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Ask President Burrus

Question:

The Maximization Reports that show part-time flexible employees who have worked 39 or more hours per week over a six-month period are not actually very helpful to our local. The USPS should be able to provide the national union with a report of employees who work 39 hours or more within five days.*

Moreover, the Maximization Reports include employees who are working in higher-level EAS positions. It costs the local union an exorbitant amount of money to get copies of the clock rings, and upon reviewing them, we find that the 39-or-more hours were accumulated over a six-day period or in higher-level EAS positions.

Also, the managers have become smarter and are working different PTFs eight or more hours per day. Even though it is not the same PTF each day, it equates to a PTF working five days per week over a six-month period, which could be a full-time position, yet we are not allowed to count those hours.

Do you foresee any changes regarding the above issues? Until changes are made we will continue to have six PTFs working at one station with each one averaging 40-plus hours per week, and the local union will be unable to do anything about it.

Phyllis, Cleveland Ohio Area Local

President Burrus:

Thank you for your thoughtful inquiry regarding the use of the Maximization Report.

I am not certain that a report showing only those PTFs who have worked 39 or more hours over a five-day period would be more useful. As you note, managers have learned how to manipulate the schedule to prevent the PTFs from qualifying for conversion to full-time under the terms of the Maximization Memorandum. In that few PTFs qualify over a period of five days, five-day reports would not include any names, and the local would not have records to demonstrate that full-time positions should be established.

On the other hand, the report, as it is currently provided, can be used as evidence that management is manipulating the schedule. If the report indicates that the required number of hours are being worked by a combination of PTFs, a credible case can be made for conversions to full-time.

The intent of Article 7 is to maximize the number of full-time positions, and I suggest that the printouts be used to enforce Section 3.B.

April 10, 2006

* Editor’s Note: Under the terms of the Maximization Memorandum of Understanding of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, “Where a part-time flexible has performed duties within his craft and occupational group within an installation at least 40 hours a week (8 within 9, or 8 within 10, as applicable), 5 days a week, over a period of 6 months, the senior part-time flexible shall be converted to full-time status.”

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