Episode
Episode 119: The Workroom Floor Trap: DOIS, 3996s, Deems Desirable & Holiday Scheduling
- Podcast
- Hot House with Richie Ray
- Published
- Jun 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2033
- Processing state
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Summary
In this powerful episode of Hot House with Richie Ray , we break down some of the biggest traps management uses against letter carriers on the workroom floor. We expose thetruth about DOIS and why it is nothing more than a management estimate not a contractual standard, notdiscipline, and not the final word on your workload. We explain why the PS Form 3996 is one of the most important protections a carrier has and why management cannot deny it simply because “DOIS says so.” Using the former Branch 99 Auxiliary Assistance Policy ,we walk carriers step-by-step on how to properly request overtime or auxiliary help, what to say when management pushes back, and how to protect yourself when they refuse to make a decision. We explain the danger of bad DOIS practices how they create false route data, overburden routes, pressure unsafe work habits, and destroy future route adjustments. We also dive into Deems Desirable what it really means, how management abuses it, when it crosses the line intoharassment or retaliation, and how stewards should attack it through the grievance procedure. Then we tackle Holiday Scheduling , the pecking order, management manipulation, bypassing volunteers, forcingnon-volunteers improperly, and how to file strong Article 11 and Article 8 grievances when management ignores the contract. This episode is about more than forms and procedures. It’s about understanding your rights, protecting your route, exposing management’s abuse of technology, and reminding carriers that the contract not a computer runs the workroom floor. Knowledge is power. And if we know the contract, management loses the trap.