(N.M.) Postal carriers' later start could slow mail delivery in Santa Fe

[left-of-center2012]

Mail carriers have been ordered to start their shifts at 9 a.m. at the Pacheco Street post office, causing some to complain of working into the night and delivering items late to customers. Carriers previously started work between 6 and 7 a.m., and now with the later start time, many find themselves working until 9 p.m.

One of the unnamed workers said the post office manager imposed the later start time after a carrier demanded to be paid for the time he stood around as parcels were prepared for delivery. That angered the manager, who imposed the mandatory 9 a.m. start time to prevent carriers from having such wait times, the worker said. But that’s punishing everyone for one worker complaining, he said.

That is leading to businesses receiving mailed checks too late to cash that day and other items they required during regular hours, said two carriers who didn’t want to be identified because they feared retaliation. Because the Pacheco Street post office employs rural carriers, who are on a different contract than city postal workers, they are on a set salary and receive no additional pay for longer, later hours, they said.

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/postal-carriers-later-start-could-slow-mail-delivery-in-santa-fe/article_b847a64e-9245-11eb-a7cb-9370e8750da0.html

[Midnight Writer]

1. Sounds like they don't have enough clerks to sort the mail to the carriers on time.

But the carriers do get paid for the time they wait for their parcels to be sorted. The rub would be the overtime the carriers are paid because the sorting delays means they can't hit the street on time, and will have to work later to finish their routes.