Classes of Mail

May 20 2024 39

Classes of Mail Podcast artwork

Make yourself discipline proof! This podcast is dedicated to educating City Letter Carriers on all the things you forgot from Carrier Academy. We'll go over basic procedures and regulations, and dive deeper into how the mail system actually works. I do not speak for the USPS, this is not an official USPS podcast, and all opinions and advice are my own. Submit feedback, questions, or topic suggestions to [email protected] .

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ELM 400 - 432

May 20 2024 31 mins

Today's episode covers items of great interest to carriers, such as the 7:01 rule, the five minute leeway rule, and the 12 hour limit. We also cover how LWOP can affect your step increases, and how you're supposed to be paid if you're temporarily on a higher level assignment (such as a carrier technician).

Are You Smarter than an FNG?

May 17 2024 54 mins

On today's episode, we're going to go back to the basics. If you were hired at the Post Office within the last decade or so, you had to sign off on a checklist of 102 skills that you are responsible for knowing as a new employee. I have that list (it's in the back of the On-the-Job training booklet), and we're going to go through it together to make sure we're all up to speed.

ELM 100s, 200s, and 300s

May 13 2024 52 mins

In this episode, we start digging into the ELM (Employee-Labor Relations Manual). We're going to look behind the curtain at how management operates. We'll see how managers and supervisors are selected, as well as other non-craft workers. We'll also learn about what happens if you quit, what happens if you get fired, and what happens if you quit because you were about to be fired. F

The Rest of the M-39

May 09 2024 34 mins

Turns out Section 2 of the M-39 is all about route inspections. We don't do this sort of route inspection very often because of TIAREAP, and there's talk that this entire method of route inspections will be phased out completely. Still, there is value in many of these provisions, so I'm going to read a selection of the provisions that I think is relevant.

M-39 The Rest of Section 1

May 04 2024 24 mins

This episode covers drive-out agreements, the acquisition of vehicles in an emergency, and payments for public transportation or car service. In the second section, we learn about management's obligation to make sure carriers are properly trained in processing undeliverable mail.

How I Got Fired from the Carrier Academy - AGAIN

Apr 30 2024 14 mins

Yep. I got fired again from the Carrier Academy. And from being an on-the-job instructor. Tune in to hear the story. I'll also talk about the future of the podcast, which will look a lot like its past. Finally, I give out a few podcast recommendations.

The Rap Session and My Take on Being a Steward

Apr 23 2024 48 mins

I got to ask Brian Renfroe a question, and I got a sought-after answer! Skip to around the 33:00 mark to hear it. I also talk about the rest of my experience at my first ever NALC convention, the Region 1 Training. I'll tell you some of the things I've learned. I finish the episode by talking about my experience as a steward thus far.

M-39 141-163

Apr 20 2024 45 mins

Today we read more from the M-39, this time with a preamble where I talk a little bit about what's of interest to me. This will put us about 40% of the way through the M-39. The episode ends with a heartfelt thank you to my listeners. You're the best.

How I Got Fired from the Carrier Academy

Apr 16 2024 100 mins

I've been waiting a long time to tell this story. You'll hear what led up to my being fired, what the pretextual reasons were, what the actual reasons were, and how the union handled it. It's a tale of frustration from beginning to end. I also share some thoughts on the union in general, and on my role going forward.

M-39 Sections 127 - 134

Apr 11 2024 43 mins

In this episode, we learn about collections routes and collections boxes, how management is supposed to evaluate new employees/CCAs, and management's rules and guidelines for street observations.