Communities and Postal Workers United Call for a National Day To Report Dark Delivery Hazards on Sat. Dec. 21, 2013
As a follow-up to our Dec. 2nd National Day of Mourning for Tyson Jerome Barnette, letter carrier killed while delivering in the dark –
Communities and Postal Workers United calls on all letter carriers who are required to deliver unsafely, in the dark on December 21st (exactly one month after Brother Barnette’s death) to file a Form 1767 – Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition, or Practice.
Submit the Form 1767 to your supervisor for receipt, keep the blue copy, and send us your description* of the “Hazard, Unsafe Condition, or Practice. Corrective Action Recommended.” (Your supervisor must respond within 24 hours). Let us know if you brought the mail back and what happened. Let us know if you were ordered out again and if you brought the mail back and filed another 1767. Let us know how many carriers in your station, in your installation participated in this day of action. Send us an email (cpwunited1@gmail.com) or post on our facebook page.
We will publicize reports from across the nation. The more carriers who participate on Dec. 21st, the more carriers will participate in the future.
We call on USPS management to end unsafe delivery in the dark, to fully staff carrier and clerk positions to allow early start and end times for letter carriers, to adjust overburdened routes to eight hours, and restore mail processing capacity.
The tragedy of Tyson Barnette’s killing was set up by the “consolidation” of mail processing and understaffing in the clerk craft, which has forced carrier start times later in the day. This tragedy was set up by flawed route adjustments and carrier understaffing. This tragedy will be repeated unless major changes are enforced.
END UNSAFE DELIVERY in the DARK! NOT ONE MORE DEATH FROM POSTAL MISMANAGEMENT!
In solidarity,
Ken Lerch, Joe Piette, Jamie Partridge, Frank Couget, Dave Welsh, Richard Koritz, David Yao, Tom Dodge, John Dennie, Johnnie Stevens, Shelley Pineo-Jensen, Mike Bates for Communities and Postal Workers United & Community Labor United for Postal Jobs & Services
*examples of unsafe dark delivery hazards…being mistaken as a burglar and getting shot at; being assaulted by robbers who work at night; crossing dark streets in traffic; driving near dark-clad pedestrians, bicyclists or skateboarders; hard-to-see ice and oil patches or wet leaves/wet moss/tree branches/toys/equipment; wet painted steps; released dogs unseen
I have walked and sorted mail in the dark….Delivered parcel in the morning in the dark too….You are a target anytime in bad areas…So don’t deliver to those areas because they are bad…Any job at night in a bad area is bad then….Doesn’t make sense….
How do you expect the american public to keep six day delivery if the carriers are going to complain about working in the dark?
I am pro union but not pro delivery in the dark. Actually I think the union strays from this issue because they use it when bargaining time comes as to how hard our job is. There hasn’t been change simply because it wasn’t happening as often as it does now that processing is changing so much effecting times. I have 37 years and have done my share in the dark. Maybe how long I have been doing this is one of the reasons I am against it. “Back in the day”….. we started at 6-6:30 am and had all the mail delivered before the kids got off the school buses. The volume was more than today. Have we really progressed? If we did it then why not now with all these “advanced” systems?
@ Long John
Do you really not understand the difference between walking/sorting mail in darkness for hours and driving with headlights on??
Do you not understand that being alone on the streets during night time hours in many areas makes you a target for criminals?
Daniel consider yourself lucky. Not in our office people off the list are forced constantly.
CPWU: Why don’t you do a study of how many people that bitch about delivering in the dark are on the overtime desired list?
In my office I would guess that 90% of the time the people that are not on the OT list are done and on the way home by 17:00.
Beau…wow, typical union loving pathetic worker….Typical union quote…..Now working in the dark is unsafe, what is going on with this country….How about driving to work in the morning in the dark, is that next….Very Pathetic….Why do people and groups jump on a tragedy and all of a sudden something has to be changed….
If you are requested to deliver after dark ask to see the “JSA” (job safety analysis) for night time delivery. I’m sure there is not one in your office. Next question should be how do I “safely” perform my duties in the dark? Provide me with the necessary tools to perform my duties, lights, reflective vest,megaphone announcing your arrival to prevent being shot by unsuspecting customer, etc. Ask the supervisor to relieve you of your responsibility of delivering after dark in writing to prevent discipline in the event of a “preventable” accident. “Preventable”, do not go out. Study and find the OSHA regulation outlining the required lumens (light measurement) required to sort and deliver mail for work spaces and apply that to your outdoor work space. Now insist management comply with the OSHA reg and apply it to outdoors (generators, lights, yeah right) to illuminate your work space to the acceptable level. Delivery in darkness goes on daily in our jobs, although not the norm, it is requested of us from time to time. Ultimately the decision of performing an unsafe act is yours as are the consequences once you walk out the door to deliver. If you get in an accident because of darkness it is your fault, you accepted the burden of safety when you walked out the door.
Communist Party Workers Union
Never heard of these guys. They won’t have any official clout with management at all. The thought is nice but I doubt it’ll do any good. Management will say the mail has to be delivered, and in that sense they’re correct. Public pressure and maybe complaining to your local and state lawmakers will probably be more effective because the NALC sure isn’t doing anything about it, and being an NALC officer, I’m very disappointed in their timid behavior. I was not happy when President Rolando issued the statement that the NALC didn’t hold the Postal Service accountable for the murder of Mr. Barnette. Maybe not directly, but they certainly were indirectly. Until Donohoe is removed, nothing will change.
@JUDT JUST, SHUT THE FRICKK ..YOUR GUILTY..
I would love to particapate in that action but know the penalty I would get for doing so. Hence I will pass but hope others are stronger than I and will particapate.