As usual, a certain poster is trying to be a know-it-all. Trying to tell me what I know and what I don't know but coming as close as possible to call me a liar. Fortunately for me, I kept all my old pay stubs, so I can prove all I said about U.S.P.S. More so, anyone can ask those who worked along side me about those 84 hrs weeks. Here is how it works: when I first started it was 10 pm to 10 am schedule with 30 minutes for "lunch", in addition to two paid 10 min. "coffee breaks".
This equal to a 40 hr.work week. The 3 1/2 hours of overtime each day equal 16 1/2 hrs. (we are now at 40 + 16.5 = 56.5) Then there is the two "suppose to be" off days of 11 1/2 hours (equal to 23 hrs.) So now we are at 56.5 + 23 = 79.5 hrs of accountable time. Where does this 84 hrs. come into play, you ask?
Easy, just do this 12 hrs. from clock-in until clock-out X 7 days = 84.
Illegal? What a laugh! Just tell that to all the deaf/hearing co-workers who suffered and lost their families along side me. I'm not saying it was always like this but it took years to cut back on MANDATORY overtime and off-days/holiday work.
Even then, the rules of must be allow to have one off-day a week were suspended during the month of December.
I'm also not saying that postal workers had an exclusive harsh working condition because I do know other jobs are just as demanding of the elements. I'm only making the point that a certain poster is saying I did not earn my retirement and I know all postal workers did earn every penny.
I've explain in my reply to Cheetah just what I think entitlement is and make no excuse for thinking this way. It is base on my experience with the people receiving assistance. I have meet those worthy and those unworthy. I look at it this way: every entitlement program is necessary for those truly deserving of assistance. I agree with Cheetah that both sides of the coin people cheating the programs and the programs short-changing people need an overhaul.
I'm not an expert on SSDI/SSI but having been around many, many deaf and knowing their life stories, I've form an opinion based on what they shared with me.