CHICAGO (CBS) — As calls for changes at the top continue and delivery delays add up, CBS 2 continues to investigate what is behind massive failures inside of the United States Postal Service.
When the holidays end, so too does employment for hundreds of postal workers brought on seasonally, but in a year when the delays have been unprecedented and need for manpower so great, some workers were surprised to learn their reason for dismissal was because of a “lack of work” and they had been boxed out of open positions.
“They have been let go due to the post office being over our contractually mandated 24.5% allowance of MHA employees,” said Harris.
But many, like one who did not want to be identified because he would like to be rehired, said he wasn’t seasonal.
“I was not a seasonal worker,” he said. “There were lots of us that were not seasonal workers.”
The post office and union say they were, and a union rule blocks him from most open jobs.
“We’re not allowed to move people into other peoples crafts,” said Harris.
His termination paperwork cites Action Code 357 — lack of work.
So, the post office, short on manpower with jobs to fill, claims “lack of work” is reason to terminate him. And a union bylaw prevents him from drawing other paychecks.
