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Rick Larson has a lot of time on his hands these days, but the Carol Stream resident is not happy about it.
Last week, Larson said he was one of several Carol Stream post office employees with job-related injuries who were told there no longer was work available for them.
Larson has been with the post office for 13 years. He started off working the delivery point sequencing machines, which sorts and stacks mail for delivery, until he got a herniated disc in his back. For the past 10 years, he has worked in the post office’s manual unit, sorting mail that’s not machinable.
Recently, Larson heard rumors he was on the list of employees to be cut, so he wasn’t completely surprised when he was called into a conference room for a meeting March 25.
“The bigwigs told us that they searched high and low and there just wasn’t any work available for us in the entire northern district,” he said.
But that doesn’t make sense to Larson.
“Every day for the last week prior to that, they’ve been calling overtime in our unit, so how is it possible that there is no work available?” he said.
After the announcement, Larson said he and several other employees were escorted out of the building.
Jackie Engelhart, president of the American Postal Workers Union’s Northwest Illinois Area Local chapter, said the employees were walked out like they were criminals.
“They’re not criminals,” she said. “They’re just people that are injured and the post office is saying, ‘We don’t have work for you.’ You come to work, get injured and basically they kick you to the curb.”
Engelhart said union officials are in the process of filing grievances on behalf of several employees.
The employees were told not to come back unless they are called by post office officials, but Larson said he doubts any of them will get a call back.
“This is a way to get people off of their payroll,” he said. “They go after people that have injured themselves.”
Sean Hargadon, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service Northern Illinois Region, said the postal service tries to find work for limited duty personnel within the plant or in other districts.
“But because of the decline in mail volume, there is less work available and for what they can actually do,” he said.
Rick Larson has a lot of time on his hands these days, but the Carol Stream resident is not happy about it.
Last week, Larson said he was one of several Carol Stream post office employees with job-related injuries who were told there no longer was work available for them.
Larson has been with the post office for 13 years. He started off working the delivery point sequencing machines, which sorts and stacks mail for delivery, until he got a herniated disc in his back. For the past 10 years, he has worked in the post office’s manual unit, sorting mail that’s not machinable.
Recently, Larson heard rumors he was on the list of employees to be cut, so he wasn’t completely surprised when he was called into a conference room for a meeting March 25.
“The bigwigs told us that they searched high and low and there just wasn’t any work available for us in the entire northern district,” he said.
But that doesn’t make sense to Larson.
“Every day for the last week prior to that, they’ve been calling overtime in our unit, so how is it possible that there is no work available?” he said.
After the announcement, Larson said he and several other employees were escorted out of the building.
Jackie Engelhart, president of the American Postal Workers Union’s Northwest Illinois Area Local chapter, said the employees were walked out like they were criminals.
“They’re not criminals,” she said. “They’re just people that are injured and the post office is saying, ‘We don’t have work for you.’ You come to work, get injured and basically they kick you to the curb.”
Engelhart said union officials are in the process of filing grievances on behalf of several employees.
The employees were told not to come back unless they are called by post office officials, but Larson said he doubts any of them will get a call back.
“This is a way to get people off of their payroll,” he said. “They go after people that have injured themselves.”
Sean Hargadon, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service Northern Illinois Region, said the postal service tries to find work for limited duty personnel within the plant or in other districts.
“But because of the decline in mail volume, there is less work available and for what they can actually do,” he said.
The postal service is projecting a $238 billion shortfall during the next decade because of the decline.
Locally, as a result of a study begun in June, the postal service has made the decision to move originating mail processing operations from the Palatine Processing and Distribution Center to the Carol Stream Processing and Distribution Center.
“With a decline of 26 billion pieces this past year, we must take action to reduce the size of our mail processing network,” said Northern Illinois District Manager Bob Hart. “Consolidating operations and placing our people where we need them is necessary if the postal service is to remain viable to provide mail service to the nation.”
The transition will begin this month and be completed by July. Some employees might be reassigned to the Carol Stream Processing and Distribution Center, or to other vacant positions as a result of the move.
Tim Ratliff, spokesman for the postal service, said no employees will be laid off because of the move.
“There will be employees that will be impacted by the consolidation,” Ratliff said. “The reality is, we have an excess amount of facilities, equipment and staff to process the declining mail volume, so we need to respond to that.”
Larson said he can stay home for up to a year through the postal service’s worker’s compensation program.
“If they have not found any suitable work for me within the community area — which they won’t, because they want us to leave — they can begin the separation process,” Larson said.
Engelhart said the post office is targeting workers with work-related injuries.
“It’s part of a national program. Unfortunately it’s now hit this area,” she said. “And this district seems to be very aggressive in getting rid of people. They’re getting compensation, don’t get me wrong. But their pay is being reduced. This is the first step of the post office trying to get rid of them. It’s the ultimate goal.”
But Hargadon said nothing is being done under the table.
“We are honoring all our union agreements,” he said. “We notify the employees and the unions so they know what’s going on. Everything’s out in front.”
