In this National Level Arbitration the APWU asserted that the Postal Service had continuously violated Article 19 and Article 36 of the National Agreement by deducting mealtime from employees' pay when they travel to and from postal training. The NPMHU intervened and supported the position of the APWU that the Postal Service may not reduce an employee's compensation by one half-hour for time the employee had spent traveling for job-related training under the rationale that such reduction constitutes a permissible deduction for mealtime. The Postal Service argued that it does not compensate any of its employees for their mealtimes and that Section 438 of the ELM and Handbook F-21 Section 260 allow the Postal Service to deduct 30 minutes for mealtime from an employee's travel time for purposes of compensation.
Award Summary: Arbitrator Das ruled that the Postal Service did not violate the National Agreement when it deducted a meal break from the compensation of an employee who was traveling for training, when such deduction corresponds with the exclusion of the "normal mealtime" provided for in ELM 438.11(a).
Document Type: National Arbitration
APWU National Grievance Number: Q00C4QC03061346
Arbitrator Name: Shyam Das