|
2006-2010 Contract Revisions
REVISIONS TO THE USPS/NRLCA NATIONAL
AGREEMENT
Article 7.D Temporary Relief Carriers
Allows hiring TRC employees in any office provided the Area’s TRC complement does not exceed 15% of its total
regular rural routes. The previous calculation involving the number
of bargaining unit leave replacements compared to regular routes in
each district and the 80% limitation no longer applies.
Article 8.5 Relief Day Worked
Allows all regular rural carriers regardless of route classification,
to sign
the Relief Day Work List twice a year. There is a two week period prior to the
beginning of the guarantee
period and again two weeks prior to the beginning of the first full
pay period in May. Each list supersedes the previous list.
Article 9.1.A Basic Annual Salary
Salary increases as follows:
November 25, 2006 – 1.2%
November 24, 200 7 – 1.5%
November
22, 2008 – 1.5%
November 21, 2009 – 1.5%
Article 9.1.B One-Time Cash Payment
Regular rural carriers will receive a cash payment of $686. PTF rural carriers
will receive a cash payment prorated
based on the number or hours worked.
Article 9.1.F Cost-of-Living Adjustment
COLA adjustments
will continue every 6 months compared to the May 2007 CPI. An amount
equal to the COLA will be rolled into RCA/RCR hourly rates in February 2011.
Article 9.2.C.3 Mail Counts
There will be three national mail counts. All vacant routes, auxiliary routes
and other routes opted in by the
carrier or Employer will be counted on the
following dates:
2008 – 12 day count (2/23 – 3/7)
2009
– 24 day count (2/14 – 3/14)
2010 – 12 day count (2/27 – 3/12)
Article
9.2 .J EMA
Quarterly adjustments based on CPI-W will continue. The EMA base rate will be increased and effective in the c
a rriers’ pay checks as follows:
3 cents per mile –
January 2008
2 cents per mile – October 2008
2.5 cents per mile – October 2009
Article
9.2.M Training Pay
Newly appointed RCAs will be paid the higher of the
actual hours worked per week or the evaluation of the route(s) for the week (up to 40 hours) for the first
5 pay periods of employment. An RCA utilized on a route he/she has
not served in the past 12 months will be paid the greater of the actual
hours worked or the evaluation of the route (up to 40 hours).
Article 9.2.N Training Presentations
Form 8127, Rural Carrier Supplemental Payment, will be paid at
the carrier’s
straight time rate.
Article 12 Principles of Seniority, Posting, and Reassignment
A new bidding procedure will be implemented. Initially, carriers w i ll bid by
using PS Form 1717-A, Preferred
Assignment Multiple Bid Card. When a vacant route is posted, a description
of all re g ul ar routes in the office will be
listed on the
posting. Carriers wishing to bid will list, in order of
preference, any route that will be accepted by the carrier should
the route
become available as a result of filling the vacant route. The bid card will be
submitted and the carrier
will not be able to decline any route they listed on
the form after the posting period. The use of PS Form 1717-A is
temporary until such time that the process of bidding for rural carrier
vacancies in this manner can be automated (e.g., computer, telephone).
At that time, rural carriers will be required to utilize the automated
bidding procedures (similar provisions have been added to Article
30 for bidding on PTF rural carrier assignments).
Another
change to Article 12 concerns reassignments due to an excess number
of rural carriers in an of fice. Changes in the reassignment provisions
will allow carriers to bid in an expanded area to avoid involu nt ary reassignments.
Added provisions also allow the Employer to reassign rural carriers
temporarily when the situation that causes the excess number of rural
carriers is not permanent. The offices where vacancies are withheld for
excessing may be expanded to accommodate the number of impacted rural
carriers. Another provision allows opportunities where a regular rural
carrier may elect to revert to a PTF rural carrier in lieu of involuntary reassignment
outside their office.
Article 15 Grievance and Arbitration Procedure
Increases the
time limits for the Union to appeal an adverse Step 2 decision to
Step 3 to 15 days. Provisions were also modified concerning
area and national
arbitration panel vacancies.
Article 17 Representation
Allows
an area steward to be designated to handle a particular grievance in lieu of the l oca l steward.
Representatives
identified by the Union will be notified and provided ample
opportunity to address new employees during orientation.
Article 21 Health Benefits
The Employer’s contribution to the cost of employee health
insurance under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program is decreased
as follows:
2009 plan year – 2%
2010 plan year – 1%
2011 plan year – 1%
Article 25 Higher Level Assignments
Eliminates the requirement to provide a copy of Form 1723, Notice
of Assignment, to the state steward.
Article 30.2.E
Filling a Leave Replacement Vacancy
When a vacancy occurs in the leave replacement ranks, the route may be added to a PTF rural carrier’s assignment instead of being offered to other leave replacements. Additionally, leave replacements must be offered a leave
replacement vacancy that was previously not accepted by any leave
replacements on the initial offer; when the regular carrier assigned
to the route has been on extended absence for more than 30 day s.
Article 31 Union / Management Cooperation
Changes have been made that provide
data to the NRLCA on a routine basis.
MOU #7 Bids by Rural Carriers Unable to Perform the Duties
Rural carriers temporarily unable to perform the duties of a bid-for position,
due to job-related or non-job-related
restrictions, may have the assignment held in abeyance for up to six
months, rather than one year, with supported medical documentation.
MOU #8 Right-Hand Drive Vehicles
Provides a lump sum payment of $1,000 to rural carriers
who purchase new RHD vehicles for use on rural routes. It also provides
$500 to rural carriers who purchase used RHD vehicles or convert their
LHD vehicles to RHD for use on rural routes. The incentive applies
to regular rural carriers and bargaining unit leave replacements.
MOU #12 Court Leave for PTF Rural Carriers
Provides court leave to eligible part-tim e
flexible r ural carriers.
MOU #13 Employer Provided Vehicles
Provides 3,000 additional
right-hand drive (RHD) vehicles on rural routes each year from 2009
through 2013, totaling an additional 15,000 RHD Employer provided
vehicles on rural routes.
MOU #20 Route Adjustment Process for DPS Flat Mail
After
a route begins to receive DPS flats and has passed any required
qualifications, a mail count will be conducted in one
of the three periods:
National mail count period set forth in Article 9.2.C.3 (currently Feb – Mar)
Special
mail count period during the last 12 working days of September
The 12 working days immediately after Mother’s Day
MOU #21 Revenue Generation
Engages rural carriers in revenue generating initiatives by
submitting leads
from business customers currently utilizing competitors, by increasing customer awareness of our products and services and by informing customers of the USP S webs ite usps.com in an attem pt to promote alternate access to Postal products and services. The weekly stamp stock standard credit will encompass any time associated with these activities.
MOU Mail
Count Task Force
Establishes a committee of union and management representatives at the national level to consider methods of selecting a representative period to conduct national mail counts.
MOU Leave Replacement Task Force
Establishes a committee of union and management representatives
at the national level to review training and retention issues for leave
replacement employees.
Handbook Changes PO-603
Modifies Handbook PO-603, Rural Carrier
Duties and Responsibilities, to reflect a different credit for changes
of address (COAs). Each 3982 label received during the mail count
will be 15 seconds unless the carrier is required to perform any additional
duties of completing Forms 3575, 3546 and/or writing addres s es on
Form 3 982. In such instances, the credit for the 3982 label will
be two minutes.
|
