LOCAL MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

COVERING EMPLOYEES IN TULSA MAIL PROCESSING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE

BETWEEN THE

TULSA AREA LOCAL OF THE

AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION

AND THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

NOVEMBER 21, 2000 - NOVEMBER 20, 2003

Item 1. Additional or longer wash-up periods.

The employer shall allow necessary wash-up time to all bargaining unit employees for work performed as defined in the National Agreement.

Item 2. The establishment of a regular workweek with either fixed or

rotating days off.

APWU Bargaining Unit positions, except MVS Drivers, shall have fixed days off, unless mutually agreed to between the APWU Local President and the installation head. (Plant Manager or Postmaster)

Item 3. The guidelines for the curtailment or termination of postal

operations to conform to orders of local authorities or as

local conditions warrant because of emergency conditions.

The basic responsibility of a post office in a community undergoing civil strife or suffering from natural disaster is to receive, dispatch, and deliver mail, and to perform other normal duties to the maximum extent possible. The paramount factor in making any decision about providing or continuing mail service is the safety of personnel involved. Curfews imposed by local authorities will be considered in scheduling deliveries, collections, or other street services. Curfews will also be considered in reporting and leaving times of employees and in the opening and closing of installations within the area of the curfew. The Postmaster will cooperate to maintain communications between the individual and the community during times of natural disasters, such as floods, tornadoes, and earthquakes.

The matter of an employee's inability to report to work as scheduled will be considered on an individual basis. The employer or his designee will be available for consultation with the union president on provisions of resumption or continuation of service.

Responsible postal officials will determine the utilization of the scheduled work force by the severity of the specific needs of the service with specific emphasis on the preservation of the health and welfare of the employees at the local installation.

When an alleged explosive device has been discovered or an actual explosion has occurred, the facility shall be completely evacuated until all safety measures have been taken and the area declared safe by the proper authorities.

Responsible postal officials shall not only consider temperature, but also humidity, air movement, and other factors that can affect the climate of the working environment.

Postal officials shall make the safety of the employees their prime concern taking appropriate action to protect employees such as, but not limited to, rest breaks to warm up or cool down, reassignment to warmer or cooler work areas.

Under such conditions, when the temperature reaches above 90 degrees or below 60 degrees for a full shift, maximum consideration will be given to leave requests for employees who complain of health problems due to working conditions.

Item 4. The formulation of local leave program.

Unit managers shall accomplish annual leave bidding by presenting leave period sheets to the senior unit employees for the first bid and then to the next senior employee in turn. Each employee shall have a reasonable period of time to make their selection of the periods they desire.

A. An employee, who is called for jury duty or temporary military duty during his (her) scheduled choice vacation period, becomes eligible for another period in lieu thereof, provided it does not deprive another employee of his/her bid.

B. An employee, who has returned to the rolls from extended military duty, shall be allowed to bid for a choice period vacation time.

C. The first choice bidding period shall be from November 1 to December 1. Bidding for the remainder of the choice period shall be from December 2 to December 15 and the schedule shall be posted by December 31^st.

D. The number of employees allowed off during the leave years shall be determined immediately prior to the bidding for leave.

E. Units for bidding for the clerk craft shall be:

1. Manual, unschemed clerks by tour.

2. Secondary manual clerks by tour and zone

3. Main Office Window Service

4. SSPS Technicians

5. Automation by tour

6. SPBS by tour

7. Computerized Forwarding System (CFS)

8. Each Carrier Station

A. Turley will bid with Northside Station

B. Southside Station will bid in 3 sections (window clerks, Zone 5 clerks, Zone 36 clerks) with management to determine the bidding section for clerks with overlapping assignments, after consultation with the union.

C. Northeast Station will bid in 3 sections (window clerks, Zone 12 clerks, Zone 15 clerks) with management to determine the bidding section for clerks with overlapping assignments, after consultation with the union.

D. Chimney Hills will bid in two sections (distribution clerks and window clerks when established).

9. TACS Office.

10. Human Resources

11. Air Mail Facility, by tour

12. Bulk Mail Entry Unit

13. Window Service Pool Relief

14. General Clerks by primary assignment

15. Main Office Box Section by tour

16. Unassigned regulars, PTR’s, OWCP (to include Rehab & limited duty

of 60 days or more) and PTF’s will bid with the Unit they are assigned

by seniority to (i.e., tour, scheme, FSM, Manual, Window, ect.)

F. Units for bidding in Maintenance (*See Item 22.D.2), and Motor Vehicle.

1. Maintenance Craft: By tour and level, and occupational group.

a. Maintenance bid relief positions with positions relieved.

2. Motor Vehicle Craft:

a. Motor Vehicle Operators

b. Motor Vehicle Facility employees by tour and job classification

G. Those employees who do not bid a period during the choice period bidding shall forfeit all right to a choice vacation period.

H. In the event the employer finds it necessary to cancel annual leave awarded on other than the choice bidding cycle, such cancellation shall be made in reverse order of seniority by duty assignment.

I. In order to prevent circumvention of seniority and bidding for leave, trades are not permitted except by mutual agreement between the Postmaster of his designee, and the Union.

J. In the event an employee has exhausted his/her annual leave balance before the beginning of a vacation period, he/she shall lose entitlement to the bid period. If the annual leave is exhausted due to emergencies, the entitlement is not lost and the employee may request leave without pay.

K. Employees shall be allowed to apply for annual leave or extended tours of duty to attend local union functions. Such request will not be unreasonably denied.

L. When practical, an employee shall be granted three (3) days annual leave in connection with a death in the immediate family. Immediate family shall be identified as mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law, or children. If the employee has no annual leave balance, leave without pay shall be granted.

M. Bids submitted for choice periods shall not include employees on extended sick leave or injury compensation.

N. Periods vacated during the choice period shall be available to the senior employee subject to the following conditions:

1. If an employee has used all time provided by Article 10, Section 1, J, he/she shall not be entitled to an additional period;

2. If an employee is a successful bidder on a period and has a later period during the preferential period, he/she must surrender the later period.

O. Transfer from one unit to another in the same installation in the same craft shall not change a vacation period.

P. At least one employee in each unit will be granted annual leave during the choice periods where 8 or less employees are permanently assigned.

Item 5. The duration of the choice vacation period(s).

A. The choice period for the clerk and motor vehicle crafts shall comprise the first week of the leave year through the last full week in November. There will be an additional period of December 25 through December 31 (to be considered a full bidding week.

B. No annual leave will be granted during the month of December through

December 25, 1999.

C. Maintenance choice vacation period will be the entire year.

Item 6. The determination of the beginning day of an employee's

vacation period.

A. All employees having split days off shall start vacation periods on the first workday following the first scheduled non-workday in a service week.

B. All employees having consecutive days off shall start vacation periods on the first day following their regularly scheduled non-workday in a service week.

Item 7. Whether employees at their option may request two selections

during the choice vacation period, in units of either five or ten

days.

Employees shall be granted annual leave during the choice period(s) as follows:

A. Those who earn 13 days annual leave per year shall be granted annual leave during the choice period in units of either two 5 working day or one 10 working day period(s).

B. Those who earn 20 or 26 days annual leave per year shall be granted annual leave during the choice vacation period in units of either one 5 and one 10 working day period, or one 15 day working period.

Item 8. Whether jury duty and attendance at national or state

conventions shall be charged to the choice vacation period.

Jury duty and attendance at national or state conventions shall not be charged to the choice vacation period.

Item 9. Determination of the maximum number of employees who shall

receive leave each week during the choice vacation period.

A maximum of 13% of the employees in a unit shall receive leave each week during the choice vacation period. At least one employee in each unit will be granted leave where eight or less employees are permanently assigned.

Item 10. Issuance of official notices to each employee of the vacation

schedule approved for such employee.

Posting of annual leave schedules shall be on the unit official bulletin board, and shall constitute official notice to employees.

Item 11. Determination of the date and means of notifying employees of

the beginning of the new leave year.

The dates of the leave year will be published in the Postal Bulletin/Messenger.

Item 12. The procedures for submission of applications for annual leave

during other than the choice vacation period.

A. Whenever less than eight hours of annual leave is requested and the Form 3971 is given to the immediate supervisor on the date the leave is requested, the supervisor shall give a decision within two hours.

B. Request for previously unscheduled annual leave of one full tour of duty shall be submitted on Form 3971 in duplicate, no earlier than thirty (30) days and no later than Tuesday prior to the service week in which the full tour of annual leave is desired. Such requests shall be granted, and the employee so notified, by receiving one copy of the approved 3971 no later than 72 hours after the Supervisor receives the 3971, or no later than the Wednesday prior to the service week in which the full tour annual leave is desired, whichever comes first, provided the absence does not exceed the percentage identified in Item #9 of this agreement. The parties agree that all absences defined as leave by Chapter 5 of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) including absences due to on the job injuries and OWCP in excess of 10 days, shall count toward the percentages identified in Item #9 for purposed of administration of this item. Requests shall be granted on first come, first serve basis provided the employee has sufficient annual leave to his/her credit to cover the absence.

C. Units for bidding for incidental leave are defined in Item 4 of this Agreement.

Item 13. The method of selecting employees to work on a holiday.

The method of selecting employees to work on a holiday shall be as follows: (*Maintenance Craft see Item 22.D.2)

A. Casuals

B. Part-time flexibles

C. Volunteers (full-time) whose holiday or designated holiday it is, by seniority

D. Volunteers (full-time) on their non-scheduled workday, by seniority

E. Non-volunteers (full-time) on their holiday or designated holiday, by juniority

Item 14. Whether “overtime desired” lists in Article 8 shall be by section

and/or tour. (*Maintenance Craft see Item 22.D.2).

A. Overtime desired lists for all APWU bargaining unit employees shall be posted by craft, section, and tour.

1. Craft shall be defined as clerk craft, maintenance craft, motor vehicle craft.

2. The majority of work hours regularly scheduled during a particular work shift will indicate that employee's tour. Where the regularly scheduled work hours are equal, the employee will be assigned to the later tour.

B. At least one hour's notice shall be provided to full-time employees on duty when overtime is required. It is understood and agreed that circumstances will occur which necessarily cause exceptions.

C. In order to ensure a proper rotation of overtime work among qualified employees doing similar work in the work locations where the employees regularly work, the following definitions shall apply:

1. Similar work - distribution of outgoing mail or distribution of incoming mail and/or the use of a particular skill or scheme knowledge.

2. Work location - will indicate Tour 1, Tour 2, or Tour 3.

1. Where employees regularly work will indicate the mail processing and each station.

Item 15. The number of light duty assignments within each craft or

occupational group to be reserved for temporary or permanent

light duty assignment.

Unresolved

Item 16. The method to be used in reserving light duty assignments so

that no regularly assigned member of the regular work force

will be adversely affected.

Unresolved

Item 17. The identification of assignments that are to be considered

light duty within each craft represented to the office.

Light duty assignments for APWU bargaining unit employees shall consist of assignments that they are able to perform consistent with the nature of their illness or injury, or as specified in the physician's certification for need of light duty. Such assignments to take advantage of their skills to the greatest extent. The Union shall be notified on cross craft light duty assignments.

Item 18. The identification of assignments comprising a section, when it

is proposed to reassign within an installation employees

excessed to the needs of a section.

A. At least once semiannually, the Union and the Employer will review the retreat rights sections as defined. Any changes or additions shall be made by mutual agreement. These sections are to be used for the exercise of retreat rights as provided in Article 12 of the National Agreement for the purposes of excessing.

B. The reassignment of employees in the Maintenance Craft that are excess to the needs of a section shall be in accordance with Article 38, Section 3K of the National Agreement.

C. For the purpose of exercising retreat rights in the Maintenance Craft, the sections are defined as occupational groups and tour.

D. For the purpose of exercising retreat rights in the Motor Vehicle Craft the following sections are defined.

1. Vehicle Maintenance, by position, designation

2. Vehicle Operations by level

3. Motor Vehicle Office personnel.

Item 19. Parking

Parking at the Main Office will be governed by the undated agreement signed by former Postmaster DeGroot and the three Union Presidents. Parking assignments will be reposted once during the life of the contract with the consent of the three Union Presidents. After consulting with Union Presidents concerning parking at other facilities and determining how many parking spaces for private parking shall be assigned to APWU bargaining unit employees, such spaces must be assigned on a seniority basis.

Parking at the new mail processing facility (when opened) will be on a first come first serve basis in designated parking areas within the plant property and the DeGroot agreement will no longer apply.

Item 20. The determination as to whether annual leave to attend union

activities requested prior to determination of the choice

vacation schedule is to be part of the choice vacation plan.

Annual leave to attend union activities requested prior to determination of the choice vacation schedule is not to be part of the total choice vacation plan.

Item 21. Those other items which are subject to local negotiations as

provided in the craft provisions of this agreement.

A. Maintenance Craft.

The employer shall notify the union no less than 72 hours prior to an employee being reassigned into the maintenance craft.

B. Motor Vehicle Craft.

Motor Vehicle Craft routes will be posted in accordance with Article 39.2.A.6

Item 22: Local implementation of this agreement relating to seniority

assignments and posting.

The following practices shall remain in effect until computerized bidding procedures go into effect.

A. Posting.

(1) Employees may bid on more than one posted job having the same closing date. When multiple bids are submitted, the employee shall designate the preference of jobs, in writing, in numerical order. This shall be done by stating first choice, second choice, etc., on PS Form 1717.

(2) The employee may receive a receipt for a bid submitted on PS Form 1717 under the following conditions:

a. The receipt will be a duplicate bid card prepared by the employee.

b. The employee takes his bid to the personnel office and has the duplicate PS Form 1717 stamped "received".

(3) Employees desiring to withdraw a bid must do so in writing. Their request must be submitted to the personnel office prior to the closing date and/or time of the posting.

(4) The successful bidder shall be announced in the Messenger within 10

days of the closing date of the bid.

(5) The Union shall be notified when an employee has been announced as successful bidder five (5) times during the lifetime of the current national agreement.

(6) Jobs filled by assignment and vacated without a qualified incumbent shall continue to be filled by unassigned regulars until an assigned incumbent qualifies.

(7) If a posted job is withdrawn, the General President of the Union shall be in