Latest COVID MOUs and Liberal Leave Policy Extensions
President Dimondstein signed extensions on the COVID MOUs today (March 19), through June 4, 2021. The liberal leave policy has also been extended (see letter below). He also signed extensions on the annual leave carryover, which will allow 520 hours to be carried into leave year 2022 and career employees can also sell up to 80 hours of leave for leave year 2022.
One MOU that was not extended–but was suspended–was the additional leave for PSEs. Under the new EFEL all employees could be paid up to 600 hours for COVID related absences.
The latest documents can be found below. They are also listed, together with the full archive of MOUs and other resources on the Covid-19 section of the website.
For all the MOUs, documents, and resources, please see the original post on the APWU.org website by clicking here.
Sixth COLA Increase Announced
In accordance with the 2018-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement, career employees represented by the APWU will receive a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), effective August 28, 2021.
The increase is the result of a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). It will appear in paychecks dated September 17, 2021 (Pay Period 19-2021). The value of the COLA for career employees in each step and grade will increase by $1,935.00 annually, and the hourly rates for part-time employees will be adjusted accordingly.
The COLAs are in addition to general wage increases. This is the sixth cost-of-living increase under the 2018 contract. The COLAs received so far during the 2018 National Agreement will total $3,349.00 per year.
In light of the fact that Postal Support Employees (PSEs) do not receive cost-of-living increases, they have received several additional increases beyond the general wage increases for all employees in the APWU bargaining unit under the 2018 contract.
APWU NBA Locke Secures $10M Lead Clerk TACS Settlement in California
It pays to be Union!! The California Area Local received the attached 10 Million Dollar settlement today. National Business Agent Chuck Locke secured the settlement for all Lead Clerks in the state of California. The best thing about this settlement it gives the Locals in the state of California opportunity to demand more Level 7 Jobs be created.
If your name did not appear on the list of lead clerks to be paid and you want to be added to the list, you will need to provide clear and convincing evidence that you are eligible. You need to have held a Lead Clerk bid between June 2018 and July 2021, you will need to fill out the attached form and send it to both Rosanna Trias Clerk Craft Secretary and cc Chuck Locke NBA at their email addresses listed below by December 1, 2021. Failure to send this form to both the people listed below, will disqualify you from eligibility.
Rosanna Trias, Clerk Craft Secretary Burlingame Office at rtrias@apwu.org
Chuck Locke, NBA at clocke@apwu.org
To download the full Settlement Agreement, click here.
Juneteenth National Independence Day
President Biden signed into law Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021, making June 19 a federal holiday. This new holiday commemorates the final end to slavery in the United States and the Postal Service is fully supportive of annually observing and setting aside a day recognize this historic event.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to cease the operations of the Postal Service to accommodate an observance over the next 24-48 hours. We are part of the nation’s critical infrastructure and our customers are relying on us to deliver our essential services. Closing down operations without providing appropriate time would lead to operational disruption and be a disservice to our customers and those who rely upon us. For that reason , the Postal Service will be operating on June 18 and 19, 2021, on a normal schedule , serving our customers to the best of our ability.
Please immediately communicate our operating status to your employees.
The Postal Service will discuss future recognition of this significant new holiday with our national Unions, Management Associations, and other stakeholders, consistent with our collective bargaining and consultative obligations under Title 39, Once those discussions take place, we will update you on appropriate developments, but we reiterate that we are fully supportive of this important national holiday.
Doug A. Tulino
To download a PDF copy of this notice, click here.
Now It Is Easier To File FECA COVID Claims
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that President Biden signed on March 11, 2021, makes it much easier for federal workers diagnosed with COVID-19 to establish coverage under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act. To establish a COVID-19 claim, you simply need to establish that you are a “covered employee,” meaning that:
1. You were diagnosed with COVID-19. Specifically, you were diagnosed with COVID-19 while employed in the Federal service at any time during the period of January 27, 2020 to January 27, 2023; and,
2. Your duties include any risk of exposure. Specifically, within 21 days of your diagnosis of COVID-19, you carried out duties that—
a. required contact with patients, members of the public, or co-workers; or
b. included a risk of exposure to the novel coronavirus.
For more information, and a PDF version of this announcement, click here.
April 2021 Postal Worker West Newsletter
The latest April 2021 edition of the Postal Worker West Newsletter has been published.
The featured article is titled OPM Issues Long Awaited EFEL Guidance.
Joint Area and District Safety and Health Committees
Dear Committee Chair:
The United States Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, are committed to the premise that every postal employee must have a safe and healthy workplace. Article 14 of our Collective Bargaining Agreement states that it is management’s responsibility to provide safe working conditions and that the Union will cooperate with and assist management to live up to this responsibility.
To this end, the Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) want to remind you of the importance of having functioning District and Area Joint Safety and Health Committees, which includes holding regular committee meetings. However, it is more than just having a meeting. District and Area Management and Union Leaders must be committed to making these meetings productive where safety issues can be freely shared, properly addressed, and safety issues jointly resolved. Management and the Union must be open to listening and working together. The goal is that we jointly cooperate on providing safe working conditions that ensure each employee will go home uninjured and healthy at the end of the day. Workplace injuries and illnesses take large tolls on the injured whether it be physical, mental, or in their familial and personal relationships. The financial costs to both the individual and Postal Service are large as well.
The parties at the national level are committed to helping you make your District and Area Joint Safety and Health Committees as effective as possible. In order to accomplish this, we are requesting that the committee let the parties at headquarters know whether or not your District or Area Joint Safety and Health Committees are functioning and meeting regularly. Additionally, we would like your input on what types of training you believe would be beneficial to both management and union safety officials. Do not limit your suggestions to just postal training. Look beyond that to possible OSHA training, the various safety council trainings, or even training other industries and businesses conduct.
We are requesting that you provide your ideas no later than (30 days of the date of letter). Please send your responses via email to: Linda DeCarlo (linda.decarlo@usps.gov) and Charlie Cash (ccash@apwu.org)].
We look forward to cooperating with you to improve workplace safety and the United States Postal Service, so everyone goes home safe at the end of each workday.
Thank-you,
Linda Decarlo & Vance Zimmerman
For the original PDF version of this announcement, click here.
Vacancy Notice – Best Qualified Assignment – Statistical Program Data Collection Tech
STATISTICAL PROGRAMS DATA COLLECTION TECHNICIAN – LEVEL 7
Domiciled at Oakland P&DC, 1675 7th St.
The position is open to Clerk Craft in Oakland Bid Center
Open: 04/24/2021
Close: 05/10/2021
Selection Criteria – Best Qualified
Specific details
NOTICE: This bid requires heavy lifting, frequent driving and work hours may change depending on statistical sampling assignment. Read the position comments carefully before applying.
For the full description & application, please go to the Best Qualified Positions page.
USPS Special Delivery
Vacancy Notice – Best Qualified Assignment – Data Collection Tech
DATE April 5, 2021 (PLEASE POST THIS NOTICE ON ALL BULLETIN BOARDS)
CLERK CRAFT POSTING NOTICE: BQ-04052021-001
OPENING DATE: April 5, 2021
CLOSING DATE: April 15, 2021
ATTENTION FULL TIME CLERK CRAFT EMPLOYEES
Applicants must complete and submit a current PS Form 991 Application for Promotion or Assignment (Pages 1 and 2), a separate
statement of qualifications for each knowledge, skill, or ability (KSA) to Manager In-Plant Support on or prior to the closing date. All
completed forms must be received in the Manager In-Plant Support Office, Room 238, 1675 – 7th Street, Oakland CA 94615, no
later than 5:00 p.m. Thursday, April 15, 2021.
Applicants must address ALL Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs) listed under REQUIREMENTS on the attached bargaining unit
qualification standard. Failure to demonstrate any KSA is disqualifying. Under no circumstances will applications and/or documents be accepted
after the date and time specified above. An incomplete application package will cause the applicant to be eliminated from consideration by the review
committee.
The USPS provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the
application, bidding, interview, and/or selection process, please contact the office identified on the vacancy announcement. The decision on granting
reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.
NOTE:
(1) See attached Qualification Standard & Standard Position Description.
(2) Employees applying for this position are notified of the intention to use information contained in official records available as of
the closing date of this posting to determine qualification. If available evidence of your qualifications is incomplete, please
take action to provide us with the appropriate information to update our records prior to the closing date of this posting.
(3) PS Forms 991 can be obtained on USPS Intranet or the Internet at www.usps.com/forms.
(4) Employees temporarily detailed to a non-bargaining unit position may not bid/apply on vacant craft duty assignments while
detailed.
Local Services
Bay-Valley District
For the full description & application, please go to the Best Qualified Positions page.