by Chris Czubakowski, North Sectional Director

When I’m at the Associate Offices I get a lot of questions regarding what happens to residual vacancies. As such, this month I would like to discuss the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) contained within our National Agreement that sets forth the procedure of filling residual duty assignments.

The MOU states that residual duty assignments will be filled in the following order:

1. Assign existing unencumbered clerks in the same installation pursuant to Article 37.4;

2. Employees with Clerk Craft retreat rights pursuant to Article 12.5.C.5.a(5) or Article 12.5C.b(6);

3. Reassignment of full-time regular Clerk Craft employees in an installation impacted by excessing, pursuant to Article 12.5.C(5), who request a transfer from an installation within the District or a 100 mile geographic radius through the eReassign Clerk Craft 21-Day Posting;

4. Conversion of part-time flexible (PTF) Clerk Craft employees in the same installation pursuant to

Article 37.5;

5. Reassignment of full-time regular Clerk Craft employees in an installation impacted by excessing, pursuant to Article 12.5.C5, who request a voluntary transfer from an installation beyond the District or 100 mile geographic radius through regular eReassign;

6. Residual vacancies that remain after Item 5 above will be filled by the: a) conversion of Postal Support Employees (PSEs) within the same installation; or, b) acceptance and placement of voluntary reassignment (transfer) requests pending in eReassign from bargaining unit employees who meet the minimum qualifications (including full and part-time Clerk Craft employees) or reassignment of bargaining unit employees within the installation. Employees from other APWU crafts in an impacted installation will receive priority consideration. If there are insufficient requests from bargaining unit employees who meet the minimum requirements, non-bargaining unit employees may be reassigned to a full-time regular opportunity.

Reassignment requests will be made with normal considerations contained in the Memorandum of Understanding, Re: Transfers, based on the order the applications are received. The number of career reassignments allowed under this paragraph is limited to one in every four full-time opportunities filled in offices of 100 or more work-years and one in every six full-time opportunities filled in offices of less than100 work-years. At least three or five as applicable, of full-time opportunities will be filled by conversion of PSEs to full-time-regular career status based on their relative standing in the same installation as the fulltime opportunities. Such conversions will take place no later than the first day of the third full pay period after either the close of the posting cycle or, when an employee is being considered for transfer, the date the employee or employer rejects the offer/request.

7. Conversion of Clerk Craft PSEs to career status who express a preference from an installation within a 50 mile geographic radius. The PSE with the highest installation standing within the 50 miles will be selected. Conversion of PSEs to career will take place no later than the first day of the third full pay period after either the close of the posting cycle or, when an employee is being considered for transfer, the date the employee/employer rejects the offer/request.

Filling PTF Assignments

When there is a demonstrated need to create and/or fill PTF assignments, such assignments will be filled in the following order:

.Conversion of Clerk Craft PSEs within the installation by relative standing no later than the first day of the third full pay period after either the close of the posting cycle or, when an employee is being considered tor transfer, the date the employee/employer rejects the offer/request;

2. Transfer through regular eReassign of PTF Clerk Craft employees by seniority within a 50 mile radius of the installation with the vacancy;

3. Offer to PSEs working in an installation within a 50 mile radius of the installation with the vacancy. The PSE with the highest installation standing within the 50 miles will be selected. Conversion of PSEs to career will take place no later than the first day of the third full pay period after either the close of the posting cycle or, when an employee is being considered for transfer, the date the employee/employer rejects the offer/request.

1. All residual vacancies will be made available through eReassign for a period of twenty-one (21) days. The results of this posting will be determined by the application of items 3 – 6 above.

1. When converting PSEs to residual Function 4 duty assignments with window duty requirements, the conversion to career will be deferred, if necessary, until

PTF positions in Level 18 office- Buyer Beware

I’ve received word that management intends to repost a vacant PTF position at Sussex Post Office. I want all APWU Members reading this article to heed my warning prior before deciding to voluntarily transfer into this position; Sussex is a small level 18 office that is already staffed by a full time regular and a PTF. This means that whoever successfully transfers into this position will have to continually try to find hours at other offices in order to get by. Sometimes its feast, sometimes its famine. These positions have been a nightmare for the PTFs who have previously worked them.

On the flip side, if you are a PSE that gets forced into this position all is not lost. There still remains a silver lining. You will now have become a career employee and enjoy all the benefits that come with that promotion. You will also be eligible to transfer out of that office (on EReassign) after the lock in period , which depending on circumstance, is 12 to 18 months.