Company “Picnic” 2008
By Key | July 15, 2008
Eight months after the closure of the Modesto REC, employees gathered together for the REC’s thirteenth annual company picnic.
Of course without a budget some adjustments had to be made, so this year a room was reserved at the REC’s local Round Table Pizza for Sunday, June 29.
The invitation site evite.com was utilized to get the word out, and nineteen people logged on to confirm their attendance.
More than double that showed up, and the restaurant crew was surprised to see such a full house on a Sunday afternoon.
Many ex-coworkers who had not seen on another in many months spent hours catching up with their friends.
The get-together began at 1pm and the last group did not leave until after 5!
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Modesto REC: Star Wars Style
By Key | June 22, 2008
It’s too big to post fit here in a blog post, but please click this link to see your special invitation to the get-together next Sunday at Round Table Pizza.
UPDATE: The link above connects to a site that was suddenly shut down. Sorry about that. Basically it was a reminder about the Modesto REC get-together on Sunday, June 29, 1pm at Round Table Pizza in Century Center (Oakdale & Orangeburg). Hope you can make it!
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Going to Work at Modesto REC
By Key | June 11, 2008
Here’s a video made in July of 2007. It’s a simple point-of-view walk from the outside courtyard to the supervisor’s desk at about 12:30 in the afternoon.
Topics: Pictures | No Comments »
SHOCK! Selma REC Closing Announced
By Key | May 18, 2008
On Wednesday, May 14, employees of the Selma Remote Encoding Center learned that they are to be cast out in this year’s round of REC closures. An online video news report concerning this event can be viewed at the ABC HDTV Fresno website (watch it now, as these don’t stay online for long).
In addition to Selma, keyers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania likewise received the same bad news. The announcement came as a great shock in Selma, even to upper management, as it was assumed the Fort Wayne, Indiana REC would be the other one to go this year. Selma had become the “expert” in processing the difficult Change of Address forms, and some say the Postal Service will experience difficulty in 2008 getting another REC to match their performance in that area.
If one browses the “Remote Encoding Center Employees” section of the PostalMag.com forums, they will find posts expressing the same mix of emotions experienced by Modesto REC employees this time last year. Unfortunately, a few of the Selma victims ARE former Modesto REC employees going through the same thing all over again. Our prayers are with you.
Topics: Announcements | No Comments »
Sad News
By Key | January 16, 2008
Hello everyone, this is Teri Cantieni. Very sad news, one of our dearest friend’s and fellow employee has passed away at the tender age of 58, her name is Marti Mazza. For those of us that knew and loved her there is a huge sense of loss again too soon after our family was torn apart. Her service will be held Friday, January 18 at 9:00 a.m. at St. Stanislaus Church on the corner of 7th and J Street. Salas Brothers Funeral Home is handling the funeral arrangements. There will be no viewing, just a memorial service Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. She is to be cremated. For those of you who would like to pay your respects to her family I have put all of the information in this message.
Hug your family members and friends and let them know exactly how much they mean to you and how much you love them, believe me you can never say it too much. In closing, I miss being in the REC dysfunctional family fold but such is life. Let’s do our best to keep in touch.
Say a prayer for our friend Marti and her family, for I know they must be reeling from the sheer sadness and loss. Everyone take care of yourselves, and lets try not to forget what we have in our friends, colleagues, and other such individuals you either respect or you don’t, just try to think good thoughts.
Marti rest in peace sweetie you will be missed far more than words can say.
With much love and respect,
Your friend, Teri Cantieni
From Key: Anyone have a picture of Marti they would like to share? Email it to Key at this website.
Topics: Announcements | No Comments »
Ghost of REC Christmas Past
By Key | December 24, 2007
From the Christmas season of 2001:
Topics: Pictures | No Comments »
An Empty REC
By Key | December 14, 2007
These photographs were taken today:
Topics: Pictures | No Comments »
Christmas Schedule Announcement
By Key | December 4, 2007
Topics: Announcements | No Comments »
…and Then There Was One
By Key | November 30, 2007
Today marked the farewell to the final ETs of the Modesto REC. Since the final day of keying, technicians Terry and Lauren have been hard at work disassembling the complicated equipment and wiring that made the Modesto REC the electronic marvel that it was. Their tasks have now been completed and the materials that made up the system have been laid bare for different divisions of the U.S. Postal Service to fight over. Tomorrow will find our former ETs assigned to the Stockton plant.
This leaves the Modesto REC with one final employee, the woman who hired most of us: Sherri. As the final supervisor, she now has the thankless task of babysitting the building and the departure of the remaining equipment for the next month or so. As Dan and Chris have attested, it’s not fun being assigned to an empty building for weeks on end. She is currently set to start her next assignment on December 21 at the Hudson station (although she would like transfer sooner if possible).
Afterwards, it is rumored the U.S. Postal Service might utilize the building as a jumbo storage shed until the lease runs out in February. Then it will fall back into the hands of Stanislaus County where any number of things are possible.
In the meantime, the lights surrounding the outside still turn on at night. As you pass by on Oakdale Road, one can still catch a glimpse of the picnic table behind the chain link fence. If you do you might catch yourself wondering when the next break will be called…
Topics: REC History | No Comments »
It’s A Wrap!
By Key | October 30, 2007
Our REC went out with a bang on it’s final night, as the Modesto area felt the effects of a 5.6 magnitude earthquake that struck just after 8 pm. The crew was startled, but work continued as always.
Evidently, the mail volume sent by Oxnard on Monday was heavier than expected, so there was some thought that perhaps a crew might have to come in on Halloween after all. But that was not to be, as tonight Oxnard reported that they were too understaffed to process all their mail for Tuesday. At 8:45 pm, final supervisor Natalie told the crew they could “clock out and go home” for the last time.
As she was preparing her reports, a few more images snuck through the system as has often happened. So she sat down to key them out herself, and at precisely 10 pm Natalie keyed out the Modesto REC’s final image, a beloved NAME + NUMBER query. Her reward for this momentous accomplishment? She is now unemployed like so many of us. But a special ModestoREC.com thanks to Natalie for her detailed report on the last night so we could all know how it ended.
Now the Modesto REC is “off the grid” as far as the Postal Service is concerned. A couple of ET’s and a supervisor will remain there for about four to six weeks to take apart and move the equipment (aided by a crew from Siemens). After that the building will be back in the hands of Stanislaus County.
But this isn’t the end of ModestoREC.com. There are still a number of articles to post about REC history, as well as some other surprises! Please keep checking back because this website shall continue. Also, please join our MySpace Group, it is very handy tool for keeping connected!
The REC may be closed, but we’ll always be friends!
Topics: REC History | No Comments »
The Final Day
By Key | October 30, 2007
This is it, the last operation day for The Modesto REC. The plan is, between 1:30pm and midnight, all remaining fifteen keyers are scheduled to key out the final images for Oxnard.
A few are scheduled for tomorrow on the off-chance that tonight’s crew doesn’t finish the job, but the expectation is that they will finish. Tonight one DCO will key out the final image of Modesto REC.
Topics: REC History | No Comments »
Final Week Pictures
By Key | October 29, 2007
Topics: Pictures | No Comments »
A Farewell to the REC from Sandy
By Key | October 28, 2007
Topics: Pictures | No Comments »
Further Career Farewells
By Key | October 27, 2007
Friday, October 26 was the end of another U.S. Postal Service pay period, the juncture point at which transfers occur. This particular period that ended was the final for which the REC would be fully operational, and any careers not staying past the end point had to move on.
Janette and Dan both ended a long tour at Modesto REC on this date. Janette started as a DCO who successfully moved up the ranks, while Dan was the REC’s first supervisor who helped set up the facility months before the first operation day back in 1995.
Chloressa likewise completed years of service as the much appreciated secretary. Here she is completing one of her final tasks for the REC, disposing of the remnants of the break room’s free reading material. Anyone looking to rescue that favorite 1997 issue of “Computer Shopper” might have a chance if they get to the dumpster quick enough.
It was also a last day for career keyer Laura, who you can see in the July 21 post. She had briefly transferred out but returned to become the longest surviving FTR DCO at Modesto REC.
Topics: REC History | No Comments »
Seven Day Countdown to the End
By Key | October 23, 2007
In case you haven’t heard, the final keying day has been pushed back one more time, to October 30. So tomorrow is the REC’s last operational Wednesday and so forth until Tuesday, the final day of Modesto REC.
Tour 1 ended about ten days ago, so the REC now closes every night about midnight. A few more pay locations were laid off today (the final day of keying Stockton), and the final schedule now fits on one sheet of paper. At this stage, the busiest time of day is like the graveyard shift on a Sunday night. The consensus amongst those who are remaining to the end is: This is depressing.
Topics: REC History | No Comments »