Clerk Craft

Keep The US Mail In The Bronx NYC

The Tentative Agreement returns to the APWU bargaining unit a minimum of 1,100 Call Center jobs that had been contracted out. The Call Centers will become part of the nearest installation, which will allow APWU members to bid on these positions. The number of positions could increase if the USPS can bring in Call Center work from other government agencies. Thirty percent of the Call Center jobs may be reserved for APWU-represented rehabilitation employees by seniority.

APWU President Cliff Guffey and the rest of the negotiating team also were determined to return to the Clerk Craft duties that have been gradually transferred to EAS employees. A minimum of 800 duty assignments will be created in the craft to perform administrative and technical work that is currently performed by EAS personnel.

Lead Clerk, PS-7, positions will be established in mail processing plants and customer service. A ratio of those employees was negotiated for both areas. The future of these positions is to return to craft employees work that has been performed by 204Bs. Therefore, the number of 204Bs will be reduced. They will be eliminated from offices with supervisors except to fill absences of 14 days or more and vacancies of 14 days or more, not to exceed 90 days. Employees serving as 204Bs also will be required to return to the bargaining unit for a pay period in order to bid and to avoid having their duty assignments reposted.

Request for Proposals

The Postal Service has posted a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for a “Time-Definite Surface Network,” seeking comments from private companies that are interested in subcontracting work currently done at Bulk Mail Centers. The draft RFP is the latest step in a process that began last year when the Postal Service announced it was considering outsourcing some of the duties performed at the 21 BMCs across the country.

The Postal Service has informed the APWU that the draft RFP is an attempt to gather more information about pricing. The document is intended to help the USPS prepare the final RFP, but it is not expected to have a significant impact on management’s decision about whether to subcontract.

Automated Postal Centers

The USPS began deploying Automated Postal Centers (APCs) in February 2004, and plans to install them throughout the country. APCs are designed to reduce lines at windows and provide customers an alternate way to send mail and purchase services. They provide many of the services currently available at full-service windows, including:

Weighing and rating letters, flats, and parcels up to 70 pounds. Dispensing variable rate postage. Providing mailing options and special services. Certified mail; Express mail forms. ZIP Code lookup.
Providing receipts.

A USPS provides the APWU with a list of APC sites and associated revenue as of Aug. 25, 2005.

Clerk Craft officers are in discussions with the Postal Service about management’s plans to restructure departments associated with the Expedited Service Function, which includes processing and tracking Express Mail.

In the interim, at the local level, the union shall challenge any abolishment or reversion of duty assignments of Administrative Clerk-Express Mail, Level 6, (Occupation Code 2340- 81xx) and Express Mail Technician, Level 7 (Occupation Code 2340-82-xx).

Grievances protesting such abolishments and reversions shall cite the following:

Management’s actions violate Article 37, because the work is not “going away;” it is being shifted to other full-time duty assignments.

In addition, management’s actions violate Article 1.6a or 1.6b (as applicable) if the work is shifted to non-bargaining unit employees.

Management’s actions violate Article 7 if the work is shifted to non-Clerk Craft bargaining unit employees, such as Mail Handlers or Letter Carriers.

Regardless of any potential grievance at the nation level, local grievances shall be filed on any violations of the contract.