Carrier

Carrier The

National Rural Letter

Vol. 119, No. 3a

Special Contract Edition 2020

NATIONALAGREEMENT between the United States Postal Service and the

National Rural Letter Carriers' Association

2018 - 2021

The National Rural Letter Carrier Official Monthly Publication of the NATIONAL RURAL LETTER CARRIERS' ASSOCIATION Established in 1903 16 30 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314-3467 Tel: 703-684-5545 Website Address:

Resident National Officers Ronnie W. Stutts, President

Donald L. Maston, Vice President Clifford D. Dailing, Secretary-Treasurer David L. Heather, Director of Labor Relations Susan T. Knapp, Director of Steward Operations

National Executive Committeemen Dennis L. Conley, Chairman, Executive Committee

Tel: 828-369-5054 P.O. Box 445, Franklin, NC 28744-0445 Johnny K. Miller, Executive Committeeman

Tel: 256-523-3648 P.O. Box 466, Collinsville, AL 35961-0466

Patrick A. Pitts, Executive Committeeman Tel: 360-893-9182

P.O. Box 821, Orting, WA 98360-0821 Shirley Baffa, Executive Committeeman

Tel:870-613-7838 P.O. Box 2435, Batesville, AR 72503-2435

Legislative Staff Paul Swartz, Director of Governmental Affairs Jordan Schultz, Communications & PAC Manager

Workers' Compensation Devin Cassidy, NRLCA Director of Workers' Compensation

Tel: 703-684-5545 Mike Watson Tel: 503-653-2911 (Oregon)

National Chaplain Gary W. Wilder (Tennessee)

Tel: 615-888-6156

Rural Carrier Benefit Plan Clifford D. Dailing, Executive Director of Health Insurance Programs

Cameron Deml, Director of Health Insurance Programs 1630 Duke Street, 2nd Floor Alexandria, VA 22314-3467 Tel: 703-684-5552 Claims Inquiry Rural Carrier Benefit Plan,

P.O. Box 14079, London, KY 40512-4079 800-638-8432

Rural Carrier Auto and Homeowners Insurance Plans

Linda Foran, Plan Director, 800 Superior Avenue E, 6th Floor

Cleveland, OH 44114 Service: 855-752-8477 -- Claims: 800-325-1088

Sales: 888-325-7727

Editorial Staff ? National Office Donald L. Maston, Editor

Melissa J. Ray, Managing Editor/Advertising Clifford D. Dailing, Associate Editor Julie Houston, Auxiliary Editor

Postmaster: Send Change of Address to: 1630 Duke Street

Alexandria, VA 22314-3467

The National Rural Letter Carrier (SSN 0028-0089) is published monthly, by the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association, 1630 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3467. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA and additional

mailing offices. Postmaster:Send address changes to NRLCA Membership Department, 1630 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-3467. It is a monthly publication for 108,000 members of the NRLCA, providing news and information for regular, substitute and retired carriers, RCRs & RCAs, the Auxiliary and Juniors. The NRLCA magazine is provided under the requirements of the NRLCA Constitution automatically to each member. It is available to surviving spouses at the rate of $20 per year and to non-rural craft persons who meet the NRLCA guidelines at the rate of $150 per year. These rates became effective

January 1, 2009.

NOTE TO MEMBERS:

This special contract edition of the magazine represents the complete, current National Agreement between the USPS and the NRLCA. It supersedes the provisions of the 2015 USPSNRLCA National Agreement.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Article Page

1.

UNION RECOGNITION.............................................................1

1.

Union.............................................................................................. 1

A. Recognition ...............................................................................1

B. Terms.......................................................................................1

2.

Exclusion........................................................................................ 1

3.

Facility Exclusions...........................................................................1

4.

Definition........................................................................................ 1

5.

New Positions ...............................................................................1

6.

Performance of Bargaining Unit Work...........................................1

A. More than 100 Bargaining Unit Employees............................1

B. Less than 100 Bargaining Unit Employees..............................1

2.

NON-DISCRIMINATION AND CIVIL RIGHTS..........................1

1.

Statement of Principle.........................................................................1

2.

Discrimination Grievances.................................................................2

3.

MANAGEMENT RIGHTS............................................................2

4.

TECHNOLOGICAL AND MECHANIZATION CHANGES......2

1.

Statement of Principle.........................................................................2

2.

Advance Notice ...............................................................................2

3.

Resolution of Differences................................................................2

4.

New Jobs.......................................................................................2

5.

PROHIBITION OF UNILATERAL ACTION.................................2

6.

NO LAYOFFS OR REDUCTION IN FORCE................................2

7.

EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATIONS..................................................3

1.

Career Employees..............................................................................3

A. Regular Carriers (Designation Code 71).................................3

B. Part-Time Flexible Rural Carriers (Designation Code 76).......3

2.

Substitute Rural Carriers, Rural Carrier Associates,

Rural Carrier Reliefs, and Assistant Rural Carriers..........................3

A. Substitute Rural Carriers (Designation Code 73)....................3

B. Substitute Rural Carirers (Designation Code 72)....................3

C. Rural Carrier Associates (RCAs) (Designation Code 78).......3

D. Rural Carrier Associates (RCAs) (Designation Code 74).......3

E. Rural Carrier Associates (RCAs) (Designation Code 79).......3

F. Rural Carrie Reliefs (RCRs) (Designation Code 75)................3

G. Assistant Rural Carriers (ARCs) (Designation Code (70-5)....3

3.

Auxiliary Rural Carriers (Designation Code 77)...........................3

8.

HOURS OF WORK..........................................................................3

1.

Work Week ...............................................................................3

2.

Work Schedules.............................................................................3

3.

Hourly Basis ...............................................................................4

A. Straight Time Rate.......................................................................4

B. Overtime Rate..........................................................................4

4.

Guarantees ...............................................................................4

5.

Relief Day Worked.............................................................................4

6.

Wash-up Time ...............................................................................4

7.

Changes in Number of Delivery Days.............................................5

9.

COMPENSATION, SALARIES, AND WAGES..........................5

1.

Salaries and Wages..........................................................................5

A. Basic Annual Salary...................................................................5

B. New Regular Carrier Appointees.............................................5

C. Part-time Flexible Rural Carrier Appointees.............................5

D. Granting Step Increases.............................................................6

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Article Page

E. Cost-of-Living Adjustment............................................................6

F. Application of Salary Rates.......................................................7

G. Protected Salary Rates................................................................7

H. Rural Carrier Associates and Assistant Rural Carriers.............7

2.

Compensation, Allowance, and Fees...............................................7

A. Compensation Pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)..........7

1. FLSA Section 7(b)(2).........................................................................7

2. FLSA Section 7(a)...........................................................................9

B. Rural Carrier Schedule..............................................................................9

C. Evaluated Compensation....................................................................... 10

. 1. Definition......................................................................................... 10

2. Evaluated Compensation............................................................ 10

3. Mail Counts................................................................................ 10

4. Centralized Delivery...................................................................... 10

5. Relief Days...................................................................................... 10

6. Route Classification..................................................................... 12

7. Classification Options and Reviews............................................. 13

8. Overburdened Routes................................................................. 14

9. Changes in Compensation............................................................ 14

10. Substantial Service Changes........................................................ 14

11. Special Counts............................................................................ 14

12. Seasonal Route.............................................................................. 15

13. Temporary Route Deviations......................................................... 15

14. Recurring Work Duties.................................................................. 15

15. Administrative Errors...................................................................... 15

D. L Route Compensation............................................................................ 15

E. Compensation for Part-time Flexible Rural Carriers............................. 15

F. Compensation for Substitute Rural Carriers......................................... 16

G. Substitute Rural Carrier on Vacant Route or

on Route Where Carrier is on Extended Leave................................... 16

H. Compensation for Auxiliary Rural Carriers.......................................... 16

I. Compensation for Rural Carrier Associates

and Rural Carrier Relief Employees...................................................... 17

J. Equipment Maintenance Allowance..................................................... 17

1. General Policy................................................................................ 17

2. Vehicle Equipment.......................................................................... 17

3. Rate of EMA................................................................................ 17

4. Special EMA Chart........................................................................ 17

5. Auxiliary Assistance and Auxiliary Rural Carriers...................... 17

6. Temporary Deviations.................................................................... 18

K. Christmas Allowances and Procedures................................................ 18

L. Pouch Mail.............................................................................................. 19

M. Training Pay............................................................................................. 19

N. Training Presentations............................................................................ 20

10. LEAVE.............................................................................................................. 20

1.

Leave Funding................................................................................................. 20

2.

Annual Leave.............................................................................................. 20

A. Minimum Units and Availability of Leave Replacements................... 20

B. Forfeiting Leave................................................................................... 20

C. Approved Leave..................................................................................... 20

3.

Sick Leave........................................................................................................ 20

4.

Saturday Leave.......................................................................................... 20

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Article Page

5.

Leave for Substitutes and Rural Carrier Associates..................................... 21

6.

Leave for Part-time Flexible Rural Carriers and Auxiliary Carriers......... 21

11. HOLIDAYS..................................................................................................... 21

1.

Holidays Observed........................................................................................ 21

2.

Payment...................................................................................................... 21

3.

Part-time Flexible Rural Carriers, Substitute and

Auxiliary Carriers........................................................................................... 21

12.

PRINCIPLES OF SENIORITY, POSTING, AND REASSIGNMENT......22

1.

Probationary Period........................................................................................ 22

A. Statement of Principle............................................................................ 22

B. Falsification of Employment Application............................................. 22

C. Completion of Probationary Period.................................................... 22

D. Reemployment........................................................................................ 22

2.

Rural Carrier Seniority................................................................................ 22

A. Accruing Seniority.............................................................................. 22

B. Breaking Ties...................................................................................... 22

1. Regular Regular Carriers.................................................................. 22

2. Part-time Flexible Rural Carriers....................................................... 22

3. Substitutes, Rural Carrier Associates and Rural Carrier Reliefs.... 23

C. Relative Seniority Upon Reassignment................................................ 23

3.

Rural Carrier Posting...................................................................................... 24

A. Posting Requirements............................................................................. 24

B. Local Posting and Bidding of Regular Rural Routes............................ 25

C. Awarding a Vacant Route..................................................................... 25

D. District Posting and Awarding............................................................... 26

E. Other Requirements to Fill a Vacant Regular Route........................... 27

4.

Rural Carrier Temporary Reassignments...................................................... 27

5.

Rural Carrier Reassignments....................................................................... 28

A. General Reassignments......................................................................... 28

B. Route Consolidations............................................................................. 29

C. Retreat Rights.......................................................................................... 29

D. Reverting to a Part-time Flexible Rural Carrier

In Lieu of Reassignment......................................................................... 29

13. ASSIGNMENT OF ILL OR INJURED EMPLOYEES................................ 30

1.

Assistance for Employees........................................................................... 30

2.

Federal Employees' Compensation Act...................................................... 30

3.

No Light Duty Assignments......................................................................... 30

14. SAFETY AND HEALTH............................................................................. 30

1.

Responsibilities............................................................................................ 30

2.

Cooperation..................................................................................................... 30

A. Safety Administration.............................................................................. 30

B. Health Services................................................................................... 30

C. Occupational Safety and Health Act................................................... 30

3. Local Safety Meeting................................................................................... 30

15. GRIEVANCE AND ARBITRATION PROCEDURE.................................... 31

1. General Policy.................................................................................................. 31

2. Definition...................................................................................................... 31

3. Procedure..................................................................................................... 31

4. Grievance Procedure ? General.................................................................... 33

A. Observance of Principles and Procedures........................................... 33

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