USPS algorithmic system cuts rural letter carrier pay

The US Postal Service (USPS) was accused of developing an algorithmic system said to reduce the pay of most of its rural post carriers significantly, leading to accusations of shoddy development and implementation.

The USPS' new Rural Route Evaluated Compensation System (RRECS), which determines the annual salary and work schedule of rural mail carriers, has led to 66 percent of rural carriers, or some 100,000 workers, having their pay by thousands of dollars.

VICE reports that 'flaws' in its implementation have resulted in most workers unintentionally under-reporting the time it takes to deliver mail, resulting in pay cuts.

Three US senators have asked (pdf) the USPS to delay implementing RRECS, noting USPS is 'struggling to deliver mail to rural areas, due in part to an inability to recruit rural letter carriers.'

Legal, regulatory 👩🏼‍⚖️

• US Senators' letter (pdf)

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://www.vice.com/en/article/88xnbb/two-thirds-of-rural-mail-carriers-are-being-hit-with-a-massive-pay-cut-calculated-by-an-algorithm

• https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d9gqb/senators-call-on-usps-to-delay-controversial-pay-cut-for-rural-carriers-determined-by-mystery-algorithm

• https://www.reuters.com/world/us/senators-say-new-us-postal-service-pay-plan-will-cut-rural-worker-compensation-2023-05-05/

• https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/128wukd/im_a_postal_worker_i_took_a_25_pay_cut_today_help/

• https://prospect.org/labor/2023-04-21-rural-letter-carriers-reduced-pay/

• https://www.ruralinfo.net/preliminary-rrecs-evaluation-results-via-nrlca.html

• https://bestlifeonline.com/usps-carrier-pay-cuts-controversy-news/

• https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2023/05/pay-cuts-have-rural-letter-carriers-scared-and-outraged/386376/