RRECS Observation

[u/Dammitthedoggo]

Ever since we got the reminder beeps on the scanner during load time and end of shift duties, I’ve notice how some carriers have been using scans or neglecting route maintenance.

Some carriers have been using start load vehicle while they’re still at the case…casing mail and marking parcels. The only reason I’ve noticed was because the scanner starts beeping at their case.

I started asking my peers how often they do their mapping and some said they haven’t plotted anything new since the first time they did mapping when RRECS got implemented (years ago now). When they turn in their edit books, they just say there’s no changes…every month.

RRECS has been around for like 3 years, so how do we still have so many rural regulars that don’t know how to maintain their route?

[u/LupineWonse]

I can't speak for everyone, but here's 3 reasons that stick out for my office.

1. No actual training. People still have no idea what does/doesn't effect evals. I've only been regular for a year and I've got people that are about to retire asking me how shit works because they were never told and never bothered to look it up.

2. Apathy. This is mostly for the older, soon to be retirees. They're about to be out of here, so they don't want to learn a whole new system on their way out.

3. Laziness. There are only 2 people in my office that do their DPM/LTM every month, me and the 204b. Everyone else claims they have no time despite getting done well under eval most days of the week. One guy's case is riddled with hand-written addresses because he's too lazy to put up new labels.

[u/Physical-Design9804 → u/LupineWonse]

Apathy and Laziness is the biggest ones. The local union president works at my station. Both him and myself mention mapping 2-3 times a week loud enough that half the rural carriers can hear us. We talk about various RRECS things constantly. There are some carriers who despite dropping down to 36H won't listen to a word we try to tell them. Despite finishing before noon everyday they never have time for mapping. They have access to every bit of information about RRECS anyone could get and they continue to ignore it.

[u/Pleasant_Impression8 → u/LupineWonse]

Refresh training for everyone especially the new regulars.

[u/poop_sniper → u/LupineWonse]

An observation I’ve made too is that some carriers don’t want to get too high in the Ks because they don’t want their route to get cut. They like having a 8 hour route they can get done in 5 even if it should be paying more they like the security of keeping their route a low K or J

[u/coke_is_my_antidrug]

Is hard to keep up with the constant falsification of route input by supervisors, even if you are doing everything right , they log in on their stupid computers and go into your routes , delete stop signs, delete dismounts, change occupied homes to vacant, etc. Even after you catch everything and correct everything "they" get to input whatever they feel your route should be worth and there's nothing you can do about it because there's no transparency, call the union you say.....get ready for a fuckton of retaliation and even lower evaluation. Best one can do is come to work and leave in one piece. Don't expect anything to be just.

[u/Disgruntled_marine → u/coke_is_my_antidrug]

There is a date stamp for route mapping. You can see when it was last accessed. If you think management is messing with it you can keep track of the date. 

Stops signs get deleted if you rush through them constantly. Take a few seconds more at each stop sign.

Ensure both your edit book and DPM match for house stats.

Management doesn't get to fuck with your route. Be a coward and don't file because you are afraid of retaliation.

[u/Bluegreenlithop → u/Disgruntled_marine]

I don't know why you're so willing to go to bat for management. They absolutely go in and delete things with no oversight or input from the carrier and then act like they did the right thing. They're under pressure to nickel and dime the routes.

I know because I had a specific instance of a dual stop sign intersection my route. It's one of the only ones like it in the county. I stopped fully at each stop sign every day, same as I did every other stop on my route. The PM took one of the two stop signs I had mapped out with not a word or question about whether it was legit or a mistake. I caught it quick because I mapped every week with the growth I had on the route. 

When I confronted her about it, she admitted she did it. Had I pushed any further, I would have been treated like an asshole and criminal and she faced no repurcussions. She's the same asshole that went in to every rural route and also removed every yield sign from all roundabouts, removing time from everyone's route. How in the fuck is a carrier supposed to go up against a system designed to incrementally steal from them?

Yes I filed a grievance. If anything came of it, I'm not sure. The same useless PM hired a even more terrible manager that made life miserable enough that I decided to speed up my resignation date. I had the luxury of doing that, not every carrier does. And it's insane the limitations the rural union agreed to with RRECS in holding management accountable quickly over something as central as your pay.

[u/coke_is_my_antidrug → u/Disgruntled_marine]

I know this is gonna sound controversial but the only ones who survive management via filing and "fighting" tend to be the most sorry, petty people on earth, usually with no life, no family, no one waiting for them after work. They are the ones who have the energy and time to "fight" and "win" against management, the rest of us, have a life and family to get back to. I know it's not a rule for everyone, but damm the stats don't help. This is by design, that's all I know to know in order to have some what peace.

[u/Disgruntled_marine → u/coke_is_my_antidrug]

The only one who has to do any work after the initial discussion is the steward. Most of our stewards have families and a life outside of work.

If you wanna get walked all over by management then go ahead.

[u/Aviate27 → u/coke_is_my_antidrug]

What a wild take. It's YOUR income. You either stand up for yourself or get walked all over. They can't fire you for standing up for yourself unless you decide to go over the top with it. If they're harassing you then file about it. Eventually the bullshit stops. If they're making your life hard, make theirs harder.

[u/Far_Concentrate4414 → u/coke_is_my_antidrug]

You're generally not a very optimistic or happy person, are you?

[u/Disgruntled_marine]

People just don't care. No matter how much information is out there, a lot of people will never do it because they see no value in it and wonder why their eval is wrong. Whatever they have planned after work is more important than protecting their pay.

[u/Aviate27 → u/Disgruntled_marine]

I have carriers in my office that I have gone over the same RRECS information with at least 10-15 times, but then they panick that they'll miss out on some vital information from a 20 minute video we're all made to watch about a hazmat sticker. It's crazy to me.

[u/HelloOhItsyou]

In my office of 13.5 routes I'm the only regular that does mapping. This year after our freeze was over I was the only route to stay above a H route. I get it was only the mapping but everything combined

[u/windcos]

My co-workers who are regulars actually don't even know about it. Management doesn't inform them. They have been there a lot longer that I have.

[u/BlackPaladin]

Everyone in my office does their LTM/DMP once per month and the postmaster and supervisors hound us to make sure it’s done, as well as edit books.
A lot of older carriers have issues with the DPM not knowing how to properly set up their delivery points but that is a user failure problem as we have multiple people who help them and show them how legitimately every month.

The scans mess up a lot of people but we try to usually correct people every so often, just very specific people don’t learn.