(This article was first reported in the June 2018, Local Newsletter)
Written by: Kathy Kustner, Clerk Craft Director of APWU, SJAL #0526
When you sign your 3971’s:
- Make sure it is your name on it.
- Make sure it is the date or dates that you called out for.
- Make sure that if you called out using FMLA,
- that the slip says FMLA.
- Make sure it is Annual, Sick or LWOP that you requested
- Then if everything is correct, sign it – but you MUST
- put the date you are signing your slip next to your name.
- Should future discipline be issued, this be very beneficial
- to your case.
Abusive Supervisors
If you feel that your Supervisor is acting in an abusive manner towards you, either verbally or by their actions, or both, you must notify the Union. There is supposed to be equal dignity and respect between Management and the employees. The USPS has a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY that must be upheld by Management.
ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY
No one should have to work in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. Threats or assaults made directly or indirectly toward any employee or Postal Service customer will not be tolerated.
Our policy is that there will be ZERO tolerance of violence in our workplace by anyone, craft and management alike. This is not a new policy. The Postal Service, with many of the employee organizations, initiated a joint statement on violence in the workplace —
“…there is no excuse for and will be no tolerance of violence by anyone at any level of the Postal Service; and there is no excuse for and will be no tolerance of harassment, intimidation, threats, or bulling by anyone.”
This means your supervisor is not allowed to be talking about you or your job performance to others employees in a negative or derogatory manner.
This means that a fellow employee cannot stand there and curse you out and call you names while you are working. You must report this to the Union, so that they can address this with Management immediately. And if Management does not make the harassment stop, you may then file an EEO, on the employee, should it be a Supervisor or a co-worker.
EEO
If you are a Postal Service employee or an applicant for Postal Service employment and feel that you have been discriminated against because of race, color, religion, genetic information, national origin, sex, age (40+), physical or mental disability, or in retaliation for engaging in an EEO-protected activity, you must consult an EEO counselor before filing a complaint of discrimination.
HOW – request counseling by calling one of these toll-free numbers:
888-EEO-USPS (888-336-8777)
TTY: 888-325-2914
WHEN ISSUED DISCIPLINE
You have the right to file a grievance under the Grievance/Arbitration procedures set forth in Article 15 of the National Agreement within 14 days of receipt of your letter. It is YOUR responsibility to bring the letter to a steward, to notify him/her that you would like a grievance to be filed on your behalf. You should he notifying the Union as soon as you have received the letter.