Thank you for you replies to my last message ( Shame on us ) I knew this was a volatile issue for many, yet felt obliged to address it anyway, I still can't help but believe that if we turn our backs on any rural carrier it's a direct reflection on us.

 I recently received my notice for my next District meeting, and am preparing to address once again those issues that will affect the future of this Association, yes it's Constitution & Bylaws and Resolution time. I would never presume to tell you what to address in this crucial time, but we have serious issues that need be addressed and submitted to the delegates at State and eventually to National.

We are in a pivotal time in the restructuring of the USPS and the future of our craft as a whole. never before in at least my history has so much ridden on, those that will be sending Constitution & Bylaws, Resolution, to the next levels.

By now most of us have received mandatory talks on " parcel select and parcel return ",  that will go into effect on May 12, with the postage increase. We also have and will continue to receive talks on many new avenues that the USPS believes will generate revenue for our future. These new or  relatively new  programs are and will affect us well after our mail count and will be services that we will be doing for free at least until the next mail count, and here is our dilemma. First we need to consider the fact that these programs of fiscal recovery have been in the works for some time now and yet there was no accommodation made for their impact on evaluated employees!

Why ? Certainly our leaders in DC were full aware of these plans as that is there job, from what I've been reading on other Union's websites, they have been preparing for this for some time, inasmuch as they made concessions in the agreements that were made with the USPS, and yet we were left if you will ( holding the bag ). Our membership was not informed of the goings on, therefore were unprepared for the results, if I'm not mistaken this should have been the job of those that work in DC and  are on the  information gathering  and dissemination team, this is what we have elected them to do !

Once again we as members have been left without the information that will affect our future, and have had to rely on the USPS to tell us what we are going to do.

This is unacceptable for a craft that relies solely on  a predisposition pay scale reflected by 2 week or 4 week mail counts. We cannot continue to be counted, then 2 weeks later be, expected to accept changes in time values due to increased job duties, yet that is exactly what we will be doing ! Our method of pay has restricted us in our ability to be compensated in a fair manner, because of it's diminishing capability to adapt to the ever changing, and restructuring Postal Service. 

Believe me I am all for revenue generation and thus the longevity of this corporation and subsequently our jobs, however not at the expense of the quality of our job and pay ! The evaluated system in it's current form is ineffective in it's ability to change with an ever developing restructuring and modernization.

This is our own fault as we have failed to make any attempt to address these issues in the belief that what was, could sustain us in our past  quality of lifestyle. We now know that to not be the case, with loss of income and non- scheduled days that most of us, as of yesterday will be impacted with. The antiquated evaluated system is to blame and if you believe that it will get better with a increase of mail volume, then you are sadly mistaken as we will continue to be affected by decreasing time standards to offset  the gains.

We are a craft working in the 21st century with a pay system, that was created in the 20th century, and without the full realization or impact that mechanization's would have on an evaluated employee.

We are tasked with addressing the issue of evaluation and it's effect on the future of the NRLCA and all who are compensated by this manner. We the elected delegates are going to peer into the future and make the decision on how we as a craft are going to earn a living in the 21st century, and it will be our responsibility to determine whether there will be a Rural craft performing those duties that have been traditionally considered Rural carrier functions.

These are not decisions that are not going to be easy, nor are they going to be implemented well into the year 2011, but these are the choices we have to make this year, so we have the ability to refine them into what will be a future that will be beneficial to all who consider themselves Rural Letter Carriers.

And that's the way Jay sees it!