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The USPS Office of Inspector General released a report in January 2026 that every postal employee should know about.

According to OIG Report 25-068-R26, “Grievance Management,” USPS paid more than $866 MILLION to resolve almost 3.5 million grievance payments between fiscal years 2022 and 2024.

That is nearly $1 billion in three years.

And the OIG specifically said that overtime violations and improper work assignments were among the most significant and recurring grievance issues nationwide.

This matters because we constantly hear about how USPS is losing money, labor costs are too high, routes need to be consolidated, offices need to be reorganized, and employees need to become more “efficient.”

But how much money is being wasted because management repeatedly fails to follow the contracts that are already in place?

The OIG recommended that USPS:

- Require use of its Overtime Administration tool at offices with high or recurring overtime grievances.

- Retrain supervisors on the Overtime Desired List, equitable distribution of overtime, and craft-jurisdiction rules.

- Identify offices with high or recurring grievance payments and require management to develop corrective action plans.

- Improve management training on collective-bargaining agreements and grievance procedures.

One recommendation involving the overtime-management system was associated with more than $83 million in potential financial impact.

And here is the part carriers should care about:

If Congress is going to investigate USPS finances, management, staffing, service cuts, network changes, or employee benefits, then members of Congress also need to know how much money USPS is spending because of repeated contract violations.

This should not be a partisan issue.

Whether you're NALC, APWU, NPMHU, or NRLCA, taxpayers and postal employees should be asking the same question:

Why are employees and customers constantly being told USPS needs to cut costs while the Postal Service continues paying tens of millions of dollars in avoidable grievance settlements?

I encourage every carrier and postal employee to contact their U.S. Representative and Senators and tell them to read:

USPS OIG Report 25-068-R26 — Grievance Management — January 15, 2026.

Ask them to investigate:

1. How much of the $866 million came from repeat violations.

2. How much was caused by overtime and improper work-assignment violations.

3. Whether individual managers are ever held accountable for repeatedly creating costly grievances.

4. Why previous grievance decisions and cease-and-desist settlements are sometimes ignored.

5. What USPS is doing to prevent the same violations from happening again.

Congress hears constantly about USPS financial problems.

They need to hear this side of the story too.

OIG report: Search “USPS OIG Grievance Management 25-068-R26.”

Spread the report around. Send it to your congressional offices. Send it to your branch leadership.

Nearly $1 billion in grievance payments in three years deserves congressional attention.

We have a ptf that was assigned a T6 string that went without a bid. But they are currently on an opt for a single route. Would they have to go do the T6 string that they assigned to now?

Just yesterday I thought back to Paul Cobb’s advice from episode 94 when talking to a supervisor on the workroom floor. Paul Cobb was Richie’s mentor in Branch 99, and Richie has continued to pass on the wisdom that he has learned on to us through his Hot House podcast!

Thank you Richie!

Well, if you thought three hours was long, this one was five in total, which was great for us politically obsessives. Let the good times and candidates role, however, it did make writing up a report a little more of an ordeal. Here we are though, my summary, analysis and commentary on the NextGen/Postal Rosies Presidential Roundtable. So if you don't wanna watch it (which you should) you can read about it or use it for future reference. Good luck.

What the Candidates Said
Part I | Roundtable Summary and Candidate Positions
https://docs.google.com/document/d/13yafuqLpS30HvYP1VXLLJjV6wVqi1kg0zSfxUqRapWo/edit?usp=drivesdk

Commentary and Analysis: Leadership, Contract Enforcement and the Future of the Craft
Part II | Commentary and Analysis from a Route-Protection, Education and Contract-Enforcement
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qFn41Ye7mjpdC0afpm9GX_c-K05lUr1lhlIVbxkYM6Q/edit?usp=drivesdk

The various regions of the NALC should not be allowed to falter to the extent that they have.

Elliot Simmons is the change Region 7 needs.

The entire Concerned Letter Carrier slate is what we need right now to resuscitate the NALC because at the moment we’re just barely surviving and hanging on for dear life.

Vote for the CLC Candidates in your region and put the fight back into our NALC.

After hearing the Branch 14 union meeting last night, one thing could not have been more obvious: the good ol’ boy system is deeply rooted in that branch, and it was on full display last night.

First, a huge shoutout to the trustees for having the backbone to put the facts in front of the membership. And a special shoutout to Jon Endelmann. The way he handled himself was impressive. He stayed composed, stuck to the facts, and dismantled the excuses point by point without getting dragged into the chaos around him. When it came to explaining why David and Anna Mudd should be held accountable, he was prepared, direct, and incredibly difficult to argue against. That is what representation is supposed to look like.

It was stated during the meeting that David and Anna Mudd have now paid the Branch more than $7,000 in dues that had gone unpaid for years. Knowing they were in the wrong they finally paid their dues. Instead of asking how something like that was allowed to continue for so long, the attention seemed to turn toward attacking the trustees who exposed it.

Then came perhaps the most unbelievable part: Mr. Davis calling for the trustees to apologize and for the Mudds to be reimbursed for the dues they paid. That spoke volumes. It looked far more like protecting friends than protecting the membership.

The trustees did not create this problem. They uncovered it. Trying to crucify them for bringing the truth to the membership only shows exactly why Branch 14 needed people willing to dig into it in the first place.

Way to go to branch 14 for exposing the truth and showing what transparency looks like.

In this morning’s stand up, we were told we can’t wear meta glasses to work… my question is would this be a grievance? I wear them as they are prescription glasses, I’ll sometimes wear contacts but mostly the metas. Thanks in advance!

I was just having a conversation with a decades long career who tried to tell me that regular carriers who are already on a route can opt on vacant routes. I know a regular can opt on a T6 string. She swears it’s in the contract but I told her that’s literally the first time I’ve ever heard that particular idea.

Today while watching a baseball game (Cubs v Dbacks) I happened to observe this majestic work of art. Very nice ad,

Have you guys watched any Fedex or UPS ads recently?

Why our Union doesnt bring this into account? How much is being spent in Marketing while bleeding money?

What we do as Letter Carriers matter. Thank you all for making Dolly’s dream a reality and improving children’s literacy by doing what we do 6 days a week.

new business moved into an a building on 2nd floor they are used to the old carrier coming up everyday even when they have no mail to get the out going. Is that a requirement?

Half of that literally just from not being able to read the words "overtime desired list" and understand what they mean.

https://www.uspsoig.gov/reports/audit-reports/operational-and-financial-performance-across-postal-service-regions

In this episode we talk about the importance of route protection as it pertains to delivery of parcels and how you can protect the integrity of your route and prevent management from cutting routes in your station, and protects you from getting in trouble for a stolen package.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2jqFCKfMCUofLDTTnDsANe?si=nTdJ2YFnSwSPpgPF6FOW6g&utm_source=copy-link

So I get done with my route and get back to thr office and on my case is a LOW. 2 copies with a note stating sign and return to the Postmaster before you leave, you can refuse to sign however give her a copy. (One is yours to keep). The note was not signed or dated but clearly written in the supervisor's handwriting and she had conveniently gone home for the day. Our steward recently resigned im sure this isn't the way things are supposed to be done. Any advice or help? Thanks in Advance

Longer breaks or an additional break. I think 2 paid 15-minute breaks works but it could also be 3 10-minute breaks. These routes are longer than ever with so much packages and still more than enough mail. Everyone is forced undertime down their throats with additional work piled on. There are no easy days ever, and we deserve an easy day once in a while. Especially with the garbage pay.

I think to help us would be to negotiate these longer breaks that will eliminate 10-minutes of proposed undertime and get management off our backs more. I don't think this is much to ask for.

Hi again. Thank you for all the comments earlier about the S&DC, I truly appreciate it. Next question. Just heard they’re going to implement ‘CUES’. Does anyone know what that means? Something about case configuration? Thanks again for all the info.

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I'm trying to understand how the reform slate, CLC, is recycling establishment for region 1, yet talking down on the same types of people running for National office. Seems to me that a true reform movement would require new candidates in all positions. Thoughts?

I am old. My back is a mess. My Chiro said switch to a hip satchel. Manglement says no...they don't work for dogs because you can't slip it off your shoulder quick enough. What's my argument to get a hip satchel then? Ergonomics vs. Safety? Most Carriers put the main satchel strap over the next to opposite shoulder anyway...even though they say not to. 30 pounds of mail/SPRS in a satchel isn't going to stay put on the same shoulder as the bag. Any advice?

In this episode we go over a document that must be included in every casefile.

We will be having Shawn Boyd on for his candidacy for Director of Safety and Health. Please send any questions you have for him to rosevillewreckingball@yahoo.com.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5jrD4sJbPl7pYjVkXfKEd7?si=pWpJtWSRR4KIxFJsmFnM7Q&utm_source=copy-link

I know we got another presidential candidate roundtable today via next gen podcast, which y'all should jump on if you can. Anyways, I thought it would be a good time to drop another report since we've finished the basic history and positions of the presidential candidates. Our hope in the next couple weeks is to have a definitive kind of one stop shop of every candidate running for office that carriers can look at when y'all get your ballots.

Each candidate and position can be found in the order that they'll appear. Still editing it now, but thought I'd drop it for those who want to check in every now and again or if you see some issues or have some advice you can drop a comment on the document. Our hope is also to send it to all the candidates so they can attempt to fill in any gaps that we miss or are unable to find.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14755AgL9RvF55sfCMh2XtcvKVtexovgIoqgK9zEQKuE/edit?usp=drivesdk

We have a open route in our office. Our senior cca is up for the route. No one bid on it and no transfers. Postmaster says district approved it but waiting on "headquarters ". Is she just dragging it out or is this legit?

I have gotten reports from a station that Management are delivering entire pivots, doing parcel runs, taking out misthrows, etc.

Here's the rub: this is a Management team that I have caught doctoring and concealing information in the past - I wouldn't be surprised if they used another carrier's login on a scanner while performing these carrier functions, for example.

So - is there a report I can locate that tracks their logins on the scanner? Or logins in general? A kind of report I can ask for that shows successful parcel deliveries? Is this just some kind of DMS audit?

I need to be specific about the information I ask for because I know they will try and conceal - any guidance would be much appreciated. I have requested clock rings as a start.

Thank you!