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Always Working for Our EAS Employees

Always Working for Our EAS Employees
By Ivan D. Butts
NAPS National President

Hello, NAPS brothers and sisters. I write this column as I just finished attending the last of the six CRDO Supervisor Symposiums in support of the over 8,000 Customer Service supervisors. The Postal Service invested over $20 million in the symposiums.

This was the USPS’ investment in EAS employees under its “Delivering for America” 10-year plan. That cost equates to roughly $2,500 per supervisor. Although I would have preferred this investment to be more money in the pockets of EAS employees, I will be interested to see what the USPS invests in the remaining, approximately 46,000, EAS employees.

I found the symposiums to be highly engaging and energetic. The context was very general in that it did not educate EAS employees on attendance or anything they already didn’t know. This opportunity to “hear it from the top” was an attempt by USPS leadership to stop watering down the messages as they filter down. USPS leaders at the symposiums widely acknowledged this is an issue.

Most of the EAS employees in attendance found the event extraordinarily motivating; they look forward to putting the plays in motion. As always, the key to their success will be getting support from leadership—from the top down—in providing support and resources to make it happen.

In my previous column, I discussed the recent directive that the district manager—and only the district manager—has the authority to curtail or delay mail. This brings a new challenge to the managers making the day-to-day decisions on delivering America’s mail.

This will be especially challenging when completing an office’s end-of-day operations and needing a defined process that goes far beyond the “get it cleared before you go home” directive currently in place. Leadership must provide a definitive process to the field if we truly are going to protect the brand.

I was honored to attend the six CRDO symposiums to support our EAS employees. I am grateful to all the new members who joined our association at these symposiums; welcome to the NAPS family!

I encourage you to be a part of your local NAPS branch. Stay engaged and informed of the continuing work being done on your behalf by the NAPS resident officers and Executive Board members. NAPS is the only Postal Service management association authorized by law to directly participate in planning and developing pay policies and schedules, fringe benefit programs and other programs relating to supervisory and other managerial employees.

Much work must be done to pursue more for EAS employees who ensure America’s mail moves. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities of serving you, our National Association of Postal Supervisors members, and all EAS employees.

In solidarity…