NALC and the Postal Service have released a jointly-developed document providing the mutual understanding of issues related to the New Employee Experience Retention and Mentoring Program (NEERMP). The program, which began on July 1, and is new for most of the country, was designed with the intent of improving communication between new letter carriers and their managers and co-workers, providing work experiences that give new letter carriers the ability to learn their jobs at a more moderate pace, and providing them with continuing education beyond the Carrier Academy and the on-the-job instruction stages. The document, M-02010 in NALC’s Materials Reference System (MRS), provides answers to commonly asked questions about the program. The document will be updated in the future if additional agreements are reached on matters related to the NEERMP.



This is a slightly altered version of the older “we’re not going to crap on you for your first 30 days “ program that had mixed, mostly poor results. The numerous references in this MOU to checking up on management’s adherence indicates that the rampant turnover is because of management. It’s no secret how craft employees are treated at the USPS and they’ve burned through so many new hires what’s left leaves a lot to be desired. Radicals in labor see to it that only the “right” people get a shot, sprinkled in with an occasional veteran. Management knows that they’re not likely to stay when they walk in the door, so they tee off on them. The unions want them to join up but don’t give them a dues break on top of the fact that they’re underpaid for what they do and put up with. The regulars, who always mentored young carriers when it was all career, steer clear knowing it’s usually a waste of time. The result is that they keep people who should be let go because they can’t get anyone else and the learning curve is steep.