[img]583|left|Eric L. Wattree||no_popup[/img]As a government agency the U. S. Postal Service should be at the forefront of the fight to protect employee rights.
For decades, Presidents and government officials have been lecturing countries all over the world regarding the need to protect human rights. Yet, the evidence shows that our very own Postal Service is running what can only be described as a latter-day plantation, with the Office of Inspector General, the agency directly mandated to protect employees, in direct collusion.
What makes the present case so egregious is, as mentioned in part I, the victim is the mother of a master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. While he is defending this nation, his own government is robbing, abusing, and victimizing his single mother whom he left behind at home.
In part I, I described how the Los Angeles District of the Postal Service blatantly, and repeatedly, falsified government documents to rob an employee, Joann Snow, of rightfully earned wages. Ms. Snow was routinely coerced into working between four and six hours per day without pay. After Ms. Snow had the audacity to hit the clock her manager used her government-provided access to the time system to falsify the records and to insert three-hour lunch periods Ms. Snow had not taken.
When the manager’s activity was reported to the Office of Inspector General, a Special Agent contacted the employee in an aggressive and unsympathetic manner that further intimidated Ms. Snow. The agent indicated that having to work overtime without pay went with the job, in direct contradiction to employee contracts, the law, and postal regulations.
Not Our Business?
The agent indicated to this columnist that the OIG doesn't generally get involved in time issues. Thereafter, I contacted his office to inquire as to whose office would investigate the “time issue” if the situation were reversed and Ms. Snow were only working eight hours but paying herself for 12. Thereafter, he cut off contact in spite of the fact that I left six messages on his voice mail.
Further evidence of collusion between the OIG and the post office was that Ms. Snow's manager later repeated words stated in the complaint that were to have been held in strict confidence by the OIG.
That led to Ms. Snow being demoted by the manager who, by the way, wasn't even a postal employee until six years after Ms. Snow was an active and productive supervisor.
While informing Ms. Snow of her demotion, the manager said, “I just want you to see how it feels when the postal service doesn't appreciate all that you've done for them.” The manager had just recently been demoted from area manager herself. So her words suggested she was penalizing Ms. Snow for her own demotion.
Is it possible that Ms. Snow was demoted for an infraction or incompetence, and her manager's actions are being misinterpreted?
One of Ms. Snow's former managers contacted me and said the following:
“I was the Manager of Customer Service at Bicentennial Station in Los Angeles from 1997 until I retired in 2001. I was Ms. Snow's manager during this time. Prior to coming to Bicentennial Station, the two previous managers, Lloyd Curtis and James Barnett, had apprised me of Ms. Snow's supervisory skills and total dedication to duty and company. Upon coming to the unit, I was not disappointed. I found all they had told me concerning Ms. Snow was true. Ms. Snow was one of my closing and weekend supervisors. She had an exceptional knowledge of the overall operation and excelled at running a difficult unit. She required little to no supervision. She could be counted on to work beyond what was normally considered an average work day without complaint. She always finished her assignments, no matter how long her day was extended. This included weekends. She has excellent interpersonal skills, which you need supervising the diverse workforce at Bicentennial Station. Ms. Snow exceeded my expectations relative to handling my business customers and resolving complaints. In addition to all of this, Ms. Snow would routinely call the office on her scheduled off day to see how things were going and offer her assistance if needed. Joann Snow proved to be an invaluable asset. Even now in retirement, I often think of her and thank her when I talk to her for helping make my tour at Bicentennial successful
“Sincerely, Eugene Jeffries .”
(To be continued)
Mr. Wattree may be contacted at wattree@verizon.net and ewattree@Gmail.com
You may learn more about Mr. Wattree at wattree.blogspot.com
Religious bigotry: It’s not that I hate everybody who doesn’t look, think and act like me. It’s just that God does
