Why Aren't CCAs Staying?

Why Aren’t CCAs Staying?

By Dioenis D. Perez

Long Island, NY, Branch 202 Vice President and Syosset Postmaster



Keeping city carrier assistants (CCAs) is a concern that has been lingering for years, yet it continues to rear its ugly head. It continues throughout many states where the cost of living is expensive.

Naturally, the NALC has input as to what our hiring levels/limits will be during collective bargaining. Besides the obvious question as to why we allow them to dictate how many CCAs we can hire, perhaps someone at Postal Service Headquarters can provide an answer.

We all know the challenges of prime time and providing service while not having a workforce with many CCAs. You and I are answering the frustrated phone calls from customers at 7 p.m., informing them they will receive mail today.

I understand there are many areas/states that do not have this issue; $17 an hour in states with lower costs of living is considered to be a decent wage. However, this wage doesn’t work well in other places where it’s more expensive to live.

EAS employees in the field suffer because they can’t meet their NPA retention rates, while paying out overtime and V-time affects their NPA Total Operating Expenses. The carriers complain after a while because they are beat up and tired of working. Also, not being able to retain CCAs prevents us from earning a PFP payout if we are struggling in other NPA categories.

If you live and work in a state where $17 an hour and no benefits will keep a CCA gainfully employed, you are fortunate. Otherwise, I feel your pain and so do our customers.

What’s my solution?