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My short-lived career as a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier

Language alert – Do not click to read the article if bad language offends you. 

So one day when I stopped by the local post office and saw a big banner that read, “We’re Hiring,” I thought, hey, why not?

Being a Rural Carrier Associate (RCA) didn’t sound half bad to me. I remember thinking how great it would be to spend my days working outside in the Florida sun, a warm breeze ruffling my hair as I delivered the mail from home to rural home. Just me and my truck on a scenic country road.

Too bad for me, it wasn’t like that at all.

  1. To the author: that dream job you hoped for in the beginning-it used to be that way ! I enjoyed your story and totally know where you’re coming from !

    • Hi, Sheri. It’s the author here. Thank you for your kind words. You hard-working rural carriers do a job that few others can. As I say in the article, you are all freaking warriors who have my undying respect. Good luck, God bless, and stay safe!

  2. I recently retired in June after 40 years as a rural carrier in West Virginia. After the new mail count in April I lost 6 thousand a year and was required to work six days a week running a hundred mile route. I was fed up working for these scumbags so I got out. Everything you said in your article is true. My advice to anyone working for these assholes is if you are young enough to start a new career, get out now. Don’t waste you life with these people. The only thing I miss about this job is my customers. I’ve watched generations grow up and became good friends with a lot of them.

    • $1000 a year… try $20,000 and work every day. Nope, got out after 28 years to a measly $800 annuity

  3. This happens to 99 outa 100 part timer rcas in every post office in America. Once they realize they actually gotta work, they all fail.

  4. If you’re an RCA or a regular, please print out the form at the bottom of this link, get some signatures at your office and send it in to the address in Southmont, NC ASAP.
    I’ve lost $14,000/year in pay, and my boxes and parcels have gone way up from a year ago. RRECS is evil and abusive.
    https://decertifynrlca.com/

    • NO! without the union we would be on minimum wage and no benefits. i am still a carrier at 71 and am a firm believer in the force of the unions.

      • Congrats to Anne who, at 71, has it going on! I was bullied out at 69 or else I would be right there with you. You have my admiration!

  5. We need a union that will contact us and give us information we should have. They should email at least. Where are they. Why are they not using labor lawyers to fight this. Should be able to fight it with all these fake numbers

  6. The job of a rural carrier is truly easy-peasy because they know their routes (repetitive each day!). What makes it unbearable is the bullying from the Postmaster who is miserable with his/her job!

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