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 Carley has worked with the United States Postal
Service for the past twenty-two years. He spent nine years working
in Springfield. Seven of those years Carley was a city carrier in
Springfield and the other two years, he served as a supervisor.
For just over thirteen years, Carley has worked at the Post Office
in Lincoln having been installed July 4th, 2008.
Carley said, “Lincoln is blessed with dedicated, hard-working
carriers and clerks. They show up and work hard; they care about
their customers and each other. It's fair to say it is a family
dynamic, but it's not just Lincoln; Emden, Hartsburg, Beason, Mount
Pulaski, and Lake Fork all report to Lincoln. Those employees are
also family. We all work together to deliver for all of Logan
County.”
The pandemic has presented challenges to everyone over the past year
including postal workers. Carley said the first and most obvious
[challenge] is the danger. Postal workers are front-line employees
who came to work every day during the pandemic.
Another challenge has been the workload. Carley said the volume of
packages has more than doubled over the last two years, and it does
not seem to be slowing down. Packages take longer to sort and
deliver than magazines and letters, so our workdays are longer.
Also, there have been staffing issues here, just like everywhere,
that we have all had to do extra work to complete our mission.
Carley said, “We are having a hard time hiring new employees; we
have vacancies if readers want jobs.”
In the position of National President of the United Postmasters and
Managers of America, Carley will represent 22,000 members, both
active and retired, in all aspects of their employment with the
United States Postal Service. Although not a union, UPMA is
consulted on pay and benefits, working conditions, and other work
environment issues. UPMA also educates its members regularly; we do
leadership training, conflict resolution, and management style
workshops.
Carley said “We also facilitate furthering education by the USPS
specifically for postmasters, supervisors, and managers. The Postal
Service cannot, by law, lobby Congress; as federal employees, we
cannot either directly. UPMA stands in that gap; we have a robust
legislative presence in Washington, DC, advocating for both the
Postal Service and UPMA members.”
Cannon, far
right, is now serving the Lincoln Post Office as officer in charge.
Supervisor Lee Cannon, a long-time resident of Lincoln and Post
Office employee, will act as officer in charge for the three years
Carley will be gone.
At his going away breakfast reception held on pink shirt picture
day, Friday Oct. 22, 2021, Carley commended his team for their
extraordinary work, particularly during the last two years of
pandemic. He said, “This is the best run unit. This is the best
performing unit. You guys move the most mail with the least amount
of hours in time expenditure. I’d put it up against any unit in the
country.
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“That’s not my doing. That’s you all’s doing. You
come to work and you work hard.
“I’ve appreciated every moment I’ve been here.”
He charged the workers with this last parting request, “What I would
ask is that you continue to show up and work hard while you’re here.
The postal service is a great place to work.
“It’s been nice to have been in a place this long and it’s nice to
have worked with a group of caring individuals such as yourselves.”
Carley concluded with this promise, “I will be back. On Nov. 1,
2024. Mark it on your calendar.”
With those words of inspiration said, he thanked the workers present
and said, ‘’Thanks for stopping your work and thinking of me today.”
And he kiddingly invited anyone free on Monday to come help him pack
to move.
As Carley embarks on this new adventure, he said, “I am looking
forward to the opportunity to travel with UPMA; we have members in
all 50 states and most other US territories. I enjoy the legislative
process and the interaction with our national lawmakers. I am also
looking forward to making a real difference in the lives of UPMA
members as I represent them.”
These next few years are likely to be full of adventure and
interesting experiences for Carley.
Link for careers in the postal service:
Careers - About.usps.com
[Angela Reiners/with contributions and photos by Jan Youngquist]
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