Local Memorandum of Understanding
Between
Abington Post Office
and
Branch 157 National Association of Letter Carriers
2006 - 2011
Item A
Article 1
Recognition
This Memorandum of Understanding is entered into on November 1, 2006 at Abington
Post Office between the representatives of the United State Postal Service and
the designated agent of the National Association of Letter Carriers pursuant to
the Local Implementation provision of the2001-2006 National Agreement. This
Memorandum of Understanding constitutes the entire agreement relating to the
local conditions of employment.
Item 1
Wash Up Time
Each Letter Carrier will be granted a reasonable amount of time to wash up prior
to leaving for the street and his end of tour. A Supervisor shall be notified
when an extra amount of wash up time is needed.
Item 2
Regular Work Week
All Regular Carriers will be on a fixed or rotating work schedule, as presently
exists. Any contemplated changes the Union will be notified and these changes
will be made by mutual agreement.
Item 3
Curtailment of Termination of Postal Operations
It is recognized by both parties that on occasion emergency conditions may exist
which would cause management to consider the curtailing or services such as,
weather extremes, civil defense alerts, bomb scares, no heat in winter, no
lighting or excessive temperatures. In such cases, management will take into
consideration the following factors in order.
A. The safety and health of the employee.
B. The emergency as stated by and acted upon by other Governmental Authorities.
C. Management will consult with the Union before implementation of any action.
If local conditions warrant the non-delivery of mail or closing of the office,
the employee will not be charged with Annual Leave unless requested by the
employee. (Work must be made available).
Item 4
Formulation of Local Leave Program
1. Annual Leave will be granted in increments of units, hours, days and weeks.
2. Annual Leave will be granted throughout the year.
3. All requests for Annual Leave will be approved or disapproved within 24
hours. A triplicate 3971 will be marked by the supervisor received. The
duplicate 3971 will be returned to the letter carrier at the end of the 24 hour
period, marked approved or disapproved. Where no action has been taken within
this period, the request for leave will be automatically approved.
4. Disapproval or any request for Annual Leave must be explained to the
employee, in writing, by the disapproving supervisor and stating “Service
Needs”, will not be an acceptable explanation.
5. Once Annual Leave has been approved on Form 3971 by a supervisor, the same
may not be rescinded by any supervisor except in a serious emergency.
6. Emergency Annual Leave will be granted at any time throughout the year
including December. Emergency Leave is defined as Leave which is requested when
unforeseen events necessitate the absence of the activities planned in advance.
An employee who is unable to report as possible. Employees requesting such leave
will not be carried AWOL or TARDY pending approval/disapproval.
7. All requests for LWOP will be granted same consideration as applications for
personal leave, in accordance with ELM 514.22. Employees requesting such leave
will not be carried AWOL pending approval/disapproval.
8. Blood Leave - It is agreed that employees excused from their regular tour of
duty to make
donations to the Red Cross or other non-profit blood bank will receive
Administrative Leave in accordance with ELM 519.25.
9. One Union Official requesting Annual Leave or Leave Without Pay to attend an
official union activity throughout the year will have such leave granted. If
known in advance it will be considered part of the Non-Prime Time percentage.
However, every effort will be made to grant such leave if the maximum number of
people are already off. It will not be charged to the Prime Time Vacation
Period.
10. The practice of excusing employees from duty on all Religious Holidays and
other special occasions to the fullest extent possible will be continued.
11. All Full Time Regular and Part Time Flexibles will receive a vacation during
the choice period, if requested.
Item 4
Formulation of Local Leave Program
Exchange of Vacation
Exchange of Annual Leave periods will be permitted only after all carriers
senior to the exchanges in the station have been offered said period.
Item 4
Formulation of Local Leave Program
Cancellations
Cancellations of choice vacation periods will be posted for five [5] days.
If less than five [5] days remain before the beginning date of the cancelled
period, the vacation will be posted for the amount of time remaining.
Cancellations of choice vacation periods may first be bid by carriers junior to
the carrier who cancels his vacation. If no junior carriers bid on the cancelled
vacation a senior carrier can bid, in this instance seniority will prevail.
Item 5
Duration of Prime Vacation
The prime vacation period will be the third full week in May to the last full
week in September.
Item 6
Beginning Day of Vacation
Vacations will start on Sunday and end on Sunday.
Item 7
Selection of Weeks
Employees may at their option select two choices during Prime Time in units of
either 5 or 10 working days. The total not to exceed the 10 or 15 days. (2 weeks
plus 1 week or 3 in a row.)
Item 8
Jury Duty, National or State Convention
Jury Duty will not be charged to the Choice Vacation Period. National or State
Conventions will not be charged as a pick or a selection during the Choice
Vacation Period. It will however be considered part of the percentage. One (1)
additional carrier will be permitted off over and above the percentage if they
did not have the seniority to make the selection.
Item 9
Number of Employees Off
The number of carriers off each week during prime time vacation will be 16% of
the Station Compliment as of February 1st of each year. Percentages of .5 or
higher will be rounded off to the next higher number.
Item 10
Official Notices
Supervisors in cooperation with the NALC Steward will announce to the carriers
no later than January 1st that picking for vacations will be from February 1 to
February 15. A notice announcing the vacation period will be posted no later
than February 15.
When the number of carriers off each week is determined, the supervisor will
make a chart with 1 space for each carrier permitted off for each week of the
vacation period. Starting on the first day of the picking period, the senior
carrier will select his vacation and the remaining carriers will make selections
in descending seniority. The supervisor will contact each carrier who is IOD,
extended illness, detailed etc., and no carrier will be permitted to select
until the carrier senior to him has been given his opportunity to select.
Carriers not prepared to select when contacted will be bypassed till they are
ready to select.
The vacation schedule will be posted on the bulletin board. A duplicate copy of
the employees vacation period will be returned signed by management at the end of
the bidding period, February 15.
Item 11
Beginning of New Leave Year
No later than November 1 of each year management will notify all carrier craft
employees of the beginning of the new leave year. A written notice of this will
be posted on all employee bulletin boards. This notice will be announced to the
carriers for three (3) consecutive work days.
Item 12
Non Prime Time
On December 15th of each year this installation will determine the active
carrier force. 8% of the active carrier complement will granted leave consistent
with the following guidelines:
A. Leave will be approved on a first come first served basis except where
requests are submitted on the same date at which time seniority will prevail.
B. Leave requests can be submitted at any time.
C. Percentages of .5 or higher will be rounded off to the next higher number.
D. Leave requests submitted at least five (5) days prior to the day or days
requested will granted up to the allowable percentages of each period.
E. Same day leave request will be approved/disapproved within two (2) hours.
On December 1 thru 7 leave slips will be accepted for the period January 1 thru
to the beginning of Prime Time.
On August 1 thru 7 leave slips will be accepted for the period from the end of
Prime Time to December 31.
All leave slips accepted during the periods above will be considered as received
on the same day and seniority will prevail.
Christmas Week 10%
December 26 to January 2, 2008
December 26 to January 2, 2011
December 26 to January 2, 2009 December 26 to January 2, 2012
December 26 to January 2, 2010 December 26 to January 2, 2013
Thanksgiving Week 10%
Easter Week 10%
From Sunday before Easter to Easter Sunday.
Item 13
Holiday Scheduling
The following procedures will be followed when selecting carriers to work on
holidays.
1. Transitional Employees, even if overtime is necessary.
2. Part Time Flexibles, even if overtime is necessary.
3. Full Time Regular Volunteers who work their non-scheduled day.
4. Full Time Regular Volunteers who work their holiday.
5. Full Time Regular Non-Volunteers by juniority.
Item 14
Overtime Desired List
The overtime list will be on an office wide basis, according to craft, for Full
Time Regular Letter Carriers. Overtime for Part Time Flexibles will be
distributed as equitably as possible.
Letter Carriers will be allowed to remove their names from the Overtime Desired
List once (1) during the quarter. This must be done in writing and will go into
effect the next working day after the contested OT.
Item 15
Number of Light Duty Assignments
Every effort will be made to provide light duty work for all letter carriers in
accordance with his/her medical restrictions and work available.
Item 16
Light Duty Which Conflicts
Any Light Duty assignments which conflicts with the regular carrier force will
be done in accordance with article XIII of the National Agreement.
Item 17
Identification of Light Duty Assignments
It is agreed that Light Duty assignments for Letter Carriers may include but are
not limited to:
A. Casing and strapping out of a route or routes.
B. Assisting other routes setting up mail.
C. Relabeling carrier cases.
D. Rewriting or lining out of Form 3982's.
E. Rewriting carrier route book.
F. Maintenance of delivery service equipment.
G. Training new employees.
H. Casing curtailed and/or backlogged mail on other routes.
I. Any other duties which in the future could be deemed as Light Duty in the
Carrier Craft.
Item 18
Reassignments
It is agreed that this Post Office will be known as an installation. It is
further agreed that when it is necessary to reassign within this installation,
employees who are excess to the needs, management will meet with the Union to
present the facts. This will be done prior to final determination.
Item 19
Parking
All Letter Carriers shall have access to the available parking facilities of the
Post Office.
Item 21
Representation
A copy of posted notices or communications issued by the employer or to
employees relating to policy or matters which effect the employees and/or the
Letter Carrier Craft will be furnished to the steward prior to, at the time of
issuance.
The stewards will be afforded prompt, proper and due recognition by all
supervisory personnel and management officials in carrying out their duties,
responsibilities and obligations under this Memorandum of Understanding and the
National Agreement.
The parties of this agreement will meet each quarter except in the fourth
quarter the meeting will be held in November along with the Christmas Meeting.
The meeting will convene at a time mutually agreed upon by the Union and
Management.
There will be no more than two members of each craft at any Labor Management
Meeting.
Two additional meetings may be held each year with one member of each craft on
the clock. Dates will be set by mutual consent.
It is agreed that agenda items for discussion at all Labor Managements will be
exchanged by the parties to this agreement at least 3 full work days before the
scheduled meeting. Items not placed on such agendas will be discussed at the end
of the meeting. If no agendas are exchanged it will be understood that the
meetings will not be held.
All items agreed to will be in writing and signed by both parties.
Branch 157 will be consulted prior to the designation of employees to all local
committees where applicable by the Postmaster and/or his staff. Letter Carrier
members of all committees will be designated by the President of Branch 157.
Committee Meetings will be held on the clock.
Item 21
Representation
(continued)
The President of Branch 157 will be notified at least 24 hours prior to any
pre-employment orientation program for new employees and said President (or his
designee) will be provided ample opportunity to address such new employee or
employees.
Upon request to the appropriate supervisor, the steward may be permitted to
enter into any work location where a problem has been reported involving
personnel policy and practices or any other matter effecting terms or conditions
of employment of any employee or employees he represents for the purpose of
resolving the problem with the employee or employees and/or the supervisor or
supervisors involved.
Such attempts at resolution will be conducted on the clock during the steward
(or his designee) regularly scheduled work day.
The steward or alternate of Branch 157 will be consulted by the Postmaster or
his designee, on all personnel actions concerning members of the Letter
Carrier Craft.
Stewards and supervisors will cooperate to the fullest extent in furthering the
good of the service and the employee’s welfare by keeping employees currently
informed of any changes in policy or procedure by the method of periodic
discussions on the workroom floor. Employees will be on the clock for the time
necessary.
Representation of Branch 157 will have the right to the use of Post Office
telephones for the purpose of performing and engaging in official Union duties
and any business related to the collective bargaining agreement and the Local
Memorandum of Understanding.
Item 21
Route Inspections
All carriers will be notified 2 weeks in advance of route inspections and at
that time will be given a copy of printed instructions and sample forms.
Item 21
Uniforms
Carriers will be permitted to take their outer shirts off when working within
the confines of the building, providing they are not in full view of the public.
Item 21
Comfort and Lunch Stops
When there are no suitable places to take a comfort and/or lunch stop on a
route, a Letter Carrier will have the right to travel outside his route where
accommodations are available. Such travel will be discussed with the supervisor
so that suitable locations may be designated.
Breaks
On July 21st of each year the Union will determine whether both breaks are on
the street or one is in the office and the other on the street.
Item 21
Air Conditioning
The air conditioning will be properly maintained and serviced according to OSHA
regulations.
Item 21
Inspection of OPF
1. A Letter Carrier will, upon request, have the right to inspect his official
personnel folder.
2. Upon the employees request the Branch President and/or his designee may
accompany the employee during the inspection.
3. Employee will be able to obtain copies of all materials placed in his/her
folder.
Item 22
Seniority Lists
An updated seniority list of all Letter Carriers at this installation will be
posted on employee bulletin boards. The list will be updated once every six
months (January 1 and July 1) or when there is a personnel change, whichever
comes first.
Item 22
Posting and Bidding
A. When two or more vacancies occur in a station at the same time, they shall be
posted and bid one at a time, but not less than five (5) days apart.
B. Letter Carriers applying for an assignment shall make a sealed bid in writing
to the supervisor in charge of the installation during the period for which the
notice is posted and opened in the presence of a Union Representative of Branch
157.
C. The senior applicant for a vacant assignment will be placed in the assignment
within 15 days of the closing of bids, unless on leave except in December, when
the successful bidder will be placed on his new assignment on the first work day
of January.
D. Utility T-6 and reserve (float) letter carrier vacancies will be posted for
bid in the same manner and subject to the same provisions as provided in this
article of this Local Memorandum of Understanding.
E. All Full Time Carrier vacancies, will be posted for 10 days.
Item 22
Assignments
When there is a change of more than 1 hour in the starting time of a route the
decision to post or not to post will be done by mutual consent.
Regular Carrier Working His Non-Scheduled Day
In the event a regular assigned carrier is requested to work on his
non-scheduled day, he will be assigned to work his own route. A reserve carrier
(float) is covering one of the routes on the utilities string, he will be bumped
on a daily basis, regardless of it being a holddown. This bumping will also
happen to a part time flexible who may be filling in for a vacancy or a holddown.
Below is listed the exception to the duration clause and the bumping procedure
to be followed:
Article 41, Section 2 B 5
A. Full Time Reserve and unassigned carriers who have insufficient work for
eight hours bump part time flexibles on temporary bid assignments.
B. Full Time Regular Carriers, who are called in to work their own route on
their non-scheduled day, bump their utility or T-6 carriers, who then bump a
reserve, unassigned or part time flexible carrier holding a temporary bid
assignment on one of the four routes on the utility or T-6 string. However,
there is no bumping if there is an open route on the string.
Article 41, Section 2 B 5
(continued)
C. There is not eight hours of work in the delivery unit for a reserve or
unassigned who may bump a part time flexible holding a temporary bid assignment
rather than be reassigned to another delivery unit where there is eight hours of
work.
D. A Reserve or unassigned carrier is the successful bidder or a permanent
vacant duty assignment.
E. A Part Time Flexible Carrier is converted to a permanent route vacancy.
F. Reserve and unassigned carriers bid on permanent route vacancies. Reserve
carriers, by virtue of having craft full time duty assignments, may not be
arbitrarily moved from their permanent or temporary bid assignments. Unassigned
carriers may be assigned to permanent route vacancies after their temporary bid
assignments have ended.
G. If nothing is available in the utility string, he will choose vacant
assignments with his seniority.
Item 22
Assignments
Part Time Flexibles
Part Time Flexible employees may use their seniority to bid for their vacation
period and for available temporary assignments of five or more days. As
successful bidders, they assume the hours of duty and schedule of work days of
the full time carrier whose assignment is being covered.
Section 3-0
When a letter carrier route or full time assignments, other than the letter
carrier route(s) or full time duty assignment(s) of th junior employee(s), is
abolished at a delivery unit as a result of, but not limited to, route
adjustments, highways, housing projects, all routes and full time duty
assignments at that unit held by letter carriers who are junior to the carrier(s)
whose route(s) or full time duty assignments was abolished shall be posted for
bid in accordance with the posting procedure in the articles.
Pursuant to Article XXX of the National Agreement the Articles negotiated at the
Local Level and those Articles brought forth from previous Local Memorandum of
Understanding constitutes the entire Agreement between Branch 157, National
Association of Letter Carriers and the Abington Post Office.
John Kiley, Postmaster
William McKinney, President
Abington Post Office Keystone Branch 157, NALC
Abington, PA Philadelphia, PA
November 1, 2006 November 1, 2006