Article 32 Subcontracting

Article 32 Subcontracting

Section 32.1 General Principles

1. The Employer will give due consideration to public interest, cost, efficiency, availability of equipment, and qualification of employees when evaluating the need to subcontract.

CIM

This section sets forth the factors which the Postal Service must consider in evaluating the need to subcontract.

2. The Employer will give advance notification to the Union at the national level when subcontracting which will have a significant impact on bargaining unit work is being considered and will meet with the Union while developing the initial Comparative Analysis Report. The Employer will consider the Union's views on costs and other factors, together with proposals to avoid subcontracting and proposals to minimize the impact of any subcontracting. A statement of the Union's views and proposals will be included in the initial Comparative Analysis and in any Decision Analysis Report relating to the subcontracting under consideration. No final decision on whether or not such work will be contracted out will be made until the matter is discussed with the Union.

CIM

This section requires that the Postal Service give advance notice to the NPMHU at the national level when subcontracting is being considered which will have a “significant impact” on bargaining unit work and meet with the Union while developing the initial Comparative Analysis Report and consider the Union’s views on costs and other factors and its proposals on how to avoid subcontracting or to minimize its impact. A statement of the Union’s views and proposals will be included in that initial Comparative Analysis and any related Decision Analysis Report.

Section 32.2 Special Provisions

1. The Employer and the Union agree that at processing and distribution facilities or post offices where mail handler craft employees are assigned and on duty on the platform at the time a star route vehicle is being loaded or unloaded exclusively by a star route contract driver, a mail handler(s) will assist in loading and unloading the star route vehicle, unless such requirement delays the scheduled receipt and dispatch of mail or alters the routing or affects the safety requirements provided in the star route contract.
2. At offices where this Section is applicable, the schedules of mail handlers will not be changed nor will the number of mail handlers be augmented solely on the basis of this Section.

CIM

This section provides that, except in limited specified circumstances, mail handlers will assist the contract driver in loading and unloading a star route vehicle when mail handler craft employees are assigned and on duty on the platform when the star route vehicle is being loaded and/or unloaded by a contract driver.

Section 32.3 Committee

Subcontracting is a proper subject for discussion at Labor-Management Committee meetings at the national level provided in Article 38.

CIM

See also Article 38.

(The preceding Article, Article 32, shall apply to Mail Handler Assistant employees.)

[See Memo, page 201]