It’s Happening Everywhere

(The articles comes from the publication Postal Worker West April 2018)

The articles tell you what’s going on in the west coast. There’s a good article titled, “HANDLING THE MONSTER AT WORK”. This is just proves that the same things happening here in our local, is happening across the nation.

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Things To Know About Article 12

(These notes were compiled by Mike Wright from the Tri-State Conference 2018 held in Pittsburgh, PA)

Below are just some bullet points of the information covered in the Article 12 class held at the 2018 Tri-State Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. If you would like to get further information or training materials from the Tri-State, please contact the main office at: 586-228-8090

You can also download this document right HERE.

 

·         Article 12 Primary Principle: Dislocation and inconvenience shall be kept to a minimum, consistent with the needs of the service.

·         PSEs and Article 12: In order to minimize the impact, the Employer agrees to separate, to the extent possible, PSEs working in the affected craft and installation prior to excessing any regular employee in that craft out of the installation. 

·         PSEs and Article 12 (cont’d): Management shall identify duty assignments within the appropriate radius held by Postal Support Employees (PSEs) which shall be made available for the reassignment of excessing career employees.

·         Comparative Work Hour Report (CWHR) is now automatically provided by Area after 45 days with updated JCIM language, mist be provided to the Union after 45 days of the excessing event

·         Look at Planned OT on the Work Hour Impact Report (WHIR) vs the number of employees planned to be impacted

·         Keep filing 37.3.A.1 in facilities where PSEs are working close to 40 to create “landing spots” for impacted employees

·         An employee may not be excessed for failing to bid on any NTFT duty assignment

·         The Nolan Award: The Postal Service may not reassign into a full-time carrier craft position any NTFT clerk craft employee who does not meet the definition of full-time employee specified in the Postal Service’s Agreement with the NALC.

·         The Goldberg Award: When Postal Service intends to reassign an excessed employee to a position across craft lines under the provisions of Article 12, it must determine, prior to the actual reassignment, that the employee meets the minimum qualifications for the position, including the physical requirements.

·         If a senior employee takes a reassignment in lieu of a junior employee they receive no retreat rights, allowed to cross APWU craft lines within the installation (i.e. clerk to custodian) surrendering their seniority, cross craft lines outside the installation also surrendering their seniority

·         Veteran Preference: Eligible Vets have a right to remain in their same level or pay band

·         Employees placed in lower level jobs receive saved grade as long as they bid or apply for

 positions in their former level.

·         Except Clerk Craft, Employee’s present duty assignment on PS Form 50 is used for future excessing by level

·         Voluntary reduction:  failure to bid or apply or waiver of retreat rights to former level

·         If on the day of excessing, management hasn’t reduced all the reducible hours, we should file a grievance locally asking for retreat rights and out of schedule pay, travel pay and mileage as the Primary Principles were not observed.

·         If after the excessing and the CWHR, the reducible hours increase use MDAT to show the duty assignments are needed and we should file a grievance locally asking for retreat rights and out of schedule pay, travel pay and mileage as the Primary Principles are not being observed.

Stand Up for Safe Jobs

(These notes were compiled by Mike Wright from the Tri-State Conference 2018 held in Pittsburgh, PA)

Below are just some bullet points of the information covered in the Stand Up for Safe Jobs class held at the 2018 Tri-State Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. If you would like to get further information or training materials from the Tri-State, please contact the main office at: 586-228-8090

You can also download this document right HERE.

  • CBA Article 14

“It is the responsibility of management to provide safe working conditions and to develop a safe working force.”

  • JCIM Article 14

“There should be no automatic discipline for those involved in accidents…
Supervisors and managers also should understand that postal policy prohibits disciplinary action that may discourage accident reports or the filing of a claim for compensable injury with OWCP.”

  • Article 19
    ELM Chapter 8

“The Safety philosophy of the Postal Service is stated below: a. Any occupational injury or illness can be prevented. This goal is realistic, not theoretical. Supervisors and managers have primary responsibility for the well-being of employees and must fully accept this principle.”

  • Article 19
    EL 814: Postal Employees Guide to Safety

“The Postal Service is committed to providing its employees and customers with a safe and healthy environment and complying with applicable safety laws and regulations.”

  • Article 19
    EL 801: Supervisors Safety Handbook

“The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace free of recognized hazards and to follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards.”

    • Medical Response Team: Does office have one?
    • AED (defibulator): Negotiate in local safety meetings, response time for AED usage, last time battery was tested (once a month)
    • Form SF 8 , used for current employees who have had their work hours reduced or eliminated (ELM 550)
    • Every seasonal, lawn, snow care equipment must be maintained
    • 30 Days for a claim CA-1, 2 years for a CA-2 stemming from the CA-1
    • Workers have the right to file OSHA Complaints
    • Back up any 1767s with a statement to the Steward in case supervisor does not address issue
    • Form 1767 (“Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition or Practice”) must be readily available in workplace (Article 14, Section 2) or fill out an additional 1767
    • Form 1767 is to be completed on the clock

1767 Rights (Article 19)

    • ELM 814.1

“Employees have the right to:
a) Become actively involved in the Postal Service’s safety and health program and be provided a safe and healthful work environment.
b) Report unsafe and unhealthful working conditions using PS Form 1767, Report of Hazard, Unsafe Conditions, or Practice.”

      • ELM 814.1.e

“Employees have the right to: Participate in the safety and health program without fear of: Restraint, Interference, Coercion, Discrimination, or Reprisal.”

      • ELM 824.631

“Any employee, or the representative of any employee, who believes that an unsafe or unhealthful condition exists in the workplace may do any or all of the following:
a) File a report of the condition on PS Form 1767 with the immediate supervisor and request an inspection of the alleged condition…”

      • Don’t file that you never received a response for a 1767, file under Article 14 (appealed directly to Step 2) that the hazard was never addressed
      • The immediate supervisor must promptly  (within the tour of duty)

Examples of Safety Violations

      • No Safety Talks
      • Faulty Rolling Stock
      • Sharp Edges
      • Improper Lock Out
      • Hazardous Materials
      • Machine staffing
      • Congested  Aisles
      • Doors blocked
      • Electrical Hazards
      • Excessive Dust
      • Fumes
      • Fire Extinguishers not working
      • Ergonomic Problems
      • DOT Violations

What Do We Do?

  • Raise issues at Safety Talks
  • Fill Out 1767s
  • Request Steward
  • Red Tag Broken Equipment
  • Proper Vehicle Pre & Post Trips
  • Follow-up with management until abated
  • Talk to your co-workers
  • Engage in Concerted Activity

Fire Safety

  • Exits Must be Clear
  • Fire Alarms Tested
  • Fire Extinguishers Inspected Regularly
  • Vehicles stocked with Extinguishers
  • Emergency Evacuation Teams in place
  • Fire Prevention plan reviewed annually
  • Emergency Escape Procedures
  • Written Emergency Plan
  • Yearly Evacuation Drills

Direct Action Tools

  • Petitions
  • Mass 1767 Campaigns
  • March on the boss at lunch, BT or ET
  • Members speaking out at safety talks
  • Press Conferences
  • Leaflet the members
  • Coordinated Grievance Activity

Management Safety Talks

  • EL 801, Publication 129
  • Weekly Safety Talks Required
  • Employee Participation Encouraged
  • Insure Being Done
  • Opportunity for Workers to speak out
  • Advance Planning on issues Affecting Workers
  • Coordination with Union Safety Committee
  • Work with other Postal Unions, all Postal Unions are safety
  • Joint LM Safety Committees, more than 50 employees should be once per quarter more if needed or requested. Less than 50 employees, at the request of the Union
  • Unresolved (Safety) grievances may be appealed directly to arbitration and placed at top of docket
  • JSAs should not be done on employees not holding the bid, they should be done jointly with the bid holder