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Letters to Editor
APWU,
Postal Service Announce
Tentative Agreement On Contract Extension
Rank & File
Bargaining Committee to Review Proposal
APWU News Bulletin #08-05, June 28, 2005 |
PDF
-Tentative
Agreement to Extend Collective Bargaining Agreement (pdf)
APWU President William Burrus announced June 28 that the
union and the USPS have reached a tentative agreement on a
one-year extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which
is due to expire Nov. 20.
The extension agreement provides for a 1.6 percent
across-the-board wage increase, to take effect March 18, 2006,
and two cost-of-living adjustments, one in March 2006, and one
in September 2006. It also calls for upgrades of 14 duty
assignments in the clerk, maintenance, and motor vehicle crafts.
The agreement extends no-layoff protection and leaves the
employee share of contributions to health benefit costs
unchanged.
“I believe this is an outstanding agreement that will serve
the members of the American Postal Workers Union and the
American public,” Burrus said.
“Throughout this process, my criteria has been consistent:
Will the extension provide more to APWU members than we can
expect to achieve in full-scale negotiations or arbitration?
This tentative agreement passes that test.
“With this one-year extension we will accomplish what we are
unlikely to win through negotiation or arbitration of a
three-year or four-year agreement.
“And, while negotiations and arbitration drag on, as they
inevitably do, raises are postponed and cost-of-living increases
are delayed – and often times lost entirely,” he said.
The extension proposal will be presented to the Rank and File
Bargaining Advisory Committee when it meets in Washington on
July 6. After studying details of the tentative extension
agreement, the committee will decide whether to send it to the
full APWU membership for a ratification vote.
The proposed agreement would extend the Collective Bargaining
Agreement to Nov. 20, 2006. If an extension is not ratified,
full-scale negotiations will begin Aug. 29.
In addition to the main accord, the union and management also
reached tentative agreement on a contract extension for
employees covered by the IT/ASC Collective Bargaining Agreement
and the Operating Services Agreement. (These agreements cover
employees who work at the four Accounting Service Centers and
Operating Services employees at USPS Headquarters and in
Merrifield, VA.)
Highlights of the
Tentative Agreement
The contract extension preserves the terms of the current
Collective Bargaining Agreement (Nov. 21, 2000-Nov. 20, 2005),
with the following modifications:
Salary Increases, COLAs
-
A 1.6 percent wage increase will take effect March 18,
2006, based on the wages in effect following the September
2005 cost-of-living increase. This percentage increase exceeds
the 1.3 percent that will be granted to other postal unions in
November. Because it is based on the higher wages of September
2005, the dollar value is enhanced.
-
Wage increases at the same percent and under the same
terms will be granted to Transitional Employees (TEs).
-
Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) will be granted in
March and September 2006. The contract extension will enable
members to enjoy the full benefit of the six-month COLA
increase that accrues between August 2005 (after the final
measuring period of the current agreement) and January 2006.
Typically, when a contract is negotiated, the COLA base
measuring period is moved, and three months worth of COLA is
lost. When contracts are arbitrated, usually at least one
cost-of-living adjustment is lost entirely.
-
The estimated annual values of the increases are expected
to be as follows:
March 2006 COLA: Approximately $208
March 2006 1.6 percent increase for a Level 5, Step O,
employee: Approximately $728
September 2006 COLA: Approximately $437
Upgrades
-
Effective March 18, 2006, pay levels for the following
duty assignments will be upgraded one level:
CLERK CRAFT: Air Records Processor, PS-5; TACS Time
and Attendance Clerk, PS-5; Bulk Mail Clerk, PS-5; Ramp Clerk
AMF, PS-6;
MAINTENANCE CRAFT: Maintenance Mechanic,
PS-5; Welder, PS-6; Carpenter, PS-6; Letter Box Mechanic,
PS-6; Maintenance Electrician, PS-6; Painter, PS-6; Plumber,
PS-6;
MOTOR VEHICLE SERVICES CRAFT: Automotive
Painter, PS-6; Vehicle Operations Assistant, Bulk Mails, PS-6;
Body and Fender Repairman, PS-7.
-
The upgrades will be based on a step-to-step upgrade,
including credit for waiting period time already served.
-
As Maintenance Mechanic, PS-4, positions become vacant, if
the Postal Service fills the vacancies, they will be as
Maintenance Mechanic, PS-5, positions.
Other Provisions
-
No-layoff protection will be extended to all career
employees who were on the rolls as of Nov. 20, 2000, for an
additional year.
-
Transfer requests by employees from “impacted
installations” (where employees will be excessed from the
craft or installation) will be given priority consideration.
-
A minimum of 18 Modified Work Week pilot programs will be
established during the term of the extension.
-
Employees will be granted an additional opportunity to be
declared a successful bidder during the extension.
-
Uniform and work clothes allowances will be increased.
-
The memorandum of understanding that provides career
opportunities to TEs will be extended.
-
To resolve an outstanding dispute, USPS will seek OPM
authority to grant early retirement opportunities to eligible
employees whose names were provided by the union between Jan.
9, 2004, and June 1, 2005.
-
The USPS will increase the maximum number of voluntary
payroll allotments (from two to three).
-
The USPS will provide information to the APWU at the
national level regarding consolidation of installations.
Union Rights
-
The union and management will each be granted the
opportunity to advance two cases to the top of the national
arbitration docket during the period of the extension.
-
In the 60-day period following ratification, the parties
at the local level will be granted an opportunity to engage in
local negotiations.
-
The union will be provided all current handbooks, manuals,
and published regulations that are on the USPS intranet in an
electronic format on a semi-annual basis; reports that are
currently provided to the union in hard copy will be
transmitted electronically when possible.
Retail Sales Assistants
No agreement was reached regarding the establishment of
Retail Sales Assistant positions at grocery stores, malls, and
other venues that are easily accessible to the public. The
concept of allowing retired postal workers to fill such
positions while collecting their retirement annuities was
rejected by OPM. Discussions with the Postal Service continue.
IT/ASC & OS Agreements
Under the tentative proposal, employees covered by the IT/ASC
and OS Agreements will receive the same wage increases and
cost-of-living adjustments as the employees covered by the main
agreement. An additional voluntary payroll allotment will be
granted to these employees as well.
The IT/ASC tentative agreement provides for a one-level
upgrade of the Computer Systems Analyst/Programmer, Level 18,
position. It also extends until Jan. 20, 2007, the IT Casuals
Memorandum of Understanding, which governs the number of skilled
casuals and provides training opportunities for APWU members.
The tentative extension agreement for Operating Services
employees extends their protection against layoffs and increases
uniform and work clothes allowances.
What Happens Next?
When the Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee
reconvenes in Washington, DC, July 6, the first order of
business will be to evaluate the tentative contract extension
agreement. Committee members will have the opportunity to meet
with national officers, ask questions, and discuss any concerns
they may have.
Next, the committee will vote on the tentative agreement. If
the committee approves the agreement, it will be mailed to APWU
members for a ratification vote. In accordance with the APWU
Constitution, the Rank and File Committee is responsible for
supervising the vote.
For the latest contract news, visit www.apwu.org.
|
note: the 1998 contract
ratification vote was approved by membership 74,873
"YES" 41,388 "NO |
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