Pros
Steady income. Health benefits. Career opportunity. Union protection. Moderate physical activity.
Cons
Working weekends is required. Sorting and delivering different routes every day leads to very long days (10-12 + hours). Getting a regular route (doing the sane route every day) takes years of seniority. Management can be careless, incompetent, and/or deceptive when entering work hours. RCAs must keep excellent records and regularly audit their own paychecks. The union’s primary mission is to keep its members employed, even if that means defending someone who should be fired. That also means they are bound by their mission to oppose any technology or procedural change that might make the carriers more efficient, potentially eliminating positions. The Peter Principle, combined with the US Government’s affirmative action policy, has placed a lot of under qualified individuals in management positions. The reliance on seniority over skills, keeps under qualified people in positions indefinitely.
