The American Postal Workers Union and the U.S. Postal Service have reached a tentative three-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) announced APWU President and Lead Negotiator Mark Dimondstein. The following is a summary of that tentative agreement.The APWU is preparing thecompleteTentative Agreement to be sent to members with their ratification ballot. Detailed information on the ratification vote will be announced in the near future.
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Contract Time Period
- Three-year contract:September 21, 2021 through September 20, 2024
GeneralAnnualWage Increasesand Cost of Living Allowances (COLA)
1.3% November 20, 2021 (Will be Retroactive)
1.3% November 19, 2022
1.3% November 18, 2023
Six (6)Cost of Living Allowances(COLA)for career employees(March and September of each year)with no change to the current formulabased on the July 2021 CPI-W.(After the fourth month of the six-month measuring period, the COLA increase is at $0.39 per hourandwill bebased on the January 2022 CPI-W Index)
PSEs receive the general wage increasesand an additional1% increaseeach year inlieuof COLA(i.e.2.3% each November)
$0.50/houradditional increasefor PSEseffective the first pay period of the second full month afterthe Agreement is ratified
Job Security
Protection from layoff for career employees with six years of service remains in effect
Any current career employeeon the rolls as of September 20, 2021,with less than six years of service will be included in the no layoff protections for the life of the National Agreement, providing an additional 72,000 career employeesprotection from layoffs.
50-mile limit on excessing of employees
The current moratorium on subcontracting of Postal Vehicle Service (PVS) work will continue in its present form during life of the Agreement
Holiday Pay
Juneteenth addedto the holidaysfor career employees for a total of 11 paid holidays per year
PTF pay rate will be increased effective January 1, 2022 to reflect 11 holidays each year
Health Insurance
No change to the Postal Service contribution to premiums for those participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
95%Postal Servicecontribution topremiums of the APWUConsumer Driven Health Plan(CDHP)
PSEs converted to career will receive credit fortime they were enrolled in a FEHBP plantowards the 1-year qualifying period for the 95%Postal Servicecontributionto CDHP premiums
Enhanced Level 8 & 11 Pay Scales
- Grade 8 Pay Scale:
- Bottom Steps FF-AA eliminated with Step A becoming the first Step
- New top Step P added
- Employees currently in Grade 8 will move into new steps while retaining all credit toward next step:
- Steps FF-BB moved to Step A
- Step AA moved to Step B
- Steps A-O moved up one Step
- Grade 11 Pay Scale increased by an average of 2.3% prior to any general increases or COLA
Part-Time Flexible (PTF) Work Rules
Schedule guarantee of24-hour per pay period,increased from 2 hours a pay period
Guaranteedat leastfour hours of workor paywhen scheduled
Forty (40) hours of annual leave will be advanced at thestartof each leave year for immediate use
Guaranteeda minimum of one (1) non-scheduled day each service week except during thepeak seasonexceptionperiodwithnoticeWednesdaythe week prior
Within 90-days of ratificationaOne-time Voluntary Transfer Opportunity to residual Full-Time Regularvacanciesin larger officeswithinadistrict
Automatic Conversion of PSEsin Level 20 offices and above
PSEs will be converted to career status upon reaching 24-months of relative standing
ClerkPSEs assigned to officesGrade21 or higher will be converted to Full-Time Flexiblewith such assignments made in accordance with the Clerk Craft provisions of Art. 37.4
ClerkPSEs assigned toGrade20 offices will be converted to Part-Time Flexible
MVS PSEs assigned in any size office will be converted to Part-Time Flexible
PSEs convertedunder this provisionstartata new Step GG in Grades 5-7 and Step A in Grade 8.
Automatic Conversion does not apply to PSEs assigned toGrade-4 RMPOs
Conversionswillstill occur prior to the 24-months
The“Filling of Residual Vacancy MOU”and Article 37.5.Dremains in full force and effect
MVS Craft Conversions will be madein accordance withArticle 39.2.A.11
Conversionoccurringearlierto 24-months startatStep FF for Grades 5-7 and Step-A for Grade 8
Other PSE Provisions
Forty (40) hours ofadvancedannualleaveuponcompletion of an initial 360-dayPSEappointmentin Level 20 offices and above
PSEs assigned toLevel4 RMPOsreceive an additional one (1) hour ofpaidannual leave perpayperiod upon completion of two (2) 360-day appointments
PSEs assigned to Level 4 RMPOs upon completion of two 360-day appointments will receive 40 hours of advance leave
PSEs will be offered one (1) non-scheduled day each service week except during peak season with notice the Wednesday the week prior
PSEStaffing
The 12 PSEs perDistrict assigned toLevel4 RMPOswill no longercount against the20%District cap
10 PSEs in the46 Package Support Annexes (PSAs) will not count against theDistrictcap(for a totalmaximum of 460 PSEs) and will be allowed to work in any facility in theinstallation the PSA is attached to
A four (4) weeks “ramp-up” period prior to the start of accounting period 3, the 20% PSE District cap will be temporarily increased by 1% per week equating to no more than a 4% increase
New protections for the OTDL during “ramp-up” whereby prior to utilizing a PSE more than 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a service week, qualified and available employees on the appropriate OTDL will be utilized. No requirement to use an OTDL employee on the second non-scheduled at the penalty rate prior to using a PSE in excess of 40 hours
Uniform/Work Clothes Program Allowances
2.5% increase to the uniform/work clothes allowances in 2022, 2023, and 2024
Delivery/Sales Service Distribution Associate (DSSDA) will receive Type 1 uniform allowance
New “Rollover” program where unused funds will carryoverand be available for use beginning twelve (12) months after the end of each anniversary year
AdditionalWork Rule Improvements
Remote Encoding Center staffing ratio changed to 62% Full-Time Regular and 38% PSE and all career duty assignments are Full-Time Regular
90-day waiting period to use annual leave eliminated for new career employees with 90-days continuous service prior to their conversion.
Updated the Deaf and Hard of Hearing MOU
Work Environment Improvement Task Force
Work Place Free of Harassment
Enhanced and Expanded Services
Environmental/Sustainability issues, EAP, and Child and Elder care, included in the jurisdiction of the National Labor Management Committee
District Safety Committees made permanent
Right of Union Officials to Enter Postal Installations
Regional Safety and Health Representative Training Opportunities
Repromotion MOU
Article 8 Task Force to address excessiveovertime, particularly in relation to non-list employees
Election Mail Task Force MOU
Full per diem for employees training at the NCED facility
AdditionalClerk CraftProvisions
Window trainingstartswithin 10-days after posting of the senior bidder
Updated NTFTdutyassignmentslanguage
Pilotprogram to test new pecking order for theassignment of PTF Hub Clerks
Filling ofResidualVacancyMOUupdated
AdditionalMotor Vehicle Service CraftProvisions
PTFs identified for conversion to FTR converted within 28-days
APWU will have opportunity to submit recommendations on new vehicles prior to specificationsbeingsent to contractors and before manufacturing and completion of new vehicles
Nationalcommittee established to address training initiative and opportunities
HCR limitation on Subcontracting MOU remains in full force and effect
AdditionalMaintenance CraftProvisions
Noadditionalcustodialstaffing packageswill changefrom MS-47 TL-3 to TL-5 for life of thecontract
Changethecalculation method of PS Form 4852forJuneteenth Holiday
Annual cap on the numberof times an employee can be involuntarily assigned to off-site training courses
Career employee may request to be tested for maintenance craft positions and if rated eligible may request placement on the appropriate in-service register.
Updates to the posting of relief assignments in the craft
Agreement to consolidate and upgrade multiple legacy jobs
Employees traveling to NCED for training receive full per diem for length of stay
Additional Support ServicesCraftProvisions
In Material Distribution Centers Maintenance Mechanic General Grade 7 eliminated and Building Equipment Mechanic Grade 9 added
Penalty Overtime provisions applied to Operating Serviceemployees
Editors Note: There was a correction on 12/16 to Grade 8 Pay Scale -Steps A-O will be moved up one step; it was previously posted as Steps B-O.
