2017 Peak Season Exception Period MOU Reached

The APWU and the USPS recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), RE: Peak Season Exception Periods – 2017 Date Changes, modifying the Peak Season (Holiday Season) Exception period for 2017 to “ensure adequate coverage” and “accommodate customer service.”

Peak Season Dates

The start of the Peak Season Exception Period will be from Nov. 11, 2017 (Pay Period 24), and will go through Jan. 5, 2018 (Pay Period 1).

Holiday Clerk Assistants

All Holiday Clerk Assistants (HCAs) will be paid at the PSE rate of $16.98, reflecting the 2.3% PSE pay raise that will go into effect Nov. 25. Function 4 HCAs will be hired for three consecutive pay periods within the exception period: either Nov. 11 – Dec. 22 or Nov. 25 – Jan. 5, 2018. The MOU does not change the length of the exception period.

The MOU carries forward the Peak Season Exception Periods memo signed by President Mark Dimondstein and the USPS Vice President of Labor Relations in Sept. 2015.  Retirees have the opportunity to be rehired as temporary HCAs.

The MOU also extends the deadline for the HCA applications to Sept. 25. Retirees Department Director Nancy Olumekor is sending letters to APWU retiree members to notify them of the opportunity and provide additional information about the application procedure.

As with previous memorandums and questions & answers regarding HCAs, the parties agreed that, “the Postal Service will provide the APWU at the national level with the names of annuitants who applied to work as a HCA, their former craft and their retirement date. The Postal Service will also indicate whether they were accepted or rejected for employment and the reason for the decision.”

No Temporary Supervisors

Although not in the MOU, the Postal Service agreed that they will not hire “temporary supervisors” to supervise Clerk Craft employees during the Peak Season. Lead Clerks are available to provide oversight, direction and support to employees. There were numerous problems last year with the hiring of “temporary supervisors” off the street who displaced Clerk Craft employees.

“Thanks go to Assistant Clerk Division Director Lamont Brooks for his efforts in negotiating the agreement,” said Clerk Division Director Clint Burelson. “Fixing the ‘temporary supervisor’ issue will improve this years’ holiday season, and securing more information regarding the retiree/annuitants will assist in the efforts to hire more retiree/annuitants as a percentage of the total HCAs hired.”