Agreement Means No Loss of Steps or Waiting Time to Carriers; Local
Implementation, DPS Issues Also Covered by Three Memos

After five months of intense discussions between the NALC and postal
management, the two parties reached agreement March 21 on three memos to
resolve outstanding issues flowing from the hallmark Fleischli Arbitration
Award last September that upgraded City Letter Carriers from Grade 5 to
Grade 6 in the new 1998-2001 National Agreement.

Principal among the settlements was a memo outlining the manner in which
Carriers would arrive at the higher pay level without losing any in-step
waiting time

The result is to create a new NALC Grade 1 and NALC Grade 2 that on November
18. 2000 will maintain for each step the same dollar differential as Grade 5
and Grade 6, respectively, would be on November 20, 2000

The upgrade will apply to full-time, part-time regular, part-time flexible
and transitional employees. All upgraded employees will receive waiting time
period credit applied towards their next step for accumulated weeks served
in their current step.

The new Grade 1 will be equivalent to the current Grade 6, plus the
September 2000 COLA and 1.2 percent general wage increase effective November
18, 2000.

NALC President Vince Sombrotto noted that Arbitrator George Fleischli, in
issuing his historic document, specifically instructed the NALC and USPS to
work out the details -- essentially forcing the parties back to the
bargaining table to make the arbitration award work.

The complexities of the postal pay system made that no easy task, and it
took many meetings between the two sides over the winter months before
agreement was reached.

‘I am extremely pleased that after months of difficult negotiations, the
parties were able to reach in a constructive fashion an agreement that
recognized how difficult the Letter Carrier job has become as a result of
automation," Sombrotto said.

The three Memorandums of Understanding also renew for the remainder of the
term of the new contract Article 35, Section 2 regarding the Employee
Assistance Program, and Memos on Leave Sharing and Sick Leave for Dependent
Care; sets October 2, 2000 as the beginning of the 3O-day local
implementation period specified in Article 30 of the contract and Memorandum
of Understanding regarding Local Implementation; and allows management to
convert to the vertical flat casing DPS work method those DPS routes that
have vertical flat cases and are currently using the composite bundle method

Additionally, NALC and the USPS are continuing discussion on Article 15
(Grievance-Arbitration Procedure) and Article 16 (Discipline Procedure) with
a view toward reaching agreement on those articles for the betterment of
Letter Carriers.

Text of the three Memorandum of Understanding are printed below:

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
AND THE
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS
AFL-CIO

It is hereby agreed by the U.S. Postal Service and the National Association
of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO that the following represents the parties’
agreement with regard to implementation of the upgrade issue emanating from
the September 19, 1999, Fleischli Award, our agreement regarding case
configuration when using the vertical flat casing work method, and
additional provisions relative to the 1998 National Agreement.

1. Effective November 18, 2000, all City Letter Carriers grade 5 will be
upgraded and the pay differential of Grade 6 Carrier Technicians shall be
maintained in accordance with the procedures set forth in the attached
Memorandum of Understanding.

2. The provisions of Article 35. Section 2, concerning the national joint
EAP committee will be renewed for the remainder of the term of the 1998
National Agreement.

3. The Memorandum of Understanding Re: Leave Sharing found on page 161 of
the 1994 National Agreement will be renewed for the remainder of the term
of the 1998 National Agreement.

4. The Memorandum of Understanding Re: Sick Leave for Dependent Care found
on page 162 of the 1994 National Agreement will be renewed for the remainder
of the term of the 1998 National Agreement.

5. The 30-day period of local implementation specified in Article 30 and the
Memorandum of Understanding Re: Local Implementation will commence on
October 2, 2000.

6. When management elects to reassess the case configuration of a route
currently using the DPS vertical flat casing work method or changes the DPS
work method on a route from the composite bundle work method to the vertical
flat casing work method, management will determine for each route, whether
4, 5, or 6 shelves will be used.

(SIGNATURE)
Anthony J. Vigilante
Vice President
Labor Relations
U.S. Postal Service

(SIGNATURE)
Vincent R. Sombrotto
President
National Association of Letter
Carriers, AFL-CIO

Date: 3/21/00
 

 

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
AND THE
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS
AFL-CIO

Re: Upgrade of NALC Represented Employees

It is hereby agreed by the United States Postal Service and the National
Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO, that, based on Arbitrator Fleischli
’s September 19, 1999, Interest Arbitration Award regarding the upgrade of
NALC represented grade 5 employees and maintaining the existing salary
differential for NALC represented Grade 6 Carrier Technician employees as
well as other considerations, the following procedures will apply:

1. UPGRADE OF NALC REPRESENTED GRADE 5 EMPLOYEES

a. Effective November 18, 2000, all NALC represented grade 5 employees will
be upgraded to new NALC grade 1. The upgrade applies to full-time, part-time
regular, part-time flexible, and transitional employees- The parties further
agree that the new NALC grade 1 salary schedule shall be implemented,
effective November 18, 2000.

b. All NALC represented grade 5 employees will be upgraded to new NALC
grade 1 based on a step-to-step upgrade procedure. Effective November 18,
2000, employees will be upgraded to new NALC grade 1 at the same step they
previously held in grade 5. As an example, grade 5 step A employees will be
upgraded to new NALC grade 1 step A, while grade 5 step O employees will be
upgraded to new NALC grade I step O. All upgraded employees will receive
waiting period credit applied towards their next step for accumulated weeks
served in their current step.

2. MAINTAINING THE CARRIER TECHNICIAN DIFFERENTIAL

a. In order to maintain the Carrier Technician differential, effective
November 18, 2000, NALC represented Grade 6 Carrier Technician Employees
(occupation code 2310-2010) will be placed into new NALC grade 2. NALC
represented grade 6 vehicle operations and maintenance assistant employees
(occupation code 2310-2012) will not be placed into new NALC grade 2.
Instead, these employees will continue to be paid at new NALC grade 1. The
parties further agree that the new NALC grade 2 salary schedule shall be
implemented, effective November 18, 2000.

b. New NALC grade 2 salaries will be developed by applying the dollar
differential by step between NALC grades 5 and 6 as of November 18, 2000.
This dollar differential will then be added to new NALC grade 1, by step, to
create new NALC grade 2, by step, effective November 18, 2000.

c. NALC Grade 6 Technician employees will be placed into new NALC
grade 2 based on a step-to-step procedure. Effective November 18, 2000, NALC
grade 6 carrier technician employees will be placed into the new NALC grade
2 at the same step they previously held in grade 6. As an example, grade 6
step A employees will be placed into the new NALC grade 2 step A, while
grade 6 step O employees will be placed into the new NALC grade 2 step O.
All employees placed into the new NALC grade 2 will receive waiting period
credit applied towards their next step based on accumulated weeks served in
their current step.

3. ADDRESSING THE PROMOTION PAY ANOMALY

The parties intend to continue discussions either prior to or during
national negotiations in 2001 in an effort to permanently resolve the
promotion pay anomaly associated with the NALC salary schedule.

The parties agree this Memorandum of Understanding is a full and complete
settlement of any claims that have been, or could be, asserted against the
Postal Service with regard to the upgrade provisions of Arbitrator Fleischli
’s September 19, 1999, Interest Arbitration Award. This Memorandum of
Understanding is being entered into on a nonprecedential basis and may not
be cited or used in any forum whatsoever, except to enforce its provisions.

(SIGNATURE)
Anthony J. Vegliante
Vice President
Labor Relations
U.S. Postal Service

(SIGNATURE)
Vincent R. Sombrotto
President
National Association of Letter
Carriers, AFL-CIO

Date: 3/21/00

 

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
AND THE
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS
AFL-CIO

Re: City Letter Carrier DPS Work Methods

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) represents the parties’ final
agreement regarding the October 8, 1998, Joint Work Methods Study to
determine the more efficient work method for city delivery routes in
delivery units where Delivery Point Sequence (DPS) has been, or will be,
implemented. This MOU is based on the results of a joint study conducted by
the parties pursuant to Chapter 5 of Building Our Future By Working Together
to determine the relative efficiency of the composite bundle and vertical
flat casing work methods in a DPS environment. Further, any interim or local
agreements for handling the fourth bundle on park and loop and foot routes
will continue until conversion to the DPS vertical flat casing work method.
In accordance with paragraph 3 of the October 8, 1998, Joint Work Methods
Study Agreement the following are the parties’ joint instructions to the
field:

1. There continue to be two approved DPS work methods: the composite bundle
work method and the vertical flat casing work method. Any other work methods
must be approved by Postal Service Headquarters prior to testing or
implementation.

2. The parties have analyzed the results of the joint study and have
determined that the vertical flat casing work method is the more efficient
work method at all sampled percentage levels of DPS. Management may convert
those routes that have vertical fiat cases and are currently using the
composite bundle work method to the vertical flat casing DPS work method.

3. On curbline routes and business routes where DPS is planned, but not
implemented, management will determine the most efficient DPS work method.
All other routes not yet converted to DPS which have vertical flat cases
will use the vertical flat casing DPS work method.

4. On those routes where DPS is not currently planned but where DPS is
implemented in the future, management will determine the DPS work method.

5. City letter carriers on a park and loop or foot route will not be
required to carry more than three bundles.
 

(SIGNATURE)
Anthony J. Vegliante
Vice President
Labor Relations
U.S. Postal Service

(SIGNATURE)
Vincent R. Sombrotto
President
National Association Of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO


Date: 3/21/00

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