The Parties have jointly agreed to the following Questions & Answers as further clarification and
guidance on issues related to the Clerk Craft and POStPlan offices. Unless otherwise stated in
this document, these Q&As are not intended to alter, amend, or change in any way the terms of
the 2015-2018 Agreement, the September 22,2014, MOURe: POStPlan: Staffing of Offices,
Filling of Assignments, PSE Usage and Conversions, or the December 31, 2014, MOU Re:
Addendum to Memorandum of Understanding of September 22, 2014, Re: POStPlan.
POStPlan
1. Is the Postal Service required to separate Clerk Craft Postal Support Employees (PSEs)
and reduce Clerk Craft Part-Time Flexible (PTF) hours to the extent possible within an
installation (bid cluster) in order to provide work and minimize the impact for full-time
Clerk Craft career employees prior to excessing them outside their craft or installation?
Answer: Yes.
2. Is the Postal Service required to separate Clerk Craft PSEs, including, but not limited to
PSEs in any Level 4 RMPOs within an installation in order to utilize those work hours to
minimize the impact for Clerk Craft PTF career employees prior to excessing them
outside their craft or installation?
Answer: Yes.
3. Does Item IX of the September 22,2014, MOU apply to relief work needed in Level6
RMPOs that are staffed by part-time career postmasters pursuant to Item III?
Answer: Yes. Bargaining unit employees per Item IX will perform relief work.
4. Can a postmaster or supervisor assigned to an APO perform bargaining unit work in a
Level 6 or Level 4 RMPO?
Answer: No, except if there is an emergency situation per Article 1.6 as defined in the
July 2012 JCIM (page 24), "It is understood that an emergency is defined as an
unforeseen circumstance or a combination of circumstances which calls for immediate
action in a situation which is not expected to be of a recurring nature."
5. Does Question and Answer #17 of the POStPlan Q&As dated October 30, 2014, prevent
part-time career postmasters identified in Item III of the September 22, 2014, MOURe:
POStPlan: Staffing of Offices, Filling of Assignments, PSE Usage and Conversions, from
working more than 15 hours ofbargaining unit work?
Answer: Question and Answer #17 was not intended to limit part-time career
postmasters to 15 hours ofbargaining unit work. Therefore, Question and Answer #17 of
the POStPlan Q&As dated October 30, 2014, is eliminated effective with the date of
these Questions & Answers.
6. Who is considered an incumbent postmaster eligible to remain in a Level 6 RMPO and
convert to the Clerk Craft per Item III of the POStPlan Staffing MOU?
Answer: Any postmaster appointed to a Level6 RMPO on or before September 5, 2014,
the date of the arbitration award on POStPlan.
7. Will a part-time career postmaster who converts to the Clerk Craft per Item III of the
September 9, 2014 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Re: POStPlan: Staffing of
Offices, Filling of Assignments, PSE Usage and Conversions be allowed to stay in the
same office and if so, what will be his/her Clerk Craft installation seniority date?
Answer: The part-time career postmaster who converts to the Clerk Craft per Item III
will remain in the same office as a full-time career bargaining unit employee. The Postal
Service may assign the subject employee to a Traditional or Non-Traditional Full-Time
duty assignment consistent with the National Agreement. The employee's Clerk Craft
installation seniority date will be October 1, 2016, which is the first full pay period after
September 22, 2016. The effective date will be reflected on his/her PS Form 50.
8. If a part-time career postmaster decides to convert to the Clerk Craft, will he/she be able
to bid and occupy a duty assignment in another facility within the installation?
Answer: Yes. However, if a part-time career postmaster elects to become full-time in the
Clerk Craft in his/her level 6 office, he/she will not be allowed to bid on any full-time bid
postings in the installation until such time that any PTF who is senior to the former parttime
career postmaster in the same craft and installation has been offered the opportunity
for conversion to full-time status.
9. What is meant by "pool and relief areas" in Item IX of the POStPlan: Staffing of Offices,
Filling of Assignments, PSE Usage and Conversions MOU?
Answer: This is defined in Q&A #23 of the Questions and Answers- Part-Time Flexible
Clerks Working in Other Installations dated September 24, 2003, which states,
"Normally, such employees will not be required to travel more than 50 miles from their
duty station. This 50 mile criterion is measured as the shortest actual driving distance
between installations."
10. Ifthe provisions ofltem IX of the POStPlan: Staffing of Offices, Filling of Assignments,
PSE Usage and Conversions MOU are exhausted and there is a need for assistance in a
Level 20 APO installation, what is the pecking order for assistance?
Answer: Employees within 50 driving miles of the office in need of assistance may be
utilized once all career Clerk Craft employees within the installation have been exhausted
at the straight time rate. The pecking order for assistance shall be:
a. PTFs who have indicated a preference to work outside their installation,
b. Available and qualified Postal Support Employees within the District, excluding
Level 4 RMPO PSEs and consistent with the career window percentage for the
level 20 or above APO office.
c. PTFs, by juniority, who have indicated a preference to not work outside their
installation, may be utilized at the straight time rate.
11. Did the POStPlan Staffing MOU, or the December 31,2014 Addendum change the
provisions of Article 7, Section 3 and/or the exception language in item 13 of the Q&As
dated October 20, 2011 regarding PTFs working in Level21 and above offices?
Answer: No.
Filling Residual Vacancies
12. May PSEs decline an opportunity for conversion outside the installation, but within 50
miles?
Answer: Yes.
13. If aPSE fails to pass the window test for a conversion opportunity, how long must the
employee wait before she/he can take the test again?
Answer: 180 days. However, there may be situations where the parties at the national
level mutually agree to waive that time frame.
14. When converted to career, does aPSE have to serve a probationary period?
Answer: Clerk Craft PSEs who have already served one full term as aPSE will not be
required to serve a probationary period as required by Article 12, Section 1, after
conversion to career.
Travel
15. Do Clerk Craft employees receive payment for travel time and/or mileage when required
to travel to other offices?
Answer: It depends on the circumstances. Whether a bargaining unit employee who is
required to work outside his/her home office is entitled to compensable travel time or
mileage is determined by applying the applicable provisions of Section 43 8 of the
Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) and Chapter 7 ofHandbook F-15. In
accordance with the March 3, 2013 Step 4 settlement agreement, in case #QOOC-4Q-C
04184581, employees who volunteer to work, on a temporary basis, in an office other
than their home office in order to supplement their hours, are to follow the provisions of
the ELM, Section 438, and Handbook F-15, Travel and Relocation, Chapter 7.d.
Determining Daily Expenses.
16. For the purposes of compensable travel time and/or mileage, does it matter whether travel
is within an installation?
Answer: No.
17. Can the Postal Service require that a bargaining unit employee use his/her personal
vehicle for compensable travel time?
Answer: No. The use of a personal vehicle is the decision of the employee, in
ce with the 2012 JCIM, Article 36.2 (page 197-198).
Document Type: Question & Answer
Craft: Clerk