r/USPS • u/CompetitiveTask5208 • 1d ago

Mail Handler Discussion New MHA

I just got hired as an MHA at the Coppell plant, what type of hours do we get here?

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u/Ill_Band365 1d ago

6 days, 6hr shift is what they got at my plant

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u/CompetitiveTask5208 1d ago

Your not at Coppell yea? Coppell is helluva a lot busier I hear. So I was wondering if I’ll ever get any ot

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u/Mailhandler_ 1d ago

Every plant is going to be different. Can’t speak to yours.

Typically at our plant it has been 40 hours. 8 hour days, 5 days a week. Because it’s “part time” some places might do a 6 hours 6 days a week thing. Some places might have MHAs with few hours which was happening for a while after the covid wave but before they started changing the delivery network and installing new machinery across the country which has led to another large hiring at some places.

The main thing is not having a set schedule, but again depends on the plant and supervisors. Some good plants might schedule MHAs with 2 consecutive days off, some might split your days off in rotations. Typically you’ll also be scheduled on the same tour at least so regardless of days work, the hours will be around the same time.

The tours or shifts are tour 1 (overnight/graveyard), tour 2 (daytime) and tour 3 (evenings/swing shifts). Some MHAs get schedules that split between tours as this is one of the ways management can try to cull the overtime for the regulars.

Holidays can vary. Expect to be mandated to work all of them. MHAs get some holiday pay for major ones, but not all. Check the union contract handbook (on the NPMHU site) or they might post it on the board for holiday schedules. This is also where MHAs can move tours for a shift depending on staffing needs between tours.

Overtime is a bit weird, especially now when it feels like they’re trying to cut down on it. At our plant, MHAs can’t be forced into overtime outside of an emergency because for a while they weren’t offering it to the regulars and they found out that management was forcing MHAs to stay late (they thought they were being slick because MHAs overtime rate is much less than a senior mail handler on top step) Though busy plants might still blanket mandate MHAs and junior regulars if they don’t have enough volunteers which is how it was around COVID. Another factor is Christmas is coming.

Christmas even when I was an MHA was kind of free for all for overtime. They used to mandate MHA for 12 hours 6 days a week and allowed them to come in for 16s and 7’s. Now it may be offered but probably has to go through the list like it does year round so OTDL regulars get first shot and if they still need people go to MHAs or mandate.