Memorandum Of Understanding
Between
American Postal Workers
Union
Tucson Area Local
AFL-CIO

and

United States Postal Service

GREEEN VALLEY LMOU
2006-2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS




ARTICLE 1
SEPARABILITY CLAUSE  

Should any part of this memorandum or any provisions contained herein be rendered or declared invalid by reason of any existing or subsequently enacted legislation or by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidation of such part or provisions of this memorandum shall not invalidate the remaining portions of this memorandum, and they shall remain in full force and effect.

ARTICLE 2
IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGES

Both parties recognize the need for improvement of mail service. The Union will be informed as far in advance as possible of implementation of changes that affect jobs or working conditions.

ARTICLE 3
LABOR MANAGEMENT MEETINGS

1.   Labor Management meetings between representatives of the Union and the Employer shall be held as needed.
2.   In accordance with Article 17, Section 5 of the National Agreement, the Union reserves the right to have one representative present in a pay status.  
3.   An exchange of agenda items for discussion at scheduled meetings must be submitted no less then three days in advance. The agenda is to be specific detail. Both parties  agree that matters not included in the agenda will not be made the subject of  discussion except that unexpected events may be the basis of information announcement.
4.   With mutual consent of both parties, a particular meeting may be cancelled.                                                  
5.   The Union representative shall be given an opportunity to verify the minutes of each meeting before they are published.       

ARTICLE 4
WASH UP PERIOD

The “past practice” of granting employees a reasonable wash-up period prior to lunch and at the end of the tour will continue throughout the duration of the this Agreement. In addition, employees will be granted additional wash-up time for bio-chemical threats as per national guidelines from the CDC, USPS and APWU.

ARTICLE 5
WORK WEEK

Management will make every effort to keep the days off concurrent.

ARTICLE 6
POSTINGS

          1.   Unless negotiated differently at the local level when the need is required, all designated articles of the National Agreement
            will be applicable.

         2.  Only if the incumbent submits a written request to be relieved will a position be reposted if the starting time exceeds one
              hour and/or the duties, assignment or scheme responsibility are changed.

         3.  Bids shall be posted for 10 working days and may be accepted up to close of business (COB) on the 10th day.

  4.      Awards will be posted on the following Monday.  Future changes due to the migration to shares services will be
       implemented upon further discussion between the APWU and the USPS at the unit.


ARTICLE 7
SCHEDULING OF ANNUAL LEAVE

1.      Vacation Planning as hereinafter provided is clarified for local application within the

framework of and not conflicting with the National Agreement. The appropriate supervisor shall be responsible for scheduling and granting annual leave within his/her station, tour and/or section, on an equitable basis, with regard for the needs of the service and welfare of the employees. Requests for annual leave during the choice vacation period, submitted prior to the deadline, shall be awarded by craft seniority.

2.      The dates of the choice vacation period shall be from April 1 through November 30, both dates inclusive.

3.      The vacation applied for may start at any day of the week, at each employee’s option.

4.      There shall be a minimum of two clerks off during the choice vacation period from April through September and a minimum of one clerk off September through November. Rehab employees officially designated to the clerk craft will be considered in the clerk quota for ALL annual leave requests.

5.      The employer shall notify the employees in a stand-up talk in February that submission of both choice vacation periods will be due the 1st of March during the life of this contract.

6.      Employees shall submit two requests for the choice vacation period leave by March 1st. Employees shall have the option to select either one or two selections of annual leave during the choice vacation period. Choices shall be submitted in increments of 1-15 continuous days as per Article 10.3.D.2, not to exceed 15 days with both choices. Between March 1 and March 15 management shall approve the choices by seniority, approving the first choice for all employees in the section prior to approving any second choices. In the event management cannot approve the first choice of an employee, that employee will be notified and given an opportunity to select another choice before going to the next junior employee. Once all employees in a section have an approved first choice, the supervisor shall follow the same method for approving the second choice by seniority, as long as such approval would not exceed the Article 10.3.D.1 & 2 limitations on choice vacation leave section.

7.      All applications for annual leave for the choice vacation periods shall be submitted to any supervisor, in triplicate, on PS Form 3971. The supervisor shall initial and return the triplicate copy, not indicating approval or disapproval, only receipt. The appropriate supervisor shall within 2 weeks after the final date for submission, furnish the employee with the duplicate indicating the vacation schedule approved for the employee. A leave chart shall be posted in the station showing the approved vacation period. The leave chart shall be posted no later than March 22.

8.      Employees may submit for choice vacations periods in increments of 5, 10 or 15 days as per Article 10 .3.D.2 of the National Agreement. Submission for annual leave in less than 5 day increments shall be considered annual leave other then choice.

9.      Jury duty, military duty and attendance to National, State or Regional Conventions or Assemblies shall not be charged to the choice vacation period.

10.  Employees who find they are unable to take their approved leave should notify their supervisor as soon as it becomes apparent that they will not be able to take the leave. Only cancellations of 5 continuous days or more will be posted for all employees to submit for the vacated time. Notice of the cancelled leave shall be posted in the unit for 7 days for all employees to submit for the vacated time. Approval of this leave will be by seniority.

11.  Requests for periods of annual leave other then during the choice vacation periods shall be granted on an as available, first come, first serve basis. Seniority shall be used only to break a tie when requests are submitted on the same day. Duplicates of requests shall be returned with action indicated within four (4) workings days after submission of the PS 3971. Requests for non choice shall not be submitted sooner then 45 days prior to the dates requested and, if available within the quota, shall not be unreasonably denied.

12.  Employees submitting for annual leave other than the choice vacation shall fill out the PS Form 3971 and round date. Employees may submit their form the night prior (after 2 PM) and it will be considered as being submitted the same day. Example: An employee wishing annual leave for Wednesday, and submitting Tuesday after 2 PM shall be considered submitting their request first on Wednesday.

13.  The Maintenance Craft shall be a separate Section. One employee in the Maintenance Craft may be off during the choice and non-choice periods.

ARTICLE 8
ASSIGNMENT OF ILL AND INJURED EMPLOYEES

  1. Light duty assignments will be determined by the installation head. Each request for light duty will be discussed with the Area Local President prior to assigning the light duty.   The parties agree to follow the language in Article 13 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for all ill/injured employees.
  1. Any employee in a light duty status shall be secure in his bidding and seniority rights, commensurate with his/her medical restrictions.

 

ARTICLE 9
OVERTIME

 

The overtime desired list shall be constructed in accordance with Article 8, section 5 of the National Agreement. Employees shall be given the opportunity each quarter to sign the OTDL and indicate their preference to work up to 10 or 12 hours per day.  At least one hour’s advance notice will be given employees mandated overtime when possible.

ARTICLE 10
NOTICE TO UNION

1. PS Form 1723, indicating assignment of any craft employee to a 204B or any other supervisory position shall be sent to the Area Local President. Information to include beginning and ending date of such assignments.

2.Seniority lists shall be reviewed on a quarterly basis and updated when necessary.


ARTICLE 11
EMPLOYEE PARKING 

  1. Parking for employees shall hereinafter be an appropriate item for Labor Management Committee.


    ARTICLE 12
SAFETY AND HEALTH

1.Safety and health shall be an appropriate ongoing agenda item for Labor Management meetings.

2. Each employee shall be assigned an individual locker when possible and if available.


  ARTICLE 13
TERMINATION OR CURTAILMENT OF POSTAL OPERATIONS  

Postal operations will not be terminated at the Green Valley Post Office unless the Postmaster determines that conditions so warrant. Reasonable consideration shall be given, but not limited to, such conditions as:

1. The safety and health of the employees.
2. Civil disorders.
3. Act of God.
4. Hazardous weather conditions.
5. Advice of local authorities.
6. Bomb threats.
7. Terrorist attacks.

ARTICLE 14
SECTIONS  

For the purpose of excessing the Green Valley Post Office will have two sections:
     1.  Clerks
     2.  Maintenance

ARTICLE 15
HOLIDAYS  

When holiday schedules are to be arranged, management will determine the number of employees needed to work the holiday.  The employer will select employees to work on their holiday, or designated holiday in the following sequential order:  

1.      Part time flexible employees with necessary skills and qualifications.

2.      Full time regular employees qualified to work within their section who volunteer.

3.      Clerk casuals

4.      Full time regular employees with necessary skills and qualifications by inverse seniority ( non-volunteers.)