{"id":9639,"date":"2015-01-06T11:16:45","date_gmt":"2015-01-06T16:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/?p=9639"},"modified":"2015-01-06T11:16:45","modified_gmt":"2015-01-06T16:16:45","slug":"apwu-gearing-up-and-gettin-down-to-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postalemployeenetwork.com\/news\/2015\/01\/06\/apwu-gearing-up-and-gettin-down-to-business\/","title":{"rendered":"APWU: Gearing Up and Gettin’ Down (to Business)"},"content":{"rendered":"
Many convention resolutions dealt with issues involving Postal Support Employees and Non-Traditional Full-Time assignments<\/strong><\/div>\n
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–\u00a0<\/span><\/span>By Industrial Relations Director Tony D. McKinnon, Sr.<\/h6>\n
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Negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement\u00a0(CBA) are scheduled to begin in mid-February, and the Industrial Relations Department has been busy researching material and developing strategies for contract talks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our goal will be to keep contract language that is positive and change or eliminate harmful and ineffective language. We have been reviewing documents from several sources, paying primary attention to resolutions presented at the 2012 and 2014 National Conventions. \"1aa-APWU-small\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Delegates to the conventions will recall that many resolutions dealt with issues concerning Postal Support Employees (PSEs) and Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT) duty assignments.<\/p>\n

Large Offices, Small Offices<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our research shows differences between large facilities and small units or Associate Offices on NTFT issues. Reports from large postal facilities indicate that initial problems appear to have been worked out in most cases. It seems that when management first posted numerous NTFT duty assignments, they either couldn\u2019t or wouldn\u2019t follow the rules on work assignments and overtime. They just couldn\u2019t get it right, or worse, they just didn\u2019t care.<\/p>\n

As a result of many grievances, it appears that management has mostly stopped posting NTFT duty assignments with flexible schedules in large facilities and has been posting traditional full-time duty assignments instead. In large facilities that still have NTFT duty assignments, they appear to be limited to four 10-hour days, which are well-liked by union members.<\/p>\n

At this point, it appears that NTFT duty assignments with flexible schedules are primarily utilized in small postal facilities. Locals that have NTFT duty assignments in small units and Associate Offices are still filing grievances on scheduling and utilization violations, but these violations are generally under control in instances where timely grievances are filed.<\/p>\n

Overall, feedback from locals and National Business Agents (NBAs) show that some of the provisions involving NTFT duty assignments are positive. Among these are:<\/p>\n