SALARIES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
The salaries for postal clerk and carrier are the same throughout
the Union. Starting in at $600 the first year, the man who is
efficient and has a clean record is advanced to $800 at the
beginning of the second year; the third year he goes to $900 and so
on to the sixth year when he reaches the maximum for this branch
of the service, $1,200. But there are opportunities beyond this
to clerks of exceptionable ability, and to carriers, too, if they
elect to be transferred to the clerical branch, as is evidenced in
the brilliant career of Postmaster Morgan of New York, referred to
in the opening chapter. Transfers are permitted from carrier to
clerk, or visa versa, after three or four years service.
Promotion For Good Clerks.
In cities having sub-stations, clerks are eligible to promotion to
assistant superintendent, and then to superintendent, with salaries
ranging from $1,300 to $2,500. They may also file applications with
the postmaster through their station superintendent for transfer
to another branch of the service, such as registry division. No
other examination is necessary, the places there, as also on the
windows, inquiry department, and on money order windows being
given to clerks who show meritorious service. The only promotion
examination given is to the money order division, which is not
to be confused with positions at money order windows. Besides
involving grave responsibilities the clerks in the money order
division are subject only to day work and have no night shifts.
Hours of Labor.
Employees in all branches of the federal government are required
to work only eight hours a day. The hours, however, may not always
be consecutive. Postal clerks, for instance, work usually in
three shifts. The hours vary but the following may be taken as an
example, allowing one hour for meals:
First shift, 10 A. M., until 7 P. M., second shift, 4 P. M.,
until 1 A. M.; third shift, 12 midnight until 9 A. M. If clerks
are required to work overtime they are given compensatory time or
leaves of absence during the week corresponding to the number of
hours overtime. This also applies to Sunday work.
Carriers are not allowed to work overtime and when they do
“demerits” are registered against them. While a carrier is at the
call of the government, so to speak, more hours in a day than is
a clerk, his hours of actual duty are the same, eight. They have
“swings,” or periods of intermission, between deliveries when their
time is their own and they are permitted to go where they please.
Regular carriers make deliveries only, and are rarely, if ever,
called upon to make collections.
Violations of the rules and inefficiency are punished by a system
of “demerits” ranging from 1 to 500 according to the degree of the
offense. “Demerits” in any considerable number naturally affect
a man’s advancement. Anything less than 500 is usually wiped out
at the end of a year and the offender starts again with a clean
slate. But if 500 or more is charged up against a man it remains a
constant reminder of past shortcomings.
Clerks and carriers who resign from the service may be reinstated
within one year, but, unless their absence was due to illness,
they lose a grade. In other words, they must work a year for $100
less salary than they received at time of resignation. In case
of illness employees must notify the postmaster through their
superintendent, without delay. Salaries are paid the 1st and 16th
of each month.
“Subs.”
“Subs,” in the parlance of the postal service, are men taken from
the regular eligible lists to act as substitute clerks and letter
carriers. In every large office there is always a lot of emergency
work due to sickness, or unusual demands. “Sub” clerks work on an
average from six to nine months--the duration varies greatly in
different offices--before receiving a permanent appointment, while
“sub” carriers have to work from three to four years before they
get a steady job. The collection of mail from street letter boxes
is entrusted to “sub” carriers, regular carriers attending only to
the delivery of mail. All “subs” receive thirty cents per hour and
their salary averages from $50 to $60 per month.
Carriers’ Moral Responsibility.
Carriers are not allowed to put letters into their own pockets to
carry them nor to throw away even the slightest piece of mail,
however valueless and unimportant it may appear. He must return to
the office everything that is undelivered, and after every trip
must bring back his satchel and his key, and make his comprehensive
written return in detail of the number and character of the pieces
handled by him. Every piece of mail entrusted to him has its
particular place and all must be arranged with system and order.
He is forbidden under all circumstances to return to any person
whatever letters deposited by them in the street mailing boxes from
which he makes collections, but if the sender of the letter wishes
it back, he must report to the postmaster through the head of his
division, and the postmaster has exclusive discretion to return it
to the writer.