11/02/2018 - (This article first appeared in the November/December 2018 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine)

By Western Regional Coordinator Omar Gonzalez

33,400+ employees are absent daily claims management, triggering their Attendance Control Employee Availability (AC/EA) crackdown while they impose so-called “Dynamic Scheduling.”

Leave rules in CBA Article 10 and the Employee & Labor Relations Manual (ELM) Chapter 510 have existed for 40 years. ACEA can’t change those rules. ELM 665.11 requires you to be regular in attendance. However, ELM 511.1 requires management to administer leave on an equitable basis for all employees considering a) the needs of the service b) the welfare of the individual employee.

Too often management imposes discipline using select rules and dictates, such as, three (3) absences in 90 days requires discipline. This dictate violates the contract. “It is the supervisor’s review of the attendance record in light of all relevant evidence, NOT any set number of absences that determines whether corrective action is warranted.” [Article 10.1; 10.2 JCIM].