Incentive Offer Leads to One-Time Exception on Casual Cap

In accordance with the agreement to provide a $15,000 incentive to employees who retire or separate, the APWU and the USPS have reached a settlement regarding the use of casuals in excess of the limitations outlined in Article 7 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The settlement stipulates that number of casuals may not exceed the total number of employees who retire or separate. If the number of employees ending their employment exceeds the number of casuals authorized under Article 7, management may hire additional casuals for a total not to exceed the number of employees leaving the Postal Service, APWU President William Burrus reported.

For example, if 15 clerks end their employment pursuant to the incentive offer, and the USPS can employ five casuals under the current cap, management may exceed the cap by no more than 10 casuals.

Casuals may be employed up to the cap at any time; they may be employed in excess of the cap as the number of career employees terminating employment exceeds the cap, on a one-to-one basis. As additional career employees are employed in the section, either by hiring or reassignment, the number of casuals must be reduced.

No employees may be excessed from an installation while the relaxation of the casual restrictions is in effect. Casuals in excess of the cap must be terminated prior to March 2, 2010.