Postmasters Request Meeting With USPS to Discuss RIF Avoidance Strategies

On Monday, League President Mark Strong and NAPUS President Bob Rapoza sent a joint letter to USPS Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Megan Brennan, requesting a meeting to discuss the impact that the Retail Access Optimization Initiative (RAOI) may have on Postmasters whose offices are on the study list. Specifically, the leaders of the two Postmaster organizations are asking to meet with members of the Postal Service senior management team to discuss minimizing or avoiding the impact that RIF may have on Postmasters whose offices may be discontinued.

RIF Avoidance and minimization strategy actions listed in the ELM 354.23 include voluntary early retirements, voluntary early retirement incentives, voluntary reassignments and other actions that can be considered for impacted employees. The two presidents reminded Ms Brennan that Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said that he would work with the Postmaster organizations as he had worked with other RIF impacted employees. For more information on this and other important news from President Rapoza, click here http://www.napus.org/president-rapozas-updates/.

We have received several inquiries from Exempt status Postmasters who lost employees as a result of Delivery Unit Optimization (DUO) and are re-classified to non-exempt if they manage less than two full-time equivalent employees, but the Form 50 isn’t processed to change them to the correct status for several months. Listed below is the USPS Headquarters response to the FLSA status question and their response on when salary protection begins for Postmasters who are downgraded as a result of DUO.

When staffing conditions in a Post Office do not meet criteria for FLSA-exempt status, the Postmaster’s FLSA status becomes non-exempt. If the FLSA status of the job changes, this should be brought to the attention of the appropriate management authorities promptly so that FLSA status may be adjusted timely, within one or two pay periods of the Postmaster no longer meeting the criteria of an exempt status. We recommend that Postmasters coordinate closely with their supervisors to ensure that work beyond 40 in a pay week is authorized expressly. This will help prevent potential problems. Postmasters should document overtime hours they work since DUO implementation. They should also document the dates such hours are worked, and they should furnish this material to local management for review and determination if there are concerns about pay.

Salary protection for DUO impacted Postmasters begins on the Form 50 effective date of the downgrade.

Next week, members of the two Postmaster organization pay talks teams will resume discussions with Postal Service representatives. The meetings will include discussions on pay, benefits, leave and changes to the ELM that may impact Postmasters. The Postmaster organizations and the Postal Service agreed to extend the October 5, 2011 deadline.

Charlie Moser

October 5, 2011

source: NAPUS

4 thoughts on “Postmasters Request Meeting With USPS to Discuss RIF Avoidance Strategies

  1. Every postal worker needs to put the spotlight on our real enemy which is postal management. Here is a simple math problem. “If you lined up the 6 foot desks of the 110,000 management slots in a line. How long would it be?” Answer: 125 miles. I say send those desk jockeys to line the California/ Mexico border and deduct their worthless salaries from the PO and drop a dime off of a stamp. One, it won’t affect the mail stream at all and 2 management is only good at taking workers jobs away. So line them all up on our southern borders to keep the illegals from taking away American jobs. 2 birds 1 stone.

  2. Recent headline “Only 31 U.S. Postal Service employees have been laid off following an administrative reorganization that eliminated some 7,500 positions”. Hahaha, only 31 out of 7500 were laid off in the management restructure. The other 31 were probably within a year of retirement, and took the post office for a year’s worth of severance/unempoyment benefits before applying for immediate retirement.. Bet you, Suckas!!!

  3. This here PM has a great plan for you misters Donahoe…..RIF Plan from one dummy to another: 1 PM to 5 offices….why do we needs 1 PM per office….we’re bored to death playing card games on our computers and aggravating the menial worker bees…no fun anymore. I needs mores to do all day….oh and I fudged all them numbers like you said …yessum boss did just whats you says to do. Now you gonna gives me my PFP biggin bonus likes you promise…<3 Mwah on you butt…mwah, mwah, mwah…just likes you likes it smack on the butt….

  4. Want the solution way? it’s easy, just follow my ony 1 step:
    Offer $50K plus 5 years services to eligible early out employee (50-56), because they are not qualify for the OPEM supplement money.Don’t need offer anything to those senior employee, just lay them off, also lay off management.Then hire thousands temorary employee.
    Problems solved, USPS earn money again. lol….

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