to me. When a letter carrier’s integrity is questioned by a supervisor, his or her reaction is not going to be positive. But too many managers do just that, creating an environment of mistrust by implying you are not putting forth an honest effort. The manager reduces times and implements adjustments that reflect his view of what your honest effort should produce.

The problems with this are obvious. First, it ignores the discretionary effort being given by most letter carriers. And second, letter carriers are human beings and not machines. Carriers take these accusations, even when only implied, personally and their reaction is not always a positive one. “If my manager is not satisfied when I am giving discretionary effort,” the carrier might think, “maybe he will appreciate it more when I stop!”

But that attitude, while understandable, does not produce the kind of post office we all need in order to survive in the Internet age.

I haven’t been able to figure it all out yet, but I know one thing for sure: Step 1 is to ascertain what the cased volume is in the delivery units of 2004. Once we have determined that volume we will take the next step and try to design a route evaluation system that is fair to all the parties. Letter carriers helped build the Postal Service into the first class organization it is today with our sweat and our dedicated effort. We are not strangers to hard work--and we believe in a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

I am not convinced that the best way to determine that fair day’s work is the system we currently use. It produces what Vince Sombrotto used to describe as a “minute mentality” and creates acrimony and distrust between the parties. Can we find a better way? If the Postal Service is going to survive well into the future, the answer to that question has to be “Yes!”

I want to thank the branch officers for their cooperation in this effort. I realize we didn’t give you much time to implement this verification process. We have a short window to work with, and April and May offered us our best opportunity for success. They are historically the “typical” months as far as mail volume is concerned.

Your Executive Council will be meeting in late May and we will have two months of this data to review. Only then will we begin the process of seeking alternative ways to evaluate and adjust the routes. I apologize to any letter carrier who had to forgo his special inspection during the moratorium period. The way I figure it, it was the traditional route inspection approach that necessitated that special inspection request to begin with. You, too, are victims of that system and your patience may result in us finding a better way for the future.