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Five members of the 1st Ward post office Customer Advisory Council (CAC) and one staff member from Alderman Manny Flores office met with two managers from the U.S. Postal Service in the sixth meeting of the CAC at the Wicker Park post office (60622). The CAC members were from three zip codes (60618, 60622 & 60647) in the 1st Ward. The post office managers were the Station Manager for Wicker Park Station (60622) and the newly appointed Station Manager for Daniel Doffyn Station (60618).
60647 is again without a regular Station Manager. While the long-time manager continues on leave, the most recent interim manager (Ed Kennedy) has completed his 3-month service there and has returned to his regular station in another state. Area Manager Keith Pugh Keith.Pugh@usps.gov is filling in at that position until further notice. The CAC noted that time-of-day delivery and accuracy is generally much better in 60618 & 60622 excepting when substitute carriers are covering a particular route. Complaints were presented involving lobby littering by carriers at 818 N. Washtenaw Avenue (60622). Station Manager Mary Ware has already discussed the issue - which involved construction at the customer location - with the condo association president and with the carrier. Since there was no USPS representative from Roberto Clemente Station (60647), the CAC did not get a report on previous delivery and telephone courtesy complaints there. There was also no information about the unfilled Customer Care rep position at 60647 Customer Care reps at 60618 (Kelly Wells 773-278-2069) and 60618 (Martin Lugo 773-478-8987) report to the Chicago District Office rather than to their local Station Managers. This is intended to provide more independence for the position's ability to assist customers with a complaint that might involve personnel at that Station. 60618 & 60622 are participating in the USPS "customer meet and greet" events where the Station Managers are available in the station lobby to introduce themselves to customers from 11AM to 1PM on selected days. Complimentary coffee and donuts are also available then. Both of those stations held their most recent sessions on November 14. The 60622 multi-unit building box relabel project continues at USPS expense. Alderman Flores' office will try to assist with the USPS offer to purchase cluster boxes for some developments (e.g., Noble Square) because owner permission is required to change delivery locations once service has been established. Building managers or developers can contact Station Manager Mary J. Ware for details (773-278-2069). The new 60618 Station Manager, Gregory Willis, is a veteran of nearly 30 years USPS service in various states and urban delivery areas. He explained the changes he has made during his first two weeks there. He reported that staffing shortages and late delivery issues have already been addressed and that his goal is for all carriers to have completed their 61 routes by 5:00PM. Although 60618 had to transfer 5 carriers to assist at 60647, Mr. Willis said that 60618 is now at full authorized strength. The CAC questioned the Station Managers as to the underlying causes for carrier turnover and retention. That problem leads to heavy use of substitute carriers and double-route days for other carriers and those issues seem to be the primary reason for late, missed and inaccurate delivery. Although the reasons are varied, two items stand out from the discussion: >> Carriers can bid for different routes using a seniority-based bidding system. Some routes are more desirable because of length, density and - in some downtown neighborhoods - the ability to deliver all mail on the route within a single high-rise building. Because the Chicago District labor agreements are structured to allow carriers to bid for routes in other Stations, veteran carriers are sometimes able to move to another Station which leads to gaps in their old routes having to be filled by substitute or less-experienced carriers who are unfamiliar with the quirks of the route and with individual customer delivery preferences (such as non-obvious boxes or mail-slot locations). >> 60618, 60622 & 60647 customers are especially vulnerable to the effects of carrier changes because they include so many high-density neighborhoods that require that the majority of deliveries are on foot rather than directly from vehicles. This means that any last-minute change in carrier availablity (e.g., calling in for a sick day) will make deliveries even slower on that uncovered route. Continued growth, rapid customer turnover and increasing density make these delivery areas likely places for a senior carrier to attempt to bid away from. Increased customer densities do provide justification for a Station Manager to ask for additional routes and carriers within a particular Zip Code, but those requests must compete for USPS resources against other neighborhoods in the District. District Manager/Postmaster Gloria Tyson has made it her policy to "drop-in" on local Stations to discuss issues and conditions with individual carriers to see what improvements can be made from their perpective. Ms. Tyson is working with veteran managers to change the old-style culture from "punish" to "encourage and reward". Ms. Tyson is also working to drop the original USPS "military style" of management and introduce more flexibility for local Station managers within overall union rules and local agreements as well as personnel policies set by the national USPS Board of Governors. The Station Managers asked for better advance notice and more assistance from the community regarding neighborhood festivals that block streets and disrupt deliveries from the station to the carriers. As an example, during a recent weekend fetival that blocked Division Street from Ashland to Damen, USPS vehicles for 60622 were initially prevented from loading at Wicker Park Station for their deliveries to carriers already out on their routes. They also requested more understanding from neighbors who are inconvenienced while USPS vehicles are loading in the streets near the stations in the morning because of limited dock space at the buildings. The CAC voted to change its monthly meetings from Tuesday to Wednesday because the day after a holiday (often a Tuesday) is difficult for USPS managers and supervisors who should attend the meeting. The next CAC meeting is scheduled for 6:30PM, Wednesday December 12, 2007 at Alderman Flores 1st Ward Service Office, 2058 N. Western Avenue (60647). |
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