Category: Local Issues

(This information originated from our South Jersey Area Local Director of Associate Offices, Mike Wright)

I highlighted two items that are very important. It seems every office has the same issue, staffing. The previous District Manager, Webster, allegedly instructed the pre-arb people not to settle any  reversion or abolishment grievances. With the new DM who starts this week also from the Harrisburg area, I don’t expect much to change. Their strategy is to tie these grievances up for years to help them reach the 16,000 jobs in the clerk craft they want to eliminate.

• Abolishment, elimination of a held position.
• Reversion, elimination of a vacant position.
• Make sure management uses the correct term, Abolish v Reversion, when trying to eliminate a position (37.1.E) , grieve if incorrect terminology is used.
• Management has 21 days to slot an unencumbered employee into a residual vacancy (37.4.C.1)
• Contact your Local if there are any changes to a position, management could be setting up for a reversion or abolishment.
• Grieve all abolishments, were people working productively? , make sure there was no “stand-by” time used.
• Check employees base code when a job is identified to be abolished.
• Goldberg Award, cite in every abolishment/reversion grievance.
• Remedy for abolished/reverted positions, two grievances, the actual abolish/reversion, out of schedule
• Changing of drop days or times is a repost, not an abolishment
• File grievances if PSEs are working 30+ hours a week continuously (4-6 month period) under 37.3.A.1 to create desirable duty assignment
• During interview, lead management into admitting the decision was based on “earned hours” which goes against the contract which cites “actual hours”
• Meaningful input as cited in 37.3.A.2, meeting, information such as mail volume.
• “Normal” Remedy at Step 1 for an improper reversion, post job as it was, ask for out of schedule every time.
• If management sends the notice of reversion late in the proper cycle (28 days) , ask for as much information close the end of the said 28 days to make it difficult for management to properly make a timely decision. Cite Arbitrator King/ H94C-4H-C98002133
• Use injured employees working in clerk craft as part of all available hours
• If a Step 2 settlement is made for 1.6 or 7 issues, the “boiler plate” language should be not included or crossed off settlement page.
• Do not indefinitely hold any abolishment or reversion grievances at Step 2
• EL-312, 211.3 Evaluating vacancies, installation head must make the decision for reversion.
• PSE discipline does not carry over when promoted to career, it has to be argued, make the carry over argument since they start a new probation period, cannot carry over leave.
• USPS goal is to reduce 16,000 jobs in Function 4 and Function 1
• Cite Article 34 in reversion/abolishment arguments where management relies on “earned” work hours
• Non-revenue transactions should be given to window clerk at least once every 30 minutes, a good example of these are nixie accountables. Have the window clerks scan with the RSS under “Numbered Mail Pick Up” , then as “Undeliverable”
• Data and charts from MDAT should be presented at Step 2
• Emit employees that use a lot of leave from MDAT reports
• MDAT, green hours are unearned hours
• Never run FTR by themselves
• Always have supporting documentation for manually inputted MDAT hours
• Postmasters in Level 18s should have multiple close outs daily, if there is only one close out hours should be charged from time Postmaster logs in until they close out.