Residential Mail - Do You Need Saturday Delivery?

[Bird]

But would the mailmen who are used to getting 40 hours pay plus 8 hours of time and a half overtime on Saturdays agree to a 23% pay cut?

Just another of those things that have changed over the years. Both here in town, and when we lived out in the country, we have a different carrier on Saturdays so I don't know whether any of our local postal employees get any overtime or not. But the husband of one of my wife's nieces is a carrier in an old part of Dallas and I know he works lots of overtime.

When I worked for the Post Office, everyone started out as a "sub" (substitute clerk or carrier) at a flat hourly rate; no time and a half even though I used to average 48 hours a week. The subs in Dallas were guaranteed 2 hours when they went to work, and couldn't be required to work more than 12 hours straight. I was a sub for 30 months before becoming a regular. And the regulars got no overtime except in December for a couple of weeks before Christmas. Both subs and regulars did get 10% extra for all hours worked between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Now of course, I started to work for the post office when the salary was $1.84 an hour.:laughing:

 

[Bedlam]

I would say as with any business. they will have to make adjustments. Anyone who plans on overtime as their base salary to live on has made a bad decision. I have worked jobs with 20 hours a week OT and I had to consider it gravy but is hard to look at it that way after your used to having it aval all the time.
These are tough time for sure. I dont see any alternative.

 

[dave1949]

Ironically I read some were that UPS or Fed-X was considering using the USPS to deliver some of their packages.

Courier, Express, and Postal Observer: Why the Postal Service Matters: FedEx Needs It

Courier, Express, and Postal Observer: Why the Postal Service Matters: FedEx Needs It


tom

Didn't know that. It makes sense, the USPS has a system and workforce in place for daily delivery to every house with a few exceptions. In some cases, I am sure FedEx or UPS can't do it themselves as cheaply as paying the USPS something to complete the delivery.

I am satisfied with our mail service, it seems more customer oriented than years ago in fact. If we receive something that won't fit in the mailbox, the carrier brings it up the drive. If I am home I go out, if not, he sets it inside the front door. People don't lock their doors around here very often.

Years ago, for a large package, the carrier would put a card in the mailbox, which had to be taken to the post office to pickup the package.
Dave.

 

[Dirtball]

Mon Wed Fri would be fine for me , roll back .44 to .35 , 75% of my mail is junk mail. I hear the usps survives on moving junk mail. The success of UPS , then FedEx is an embaressment to our Govn't, just like Medicare.

 

[Sigarms]

Went into the post office today and I had some mail that had to be in Pennsylvania by Weds. 3/24/10. I ask the guy at the counter what service I would use if I wanted to ensure that the mail would be in Pa by tomorrow afternoon.

He told me Fed Ex. BS you not

I remember some time ago getting out of college and having a buddy already working for the post office (20 years later, he still does). Man, he had it made. Great pay, and EVERY day he didn't use for vacation, he rolled it over to the following year. I forget the exact amount, but after 10 years he already had some un Godly amount of time accumulated off. That job seemed to be a great ticket for just being a delivery guy, particularly with what seemed to be a high union wage back in the early 90's.

My mother in law jut retired from the post office after 20 years. She worked her way up from sweeping the floors part time to being a post master. All I can say if from talking with her is that the Post Office seems to be going down fast. She really couldn't wait to get out.

 

[dave1949]

It probably isn't fun working for the Post Office. They are stuck in a business that is shrinking fast and they will never be able to compete against electronic delivery.

As far as comparing the USPS to FedEx or UPS, you have to ask what it would cost to send a letter anywhere in the US if they were visiting every address six days a week. Otherwise it is not an apples to apples comparison. They really aren't in the same business as the USPS.

I do admire the freight management systems those companies have developed.
Dave.

 

[Sigarms]

It probably isn't fun working for the Post Office

My mother in law would agree with you 110%!

They are stuck in a business that is shrinking fast and they will never be able to compete against electronic delivery.

A business exists to make money. Without making a profit, you cease to exist as a business after a period of time IMO (unless of course the goverment is paying you some sort of subsidy).

The problem IMO is that the goverment has no business being in business in a capitalist enviroment.

They really aren't in the same business as the USPS.

You can send a letter via UPS or Fed Ex, no problem.

Fed Ex and the UPS can run circles around the USPS IMO.

However, in some rural areas, UPS or Fed Ex can't "promise" a Saturday delivery due to their truck routes.

I do agree however that the pony express died some time ago

It cost me close to $20 to mail that letter from the USPS today to ensure that it would arrive by the 24th of this month in Pennsylvania.

General rule of thumb, don't spend more money than you make or can generate without paying your bills first.

The goverment has done such a fine job with our retirement (social security) and postal service, can't wait to see what they do with their next endevor!

Only thing I don't like nowadays is that Fed Ex and UPS is getting lazy and leaving packages in the driveway somewhere, and you may have to look for them behind a bush.

 

[crusty 1]

Greatings all,After reading the posts here I,v made an obervation that troubles me.Do we really wish to see friends and nieghbors lossing jobs?We it seems to me to be on a race to the bottum.Walmart economy etc.In the 40s 50s 60s we jhade good jobs and bought things perhaps where you work? When every one does well and by that I mean corp and workers the country ran sooo much better.We have to stop this snipping now.We are getting nowhere.Lets not complain the post office isn,t doing well,I,d invite any one to deliver the service they do for the money.This back biting has to stop.Lets just live and let live.Junk from china isn.t doing this country any good at all.Who cares if the post office isn,t terriffce do we all give 100%,of course not.Things just need to be more like they used to be,we all had agood paying job and monmey to spend and where are we now? You all have a great evening and hope you don,t have to worry about your job being on the chopping block.:thumbsup:

 

[Sigarms]

Lets not complain the post office isn,t doing well,I,d invite any one to deliver the service they do for the money.

I'd guess the primary fuction of the USPS to deliver written communication between people. With the age of technology and the internet, I'm guessing "mail" has gone down somewhat.

I'm guessing the "biggest business" for the USPS is junk mail and catalogs.

Do we really wish to see friends and nieghbors lossing jobs?

Never. That said, if the business you're working for dosen't make a profit, how long will you be working for that company?

Junk from china isn.t doing this country any good at all

What does that have to to with the price of tea in China? I don't have many Chinamen delivering my mail

Things just need to be more like they used to be,we all had agood paying job and monmey to spend and where are we now?

I really would like to know when things were "great" and no problems ever existed. From the lyrics of a well known singer.... "you know the good old days weren't always good, tomorrow aint as bad as it seems"

 

[Bedlam]

Only thing I don't like nowadays is that Fed Ex and UPS is getting lazy and leaving packages in the driveway somewhere, and you may have to look for them behind a bush.[/QUOTE]

LOL Too funny had a friend who's package was set under a lawn mower.He is lazy and only cuts once a season lol But solved the where is the package when he started the mower.LOL