LMOU
The National Postal Mail Handlers Union
1998 Lehigh Valley
Local Memorandum
of Understanding
Frank Phillips Brian Bond
Lehigh Valley P&DC
A. Wash-Up Time
Management recognizes that on occasion an employee may be exposed to dirty working conditions and/or hazardous materials, which may warrant additional wash-up times. A basic wash-up period of 5 minutes prior to lunch and the end of tour will be given as a regular wash-up period. In cases where the exposure to dirty conditions and/or hazardous materials, management will exercise flexibility to allow additional time.
B. Emergency conditions
Both parties recognize that on occasion, emergency conditions may exist which would encourage the employer to consider the curtailment of the mail. In case of such Emergency conditions the employer shall, prior to making a decision to curtail the mail, take into consideration the following factors:
1. The degree of emergency as stated and acted upon by responsible government.
2. The requirements and reactions of its customers to the emergency.
3. The accessibility of postal operations and its customers to the employer and employee.
4. The safety and health of its employees and its obligations to its customers.
When local emergency conditions warrant wholesale closing of businesses and other local industries, and if public transportation is sharply curtailed, if and when management has and confirmed news about local emergency conditions in the Lehigh Valley area, management in good faith will disseminate this information to employees on duty regarding orders of local authority or as local conditions warrant.
Whenever any alleged explosive device has been discovered or a threat made against the facility, the facility shall follow the local Standard Operating Procedures.
The employer will notify the Administrative Vice President or his/her designee of this union in accordance with its plan and what steps of implementation which are to be taken.
C. Leave
1. For bidding purposes all Mail Handlers will be divided into two groups according to the seniority list at the beginning of the leave year.
2. After the first group has been awarded their bid weeks, the leave board will be posted to enable the following group to observe the weeks open for bidding. This posting will be for a period of at least 3 days.
3. A notice inviting bids from employees in Group #1 will be posted on January 21st of each leave year. Group #1 shall have two weeks to bid for choice vacation. After the posting period provided for in Item 2, there will be a two week period for submission of bids from Group #2. This posting will be updated with in 3 days after Group #2 submissions.
4. After the initial bidding and if there are still vacant weeks in or out of the choice period, such weeks will be filled on a first-come first-serve basis with seniority deciding if bids are received on the same day. All groups must have one bid opportunity before any weeks are awarded to persons failing to submit a bid within the allotted time.
5. All Mail Handlers should use the form provided by management when applying for full weeks in the choice period. Forms will be mailed to each employee.
6. Any full bid weeks may be surrendered for reasons acceptable to management and this Union. Such full bid weeks shall be posted for 5 days to all Mail Handlers who are junior to the employee relinquishing the week.
7. The leave week begins with Monday and ends with Sunday.
8. Applications for annual leave of 8 hrs. or less must be properly submitted. Properly submitted is defined as the immediate supervisor having initialed and annotated date and time received in Signature of Supervisor and Date Notified blocks of Form 3971. Any properly submitted request not answered within 2 hours will be considered approved, unless the employee has waived the time limit.
9. Incidental leave, Percentages of leave granted for 8 hrs. or less, shall be 10% by tour until all bids are posted, approved FLMA leave will not be charged to this percentage. Mail Handlers in non-bargaining unit assignments of one week or more will not be used in these percentage. The bid weeks of July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s – the number of Mail Handlers allowed incidental leave during these bid weeks will be a total of three (3), plant wide.
10. Except in emergencies, properly submitted requests on Form 3971 for annual leave of more than one day but less than a week must be submitted 2 days prior to the first day requested. Approval or disapproval must come withing 24 hours when this condition is met. Otherwise, the request will be considered approved unless the time limit has been waived by the employee.
11. The maximum number of employees to be granted leave in each week during the leave year will be 13.6% of the total Mail Handler complement on the rolls at the beginning of each leave year.
12. Approved military leave in excess of two weeks, and FLMA leave will not be charged to the choice vacation period.
13. Leave number will be rounded off to th nearest whole number, i.e. .5 rounded off to 1 and .4 or less rounded off to 0.
14. In the event of a problem related to coverage arising from the number and category of Mail Handlers off on any particular week, the MDO or his/her designee will meet with the AVP of the facility or his/her designee in an attempt to resolve the issue.
15. Each Mail Handler shall receive written notification for the choice vacation period within 48 hours after the submission of PS Form 3971 or such leave will be considered approved. Mail Handlers shall have 14 days after each posting to submit Form 3971. (Mail Handlers must have sufficient leave to cover the awarded bid week.) If Mail Handlers do not submit Form 3971 within the 14 day period their Annual Leave may be forfeited.
D. Duration of the Choice Vacation Period
The Choice Vacation period shall be from the first full week of May, through the last full week of September, along with the week in November in which Thanksgiving falls, the first week of December, the week of Christmas and New Year’s and the first week in January. Christmas week shall be Dec. 26th through Jan. 1st, New Year’s Eve week shall be Jan. 1st through Jan. 8th.
E. The Beginning of the employees Vacation Period
If the employee so selects, they may check the block on the bid form which indicates the beginning day of the Mail Handlers vacation period, and the vacation period will start on the first scheduled day succeeding the employees drop days. The employee will bid accordingly i.e. if the employee has drop days of T/F the employee will bid the subsequent week starting with Saturday.
F. Choice Vacation, 2 Selections of 5 or 10 working days
In the choice period an employee may, at his/her option, request two or three consecutive weeks or two selections of either 5 or 10 working days, the total not to exceed the 10 or 15 days he/she is entitled to in accordance with Article X of the National Agreement. Selection of three individual weeks in the choice period is not permitted.
G. Jury Duty and National and State Conventions
Attendance of not more than TWO Union officers at jury duty and attendance at National and State conventions shall not be charged to the Choice Vacation Period.
H. See Item C (11)
I. Official Notice of Vacation Schedule Approved for Each Mail Handler
Each Mail Handler shall receive notification via the bid board for the choice vacation period, granted to him/her no later than three (3) days after the final date of submission.
J. See Item C (3)
K. See Item C (4)
L. Overtime Desired List
1. The Overtime Desired List will be established by Tour. Employees desiring overtime may request to have their names put on the “A” List (for after their regular scheduled tour) or the “B” List (for before their regular tour) or the “C” List or their non-scheduled days). If any Mail Handler changes shifts, drop days or hours of work, or a Part-time Flexible employee is converted to full-time regular; they shall have 10 days from their effective date of placement to place their names on the respective lists.
2. To enhance job satisfaction and to promote a productive workforce, employees will not be required to work more than 8 hours on a drop day or more than 10 hours on a regularly schedule day. Except in December and in case of an “Emergency”. An employee may verbally volunteer to exceed this time frame. The definition of Emergency is listed in Article 1.6 of the National Contract.
3. Management shall notify employees on duty as far in advance as possible (defined by one hour) when overtime is available and required. No employee shall be required to work overtime unless a one hour advance notice is given. This is not in effect during the month of December or in “Emergency Situations”. An employee may voluntarily waive such a request ( this shall not apply to those who volunteer for overtime).
4. Any Mail Handler on the Overtime Desired List may remove their name from the ODL by notifying management in writing, at least 24 hours in advance. Mail Handlers must work any already scheduled overtime.
5. Mail Handlers on leave during the “Sign Up Period” shall be given two days to sign the Overtime Desired List. The sign up period is 14 days in accordance with Article 8.5 of the National Agreement.
6. Management will not penalize Union officials on Official Union Business, from working overtime.
M. Light Duty Jobs Reserved for Temporary and Permanent Light Duty Assignment
1. Stripping of flats and letters.
2. Sack hanging.
3. Rejects.
4. Damaged letters and parcels.
5. Storing empty containers.
6. Sweeping trailers.
7. Floor count of pallets and containers.
Any additional information and duties that vary per tour, to be arranged by the MDO and Steward.
N. Method of Reserving Light Duty Assignments
The US Postal Service and the Union recognize their responsibility to aid and assist
PTF and full-time Regular employees who through illness or injury are unable to perform their regularly assigned duties. The Installation Head shall show the greatest consideration for these employees, giving each request the careful consideration on each Tour. Management, if work cannot be found on that individual’s tour, then a tour with available work can be offered. The providing of an opportunity of reassignment will be contingent upon:
a.The availability of appropriate work, and/or,
b. The assignment should not adversely affect any member of the regular workforce.
1. To the greatest extent possible, the employer will keep the light duty assignments as close as possible to the employee’s regular work hour, tour, and facility.
2. If it is determined that additional assignments need to be identified during the term of the Local Memorandum, allowances will be made to discuss these issues before the employer and the Union.
3. Efforts should be made to identify situations in which a Mail Handler’s CURRENT duty assignments will be modified to meet his/her medical restrictions.
4. At regularly scheduled Labor/Management meetings, the topic/discussion of additional light duty assignments is appropriate, if so required.
O. See Item M
P. See Item S
Q. Parking
Will remain status quo.
R. See Item G
S. Article 12 Items
Article 12, Section 12.3
Article 12, Section 12.3E3e
Article 12, Section 12.3B5
Article 12, Section 12.4
Article 12, Section 12.3C
Article 12, Section 12.6C4a
a.All full-time Regular Mail Handlers will have bid assignments, unless unassigned.
b. Temorary Reassignment out of bid assignments is by the junior employee.
c.Postings
1. The successful bidder shall be placed in his/her new assignment within 15 days after the closing date of the posting, except during the month of December.
2. All vacant or newly established craft duty assignments shall be posted for employees of the craft eligible bid within ten (10) days after a determination has been made that the position is not to be reverted.
3. The bids shall include the duty assignment and other information as outlined in Article 12, Section 12.3D.
4. Within ten (ten) days after the closing date for the posting, the installation head shall post a notice stating the successful bidder and his/her seniority date.
5. Copies of bid assignments and bid award notices shall be sent to the Administrative Vice President, Local 308, Lehigh Valley.
6. In the event a Mail Handler job is broken up, and if the job still remains 50% or more of the former duties, the Mail Handler holding the job shall automatically remain in that job.
7. Mail Handlers have the option to bid on as many positions as desired. If more than one position is bid on, bid number should state preference individually on PS form 1717A, stating order of preference.
8. The senior qualified bidder meeting the qualification standards established for a specific position shall be designated the successful bidder within ten (10) days after the closing date for the posting, except for those postings requiring review of qualifications.
9. Bids awarded during the month of December, the qualified bidder shall be placed in the new assignment no later than the second week in January.
10. An updated roster listing all employees by craft in order of seniority at the Lehigh Valley P & DC shall be posted every three (3) months. Tour copies of roster shall be sent to the Local Administrative Vice President of the NPMHU.
11. The AVP of this facility shall be given an employee file update report on all Mail Handler actions including 620 and 610 classified employees. Listing all personnel actions within the previous period. Such information shall include, but not limited to, such subjects as hiring, transfers, termination, promotion, etc..
12. Vacancies in assignments shall be posted within ten (10) days after determination has been made the position is not to be reverted and shall remain open for a period of ten (10) calendar days. Successful bidders shall normally be assigned to their duties within fifteen (15) calendar days after announcement of the names of successful bidders, except in the month of December.
13. Vacant bid assignments shall be posted once, if a job goes no bid, an assignment shall be made.
14. Copies of all posted notices affecting the Mail Handler craft shall be sent to the AVP of this facility.
15. The movement of full-time regular employees within the installation, will be by juniority.
16. Full-time regular Mail Handlers on overtime will be moved prior to full-time regular Mail Handlers on their regularly scheduled day. Courtesy shall be given to Mail Handlers on overtime, if the need arises to move an employee from an area it shall be by the junior full-time Mail Handler on overtime. Casuals and PTF Mail Handlers will be moved prior to any full-time regular employee on overtime.
17. Any change in starting time that exceeds one (1) hour shall be posted for bid, except when there is a permanent change in starting time of more than one hour and less than four (4) hours, the incumbent shall have the option to accept such new reporting time. If the incumbent does not accept the new reporting time, the assignment will be posted for bud.
Seniority and Reassignment
Notices shall be posted for ten (10) days on the employee’s bulletin board inviting applications from any full-time mail handler desiring to work the holiday and/or day designated as his/her holiday. In addition, the volunteer list shall have separate non-scheduled days in which that individual may volunteer to work as needed by the employer. The notice shall request that employees submit their names in writing to the supervisor no later than 3 weeks prior to the quarter in which the holiday falls. No Mail Handlers will be assigned the detail of a 204B on any Mail Handlers designated holiday when regular full-time Mail Handlers are being forced in.
Definition of a Section.
The definition of a section shall be by tour.
Chris Smith Brian Bond