If You See Disrespect, Say Something!
By Dee Perez
NAPS New York Area Vice President
The holiday season is upon us and although most people exhibit good cheer toward each other, the USPS is different. Everyone is under additional stress due to peak season performance expectations, almost as much as during the extraordinary pressure of the political mailing season.
In late October, PMG Louis DeJoy addressed the NAPS Executive Board for an hour at our fall meeting. He shared many thoughts about his vision for the USPS and how he believes he will turn it around. But the most important topic, in my opinion, that he addressed is more than likely something everyone has thought about, including myself for 35 years in the Postal Service. It’s a common thought we all have, but we place it in the deepest recesses of our minds and just accept it will never change; therefore, nobody acts on it.
DeJoy said he would like to change the culture of the Postal Service. The definition of “culture” is defined as “the set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterize an institution or organization. The set of values, conventions or social practices associated with a particular field, activity or societal characteristic.”
I agree wholeheartedly with the PMG. The culture must change among all of us before we see the USPS work environment change for the better. However, this change must start at the top with USPS executives and filter down to the rank-and-file supervisors, then to all the craft employees and their union leadership. This philosophy begins with leaders looking in the mirror and practicing what they should be preaching.
I’ve been preaching dignity and respect since I first became a NAPS member in the early ’90s. I saw how people were treated. My parents didn’t raise me to treat people this way—back then or today. If the culture changes for the better, the work environment will follow.
I attended a joint meeting on a Sunday in October that included Branches 100, 459 and 164. There were 92 members in attendance. NAPS Secretary/Treasurer Jimmy Warden spoke first, then I spoke. The main topic brought up by members was the lack of dignity and respect by their superiors toward them in Zoom meetings. Warden and I addressed these concerns and how “you” should go about handling it.
Warden told members that dignity and respect are a two-way street; you must give them to receive them. He also reminded everyone that the NAPS website provides three processes you can use to report instances of not getting dignity and respect. The processes can be found under “Forms and Documents.”
I told attendees that, as an adult, you cannot be afraid to stand up for yourself; NAPS will back you 100%. However, you must carry yourself as the professional adult you need to be at all times.
I advised the members who have been disrespected, embarrassed, bullied and belittled in front of their peers on Zoom meetings to log off and leave the meeting. I then told them their MPOO or whoever is acting like a disrespectful child would be calling them.
You answer the phone and tell them you do not appreciate being disrespected in front of your peers or at any time and you will not tolerate or accept their behavior. That’s all it takes! Then you go to www.naps.org and fill out the “NAPS Teleconference Improvement Monitoring Program Reporting Form” and send it to NAPS Headquarters. This is the only way we can begin to clean up our culture and work environment.
The other hot topic of late is emergency placement (EP) in a non-pay status. Is this really who our leaders want to be? Messing with someone who may be living paycheck to paycheck and causing them financial hardship?
When a branch official shows this leader the deputy PMG’s Emergency Placement letter and they disregard it, will they also be placed on EP in a non-pay status? All I’m asking is that everyone plays on a level playing field and is treated equally when they fail to follow instructions or a written directive.
MM—membership matters. Let’s begin signing our non-member postmasters and supervisors. Let the membership blitz begin!
Enjoy the holidays!
Categories: The Postal Supervisor
