Important things to know about the 2023 Christmas period for rural carriers

Just wanted to put out a few important points for the Christmas OT period which will begin on Saturday, December 2nd, 2023 and ends on Friday, December 22nd, 2023. Below are a few things you need to know.

REGULAR RURAL CARRIERS

1. You will receive OT if you work in excess of the WEEKLY evaluation, not the DAILY evaluation.

2. They can send you home “in anticipation” of you going over your weekly evaluation. Some have been told they will be sent home without pay. That is WRONG. They may send you home, but you will get the full evaluation for the week.

Example :Lets say you are a 42k, and Saturday is your K day off, and by the end of Thursday you have already worked 36 hours, which leaves you only 6 hours to complete the route on Friday before going into OT. They may only let you work 5.5 hours on Friday and send you home. They still would have to pay you for the full day of evaluation even though you only worked 5.5 hours..

3. Annual and Sick leave count as hours worked during the Christmas OT period..

4. They CAN’T force you to take LWOP during the Christmas OT period

5. Treatment of X days during the Christmas OT period.

A. Carriers who work a relief day during this period and who are entitled to a future day off (X day) must be given that X day in the same pay period.

6. Carriers may not use any X days that were earned in previous pay periods during this period.

7. Additional(2nd) Trips to the route during the Christmas period do NOT receive additional pay, but the carrier will receive additional EMA IF they use their own vehicle for the route and the total miles for the day are over 40 (Note: This does not mean a carrier can refuse to do second trips, it just means there is no extra pay. The time used DOES count towards your weekly hours)

8. If you take a Code 5 for working your K day that does NOT count in your 5 day evaluation because you have already been paid for the OT. If you take a Code 3 you have to take your X day that week! Not just the PP but the same week…because those hrs do count because you have the X day!

LEAVE REPLACEMENTS

1. Aux route carriers (Designation 79) serving any auxiliary route are compensated at the hourly rate for actual hours worked during the Christmas OT period. During this period, carriers are not paid the evaluation of the route. Overtime is paid only when the carrier exceeds 40 hours for the week.

2. If you are an RCA not in any one of the situations above, NOTHING CHANGES for you. You will be paid the same as you are paid all year long. You will be paid evaluation of the routes you work unless you go over 40 hours in the week. Then you will be paid hourly