Jobs... the US Post Office is deparate to fill 400 openings in San Francisco

[ultrarunner]

USPS is considering operating a van pool to bus in workers as it cannot fill vacancies.

Interesting times we live in.

I remember when applicants for Post Office jobs greatly outnumbered the positions available...

United States Postal Service Career Opportunity Hiring Event Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

 

[plowhog]

If those are Bay Area jobs I understand why.

When I grew up, $100K a year was EZ-street. Now it's poverty level in the Bay Area, all things considered.

A good job is a good job, but it in many ways is a failing and failed organization. Congress thinks they can run a business using 535 managers-- it isn't working.

 

[Einthewoods]

$16 an hour living within driving distance of SF. That's funny. Not surprising California can even screw up a job like the USPS.

 

[japody]

The ad is misleading. It lists all of the benefits for career employees. However, the positions they are hiring for, city carrier assistants, are NOT career positions. They will have few, if any, benefits. The number of applicants that make it through the initial training is very low once they find out the rigors of the job and no benefits. The pay isn't enough of an impetus to stay.

 

[vvanders]

$16 an hour living within driving distance of SF. That's funny. Not surprising California can even screw up a job like the USPS.

California is a big state, not sure I'd lump the rest in with the bay area given that it's a fairly unique area(although Seattle is looking to follow it pretty shortly here).

Like others have said, not surprising they can't find anyone to fill the positions. If you're not in the right parts of tech/finance in that area you'll find the cost of living will eat you alive.

 

[ultrarunner]

It is not just SF... here in the East Bay we have letter carriers delivering with flashlights after dark recently...

This link is about shortage in Oakland...

Mail carriers in East Bay working late into night due to staffing shortage | abc7news.com

Berkeley mail delivery prompts tidal wave of complaints — Berkeleyside

Postal service struggles leave Bay Area residents searching for their mail – The Mercury News

I can't find the SF Link...

 

[Wagtail]

One of the major problems with employment, particularly in rural jobs, is that many youths are not getting their drivers licence until later in life. Well into their 20's, if at all. So not only can they not get to a place of employment, unless there is some form of public/job transport, but they're restricted in operating motorised equipment.

They then move to the 'Big Smoke' where there may be jobs with public transport access, but then find that the living expenses being close to work is 'prohibitive'. But they're "here now" and don't move on to where the work is.

They're their own worse enemy.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

All jobs where the employer requires a pre-employment drug/alcohol test are going begging here in Puget Sound. This has bloomed exponentially since marijuana has been legalized. Now they are begging that they should be a protected class. King County and Seattle are embarked on ignoring the use of hard drugs, seems they encourage it with free heroin and places to shoot up. Drugs and alcohol are allowed in their public operated homeless camps. Sad commentary on our society.

Drug testing has become so controversial that union contract are starting to put the testing in the hands of the union. They send out certified drug free workers that takes the employer off the hook till safety requirements require testing after hiring. You wonder how well this is policed until an accident on the job triggers a mandatory drug test and the union contract allows immediate dismissal.


Ron

 

[ultrarunner]

Years ago my contractor friend would not hire anyone without a clean DMV record... eliminated 90% because they were not able to drive his company trucks with DUI being very prevalent...

Drug Testing is a huge problem in California that has only become worse since the legalization of recreational Pot...

Good business for the occupational medicine clinics... they also do a lot of hair samples so even it if has been awhile you still test positive.

I had to do it once when the Hospital was bought... almost walked out and I have never ever "Sampled" anything... just the principal of having to give a sample with someone on the other side of a partition was offensive to me.

The new mayor of SF is pushing for legalized injection sites... for IV drug users... the amount of people shooting up in public and especially taking over public transportation is overwhelming... plus the used needles left in the parks where kids play...

Drug Users Take Over Corridors Of San Francisco BART Station << CBS San Francisco

Eye Popping Incredible Video of conditions I have seen first hand...

Yesterday the California State Controller was in an unmarked CHP vehicle that was rear ended... caused a traffic mess... the driver that caused the accident was stoned... per the reporter.

 

[goeduck]

King County and Seattle are embarked on ignoring the use of hard drugs, seems they encourage it with free heroin and places to shoot up. Drugs and alcohol are allowed in their public operated homeless camps. Sad commentary on our society.

Totally agree, I wish we could ship Seattle along with the rest of King County to CA where they belong. Oh, throw in Port Townsend too. We would then be the only conservative state on the Left Coast.

 

[vvanders]

I think you're blowing Seattle out of proportion, I could care less on legalization but Seattle isn't the only Washington city with issues, heck Longview has it much, much worse in some ways with the opioid epidemic down here.

When my wife caught her fingers in the door and we went to the hospital they accused me of doing it just to get my hands on painkillers, then refused to give her anything more than Tylenol. Broke her fingertip in multiple places and all they were worried about was that we were trying to score drugs. At least in Seattle(or Vancouver WA) you can get decent health care!

I spent a fair bit of time in both cities and I can tell you things are much worse off down here in SW WA. Take away Boeing and all the tech industries and you'll leave the state in a pretty bad shape. It's stark to see the difference between Vancouver which has a pretty thriving economy and everything north of Woodland.

Also why does it have to be conservative vs liberal? Can't it just be WA vs the rest of the world?

 

[ultrarunner]

There have been times when Olympia reminded me of Berkeley California...

I have always thought Vancouver BC reminds me more of SF than Seattle.

Not sure where Portland fits in the mix.

As far as I know there isn't the same shortage of letter carriers in other areas outside of the SF Bay Area...

Growing up we had neighbors and friends that were career letter carriers... the family I bought my first home from bought it new in 1922 and was ever grateful to work for the Post Office during the Depression.

 

[bcp]

I think you're blowing Seattle out of proportion, I could care less on legalization but Seattle isn't the only Washington city with issues, heck Longview has it much, much worse in some ways with the opioid epidemic down here.

Wasn't Longview mainly a logging town, and the logging is now mostly gone?

Bruce

 

[TractorGuy]

I wonder if the feds are still using their discriminatory practices? I attempted to apply at the post office in my 20s and was told I couldn't fill out an application unless I was a veteran. Later in life I was offered a position at a federal prison but couldn't qualify for that because I was over 37.

 

[Bird]

Aaah, yes. The world is constantly changing. I was a part time temporary letter carries in Plano, TX, starting just before I was 18 years old. And then I was a regular clerk in the Dallas, TX, Post Office for exactly 5 years, starting in March, 1959. The salary for a clerk was an even $2 an hour with a 10% night differential for all hours worked between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

And after 5 years, I became a police officer in Dallas, with a starting salary of $370 a month.

And I've never had to take a drug test. Of course, I'd never seen marijuana or known anyone who used it before I became a police officer. And I didn't know anyone who used any illegal drugs, unless you count alcohol.

I didn't know the Post Office ever REQUIRED an applicant to be a veteran, although they did get a 10 point preference on the written exam in my days.

 

[RickB]

The ad is misleading. It lists all of the benefits for career employees. However, the positions they are hiring for, city carrier assistants, are NOT career positions. They will have few, if any, benefits. The number of applicants that make it through the initial training is very low once they find out the rigors of the job and no benefits. The pay isn't enough of an impetus to stay.

That痴 very accurate.

 

[goeduck]

Also why does it have to be conservative vs liberal?

It does not have to be if liberals would just be conservative :thumbsup:

Opps, got into politics, back to the subject of the thread....

 

[aczlan]

I didn't know the Post Office ever REQUIRED an applicant to be a veteran, although they did get a 10 point preference on the written exam in my days.

Probably as a white male, there wasn't a chance of making it in unless you had the added points of being a veteran.
As such, you could apply, but it was wasting your time unless you were a veteran.

Aaron Z

 

[japody]

Probably as a white male, there wasn't a chance of making it in unless you had the added points of being a veteran.
As such, you could apply, but it was wasting your time unless you were a veteran.

Aaron Z

After 1970, when the Post Office Department became the Postal Service, the hiring was solely based on your test score. Did not matter if you were white, black, male, female, tall, short, skinny fat, etc. Vets did get an additional 10 points added to their scores.

 

[goeduck]

After 1970, when the Post Office Department became the Postal Service, the hiring was solely based on your test score. Did not matter if you were white, black, male, female, tall, short, skinny fat, etc. Vets did get an additional 10 points added to their scores.

I am guessing that is not the hiring criteria today.