Saturday, October 10, 2009 3:14 AM EDT
Postal staff paid for nothing No-layoff clause leaves workers on 'dead time'
BY ANDREW LARSON REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
WATERBURY — Beyond the cavernous hallways on the second floor of the Post Office building downtown, 14 employees sit in a room where they watch movies, read books and magazines, play board games — anything to stay busy — during their eight-hour overnight shift.
The only rule of the standby room: They can't do any work.
"We're on dead time," said Donna Briglia, a mail processing clerk for 22 years.
As the Post Office moves mail processing from Waterbury to Wallingford, employees whose jobs involve operating and maintaining machines have nothing to do. By the end of October, when the move is complete, most mail processing clerks, mail handlers and maintenance workers will be on standby.
Because of a "no layoff" clause in the employees' union contract, the Post Office can't simply hand out pink slips. Instead, the employees are placed in the standby room while the federal agency tries to place them into new jobs.
In a special room for machine clerks on standby, a tabletop is scattered with DVDs. After the employees punch in at 11:30 p.m., they turn off the lights and begin a movie marathon.
Previously used as a training room, the standby room has a DVD player and VCR, but no cable.
Their favorite genres are horror and comedy. Comedy flicks — recent showings included "Meet the Parents" and "Why Did I Get Married?" — help improve morale.
"Some nights we watch two movies, some three, it just depends," Briglia said.
