Postal Service Mismanagement

Consumer groups and the public have every right to protest against the proposed postage hike (Part A, March 7) but they should focus on the real problem facing the Postal Service--mismanagement.

It is no coincidence that an announcement for a 5-cent hike is made only four months before negotiations for a contract begin affecting over 500,000 workers. This timing is an effective media ploy to draw rage from the public against postal workers. Accusations of laziness and overpaid civil servants rise and open animosity is molded to suit the strategy of management.

Mangement wastes millions of dollars. Management improperly schedules, forces overtime for some and denies overtime to others. A classic example of mismanagement happens daily. Middle-wage level workers are assigned to do lower level work while higher-wage level employees replace them. This does not make sense!

Management spends millions fighting workers and their union. The bosses hire big-priced consultants, and secure studies to tell them what the world already knows--the problem with the Postal Service is its management.

Postal workers are often victims of mismanagement. Most postal workers take pride in their job and try to give quality service despite adverse working conditions. Lowering delivery standards and increasing postage do not appear to make good business sense. I want to make sure that multimillion-dollar commercial on TV means what it says--we deliver for you.

Asking for a postage increase right before contract talks start is not going to deter employees from seeking a reasonable pay package. But lowering delivery standards and grabbing more money from consumers should indicate what workers are faced with when dealing with postal management.

OMAR M. GONZALEZ

General President

Los Angeles Local

American Postal Workers Union