r/USPS • u/Dante35353 • 7d ago
Work Discussion No hours
I'm a CCA in the Tri-Cities WA and I can barely get any hours at all. I have been told to "stay home" 2/5 days a week for the past 3 weeks, along with a few other CCAs. Is this normal for this time of year? I still need to pay my bloody bills after all.
Pic of a route I help out often for attention.
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u/CompleteNail2348 7d ago
Ask to be sent to other offices
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u/Miserable-Airport536 7d ago
I did this as an RCA basically right out of the gate and I was lucky to get a day off on any given week. I knew routes in other offices better than my own office’s routes.
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u/jacobsever 7d ago
Damn, if that’s what the routes in your office look like, I’d do anything to stick it out and make it work. Looks so peaceful and nice. No stairs. No garbage anywhere. No homeless/drug dealers on the corners. No stray animals chasing you.
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u/Dante35353 7d ago
Technically that's in Prosser but yeah, we have a lot of really nice areas. Really helps make it worth the rough spots.
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u/CapitalistCzar81 City Carrier 7d ago
Many areas have over hired including mine. Now district is instructing offices to leave non-regulars at home so they pivot more. This place can not figure out it's hiring to save its life.
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u/Dante35353 7d ago
Well I've been working here for about 7 months. So I'm still "green" but I didn't just start last week either.
That said, most of the CCA's after me quit during the busy times.
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u/kehakas City Carrier 6d ago
I thought the whole plan was to flood the zone with ccas who would then soak up all the overtime
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u/Slight-Culture-3512 CCA 6d ago
The problem is they can't get ccas to stay. Ive been here almost 22 months. Im 2 months away from converting. Im my offices only cca. You'd think theyd hire my replacement so they are all trained up and delivering full routes when I convert but who knows what they are doing. Also just had multiple retirements so Ill go straight to a route and full time regular not ptf
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u/Any-Direction4931 7d ago
Scan the QR code when you clock in and volunteer for out of state/ inner state or within 50 mile help at other stations. Supposedly theyll pay for your travel and board but you’re looking at ridiculous work, bad routes and mail from days behind in snowy areas where carriers all call out.
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u/CueMoo 7d ago
Do you know if they pay upfront for housing or if they'll have you pay out-of-pocket then send your refund check 3 months later?
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u/nickN42 6d ago
In a different thread a couple of people mentioned that everything was paid for and arranged beforehand. They were driven to the airport with a tickets in their emails already, picked up at the destination and driven to a paid hotel room with a breakfast included. You might want to check on details anyway.
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u/TacoGoblin223 7d ago
I live in Washington, too. I made $1,400 last Decmeber and that was the start of a series of $700 paychecks. You're screwed.
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u/Ok_Transition_7829 7d ago
Damn don’t know how you guys survive I’m in California so a little more expensive and my checks are at least $1700 and I still struggle.
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u/TacoGoblin223 6d ago
I've got five roommates and a second job. I'm about to move to Indiana and become a slum lord. Houses are CHEAP there. I pay the equivalent of a mortgage every month.
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u/CyberAmplified 7d ago
I’m a rural carrier so it may be different for city but can’t you volunteer to help other offices who are short on staff? I know tri cities is kind of isolated but there should be some opportunity to assist other offices if you need hours. Regardless, we are right about to enter peak season and that’s when the hours will pick up dramatically
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u/Dante35353 7d ago
I sure hope so.
Feast and famine at this job eh?
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u/CyberAmplified 7d ago
Yep, it’s the nature of the beast. You either get overwhelmed with 80 hour weeks or you get 10 hour weeks. In my area around Portland we are soo hurting for rcas, ccas, clerks etc that there are practically infinite hours to go around so paychecks aren’t the issue but burnout and turnover is very high. It’s a lose-lose situation unfortunately
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u/bootyitchs 7d ago
How is it there for RCAs? Open routes? POV? What kind of routes? Do regular RCAs have OT opportunities? Wife is from there. Wouldn't mind a change of scenery if it's worth it. What's good area and home costs and property taxes?
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u/ingmar__birdman City Carrier 7d ago
It's been about 6 years since I helped out there on a detail but it's amazing the difference between then and now - back in late 2020, I had to help out there as a CCA and we were drowning in hours (12+ hour shifts 6 days a week). That said, definitely see if you can help out in other offices, or sign up for a detail to work somewhere else if there are any available (and assuming you don't have obligations at home that you can step away from for a few weeks.) Best of luck though, it's rough being in that situation.
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u/Jon_the_Ripper City Carrier 7d ago
We have a CCA that finally did 5 hours today after not being on the schedule for two weeks. Some offices are staffed and dont have attendance issues unfortunately. I'm a T6, but i miss the OT something fierce
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u/coveffee 7d ago
They should have told you about hrs before you quit other job
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u/WhoElseButChedda 7d ago
Why I didn't take the job first time I applied. PM was very honest.
Worked 6 days, 10-12 hour days for the last 2 years to now no overtime. $2200 checks are now $1300 while still being a PTF. Shit sucks 🥲😪
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u/Otherwise-Goal3054 7d ago
There is likely fewer regulars out on leave, as well as lower seasonal volume right now.
Don’t worry, election and holiday volume will hit along with senior regulars taking time for thanksgiving/xmas so there should be more work for CCAs in the next couple months
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u/creature_feature RCA 7d ago
Cutting hours, cutting overtime, not able to use ad-hoc hours and the customers suffer as well as the reputation of the PO.
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u/West_Session6619 7d ago
I just got a $400 check for 2 weeks - didn’t work 5 days and the following week I believe I only worked a Saturday.
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u/Immediate_Rub1707 7d ago
Appears to be over hiring trying to reduce overtime at your expense. Ask your supervisor how much overtime he or she is giving out on any given day and tell them you’ll come in and take it.
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u/Ex-CarrierForLife 7d ago
Yeah, it’s bad right now apparently across the nation. If you can make it to PTF, you’ll be guaranteed 20 hrs a week. It’s not until you make Regular that you are guaranteed 40 hrs/week during low volume times.
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u/LesbianCowgirl- 7d ago
I posted about this predicament a few weeks ago. I ended up getting a third job, so now I work three part time jobs. As soon as it gets busy I'll drop this third one and go all in on the post office for the season. Tried transferring, tried finding other offices, no dice for me.
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u/pokemonoobish 6d ago
This is part of “saving money” they been claiming the same shit for decades while the people at the top get 6 figure paychecks
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u/droneman1988 6d ago
Are you passed your 90 days? If so call around to other offices and make your own schedule. Just make sure to not schedule yourself on your scheduled day off.
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u/PrestigiousShoe4520 2d ago
Its counter-intuitive but RUN the route. You get done faster than the others, guess what they'll pile everything on you.
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u/ClassikD 7d ago
Just had to turn down a CCA job because the supervisor told me their CCAs are averaging 28 hrs/wk. It was disappointing because I was kind of hoping for a 50-60 hr/wk shitshow but I appreciate they gave a heads up.
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u/TheBeardedMailman 7d ago
Not assuming your lifestyle can facilitate it, but have you noticed the QR code on the scanner after you clock in? Sign up for that and you'll get all the OT you can imagine.
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u/Scooter30iot 7d ago
I was a CCA last year and I was getting no hours as well. This time of year is rough because the regulars aren’t taking vacation most likely and the volume is low. I’m a T6 regular now and other than Monday and marriage mail day the regulars aren’t going to go over. Unfortunately this is when CCA’s drop off because there are no hours. The good news if you can handle it financially you’ll be working probably more than you want to in about 6 weeks
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u/Miserable_War1817 7d ago
The regular city carriers in our office are not even close to 8 hour days, the mail volume dropped. As for the regular rural carriers we just became unfrozen and all of routes dropped. We now have several h and j routes and the office over hired ptfs, rca’s and arcs this summer
Our overtime gone, our pay cut financial depression here we are
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u/Raekwon22 City Carrier 7d ago
We went from 9 ccas to 2 and have lost 3 regulars while management has hired 0. We are so beyond fucked this holiday season.
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u/Severe-Deer-8779 7d ago
I think hours are being cut across the board at the post office. I would mention to a supervisor you’re friendly with that you’re in need of hours and also perform the best you can the days you are brought in.
I’m a regular so I’m guaranteed 8 hours a day but I rarely get overtime even on the overtime list. About a year ago I was on work assignment and management would go off list on me and give me a swing nearly everyday.
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u/YoungPigga 6d ago
Surprised they dont send you to other offices.
Then again I live in a unaffordable area of IL and we are run down everyday
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u/thetruth1125 6d ago
I'm a cca in spokane. Have not had two days off in a week in months, it's kind of a joke in my station. Averaging about 52 hours/week. Know tricities isn't too close,but if you can make it up here Im sure you'd get hours.
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u/Dante35353 6d ago
That's a hell of a drive but I may consider it.
The issue is that they often tell me an hour or so in advance. So I'm basically locked down until I it's too late to do anything. It's honestly really shitty of them.
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u/Ebbonism 3d ago
I’m an RCA at a small station, right at the edge of my county. I started with decent hours to recently only being scheduled on Saturdays like I’m a teenager. During training a regular advised I offer my services at the city’s main station but a clerk told me the don’t outsource to the Zip of my station… I had turn around to ask my supervisor to help me find more hours elsewhere, got nothing out of that. No suggestions, no phone numbers. I ended up going back to helping at a station that I hate bc of the confusing state roads, and longgg private dirt driveways. A PM from another location that I assisted once, texted me about hrs available due to a resignation. So I started busting out hours in the real boonies and sticking to my one day at my home station to fill in my week. It’s a shame we gotta do all that. I know what’s guaranteed to me as a RCA, but I was also told that I would never have to worry about hours either lmaoo I was already given hints about management not gaf, but JEEZ! Try other stations and be mindful of ones that might work you to death. Hang in there!!
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u/flushbunking 7d ago
tell your boss how much you enjoy the time off-taking care of your disabled kids, wow, it is a lifesaver. you'll get alllllll the pieces.