-
Information for Unassigned Regulars (Branch 1100)
The following is from the 'Unassigned Regulars' article from the Union Carrier Branch 1100, September-October 2009 issue.
"With the MIRAP process downsizing the number of routes in an office, we now have full-time carriers that no longer have a route. These carriers are known as unassigned regulars. Most of our cities have not had unassigned regulars for years so we have dusted off the rules pertaining to unassigned regulars to share in this article. An unassigned regular falls under the same rules as a reserve carrier. As an unassigned regular you have a fixed day-off rotation. It is the same day-off rotation that you had on the route you just lost. As an unassigned regular you still have a fixed start time – it is the start time you had on the route you just lost.
Under Article 41, the unassigned regular has the right to opt on a vacant assignment. If it has been a while since you last opted, then check with the steward on the current process in your office to submit opts. While holding down an opt, as an unassigned regular, you will adopt the hours and day off of the route you opted on. If you do not opt on a route, you will be given work throughout the office to fill the 8 hour day. If the unassigned regular is not on an overtime list then you should not work any overtime. If the unassigned regular is on the OTDL or work assignment, overtime tracking for the unassigned regular can be confusing. If the unassigned regular is on the work assignment list then you are available to work the overtime on the route you have been assigned for the day.
For example, you are scheduled for route 2 today. You could work the overtime on route 2. If management is having you case route 2 but carry swings then you do not have an assignment for the day and should not work any overtime. If the unassigned regular is on the 10 or 12 hour OTDL then, depending on where the carrier is assigned, the overtime may or may not count towards the equitability.
For example, you are assigned to route 2 today, any overtime you work on route 2 would not count towards the equitability. If you are assigned to route 2 and you carry overtime on route 3 then the overtime on route 3 would count towards the equitability. If you are assigned to carry five 2-hour swings then any overtime would count towards the equitability. As an unassigned regular, you can opt into a 6 day week and work all 6 days whether or not you are on an overtime list.
For example, this week your opted route, or your regular rotation, has Wednesday off. Next week you opt on a route that has Saturday off. You must work Saturday since the new opt does not start until Monday and your current route has Saturday as a regular day to work.
If your current opt has Saturday off and next week’s opt has Wednesday off, you get Saturday off. Next week on Wednesday, you would float since the T6 is on the route you opted on. An unassigned regular is guaranteed 8 hours a day for 5 days a week. If there is no work for an unassigned regular in the office the employer has the right to “bump” a PTF off of his/her opt. The “bumping” must be done on an hour by hour, day by day basis. The employer can not tell the PTF he/she is not on his/her opt at all next week because there is an unassigned regular.
T6 carriers that become unassigned regulars fall under the saved grade provisions in the ELM. Saved grade provisions guarantee the carrier his/her T6, LC2, pay for an indefinite time frame as long as the unassigned regular bids on any T6 that comes open in the city (even if they are not the successful bidder). If your pay drops to LC1 when you become unassigned, contact your shop steward or union officer.
If you are one of our unassigned regulars, please talk to your shop steward or call and talk to one of your officers if you have any questions. As an unassigned regular you never have to meet the office or street time listed for any route. Just do your best.
Barbara Stickler
Executive Vice President"
Sept. 25, 2009
more
-
Item O Effected Carriers, A Brief Overview (Branch 791)
The following is an excerpt from the 'Buzzin' Around' article from the Snohomish County Branch 791, September 2009 issue.
"Item O is when a route is abolished that is not vacant and all the routes below the carrier's seniority all re-bid. It is kind of a postal "musical chairs" only with routes. Not fun at all and no winners.
Lynnwood during the IRAP invoked Item O and 13 carriers were displaced. All of those carriers were placed on bids. This time during MIARAP Lynnwood again invoked Item O and 20 carriers will be displaced with 5 to be unassigned regulars. That does suck. Some offices in the district had to excess a carrier to another station because of no work for the regular. I still believe being unassigned is better than being laid off.
Lynnwood
Chris Kelly"
Sept. 25, 2009
more
-
Accounting For Your Time (Branch 3520)
The following is an excerpt from the 'President's Report' article from the Northern Virginia Branch 3520, September 2009 issue.
"The route adjustment process (MIARAP)continues.As long as volume continues to drop, the Postal Service will continue to inspect and adjust routes to try to capture any savings possible. I cannot stress enough the importance of being a good letter carrier. Do your job consistently every day. Keep in mind that the routes are adjusted using your clock rings. The more street time you show, gives less time to be added to the route. Keep your office time at a minimum. Any time spent on office time, when volume does not justify, will be taken away. If you are casing another route, make the clock ring move to that route. If you are waiting for mail, move to a waiting code. When you don't make those rings, that time will be lost on adjustment. And, when you do things like casing circulars, casing DPS, etc., you will lose all that time on adjustment as well. Losing that office time then translates to added street time to the route.
Tom Cleer"
Sept. 25, 2009
more
-
Surviving Route Adjustments
Carriers all over the US are experiencing the same thing: route adjustments. As a result a large amount of carriers are affected by these adjustments some way or another. It may be having their routes added on to, or unfortunately, having their routes dissolved altogether.
The following posts are excerpts from NALC Branch Union Newsletters from across the country, documenting and commenting on how to cope with the many changes carriers are dealing with.
Sept. 25, 2009
more
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)