According to a new inspector general (IG) audit, the U.S. Postal Service has not taken the opportunity provided to it by its labor union to save roughly $30.6 million.
The American Postal Workers Union agreed in May 2011 to streamline the post office by making two classes of workers, non-traditional full-time (NTFT) employees, whose work hours would range between 30 and 48 hours weekly, and whose start times and days off could change every week, and non-career postal support employees (PSE) who would be paid less and have no guaranteed regular hours.
The problem is this: For the first five months of fiscal 2013, the number of NTFT clerks averaged about 3,630, but the number of those the post office could use could range as high as 33,340. The number of PSE employees is roughly 8,000, which is two-thirds of what could be implemented. If the post office had taken full advantage of the possible numbers, it could have saved $30.6 million.
The IG said employees were not eager to apply for NTFT jobs, and postal officials said they cannot force employees to take them.
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