[extropy-chat] why do we stop laughing?

[Zero Powers]

Not to mention the on-the-job hazards.  My step dad was a letter
carrier before going to law school.  After he got admitted to the bar
the majority of his cases were dog bites suffered by his former
co-workers.  I still can't believe how routinely those folks were
getting munched on the job.

Imagine delivering mail to someone with a vicious dog in the yard who
is able on occasion to slip his leash or hop the fence.  Imagine
getting attacked by that dog and, after recouperating from the attack
having to continue delivering mail to the offending dog owner.  Why
that alone is enough to make one want to go postal, or in my step
dad's case get an education and get out of that line of work.

Zero

----- Original Message -----
From: Gina Miller <nanogirl at halcyon.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2004 13:45:54 -0700
Subject: Re: [extropy-chat] why do we stop laughing?
To: ExI chat list <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>


There were issues in the work environment, lousy contracts, low wages,
over stressed working conditions (doubled up work loads), and health
care benefit issues.
 
Apparently letter carriers have had physical injuries due to being
weighed down by what used to be just a load of mail in their satchel,
but now also includes carrying extra mail on their arm, while on
longer routes but with the same pay. They are also required to
continue these walk routes no matter what the winter weather happens
to be and have suffered frost bite etc. in hours of below zero
temperatures.
 
There are also stories of workers being stood behind by management,
who time them using a stop watch while sorting the mail or while on
breaks. Some supervisors have been reported as (and admitted to)
spying on route carriers in unmarked cars or simply following them to
make sure their route is eight hours long. If you do bad on route or
in the mail room you get written up and followed more, if you do well
you are given larger loads. Supervisors have been told to be strict on
workers for small infractions and routinely call workers "bodies",
this and other behaviors cause workers to feel they are treated as
less than human. There is even a story where a woman's house was on
fire, the supervisor was called and told, but did not notify the woman
until her route was finished, her father died in the fire. Apparently
the supervisor didn't want anyone to take her place, because he would
then have to give the replacement carrier "overtime" wages, so he
wanted to keep her.
 
Workers often experience repetitive motion injuries as well as the
mental numbness and back troubles. This has become a larger problem
with the jump in the amount of mail being processed.
 
Gina "Nanogirl" Miller
Nanotechnology Industries
http://www.nanoindustries.com
Personal: http://www.nanogirl.com/index2.html
Foresight Senior Associate http://www.foresight.org
Nanotechnology Advisor Extropy Institute  http://www.extropy.org
Tech-Aid Advisor http://www.tech-aid.info/t/all-about.html
Email: nanogirl at halcyon.com
"Nanotechnology: Solutions for the future."


> > At 09:24 PM 9/8/2004 -0700, Spike wrote:
> > 
> > >Has anyone an explanation of why postal workers were going
> > >postal there for a while?
> > 


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