ARTICLE 8 Hours of Work R2022

Article 8 Hours of Work

Section 8.1 Work Week

The work week for full-time employees [regulars] shall be forty (40) hours per week, eight (8) hours per day within ten (10) consecutive hours, provided, however, that in all offices with more than 100 full-time employees in the bargaining units the normal work week for full-time [regular] employees will be forty hours per week, eight hours per day within nine (9) consecutive hours. Shorter work weeks will, however, exist as needed for part-time regulars

Section 8.2 Work Schedules

In postal installations which have 200 or more work years of employment in the regular work force, career employees in mail processing shall have consecutive scheduled days off, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties at the local level.

Explanation:

This new provision ensures that, in larger facilities which have 200 or
more work years of employment, career employees in the mail handler craft have
consecutive scheduled days off unless the parties agree otherwise at the local level.
This will ensure that regular Mail Handlers in these larger facilities get back-to-back
days off as part of their regular schedule.

Section 8.3 Exceptions

Section 8.2C above shall not apply to part-time employees or MHAs.

Part-time employees will be scheduled in accordance with the above rules, except they may be scheduled for less than eight (8) hours per service day and less than forty (40) hours per normal work week.

All PTFs will be guaranteed a minimum of one (1) nonscheduled day each service week, except during the peak season exception period in their installation. Management will notify PTF employees of their assigned nonscheduled day by the Wednesday preceding the service week.

MHAs will be scheduled in accordance with Section 2, A and B of this Article. All MHAs will be offered a minimum of one (1) nonscheduled day each service week, except during the peak season exception period in their installation. Management will notify MHAs of their assigned nonscheduled day by the Wednesday preceding the service week.

Explanation:

These changes grant MHAs and PTFs at least one nonscheduled day off
each service week, except for the peak season exception period of four
pay periods. Management will provide notification of these days off no
later than the Wednesday before the service week in question.

Section 8.5 Overtime Assignments

When needed, overtime work shall be scheduled among qualified full-time [regular] employees doing similar work in the work location where the employees regularly work in accordance with the following:
* * *

D If the voluntary "Overtime Desired" list does not provide sufficient

available and qualified people, the Employer shall assign other employees

to the extent needed. When assigning such employees, the Employer

shall first utilize qualified and available full-time employees, in order of

seniority, who have volunteered to work the required overtime after their

scheduled tour for that day only or who have volunteered to work their

nonscheduled day(s). Employees shall volunteer for overtime

assignments after their scheduled tour for that day only by signing their

name and indicating their seniority date, within the first two (2) hours of

their scheduled tour of duty, on a daily "Full-Time Volunteer" list

maintained in each work section on the workroom floor. The daily "Full-

Time Volunteer" list shall be applied in a manner consistent with the

application of the "Overtime Desired" list within the installation.

Employees shall volunteer for overtime assignments on their

nonscheduled days by signing their name and indicating their

nonscheduled days and their seniority date on a Full-Time Volunteer list

that is posted in each work section at the beginning of the service week

(i.e., on Saturday) and must be signed by Tuesday of the service week

prior to that being volunteered for. Such full-time employee volunteers

shall work the required overtime, as directed by management. The

Employer shall have the discretion to limit these volunteer employees

from working beyond ten (10) hours in a day. There shall not be any

penalty for errors by the Employer in applying either of these "Full-Time

Volunteer" lists.

If additional employees are still needed after application of the above, the

Employer shall assign other employees as needed. To the extent

practicable, an effort will be made to schedule available (on duty at the

time that the selection of employees for overtime is made) and qualified

Mail Handler Assistants and/or part-time flexible employees for such

work prior to requiring full-time employees not on the "Overtime Desired"

list or "Full-Time Volunteer" lists to work such overtime. If qualified full-

time [regular] employees not on the "Overtime Desired" list or either of

the volunteer lists are required to work overtime, it shall be on a rotating

basis with the first opportunity assigned to the junior employee.

Explanation:

The elimination of “regulars” in the introductory paragraph of this
provision and in the last paragraph will ensure that the rights of
“full-time regulars” to volunteer for overtime and their rights to be
last for mandated overtime are extended to the “full-time flexibles”
created by the new MHA auto conversion MOU.

ARTICLE 8.7 Night Shift Differential

Night shift differential rates will be increased by a fixed amount for RSC M and M7 Steps A through P:

• 1.0% increase effective (PP12-2023) May 20, 2023.
• 1.5% increase effective (PP12-2024) May 18, 2024.
• 2.0% increase effective (PP12-2025) May 17, 2025.

Night shift differential rates will be increased by a fixed amount for RSC M4 and RSC M7 Steps BB and AA:

• 2.0% increase effective (PP12-2023) May 20, 2023.
• 2.0% increase effective (PP12-2024) May 18, 2024.
• 2.0% increase effective (PP12-2025) May 17, 2025.

All increases will be applied to the most recent night shift differential table preceding the increase.

Section 8.8 Guarantees

An employee called in outside the employee's regular work schedule shall be guaranteed a minimum of four (4) consecutive hours of work or pay in lieu thereof where less than four (4) hours of work is available. Such guaranteed minimum shall not apply to an employee called in who continues working on into the employee's regularly scheduled shift. When a full-time [regular] employee is called in on the employee's non scheduled day, the employee will be guaranteed eight hours work or pay in lieu thereof. This guarantee will be waived if the employee, with the concurrence of the Union and approval of Management, requests to be released early. The Employer will guarantee all employees at least four (4) hours work or pay on any day they are requested or scheduled to work in a post office or facility with 200 or more man years of employment per year. All employees at other post offices and facilities will be guaranteed two (2) hours work or pay when requested or scheduled to work.

Explanation:

The elimination of “regular” in this provision will ensure that the same
eight hours for a non-scheduled day granted to “full-time regulars” on
their non-scheduled day is extended to the “full-time flexibles” created
by the new MHA auto conversion MOU.

Memorandum of Understandings

ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE FOR BONE MARROW,
STEM CELL, BLOOD PLATELET, AND ORGAN DONATIONS

The parties agree the maximum administrative leave that can be granted per leave year to cover qualification and donation is limited to the following:

1. A full-time employee or part-time regular career employee is limited to:
1. for bone marrow, up to 56 hours;
2. for stem cells, up to 56 hours;
3. for blood platelets, up to 56 hours; and
4. for organs, up to 240 hours.
2. A part-time flexible [or part time regular career] employee or a Mail Handler Assistant employee may be granted leave up to the limits of seven (7) days for bone marrow, stem cells, or blood platelets, and up to the limit of thirty (30) days for organs. The amount of leave that may be granted will be based on the employee’s average daily work hours in the preceding 26 weeks, but not to exceed 8 hours per day.

(The preceding MOU, Administrative Leave For Bone Marrow, Stem Cell, Blood Platelet, and Organ Donations, shall apply to Mail Handler Assistant employees.)

Explanation:

The changes to this MOU make clear that that this special provision
applies not just to full-time regular employees, but also to the
“full-time flexible” positions created by the new MHA auto conversion MOU.

Re: PTF Annual Leave

The parties agree that forty (40) hours of annual leave will be advanced to part-time flexible (PTF) employees, prorated to the end of the leave year for their first leave year as a PTF, and annually thereafter, unless and until the employee converts to full-time status.

Explanation:

Under this new provision, all PTFs will be advanced 40 hours of annual
leave per year, prorated to the end of their first leave year following ratification

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

NPMHU represented employees may use a total of up to three workdays of annual leave, sick leave or leave without pay, to make arrangements necessitated by the death of a family member or attend the funeral of a family member. Authorization of leave beyond three workdays is subject to the conditions and requirements of Article 10 of the National Agreement, Subsection 510 of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual and the applicable local memorandum of understanding provisions. Definition of Family Member. "Family member" is defined as a:

1. Son or Daughter — a biological or adopted child, stepchild, daughter-in-law or son-in-law;
2. Spouse;
3. Parent — mother, father, mother-in-law, or father-in-law;
4. Sibling — brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law;
5. Grandchild; or
6. [(e)] Grandparent.

The in-laws referenced in this MOU applies to children, including adopted children, stepchildren, and spouses thereof; spouse and parents thereof; and brothers and sisters and spouses thereof.

Explanation:

This new provision on bereavement leave expands the coverage of this
MOU to include grandchildren. It also clearly defines the term “in-laws” in relation to
children (including step and adopted), spouses of your children (including step and
adopted), parents of your children’s spouse, and siblings of your spouse.