NPMHU SECURES DELAY OF PROPOSED INVOLUNTARY REASSIGNMENTS

  NPMHU SECURES DELAY OF PROPOSED INVOLUNTARY REASSIGNMENTS

USPS management continues to implement its ill-conceived plans to realign its work force. Their plans involve massive bid reversions and job abolishments in almost every mail processing facility throughout the country. In most cases, management is basing its staffing needs on the flawed Function 1 Scheduler that the Postal Service uses to determine staffing levels at the large mail processing plants. Postal management continues to argue that these reversions and/or abolishments are necessary because of the continuing decline in mail volumes.

In response to these unwarranted attacks on the postal workforce, NPMHU President Paul Hogrogian and APWU President Mark Dimondstein sent a joint letter to Postmaster General Megan Brennan protesting the Postal Service’s proposed actions. The two Presidents vowed that both unions would work together to combat the Postal Service’s attacks on its employees.

The NPMHU has been recently informed by Postal Headquarters that the September 2017 “move date” will be pushed back and that no Mail Handler will be involuntarily reassigned out of his/her installation until, in all likelihood, at least February 2018. Postal management has agreed to use this extended period to discuss with the unions ways to minimize and even eliminate the involuntary reassignments of Full-Time career employees out of their current installations. Management also confirmed that it is required under Article 7 of our National Agreement to reduce their proposed non-career work hours to the greatest extent possible before excessing career employees out of their installation.

However, management remains steadfast in its intention to realign the work force and align employees’ schedules/start times with the projected mail arrival profiles. This will result in wholesale start time changes, bid reversions, and abolishment of duty assignments. Area Labor-Relations specialists will be meeting with the respective NPMHU Regional Directors to discuss how they will be implementing these changes. During these meetings, our Regional Directors will be voicing our strong opposition to these unnecessary changes and suggest more efficient alternatives.

Unions representatives at the Local and Branch levels will challenge the unwarranted start time changes, reversions, and abolishments and will file the appropriate grievances. The National and Regional CAD remain fully prepared to assist the Local Unions in processing these grievances. All members also should stay informed of these issues, both through the mail and on the NPMHU website.

Read the July Update to learn about the Union's efforts in securing a delay in the proposed involuntary reassignments.

Reference: www.npmhu.org  

Union Moves to Challenge Wholesale Job Reversions and Bid Abolishments

  Union Moves to Challenge Wholesale Job Reversions and Bid Abolishments

The National Office has been in contact with Postal Headquarters to discuss the deluge of bid reversions and abolishments that are being implemented across the country as a result of the Function 1 Scheduler. Postal Management has argued that these reversions/ abolishments are necessary because of the continuing decline in mail volumes. The most recent figures (for the period from October 1, 2016 through May 31, 201 7) indicate a decline of over 6 billion pieces in total mail volume from the same period last year.

In an extreme over reaction to these mail volume figures, USPS Headquarters has directed all Postal Areas to assess their current workforce complements and make the necessary adjustments to reflect the decline in mail volume. Not surprisingly, the Area Managers are now over reacting to Postal Headquarters' initial over reaction.

The "staffing tool" that is being used to determine complement in each postal installation is called the Function 1 Scheduler. As explained by Postal Managers, the Function 1 Scheduler uses mail volumes, available equipment, allied labor, and volume arrival, among other factors, to help the processing centers to determine their bid alignments and schedules. However, as most Mail Handler representatives already know, the Function 1 Scheduler is far from perfect.

Read the full memorandum and related material that was sent to Local President on June 2, 2017

Reference: www.npmhu.org