Q&A For Clerks on New Collective Bargaining Agreement

(This article first appeared in the July/August 2022 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine)

1. Question: Does a Postal Support Employee (PSE) hired in an Administrative Post Office (APO), that allows for the 24-month automatic conversion to career, maintain that right and benefit if they are involuntarily reassigned as a PSE to a Level 4 Remotely Managed Post Office (RMPO) in the same bid cluster?

Answer: Yes. However, upon conversion to a career (PTF), the newly converted employee will be reassigned to the APO. Conversely, if the PSE voluntarily elects to be reassigned to the RMPO, he/she will not be eligible for the 24-month automatic conversion while assigned to the Level 4 RMPO.

2. Question: If there is an opportunity for a new hire PSE in an APO, will current PSEs in the Level 4 RMPO(s) within the bid cluster (installation) have an opportunity to be reassigned to the APO before external hiring?

Answer: Yes. PSEs in the installation will be provided the opportunity, in their order on the PSE relative standing list, to be reassigned to the APO. Following reassignment to the APO, the PSE will be eligible for the 24-month automatic conversion.

3. Question: In order to meet the 24 hours per pay period guarantee for part-time flexible (PTF) employees, can a PTF be assigned outside his/her installation?

Answer: Yes, if necessary, after every effort is made to assign work within the installation. This does not prohibit an employee from volunteering to work outside the installation and/or the Postal Service providing transportation, in accordance with the PTF Clerks Working in Other Installations Agreement Questions and Answers and the Use of Privately Owned Vehicles MOU.

4. Question: Can a PTF be assigned two lunches, or a lunch and spilt shift in a single service day?

Answer: No.

5. Question: Must a PTF be guaranteed four hours of continuance/consecutive work?

Answer: To the extent practicable, the four hours should be consecutive. This not intended to supersede any local past practice or LMOU agreement.

6. Question: How is the PSE 24-month automatic conversion date determined?

Answer: The 24-month automatic conversion is triggered 2 years from the PSE’s relative standing date in the installation. Example: A PSE hired on 4/28/2020, triggers the 24-month
automatic conversion on 4/28/2022. The conversion to career would be the first day of the third full pay period after the 24-month requirement is met, in accordance with the Residual Vacancies – Clerk Craft MOU Questions and Answers #24, dated March 30, 2022.

7. Question: How are PSEs ranked on the relative standing list if hired on the same date in a bid cluster (installation)?

Answer: When PSEs are hired in an installation on the same day, their ranking on the relative standing list in the installation is based on their test score. When converted to career, the same ranking order will continue to apply to the career seniority list.

8. Question: What is the seniority date for eligible PSEs who were converted to career pursuant to the initial 24-month automatic conversion following the effective date of the 2021-2024 National Agreement?

Answer: April 23, 2022.

9. Question: Is the Postal Service required to schedule full-time clerks assigned to NTFT duty assignments a minimum of four-hours a day based on the 2021-2024 contractual provisions?

Answer: No. The four-hour daily work hour guarantee negotiated as part of the 2021-2024 National Agreement was specific to PTF employees. Exception: This does not waive any other applicable contractual provisions, agreements, past practice, and LMOU language (e.g., NTFT MOU, 2 Hours or Less of Custodial Work MOU, Article 37.3.A.1). The NTFT MOU requires before implementing any new nontraditional assignments in Function 4, the Local Union will have the opportunity to review, comment, make suggestions and propose alternatives.