ABSTRACT
The official job of the letter carrier is to sort incoming mail for those on his route, to deliver it, to collect mail deposited in collection boxes along his route, and to perform various duties associated with these activities. The carrier applicant who passes the Civil Service examination and accepts employment is first appointed as a substitute carrier. The substitute carrier with seniority is promoted to a salaried regular carrier position and temporarily assigned to the vacant route. The mounted carrier and the unmounted carrier are at an equal level in the official hierarchies. The mounted carrier receives a car allowance, overtime pay, and help from substitute carriers. Associated with the prestige hierarchy is a privilege hierarchy reinforced by a power hierarchy. These unofficial hierarchies are supplementary to the official hierarchies. Other studies in industrial sociology have described the emergence of some of these unofficial hierarchies.
