10/07/2015 – The APWU and USPS agreed to extend the 50-mile limit on excessing in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated Sept. 28, signed by APWU President Mark Dimondstein and the USPS Vice President for Labor Relations. The original MOU, Minimizing Excessing, which was slated to expire with the 2010 contract, is extended until May 20, 2018, or for the term of the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, whichever is later.
“Excessing beyond 50 miles is devastating to our members and their families,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “In the past, union members were frequently reassigned to facilities hundreds of miles from their homes. This MOU will prevent that. I consider it a significant accomplishment for APWU members in every craft.”
Two other related agreements resulted in the extension of the 50-mile limit.
A Step 4 settlement addresses instances where no residual vacancies are available for veterans’ preference-eligible employees in the Maintenance Craft, who cannot be excessed to a lower-level vacancy. In those circumstances, employees will have the option to waive the 50-mile limit or accept a lower-level vacancy while retaining their higher-level pay.
Maintenance Craft Director Steve Raymer said, “The agreements resulted in the entire APWU obtaining an important protection for our members – one we thought had been lost. Given our experience prior to 2010, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to include the entire Maintenance Craft in the 50-mile limit.
“Our settlement provides a complete choice for our Veteran Preference Eligibles, including retaining the rights they have earned in service to our country. Additionally, they also have the protections negotiated in our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Whichever is the best arrangement for them individually is theirs to choose.”
Holiday Exceptions, Including Retirees
The union and management also agreed to an exception to the limit on the number of non-career employees in retail assignments for three pay periods during the holiday season (Reporting Periods 3 and 4).
The Peak Season Exception Period MOU also says the parties will establish procedures for the temporary re-employment of retirees to provide supplemental support during the high-volume seasons in retail and mail processing.
The Holiday Clerk Assistants will be paid at the hourly rate for Level 6 Postal Support Employees (PSEs). The USPS must make every effort to ensure that Clerk Craft PTFs and PSEs are utilized at the straight-time rate prior to assigning such work to new assistants. The memo also protects employees on the Overtime Desired List.
For more information, visit www.apwu.org.
The headline should have read, “APWU, USPS Agree to UPHOLD 50-Mile Limit on Excessing.”
a 1% raise a year when true inflation is 6-7% is a recipe for disaster. add in the secret sauce of a fraudulent govt screwing with the inflation rate and your COLA is worthless. looks like another crummy settlement is in the pipeline with a democrat in the white house. I can see it now, next year diamondstein will tell us that if we do not vote for the demonrat our goose will be cooked. not going to happen as I am voting for Donald J Trump…………I really want to see what a guy who made over 9 billion can do. I am surprised he wants the job……….at 69 with 9 billion I would be riding the jetski on the aft deck of my yacht in the south of france.
The return of non-career, non-bargaining unit clerks. Casuals!
Meanwhile, several hundred mail handlers are shipped off to offices 50 to 100 miles and in some cases even further. But that’s OK, they have clerks to drive forklifts , jitneys, loaf and unload trucks as well !!
Exactly AND get the mail out ahead of time!!
where’s the union convention being held this year. let the good times roll and thank you for all that voted for me and don’t forget your copa contribution you can can have a payroll deduction taken out of the 1% raise we fought mgmt. tooth and nail for and don’t forget to join the apwu health plan the premiums are lower thanks to our hard fought battle with mgmt. hope to see you all in vegas for our convention, open bar for all craft directors. in solitary my brothers and sisters. gotta go meeting brennen for brunch.
Be grateful I did a great job in getting you that 3% raise and higher health care premiums for the life of the last contract!
ho hum….I would rather see a story that says apwu and usps announce contract settlement of 5% yearly raise over the life of 7 year contract. these 1% raises are a scam, with the gummint lying about the rate of true inflation the COLA adjustment is fradulent. we need a real raise. 56K in NYC is alpo time!
my thoughts exactly, same old bs, all this does is help mgmt. reduce the ones near retirement who won’t uproot their family so letter carrier craft here we come, then when they start cutting letter carriers guess who’s the first one out the door. new union same as the old union and i voted for this guy, thank you
You hit the nail on the head with your statement. The old exams separated the smart one from the dumb ones. The new exam is a disaster. I’m an old school ET. I passed the old exams and have been to many many schools in Norman. These new people being promoted don’t have a clue how to change a simple bearing or even know how to properly shut down a computer. Its sad to say the least.
maintenance screwed again watched people who could never pass the old test get promotions and good mpe’s with many schools excessed to letter carrier craft. i now work alongside people who try to pry boards out of machines with power on, can’t read a print, can’t pass a school then have to listen to mgmt. complain about down time. thank you union for fighting for the change in testing to help people who should not be near any powered equipment. how do i find my anniversary date to get out of the union.
I read it just like you.
I feel for you as I used to live in NY. That salary goes a long way here in AZ, but definitely not so much there. The contract settlement wont happen anytime soon since its in arbitration so hang in there.
TERRIBLE Title I thought this meant the limit was being extended BEYOND 50 miles. When in fact this is a good thing that the 50 mile rule will be continued for a longer period.
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Don’t trust anything postal management tells you.
Don’t trust anything government tells you.
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Is this an indication that Brennan is going to cancel the further unnecessary closures and consolidations in 2016? We shall see.