APWU Wins Another National Level Arbitration Award
Arbitrator Goldberg found USPS violated ‘POStPlan’ MOU
June 7, 2017
The APWU scores another victory today, defending postal employees in the union’s bargaining unit. Arbitrator Goldberg issued an award in a national-level case over what remedy was due for the Postal Service’s failure to staff ‘POStPlan’ offices following an original award on September 5, 2014 and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) negotiated afterward.
The APWU and the Postal Service agreed that after December 22, 2014, the ‘POStPlan’ Remotely-Managed Post Offices (RMPOs) open 4 or 6 hours a day would be staffed with bargaining unit clerks, as well as replace Postal Support Employees (PSEs) in Level 18 offices with career employees. Long after the agreement, Postmaster Reliefs (PMRs) were still working in 4 or 6 hour RMPOs across the country and Level 18 offices reported still using PSEs instead of career employees.
The Postal Service admitted to their widespread violations of the ‘POStPlan’ MOU. Arbitrator Goldberg held that the USPS owed the bargaining unit for all the hours improperly worked by PMRs and PSEs.
“This is an important award for the protection and expansion of Clerk Craft work,” said President Dimondstein. “This keeps management’s feet to the fire, holding them to the agreements they make with the APWU.”
“Although it was another great win for the APWU, the Postal Service’s continual willingness to blatantly violate the contract indicates a serious problem with the integrity of Postal Service management that together we must continue to address” said Clerk Craft Director Clint Burelson.
Arbitrator Goldberg held that the Postal Service must make whole all postal employees in the Clerk Craft bargaining unit who were denied craft work as a result of the USPS’ failure to follow the POStPlan MOU.
“Much thanks goes to Assistant Clerk Craft Director Lynn Pallas Barber, who served as the case officer for the grievance,” Burleson stated. “Also to Assistant Craft Director Lamont Brooks, Industrial Relations Director Vance Zimmerman and attorneys Mindy Holmes and Jason Veny.”