Oh, the summertime is coming…
What’s New
BLOCH AWARD DPS REVIEW
The NRLCA
has just received the much-awaited decision by National Arbitrator Bloch in the
DPS Review II case. In a resounding victory for the Association,
Arbitrator Bloch ordered the Postal Service to immediately rescind its 2008
unilateral changes to Section 541.42 of PO-603, concerning the consequences
should the Postal Service fail to maintain a route’s DPS letter volume
percentage at or above the level of the last mail count. He further
ordered the Postal Service to reinstate the language and provisions of the
original Section 541.42, which was collectively negotiated between the NRLCA and
the Postal Service in 1994.
The original
provisions of Section 541.42 required the Postal Service to immediately restore
the percentage of DPS letter volume if it drops below the mail count level,
and, failing that, to reclassify the entire DPS volume from the last mail count
as sector-segment or raw mail, as appropriate. The Postal Service, in its
unilateral changes, no longer had an obligation to restore DPS letter volume,
was required only to reclassify the percentage drop in DPS volume as raw mail,
was required to change the route evaluation only if that reclassification
amounted to at least 60 minutes of additional evaluated time, and, at
management’s discretion, could deny a carrier’s request for a DPS review.
In completely
rejecting the Postal Service’s argument that its unilateral changes were “fair,
reasonable, and equitable” under Article 19 of the National Agreement,
Arbitrator Bloch acknowledged that “the monetary penalty is steep” in the
original provision, but that it is “the mechanism that was freely bargained and
accepted by management in the course of the 1994 negotiations.” He found
that there were no changed circumstances facing the Postal Service which would
justify its unilateral revisions as “fair, reasonable, and equitable”. Arbitrator
Bloch concluded: “Particularly considering the bargained genesis of the
rule at issue, it would follow the parties should discuss and agree upon
subsequent modifications, should they be in order.” Referring to his 2004
decision in DPS Review I, in which he upheld the Association’s interpretation
of the original 1994 language, Arbitrator Bloch characterized the Postal
Service’s subsequent unilateral revisions as “what amounts to [a] second bite
of the apple.”
As part of his
remedy, Arbitrator Bloch ordered the Postal Service to make whole any carrier
whose route was reviewed under its 2008 revisions and had a percentage
reduction in DPS letter volume, by a retroactive route reclassification, back
pay, and interest. He ordered the same remedy for any carrier whose
request for such a DPS review was denied by management. We will keep you
advised of further developments with respect to implementation of the remedy.
Click Here For Award
USPS NOTIFIES NRLCA WITH DELIVERY POINT SEQUENCE (DPS) FLATS
IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES FOR RURAL ROUTES
The USPS notified the
NRLCA on November 13, 2009, of proposed procedures for the implementation of delivery
point sequence (DPS) flats on rural routes in accordance with Article 19.2 of
the National Agreement. The NRLCA scheduled a meeting with the USPS to discuss
those changes on December 16, 2009. It is with great disappointment that the
NRLCA received the attached final written notification on January 25, 2010,
that the implementation procedures will be effective January 30, 2010. The
NRLCA Board does not believe the attached implementation procedures are fair,
reasonable, and equitable; therefore the NRLCA Board is preparing to appeal
this issue directly to National Arbitration in accordance with Article 19.3 of
the National Agreement.
Click here to view the implemenation
procedures…
07/01/2010
NRLCA Website to
Undergo Routine Maintenance the Week of July 11th
Updated PO-603
Handbook Now Available Online
CVS Caremark and
Walgreens Reach Agreement
04/30/2010
04/27/2010
Health Care
Reform Law and the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program
04/26/2010
STEP 4 SETTLEMENT CONCERNING WHO DETERMINES THE ORDER IN WHICH
LETTERS AND FLATS ARE TO BE CASED
04/22/2010
04/13/2010
Former NRLCA
President Dale Holton's Daughter Passes Away
04/12/2010
USPS and NRLCA
REACH AGREEMENT ON STANDARDIZED REVIEW PROCESS FOR DPS LETTER MAIL
04/02/2010
NRLCA Response
to Five Day Delivery Proposal
03/29/2010
·
03/18/2010
·
03/05/2010
Coventry
Healthcare Finalizes Agreement with Sentara Potomac Hospital in Woodbridge, VA
·
03/04/2010
Notice for Rural
Carrier Benefit Plan Members in Sarasota, FL
·
02/26/2010
·
02/25/2010
·
02/12/2010
·
02/12/2010
·
02/01/2010
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01/29/2010
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01/28/2010
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CORRECTION TO THE USPS 2010 MAIL COUNT GUIDE
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01/13/2010
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2010 MAIL COUNT GUIDE - FULL VERSION
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01/09/2010
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RURAL CARRIER PAY PROBLEM PP-01 OF 2010
·
12/17/2009
·
Credit for Express Mail "Waiver of Signature"
Mail Pieces During the 2010 Mail Count
·
12/16/2009
·
11/30/2009
·
New Salary Chart Effective November 21, 2009 (PP-25-2009)
·
11/24/2009
·
Important News for Rural Carrier Benefit Plan Members
Living in Dayton, Ohio Area
·
Heart Failure Program Announcement
·
11/17/2009
·
General Wage Increase of 1.5% Effective November 21, 2009
·
11/09/2009
·
10/09/2009
·
NRLCA Insurance Announcement - Longs Drug Locations Owned
and Operated by CVS/pharmacy
·
09/23/2009
·
NRLCA APPEALS POSTAL SERVICE’S PROPOSED DPS FLATS
STANDARD DIRECTLY TO PRIORITY NATIONAL ARBITRATION
·
AREA ARBITRATOR AWARDS NRLCA $1.4 MILLION FOR POSTAL
SERVICE’S IMPROPER USE OF TRC’S
·
09/16/2009
·
House passes H.R. 22 by a 388-32 vote
·
09/01/2009
·
08/28/2009
·
National Board Decision on Attending 2009 Fall Booster
Meetings
·
08/17/2009
·
08/11/2009
·
Information about National Special Mail Count, September
2009
·
08/10/2009
·
Step 4 Settlement Concerning Additional Compensation to
Retrieve Scanners
·
Subsequent Memorandum of Understanding on Delivery Point
Sequence Flats
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Step 4 Settlement Concerning Route Posting Being
Rescinded
·
07/10/2009
·
07/08/2009
·
STEP 4 SETTLEMENT CONCERNING CARRIER PICKUP
·
06/11/2009
·
06/04/2009
·
Former Director of Labor Relations, Randy Anderson, loses
son
·
06/03/2009
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2009 NRLCA Library DVD Available for Purchase
·
04/21/2009
·
04/17/2009
·
National Level Grievance Filed - Deductions of Riffle/3-M
·
Step 4 Settlement on NLRB Charge – Threats/Retaliation
for requesting a DPS Formal Review
·
ROUTE ADJUSTMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS FOLLOWING THE 2009
NATIONAL MAIL COUNT
·
04/08/2009
·
Article in Federal Times Concerning Route Mergers
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04/06/2009
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Rural Carrier Relief Day Formula Calculation
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Relief Day Work List Information
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03/30/2009
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VOLUNTARY EARLY RETIREMENT (VER) EXTENDED FOR RURAL
CARRIERS
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03/20/2009
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USPS Closes Administrative Offices
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03/19/2009
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Table of Evaluated Hours for Regular and Auxiliary Routes
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03/13/2009
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2009 NRLCA Mail Count Calculator
·
03/12/2009
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Step 4 settlement on 2008 National Mail Count “Even Flow
of Mail”
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03/04/2009
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Analysis of Changes to the 2006-2010 NRLCA/USPS Agreement
·
03/02/2009
·
02/27/2009
·
Time Allowance Credited to Rural Routes for the United
Parcel Service
·
02/20/2009
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Pre-Arbitration Settlement on “Inverted DPS”
·
02/13/2009
·
Temporary DPS Flat Credit Established by the Postal
Service at 27 Pieces per Minute
·
02/05/2009
·
Important Information on Prescription Drug Shortage
CURRENT SALARY SCHEDULE
Click here to view the current salary
schedule effective November 21, 2009.
2006 - 2010 USPS/NRLCA NATIONAL AGREEMENT
The 2006-2010 Agreement is now available as Handbook
EL-902. It is posted on the website in the "Steward Operations"
section under "References", "USPS", and
"Handbooks".
Analysis of Changes to the 2006-2010 National Agreement
PARTIES SIGN DPS FLATS BUFFER MOU
The parties recognize the potential impact to rural route
evaluations from the implementation of DPS flats; therefore, the parties have
agreed to temporarily modify three contractual provisions in rural delivery
offices which are scheduled for the implementation of DPS flats. Additionally,
the parties have agreed to expand the application of the temporary modification
represented in item #2 to all rural delivery offices within 50 miles of the
offices scheduled for the implementation of DPS flats. Further, with regard to
item #2, it is important to note that the modification does not delay the
posting of a vacant route; it is the residual vacancy that is withheld in
accordance with the temporary modification of Article 12.3.C.2.
Click here to view the memorandum of understanding
From the “What’s New” At NRLCA.org – July 2010
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