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A New Year—Let's Meet and Beat Our Challenges!

A New Year—Let’s Meet and Beat Our Challenges!
By Dioenis D. Perez
New York Area Vice President

First things first! For all those EAS employees who retired on or about Dec. 30 and 31, as well as those who previously retired because of the RIF, I wish you happiness in the next chapter in your lives. May you have great health and find true happiness every day. I hope you look back fondly on your USPS career and the many lives you have touched and the friendships you have made. May they continue for a lifetime.

Happy New Year and cheers! I’m not one to make new year’s resolutions; nor do I entertain rumors or travel in conspiracy theories. In my postal life, there’s no time for these things. I’m more concerned about doing my job and making sure my team is on board with their responsibilities, day in and day out, rather than worrying about things we can’t control.

My advice to everyone in the field is simply this: Concentrate only on your duties and responsibilities. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up or bothered by things over which you have no direct control.

This year, I anticipate field-level EAS employees—postmasters, branch managers, plant managers and front-line supervisors—will be tasked more than ever before to make all the service goals because of the technology at our fingertips. The handwriting already is on the wall for those who haven’t noticed.

The message is in the form of all the new reports being used to track office and individual measured performance. By now, I’m sure everyone has seen the triangulation reports and heat maps. These two items alone—among the many others being rolled out by your MPOOs that track nearly every single thing done in your area of responsibility—should help you understand the subliminal and direct messages being sent to every EAS employee.

Now that peak is over, think back to what we did that we never did before: Parcels delivered before 9 a.m., while achieving a minimum score of 15%. If you don’t think the agency wants to achieve these scores/goals after all the heat the politicians have placed on our PMG, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, to his credit, has taken on a sinking ship called the USPS Titanic. It was ugly at first. There are issues concerning the stovetop management style; it’s debatable if it will work in the long term. Nevertheless, DeJoy has been patching up holes in the USPS Titanic. Time will tell if he’s able to achieve his goals. Now it’s up to every one of us to put forth the effort and help DeJoy achieve these goals that directly benefit our goals and pockets.

The added pressure simply is all about holding your craft employees accountable for what they are being asked to do every day. Don’t read more into it than that—it’s about accountability. I’m sure if everyone held their employees accountable by issuing corrective action when it is needed and not going overboard with every little thing, you are being reasonable in settling at step one or two. I’d say you’re doing what the Postal Service expects from you, providing craft employees understand and no longer continue on the wrong path.

Try and keep this in perspective. If these new reports and accountability achieve the service goals that benefit the American public’s mailing needs, it’s also helping you achieve your unit PFP goals. That means a healthy NPA payout for you and me at year end. Isn’t that your personal goal?

With dignity, integrity and respect always!