|
|
 |
|
|
USPS Employees Say "They Can Do That"
4 April 2011 |
| Share |
They
own the bakery, but we are the bakers. There was a time
in history when the wrong recipe was passed down to the
bakers and it made a whole lot of people sick.
Back in the day two postmaster generals said the mail
system was dangerously close to collapse. Postmaster
General Blount was quoted as saying “no one really runs
the post office.” It was said that our mail-handling
methods were hopelessly outdated as it referred to how
the mail was still being processed the same way it was a
century earlier. President Nixon described the “working
conditions” as little short of disgraceful. Underpaid
and stuck in dull jobs, they nevertheless do their best
to keep up a brave front.” That is just a sample of the
brief history lesson every postal employee can get from
reading the 1969 Life Magazine cover article about “The
Mail Mess.” It highlights many of the events and
conditions that led to the 1970 U.S. Postal strike,
eventually leading to the birth of the United States
Postal Service.
No, I wasn’t there but I respect those who were and
those who have gone before all of us. This was an
important time in postal history that led to all the
benefits and privileges that we have today as postal
employees, courteous of the old school. I recently heard
a woman in a meeting recall that when she first started
at the post office several years ago the average
employee age was 48 years old, and today she said it is
about 54 years young. I am underage according to that
recent data and I care about this business. I
acknowledge we are a middle-aged group of Americans
earning a great middle-class income as a result of the
blood, sweat, and tears of those who paved and continue
to lead the way for work place rights.
In this 21st century now school one of the most common
phrases chirped on the workroom floor is “they can do
that.” It is a quick response to inconsiderate, no
warning, disruptive, or no confidence in the change
process. It is also suggested to mean that management
can do whatever they want and nobody can do anything
about it. I believe past workers would pull you to the
side and enlighten you for that thinking, and hopefully
current day union officers would educate you about the
“recognition” article which can be the touché to “they
can do that” thinking.
All employees are the gatekeepers to this business.
Instead of verbally abusing each other and deciding to
“get out of the union” because we don’t like one or two
officers just get educated by reflecting on this
extended postal family heritage. Our workplace ancestors
who constructed this path to bind the nation together
through continuous improvement today are watching. The
few union dollars we spend for membership in an “open
shop” go to the great big picture of job security that
requires lots, and lots of money to get our point
across. The only thing we can do with verbal beef is to
chop it up and eat it at the next company picnic.
To the elected leaders out there who are unable to
handle a difference of opinion, you are supposed to
encourage others to join the fight, not get out of the
organization. To you I say “Stand up or stand aside” or
we will push you to the side at the ballot box. Don’t
let the door hit you where higher authority split you.
Remember this, “acceptance doesn’t mean agreement”
please accept my idea or thoughts even if you don’t
agree with it. At the end of the day we have to come to
a consensus on most things just so we can move on to the
next pressing issue.
My postal creed goes like this:
I am a U.S. Postal Service employee
Communication is the most important priority in my mail
sack
I will support and defend better working conditions
I deliver superior quality mail service with this
delivery team
I voluntarily serve this postal team with pride, and
commitment
I represent the true spirit of those who have gone
before me
I am devoted to the dignity, respect, and fair treatment
of all
Because we have a long proud history of delivering
freedom to every doorstep in America “they can do that”
should be reserved for our external customers who
respect the value of our products and services on the
other side of the counter, door, world, or competition.
It’s up to all postal employees to stand together and
work towards adapting to never ending changes. If change
won’t effectively happen from the top down, then it will
eventually happen from the bottom up.
That same Life Magazine article I mentioned earlier
referred to the post office “As a creature of Congress,
it controls neither rates nor salaries of its employees,
nor can it spend a penny without specific congressional
approval. Between the time it asks for funds for a
building and the time the request gets haggled through
Congress, 10 years can pass.” That was in 1969 folks!
What do you think about a “They Can Do That” mentality
in the year 2011? RSVP by chiming into the comment
section.
-
Ronald Williams |
|
|
|
|
|
|
