National Agreement Provides Uniform Allowance for Clerks in POStPlan Offices

On June 14, the APWU and the Postal Service reached an agreement resolving a Step 4 National Dispute that career Clerk Craft employees assigned to a POStPlan office are entitled to a uniform allowance. The parties agreed that career Clerk Craft employees who staff POStPlan offices will be considered eligible to participate in the uniform allowance program per existing provisions for career employees in the Clerk Craft, which require:

1. The official assignment at a retail counter is for a minimum of 4 hours daily for 5 days a week on a continuing basis, or;
2. For a minimum of 30 hours a week.

The dispute arose because the Postal Service essentially excluded career Clerk Craft employees from a uniform allowance solely because they worked in POStPlan offices. 

The parties also agreed that Postal Support Employees (PSEs) converted to career, who are not required to serve a 90-day probationary period, will not be required to wait 90 days for uniform eligibility.

The Agreement resolved National Dispute USPS No. Q15C-4QC 17300101/APWU No. HQTC20160585, initiated by the APWU Clerk Craft. Per the agreement, “any local grievance held pending this national dispute will be processed locally in accordance with this agreement and local fact circumstances.”

“I am glad that the Postal Service finally decided to provide uniforms to postal workers in POStPlan offices.  A postal uniform provides respect to the institution, respect to the customer, and respect to the postal worker performing work on behalf of the Postal Service,” said Clerk Craft Director Clint Burelson.  “Thanks go to Assistant Clerk Craft Director Lamont Brooks for his persistence and perseverance in resolving this dispute.”