LOCAL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

East Texas Processing and Distribution Center

Maintenance Craft

2006-2010

ITEM 1.  ADDITIONAL OR LONGER WASH-UP PERIODS

A reasonable amount of wash-up time shall be granted for those employees who perform dirty work or work with toxic materials, based on individual circumstances.

ITEM 2.      THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGULAR WORK WEEK OF FIVE DAYS WITH EITHER FIXED OR ROTATING DAYS OFF.

In maintenance, only fixed work weeks of five (5) consecutive days shall be scheduled for full-time employees.

ITEM 3.      GUIDELINES FOR THE CURTAILMENT OR TERMINATION OF POSTAL OPERATIONS TO CONFORM TO ORDERS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES OR AS LOCAL CONDITIONS WARRANT BECAUSE OF EMERGENCY CONDITIONS.

A.      Termination or curtailment of postal operations will be made by the manager on duty to conform to orders of local authorities, or as local conditions warrant because of emergency conditions, shall be based upon information available and received from local, state, and national authorities, and other official sources.

B.      Management shall communicate with the union concerning the appropriate action to be taken, where the emergency is of such a nature that advance notice is possible.

C.      Consideration will be given to Acts of God and physical limitations that jeopardize the safety and health of employees.  Applicable provisions of the ELM may apply.

D.      In the event of an emergency covered by Management Contingency, such Plan will be implemented without delay.

ITEM 4.      FORMULATION OF LOCAL LEAVE PROGRAM

A.      Leave rosters will be used for employees to sign for their choice annual leave selection.  The rosters will be circulated each year in order of seniority among employees for choice selections within each occupational group and level by tour. 

B.      All rosters will have one space during the week of the APWU National/State Convention reserved for leave by the local delegate(s) to the Conventions.  The local Union is responsible for informing management of the dates for convention weeks.  No later than thirty days prior to each Convention the union will inform management of the employees that will attend each Convention.  When the delegates are known and their leave has been scheduled in their sections during the reserved space, any remaining reserved spaces in all sections shall be granted by the supervisor in the following order: (1) for employees coming on the tour from other sections that are not scheduled for their full allowable leave during the choice period; (2) for employees that will have forfeitable leave; (3) for employees submitting applications of Form 3971, first-come, first-served.  Any employees applying for leave under this paragraph must apply for the turned back weeks within fifteen days from the date the weeks became available.  After the fifteen days the weeks will be available under item twelve of the LMOU.

C.      The first circulation of the roster will be by seniority for choice selections to begin by November 15.  One or more weeks up to limitation in Article 10, 3.D.1 and 3.D.2 may be selected as specified in Item 7.

D.      After the roster has been circulated one time by seniority among all Career employees in the section for their choice leave selections, the roster will continue to be circulated in order of seniority for remaining choice selections, as specified in Item 7. 

E.      Employees will have forty-eight hours to make their choice.  The employee forfeits their selection it they do not choose within forty-eight hours after receiving the vacation roster.

 F.     Employees transferring to a different section, with their choice period selection not taken in their former section, are responsible for contacting the supervisor in their new section by submitting a Form 3971 for the annual leave.  The employee will be permitted to take their choice selection(s) in the new section.  Any employee changing sections and/or tours prior to selecting his/her choice leave weeks will be placed on the leave roster in the new section in the proper rotation.  He/she will be permitted to sign for their remaining selections in the new section, even if the roster has already been completed.  Management is not required to grant the vacated leave slot in the tour or section an employee leaves for incidental leave.

G. Unscheduled leave in increments of week(s) or day(s) (leave which was not requested during the choice vacation planning period) shall be granted up to the leave capacity used for vacation planning purposes.  Approval will be on a first come, first served basis by occupational group and tour.

H. Unscheduled leave may not be applied for more than thirty days in advance of the day or days requested.  All Form 3971’s must be handed to immediate Maintenance supervisor or Manager in charge.  Employees requesting unscheduled annual leave four hours prior to the end of their tour of duty shall be notified whether the leave is approved or disapproved prior to the end of their tour of duty.  Failure by the supervisor to notify the employee his/her leave is approved or disapproved by the end of the employee’s tour of duty will result in the request being automatically approved.

ITEM 5.      THE DURATION OF THE CHOICE VACATION PERIOD

The choice vacation period shall be the full calendar year.

ITEM 6.      THE DETERMINATION OF THE BEGINNING DAY OF AN EMPLOYEE’S VACATION PERIOD

The beginning day of an employee’s vacation period shall be at the option of the employee.  This will allow the employees to schedule their annual leave between their non-scheduled days.

ITEM 7.      WHETHER EMPLOYEES, AT THEIR OPTION, MAY REQUEST SELECTIONS DURING THE CHOICE VACATION PERIOD IN UNITS OF EITHER 5 OR 10 DAYS.

A.      1.       Regular employees who earn thirteen days leave per year have the following options:

a.       One selection during the choice vacation period of the ten continuous work days, or

                   b.       Two selections in units of five continuous work days.

            2.       Regular employees who earn twenty days leave per year have the following options:

a.       One selection during the choice vacation period of fifteen continuous work days, or

b.       Two selections in units of five or ten continuous workdays, the total not to exceed fifteen days.

ITEM 8.      WHETHER JURY DUTY AND ATTENDANCE AT NATIONAL OR STATE CONVENTIONS SHALL BE CHARGED TO CHOICE VACATION PERIOD.

Jury duty and attendance at National or State Conventions will not be considered a choice in the choice vacation period.  When an employee is scheduled for annual leave prior to learning of the date(s) for jury duty and/or convention, he/she shall be allowed to make a different selection from available dates.

ITEM 9.      DETERMINATION OF THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WHO SHALL RECEIVE LEAVE EACH WEEK DURING THE CHOICE VACATION PERIOD

A.               Fifteen percent of the employees in each occupational group, per tour, shall be granted scheduled leave if requested.  All fractions will be rounded to the next higher number.  One employee will be allowed annual leave per week within each occupational group and level by tour.

B.               After the completion of the choice vacation selections, if an employee is scheduled for training off site during their choice selection, the employee will be allowed to make another selection in place of the selection the employee has given up. This is at the option of the employee.

ITEM 10.     THE ISSUANCE OF OFFICIAL NOTICES TO EACH EMPLOYEE OF THE VACATION SCHEDULE APPROVED FOR SUCH EMPLOYEE.

Immediately after leave rosters have been completely circulated for choice selections, the section supervisor will sign, date and put the roster on the APWU bulletin board in the unit as the official notice to each employee of their approved choice vacation schedule.

ITEM 11.     DETERMINATION OF THE DATE AND MEANS OF NOTIFYING EMPLOYEES OF THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW LEAVE YEAR

Article 10, Section 4.A, of the 2006-2010 National Agreement will apply.

ITEM 12.     THE PROCEDURES FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS FOR ANNUAL LEAVE DURING OTHER THAN THE CHOICE VACATION PERIOD

ITEM 13.     THE METHOD OF SELECTING EMPLOYEES TO WORK A HOLIDAY

 

A.      The following procedure will be followed in selecting employees to work on a designated holiday:

1.    All designated holiday volunteers

2.    All non-scheduled regular volunteers

3.    All remaining non-scheduled regulars by inverse seniority

4.    Any remaining designated holiday regulars by inverse seniority

 

B.      When scheduling holiday work by juniority, a holiday falling on the work day immediately preceding scheduled annual leave will not exempt the employee from being scheduled on his/her holiday.

 

C.      Volunteers will be scheduled on a rotating seniority basis.

 

D.      Holiday volunteer lists shall be posted two weeks prior to the actual holiday on each tour.  These lists shall be removed no later than the Friday preceding the posting of the work schedule.

ITEM 14.     WHETHER OVERTIME DESIRED LISTS IN ARTICLE VII SHALL BE BY SECTION AND/OR TOUR.

A.      Overtime Desired Lists shall be established by Section and Tour. (language deleted)

B.      Overtime Desired Lists shall have ten-hour, twelve-hour, and Non-Schedule Day Selections.

C.      Employees shall normally be given one-hour advance notice when overtime is scheduled except in an emergency.  Employees will be allowed to use the telephone to make necessary arrangements when remaining past the end of tour for overtime work.

ITEM 15.     THE NUMBER OF LIGHT DUTY ASSIGNMENTS WITHIN EACH CRAFT OR OCCUPATIONAL GROUP TO BE RESERVED FOR TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT LIGHT DUTY ASSIGNMENTS

There shall be a minimum of 2% of light duty assignments on each tour within each craft and or occupational group.  Upon request of light duty from an employee, the light duty committee shall meet within two (2) working days (Excluding Saturday and Sunday) to discuss the individual’s case.  Final decision is contingent upon concurrence with the committee and plant manager.  Any adverse decision shall be subject to the grievance procedure per Article 15.  (See item 17 for further details on assignment(s).)  The light duty committee shall consist of an MMO/SMO on each tour and the appropriate APWU Craft Director or their designee.

ITEM 16.     THE METHOD TO BE USED IN RESERVING LIGHT DUTY ASSIGNMENTS SO THAT NO REGULARLY ASSIGNED MEMBER OF THE REGULAR WORKFORCE WILL BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED.

A.      A temporarily ill or injured employee will be given an assignment in his own craft that he can effectively perform.  If this is not possible, management will consult with the gaining craft director prior to assignment.

B.      Any cross craft assignment to the maintenance craft will not be made to the detriment of the maintenance employees.  No maintenance schedules will be changed to accommodate a light duty assignment from another craft.

ITEM 17.     THE IDENTIFICATION OF ASSIGNMENTS THAT ARE TO BE CONSIDERED LIGHT DUTY WITHIN EACH CRAFT REPRESENTED IN THE OFFICE.

Maintenance Control, Custodian, and Security Booth.  The light duty committee shall not be limited to these areas for consideration; however, this gives a broad range of area for which to assign employees.

Each request for light duty will be considered on its merits in accordance with pertinent provisions of the National Agreement.  Maximum effort must be made to assign an employee who is recovering from an illness or injury to duties which he/she can perform with due consideration given to the nature of the illness or injury and the availability of such duties.  A doctor’s certificate specifying the limitations on the duties an employee may perform must be one of the guidelines in placing an employee in a light duty assignment.

ITEM 18.     THE IDENTFIFICATION OF ASSIGNMENTS COMPRISING A SECTION, WHEN IT IS PROPOSED TO REASSIGN WITHIN AN INSTALLATION EMPLOYEES EXCESS TO THE NEEDS OF A SECTION.

The length of regular work force service in the Maintenance Craft in the same installation governs in identifying excess employees within an occupational group and level.

ITEM 19.     THE ASSIGNMENT OF EMPLOYEE PARKING SPACES

The Parking shall be on a first-come, first-served basis, except for reserved spaces for handicapped employees.  No postal vehicles will be parked in the employee parking area.  All employees shall park his/her car in designated parking spaces – one car, one space.  The employee parking area begins at the entry door on the south end of the building and includes all thereafter.

ITEM 20.     THE DETERMINATION AS TO WHETHER ANNUAL LEAVE TO ATTEND UNION ACTIVITIES REQUESTED PRIOR TO DETERMINATION OF THE CHOICE VACATION SCHEDULE IS TO BE PART OF THE TOTAL CHOICE VACATION PLAN.

Annual leave requests to attend Union activities in addition to the provisions in Item Eight will not be charged as choice vacation leave.

ITEM 21.     THE OTHER ITEMS WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO LOCAL NEGOTIATIONS AS PROVIDED IN THE CRAFT PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT.

A.      After the leave roster has been circulated in accordance with Item 4.D and 7, employees with a forfeitable leave balance will be permitted to schedule all such excess leave in increments of one full week.  These selections shall be made within 21 days after the posting of leave roster.  Selections will be made on the leave roster from available open dates and circulation will be by seniority.

B.      Any remaining employees who earn 4 or more weeks of annual leave shall be permitted to sign the leave roster in any remaining available dates in increments of one full week.  Selections shall be by seniority within 30 days after the leave roster has been posted, where reasonably possible.  These selections will be made in red ink to indicate scheduled incidental leave selections.

C.      Employee’s Installation Seniority shall be used for day to day seniority.

D.      Employee Details, which are not employee specific, shall be offered to qualified volunteers and shall be awarded by seniority on a rotating basis.  Employee specific details are details, which only a specific employee can work because of the needs of the service.  Examples of employee specific details are training, and a 204-B position.

ITEM 22.     LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS AGREEMENT RELATING TO SENIORITY, REASSIGNMENTS AND POSTINGS

The Installation Maintenance Craft seniority by occupational group and level will be the determining factor when selecting employees for vacation, holiday, and overtime scheduling.