The postal service is currently considering several changes that will impact Clerk Craft employees and customers.
The USPS intends to test a new Retail Network prototype at the L’Enfant Plaza office in Washington, DC. The pilot will include a complete renovation of the unit, with plans to add split counters to make interaction between retail clerks and customers easier; swivel computer screens to enable Sales and Service Associates (SSAs) to work on either side of the split counter; and customer-accessible screens in the lobby to facilitate self check-out,much like the do-it-yourself registers in grocery stores and other retail venues.
Management also is considering the use of handheld signature tablet devices, to facilitate customers’ signing for accountable and express mail. The proposed changes at the Washington, DC test site are different than those that are currently being tested in Schaumberg, IL. The Schaumberg test focuses more on non-postal services, such as such as offering copying services and renting conference rooms.
Standardizing LSSA Duties
Another change being considered by the Postal Service is an attempt to standardize Lead Sales and Service Associate (LSSA) duties in order to more closely mirror the position description. Currently, the role of LSSAs varies from city to city, and in some areas management is underutilizing this important position.
The official “functional purpose” of the LSSA is to “work alone or provide technical direction to one or more clerks assigned to sales activities,” and to “review the work [of the clerks] for accuracy.” This basic description is vague in specific job activity, which leaves room for different interpretations, and functions that vary by location. Some of the more important duties of LSSAs are to:
- Give technical guidance to other retail employees;
- Forecast and maintain stamp inventory;
- Prepare and consolidate bank deposits;
- Prepare and maintain accounting records;
- Examine and ensure the integrity of security containers related to fixed credit;
- Report lack of conformity with security regulations;
- Conduct or witness transfer of fixed credit between employees;
- Assist in physical accounting of stock;
- Maintain adequate supplies of materials required for the operation of the unit;
- Accept and verify redeemed stamps, and prepare and submit stock for destruction;
- Monitor the workload of the retail unit to assist in appropriate staffing and scheduling, such as lunches, breaks, etc;
- Provide leadership necessary for SSAs to perform their daily functions;
- Instruct and advise individual employees in correct financial and retail sales procedures, and,
Perform additional SSA duties.
The union and management have a mutual interest in ensuring that this higher-level position is utilized in a uniform manner at all retail units. In order to achieve this goal, the USPS is considering the distribution of an “LSSA Workload Survey” that is currently being reviewed by the union. According to the USPS, the purpose of the survey is to collect data that will assist in standardizing the duties of LSSAs and gain information on interaction between LSSAs and other retail clerks, as well as with customers.
In the current retail environment, it is more important than ever that the union takes a pro-active approach to protecting bargaining unit work.
Kind of reiterates to what your all really thinking,; if we don’t get our asses in gear and work our positions with a purpose, our jobs and Postal Service may be lost forever to UPS and FedEx. We have it made as a work invironment, wages and benefits compared to them. Don’t let the Postal Service fall….the wages and work for Americans has been depleted enough since NAFTA. Stop the inteference of our U.S marketing and manufacturing potential.
Let’s see how that test runs in DC. I think it’s the wrong type of service for the customers. Most cusotmers need our help in choosing the services that will most help them. They ask questions and really want to know what is best. Not too sure about self check out. Isn’t that the APC? By the way the APC is used by some cutomers to mail thier wine and/or beer, hazardous materials or to mail a regular package at the the FR pricing. Not all cutomers, but after they come to your window and the SSA tells them Sorry you can’t mail that. We may find it later in the APC deposit. Oh well, what do the retail clerks know? no on listens to us. sometimes not even the UNION. I know they are busy but gee whiz guys . . . As far as the survey, since supvs. have taken over the LSSA duties because the LSSA is needed on the window almost all the time because of short staffing, the result of those surveys will show minimal work performed by the LSSA and the result no need for a LSSA. And yes we file grievances for cross craft, but that won’t help the result of those surveys. Just watch and see.
Let’s increase the duties of the LSSA and decrease the duties of the supervisors. Get rid of supervisors and rely on the good dependable work of craft employees. I work in Schaumburg IL, which was spelled incorrectly in the article, The only problem there was the boss.
Interesting:
“the USPS is considering the distribution of an “LSSA Workload Survey” that is currently being reviewed by the union”
That survey is already been reviewed and is out for completion.
as an lssa myself i know one thing that will happen…. the lssa will spend less time on the window and more time with “other” duties.
the result will be the ssa’s will be alone or down one clerk thereby lengthening the already long lines due to previous cuts in service.
as a side note to this if the lssa is going to assume more duties they have not have not had before that the station manager used to perform then will the trickle down effect may and should be that the “supervisor” position is gone.. duties can be picked up by both the station manager and the lssa.. hence.. a supervisor job gone?????? yea right… like that will happen.. just more screw off time for both of the assholes…
eL vengador, your are absolutely correct! You forgot to add one thing though……you speak only of the uneducated ignorant craft postal employees. You failed to mention Management/Supervisors! As anyone who is remotely familiar with the USPS already knows, ALL of their Supervisors from floor level to Headquarters came up from & through the ranks. The same idiots that were once delivering,sorting, pushing, and sweeping the mail are now running the (same) organization! Don`t hate the “player”…hate the “game”!
eL vengador, your are absolutely correct! You forgot to add one thing though……you speak only of the uneducated ignorant craft postal employees. You failed to mention Management/Supervisors! As anyone who is remotely familiar with the USPS already knows, ALL of their Supervisors from floor level to Headquarters came up from through the ranks. The same idiots that were once delivering,sorting, pushing, and sweeping the mail are now running the (same) organization! Don`t hate the “player”…hate the “game”!
El vengador, you are either a scab, 204b or stupidvisor.
eLvengador
If you can’t help but laugh at the posts here you should be ROFL at all the posts generated on the vast array of topics on the internet. You will find an enormous amount of people that can’t resist making an uneducated, totally unknowledgable “opinion” stated as fact. Usually because they read an article or two , fail to do any research and believe everything they read. I am a postal worker and believe it or not did get through High School, even managed to go to College, along the way I even learned to read!
What do you do? What are your qualifications? If you are not a postal worker why in the hell do you even care? Oh, I also have held other jobs in the “private” sector….believe it or not. Not always what they are cracked up to be….
What is threatening about this? I see nothing but good. Direct signature to pad. Self checkout . Only negative I see is swivel terminals. Always nice to have that counter between you and that upset customer. But other than that ……Yeah. Welcome to the 21st Century USPS.
I can’t help but laugh at some of the post that are here. It is clearly that the people that post here are more ignorant than many of the management personnel. Perhaps they should should stop listening to their Union’s story and see the facts. The USPS is the only company in the US that has to go through a rigorous process to remove employees that do not perform at work being management/craft and is also the only that hires non-skilled workers (people that are un-educated, illiterate or with a very low IQ) that can actually make a good living management/craft and still not good enough for everyone else to see. I just have to laugh at the ignorance of more than half of the employees that work for the USPS, and for their Unions. It is clear that if you work for the USPS and you not satisfied, you probably have never held any other job in your life.
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WE NEED TO JOIN TOGETHER TO GET POTTER OUT!!! WE NEED A NEW POSTMASTER GENERAL NOW ASAP! BEFORE HE DESTROYS THE USPS!!!! HAVE YOU LISTENED TO THE IDEAS OF PRC CHAIRMAN RUTH Y GOLDWAY?? SHE HAS GREAT IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE USPS WITHOUT MAKING CUTS TO SERVICE AND TO EMPLOYEES… SHE WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT NEW POSTMASTER GENERAL!!! SHE HAS BEEN A PRC CHAIRMAN FOR 12 YEARS SO SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE’S TALKING ABOUT!! AND LISTEN TO WHAT REP GERRY CONNOLLY FROM VA SAID AT THE HEARING ON APRIL 15TH TO PMG POTTER, HE ASKED HIM WHERE HE WAS COMMING UP WITH THE $238MILLION NUMBERS AND HE SAID THEY WERE JUST MADE UP!!! IF NOTHING WAS DONE.. AND THAT THE USPS WAS USING SCARE TACTICS ON THE PUBLIC?? CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF, I MIGHT BE WORDING IT WRONG BUT, YOU’LL SEE WHAT I MEAN WHEN YOU READ/WATCH THE VIDEO YOU CAN ALSO SEE IT ON U TUBE… THANKS FOR YOUR TIME BROTHERS AND SISTERS…