Clerk Division Updates

The Clerk Division has recently arbitrated three important issues at the national level:

The Dispatch Coordinator position, created by the Postal Service and originally assigned to the Clerk Craft, was later reassigned to the Motor Vehicle Craft. The Clerk Division firmly believes that the duties of this position are traditional clerk duties.

The Postal Service’s continued violation of Article 1.5 and Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) related to the performance of non-managerial, non-supervisory work that should be assigned to the Clerk Craft. An interpretive issue in the 2018 RI-399 Update MOU concerning when it is proper to reassign work from one craft to another.

Step 4 Settlement – Time and Attendance Collection

Section 2 of the Step 4 settlement on Time and Attendance Collection (TACS), dated Sept. 5, 2018, states, in part:

d) Effective with the signing of this agreement, TACS duties may be included by local management in the Lead Clerk duty assignment postings for those duty assignments properly designated to perform the Lead Clerk Clock Office Role in TACS.

e) In facilities with Lead Clerks in duty assignments previously posted and awarded, who are currently performing TACS duties or that TACS duties were annotated on the bid posting, they will be grandfathered into this Agreement. If not previously provided, they will receive the required training, course #31267-01.

f) In facilities with Lead Clerks in duty assignments previously posted and awarded, and there are no Lead Clerks currently performing the TACS duties, the senior Lead Clerk in the facility will receive the required training, course #31267-01, and be assigned to perform the TACS duties. The parties at the local level may mutually agree to an alternative Lead Clerk in the facility to be trained/assigned in lieu of the senior Lead Clerk.

g) In facilities where there are multiple Lead Clerks, those Lead Clerks who have not been assigned timekeeping duties, are not required to receive the above referenced training. However, it is recommended they receive LMS Course #10025624, Lead Clerk Overview Training

TACS is clerk work. That is non-negotiable. Don’t let management perform our work. If the Lead Clerk is absent or on leave, Article 25 applies when assigning Lead Clerk duties.

Article 25, Section 4 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the APWU and USPS states:

Section 4. Higher-Level Details

Detailing of employees to higher-level bargaining unit work in each craft shall be from those eligible, qualified and available employees in each craft in the immediate work area in which the temporarily vacant higher-level position exists. However, for details of an anticipated duration of one (1) week (five (5) working days within seven (7) calendar days) or longer to those higher-level craft positions enumerated in the craft Articles of this Agreement as being permanently filled on the basis of promotion of the senior qualified employee, the senior, qualified, eligible, available employee in the immediate work area in which the temporarily vacant higher-level position exists shall be selected.