I'm here to vent! We had a transfer lined up. Carrier A gets approved. Carrier B hurt his knee three years ago, didn't miss one day of work, no other problems at all whatsoever in his file, yet gets denied. On another trade, Carrier A was denied a year ago. Her grievance settlement states that if she cleans up her record in a one year period, she can reapply in a year. So she does exactly that. One year later, applies for a transfer and gets denied. How can management be allowed to drag these things through the grievance procedure when they themselves claim we are broke, yet spend untold millions on grievances every year!!! This sucks!!

I think it would be good idea if we put a new contact allowing us bid to reassignment nationwide instead limint to within of city wide bids.

For example, you are from Los Angeles and there is carrier opening in New York City. You bid and get transfer to there. It would be much easier than looking for someone to swap with.

you mean instead of starting over as a PTF? I totally agree. I also don't get why we can't keep our seniority when doing a mutual swap. Why do we have to take the least amount?

hey wags...seems like we are being played like a game...at some point it might betime for us all to play them somehow...we really need a smart one amongst us to use a web site to band together to make ourselves heard..ive seen you trying for as long as ive been trying...weve all done the right thing...they never do...maybe its time we do something..let me know what you think..maybe we can be proactive..instead of waiting for them to do the right thing

Wags, That's right. Bid nationwide and you get to keep your full time regular and seniority.

To get that. We need to put it into union and USPS agreement contact.

I agree with you that we should be able to bid nationwide.

Bidding nation wide would take to long to fill routes! imagine the list to wade through. If someone doesn't like the route how would they get back to old route? Think about it. And senority is right the way it is because it is local senority and some carriers have been there longer and you would bypass them, doesn't seem fair from that point of view. Just my opinion but it seems fair the way it is. But we should at least be able to move to another office with an opening without going back to PTF if there is an open route no one bids on.

New contract coming up how can we get it rolling?

Print this and show your union steward and president.

I will do the same.

I agree, for instance, if you live in LA and want to transfer to Miami, you should be able to bid on a route in Miami after everybody in Miami had the chance to bid on it. Instead of starting over as a PTF, you start at the bottom of the regular list?

I agree 100% I was denied a mutual swap 8 years ago, because my PM made excuses that were essentially nonsense. I had to do a straight transfer and lose seniority. It should have been a no brainer win in grievance, but it was denied because I had already transferred (and lost seniority!)

I have said for years that we should demand a clause that allows you the privilege of transferring (provided you meet some basic criteria that has been stipulated in advance) anywhere there is an opening while keeping most of your seniority. Maybe we can keep our years seniority less say 3-5 years (in fairness to those already in the station). This is a critical issue since one of the main advantages of our job is we can (in theory) move anywhere in the US and keep our job! The union is missing the boat because they never ask the workers what is important AND obtainable!

Here is the simple suggestion to overcome you idea that this would be impossible: Maybe we can keep our years seniority less say 3-5 years (in fairness to those already in the station). This is a critical issue since one of the main advantages of our job is we can (in theory) move anywhere in the US and keep our job! The union is missing the boat because they never ask the workers what is important AND obtainable!

This all sounds good. But it is not fair to the PTFs that have been waiting for years to be promoted and a regular from another state steps in to take the position. Just put yourself in the PTFs position.

If a vacancy went up nation wide instead of city wide you could be left without a job in your own city if you had low senority. This would be crazy people!