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RCA

Rural Carrier academy Update 10/28/2019

The USPS HQ Learning and Development has notified the field that the revised Rural Academy curriculum and associated materials are available for use and are to be implemented no later than November 1, 2019. Standard Training for Rural Carriers has been updated. Included updates: Material has been organized to allow for added hands-on practice and … Read more

Non-Career Health Benefits Special Enrollment–Deadline Applies

Non-Career NRLCA covered employees are eligible to enroll in or change enrollment in the USPS Health Benefits (USPSHB) Plan during the Special Enrollment Period. Assistant Rural Carriers (ARC) are not eligible to participate in the USPSHB Plan. There is a deadline to make this decision. The negotiated change in premiums for the USPSHB Plan reduces your … Read more

Kilmer, Cole Introduce the “Federal Retirement Fairness Act” that would allow rural carriers to buy back RCA time

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and Tom Cole (R-OK) introduced the Federal Retirement Fairness Act. This bill ensures that federal employees who started their careers as temporary workers – meaning they did not have the ability to make retirement contributions – are granted the opportunity to make catch-up retirement contributions so that … Read more

Step 4 on Scheduling PTF Rural Carriers on Their String Routes

The issue in this grievance is the scheduling of PTF Rural Carriers on their “String” routes. Local management took the position that they could schedule a PTF on any route and bypass the PTF for work on one of their string routes provided the PTF was provided with work equal to the total evaluated hours … Read more

COLA Roll-in For Table Three RCAs/RCRs

In accordance with Article 9.1.F, roll-in of existing COLA for RCA/RCR employees on the rolls prior to August 11, 2012 will be implemented on August 4, 2018 (PP 17-2018). The roll-in amount, ($1144) is the amount equal to the COLA paid to full-time rural carriers under the 2015 Agreement. Straight-time hourly rates will increase by … Read more

Step 4 Settlement on Bypassing RCAs to Avoid Overtime

This case involves management bypassing an RCA to work on a route that is not the primary assignment when scheduling day-to-day to avoid paying overtime. The parties agree Pre-arbitration settlement, G00R-4Q-C 02139495 (M-84 in the Quick Reference Guide) from Willis, TX, addresses the entitlements of overtime when scheduled to your primary assignment on a day-to-day … Read more

Letter to the Union from over worked and P’d Off RCA »

To the NRLCA, Recently, the plan for Amazon Sunday deliveries was put into effect by the USPS. The plan is to have “main” offices as the Hub for these deliveries, not just to that office’s city and rural areas, but also to surrounding areas. This in essence committed “substitute” carriers/RCAs, in that specific office, to … Read more

Solving the Rural Carrier Relief Identity Crisis

I wanted to help clear the fog on all of the rural carrier relief designations and titles. Most of today’s rural carrier relief carriers fall under one of these four designations Rural Carrier Associates (RCAs)—(Designation Code 78) – Rural carrier associates are those employees hired from a register or reassigned from rural carrier relief or … Read more