APWU Initiates Step 4 Disputes

The APWU initiated four Step 4 disputes on Aug. 17, 2011, protesting violations of the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Denial of Retreat Rights (APWU #HQTG20110464): This grievance protests the denial of retreat rights to excessed employees for posted Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT) assignments, in violation of the contract. Article 37.3.B.1 says , “Employees shall have the right to bid for vacancies within the former installation and the written request for retreat rights shall serve as a bid for vacancies in the level from which the employee was reassigned and for all residual vacancies in other levels for which the employee has expressed a desire to retreat.”

Nothing in the recently-negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement abridges this right for excessed employees who have submitted a written notice of their desire to exercise their retreat rights, yet the Postal Service issued instructions to the field advising local managers to deny excessed employees the right to retreat to posted NTFT positions in their former installations.

Unencumbered/Unassigned Regulars (APWU#HQTC20110463): This Step 4 dispute protests management plans to designate Part-Time Flexibles and Part-Time Regulars as unencumbered or unassigned with non-traditional schedules when they are converted to regular on Aug. 27. A provision of the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement requires the Postal Service to convert to full time all PTFs in Level 21-and-above offices and PTRs in the Clerk Craft and MVS Craft on Aug. 27.

The Memorandum of Understanding on Non-Traditional Full-Time Assignments [PDF] contained in 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement outlines the rules for the creation and posting NTFT duty assignments when operationally necessary. It does not provide for unencumbered or unassigned NTFT schedules.

Consecutive Days Off (APWU#HQTG20110466): This grievance protests the establishment of Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT) assignments with fewer than two consecutive days off in Mail Processing and in Motor Vehicle assignments in offices of 200-man-years-or-more.

The Postal Service issued instructions to the field advising managers that NTFT assignments in these sections could be posted without consecutive non-scheduled days, in violation of Article 8.2.D of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Non-Traditional Full-Time Assignments in Function 5 and Function 7 (APWU#HQTG20110467): This Step 4 dispute protests Postal Service instructions to the field authorizing the creation of Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT) assignments in Finance (Function 5) and in Bulk Mail (Function 7). The Memorandum of Understanding on Non-Traditional Full-Time Assignments contained in 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement outlines specific rules for the creation and use of NTFT duty assignments In Mail Processing (Function 1) and in Customer Service (Function 4). It contains no provisions for NTFT assignments in any other Clerk Craft functional areas.