In 2014, a MOU was signed by the APWU and the Postal Service regarding the filling of residual career vacancies. The MOU states that 5 PSEs must be made career regulars before a single existing career employee can transfer into an office with a residual vacancy. PSEs are now given super seniority for open positions, even if they have only worked for the USPS for one day! (or if a PSE is not currently employed in the office, one must be hired to fill the position!!)
This happened to me when I submitted my name on e-reassign for a position listed in the city of Sequim, WA. My name had been on the e-reassign list for that office since 2013. When I had not heard from the e-reassign manager, I contacted them to find out my status. I was told that because the 1 in 6 ratio for transfers had not been met, a PSE would be converted to the career regular position. I was also told that 4 more PSEs would have to be converted into that office before I could be awarded an open position.
I am a 25 year career regular clerk and a strong union supporter. I am highly qualified yet I no longer have seniority over non-career employees who have no experience.
Common sense and historical precedence would seem to imply that this policy was written in error and only needs to be amended by the Union and the USPS. Common sense and precedence maybe, but not reality. After a class action grievence on behalf of 4 career employees (2 FTRs and 2PTFs) was decided by a National Dispute Resolution panel, it was deemed valid by our APWU. DUE TO THIS RULING, A PSE, (THE WIFE OF A LOCAL POSTMASTER, AND AN EMPLOYEE WHO HAD WORKED FOR THE USPS FOR 6 MONTHS), WAS MADE A CAREER FTR, AND I WAS DENIED THE POSITION FOR WHICH I AM MORE THAN QUALIFIED!
This insane policy must be changed back! If it isn’t, long term, hard working qualified (union) employees will have little chance of helping themselves and their families by transferring into offices that need them. We, as career employees, will lose a valuable piece of our jobs – the ability to transfer.
Has this happened to you? Have you not been awarded a vacant position without any explanation? How can we fix this? Talk to your local union. Any Ideas???!
First Name: Dean
Last Name: Massey
Email: maloneymassey@gmail.com
Union/Local: APWU/Port Angeles WA
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - Denver Metro
Yip, this happened to me. Tried to transfer for six years. They were to busy hiring their friends and relatives to give me a shot. By a real business standpoint I am a stellar employee and would be an improvement to any facility. In that six year waiting period they hired over 30 pse’s instead of taking a guaranteed top notch worker. Someone got a kickback somewhere. It’s rules like this that make our jobs suck that much more. I do believe it is all part of the plan to enable lower wages for postal workers. First you raise minimum wage keeping the USPS workers wages the same meanwhile teachers and cops wine about getting hire wages and they get them. Next you have the EEO section that seems to be for the employee which it is not. They have this all set up for you to loose. They also take advantage of hiring people that can barely read thus not worried about class actions, grievances, eeo’s etc. Nepotism is part of the USPS policy I don’t know why they just don’t add that in the contract.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - CO/WY
This is interesting to read, as I have had the exact opposite happen to me. I have been a PSE for 3 yrs. waiting my turn and doing all the work at my office. I am sure there are some great FTR’s out there, unfortunately I haven’t had the pleasure of working with any…Anyway, I have applied to 7 different PTF preference letters and six times lost out to eReassign transfers. I contact all the offices and its always the same story. I just got lucky and accepted a PTF position 45 miles away, just so I can transfer back, as it seems that is the only way to move up. Our district puts out eReassign and PSE preference letters at the same time. And I wait and wait only to find out the positions are filled with transfers. And my office has accepted two FTR transfers since I have been there. And one was City Carrier crossing to Clerk from Las Vegas! So I think it is all dependant on District. If ya’ll want to move up come to CO/WY, tons of movement here…
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - Greater Greensboro Area Local 711
Office held, if any
GSO Retired
It’s called – new voter roles. Over 1/2 of career don’t bother to vote. The newbies do.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - Oakland Local #78
Office held, if any
Retiree Chapter President
Brothers and Sisters, I see a Resolution coming addressing your issues as stated with the impact and challenges itemized and Noted!
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - Wichita Area (remote area office previously at large)
How about first right of REFUSAL for a PSE not wishing to convert? I know it seems crazy to some, but there are reasons a PSE may not wish a career position. I am being converted, to my great dismay to PTF. I work 25 hours a week in a very small rural office. I am told I can expect 8 to 12 hours a week as a PTF, most likely with a split shift. That turns my 30 mile daily commute into a 50 – 100 mile commute. Sure, I may pick up hours in another office, provided my PM will allow for the scheduling. Guaranteed that those offices that I might work are going to be needing someone for the same hours my PM needs, and she is historically not known to play and work fairly with others. Also, in this very rural area, the driving is going to be intense. Compounding my problems with this is the fact that it is going to cost me 1200 dollars a year in health insurance. Because my husbands company will start charging that as soon as I work for an employer that offers insurance to me. I am in my late 50’s. I took my job because I WANTED to work part time in a quiet little office, providing service to a quiet little town. I worked hard as a woman in a man’s field for most of my life, and I was ready to relax in my years leading up to my retirement. I am now being forced into a job that I never wanted, asked for or applied for. My only choice is to accept or resign. I am bitter and furious, and it would be nice if this had been written so that I had first right of refusal, and someone who WANTS the job could have it instead. I have always been a strong union supporter, but the APWU is wrong in this. I will probably drop my membership, because honestly, with no idea how to gauge what my paycheck will be, I doubt if I can afford it. Certainly can’t afford it on 8 hours a week with a hundred mile commute. ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - Wanda, MN
What if a PSE does NOT want to become a PTF? What happens then? I was told a PSE HAS to take the PTF position even if its not bettering themselves! How can a PSE get out of getting forced to a PTF?
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - New York Metro
This is what is happening to me. I put my name on reassign, and one of the post offices that I requested has an opening. However, now I’m being told the first 5 PSEs within the 50 mile radius will be converted in that position. How is that? Why would they post it on reassign if that’s the case. I thought when there were opportunities for PSEs, they have preference sheets sent to their location. They don’t have access to reassign, so why would they be granted an opening in reassign. Something isn’t fair with the APWU.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - TriCities Area Local
Office held, if any
Puyallup and Mesa WA
This is happening in our area to (TriCities) Kennewick, a level 20 APO with 3 very small offices under it. The PTF position will be vacant July 9 and they are forcing the PSE from one of the smaller ones to convert. The PSE doesn’t want it because she would have to drive 55 miles. I have put in a transfer on ereassign and am filling in there on the window RSS. I am in a level 18. Also, on July 3, The Regular there will resign, so you know what that means – that PSE will be a regular in a matter of days. That to me is really wrong. A year and half ago this same situation came up there and they canvased the area for PTFs to no avail, no one took it. They hired off the street and did not take a PSE. Now that same PTF is becoming a FTR carrier in another office. I say start Tweeting on the APWU and facebook and unions and faxing national. We need to make a stink about changing the policy. This leaves PTF preferencing null and void. Shame on them.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU Quilcene, WA
Well……. I’m speechless!! I was hired as a PSE January 2015 in Port Angeles, 2 months later I received a choice sheet and was offered a PTF position in a smaller office (hour drive from home verses 5 min). I was unsure so I called and talked with the president of my union and he informed me this was the only way to succeed and go forward in my career. He said if I could stick it out for a year I could then transfer closer to home. So I did it and I’m very grateful for all the added benefits of being a career employee. Yet I’m frustrated, disappointed and very angry at the policy that was signed by the union and the postal service.
I struggle with getting hours so I can provide for my 2 young children at home. I took this position to better myself, my children and so I could get a full time clerk position. Now I feel stuck, like I’m in a ‘dead-end’ job. I have learned so much working in these small offices (many times by myself, all day). I am more qualified then any PSE and feel I should be able to transfer to a full time position before someone who isn’t even hired yet. It would have been nice to have been informed of this policy before I transferred. I guess all I can do is continue to support my union and pray this policy gets reversed.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - Chimacum, WA
I was hired at the Poulsbo Post office 2 years ago this month as a PSE. When the choice sheets came out I wanted to better my career with the post office so I applied for a PTF position and got hired at the Chimacum Post Office. I have been there for over a year. I have applied for 5 other locations on ereassign in hopes of becoming a Full time clerk.
Recently I heard there was a position over in Silverdale so I called the postmaster, which I have helped out in the past, for information. She explained to me the rule of how she had to promote a certain number of PSE’S before she could take a transfer. When I took this promotion I thought it would give me better opportunities to advance to a Full Time regular. Nobody informed me it would be harder. Looking at some of the stats there are PSE’S that have just started and some that haven’t even been hired yet that will have the opportunity to become a Full time employee before me.
One would think that if you are already a career employee you would have first option. It should be changed to a PTF getting that Full Time position and the PSE from that office being transferred to a lower level office as a PTF to wait their turn. This also improves their knowledge.
Since I have been at Chimacum I have learned how to do many things that employees in the larger offices have no idea how to do. Learning of these rules was very disheartening. It is great having the extra benefits of being a career employee but it is very stressful worrying about if I will have the hours I need to take care of my family. I plan on making this my career for the next 20 years or more. I always show up for my shift and I have never called out sick. I take pride in giving premier customer service and I often get compliments from customers and other employees I work with on these skills.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU/Port Angeles WA
PSEs will be made career before any other career employee can transfer in as long as the 1 in 6 ratio is not met. PTF or FTR or Mail Handler or Janitor or anyone who is a professional long time career employee, because the principle of seniority has now been turned on its head.
The union fighting for the PSEs to be made career is truly wonderful and worthy of our support. But, it should not be at the expense of existing career employees. The sensible approach would be to stay with the precedent and convert PSEs only after no career employees request the transfer. PSEs in my area have transferred and been converted to PTFs in lots of small offices locally. They are now career employees (great!), but now because of this change, they are more or less trapped in lower hour positions with little hope of transferring to a better office. (boo!)
You can find this MOU in the contract, probably on the APWU website.
I am a strong union supporter, but I think this should be changed so that PSE conversions can be encouraged but not at the expense of career employees.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU/Port Angeles
I think any open position should be for career first then non career. Why can’t these PSE’s take PTF positions in smaller offices and become career? Then after the required months they can transfer to career positions. It seems to me that we are catering to this new workforce and leaving everyone else to suffer.
If an office has to convert a PSE, why are they putting available jobs on eReassign?
It seems to me like the APWU didn’t think this through before they signed the agreement.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
Greater Seattle Area Local, APWU
Office held, if any
Vice President
In one sense, saying a PSE has more seniority than a career employee here is comparing apples and oranges, in terms of the benefit to the bargaining unit as a whole. A transfer is a lateral move – obviously a desirable one for those like myself (1994) who have requested one.
Conversion is a huge leap upward. Level 6 pay goes immediately from $15.63 to $18.39 per hour, retirement benefits, life insurance, bidding rights and sick leave kick in. It can kick someone right into the middle class, as union jobs have done for many of us.
Which is not to say you shouldn’t be very disappointed, as who wouldn’t be? The part about the PM’s wife being one of the conversions certainly should bother anyone reading this.
It’s certainly easy to figure out how to address some issues that pit our interests versus management’s. It’s not always so easy when balancing the interests of different groups of members (witness the debate over “universal seniority” which holds that you should carry your postal seniority anywhere you go, versus those who defend installation seniority).
Looking at the issue differently, if there weren’t such a provision, someone who got hired in a desirable area – and Sequim’s location makes it such – might never become a career employee, if transfers always prevailed over conversions.
So, I’m not saying the rule is perfect, but if we’re trying to improve it, it helps to consider what the thinking behind it seems to be.
And I hope you get your transfer soon – I can appreciate the frustration and uncertainty of a long wait.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - Fort Dodge, IA Local 317
So this means PSE becomes full time over a PTF transfer?