Memorandum Of Understanding
between
American Postal Workers Union
Tucson Area Local, AFL-CIO
and
United States Postal Service

Nogales LMOU
2006-2010






TABLE OF CONTENTS  




ARTICLE 1
UNION RECOGNITION
PARTIES TO THE AGREEMENT
      
               
             
This basic local agreement is entered to supplement the Nationally negotiated agreement.  
The local agreement is an agreement between the management of the Nogales and Rio Rico
post office and the Tucson Area Local.



ARTICLE 2
IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGES

Both parties recognize the need for improvement of mail service.  In the event there is a
need to change the working conditions or schedules of the employees, the Union will be
notified in advance and have opportunity for input.

  

ARTICLE 3
LABOR MANAGEMENT MEETINGS

	                      			
Labor management meetings shall be held on the 4th week of the accounting period (AP)
on Tuesday or when it is deemed necessary by either party.  When the APWU requests a
labor management meeting it shall be in writing and the Postmaster and/or his/her designee
shall contact the Union official and set a time and date for the meeting not to exceed ten
days from the request.  There shall be one Union official and/or shop steward in attendance
at the meeting on the clock.  All others representing the Union and in attendance at the
meeting will be a the Union's expense.


 ARTICLE 4
WASH UP TIME


There is no doubt that the employees' work exposes them to dirty conditions at one time or
another during the work day.  In reference to Article 8 Section 9, reasonable time requested 
by each employee for wash up shall be granted before lunch break and at the end of tour.  The
past practice of employee's being granted a reasonable time for wash up will continue 
throughout the duration of the 1998-2000 contract.
	        


ARTICLE 5
 POSTINGS

The Union steward in the Nogales/Rio Rico post office shall be provided a copy of all
duty assignments posted for bid.  The Union steward will then initial receipt of the posting
and note the date on the posting.  The posting will then be placed on the board for bid and
shall remain posted for ten calendar days after it is posted.  At the end of the ten day
period the bids shall be closed at 5:00PM.  At that time it shall be removed and the bids
shall be awarded in accordance with Article 37 of the Collective  Bargaining Agreement
within two calendar days after the close if bids unless the second day falls on a Sunday.
It shall then be awarded on Monday. Invitation for bids must include all pertinent information
 such as:  location, hours, schemes, heavy lifting, prolonged standing, fixed days off, 
loading and unloading trucks and any special skills necessary to fulfilling the requirements of the position.

Future changes due to shared services will be implemented upon further discussion at the unit


ARTICLE 6
SECTIONS DEFINED




The entire clerk craft in the Nogales Post Office and the Rio Rico Post Office shall be considered two (2) sections for the purpose of administering overtime, holiday scheduling, vacation planning and excessing.  The sections for clerks shall be distribution and window.  For employees with relief duties, their section shall be the (PAA) Principal Assignment Area, the area where they perform the majority of their duties.  For example: Clerk A has a job description of Distribution/ Window Relief.  Their section shall be distribution.   All PTF (part time flexible) clerks shall be in the distribution section. Maintenance employees shall comprise their own section in the Nogales Post Office.



ARTICLE 7
HOURS OF WORK





There shall be an overtime desired list posted in Nogales and Rio Rico (to include both offices) at the end of each quarter for ten (10) calendar days. At the end of the ten days a diagonal line will be drawn across the bottom of the list starting at the last signature and ending at the bottom of the page. The shop steward will then initial and note the date on the line. The shop steward will be provided a copy of the list.

 

1.      Advance notice for overtime, for the same day, shall be implemented prior to the employee’s scheduled lunch break.

                  2.      At least 24 hours advance notice will be given when work on a non-scheduled day is required.           

                  3.   Overtime of .25 units or less for window and bulk mail services will not be considered an overtime opportunity or bypass.


 
ARTICLE 8
LEAVE





Hereinafter reference to prime time will be the same as choice time in our Collective Bargaining Agreement.

 

    1.      Application for leave during the year will be implemented as follows:

 

2.        The choice vacation shall be the entire year, with a minimum of two (2) people off (one person per section) off from May 1 through September 30, both dates inclusive. All clerks will have an opportunity to submit for their first choice. After all clerks have their first choice approved they will submit for their second choice.

 

2.   The choice vacation planning procedure will be implemented as follows:  

A.  Beginning on January 2 a leave calendar will be passed around by seniority to all leave earning employees.
                                      
B.      Employees will have up to 2 working days to make their first choice then return the calendar to management.  This process will
   continue until all employees have submitted their 1st choice.

C.  Once all 1st choice submissions have been completed, this process willrepeat itself for the 2nd choice submissions.  Choices for both the 1st    and the 2nd choice options shall be in continuous increments of either 5, or 10 days not to exceed 15 days as outlined in Article 10.3.D of the National Agreement.

                        D.  Employees on extended leave will be contacted by management and afforded an opportunity to submit a leave request
                        by seniority.

E.  In addition to marking the leave calendar, all applications for annual  leave shall be submitted to any supervisor in duplicate on PS Form 3971.

      F.   No employee will be granted a 2nd choice until all employees have been  granted a 1st choice.  Once these selections have
         been  made, there will  be no changes to the calendar or the PS 3971’s.

3.   Vacation leave during the year shall begin on any day of the week at the employee’s option.

   1.      Requests for periods of spot leave other than during the choice vacation periods shall be granted on an as-available, first come, first served basis regardless of the number of days requested. Seniority shall be used only to break a tie when requests are submitted on the same day at the same time, within the same tour by time. Applications for non-choice vacation leave shall be submitted in triplicate to any supervisor on the employee’s assigned tour. The supervisor shall initial and return the triplicate copy, not indicating approval or disapproval, only receipt. Duplicates of requests shall be returned with action indicated within 72 hours after submission. If duplicate is not returned within 72 hours of submission of PS3971, the leave shall be granted. Requests for spot leave other then the choice vacation will not be accepted more then 45 days prior, but no later then Wednesday of the week prior to the actual date requested unless the employee can show a legitimate reason for making the request in advance of the 45 day period.

                 2.      Maintenance employees will be considered a separate section from the Clerks for the purpose of annual leave scheduling.



ARTICLE 9
HOLIDAYS AND SUNDAYS

A.  The method of selecting employees to work on a holiday or Sunday shall be as
follows:

	
1.  All part-time flexibles, on a rotating basis by inverse seniority.	
2.  Volunteers by full-time employees, by seniority
3.  All clerk casuals	
4.  Non-volunteer full-time employees by inverse seniority.
ARTICLE 10
PRINCIPLES OF SENIORITY, POSTING AND RE-ASSIGNMENT

The employer is responsible for day-to-day application of the seniority provisions,
including both Nogales and Rio Rico, of Article 37 of the Collective Bargaining
Agreement.  The installation head shall post on the bulletin boards in both Nogales and
Rio Rico  and furnish to the Union, a copy of an updated seniority list on a quarterly
basis, unless there has been no change during the previous quarter.  The seniority list
shall reflect all full time regular and part time flexible employees of the crafts
represented by the APWU.
ARTICLE 11
PARKING

Management of Nogales and Rio Rico shall provide, for all employees, adequate 
parking spaces with improved security and lighting.  Therefore, no employee should 
have to park in any public area at any time during working hours.
ARTICLE 12
TERMINATION OR CURTAILMENT OF POSTAL OPERATIONS

The parties recognize that the Postal Service is the most vital part of the communications
machinery of the United States of America, and that, historically, this post office has
provided this service to the public without interruption.  Therefore, as a matter of policy,
postal operations will not be terminated at the post office until the postmaster determines
that conditions so warrant.

Reasonable considerations shall be given, but not limited to, such condition as:

1. The safety and health of the employees.

2. Civil disorders

3.  Acts of God

4.  Hazardous weather conditions

5.  Advice of local authorities

6.  Bomb threats

Management shall notify the employees, at the earliest possible time, of termination or
curtailment of postal operations.  Such notification may be by telephone and/or available
public media, such as television or radio.


ARTICLE 13
ASSIGNMENT OF ILL OR INJURED EMPLOYEES
  
1.  It is hereby agreed to by all parties concerned that the earliest possible return to duty
of any ill or injured employee is in the best interest of the Postal Service and the individual
concerned, consistent with medical documentation of the attending medical authority.
2.In accordance with Article 13 of the National Agreement, to the extent of an employee’s medical restrictions, management will make every attempt to accommodate ill or injured employees so long as productive work is available which meets said medical limitations.