David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Six U.S. senators on Friday urged the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to delay implementing a new pay system , they said the system would cut pay for dozens of employees
Senators — Democrats Ron Wyden, Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Ed Markey and John Fetterman and independent Bernie Sanders – in letter to US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Reuters says automated rural routes should not be used until “serious deficiencies in the system are corrected” Evaluation Compensation System (RRECS).
The USPS and the union representing workers agreed last month that the system would not go into effect until at least Saturday. The 2012 union and the USPS have agreed to create a new system for determining compensation to rural carriers.
They also asked how USPS would “compensate rural carriers for lost revenue when the system made inaccurate judgments about their routes” and detailed responses to the questions.
The USPS responded that the compensation system for rural mail carriers was negotiated nationwide and written into their labor agreements, and that the changes were the result of an arbitration process.
USPS added that it will respond to the senator’s letter.
Senator’s letter says the system “will reduce 66% carrier pay significantly, for nearly 14 ,000 these cuts would be more than 8 hours a week’s pay.”
Rural postal carriers travel millions of dollars a day, Senator says Miles, providing essential services.
“We understand the need to update the rural letter carrier route evaluation system and ensure that rural carriers compensate labor missing under the current system,” see “It is critical, however, that the USPS first address known implementation issues with the system,” the congressman wrote.
The letter added, “At a time when USPS is having difficulty delivering mail to rural areas , due in part to the inability to recruit rural letter carriers, we are concerned that the impact of RRECS on rural working conditions and wages will further degrade an important service in our rural communities.”
