Rural Letter Carrier

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Rural Letter Carrier from Fort Myers, FL

Rural Letter Carriers deliver mail in what was traditionally considered rural areas of the United States. The rural carrier work force is comprised of the following categories of employees:

Regular Carriers (Designation Code 71) For administrative and reporting purposes, regular rural carriers who serve on an established rural route on the basis of triweekly, five (5), five-and-a-half (5-1/2), or six (6) days in a service week, are considered to be full-time employees.

Part-time Flexible Rural Carriers (Designation Code 76) Part-time flexible rural carriers (PTF's) are those substitutes or rural carrier associates appointed following an assignment posting. These employees provide service on regular and auxiliary routes as directed by management.

Substitute Rural Carriers, Rural Carrier Associates (RCA's) & Rural Carrier Reliefs
The following employees provide service on established regular and auxiliary rural routes in the absence of regular or auxiliary rural carriers. This service may be as leave replacement and/or covering vacant regular routes pending the selection of regular rural carriers, as an auxiliary assistant, or as an auxiliary route carrier:

Substitute Rural Carriers (Designation Code 73) are those employees hired prior to July 21, 1981, with an appointment without time limitation.

Substitute Rural Carriers (Designation Code 72) appointed via Form 50 to serve full time on a vacant regular route or in the absence of a regular carrier for more than 90 calendar days.

Rural Carrier Associates (Designation Code 78) are those employees hired from a register or reassigned from rural carrier relief or auxiliary carrier positions, on or after April 11, 1987, without time limitation.

Rural Carrier Associates (Designation Code 74) appointed via Form 50 to serve full time on a vacant route or in the absence of the regular carrier for more than 90 calendar days.

Rural Carrier Associates (Designation Code 79) appointed via Form 50 after being assigned to the auxiliary route for more than 90 calendar days.

Rural Carrier Reliefs (Designation Code 75) are those employees hired between July 21, 1981 & November 12, 1986, without time limitation.

Auxiliary Rural Carriers (Designation Code 77) Persons hired prior to 1981 to serve an auxiliary rural route without time limitation.

Temporary Relief Carriers (Designation Code 70) Temporary relief carriers (TRC's) are limited term, non-bargaining unit employees who provide service as a leave replacement or auxiliary assistant or provide coverage on auxiliary routes or vacant regular routes. The number of TRCs that may be hired within an area is limited to 15% of the total number of regular routes in that area.

Full eagle logo (1970 - 1994)

1 History
2 National Rural Letter Carriers' Association
3 Vehicle & Uniform
4 Payment
5 See Also
6 External links

[edit] History

Much support for the introduction of rural mail service came from the The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. The United States Postal Service (USPS) first experimented with the idea of rural mail delivery on October 1, 1891 to determine the viability of Rural Free Delivery (RFD), as it was originally called. They began with five routes covering ten miles, 33 years after free delivery in cities had begun. The first routes to receive RFD during its experimental phase were in Jefferson County, West Virginia, near Charles Town, Halltown, and Uvilla. Formerly, residents of rural areas traveled to the Post office to pick up their mail or pay for delivery by a private carrier.

RFD became an official service in 1896. In 1913 came the introduction of parcel post, which caused rural delivery service to blossom. It allowed the distribution of national newspapers and magazines, and enabled people in rural areas to obtain merchandise not sold in their communities. In 1916, the Good Roads Bill authorized federal funds for highway construction, which opened up roads in rural America to allow passage of mail.

The rural delivery service uses a network of rural routes traveled by carriers to deliver and pick up mail to and from roadside mailboxes. Formerly, an address for mail to a rural delivery address included both the rural route number & the box number, for example "RR 5, Box 10." With the creation of the 911 emergency system, it became necessary to conform rural addresses to house numbers and street names as used on city routes. This enables emergency services to locate the residence easier. Thus, eliminating that system.

Canada Post uses a similar structure for rural mail delivery. A rural route address in Canada may or may not include a box number, depending on the community.

Seal of the NRLCA

[edit] National Rural Letter Carriers' Association

The National Rural Letter Carriers' Association (NRLCA) was formed in 1903 at a cost of fifty cents per year in dues to its members. Since its inception, it's had an effective legislative program in the Congress to promote and protect the interests of rural carriers. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed executive order 10988 establishing employee-management cooperation in the federal service. Rural carriers selected the NRLCA as their agent, and they've held exclusive recognition to represent the rural carrier craft within the United States Postal Service ever since. The NRLCA negotiates all Labor Agreements for the rural carrier craft with the USPS, including salaries. Rural letter carriers are considered bargaining unit employees in the United States Postal Service. This means that there is a contract between the Postal Service and the NRLCA. Only NRLCA can represent members of the rural carrier craft in the grievance procedure, including providing protection in disciplinary actions.

To be able to join the NRLCA, one must first be employed by the USPS and work in the Rural Carrier Craft as a Rural Carrier Associate, Substitute Rural Carrier, Rural Carrier Relief, Part-time Flexible or Regular Carrier. Though temporary relief carriers are excluded from membership, article 7 of the contract between the NRLCA and USPS provide guidelines for the implementation of TRC's. Upon completion and processing of NRLCA form 1187, an official membership card is mailed, and the benefits of membership begin. NRLCA provides information and fellowship for its members at County, District, State and National meetings where all members may participate in a democratic process of developing Association policy. The NRLCA provides a monthly publication, The National Rural Letter Carrier, to keep its members informed on postal and legislative matters of vital interest.

Dodge Caravan used for rural delivery in Omaha, Nebraska

[edit] Vehicle & Uniform

Rural carriers are responsible for furnishing all vehicle equipment necessary for safe and prompt handling of the mail, unless a USPS-owned/leased vehicle is assigned to the route (If a USPS-owned/leased vehicle is assigned to the route, relief carriers may be requested, but not required, to furnish a vehicle during emergency situations). The vehicle is required to be large enough to accommodate the normal mail volume and constructed to protect the mail from loss or damage.

Rural Carriers wear civilian clothes, not uniforms, while they deliver the mail. A rural carrier should dress appropriately. This requires cleanliness and a manner of dress that reflects a positive image of the Postal Service. Suggestive dress is prohibited. Proper footwear is required (no open toes or heels).

Advertisments of any kind and offensive slogans are prohibited from appearing on the vehicle and attire of the Rural Carrier

[edit] Payment

In 1962, the NRLCA & Post Office negotiated their first contract under Executive Order 10988, and within it, the Heavy Duty Agreement, or Evaluated Pay System was instituted. Rural Carriers are paid a salary based on an evaluation of the route they deliver. Credit is given for all a carrier's duties and compensated accordingly. Adjustments to the annual salary may be made periodically as route situations change, such as the addition or deletion of territory or mileage. As an example, for every 12 houses with curbside service the route would be increased one hour per week. Carrier pay is shown on a variety of websites. The average after 12 years of service on a K44 (44 hours a week worked with a "K" day, meaning one day off in addition to Sunday) would be about $55,000 there are 2 COLA adjustments per year and step increases.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires that actual hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a week are overtime hours and will be paid at time and a half. Evaluated vs. Actual Hours When working under 40 hours per week, the relief carrier (PTF's, RCA's, RCR's & TRC's) will be paid by the evaluated daily time of the route. When the relief carrier works over 40 hours per week, the carrier is paid by the actual hours worked times hourly wage and time and a half for hours over 40. All work hours must be authorized. There will be no hours worked “off the clock.”

Relief carriers can be required to be trained on up to three routes. A relief carrier may be required to carry a route other than the primary route. The time would then be recorded on the PS Form 4240 for that route. PS Form 1234 Utility Card (commonly called green card) is used to record work hours when the carrier is doing miscellaneous duties or when attending training. Carriers will use more than one utility card if they work in more than one station. All times are compiled by the timekeeper and submitted for pay.