5 October 2021
Comments: Comments Off on Annual Leave Carry Over and Lump Sum Payments at Retirement

Annual Leave Carry Over and Lump Sum Payments at Retirement

The Industrial Relations Department has been fielding multiple questions on the amount of annual leave someone would be compensated for when they retire. Attached are the two MOUs the APWU entered into with the Postal Service on annual leave during the pandemic. 
 
Any employee can carryover up to 520 hours of earned annual leave into the 2022 Leave Year that begins on January 1, 2022. If an employee has more than 520 hours of earned annual leave and has used less than 75 hours of sick leave in the previous year, the employee may “exchange” (sell) up to 80 hours of annual leave back to the Postal Service. Employees who are eligible to exchange leave for cash will be notified prior to the “open season” or leave exchange which runs from November 15 to December 15 of each year. (See ELM Section 512.63). 
 
Employees who are retiring are governed by ELM Section 512.7. 512.732.b states in part, “Bargaining unit employees may receive a lump sum leave payment… for accumulated annual leave carried over from the previous year; accrued annual leave for the year in which they separate, up to the carryover maximum for their bargaining unit….” 
 
Currently, the maximum number of hours allowed to be carried over is 520 hours, therefore employees can be paid that amount.  In an email exchange between current Vice-President of Labor Relations, Katherine Attridge and Industrial Relations Director Vance Zimmerman when the MOUs were first implemented for leave year 2020 to Leave year 2021, Director Zimmerman posed the question to the Postal Service of whether or not an employee would be compensated for up to 520 hours of leave carried over and any leave accrued in the current leave year. Ms. Attridge responded with, “I agree as well. The MOUs specifically state no other provisions related to leave carryover will be changed, so if 520 is the amount they carryover, then 520 should be the amount they should be compensated for.” It was also confirmed that the Postal Service reprogrammed their payroll systems to account for the increased carryover amounts and to make the proper terminal leave payments.


6 September 2021
Comments: Comments Off on Latest COVID MOUs and Liberal Leave Policy Extensions

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.


20 August 2021
Comments: Comments Off on Sixth COLA Increase Announced

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.

Click here for pay scales.


11 August 2021
Comments: Comments Off on APWU NBA Locke Secures $10M Lead Clerk TACS Settlement in California

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.


25 April 2021
Comments: Comments Off on Vacancy Notice – Best Qualified Assignment – Statistical Program Data Collection Tech

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.


6 April 2021
Comments: Comments Off on Vacancy Notice – Best Qualified Assignment – Data Collection Tech

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.


26 August 2020
Comments: Comments Off on #Save the Post Office

#Save the Post Office

On August 22, 2020, the APWU, Local #78 Retirees Committee, hosted a Save the Post Office protest at the United States Post Office, Oakland Processing and Distribution facility on 7th street. The protest was very well attended with over forty (40) postal service workers (current and retired) and private citizens. Our supporters included members from other unions and organizations, such as the Teamsters, SEIU (Service Employees International Union), the San Mateo Community College Federation of Teachers, and RefuseFascism.org.
Thank you to everyone for coming out and supporting the Postal Service. A public service not owned by any one political party or any one individual. We belong to the American people and we intend to keep it that way.
If you have any photos from the event that you would like to share with us, please send them to gmanzo@oakapwu78.org.

17 March 2020
Comments: Comments Off on Postal Worker West Newsletter

Postal Worker West Newsletter

We have added a special edition of the Postal Worker West Newsletter on the website.  It can be found under the menu item News >> Postal Worker West Newsletter, or click here to be taken to the newsletter.

Here is an excerpt:

BEING POSTAL IN A PANDEMIC

Since the March 1st reports of an infected postal worker at the Seattle NDC surfaced, the US Postal Service officials and Union officials have been proactive in dealing with the emergency that has engulfed most of the world.

USPS Hq officials responded quickly to the situation and in activating internal protocols. The same can not be said about all local management and work floor supervision. As in the past, directives emanating from Washington do not always filter down to or are acted upon by managers tasked with ensuring the nation’s mail is processed and delivered often hampered by short staffs. Safety is seldom first to the bosses.

“But now is not the time to point fingers, now is the time to partner and act as the postal family that has gotten us through so many other adverse times,” said Regional Coordinator Omar Gonzalez. “As Union Officials we tend to get frustrated and angered by the constant refusal of management to comply with the contract and their own safety and health rules on a daily basis,” he added.


24 June 2019
Comments: Comments Off on Sorting and Distribution of Priority Mail

Sorting and Distribution of Priority Mail

Clerk Craft Members:

Based on the Step 3 settlement of a crossing craft violation grievance filed in 1999, which involved a twenty (20) year odyssey, the APWU has requested that all sorting and distribution of priority mail work being performed by mail handlers cease and desist immediately and that the work be assigned to clerks. The request was submitted to the Oakland P&DC Senior Plant Manager.

Fredric Jacobs
President

For a PDF copy of this announcement, click here


24 June 2019
Comments: Comments Off on Deployment of the USS in the Oakland P&DC

Deployment of the USS in the Oakland P&DC

Clerk Craft Members:

I have been advised by Sr. Operations Support Specialist, In-Plant-Support Shu “Kelvin” Zhang that the deployment of the Universal Sorting System (USS) in the Oakland P&DC will be sometime in August 2019. APBS #1 will be removed from the Oakland P&DC starting July 12, 2019.

According to Zhang, the deployment of the USS will not have an adverse impact on the clerk craft. Zhang also stated that the Priority Sacks Operation will not be phased out.

If you have any questions regarding this announcement, please contact your shop steward.

Fredric Jacobs
President

For a PDF copy of this announcement, click here