{"id":21889,"date":"2017-12-13T09:04:34","date_gmt":"2017-12-13T14:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=21889"},"modified":"2017-12-13T09:04:45","modified_gmt":"2017-12-13T14:04:45","slug":"clerk-craft-successfully-stops-end-of-day-button","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2017\/12\/13\/clerk-craft-successfully-stops-end-of-day-button\/","title":{"rendered":"Clerk Craft Successfully Stops \u201cEnd of Day\u201d Button"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/h2>\n<\/hgroup>\n

Arbitrator Das sides with union for arbitration victory<\/em><\/h3>\n
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APWU News<\/a> – 12\/12\/2017<\/span>\u00a0–\u00a0<\/span>Arbitrator Shyam Das found in favor of the APWU again in the union\u2019s on-going efforts to enforce the\u00a0Global Settlement Memorandum of Understanding<\/a>\u00a0(GSMOU) and the Global Settlement Remedy Agreement (GSRA) for implementing the GSMOU.<\/p>\n

In an\u00a0award<\/a><\/span>\u00a0issued December 8, 2017, Das found that the \u201cEnd of Day\u201d button \u2013 a function the Postal Service added into the Retail System Software (RSS) point-of-sale system allowing postmasters to enter and exit the system without fully closing out \u2013 did not satisfy the requirement in the Global Settlement Remedy Agreement that postmasters are allowed to perform bargaining unit work for only 15 hours per week, to be counted from the start to the \u201cend of day.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Global Settlement Remedy Agreement<\/a>\u00a0requires the postmaster\/supervisor to fully close out by conducting the four-step \u201cEnd of Day\u201d process. The four-step process includes, (1) an advance deposit, (2) a final remittance, (3) verifying supporting documentation, and (4) submitting a daily PS Form 1412 closeout. The USPS new \u201cEnd of Day\u201d button for postmasters, requires nothing more than a press of a button. The Postal Service button bypasses proper financial accounting and allows postmasters\/supervisors to hit the button after every transaction and thereby improperly reduce their recorded time on the window.\"\"<\/p>\n

Das relied on the APWU\u2019s unrebutted evidence that the full four-step End of Day process was what the parties agreed to use as the endpoint; when the clock would stop on a postmaster performing bargaining unit work on the window when a clerk was also present in the office. He noted that \u201cuntil the Postal Service’s development of the PMEOD (Postmaster End of Day) button in late 2015, there was only the one four-step End of Day process. If a postmaster performed more than one End of Day in a workday, this entire process had to be completed on each occasion just as if it were the final End of Day for that individual.\u201d But when the Postal Service unilaterally deployed a \u201cPostmaster End of Day\u201d button in RSS, it put in place a function that \u201ctakes a second to push, in contrast to the approximately five minutes (the Postal Service’s estimate) needed to perform a full four-step End of Day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an important victory for the Clerk Craft and all APWU members,\u201d said President Mark Dimondstein. \u201cThis is especially a significant decision for PTFs (Part-Time Flexibles) and other bargaining unit employees in smaller offices across the country. In management\u2019s attempts to redefine \u201815-hours,\u2019 clerks were not getting the hours that they should.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the remedy, Das stated, \u201cThe Postal Service is directed to cease use of the PMEOD button absent an agreement with the Union that permits its continued use. As soon as practicable, appropriate software changes are to be made to disable the PMEOD function.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Postal Service\u2019s actions at USPS headquarters in this case were highly unethical.\u00a0 I am glad that the arbitrator saw through the Postal Service\u2019s superficial arguments and ruled accordingly,\u201d said Clerk Division Director Clint Burelson. \u201cLocal and state organizations can utilize the hours improperly worked by postmasters and supervisors to assist in gaining additional hours for all employees (especially PTF employees in the Level 18 offices), creating duty assignments, and preventing excessing in the small offices.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations to Assistant Clerk Division Director Lamont Brooks, who was the case officer and main witness,\u201d said President Dimondstein. \u201cAlso to [Director Burelson], Assistant Clerk Craft Director Lynn Pallas-Barber and Industrial Relations Director Vance Zimmerman for their assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Director Burelson continued, \u201cWe\u2019d also like to thank the APWU members who served as witnesses and\/or assisted in preparation \u2013 Mike Barrett (Buffalo NY Local), Michael Macho (Radcliff KY Local), Sylvia Crane (Gadsden AL Area Local), Pam Smith (Birmingham AL Area Local) and Cora Spratt (Virginia Postal Workers Union). Their participation greatly contributed to our success.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinally, much thanks to the locals who filed grievances on this issue.\u201d Director Burelson added. \u201cTheir actions assisted their members as well as contributing to the national efforts for the good of all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Latest Win in a Series of Wins<\/strong><\/p>\n

The win is the latest big win in a series of big wins for the Clerk Craft and the APWU on national cases involving blatant and willful violations by the Postal Service.\u00a0 The other recent national cases decided in our favor are:<\/p>\n

12\/18\/2016<\/a>\u00a0– Arbitrator Stephen Goldberg ruled that the Postal Service violated the contract by failing to post jobs for the clerk craft in the Sales Retention Centers they created.<\/p>\n

04\/21\/2017<\/a>\u00a0– Arbitrator Stephen Goldberg ruled that the Postal Service violated the contract by failing to post 362 jobs for the Clerk Craft per the Clerk Craft Jobs MOU.<\/p>\n

06\/07\/2017<\/a>\u00a0– Arbitrator Stephen Goldberg ruled that the Postal Service violated the contract by failing to comply with the POStPlan award and fill jobs with bargaining unit employees.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Attachments<\/div>\n

\"\"\u00a0Global Settlement Summary<\/a>\u00a0(40.82 KB)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Arbitrator Das sides with union for arbitration victory APWU News – 12\/12\/2017\u00a0–\u00a0Arbitrator Shyam Das found in favor of the APWU again in the union\u2019s on-going efforts to enforce the\u00a0Global Settlement Memorandum of Understanding\u00a0(GSMOU) and the Global Settlement Remedy Agreement (GSRA) for implementing the GSMOU. In an\u00a0award\u00a0issued December 8, 2017, Das found that the \u201cEnd of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7249,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking","category-apwu-news","last_archivepost"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21889"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21889\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21891,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21889\/revisions\/21891"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}