Burrus Update
When President Bush signed an Executive Order granting non-essential federal employees a day off on Dec. 24, 2007, I requested that the Postal Service follow the same spirit of holiday cheer and grant postal employees the day off as well. Postmaster General Potter has informed me verbally — and information published in the USPS Newsbreak confirms — that the Postal Service will operate on a reduced schedule on Dec. 24 [PDF]; but postal employees who desire to be off will be required to use leave.
Employee schedules are governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and the 2006-2010 agreement, which was ratified by APWU members early in 2007, does not include provisions granting APWU-represented employees holidays simply because they have been granted to federal employees. Even though the postal holidays are also days that the federal government recognizes for federal employees, the source of holiday recognition for postal workers is the negotiated agreement.
The union will address this issue in future rounds of bargaining. Because the cost of closing the Postal Service for a day is estimated by management to be nearly $175 million, we can expect resistance during negotiations.
Although APWU-represented employees will not be able to enjoy Dec. 24 as a scheduled off-day unless they use leave, 2007 has been a productive year for us. Perhaps our most outstanding achievement was the elimination of Part-Time Flexible employees in 440 postal installations.
For many of the newly-converted employees, Christmas Day 2007 will be the first holiday of their careers for which they will be paid without working. Congratulations!!!
And to all APWU members and your families
The APWU family wishes you: Happy Holidays
William Burrus
President
we are federal employees when the government wants something but any other time we are postal
Again if the OIG can evaluate the USPS health benefits premiums and conclude the money is being wasted, then they should evaluate the cost of these extra holidays for other federal workers.
You knew what the job intailed befor you started, ya, 19 dollars an hour sucks, if you dont like it go to jack in the box for minimum wage!
At my PO only the PM gets the day off, the rest of us don’t need the time with our families. Working 6 days per week with no benefits is getting rather old. This job sucks!
This only applies to customer service according to management at phx gmf, they refused to allow any 030 workers off.
So i guess in a few years i will get a tentative agreement in which the union promises to give me the day before Christmas only to buckle again. Thanks but I’ll pass.
I guess that letter means that any kind of leave can be used a/l, or s/l, or lwop. That is good to know.
oops, I mean get rid of PTF”S in 400 installations
I’m a new TE. Why is it good news to get rid of 400 PTF’s? I was hoping one day I could move up to PTF from TE.