Editing § 12.3.E4.iv NA2022 (section)

==== MOU RE: Excessing Issues ====
This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) represents the parties’
agreement with regard to mail handler employees who are being involun-
tarily reassigned into mail handler craft vacancies in other installations,
after being excessed from their present installation.
1. Mail Handlers will be placed into mail handler vacancies at
the gaining installation at the same, higher, or lower level for which
they are qualified.
2. Mail Handlers will be excessed from the losing installation by
inverse seniority in their craft by status (full-time employee, part-
time regular, part-time flexible), without concern to level.
3. If a veteran preference eligible is reached when assigning im-
pacted or unassigned employees to lower level duty assignments the
following will apply:
a. The most junior non-preference eligible same lev-
el mail handler in the gaining installation shall be reassigned
to the lower level vacancy.
b. The impacted preference eligible mail handler will
then be assigned to the duty assignment previously occupied
by that junior non-preference eligible mail handler.
c. Any employee reassigned to a lower level duty as-
signment shall receive saved grade and shall not be required to
bid to their former level for two years to retain the saved
grade.
d. The non-preference eligible mail handler moved to
the lower level duty assignment shall have retreat rights back
to the former duty assignment the first time it becomes vacant.
e. A veteran preference eligible mail handler for per-
sonal convenience may waive the right to appeal through the
grievance process, to the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, and/or to the Merit Systems Protection Board
and select a duty assignment at a lower level with saved grade
with the same saved grade in 3c above.
f. If no Level 5 vacancies exist, or if all Level 5 oc-
cupied positions at the gaining installation are occupied by
veteran preference eligible mail handlers, the withholding ra-
dius will be expanded to allow for placement unless the veter-
an preference eligible applies 3e above.
4. The Regional Director for the National Postal Mail Handlers Union
(NPMHU) will receive at least 30-days notice for excessing outside of the
installation that does not involve employee relocation. Such notice shall
include a list of potential vacancies for reassignments. The impacted em-
ployees will receive the same notice at least 30 days in advance.
5. The Regional Director for the NPMHU will receive at least 60-days
notice for excessing outside of the installation where employee relocation
benefits are applicable. Such notice shall include a list of potential vacan-
cies for reassignments. Impacted employees will receive the same notice
at least 60 days in advance.
6. Impacted mail handlers, and senior in lieu of volunteers, may be
placed as unassigned regular mail handlers in the gaining installation (A
Level 5 veteran preference employee who has been involuntarily excessed
will be subject to paragraph 3 above), provided that local management has
completed a bid management review with area concurrence and sufficient
vacancies will be available for placement of all such unassigned regular
employees (regardless of level) within three months of the date the em-
ployees were placed. These mail handlers must bid on all available va-
cancies in the gaining installation or be immediately placed into the first
available residual vacancy by management in accordance with the provi-
sions of Article 12 of the National Agreement, provided that Level 5 vet-
eran preference mail handlers who were involuntarily excessed will only
be placed into Level 5 residual vacancies or in accordance with para-
graph 3.
7. The Postal Service (USPS) has agreed to develop an enhancement to
eReassign to enable mail handlers from an impacted installation to receive
priority consideration for a voluntary transfer. Management will accept
the employee at the gaining installation without a review. However, regu-
lar transfer rules concerning other issues such as seniority, status, no relo-
cation benefits, and no retreat rights will continue pursuant to items F, G,
H, and I of the MOU, Re: Transfers.
8. Any disputes arising from the terms of this MOU, or other Article 12
local issues, will be resolved by the National NPMHU-USPS Article 12
Task Force. If the Article 12 Task Force cannot agree upon a resolution,
either party may declare an impasse. Each party will identify the issue in
dispute in writing within 30 days after the declared impasse on the
subject. The identified dispute will then be placed on the appropriate
arbitration docket.