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Branches across the country give a helping hand to new members
B ad weather, physical exhaus- tion and pressure to work long hours can make for a difficult start to being a letter carrier. To make the transition to being a city carrier assistant (CCA) go more smoothly, some branches have recently created new member—or CCA-specific—programs, and many branches have had them for years. At Branch 351 in Olympia, WA, CCAs said they are being intimidated by management to skip breaks and work 60 to 70 hours a week and 12-plus hours a day; Jade McBride , vice president of the branch and shop steward, said she had filed more than 403 grievances between March and December 2023. “You don’t really get too much of a decision on whether or not you’re going to work over 12 hours,” McBride said. “If management tells you that
you have to, you just have to and then we file.” McBride said that the branch had experienced several retirements over the past couple of months and four resignations in the past three weeks, making it difficult to complete all of the routes the station serves. At any given time, the office is typically down by six or seven routes. McBride said that the branch has CCA meetings simultaneously over Zoom and in person so CCAs can seek help. The meetings typically don’t have a specific agenda; they are mostly used to answer any questions the new carri- ers may have. Despite the intimidation that CCAs are facing, McBride said that meeting attendance is low due to the extended hours, with only one to four CCAs attending each month.
She said that she understands; while they can help the carriers receive monetary compensation, there is no way to get back the time missed with their families. Other than its monthly meetings, Branch 351 has free uniforms available to help CCAs until they receive their uniform allowance. They also have a CCA barbecue outside of the station once a year to help create a sense of camaraderie among CCAs who work at the station. South Jersey, NJ Branch 908 de- veloped a separate training—with a classroom approach—and had its first CCA training in 2023. CCA Coordinator Ozzie Lecky initially thought of the idea in November 2022 and presented it to the branch executive board, which approved it. The CCA training was held on a Tuesday in April 2023. Lecky wanted to make sure that atten- dance was high, so he personally called every CCA on the list to talk to them about what the program would be like and why they should attend. This meth- od worked well, and 42 CCAs attended, “so it was terrific for us,” he said. At the start of the event, food and drinks were provided, which allowed the CCAs and other carriers to talk before business got started. During the event, union rights, safety, union programs and political action com- mittee contributions were discussed. Speakers included the vice president, executive vice president and the health benefits coordinator, with Lecky as the master of ceremonies. “Being part of this event was truly inspiring,” Lecky said. “Everyone’s enthusiasm was a testament to the passion we all shared.” Lecky hasn’t yet held the event in 2024 as he was at leadership training
Above and below: The South Jersey Branch 908 CCA/PTF Night in April 2023
8 The Postal Record August 2024
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