MailmanDave
17 Years Experience
Long Island, NY
Male, 43
I am a City Letter Carrier for the US Postal Service in NY. I've been a city letter carrier for over 17 years and it is the best job I've ever had. I mostly work 5 days per week (sometimes includes a Saturday) and often have the opportunity for overtime, which is usually voluntary. The route I deliver has about 350 homes and I walk to each of their doors to deliver the mail. Please keep in mind that I don't have authority to speak for the USPS, so all opinions are solely mine, not my employer.
I don't know anything about the rules/laws in Canada about redirecting mail to another address just with a note. Are you okay with this? If so, then if it happens, so be it. If you don't want this or the Canada Post doesn't operate that way, then I guess it's more of an issue. I know I wouldn't abide by a letter like this. In the United States for mail to be put in another addresses mailbox (legally), a forwarding order has to be submitted with the US postal service and then the mail will be properly redirected, even if it is just a next door neighbor. I have one customer on the route I deliver that owns 2 houses adjacent to each other. One of them is for sale. Once that house is sold, I will need to have a forwarding order submitted to have mail forwarded from the sold house to the unsold house (if that's what they want). Thanks for the question.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=I%20live%20in%20an%20apartment%20building%20%28%20in%20Canada%20%29%20with%20%20locked%20mailboxes%20for%20each%20apartment%20at%20the%20front.of.the%20building.%20%20My%20neighbor%20moved%20out%20and%20left%20a%20letter%20for%20the%20mail%20person%20to%20put%20her%20mail%20in%20my%20box...%20is%20this%20legal%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/13916)
I am sorry but I don't know anything about the rules for transferring that apply to CCAs. I would recommend visiting the www.nalc.org website which may have information or contacting a union representative at your local NALC branch or your shop steward. Good luck in your USPS career.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Hello%2C%20I%27m%20a%20CCA%20who%20is%20transferring%20to%20another%20state.%20Can%20my%20current%20Postmaster%20hold%20me%20since%20I%27m%20not%20a%20career%20employee%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/11542)
Andy, I am glad to write this blog of my experiences and advice as a letter carrier for the USPS. To answer your questions:1) I'd wear a suit if you have one, or ar least a shirt and tie with nice pants and shoes. Try to be clean cut, ambitious, professional and polite. I don't know how much appearance counts in a USPS interview, but it can't hurt to take the above advice. Be on time and respectful of the interviewer.
2) Becoming a regular from a CCA is usually just a matter of waiting until there is a vacancy in your office or station that remains unassigned to a regular carrier. Then it may take a month or two to become a regular carrier. The time that it takes for a CCA to become a regular carrier depends on the staffing and turnover where you are assigned to work. I can only speak for my PO, but I've seen it take as little as one year and as much as 8 years (that is when we had PTFs (part time flexibles, a precursor to CCAs) to become a regular employee.
3) When you become a regular employee, the hours get much more stable and predictable. You generally work 5 8-hour days per week with set hours. As a CCA, you pretty much work when they want you and for as long as needed per day. There aren't many rights for a CCA with regards to hours except if they are "holding down" a regular assignment for a rte that is temporarily vacant due to illness or vacation. As a regular employee, you can refuse OT if there is enough staffing to cover all of the assignments in a day. The management can mandate carriers to work OT if they are short handed and those who want to work OT already will be working some amt of OT. The rules for this are a little complex so I won't go into it here.
Thanks for your questions and good luck Andy.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Thanks%20for%20your%20helpful%20blog.%20Few%20questions%21%0AI%20have%20a%20interview%20in%20a%20week%20as%20cca1.%0A1%29%20What%20should%20I%20wear%20for%20interview%3F%0A2%29%20How%20soon%20can%20you%20become%20a%20regular%20employee%3F%0A3%29%20Do%20you%20get%20better%20hours%20when%20you%20become%20a%20regular%20employee%3F%20Can%20you%20refuse%20O%2FT%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/15000)
I can't remember a time that I came across any suspicious letters or packages, or at least not as of late. Not long after 9/11 I think there was anthrax sent through mail or something like that to Washington DC. It made me nervous and I think I had some type of reaction that I may have contracted it and had trouble breathing. It turned out to be all in my head and nothing ever came of it. There probably is drugs sent through the mail or maybe other illegal substances but I have no experience with it fortunately.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=How%20often%20do%20you%20encounter%20%27suspicious%27%20letters%3F%20or%20letters%20that%20you%20think%20may%20contain%20illegal%20substances%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/12474)
Hotel Travel Blog Active 2019
What do you do if a guest is doing something illegal in a room?
Auto Mechanic
Are mechanics more likely to take advantage of female customers than males?
Car Salesman
Are women more likely to get taken advantage of when buying a car?
No I haven't.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Have%20u%20ever%20mailed%20or%20picked.up.letters%20at%20juvenile%20or%20juvenile%20camps%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/9165)
That sounds absolutely wrong what is done. The only time that a worker can open a package that i know of is if it is Media Mail. That class of mail is subject to inspection if a worker wants to verify that the contents qualify for the Media Mail rate. Does the worker say why he opens then packages? I haven't heard of your situation before.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=The%20man%20at%20the%20Orange%2C%20MA%20post%20office%20says%20he%27s%20been%20opening%20up%20my%20packages.%20I%20noticed%20no%20customers%20go%20there%20anymore.%20Another%20woman%20told%20me%20he%20also%20did%20it%20to%20her.%20Can%20he%20keep%20doing%20this%20to%20customers%3F&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/8658)
Thank you for the NALC information. Definitely see if you can file a grievance for the mgmt not giving out Progressive Discipline. Again, if it is a big mistake like leaving the engine running or having a motor vehicle accident, maybe that couLD go straight to a letter of removal.
Share Answer: &caption=Jobstr.com&description=Yes%20the%20NALC%20represents%20us%20but%20Ithought%20that%20after%2090day%20probation%20that%20your%20supervisor%20had%20to%20issue%20a%20warning%20before%20termination%20%26%2For%20try%20to%20put%20an%20employee%20in%20a%20different%20craft.%20I%20am%20currently%20trying%20to%20file%20a%20grievance.&redirect_uri=http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4154-mailman-city-letter-carrier-/question/8982)
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
