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Joint Training Programs
Explaining the Contract Gives Us Resolve

(This article first appeared in the May/June 2007 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)

In a two-month period beginning in mid-February, the APWU held joint training programs on the new contract in each of the regions, with management and our National Business Agents taking part. The series of discussions helped us resolve 45 “Questions & Answers” on the new contract.

The contract still requires the maximization of full-time regulars. The ‘360-day’ casuals can not be regularly scheduled to an unbid duty assignment.

We then explained the new contract — along with the Q&A document [PDF] — to thousands of APWU officers and activists, holding discussions with union members at meetings hosted by the national APWU. We met in eight different locations from Atlantic City to Seattle , at three tri-state meetings, and several state meetings.

As I write this (mid-April), I am all “traveled out.” I hope that by the time you read this I have caught up on the phone calls and letters that were waiting for me upon my return to the office. Trusting that you have done so, I thank you for allowing me a little time to catch up.

Contracting Casuals

Employment of casuals is an important issue and we consider the language in the new contract a big win. We feel that the Q&A clarifies several aspects of it. Newly hired casuals may be on the rolls for 360 days. This does not mean they can be regularly scheduled to an unbid duty assignment: Casuals are still a supplemental workforce. The contract still requires the maximization of fulltime regulars, and requires regular scheduled assignments to be posted.

A grievance that argues for this interpretation of the contract has been appealed to arbitration. Now at the top of the arbitration list, it should be scheduled soon.

The union and management reached only partial agreement on the limitations on casual employee assignments, which are addressed in Question 39. The union has filed a Step 4 dispute regarding these limitations. The union’s filing asserts that the list “is illustrative only and does not limit the scope of the prohibition against casuals working jobs that require training and testing.”

Overtime, Holiday Scheduling

The new agreement requires the use of the Overtime Desired List prior to the use of casuals on overtime. There is an exception: Holiday scheduling. Article 11 requires the utilization of casuals — even on overtime — to allow as many career employees as practicable to be off on a holiday.

The APWU and Postal Service disagree whether the new language requires the payment of “penalty overtime pay” before casuals can be utilized in overtime situations. The new language requires the use of career Overtime Desired List employees before resorting to casuals on overtime.

Our position is that the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th hours all are overtime; penalty pay is the rate of pay that should be paid for the 11th and 12th hours, and for certain overtime work after other specified limitations.

Rates of pay are not mentioned in the new Article 7 agreement, which addresses the use of casual employees.

New Health Insurance Benefits

Under the new agreement beginning in 2008, your share of health insurance costs will increase 1 percent per year for four years. The average 1 percent cost is approximately $6 per pay period.

You have recently received a 1.3 percent raise, and you will receive at least one COLA increase and an upgrade not long after the date (January 2008) when you will start paying the $6 increase. The value of your raises will be at least $2,000 by February 2008, which will be approximately $77 per pay period.

That’s $77 vs. $6 — not a bad trade-off.

If you are concerned about healthcare costs, take advantage of the negotiated Flexible Spending Account. Make this comparison: Suppose that you or a family member needs $1,500 worth of dental care. You have three ways to pay for it:

• Pay $1,500 cash from your savings (cost of $2,200 of your gross pay, plus lost interest);
  
  
• Pay $1,500 on credit cards, with interest added on, eventually costing $2,200 net pay and $3,300 gross; or
  
  
• Pay with the Flexible Spending Account, costing $1,000 net pay or $1,500 gross.

As you can see, by using a Flexible Spending Account, you save well over one-third to one-half.

It is your benefit. Think about it.

Address Information Specialist

Since Arbitrator Carlton J. Snow decided that the Address Information Specialist work was Clerk Craft work in 2003, we have been in court, have gone through numerous filings, have seen a diversion back to the National Labor Relations Board, have endured countless court appearances, and now, finally, we believe everything is in, and the judge should render a decision soon.

Maybe even this year!

(Quick note: Do you know who represents the Postal Service in court against us? One of the anti-worker Bush-appointed U.S. Attorneys.)

Contract-Stations Case

In May, we will begin a case concerning contract stations, each of which is supposed to be an “operator owned and maintained facility.”

Many so-called contract stations are situated in facilities that the contractors do not own, such as USPS-leased facilities, military bases, national parks, and other facilities under lease arrangements.

This case — along with the Postmaster Relief (PMR) and Executive and Administrative Schedule (EAS positions) cases — concern millions of Tour 2 hours that we believe should be performed by APWU bargaining-unit employees.

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