USPS Reassessment Program on hold in Pacific Area
By Dan Sullivan
June 7 - The Postal Service has temporarily halted its Reassessment Program in the Pacific Area, according to APWU Western Region Coordinator Omar Gonzalez. The Pacific Area covers California, Hawaii, American Samoa and Guam.
Gonzalez told delegates attending the May 18 California State APWU Convention that USPS Vice President Al Iniquez and USPS Human Resources Manager Manuel Vetello had informed him the day before that the Reassessment Program was being put on hold in the Pacific Area to allow the Postal Service time to assess the impact of EEO complaints, Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals and grievances filed over the controversial program.
Gonzalez said that APWU Human Relations Director Sue Carney later spoke to the delegates at the California State Convention and said she had been advised that the Postal Service was still going ahead with the Reassessment Program nationwide. Carney had earlier reported that a nationwide rollout of the program was waiting on final approval from USPS Labor Relations Vice President Anthony Vegliante.
Carney was out of the office this week and couldn’t be reached for comment.
The purpose of the Reassessment Program is to cull injured workers from the payroll by dumping them on Workers’ Compensation and then retraining them for private sector jobs.
“We’re teaching our stewards how to fight this using every avenue, including Congressional contacts, EEOs, MSPB appeals and the filing of multiple grievances,” Gonzalez said.
“We don’t want any class action grievances. Each individual who loses his job should create about 20 grievances.”
The American Postal Workers Union has already conducted training sessions on how to fight the Reassessment Program in Los Angeles and San Jose, Gonzalez said, and there are plans to put on similar training seminars in Seattle and Denver.
Laid off injured worker says, “It can happen to anyone” by Dan Sullivan
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June 7th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
Ooh - the filing of multiple grievances - ooooh, I just stained my pants - ooooh!
June 7th, 2006 at 6:00 pm
why haven’t anyone in san diego been told about this? a guy was sent home on may 19, 2006 from san diego.
June 7th, 2006 at 6:35 pm
keep fighting! keep fighting the bastards! keep us informed of what the your eeo and grievances are ruled as! (Postal); if you dont know whats going on in your area, get on the phone and start making some calls! they havent got to this area yet, but you better believe, were ready to fight for the rights of all our members, including the limited duty one’s!!!
June 8th, 2006 at 1:57 am
hey nalc pres.i like your college rah rah spirit, but that is all it is…do you really want the post office to continue to carry all these hurt people who don’t produce at all, and have to be provided with busy work (non-productive) and sit around on overtime in addition to that? if this business to survive, then this issue must be addressed. fight all you want to, when did the po ever worry about a silly little grievance or eeo? if your answer is never, then you are correct! this situation is no different. i hope it works as planned, so do alot of people.
June 10th, 2006 at 3:20 pm
oath, I guess that’s why I’m looking at 30 books full of Step 4 decisions that thanks to silly little grievances, changed the course of Postal Policy for 30 plus years. If they were legitimately hurt doing their duties, then yes! The USPS has a responsibility to them. If you ever get hurt, are you willing to give up your retirement and health benefits and take a cut in pay to go work at Walmart as a greeter? You’re so anxious to dismiss everyone else but yourself. You must be in management.
June 11th, 2006 at 12:47 am
i am not in management, but i am an employee who knows how to take care of himself away from the job! the main problem is that we have too many people who dont take care of themselves at home, then go to work and get hurt! and by the way, grievances dont change the course of postal policy, they enforce them. i wish you and others luck with this one, because there is’nt much sympathy for postal workers in general, much less, lazy, afraid to work slackers who ride the bench for years while the rest of us do the work!!! for us to survive, we have to address this epedemic of hurt workers. maybe i have this attitude because i know of dozens of them who are too hurt to lift a paperclip,but go bowling dancing, partying in vegas and play softball too!! this is one we all hope will succeed..we are tired of these crybabies riding our backs! if the union pulls off a miracle and saves them, then you have to deal with the morale of the able bodied workers who are tired of these people and their constant whining about what they cant do! by the way , i have been hurt before..fingers smashed, hit on the cheekbone by an apc door, run over by an otr, hit on the head by an otr door, and numerous pulled muscles and sprains..went home,,took some aspirin, and slept..went to work the next day..no problem.
June 11th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
Oath: You have serious issues. You show up to work and do the job of an hourly worker but have the mentality of a MANAGER. I also have been hurt on the job and showed up the next day. The issue here is not the personal vendeda you have against injured workers but that of compliance by the Postal Service. If there rules state that we are not to finger mail while crossing the street and they inforce it, then we do it, get caught, we get written up. If there rules state that there to find positions for people who get injured on the job, within there restrictions, don’t do it, then we write them up in the form of a grievance. You are definetly directing your anger in the wrong direction. Your comments tell me that you are ignorant to the regulations that not only do we as Postal Employees have to follow but also the ones the Postal Service has to follow. I recommend that you pick up the ELM, in it you will find the knowledge that you are lacking. Maybe when you read it, you’ll see how many times they have screwed you over in the time you’ve been in the Post Office. As a Union Officer, I have been witness to many injustice’s made against Letter carriers. I have also listened to carriers complain about limited-duty carriers and then listened to them ask me for assistance when they became injured. Every Member in my Branch, whether they are healthy or injured, gets the best representaion possible.
June 13th, 2006 at 6:55 pm
the one thing that oath forgot it that no one is immune to being hurt on the job. so this will effect him or somenone that he knows personnaly.
June 13th, 2006 at 10:27 pm
Oath, have you lost your mind? Do you seriously think that any one of us “slackers” wouldn’t trade our injuries for being back next to your ignorant butt doing our “real job?” I gave up a lot more than just carrying mail when I developed arthritis in BOTH ankles from jumping hedges, cutting lawns and doing my level best to be a “model employee.” I will never get to play baseball with my grandsons, never get to run with my dogs in the park again, never get to do ANYTHING without pain. Oh, and did I forget to mention the depression that comes along with chronic pain? Another “fringe benefit?” My current assignment has me doing maintenance on the 5000+ pieces of Postal owned delivery equipment in my Post Office, as well as all new construction in the second fastest growing city of over 250,000 in the US. But suddenly I’m expendable? It is logic like yours’ and people like you that will ultimately destroy the Post Office, not career employees who are doing the very best they can every day to continue to make valuable contributions despite their disabilities. The biggest problem the rehabs face is ignorance, because you can teach stupid, but you cannot teach ignorant. Maybe you should just shut up and face your case.
June 14th, 2006 at 6:56 am
Oath:
You are a piece of work. Having been a carrier for 27 years and through repetition and surgery for shoulder pain have been reassigned to the window. Insurance claims, vending, and other complaints from all at the window include some of my duties. I work many hours, more than I did as a carrier and I don’t complain. If the postal service in their infinite wisdom would like to dispose of me and all the money spent on training me for a free ride, then so be it. Pretty stupid if you ask me. I like my job and am excelling in it.
Why do clerks come to me with tons of time on the window to ask me questions or direction. I learned my job.
As far as being a scam, I am not. I cannot do certain things at home but do not pretend to be hurt at work and do nothing and then go home and do those things I am not supposed to do. God help us all.
June 14th, 2006 at 7:33 pm
i am not in management, but i am an employee who knows how to take care of himself away from the job! the main problem is that we have too many people who dont take care of themselves at home, then go to work and get hurt!
June 14th, 2006 at 7:54 pm
I am reposting in hopes my entire reply will show up….please disregard the partial post above.
———————
i am not in management, but i am an employee who knows how to take care of himself away from the job! the main problem is that we have too many people who dont take care of themselves at home, then go to work and get hurt!
June 14th, 2006 at 8:07 pm
[Dear Postal Reporter, sorry I broke your blog. Here’s the rest of my post, I hope.]
Now what the heck does this mean?
Just exactly what is it you do at home, don’t break the oath, that is SO restorative that it counteracts torn tendons, demolished rotator cuffs, joints and nerves? Not to mention the plethora of other things that can AND DO happen to employees who genuinely work their butts off at the PO.
Ohhhhh, maybe your secret to a healthy, intact body is that you just plain ol’ don’t work all that hard?
June 26th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
GENERAL JOHN P , Staining his pants. We’re lucky you’re not at war defending us. Thank god you’re not defending us against the Post Office either.
July 12th, 2006 at 8:08 pm
just wondering???? In my case, I got injured 9/2003, had surgery 12/2004 after months of therapy that obviously wasn’t extensive enough to fix the problem. Willing, ready and able to return to limited duty in June/2005. The postal service claimed they had no work available for me. F.Y.I.(I was working in dues/deads, cfs, delivering to buildings that have mailrooms and helping out at the clerk windows giving out express, certified and registered mail,etc.) Ready, willing and able, I was cleared of all restrictions except lifting 70lbs, I was limited to 35lbs..”carrying pounds”.Cleared 1/07/06… My bidded assignment consisted of (4) 15-story buildings and (1) street…”park & loop”. Is that LIMITED DUTY or WHAT?????…..MY POINT EXACTLY…..BUT.. they still have not allowed me back to work yet. But they have tried to assign me the PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS…I refuse to go away that easy….I want my job…BACK…HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!….I’M A 18+YEARS VETEREN IN THE P.O.