The Stand-Up Talk linked below went out to the field from USPS Headquarters. This is a change to a previous directive that mandated carriers to stop at all delivery points on October 29-31. As you will read, rural carriers should continue to stop and collect mail at all boxes with the flag raised, as usual. … Read more
Due to the continued increase in parcel volumes throughout the country, the U.S. Postal Service and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA) have agreed to modify Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 13 of the 2018-2021 USPS-NRLCA National Agreement and the corresponding Assistant Rural Carriers (ARC) Implementation Guidelines cited in the MOU. These modifications/updates have been … Read more
Due to the rise in COVID-19 numbers, your SWAC board has made the decision to cancel the 2021 conference. This decision was based on the rising numbers of the virus in most states and our concern for the safety and well-being of you, our fellow members and families. This decision will not cost us the … Read more
As cases of COVID-19 continue to be confirmed across the country, we are keeping the safety and well-being of our employees as our highest priority. We are continuing to follow recommended guidance and strategies from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health departments and are implementing additional measures to help maintain social … Read more
The NRLCA has received clarification on the Leave Carry Over MOU allowing rural carriers to carry over 65 days into the 2021 Leave Year and how it will affect payouts of annual leave at retirement. It is very important that rural carriers understand this if they intend to retire close to the end of the … Read more
The NRLCA and USPS have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) allowing regular rural carriers to volunteer to deliver packages on the October 12 holiday. The full text of the MOU and a link to the signed document are below. —————————————————————————————————————————————- MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE AND THE NATIONAL RURAL LETTER … Read more
Rural carriers will now be able to request scheduled leave through the eLRA on LiteBlue. Use of the eLRA system is NOT required for scheduled leave. Carriers may continue to request scheduled leave using a hard-copy 3971, as always. Nothing has changed in this process. Rural Carriers MAY use the system to request scheduled leave … Read more
House Democrats released a new coronavirus emergency appropriations bill on Monday totaling $2.2 trillion in proposed spending to bring relief as the COVID-19 crisis continues. Of that total, the bill sets aside $15 billion for the Postal Service to remedy lost revenue during the pandemic. Another key component of the legislation would require states to … Read more
The USPS has issued the following updated guidance criteria for employees returning to work following an absence related to COVID-19: ————————————————————— September 30, 2020 The following information is provided to assist you as managers and supervisors when an employee has indicated their intent to return to work following an absence related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 … Read more
The Postal Service has consistently been rated as the most trusted government agency. However, due to recent changes in operations and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Postal Service has come under close scrutiny by Congress and the media regarding its ability to deliver mail in a timely manner — especially mail-in ballots for the 2020 election. … Read more
We have been notified that 3910 regular rural carriers were overpaid as part of their retro-active contractual payments received on May 15, 2020. The error occurred in the calculation of retroactive increases to be applied to supplemental pay (8127 time) received by regular carriers during the retro-active back-pay period of PP19-2018 though PP17-2019. Instead of … Read more
UPDATED September 15, 2020 Click the following link to view/download the signed MOU confirming the extension of the MOUs listed below: Agreement to Extend COVID-19 MOUs ———————————————————— The National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association and United States Postal Service have mutually agreed to extend the Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) linked below through December 31, 2020: Temporary … Read more
The Postal Service has provided an updated list of frequently asked questions concerning the use of leave under the Families First Corona Virus Recovery Act (FFCRA). Please pay particular attention to the new section concerning return to school issues. The entire document is linked below. https://www.ruralinfo.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FFCRA-FAQs-9-8-20.pdf
As the November election draws closer, members have been contacting the national office asking if the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association has endorsed a candidate in the presidential election. Our members come from all walks of life, working in nearly every corner of rural and suburban America. The NRLCA has never endorsed a candidate during a … Read more
Let There Be No Doubt: We Will Deliver for the 2020 Election (And Beyond) It is an understatement to say that this year has brought unprecedented challenges for rural carriers, as individuals and as a craft. Even in “normal times”, the transition to a new Postmaster General can cause anxiety and uncertainty as we learn … Read more
The NRLCA and USPS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreeing that for leave year 2021, regular work force career employees covered by the USPS-NRLCA Agreement may carry over 520 hours of accumulated annual leave from leave year 2020 to leave year 2021. In all other respects, the ELM provisions for payment of accumulated … Read more
There is NO agreement between the NRLCA and USPS pertaining to regular rural carriers volunteering or being required to work on the upcoming holiday, Monday, September 7, 2020. There is no proper contractual method to compensate regular carriers for working their own route or any other route or providing any sort of package delivery on … Read more