PMG to Meet With Management Associations Presidents
Presidents of NAPUS, The League of Postmasters, and NAPS are scheduled to meet with the Postmaster General on Wednesday, July 27, 2011. NAPUS President Bob Rapoza said that he will ask for time to discuss the impact on Postmasters whose offices were recently identified to be included as part of a discontinuance feasibility study.
A review list for the possible discontinuance of approximately 2800 post offices has raised the anxiety level of impacted Postmasters, who are concerned over what options may be available to them if they receive a Reduction In Force (RIF) notice. As stated on the NAPUS website on Friday, there is no certainty that all of the offices on the list will be closed. Additionally, the process could take as long as 7-10 months before a final decision would be made to close an office.
Impacted Postmasters are encouraged to check the NAPUS website for updates on discussions with USPS leaders about available options if a RIF notice is received. To see a list of offices under study for discontinuance click here . For information on how the review process works, please go to the NAPUS Action Guide Download PDF . Additional information will be provided as soon as it becomes available.
Charlie Moser
National Association of Postmasters of the US
Postmasters: Post Offices on study list does not mean they will close
National League Of Postmasters:
Today The Post Office released the list of offices that will go through the review process for discontinuance. You can click on this link to see the list. We want to emphasize that this is a review list.
Coming under review doesn’t necessarily mean an office will close. The post office announced in January it was reviewing 1,400 offices for closing. So far 280 have been closed and 200 have finished the review process and will remain open. Of the 1,400 offices announced for review in January, 620 are still in the review process and 300 will move to the new review list.
We are very concerned for those impacted Postmasters and communities. The discontinuance process takes over 120 days, if appealed even longer. We will share the entire discontinuance process shortly. The Post Office will ask for an Advisory Opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) today which is another process that needs to be completed. We do not want to give false hope but there is a lot we can do to reduce the overall impact.
We will share more information as it is made available.
source: National League of Postmasters
USPS To Hold Briefings, Webinar To Explain New Post Office Closings Process
The National League Of Postmasters :
The Postal Service has published in the Federal Register its Final Rule, 39 CFR Part 2411; the Final Rule takes effect immediately. Temporarily, the Postal Service has excluded from its Final Rule the portions it believes are subject to consultation under 39 U.S.C. §1004(b) and (d). Read more
Pay Talks Between USPS and Postal Management Associations Underway
From the National Association of Postmasters of the US:
Pay talks between the U. S. Postal Service and the management associations are now underway. The Postal Service has submitted proposed changes in pay policies and schedules and fringe benefits for Postmasters for the period covering fiscal year 2011 through fiscal year 2015. NAPUS and League representatives will now enter the consultative process to discuss the proposed changes with the Postal Service, which will include providing the Postal Service with a list of pay issues on behalf of Postmasters.
While specific details of the pay consultations will remain confidential, updates on the talks will be provided on the NAPUS website as they become available.
Postmasters: Congress, Not USPS Defines PRC’s Authority and Jurisdiction
Filed under: NAPUS, NLPM, postal, postal news, Postmasters, PRC, usps
Postmasters Respond to USPS Attempt to Dismiss Organizations’ Complaint Over Proposed CFR Changes to make it easier to close post offices
On 6/13/2011 the Post Office filed a motion with the PRC to dismiss the complaint that LEAGUE and NAPUS filed on 5/23/2011 asking the PRC to stop the Post Office from making the proposed changes to 39 CFR part 241. On July 5th NAPUS and LEAGUE filed a response to the Request to Dismiss.
Charlie Moser
July 6, 2011 Read more
USPS Meets with Management Association Leaders to discuss APWU Agreement
and Postmaster Relief (PMR) and Postal Support Employee (PSE Issues
On June 7th, NAPUS leaders, along with heads of the League and NAPS met with Postal Headquarters officials to discuss how some of the changes in the new USPS-APWU contract will impact post offices. The discussion included a question and answer session on the recent letter of opportunity that was issued to PMRs in level 15, 16, and 18 offices. While many issues were addressed, some of the concerns raised about the role of PSEs in post offices will be provided at a later date.
The Postal Service and APWU expect to work through implementation issues that may arise and the USPS agreed to ongoing discussions with the management associations to address concerns they may have as the National Agreement is implemented. Listed below is the Postal Service’s response to issues that were discussed at the meeting and additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
USPS Meets with Management Association Leaders to discuss USPS- APWU Agreement and PMR/PSE Issues
Following the meeting, Postmaster General (PMG) Patrick Donahoe met with leaders of the management associations and unions to brief them on the serious financial situation the USPS is facing. For more on what the PMG told the management associations and union leaders, please click on the President’s Update link.
Management Associations Discussion Topics
USPS-APWU National Agreement
This summarizes the June 7, 2011 discussion with the three management associations concerning the new USPS-APWU National Agreement. Mr. Tulino advised that the Postal Service and the APWU expect to work through implementation issues that may arise and he agreed to subsequent meetings to discuss the management associations’ concerns as we implement this National Agreement.
Issues Discussed
1. 800 new bargaining unit positions
Pursuant to the contract, 800 positions will be established in the Clerk Craft to perform bargaining unit duties that have been performed by nonbargaining employees. The Postal Service was unsuccessful in national level arbitration concerning this work. Audits led by the national level will be conducted and results will be analyzed in determining the positions that will be established.
2. “Lead Clerk” position
The Lead Clerk position applies to Function 1 and Function 4 operations, and is not a new concept. It is similar to the current Lead Sales and Service Association (LSSA) position. This will be a Senior Qualified position, and a specific formula will be used to determine offices where this position will be authorized. The positions will not add staffing and will be within the existing staffing matrix. These positions are not meant to replace supervisory positions. These will be higher level bargaining unit employees who will be doing some administrative work. This position should be established and implemented by June 2012.
3. PMRs and performance of bargaining unit work
Effective August 23, 2011, the PMR position will be discontinued in all levels 15, 16 and 18 Post Offices. Current PMRs are eligible to apply for the new Postal Support Employee (PSE) positions and must meet all requirements, including taking the applicable written test. Management employees in level 18 offices will be limited to performing a total of 15 hours of bargaining unit work per week, and will be limited to a total of 25 such hours per week in levels 15 and 16 offices. The determination of an office’s level for this purpose is based on its level as of November 21, 2010, and this determination will apply for the life of the current USPS-APWU National Agreement.
4. 204-Bs
Effective June 1, 2012, 204-B’s may be used in Functions 1 and 4 only for periods of 14 or more days.
5. Part-Time Flexible positions
Pursuant to the National Agreement, PTF employees will be converted to regular status. Effective August 23, 2012, there will be no PTF, Casual and/or TE positions in offices at or above level 21. The work currently being performed by these employees may be covered by full-time regular, non-traditional assignments (flexible or not), and/or PSEs. This will enable USPS to staff to customer needs, such as extended retail window hours.
6. CPU closings
USPS has identified 20 Contract Postal Units nationwide that offer virtually the same services as a Post Office, i.e. Retail, PO Boxes, etc. USPS has agreed to close these 20 CPUs
USPS
Charlie Moser
June 9, 2011
source: National Association of Postmasters of the US
Postmasters File Complaint With PRC To Put Post Office Closings On Hold
Filed under: NAPUS, NLPM, post office closings, postal, postal news, PRC, usps
Today,the National Association Of Postmasters Of The United States (NAPUS), The League Of Postmasters (NLPM), Mark Strong, Robert Rapoza, Retired Postmasters Marilyn Shaw and Marilyn Hill filed a complaint with PRC requesting a temporary hold on USPS post office closings.
Postmasters request a ruling that the Postal Service must obtain an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission before “closing thousands of post offices, affecting nationwide postal service, and before abdicating its responsibility to serve communities through maintaining its nationwide network of rural post offices as local federal government offices.” Read more
Postmasters President: Closing Small Offices Is A Measure To Make Senior USPS Managers Look Good
Filed under: NLPM, post office closings, postal, postal news, usps
May 17, 2011 – LEAGUE President Mark Strong testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security. Mark joined the Postmaster Pat Donahoe and five other panelists to give testimony on the financial condition of the post office as well as addressing Senator Carper’s bill as well as the Collins bill.
Included in Mark’s comments was testimony on the overfunding of the pension funds as well as the prefunding of the retiree health benefits being at the source of the Postal Services financial condition. During his oral testimony Mark told the Senate Committee that “no business of any type, in any part of the country, could afford to pay a 5 Billion dollar supplemental annual income tax that its competitors do not pay, and remain viable”.
Marks remarks also covered the issue of closing of small post offices. Small office closings are one of those cost savings measures that are popular to some mid-level postal officials because they can look good with the impression that they are driving large cost out of the system. He further mentioned that Post Offices and Postmasters..…are the glue the binds rural America together. Something some urbanites have a hard time understanding but it is the truth, not rhetoric and not exaggerated. Read more
USPS rejects postmasters’ recommendations on saved grade for RIF’d employees
Filed under: NAPUS, NLPM, postal, postal news, postal supervisors
From the National League of Postmasters:
The LEAGUE has received official notification that the significant recommendations that LEAGUE and NAPUS submitted in reference to the revisions of Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) Section 415, Rate Retention and Change to Lower EAS Grade will not be adopted. There was one recommendation that was adopted regarding applying for lateral reassignment to vacant duty assignments at their saved grade levels within their commuting areas to protect the salary. This was minor language to include in the overall change. The organizations submitted recommendations on two occasions to try and save some of the salary protection that EAS had received in the past during RIF Avoidance period, Specific RIF Notice Period or a RIF.
This means that those Nonbargainig Unit employees impacted by RIF Avoidance period, Specific RIF Notice Period, RIF-Related 30-Day Nonduty, Nonpay Status period, or a Rif will not receive saved salary indefinitely. Employees retain their current grade and pay for a period not to exceed 2 years from the effective date of the change to the lower grade position. On expiration of the saved grade period, if the employee’s salary is within the salary range for the lower grade, the salary is continued. However, if the salary exceeds the maximum of the new grade, the salary is immediately reduced to the grade maximum.
The League is disappointed that the significant portion of our proposals was not adopted. Postal Headquarters continued to sight the financial conditions they were presently facing could not justify any saved salary past the two years.
Rate retention currently in affect for DUO impacted Postmasters and Managers is still in effect.
Click and hit enter to view some RIF FAQs regarding this change. (PDF)
Postmasters File Objections With USPS on PO Closing Regulations
Filed under: NAPUS, NLPM, post office closings, postal, postal news, usps
On Monday, May 2, the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. (NAPUS) and the National League of Postmasters (LEAGUE) submitted “Public Comments” to the U.S. Postal Service, opposing proposed regulations that would result in the wholesale closing of Post Offices through the nation. In a joint comment, the two postal management organizations illustrated how the proposed rules violate current law, undermine post office accountability, weakens universal postal service to small towns and rural America, and jeopardizes the historic community role that Post Offices play. Appended to the comments was the expert legal opinion of former USPS General Counsel Harold Hughes, who views the proposed regulations as illegal and, therefore, should be withdrawn.
Postmasters File Objections Over Post Office Closings