Local Memorandum Of Understanding
Between
Jenkintown Post Office
And
Branch 157 National Association Of Letter Carriers
2006 - 2011
ITEM A
PREAMBLE
This Memorandum of Understanding is entered into on November 1, 2006 at
Jenkintown Post Office between the representatives of the United States Postal
Service, and the designated agent of the National Association of Letter Carriers
pursuant to the Local Implementation Provision of the 2001 - 2006 National
Agreement. This Memorandum of Understanding constitutes the entire agreement
relating to conditions of employment.
ARTICLE 8 SECTION 9
HOURS OF WORK
ITEM 1
WASH UP TIME
A supervisor shall be notified when an extra amount of wash up time is needed.
ARTICLE 41, SECTION 1-A-3
LETTER CARRIER CRAFT
ITEM 2
REGULAR WORK WEEK
All regular carriers will be on a fixed or rotating work schedule. Any
contemplated changes the Union will be notified and these changes will be made
by mutual consultation.
ARTICLE 5
PROHIBITION OF UNILATERAL ACTION
ITEM 3
CURTAILMENT OR TERMINATION OF POSTAL OPERATIONS
Management and the Union shall consult when there are possibilities of
curtailing postal operations, due to inclement weather, or any other unusual
circumstances that could be considered dangerous to the health and well being of
the carrier.
Page 1
ARTICLE 10
LEAVE
ITEM 4
FORMULATION OF LOCAL LEAVE PROGRAM
1. Annual Leave will be granted in accordance with the National Agreement.
2. Leave other than Prime Time leave, shall be submitted on Form 3971, and an
answer to the approval or disapproval of such a request shall be given within 24
hours.
3. Disapproval of any request for Annual Leave must be explained to the
employee, in writing on 3971 when submitted in duplicate by the disapproving
supervisor.
4. Once Annual Leave has been approved on Form 3971 by a s supervisor the same
may not be rescinded by any supervisor except in a serious emergency.
5. 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 employee from his duties. It
does not include events and activities planned in advance. An employee who is
unable to report for duty because of an emergency shall notify the Post Office
as soon as possible. Employees requesting such leave will be given individual
consideration. Documentation may be required for approval/disapproval.
6. Requests for LWOP or SWOP will be given individual consideration, in
accordance with 514.22 of the ELM.
7. 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 Blood Leave in accordance with the ELM 519.252
8. Union Officials requesting leave to participate in Official Union Activities
called by President of Branch 157 will not have said leave charged against the
Union Official’s vacation periods. It will, however, be charged against the 13%
or 15.5% overall allotment of leave to be granted to the Office.
Page 2
ARTICLE 10
LEAVE
ITEM 4
FORMULATION OF LOCAL LEAVE PROGRAM
(continued)
9. All Full Time and Part Time Flexible Carriers having earned annual leave at
the time of their requested leave period will receive a vacation during the
choice period. The number of Carriers programmed at one time will not exceed
15.5%. This percentage includes Carriers off on earned annual leave, military
leave, jury duty and convention leave. Percentages will be determined by the
“active carriers” on the rolls in each section as of March 1 of the year.
Carriers on extended sick leave, injured on duty, leave without pay are not to
be considered nor counted when calculating the percentage, provided they are out
more than 30 consecutive days prior to March 1. Figures of .5 or more are to be
rounded up to the next higher number.
ARTICLE 10
LEAVE
ITEM 4
EXCHANGE OF VACATION
Exchange of Annual Leave periods will be permitted only after all carriers
between the exchanges in the station have been polled by the Steward. Any
objections, cancels said exchange.
ITEM 4
CANCELLATIONS
Cancellations of choice vacation periods shall be posted for seven (7) days. If
less than seven (7) days remain before the beginning date of the cancelled
period, the vacation period shall be posted for the amount of time remaining.
Cancellations of choice vacation periods may only be bid by Carriers junior to
the Carrier who cancels their vacation. Posting of cancellations is predicated
on the basis that the person who cancels is in an active work status during the
cancelled period
Page 3
ARTICLE 10 SECTION 3C
LEAVE
ITEM 5
DURATION OF VACATION PERIOD
It is mutually agreed that the choice vacation period of each year will be made
up of 19 consecutive weeks as follows:
May 10 - September 21, 2008 May
08 - September 17, 2011
May 10 - September 19, 2009 May 13 - September 22, 2012
May 09 - September 18, 2010 May 12 - September 21, 2013
ARTICLE 10 SECTION 3E
LEAVE
ITEM 6
BEGINNING DAY OF VACATION
Vacations will start on Sunday and end on Sunday.
ARTICLE 10 SECTION 3-D-3
LEAVE
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.)
ARTICLE 10
LEAVE
ITEM 8
JURY DUTY, NATIONAL OR STATE CONVENTION AND MILITARY LEAVE
Carriers in need of theses types of leave during the period(s) for either the
Non-Prime Time Selection Period(s) or the Prime Time Selection Period are
required to notify Management as soon as practical. Carriers having the
seniority to get the leave are slotted in based on the applicable percentage (%)
and the number of Carriers permitted off. In the event they do not have the
seniority to be scheduled off, the leave will be granted over and above the
percentage (%). This is no loss to the Carrier(s) other selection(s) during the
choice period(s).
If a cancellation occurs involving the same period, then they move automatically
into that vacant slot. Jury Duty of less than a week does not apply to this
procedure. The above procedure also applies for requests made after the
selection period(s).
Page 4
ARTICLE 10
LEAVE
ITEM 9
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES OFF
The number of carriers granted Annual Leave during the prime time vacation
period shall be 15.5% of the established career complement as of March 1st of
each year. Any percentage of .5 or higher will be rounded up to the next higher
number.
All weeks not chosen by March 15th of each year will be available for incidental
leave and the percentages guaranteed when submitted 7 days in advance of the
starting date of the requested leave. Request not submitted 7 days in advance
can be approved/disapproved at the discretion of management. Request will be
filled on a first come first served basis by seniority.
ARTICLE 10
LEAVE
ITEM 10
OFFICIAL NOTICES
Supervisors in cooperation with NALC Steward will announce to the carriers no
later than February 1, that picking for vacation will be from March 1 thru to
March 15. A notice announcing the vacation period will be posted no later than
February 1.
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 a reasonable opportunity to
select.
The vacation schedule will be posted on the bulletin board. A duplicate copy of
the employees 3971 vacation period will be returned signed by management at the
end of the bidding period.
Page 5
ARTICLE 10 SECTION 4-A
LEAVE
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 days.
ARTICLE 10 SECTION 3-D-4
LEAVE
ITEM 12
NON PRIME TIME
On January 2nd of each year, each section will determine the active carrier
force. This figure will not include Carriers on Leave Without Pay, injured on
duty and those on extended sick leave, provided they are out more than 30
consecutive days prior to January 2nd. Thirteen (13) percent of the active
Carriers in each selection will be permitted annual leave consistent with the
following guidelines:
A. Thirteen percent (13%) figure includes Carriers on jury duty, convention
leave and military leave. Percentages of or more than .5 will be rounded off to
the next highest number.
B. 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.
C. Leave request can be submitted at any time. Leave will be granted subject to
the above provisions provided the allotted number of carriers are not already
off and all provisions of this local agreement are met.
D. Leave slips will be accepted at any time throughout the year for periods up
to six months in advance.
E. Same day requests will be approved/disapproved within two (2) hours.
Page 6
ARTICLE 11 SECTION 6
HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
ITEM 13
HOLIDAY SCHEDULING
Holiday work shall be implemented as follows: Transitional Employees, part time flexibles to
work first, then volunteers on their non-scheduled day, volunteers on their
holiday, non-volunteers on non-scheduled, and then non-volunteer on holiday
according to juniority.
ARTICLE 8 SECTION 5-B
OVERTIME ASSIGNMENT
ITEM 14
OVERTIME DESIRED LIST
The Overtime Desired List will be on an office wide basis, according to craft.
The letter carriers craft will be known as one (1) section for overtime
purposes. Letter Carriers will be allowed to remove their names from the
overtime desired list. This must be done in writing and will go into effect
after the day in question.
ARTICLE 13 SECTION 3
LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION
ITEM 15 & 16
LIGHT DUTY
Management is fully aware of our responsibilities under Article 13 of the
National Agreement and will make every effort to accommodate any employee who is
placed in a light duty status by an approved medical person based on
restrictions by that person.
ARTICLE 13 SECTION 3
ASSIGNMENT OF ILL OR INJURED EMPLOYEES
ITEM 17
Ill or injured employees will be given any craft assignments based on their
medical restrictions.
ARTICLE 12 SECTION 5-C-4
REASSIGNMENTS
ITEM 18
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 the final determination.
Page 7
ARTICLE 20
PARKING
ITEM 19
There are currently no available parking spaces at the Jenkintown Post Office.
Management will notify the Shop Steward when spaces become available on the
Postal Premises.
ARTICLE 10
LEAVE
ITEM 20
COVERED IN ITEM 8
ARTICLE 17
REPRESENTATION
ITEM 21
A copy of posted notices or communications issued by the employer relating to
policy or matters which effect the letter carrier craft will be furnished to the
steward prior to 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, furnishing each other with
an Agenda.
It is agreed that agenda items for discussion at all Labor Management Meetings
will be exchanged by the parties to this agreement at least three full workdays
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 meeting will not be held.
All items agreed to will be in writing and signed by both parties.
Branch 157 will be notified 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.
Page 8
ARTICLE 17
REPRESENTATION (continued)
ITEM 21
Stewards and supervisors will be cooperative 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.
Representatives 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.
ARTICLE 19 M-39 M-41
HANDBOOKS AND MANUALS
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.
ARTICLE 14
SAFETY & HEALTH
ITEM 21
AIR CONDITIONING
The Heating and Air Conditioning will be properly maintained and serviced under
OSHA Guidelines.
Article 41
LETTER CARRIER CRAFT
ITEM 21
INSPECTION OF OPF
1. A letter carrier will, upon request, have the right to inspect his Official
Personnel Folder in the supervisors presence.
2. Upon the employees request, the Branch President and/or his designee may
accompany the employee during the inspection.
3. Employees will be able to obtain copies of all material placed in his folder
at his expense.
Page 9
ARTICLE 12
PRINCIPALS OF SENIORITY, POSTING AND ASSIGNMENTS
ITEM 21
SENIORITY LISTS
An updated seniority list of all letter carriers at this installation will be
posted on employee bulletin boards.
ARTICLE 41 SECTION 1
LETTER CARRIER CRAFT
ITEM 21
POSTING AND BIDDING
A. Letter carriers applying for an assignment shall make a bidon P.S. Form 1717
(pink card) and placed in the bid box duringthe period for which the route is
posted. The bid box will be opened in the presence of a Union Representative of
Branch 157.
B. The senior applicant for a vacant assignment will be placed in the assignment
within 15 days of the closing of bids, except in December, when the successful
bidder will be placed on his new assignment on the first work day of January.
C. 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 the Local Memorandum of Understanding.
D. All full time carrier vacancies will be posted for 10 days.
ARTICLE 41 SECTION 1-5
LETTER CARRIER CRAFT
ITEM 21
ASSIGNMENTS
When there is a change of more than 1 hour in the starting time of a route, or a
change in a fixed/rotating non work day the decision to post or not to post will
be made after a consultation between management, the Union, and the carrier
involved.
Page 10
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.
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 of 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.
Page 11
ARTICLE 41 SECTION 2-B-4
LETTER CARRIER CRAFT
ITEM 21
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 the schedule of work days
of the full time carrier whose assignment is being covered.
SECTION 3-O
When a letter carrier route or full time assignments, other than the letter
carrier route(s) or full time duty assignment(s) of the 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 procedures in the Article.
ARTICLE 19 M-39
HANDBOOKS AND MANUALS
BREAKS
On July 21 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 in accordance with
the National Agreement.
ITEM 22
Seniority will prevail in all instances concerning this Local Memorandum of
Understanding.
Page 12
Pursuant to Article XXX of the National Agreement the Articles negotiated at the
Local level and those Articles brought forth from previous Local Memorandums of
Understanding constitute the entire Agreement between Branch 157, National
Association of Letter Carriers and the Jenkintown Post Office.
Robert Heasley Jack Geoghegan
Postmaster President
Jenkintown Post Office Branch 157. N.A.L.C.
Jenkintown, Pa. 19046 Philadelphia, Pa.
November 1, 2002 November 1, 2002
Page 13