2023 Rural Carrier Year in Review

Here we are at the end of another year, and what a year it has been for the rural craft. With the wrath of RRECS where 66% of all routes lost in evaluation, it has left a large part of the rural craft disillusioned with the USPS and with the NRLCA.

That, along with multiple pay problems that got the attention of some Congress members, carriers working their days off due to the inability of the USPS to hire leave replacements, and mail carrier robberies and attacks, it has made it a very tough year for rural carriers.

We can only hope this next year will be better. Read on to see the rural carrier year in review.

In Memoriam

A special look at those fellow rural carriers we lost this year. Click 0n their names to read their stories

Postal Vehicle Fires in 2023

On our sister site, Postaltimes.com, we have documented 38 postal vehicles fires this year.
We have been documenting these fires since 2017.

So far our tally is 213 since 2017

See the latest postal truck fires

RRECS – Rural Route Evaluated Compensation System

RRECS, RRECS, RRECS… What can we say about it? For most carriers, it seems to be an absolute disaster. Of course, the 28% of routes that went up or the 6% that stayed the same have no problems with it. And, to those of you that gained.. I get it. You feel like you are finally getting paid for what you do.

I continue to hear that so many that lost were milking the system for years, or they didn’t take it seriously, or they didn’t pay attention and so on. I get that too, and I am sure there are some that lost that fall into those categories, but 66% is a LOT for it just to be lazy carriers.

The devastation of this has spurred union decertification efforts, (See the NRLCA response, here and here), Congressional inquiries and spurred many longtime rural carriers to leave the postal service.

I still stand by my opinion that it should never have been implemented until all aspects were fully operational. They keep trying, but they still haven’t figured out how to cut routes or do other route adjustments. You have carriers out there delivering hundreds of boxes with no way to be paid for them until the next mail survey, which is every 6 months.

There have been multiple problems with intermediate offices, multiple zip code routes, and so many other rural carrier unique situations that were just thrown to the side just to get this thing implemented. Rural carriers are suffering because of it.

We can only hope that it can end up being a fair compensation system for rural carriers.  I have my doubts, but I would be excited to be proven wrong.

Now on to more year in review!

Reaction to RRECS

• Rural letter carriers in the US speak out after latest mail count continues massive wage cuts
• Latest round of rural carrier route evaluations maintains attack on US postal workers’ pay
• Rural Letter Carriers Receive New Route Changes
• Postal workers respond to founding statement of USPS rank-and-file committee
• US Postal Service workers found rank-and-file committee
• After Hefty Algorithmic Pay Cut, Rural Mail Carriers Are Getting ‘a Huge Slap In the Face’ From Union
• “It is beyond toxic. The morale is so low”: Texas rural letter carrier speaks out on terrible working conditions, massive pay cuts
• 45,000 USPS Workers Aren’t Getting Paid This Week Amidst Union Decertification Push
• From NRLCA – What happens if the NRLCA is decertified?
• USPS rural carriers union says members have more to lose than gain in decertification push

2023 Regular Carrier Pay History

2023 began at this rate.March 2023 COLA updateAugust 2023 COLA updateNovember 2023 increase

$70,435
(40 hour route at Step 12)

$70,643
(40 hour route at Step 12)

$71,642
(40 hour route at Step 12)

$72,462
(40 hour route at Step 12)

2023 RCA Pay History

2023 EMA History

91.5¢
April 8, 2023

95.0¢
July 1, 2023

98.0¢
October 7, 2023

95.0¢
December 30, 2023

Rural Carrier Heroes

• A rural carrier spotted a man in a puddle who needed medical help
• A rural carrier aided a feline in distress
• This rural carrier aided a customer stranded outdoors after falling and breaking her leg
• A rural carrier asked police to check on a customer whose life was in danger
• A rural carrier helped a customer who was stranded after a fall
• Rural carrier responded to a customer who fell in a barn
• This rural carrier provided first aid to an injured customer on her rural route
• This carrier located and reunited a lost, disoriented customer with his family
• She found $10K in cash — and turned it in
• This rural carrier saved a driver and her passenger from a vehicle fire

Ruralinfo in the year 2023

A few of the top things about Ruralino.net in 2023

Ruralinfo.net turned 18 years old

Not totally sure of the exact date I started Ruralinfo.net. The domain creation date was April 4th, 2007. I ran the website for about 2 years on a free Google website.. So this website is AT LEAST 18 years old..

Read More

We added new native mobile apps

Both our apple and android apps are ready for prime time.

Read More

So there you have it. The rural carrier year in review. I did my best to try to cover all of the important things but I am sure I missed something. I know this is long, but there are a lot of things to cover in a year.

If you haven’t already, please check out my favorite article of the year 😉

Most of you know I have been retired since October 2022 and yes, I absolutely recommend retirement as soon as you can. My stress level has plummeted and my husband and dog are happy to have me home every day..

Thanks to everyone for finding what I do worthy of reading and paying attention to. If not for rural carriers across the country, this website would never have become what it is.

I wish only the best for every rural carrier in this country. I want you to be fairly compensated and treated with dignity and respect. I want you all to get the information you deserve. I am still passionate about the rural craft, so I will keep Ruralinfo.net going as long as I feel it is still helping rural carriers.

Here is to a better year for you all in 2024. Whatever happens, I will be here to try to help keep you informed through it all.

With all of that being said, let me leave you with a few things coming up in 2024 that should be on your radar.

Things to keep on your radar

Leave Carryover

You can carry over 520 hours of accumulated annual leave from leave year 2023 to leave year 2024

The New Leave Year

The 2024 leave year begins January 13, 2024, extends for 26 full pay periods, and ends January 10, 2025

2024 Guarantee period

A new guarantee period for rural carriers will be effective in October.

Two Mini Mail Surveys coming in 2024

Rural routes will be evaluated every six months following the evaluation effective October 7th, 2023. The beginning of the first full pay period in April and October, respectively, will be the effective date of all future rural route evaluations.

RDWL signup opportunities in May and October

The first opportunity to sign the relief day work list will be three weeks prior to the beginning of the new guarantee period and will be effective at the beginning of the new guarantee period. The second opportunity to sign the relief day work list will be three weeks prior to the beginning of the first full pay period in May and will be effective the first full pay period in May.

Sunday/Holiday Parcel Delivery Work List Signup Oppurtunities in May and October

The first opportunity to sign the relief day work list will be three weeks prior to the beginning of the new guarantee period and will be effective at the beginning of the new guarantee period. The second opportunity to sign the relief day work list will be three weeks prior to the beginning of the first full pay period in May and will be effective the first full pay period in May.

NRLCA/USPS Contract Expires on May 20th, 2024

Unless otherwise provided, this Agreement shall be effective on March 23, 2022, and shall remain in full force and effect to and including 12 midnight May 20, 2024

Visit our other websites

Postaltimes.com
Click here

PostalRHD.com
Click here

PostalWorkerTees.com
Click here

RuralMailTalk.com
Click here

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