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The following is being posted to address the numerous questions being raised regarding the proposed job changes in the SMP&DC Installation. The installation includes the Plant in Scarborough, the District Offices in Portland, the VMF, the Main Post Office in Portland, Downtown Station, South Portland Branch, Station-A, Peaks Island and the Carrier annex (in the plant). The LMOU divides the locations into Sections and this is basically by Tour. The plant is one section, (by tour) and every place else is combined into another section, (by tour).
This information is a "DRAFT" and it was distributed at the November Union meeting.
Action:
**The Bid Sheet is posted**
The following information was handed out at the November 2011 meeting. This information addresses the job actions and the bidding rights that will be applied to the new jobs being posted for bid at the SMP&DC
Scroll down for the information handed out at the January 2012 meeting
- Excessing multiple (approx 50) Clerks from Function 1 (Automation, Manual and other operations) on Tour 1;
- Abolishing and Reposting occupied traditional FTR duty assignments as NTFT’s in Function 1, (Automation, Manual etc at the Plant);
- Reposting occupied traditional FTR duty assignments as NTFT’s in Function 4, (Downtown Station and the Carrier Annex in the plant);
- Historically we have excessed by level in accordance with Article 12.5.C.4.b
- We define sections as being Finance number and Tour. This has historically been defined to mean that the Plant Finance # 226901 is its’ own section by Tour, and all other Finance #’s are combined by Tour.
Function 1: Southern Maine P&DC
Tour 1:
The number and identification of the impacted duty assignments will be listed to determine the senior employee impacted.
Any duty assignments remaining within the section (Plant, Tour 1) occupied by Clerks junior to the senior impacted Clerk will be posted for bidding by currently qualified Clerks within the section (Plant Tour 1) [Article 37.3.B.2 pages 114].
Tour 1 employees would be able to bid for positions in the Tour 1-Plant section for which they are qualified. [Article 37.3.B.2 Art12 exceptions page 114]
The result is that any position that requires a qualification would be restricted to currently qualified Clerks with a live record. “Currently qualified” means that the person would have had to have held a bid position with the qualification in the previous two years from the date of the posting. [Article 37.1.J&K page 104]. Meaning any SPBS, LCUS or similar position would be restricted to those who have owned a keying qualified position in the previous two years.
FYI: A “Live Record” is extended to Five years for a window or BMEU type position. [Article 37.3.F.7 age 119]
Tour 1 will realize excessing by section, (regardless of level), [Article 37.3.B.2 Art12 exceptions page 114]
Level 7’s excessed off Tour 1 at the Plant would get saved grade.
Tour 3:
All new NTFT 4-10 positions, (formally occupied FTR assignments) will be posted for bid for all employees’ installation wide. [NTFT Q+A Question 59], and will be available for bidding by the same or higher level employees [Art 37.3.A.4.d page 109]
All other duty assignments on Tour 3, occupied by Clerks junior to the senior effected employee who’s job is being converted to NTFT, (meaning the SPBS, Expeditors, LCUS, Manual etc…everything but the NTFT’s) must be reposted for in section bidding on Tour 3, all levels will be able to bid for all jobs [Krueth email/memo]
Assuming these positions are not being changed sufficiently to require reposting, they would be restricted for Tour 3, (the Q&A #32 would not apply).
The “currently qualified” language only applies if an excessing situation exists [Article 37.3.B.2] so in this case the positions would be available to the whole Tour 3 section in the plant regardless of qualifications or level.
MPO, District Office, BMEU, Data Collection, Stations and Branches
Management has proposed reposting occupied FTR duty assignments as NTFT’s at Downtown Station and the Carrier Annex. Management may change the PAA and NS days of an occupied assignment at the SP. Branch.
The positions being changed to new NTFT assignments would be available for bid installation wide as they all meet the re-posting requirements in Article 37.3.A.4 [Q&A Question #32].
However they would be (restricted) “limited to employees within the same and higher salary levels” [Article 37.3.A.4.d].
All other duty assignments, on Tour 2 (Everything except the plant, i.e. District, MOWU, BMEU, DCT’s etc) occupied by Clerks junior to the senior effected employee who’s job is being converted to NTFT must be reposted for in section bidding by the whole Tour 2 Section, regardless of level.
Note: Assuming these positions are not being changed sufficiently to require reposting, they would be restricted for the Tour 2 section and the Q&A #32 would not apply.
The “currently qualified” language only applies if an excessing situation exists [Article 37.3.B.2] so in this case the positions would be available to the whole Tour 2 section regardless of qualifications.
Note: Best Qualified positions in the section (junior to the senior effected employee whose job is being converted to NTFT) would also be put up for bid as they are only considered to be in a separate category for Article 12 excessing purposes.
EMAIL 11/7/11
We have had several inquiries from the field each day this past week regarding the language in the NTFT MOU pertaining to reposting of jobs in the section (or station or branch) occupied by clerks junior to the senior clerk whose job was reposted from traditional to NTFT. [While the job which was changed from traditional to NTFT is posted installation-wide, the jobs currently occupied by junior employees are posted in-section.]
Specifically, the questions have been whether “all jobs” in the section occupied by junior employees are to be reposted, or only those jobs “in the same level.” [4th bullet point page 190]
1) It is the position of the Clerk Division that the language is clear – “all duty assignments in that section or station/branch currently occupied by employees junior to the incumbent in that assignment will also be reposted for in section bidding.”
2) Additionally, it is the position of the Clerk Division that since these jobs are being posted in accordance with the NTFT MOU and not because of the provisions in Article 37.3.A.4.a., b., or c., the bidding restrictions imposed by Article 37.3.A.4.d are not applicable.
By way of caveat, you should remember that if any of these jobs are changed sufficiently, so as to warrant reposting under 37.3.A.4.a, b, or c, those jobs would be posted installation wide (and they would be subject to the Article 37.3.A.4.d bidding restrictions.
One other related question which has arisen – if the reposting occurs concurrently with an excessing from the section (or if there are currently employees with retreat rights to the section) the Article 12 provisions require that all bidding be done in-section, until everyone has had their opportunity to retreat.
We have discussed our position with Labor Relations at the HQ level and they have indicated that they do not have any disagreement.
Lyle Krueth
Lyle Krueth
Assistant Direct "B"
Clerk Division
202-842-4237
The following information was handed out at the January 2012 meeting. This information addresses the job actions and the bidding rights that will be applied to the new jobs being posted for bid at the SMP&DC
Tour 1
Application of Article 12.5.C.4
Identify the full time duty assignments being abolished: (12.5.C.4 JCIM Art 12-page 11)
Identify the junior FT employees being excessed: (12.5.C.4 JCIM Art 12-page 11)
Reassign any employees not holding a bid assignment off the tour as unencumbered (they effectively would not be assigned to any tour)
Letters to all impacted employees getting excessed; expressing the retention of retreat rights and saved grade and that they will be offered retreat rights if any tour 1 positions are residual after placing the remaining senior employees on the tour and encouraging them to bid on any existing vacancies.
Letters to remaining Tour 1 employees that their positions are to be reposted for bid, (employees junior to the senior employee remaining in the section, whose duty assignment was abolished JCIM Art 12 page 11)
i.e. Your position will be reposted for those currently qualified, (if a SPBS or LCUS position) employees remaining in the section on Tour 1 (plant, tour 1 & level 6).
Example: Employees, remaining in the section, who have owned a SPBS bid position in the last 2 years from the date of this posting are considered qualified for all SPBS and LCUS positions, but employees who have owned a LCUS position in the past two years can only bid on the LCUS as they are not qualified for the SPBS.
Notices to the remaining employees should inform them that they are to stay in their current position and if they are not a successful bidder in the upcoming bid sheet that they will be assigned a residual position on Tour 1.
Letters to all level 7’s that are being excessed, same format
Letters to all remaining level 7’s that their positions are to be reposted for bid, for all in section, (plant, tour 1, level 7)
Tour 1 Gen Clerk positions (MDO & Platform) do not require a deferment period and therefore would be posted for bid for all remaining in the section (plant, tour 1) and the 5 senior employees will need to demonstrate the typing skill (unless they are already qualified): (Article 37 page 118)
The Admin job Tour 1 stays as is. (It falls under Article 12, ref Article 37.3.A.7.d)
Tour 1 postings
AI jobs would be posted for bid for all in section bidding for clerks remaining in the section (plant, tour 1)
SPBS jobs would be posted for bid for all for clerks remaining in the section who are currently qualified: (plant, tour 1, who have owned a SPBS bid position in the previous two years)
LCUS jobs would be posted for bid for all clerks remaining in the section who are currently qualified: (plant, tour 1, who have owned a LCUS or a SPBS bid position in the previous two years) Tour 1 LCUS jobs will be posted for currently qualified because the LCUS position requires a deferment period of 17 hours for training. Any job that requires a deferment is posted for currently qualified employees. Having dexterity training does not make you currently qualified, unless you owned a bid that required dexterity training.
Pouch Rack and level 6 Express would be posted for bid for all for clerks remaining in the section bidding (plant, Tour 1)
Exceptions:
Express level 7 job would be posted for bid for all level 7’s remaining in the section (plant, tour 1)
MDO/Gen Clerk would be posted for bid for all remaining in the section (plant, tour 1) and the 5 senior employees must demonstrate the typing skill.
Once the first round of bidding is complete any unencumbered Clerks remaining on Tour 1 would be assigned to any un-bid positions on tour 1. Any tour 1 position that is still vacant (was not bid or assigned) would be offered to employees in the same level who have retreat rights.
If all employees with retreat rights refuse, they forfeit their retreat rights and the vacancies are offered to any higher level employees from the section (plant, tour 1). i.e. if a level 7 refuses a level 6 they retain their level 7 saved grade.
JCIM Art 12 page 11&12: Any remaining unassigned employees may be assigned to residual vacancies.
Tour 2
No change
Tour 3
Letters to all impacted employees notifying them that their position is abolished and will be reposted as a Non-Traditional-Full-Time position. The new NTFT positions will be available for bid by all employees in the installation for the same or higher level [NTFT MOU & Article 37.3.A.4.d page 109-110].
Letters to all other plant employees on tour 3, junior to the senior impacted employee, notifying them that their position is being reposted for in section bidding (plant, tour 3), regardless of level or qualifications. (Ref Lyle Krueth memo & NTFT Memo).
All Tour 3 Level 7s will receive letters that their jobs are being reposted for bid. Note that they will receive saved grade, (no retreat rights).
Administrative Office position on Tour 3 would get reposted for all, regardless of level. (This is different from the same position on Tour 1 as that job falls under Article 12, ref Article 37.3.A.7.d). The Tour 3 Level 7 Administrative job is a Best Qualified position, posted for all regardless of level.
Tour 3 postings
New NTFT jobs (Expeditor, Automation, Manual flats & Letters) posted for bid installation wide for the same or higher level.
AI, SPBS, Scanning, Pouch Rack, Registry, Express, Expeditor and Administrative jobs posted for bid to all in the section, all levels (plant, tour 3), regardless of qualifications.
Exceptions:
MDO/Gen Clerk would be posted for bid for all in the section (plant, tour 3) and the 5 senior employees must demonstrate the typing skill
General Information:
JCIM Art 12 page 11: • Before excessing from a section, all full-time employees not holding a duty assignment must be assigned outside the section.
At the end of the process any employees who did not receive a bid will be offered and assigned to a residual position by seniority so long as they are able to qualify and or meet the requirements of the position.
JCIM Article 37 page 3: 12. What is meant by the term currently qualified?
Response: An employee is currently qualified for a posted duty assignment if he/she has a live record on all of the duty assignment’s qualifications and can assume the duty assignment without a deferment period.
To have a live record on a qualification, an employee must either: 1) be currently working an assignment requiring the same qualification or, 2) have worked an assignment requiring the same qualification within the past two years (five years for positions listed in Article 37.3.F.7).
Article 37.3.F.4.a. When the duty assignment requires machine qualifications, if the senior bidder is qualified on machine qualifications, which means the ability to key at the appropriate speed and accuracy on the appropriate keyboard, assign the employee in accordance with 2 above. If the senior bidder is not qualified when the posting period is closed, permanent filling of the duty assignment shall be deferred until the senior bidder is qualified on the machine qualifications. The hours of training established for machine qualifications shall constitute the deferment period, which shall begin on the first day the training is scheduled…
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