Postal Service has updated NAPUS and the League on a number of questions concerning the administration of terms of the global settlement between the Postal Service and the APWU. The settlement stems from the national arbitration award concerning Article 1.6.B., performance of bargaining work.
The following are the questions and responses received;
How are hours charged when assisting at window? Do you need to close out each time?
Response: Whenever a Postmaster is responsible for staffing a window, he/she should log onto POS at the start of his/her duties and log off at the end of the duties. Postmasters should not use the ‘stand-by mode’ rather than logging off, but are not required to run an end of day report each time during the day that they log on/log off.
What must be tracked and how do we track it?
Response: Time spent by a Postmaster staffing the window must be tracked and recorded on the 1260. Such recording of time spent performing bargaining unit work is not limited only to the time spent conducting customer transactions. Arbitrator Das decided at the national level that all time spent staffing the window is considered performance of bargaining unit work and is to be counted toward the 15 hours of such work permitted each service week. If the Postmaster is the only employee responsible for the window, then all hours the window is open are to be recorded even if there aren’t customers every minute. If the Postmaster is not the only window employee and assists at the window occasionally during the day, the Postmaster must log on and off and record the time spent at the window performing work. Time spent performing any other bargaining unit work, such as distributing box mail, loading or unloading trucks etc., must also be recorded. The time such other work is performed must be entered in the electronic 1260. If the work occurs during time that is already accounted for as bargaining unit work (such as the same period covered as responsible for the window), the additional work is considered concurrent and will not be counted again toward the 15-hour limit. Either way, the time spent must be recorded. It is very important that the start time and end time of the work be entered. This will prevent double-counting against the 15-hour limit.
How should bargaining unit work performed by a clerk on higher level be recorded?
Response: If a clerk is detailed temporarily to the position of OIC, acting Postmaster in an EAS detail assignment, the performance of bargaining unit work would have to be recorded. If the clerk is instead detailed to the position of Lead Clerk, none of the bargaining unit work performed would be recorded.
via NAPUS.
Related: APWU Wins $56 Million Remedy for Postmasters Performing Craft Work