goingpostal-beyond.com

Before addressing issues related to the continual fallout of a toxic postal culture, I would like first to commend the filmmaker, director, and all those involved in the development of the documentary “Murder by Proxy.”[1] The title is fitting because those individuals committing murders in the workplace including suicides do so not simply because of their “psychological make-up,” these horrific events are also often contributed by preexisting factors stemming from the culture of the organization. Organizations with harsh and paramilitary cultures will likely have a higher incidence of toxic workplace environments and workplace violence, including homicides and suicides. Such organizations are aptly coined violence-prone.[2]

In January 2009, my book “Beyond Going Postal” (BGP) was published. In writing this book, I was cautiously optimistic that it would serve as a catalyst for the national postal unions and management organizations to unite and speak with one voice against the autocratic, paramilitary methods and practices of top postal management. It was my hope that with increased oversight and accountability from Congress the Postal Service would begin to change from a toxic and violent-prone organization to a safe and healthy organization. This optimism, unfortunately, did not materialize. The interested reader can reference my motivation for writing BGP on my website (http://goingpostal-beyond.com/). In addition, a free copy of my book is in PDF format and can be downloaded from my website.

When BGP was released, I sent copies to the four national presidents of the postal unions and the three national presidents of the management associations as well as a cover letter briefly highlighting its content and purpose. Of these seven national presidents, only Charley Mapa, President League of Postmasters, acknowledged receipt of the book and made favorable reference to it on his association’s website in a message to his membership.[3] In an unprecedented action, Mr. Mapa and his entire executive board notified the Postmaster General of their intention to enlist the support of Congress to address the postal service’s authoritarian practices and methods that are affecting the health and well-being of postmasters.[4] This noble and worthy action has recently led to a highly significant bill in Congress to address some of these issues.[5]

The last chapter of BGP was an open letter to Congress and is in the public domain. This letter addresses the critical and important role that Congress needs to take regarding its oversight responsibilities of the Postal Service, especially regarding how its negative and authoritarian methods and practices have engendered toxic workplace environments and workplace tragedies in postal installations throughout the nation. In addition to congressional oversight, I highlighted the importance of Congress to hold the U.S. Postal Service accountable in addressing its toxic postal culture. Specific requirements and recommendations were proffered for this purpose.[6] Moreover, shortly after publication of BGP, copies of the book coupled with cover letters, were sent to key congressional representatives and U.S. Senators with postal oversight responsibilities as well as to the U.S. Secretary of Labor. Sadly, even after several follow-up communications with these government officials, there was no acknowledgment of my inquiries.

Because of the inaction or failure of Congress, two of the three postal management associations, and all four of the postal unions, to make the toxic postal culture and its devastating affect on the health and well-being of its employees a core issue, the postal culture has worsened. The postal culture has not worsened simply because of the 2008-2010 recession. It has worsened instead because of the unfettered continuation and extension of the authoritarian, unethical, unlawful, and unilateral decision-making of top postal management. It has worsened because of the unfettered egregious violations of contractual precedents and agreements, time and attendance fraud, and unconscionable reorganizations and downsizings. Significant examples of these arrogant actions and callous unilateral decisions are highlighted below.

Example 1: Sole-Source Contracts

In an article by the Federal Times, based on information they obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the Postal Service’s top marketing executive secured sole-source consulting contracts totaling in excess of $1.3 million on behalf of three of his former business associates from another company he worked with in 2008.[7] In response to this disclosure, a Postal Service spokesperson said that the USPS General Counsel reviewed the sole-source contracts and concluded the process of obtaining the contracts was followed.

Although the case is under investigation by the Office of Inspector General, it is a worthy question to ask: Did the USPS OIG begin this investigation because of a congressional inquiry or request and/or negative publicity that ensued after the story broke in the Federal Times? Since 2003, as noted in BGP, the efforts of the USPS OIG have primarily been spearheaded as a third, dark arm of top postal management. Accordingly, I do not expect that their final report will be posted in the public domain or that they will unequivocally conclude that the actions of the top marketing executive were illegal or even unethical.

Example 2: Time and Attendance Fraud

Time fraud has reportedly been prevalent in the Postal Service, especially in the last year. The USPS OIG defines time and attendance fraud as follows: “Complaints involving timekeeping and payroll issues” (including complaints that clock rings were inappropriately changed).[8] Despite this definition, the USPS OIG ostensibly has not “pushed” for the arrest and conviction of responsible managers involved in this fraudulent practice. In addition, there is ample evidence to suggest that Postal Headquarters’ top management has condoned, “played down,” and/or ignored these widespread and nefarious practices. This posture by the USPS OIG and top postal management is inconsistent with 18 U.S.C. § 1001 of the United States Code, which reads as follows:

Except as otherwise provided in this section, whoever, in any matter within the

jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of

the United States, knowingly and willfully - (1) falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact; (2) makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation; or (3) makes or uses any false writing or document knowing

the same to contain any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry; shall

be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 years or, if the offense involves

international or domestic terrorism (as defined in section 2331), imprisoned not more

than 8 years, or both.[9]

On June 11, 2009, a law firm in Texas filed a class action lawsuit against the Postal Service seeking damages under the Federal Fair Labor Actions Acts for the class members who allegedly had: 1) overtime payment disallowed, 2) time changed by a supervisor, 3) worked through their lunch breaks, 4) worked off the clock, 5) and/or worked overtime and were not paid.[10] The lawsuit covered letter carriers working in the state of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. In the suit, it was further alleged that through policy implemented at postal headquarters and then filtered down through regional vice-presidents and ultimately to postal delivery units, the city letter carriers were routinely and knowingly were refused monetary compensation for actual time worked. In addition to the preceding, prime example of extensive time and attendance fraud, one other significant case is briefly discussed below.

In Milford, New Hampshire, on December 23, 2009, an arbitrator ruled that city letter carriers were repeatedly and flagrantly victims of time and attendance discrepancies.[11] The arbitrator awarded in excess of $25,000 to the grieved city letter carriers. Prior to the arbitration, at the request of U.S. Representative Paul Rhodes, the USPS OIG conducted an investigation and later concluded that three managers at the two postal installations in Milford manipulated time sheets causing employees to be underpaid.

After the arbitrator’s decision, the NALC Branch 44 president indicated that the managers who committed the time fraud (i.e., altered employees’ clock rings and thereby defrauding them of entitled compensation) were not disciplined and were still supervising employees who were defrauded.[12] He reportedly called the situation a disgrace. The president further noted that the union filed another grievance because after ninety days postal management refused to comply with the arbitrator award and pay for the grieved employees.[13] The union also said it has filed an unfair labor practice with the Department of Labor because of lack of compliance for requested documentation from postal management.[14]

Please note these specific examples of time and attendance fraud are by no means inclusive of what has transpired and ostensibly is still transpiring within the Postal Service. These fraudulent practices are not isolated events: They are reported to be occurring across postal facilities throughout the country. Incidences of time and attendance fraud in New York and North Carolina, for example, have been reported. This nefarious practice of deleting letter carriers’ overtime may have contributed to the suicide in Gastonia, NC in June 2009.[15] These occurrences mixed with other unethical practices and toxic management styles contribute to toxic workplaces and workplace violence.

It is important to note in virtually all the cases of which I have become aware, regarding the issue of time and attendance fraud, it was reported that USPS OIG did not conduct an investigation unless it specifically was requested by a congressional representative. Similarly, I am aware of no occurrence where a case of time and attendance fraud was treated as a crime or forwarded for criminal prosecution. In most cases, those postal management officials, who reportedly committed these fraudulent acts, ostensibly were following the tacit directions of their “superiors” and were still allowed to supervise and manage the employees that they defrauded of their due momentary compensation.

Question: Has the national postal unions’ national representatives, especially the NALC, aggressively cataloged all known and purported instances of fraudulent time practices and then consistently and resolutely addressed them with key top postal management executives, members of the Board of Governors, Secretary of Labor, and key postal congressional committees’ and subcommittees’ members? If not, why?

If the answer is no, I believe this inaction or failure contributes to the toxic workplace environments festering at postal facilities across the country and to a more violent-prone organization. As national union representatives, they have an obligation and an affirmative duty to it members to stalwartly represent their interest not only in pay and job duties, but in problematic workplace issues that serve to undermine the health and well-being of their members as well.

Finally, why has not the United States Department of Justice investigated these ostensible systemic illegal and fraudulent time changing practices of postal management and its apparent condoning by top postal management and the USPS OIG?

Example 3: NAPS and Pay for Performance

On January 30, 2010, the National Association Postal Supervisor (NAPS) president notified key Senate and congressional leaders that the Postal Service was likely to reduce the agreed upon pay for performance compensation, amounting between $500-$800 for many of the 75,000 affected employees from the ranks of supervisors, managers, and postmasters.[16] The NAPS president indicated that this might have occurred because the Postal Service arbitrarily and unilaterally changed the performance targets of the employees that were agreed upon through the negotiated pay agreement by the three management associations and the Postal Service.[17]

In his communication, the NAPS president indicated that his members were aware and concerned about the financial condition of the Postal Service. He further appropriately noted, however, that this did not prevent top postal management from awarding many of its executive rank salary increases amounting to ten of thousands of dollars for meeting pay-for-performance targets for the past year.

It is commendable that the NAPS president had taken this important issue to key congressional leaders with postal oversight. However, as you will see in the next example, there appears to be a serious failure of leadership in dealing with a far more serious issue than concerns about pay-for-performance for its members.

Example 4: Unethical Sales Incentive Program and Immoral Sales Reorganization

Unethical Sales Incentives

The sales unit within the Postal Service is comprised of about six hundred sales employees, and they are dispersed primarily at postal districts and regional areas offices. These sales representatives contribute between 70-80 percent to the generation of yearly commercial revenue of the Postal Service amounting to approximately 70 billion dollars.

After being brought to USPS OIG’s attention in early 2007 that top executive and managerial leaders of the sales department used unethical sales incentives and practices, they reportedly did not conduct a formal investigation until February 2008. A NAPS representative informed me that this report was supposed to be available to NAPS in December 2008, but was not released to a NAPS representative until spring of 2009 because of a Congressional request and finally was listed on their website in April 2009.[18]

The unethical sales incentives investigated by the USPS OIG included the Sales Compensation Incentive Plan (SCIP) for the 600 plus sales representatives from fiscal years 2005 through 2008.[19] The SCIP was in addition to the annual Pay for Performance (PFP) plan for these same employees. It is important to note that both the SCIP and PFP plan were not tied to unit goals or corporate goals as were all other management employees in the Postal Service for the fiscal years 2005-2008.

In its investigative report, the USPS OIG concluded: “[T]rends for the Postal Service’s performance incentives for Sales employees were not comparable

to . . . trends and incentives at other organizations and did not align with overall business results. Finally, managers awarded incentives to Sales employees based on revenue that did not result from their sales efforts.”[20] Three pertinent questions arise from this conclusion, which include:

1. What were the differences between performance plan incentives for Sales employees compared to other organizations?
2. What is meant by the performance plan incentives that were not aligned to business results?
3. What is meant by Sales employees being awarded incentives that were not based on revenue resulting from their sales efforts?

As for question one, the difference between performance plan incentives for USPS Sales employees and that at other organizations was obscenely disproportionate. For example, the USPS OIG noted for the 180 corporations compared to the USPS Sales employees, its employees received a 2 ½ percent increase in incentives bonuses based on a 6 percent increase in revenue. In comparison to these employees in the same four-year time period, the Postal Service Sales employees saw their performance bonuses increase by two hundred and ninety-two percent while revenue growth was flat. Bonuses received by Sales employees (including regional managers), amounted to payouts from 2005-2008 of 3.4 million dispersed in 1,406 individual payouts.[21] The USPS OIG found that only a small number of the 600 or more Sales employees received these payouts each of the years reviewed. For example they found:

• 48 employees received payouts in all 4 years. Of these 48 employees,

only 23 received a total payout greater than $10,000 for all 4 years.

• 173 employees received payouts in 3 of the 4 years.
• 207 employees received payouts in 2 of the 4 years.
• 291 employees received a payout in just 1 of the years.

It is also important to note that payouts to Sales regional managers jumped from $10,000 to 30,000 from fiscal year 2005 to fiscal year 2008, a three hundred per cent increase in potential payouts (see chart below as provided in subject USPS OIG report).[22]

Maximum Incentive Payouts for Postal Service Sales Employees

FY 2008 FY 2007 FY 2006 FY 2005

Sales Force $15,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000

Sales Managers $20,000 $7,500 $7,500 $7,500

Manager, Major Accounts $25,000 $10,000 $7,500 $7,500

Regional Manager, Sales $30,000 $15,000 $10,000 $10,000

For FY 2008, the USPS OIG reported specific incentive payouts to sales employees as follows:

6 payouts totaling $110,750

9 payouts totaling $157,250

8 payouts totaling $120,225

8 payouts totaling $103,675

12 payouts totaling $131,850

26 payouts totaling $234,400

28 payouts totaling $192,875

62 payouts totaling $302,475

88 payouts totaling $264,925

194 payouts totaling $187,300

441 payouts totaling $1,810,325

Note: The payouts for FY 2008 were well over half of the 3.4 million dollars in incentive payouts for Sales employees from FY 2005 thru FY 2008.[23]

These obscene payouts are particularly disturbing when viewed in the context that revenue generation was significantly below projections for these years. In fiscal year 2008, for example, there was no increase in commercial revenue despite record incentive payouts to Sales employees. As such, it is clear that these payouts were not based on or aligned with business results. It is also disturbing, as previously mentioned, that this group of Sales employees also had a separate annual pay for performance system from the incentive payouts that compensated them based on individual results rather than identified unit or corporate results.

What is most troubling regarding these payouts to Sales employees is that they were based ostensibly on fraudulent accounting practices or, at minimum, highly unethical accounting practices. More specifically, as noted in the USPS OIG report: “[M]anagement awarded performance incentives to Sales employees based on revenue generated by their assigned accounts. The plan did not consider whether there was a correlation between the revenue generated and the Sales employees’ effort.”[24] Although the USPS OIG provided several examples to support this conclusion, based on additional information provided to me by a management association member of NAPS, the most egregious accounting practices by Sales employees to inflate sales numbers include the following:

• Double reporting in CF and BCDC
• Moving customers to PC postage and call it a “sale”
• Standing in post office retail lobbies and on postal docks to make a “sale” that would occur without their presence
• Flat Rate “opportunities” encouraged by management to be manually put in on the USPS website by sales employees- providing the ability to “sell” on paper to current users of USPS.
• ‘Customer Connect’ leads inputted manually by Sales employees in BCDC to artificially increase leads, increase “sales”, increase “close/sales” ratio, (rationalizing it is to provide the product breakdown), which makes it impossible to compare to SPLY and other districts, and pads the real numbers. It also provides an erroneous impression of carrier involvement in the program since we are inputting for them in their name, and jeopardizes the relationship of the craft and the union agreement for participation in this national program through this outright forgery of a lead document.

As reported to me, these practices became commonplace and were under the “radar screen” because there was a lack of definition of “core goals” for Sales employees. There were no clear definitions for what was a “visit,” “opportunity,” or “sale,” but compensation was nevertheless tied to these goals. In this light and in context of the four years of a flawed bonus incentive payout plan, one NAPS member noted the following:

This ongoing manipulation of data and outright falsification of information results in the USPS being left with inadequate accurate information to guide it in making necessary management decisions for operations, delivery, employee retention, and plant closings, since revenue and income will be vastly overstated.  The current situation, at a minimum, will result in inefficiencies and additional wasted monies. . . . While other functional areas of operations and delivery get investigated for omissions, mistakes and “fixing” numbers, in Sales they get promoted for fraudulent behavior and falsification. In Retail Operations, if an employee or manager misstates revenue, it can be grounds for seizing paychecks, suspension, or dismissal.  With bonuses paid under the Sales compensation plan, it was tantamount to stealing Postal funds in the same manner as the employee who “borrows” from the till.  Either situation is the same: the employee took Postal funds to which they were not entitled.

Not only did this ostensible flawed and illegal accounting for determining incentive award payouts create inadequate information for the Postal Service in its management planning efforts and unwarranted compensation to Sales employees, it also created toxic workplace environments for many of the Sales employees dispersed across the country. Sales employees who were not liked by their managers, or who did not go along with “gaming the system” (i.e., a shell game of literally moving the same revenue around to create the impression of new revenue) for incentive payouts, reportedly became targets before and during the Sales reorganization that transpired in 2009. Many of them did not receive any compensation payout either under the Pay for Performance plan or under the bonus incentive driven plan, some for all four years. They also were unfairly targeted for disciplinary actions and thwarted from training opportunities and promotions. Some were demoted or resigned because of the stress. Others developed serious mental and physical health problems and endured the situation because they needed the job to support their families.

Interestingly, as one NAPS member informed me, the Postal Service utilized a high level manager as its designee to address all EEOs, disciplinary actions and promotional issues for all Sales employees across the country. Reportedly, this designee flew all across the country to handle these issues. It was further explained that this unique process to handle Sales Unit employees concerns and complaints served to keep volatile issues in Sales ‘internal,’ which placed the employee at a disadvantage for standing up for himself or herself, and thereby maintain the status of a covert, and ostensibly fraudulent incentive payout system.

After consulting with several NAPS members and careful reading of the USPS OIG investigative report[25] on the subject flawed bonus incentive program, the OIG did not document purported illegal activities of managers and some of their subordinates, with regard to fraudulently obtained compensation based on nefarious accounting practices. There is no evidence to indicate that they followed-up on this issue subsequent to the investigative report. There is also no evidence that USPS OIG addressed or followed-up on the toxic workplace environment that these practices created for many of the Sales employees. The appropriate congressional committees and subcommittees need to look into this “whitewash” as well as the Department of Justice. Additionally, I believe that NAPS headquarters representatives were woefully inadequate in addressing the issues affecting the Sales employees who they represented during the past several years and this contributed to a toxic workplace environment for some of these employees.

Immoral Sales Reorganization

In 2009, the Postal Service conducted another reorganization of its Sales unit. In doing so, many of the employees who did not fair well under the previous Sales organization in terms of “playing the shell game” and for whistle blowing activities were reportedly denied opportunities for similarly situated positions in the new structure. The interview system utilized reportedly was seriously flawed and this allowed selecting officials unfairly to “weed out” these employees. And to make matters worse, even after NAPs headquarters was assured differently, not all existing Sales employees were placed in the new structure. Some Sales employees ended up taking the early-out retirement opportunity or demotions to new positions under duress because selecting managers reportedly indicated to them that they would not be placed, or it was uncertain if they would be placed, or it was unknown in what city they would be relocated.

Sadly, even though NAPS headquarters was advised by top postal management that all Sales employees would be placed into the new structure back in November 2009, in January 2010 some of the “unplaced” Sales employees were placed in a non-duty, non-pay status. This is the first time to my knowledge that postal employees were not placed into positions when there were similarly situated positions available. In addition to the reasons previously noted, there were speculations that some affected employees were not placed because Sales managers were reserving available positions for applicants outside of the Postal Service. In support of this speculation, in January 2010 the Postal Service began advertising sales positions to outside applicants.

The recent reorganization of the Sales unit is at a minimum an immoral example of change management within an organization that serves to undermine its employees and their families as well as employee commitment to the organization. It has increased the levels of preexisting toxic workplace environments for Sales employees. The consequences of these unnecessary workplace toxins have served to create serious physical and emotional symptoms for the affected employees. These actions also create the context for workplace violence, including job-related suicides.

Throughout the Sales reorganization, NAPS headquarters appeared to have inadequately represented and demonstrated little concern for these employees. To make matter worse, Sales employees were informed in March 2010 that they no longer had the option of deciding what individual would represent them in a disciplinary action or other career concerns because NAPS and postal headquarters entered an agreement that prevents them to do so. This agreement was purportedly entered voluntarily by NAPS headquarters despite that it is contrary to the USPS’s Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM), which specifies all employees have the right to select representatives of their choosing. Accordingly, all NAPS members need to be concerned when gross injustices are inflicted on a sub-group of its population and their national representatives are appearing not to represent them in good faith.

NAPS needs to be proactive in dealing with congressional committee members who have oversight responsibilities of the Postal Service, especially regarding how the Postal Service continues to create intolerable and toxic working conditions for many of the employees they represent. To not actively and consistently pursue and engage in this targeted action is a clear dereliction of duty and contributes to toxic workplaces for the employees they are obligated to represent.

Example 5: Violation of Contractual Agreement with NALC

In an agreement between the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and USPS in 2007, they agreed upon three major points regarding the Delivery Operation Information System (DOIS), including: 1) DOIS is a management tool for estimating a carrier’s workload, 2) DOIS projections are not the sole determinant of a carrier’s leaving or return time, or daily workload, and 3) management is responsible for accurately re­cording volume and other data in DOIS.[26]

Despite the above-noted agreement, on September 24, 2009, an arbitrator sustained grievances filed by the NALC local in Shawnee, Oklahoma. In doing so, the arbitrator ruled that the “Postal Service improperly utilized the Delivery Operations Information System (DOIS) figures to set the carriers’ leave and return times in violation of the national agreement.[27] In addition, the arbitrator ruled that the improper use of the DOIS figures created a hostile work environment for the carriers.

This is just another sad example of postal management taking unilateral action in violation of agreements between the Postal Service and postal unions. It makes one wonder why higher level management did not step in resolve this grievance before it reached arbitration. The agreement between the USPS and the NALC, as noted above is unequivocal. When agreements like this are violated, the morale of the employees is seriously affected. Accordingly, the arbitrator rightly concluded from the testimony and documents submitted that the Postal Service created a hostile workplace by its decision to ignore the DOIS agreement.[28]

Example 6: Elimination of Workplace Environment Analyst Positions

For 15 years, the USPS Workplace Environment Analyst (WEA) was a key player, at the postal district level, in the prevention of workplace violence and overall improvement of the workplace environments at facilities throughout the Postal Service. Sadly, in July of 2009, these positions were eliminated. The history and relevancy of the WEA positions in preventing workplace violence is discussed herein.

The position of WEA position was created during the massive restructuring of the USPS in 1992-1993. Initially, the position was not planned. The impetus for creating the position was related to the numerous postal workplace shootings in the 1980s and the early 1990s as well as congressional investigations, hearings, and inquiries. According to the information shared with me from a postal headquarters of­ficial, immediately after the two-workplace shootings on May 5, 1993, several postal executives and an outside consultant convened to develop a job description to ad­dress workplace violence and its prevention, change management, and the postal culture.

In 1993, the position was titled “EAP Coordinator” and later changed to “Workplace Improvement Analyst”. In the beginning, there were 85 Workplace Improvement Analysts selected, one for each postal district. Interestingly, these new positions were implemented at a time when 36,000 management positions were eliminated. This was part of the commitment from postal management at the time to deal seriously with the issues of workplace violence and its prevention. Beginning in November 2007, the position title was changed to “Workplace Environ­ment Analyst”. Prior to this position title change in November 2007, the position reported directly to the Manager, Human Resources at the District.

Currently, the Workplace Environment Improvement (WEI) group at Postal Headquarters reports to an executive staff manager under the um­brella of the labor relations department. This is unacceptable because postal labor relations officials historically have been reactive rather than proactive in terms of workplace environment improvements. Due to the WEI group’s distance from top postal leadership in the current organizational reporting structure, its capacity to address proactively systemic issues of workplace violence and toxic workplace environ­ments is seriously compromised. Further, workplace environment analysts’ reporting structure in the field was changed. In­stead of reporting to the district’s manager of humans resources, they began report­ing to an area office manager who directly reported to the area office manager of human resources. This structural change did not radically change how WEIs conduct their job duties or responsibilities, nor was there an increased likelihood of improving the postal culture.

Unfortunately, as previously indicated all the WEA positions in the Postal Service, which included about 55-60 employees domiciled in Postal Districts, were eliminated. With the Postal Service’s history of workplace tragedies, its dramatic increase in toxic workplace environments, and ongoing downsizing initiatives, this does not bode well for its employees. During this time of dramatic change and turmoil, the need for WEAs is more important, not less. Clearly, the USPS has not learned the lessons of the 1980s and 1990s, when the workplace shootings were epidemic at postal facilities.

Because of this deplorable, unilateral action by the USPS to eliminate the Workplace Environment Analyst positions, important questions arise. In 1993, these positions were considered essential and critical in dealing with the issues of workplace violence and its prevention. So, what has changed for higher-level decision-makers to believe that this was no longer an essential and critical priority?

Who made the decision to eliminate these positions? Were the postal unions and management organizations informed or consulted on the elimination of the positions, prior to its implementation? Was the Board of Governors aware of this decision? If so, did they support the action? If an escalation of workplace violence occurs because of the elimination of these positions, who can be held responsible? Stated differently: Who is responsible, if there is an escalation of workplace violence (i.e., suicides and homicides) in the Postal Service because of the elimination of these positions?

When I first became aware of the planned elimination of the Workplace Environment Analyst positions in February 2009, I wrote all the national unions’ and management associations’ presidents informing them of this disastrous decision. I was told by several of the officials that the Postal Service did not consult with them on the decision. Sadly, to the best of my knowledge, none of the postal unions or management associations made a concerted or vigorous effort to dissuade the Postal Service from eliminating these vital positions.

Concluding Remarks

There are many other recent, egregious examples of the Postal Service’s draconian, shameful, and inhumane practices, methods and decisions, including an Area Vice President not honoring the back-pay award decision made by the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB),[29] and the placing of video cameras in rural carriers’ vehicles in preparation for contract negotiations.[30] These examples and the ones detailed in the preceding provide substantive support to why I have concluded that the postal culture has become even more hardened, coarse, and toxic since the release of my book “Beyond Going Postal.” In order to address these concerns and for the Postal Service to become a healthy and safe organization, the national management organizations and postal unions, U.S. Congress, Department of Labor, and Department of Justice need to hold it accountable for its authoritarian, inhumane, and unethical methods and practices. The unfettered continuation of these methods and practices will only serve to elevate the Postal Service’s status as a violent-prone organization.

Because of the documentary “Murder by Proxy”[31] due to feature this summer, another postal documentary due later in the year or 2011, and the tireless championing of a national healthy workplace bill by Gary Namie[32] and his associates, I continue to remain hopeful that the postal culture and the inhumane leadership therein will be addressed by the U.S. Congress and the current Obama Administration.

Steve Musacco

On the morning of June 2, 2009, a city letter carrier went to work and reportedly fatally shot himself in the head in the locker room at a postal facility in Gastonia, North Carolina. The Gaston Gazette online news report stated that the “Gastonia Police are investigating an apparent suicide this morning at the post office. . . . One of the employees is inside dead from a gunshot wound.”

Prior to my retirement from the USPS, at a former district I worked for, there were three suicides within a two year period that I concluded were contributed to in significant part by how these employees were treated in the workplace. The third employee, a city letter carrier, fatally shot himself in a postal jeep and left a letter stating that he could no longer take the job. The night before he committed suicide he told his wife he did not know if he would be able to handle his job anymore. How do I know? His wife told me this one day after his suicide. He was one of the best employees in the office. The District Manager and I interviewed his coworkers after his death, and they stated he would urinate in a bottle while on delivery route for fear he would not meet an artificial deadline set by postal management. During the interviews, one of the postal supervisors told the District Manager and me that the day before the suicide she gave a letter to all the city letter carriers in the station, noting that any future over time used for their routes would be considered unacceptable performance. The suicide at the Gastonia postal facility was the second since December 2005.

Many people have asked: Why is there so much stress and workplace tragedies in the U.S. Postal Service? The answer to these questions is because the postal culture embraces and reflects core values that center on achieving bottom-line results with little or no regard for employee participation, respect, dignity, or fairness. Additionally, there is little or no accountability for the actions of top management in the Postal Service. Many postal facilities consequently have toxic work environments, and they can be a catalyst or trigger for serious acts of workplace violence, including homicide and suicide. The associated rewards system for behavior consistent with the postal culture core values, moreover, enables systemic organizational and individual bullying of employees at all levels of the organization.

I define a toxic workplace environment as a workplace where there is a high incidence of stress-related illnesses. These stress-related illnesses are manifested by psychological and physical deterioration. In other words, these types of environments seriously erode employees’ health and well-being. The primary factors contributing to a toxic workplace environment are high job demands, low job control, and low social support. Low social support generally entails a lack of respect and validation of employees’ dignity by their “superiors”. It also oftentimes includes organizational practices and methods that encourage the bullying of employees to meet corporate goals.

The name of the city letter carrier who committed suicide in Gastonia, NC on June 2, 2009 is Steven Spencer age 60. According to his obituary, Steven was married and leaves two daughters and three grandchildren. He was a member of the National Association of Letter Carriers/ and state representative for Muscular Dystrophy Association. He was the founder of the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive for Gaston County. He was very active in Scouting, attaining the highest rank of Eagle Scout. He also was a member of the Order of the Arrow. Steven was a veteran of the Vietnam War serving his country proudly in the US Navy.

I find it highly improbable that an employee will kill himself or herself in a postal facility or while on a postal route unless it is to send a clear message that a toxic workplace exists and the person can’t handle it anymore. Sadly, it also may be a tragic attempt to better the lot of one’s fellow coworkers by drawing attention to the tragic event itself.

Prior to Steven’s suicide, I was contacted by a relative of an employee at the Gastonia post office in April of this year. She was concerned because of what she reported as a toxic workplace environment at the Gastonia post office, lack of accountability to address employees’ concerns, and that the situation may lead to another workplace tragedy. Unfortunately, her worst concern became a reality on June 2, 2009. She further indicated several employees have resigned their positions at the office because of the toxic workplace environment and others were suffering from negative psychological and physical effects because of this environment.

I was told employees’ attempts, mostly city letter carriers, to have their concerns addressed over a two-year period included: filing of discrimination complaints and grievances, unprofessional workplace assessments, town hall meetings, contacts to congressional representatives both locally and nationally, contacts to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), and petitions to Charlotte postal District officials as well as to national representatives of the Postal Service and the NALC. She further indicated that none of these measures contributed to fully addressing the workplace environment or alleviating its negative impact for the employees at the Gastonia Post Office.

In order for the U.S Postal Service to become a safe and healthy organization and thereby prevent future workplace tragedies, which have been at an epidemic level over the past three decades, there is an urgent need for congressional intervention and legislation to address its toxic postal culture. Dr. Gary Namie and his wife, Dr. Ruth Namie, along with their colleague Dr. David Yamada, have for years pushed for such legislation at the state and federal level. In order for national legislation for the prevention of workplace bullying to have the intended impact, it would require sanctions to employers or their representatives who are in violation of a new workplace statute that defines workplace bullying as a harmful and illegal activity.

Stephen D. Musacco
http://goingpostal-beyond.com/

Steve Musacco

Does a recent report by the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) indicate that it has softened its approach in how it deals with employee relations issues or has it maintained its broader acceptance and push of top postal management’s agenda on the implementation of Global Positioning System (GPS) for the monitoring of city letter carriers performance, or for evaluated routes similar to rural carriers, or a combination of the three.

I have stated elsewhere, including in my book “Beyond Going Postal” (BOG), the OIG is a third, dark arm of top postal management.  Recently, the OIG released an audit report titled Management Advisory – Management of City Letter Carriers’ Street Performance (Report Number DR-MA-09-001(R), and it can be found at http://www.uspsoig.gov/foia_files/DR-MA-09-001_R.pdf.

The OIG has been reviewing city letter carriers’ office and street performance for the past 5 years, and the stated objective of the subject audit report was “to determine if management could strengthen controls to reduce carrier misconduct (emphasis added).”  Taking in account that the OIG explicitly indicated in its report that only a small percentage of the 220,000 letter carriers were found to be involved in misconduct related to their official duties, this stated objective is not credible. Additionally, their focus on issues and corollary recommendations in the report appear more related to city carriers’ street performance overall and the role of the supervisors in this effort rather than the misconduct of city letter carriers per se. In reading the report, misconduct appears to be a secondary issue rather than a primary issue of the audit.

So what were the more likely objectives of the report? Before answering the question, it is relevant to look at the recent history of OIG audits of city letter carriers’ performance. From 2004 to 2006, there were 10 audits of city carriers’ performance, including the standard operating procedures (SOPs) utilized by first-line supervision for the purpose of monitoring their performance. The subject audit appears to be an extension of this body of work and not necessarily a focus on city carrier misconduct. For more on the noted OIG audits from 2004 to 2006, a more detailed examination is offered in Appendix E in the book BGP.

Thus, the likely main objective of the report, in agreement with its title, was to provide top postal management with an update on the management of city letter carriers and related reduction of costs involved in delivery operations.  Ostensibly at the behest of top postal management, this is also the likely reason the OIG conducted this particular audit. With this aim in mind, focuses of the OIG audit included an evaluation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) pilot program and highlighting of concerns and issues related to SOPs utilized by first line management in the monitoring of city carriers performance as well as a call to review the creation of an evaluated route system for city letter carriers.  It is unclear if these were specific expectations of review by top postal management or if it was “discretionary” focuses of the OIG.  Regardless who was “responsible” for these focuses, it can reasonably be argued that the issue of reviewing city carrier misconduct noted in the report was utilized as a “smoke screen” for the more overarching issues such as the implementation of GPS nationwide and/or the creation of evaluated routes as a means to demonstrate actual or potential cost reductions.

Although the subject report still supports the notion that the OIG is a dark arm of top postal management, there appears to be a softening of its approach and a new willingness not to be a complete “rubber stamp of approval” for the autocratic methods and practices of top postal management. For the first time, the OIG questions the use and validity of specific SOPs in the management of city letter carriers’ performance.  Moreover, for first time the OIG formally recognizes the daily challenges of first-line supervisors held accountable for executing these SOPs. This recognition has been long overdue for overburdened supervisors and managers who too often have been expected to work numerous hours over the 40 hour work week without the commensurate compensation as well as dealing with the negative fall-out of ineffective tools to manage performance. It appears that they not only listened to supervisors concerns, but they also formally recognized these concerns in an official report for the first time.

Let’s look at some of the specific recommendations in the subject OIG report that reflects its willingness to critique current SOPs utilized by delivery supervisors to manage city carriers’ performance.  In its first recommendation, the OIG recommended that the USPS “revise existing Postal Service policies and Standard Operating Procedures to reduce the number of required Delivery Operations Information System (DOIS) reports from eight to four to aid Supervisors in managing carrier street performance.” Management did not agree with the recommendation, but did indicate that it would review all DOIS reports as part of the 2010 budget with the goal of reducing the number of reports. In context of this OIG recommendation, it was noted in the report that the OIG had learned in its prior reviews that supervisors were not consistently able to effectively utilize the daily DOIS reports because of staffing and time pressures. Here for time in an audit report, pertaining to the management of city carriers’ performance and corollary supervisory responsibilities, a real concern and acknowledgement of time constraints and lack of resources for supervisors responsible for managing street carrier performance was underscored. For this official recognition, they are to be commended.

As for its second recommendation, it was recommended that the USPS “modify DOIS Route/Carrier Daily Performance Analysis Report to show “exceptions” – i.e., only actual route times varying from projected route times.” Here again management response is in my opinion was nonresponsive and evasive. It agreed to explore the development of an additional report for this purpose and plans to complete this action by March 31, 2010. In light of what was discussed in the first recommendation and the burden on supervisors regarding time constraints and lack of resources, why would postal management want to consider an additional report?

After reviewing the OIG’s first two recommendations, it seems odd that its third recommendation would be for top management to “reinforce to delivery Supervisors and Managers the importance of holding performance discussions with city letter carriers, conducting street observations, and taking corrective actions for misconduct issues.” It seems odd because they have already indicated that they learned in previous audits that supervisors responsible for city carriers’ management were burdened with time constraints and lack of resources. In fact, as a footnote in the report, it stated: “The number of routes and the geographical area covered reduced Supervisors’ ability to provide effective “real-time” monitoring through street observations. It seems to me the focus would be on addressing the systemic issues here rather than an identified deficiency in previous audits, namely noncompliance of supervisors’ performance expectations in the monitoring of city letter carriers.

The final two recommendations in the report appear more as broad solutions to deal with and significantly ameliorate the relevancy and importance of the initial three recommendations. For example, the fourth recommendation was stated as follows: “Study the costs and benefits of converting the existing city letter carrier hourly compensation system to an evaluated compensation system similar to that of rural letter carriers. The analysis should include the Postal Service costs being incurred for street observations and grievances.” Interestingly and telling, top postal management concurred with the recommendation, but the response was redacted (i.e., blocked out) in their initial memorandum and its revised memorandum.

The fifth and final recommendation addressed the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) at a pilot location. The OIG pointed out that that GPS is “Internet based, real time, and operated by satellite signals. The device has no software to maintain or install and includes an alarm feature to notify the district office if the vehicle goes to a preprogrammed off-limits site.” In the subject report, it was concluded that GPS resulted in a significant decline in overtime used compared to a control group, and just at the one pilot city the USPS could realize over one million dollars in saving during a two year period.  Although not specifically mentioned in the report, it could be inferred that the use of GPS would lessen the responsibility for overextended supervisors from providing “real time” monitoring of letter carriers in accordance with their street management responsibilities.  Postal management indicated that they intend to reassess expansion of the pilot project of GPS nationwide, and the OIG intends to further analyze other postal districts that may benefit from the use of GPS as a means to monitor city letter carriers’ street performance.

In light of this review of the subject OIG recommendations, it appears that the OIG is posturing to assist and support postal management’s implementation of GPS nationwide and the championing of an evaluated compensation system for city letter carriers like the rural carrier craft. It is unlikely GPS would be implemented nationally if the USPS and NALC ultimately agreed on an evaluated compensation system or it was imposed either via the collective bargaining process by an arbitrator or congressional mandate. In my next blog, I will discuss the ramifications of these competing choices and their impact on the postal culture. Although it appears that the OIG is softening its approach in how it deals with employee relations concerns (e.g., its highlighting of constraints on first-line supervisors), suffice to say at this point it remains a loyal, dark, third arm of top postal management.

Action to reform the postal culture is necessary now.  Postal employees, regardless of rank or position, deserve a postal culture in which the core values of respect, fairness, and validation of dignity, are not empty slogans, but instead are the reality of organizational life.

Steve Musacco

The financial situation of the U.S. Postal Service has reached critical mass, and it has taken dramatic actions in the past several months to downsize its operations and business expenses. Unfortunately, the USPS has taken no action to deal with a postal culture that generates toxic workplace environments and an increased potential for workplace violence.

The U.S. mailing industry is a $900 billion enterprise, employing about 3 million workers. The USPS is the third-largest employer in the country, behind Wal-Mart and the Department of Defense. It employs about 700,000 workers and has a vast network of more than 400 mail processing plants and 37,000 post offices. The Postal Service had a $5.1 billion debt in fiscal year 2007 and a $2.8 billion deficit in fiscal year 2008. Further, a $6 billion deficit is projected for both 2009 and 2010 unless congressional action is taken to reform how health benefits of retired postal employees are funded over time.

To address the financial condition of the USPS, last month the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia held a hearing on the financial stability of the U.S. Postal Service. Additionally, earlier last month the Postal Service announced new downsizing measures and shortly thereafter voluntary early retirement opportunities for 150,000 employees. The poor financial condition of the Postal Service, reflective of this country’s deep recession, and the new organizational changes bring added stress to its employees.

Besides congressional hearings on the financial condition of the Postal Service, Congress needs to look at reforming the postal culture. More specifically, Congress needs to address and enact legislation to change the authoritarian, paramilitary, postal culture. At least two former USPS postmasters general used these exact words to describe the postal culture, the last being Marvin Runyon (1992-1998). Unfortunately, instead of the postal culture improving post-Runyon, it has progressively worsened. Besides attention to the financial “bottom line,” the Postal Service and Congress need to pay careful attention to how postal employees are treated in the workplace.

If you Google “going postal as a myth,” there are still archived articles from the national media emphasizing the major conclusions and findings of the United States Postal Service Commission on a Safe and Secure Workplace in 2000 (hereafter referred to as the Califano report) and the Centers for Disease Control report of 1994. This is especially true with regard to the Califano report. The national media reacted to its findings uncritically, especially national newspapers and magazines.

As a result of my extensive examination, it became very clear that the arguments used by the CDC and the Califano report to frame the notion of “going postal” as a myth and a bad rap are not supported by the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The observation or conclusion that Postal Service work environments have been a trigger or a factor involved in some of its employee-directed homicides, and that the occurrence of these types of homicides are far more frequent in the Postal Service compared with other organizations, is supported by the record, however.

The core values embedded in the Postal Service’s organizational culture and its alignment to its organizational structure have engendered a paramilitary, authoritarian postal culture. It is a culture that promotes unilateral, top-down approaches to manage its employees and their workload. This bottom-line mentality is highly visible in postal facilities where autocratic management styles are too often reflected by use of fear, harassment, bullying or intimidation to achieve service, financial and productivity goals. These management styles are frequently rewarded by promotions, annual merit raises or cash awards for achievement of corporate goals.

Consequences of the unilateral, top-down approaches employed by the Postal Service include widespread anger, stress, and turmoil for both craft and management employees alike. Because of the concerted effort by the Postal Service’s Board of Governors to contract out core postal operations, these tensions, stresses and turmoil have escalated in the last several years.

Also, since the top-down management approaches are systemic in the Postal Service, many postal facilities have toxic work environments and can be a catalyst or trigger for serious acts of workplace violence, including homicide and suicide.

In the book, “Beyond Going Postal,” requirements and recommendations were provided to the Postal Service to enable the shift from an unhealthy organization to a healthy one. These requirements and recommendations included a change in leadership style, organizational design, reward and performance evaluation systems, selection and development and change management.

Additional requirements were legislative intervention by the Congress, including enactment of laws for the prevention of bullying in the workplace and accompanying sanctions. Without congressional action, the Postal Service will unlikely make the necessary shift from an unhealthy organization to one that is healthy.

Financial viability is critical to an organization’s success and its bottom line. Also, important to an organization’s success is how its employees are treated. Postal employees, regardless of rank or position, deserve a postal culture in which the core values of respect, fairness and validation of dignity are not empty slogans, but instead are the reality of organizational life.

Steve Musacco

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is actively soliciting for new concepts, business ideas, and innovation to improve its viability and overall organizational effectiveness. This solicitation can be accessed at www.usps.com/innovations/. In the following, I offer some specific innovations to assist in this endeavor.

In response to the national recession and the related, dramatic dwindling of mail volumes and revenues, particularly 3rd class mailings, the USPS has devised and will accelerate strategic, change management plans to downsize it workforce. Unfortunately, the USPS has not and most likely will continue devising and implementing these plans without the input and voice of the four national unions and three management associations. In any significant, corporate downsizing effort, it is imperative that an organization use all of its major stakeholders to improve the success of targeted actions and to buffer some of the negative consequences for its employees. Moving in this direction would be a dramatic departure from the USPS’ historical approach to large scale, change management initiatives, but it’s not too late to forge these alliances.

The change management actions that the USPS has taken in the last month and action yet to be announced and implemented will affect the postal culture for years to come. If it continues to take unilateral action in its strategic, change management initiatives, it will serve to further solidify, an already highly toxic organizational culture. Furthermore, the risk for injury to employees’ physical and psychological health will rise and so will the potential for serious workplace violence.

How about real, dramatic, and strategic reform of the postal culture? How about investigation of excesses and fraud committed at the highest levels of the organization? Taking bold actions in these two areas will improve the viability of the organization and serve to improve the organizational commitment and well-being of its employees.

As I stated in previous writings, it will take sweeping congressional intervention to ensure that these types of actions are implemented and sustained to shift the USPS from an unhealthy organization to a safe and healthy one. Congress has responded with the right action to ensure that core postal operations are not privatized, particularly in the last several years. Now is the time for Congress to implement legislation to reform the postal culture. Postal employees, regardless of rank or position, deserve a postal culture in which the core values of respect, fairness, and validation of dignity, are not empty slogans, but instead are the reality of organizational life.

Steve Musacco

Representative Lynch, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee that oversees the Postal Service, recently announced his committee will hold a hearing this month on the pay and benefits paid to John Potter, Postmaster General.

Besides the pay and benefits of John Potter, Postmaster General, there are many other issues and questions the U.S. Congress needs to look at. Below are some of the more salient issues and questions.

1. Reform of the postal culture. That is, moving the postal culture from one that is highly authoritarian and paramilitary to one that validates the dignity of all its employees and routinely treats them with the fairness and respect that they deserve.

2. The relationship between large business mailers, the Board of Governors (BOG), and the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC).

3. Why has the BOG and their point person, the Postmaster General, been “hell bent” on contracting-out core postal operations and relaxation of collective bargaining agreements over the last 20 or more years, especially the last several years?

4. Why are meetings between many of the large business mailer advocates and the Postal Service outside of public purview?

5. Why hasn’t the Postal Service’s Office Inspector General Office (OIG) or the United States General Accounting Office investigated the relationship between the BOG, high-ranking postal officials, and the PRC to see if there has been a violation of public trust, and yes even unethical business ties and practices?

Accountability and oversight of these issues by the United States Congress are vastly more important than the salary and benefits of John Potter.

Action to reform the postal culture is necessary now.  Postal employees, regardless of rank or position, deserve a postal culture in which the core values of respect, fairness, and validation of dignity, are not empty slogans, but instead are the reality of organizational life.

Steve Musacco

All three management associations have “stepped-up to the plate” and in unison have said “enough is enough”! The Postal Service’s top management has increased the stressed level throughout the organization with the excuse of the current, deep recession and need for flexibility. First, the clarion call was “Transformation” and now its “flexibility.” Both are code for the USPS to implement the privatization of core postal operations and in the process degrade postal employees’ collective bargaining rights, benefits, and right to a safe and healthy work environment. All this is done with the blessing of the past and current Board of Governors working in concert with the large private mailing interests, neoconservatives, and past Bush administration officials. These efforts have contributed significantly to the overall deterioration of the postal culture, a culture reflected by an inhumane and paramilitary management style. The reported statement by Sylvester Black, Western Area Vice-President that “Some managers ought to be taken out and executed” is symptomatic and reflective of an arrogant, uncaring, ruthless management style that permeates all level of the organization. Charley Mapa, President of the League, points out the results of this dark, uncaring postal culture as follow:

“Like a cancer, this sick type of management has been festering and growing for years. I challenge Jack Potter and the Postal Service to walk the talk of Dignity and Respect. That term rings pretty hollow in light of how we manage our organization. It is time to actually make the changes necessary to root out abusive management. The League commits to working with our fellow management associations and the Postal Service to come up with a process to help us manage the way a world-class organization should manage. Ignoring this problem, sweeping it under the rug, will not make it go away. We’ve got to fix it now!” http://www.postmasters.org/news/message/021909.asp

Yes, now is the time for action. Enough is enough!  Now that the management associations have vehemently spoken out against the individual and organizational bullying of employees, I believe, it is critical that the management associations also work in concert with the four national postal unions to help ensure that dramatic and lasting action is implemented to improve the postal culture. One way of making this a reality is for the three management associations and four union organizations to reach agreement on how to enlist the support of Congress to reform the postal culture and then act on it. Congress will be more apt to listen and act quickly if they all “speak” with one voice.

To effect comprehensive reform of the postal culture, there also needs to be a grass-root effort by postal employees at all levels of the organization. Employees need to inform their congressional leaders, the media, and the public how employees’ physical health and psychological well-being are being comprised because of current working conditions and bullying practices and behaviors by the USPS. We all have a responsibility (current and retired employees) to take action to ensure that the USPS is held accountable for creating safe and healthy workplace environments for its employees. Yes we can!

For last 15 years, the USPS “Workplace Environment Analyst” position has been a key player, at the postal district level, in the prevention of workplace violence and workplace environment improvement initiatives. As of last week, employees holding these positions have been informed that their positions are to be eliminated. Based on my experience as a former “Workplace Environment Analyst”, it is certain that I and many of my colleagues in this position prevented workplace tragedies from occurring. I was appointed to this position in November 1993, and I retired from the USPS in the position effective January 2007.

The position of Workplace Improvement Analyst coincided with the massive restructuring of the USPS in 1992-1993. Initially, the position was not planned.

The impetus for creating this new position was related to the numerous postal workplace shootings in the 1980s and the early 1990s as well as congressional investigations, hearings, and inquiries. According to the information shared with me from a postal headquarters of­ficial, immediately after the two workplace shootings on May 5, 1993, several postal executives and an outside consultant convened to develop a job description ad­dressing workplace violence and its prevention, change management, and the postal culture.

In 1993, the position was titled “EAP Coordinator” and later changed to “Workplace Improvement Analyst”. In the beginning, there were 85 “Workplace Improvement Analysts” selected, one for each postal district. Interestingly, these new positions were implemented at a time when 36,000 management positions were eliminated. This was the commitment from postal management at the time to deal seriously with the issues of workplace violence and its prevention. Beginning in November 2007, the position title was changed to “Workplace Environ­ment Analyst”. Prior to the position title change in November, 2007, the position reported directly to the Manager, Human Resources at the District.

Currently, the Workplace Environment Improvement (WEI) group at Postal Headquarters reports to an executive staff manager under the um­brella of the labor relations department. This is unacceptable because postal labor relations officials historically have been reactive rather than proactive in terms of workplace environment improvements. Because of WEI group’s distance from top postal leadership in the current organizational reporting structure, its capacity to proac­tively address systemic issues of workplace violence and toxic workplace environ­ments is seriously compromised.

Additionally, the field workplace environment analysts’ reporting structure was changed. In­stead of reporting to the district’s manager of humans resources, they began report­ing to an area office manager who was a direct report to the area office manager of human resources. This structural change did not radically change how WEIs conduct their job duties or responsibilities, nor was there a likelihood of improving the postal culture.

Unfortunately, plans are underway to eliminate all the “Workplace Environment Analyst” positions in the Postal Service, which includes about 55-60 employees domiciled in Postal Districts. With the Postal Service’s history of workplace tragedies, its dramatic increase in toxic workplace environments, and new downsizing initiatives, this does not bode well for the employees of the Postal Service. During this time of dramatic change and turmoil, the need for Workplace Environment Analysts is more important, not less. Clearly, the USPS has not learned the lessons of the 1980s and 1990s, when the workplace shootings were epidemic at postal facilities.

As a result of this deplorable, unilateral action by the USPS to eliminate the “Workplace Improvement Analyst” positions, important questions arise. In 1993, these positions were considered essential and critical to deal with the issues of workplace violence and its prevention. So, what has changed for higher-level decision-makers to think that this is no longer an essential and critical priority?

Who made the decision to eliminate these positions? Were the postal unions and management organizations informed or consulted on the elimination of the positions, prior to its implementation? Is the Board of Governors aware of this decision? If so, did they support the action? Who is responsible, if there is an escalation of workplace violence as a result of the elimination of these positions? Finally, if the Postal Service does not reverse its decision on the elimination of the “Workplace Environment Improvement” positions, should Congress intervene?