CIM Section 8.5A

The first opportunity for all overtime goes to full-time regulars who have signed the Overtime Desired List (OTDL). Overtime is assigned to available, qualified employees on the OTDL prior to using part-time flexibles or casuals on overtime.

Only full-time regular employees may sign the OTDL. Part-time regular, part- time flexible, and MHAs are excluded from signing the OTDL. However, whenever an employee is converted to full-time, or transferred or reassigned into an installation or into the Mail Handler craft within an installation, or whenever a mail handler bids or is reassigned during a calendar quarter to a duty assignment in a different facility, in a different section, or on a different tour, that employee has a one-time opportunity to add his/her name to the OTDL for a period of fourteen (14) calendar days following the date on which he/she was converted, transferred, or reassigned. This rule applies whether or not the mail handler was on the OTDL for the losing facility, section, or tour.

Employees wishing to remain on the “Overtime Desired” list do not have to sign the list every quarter. Once an employee’s name is on the list, it remains on the list until the employee takes action, in writing, to remove it. If that request to remove his/her name is made during other than the two-week sign-up period, the procedures in the fourth Q & A hereunder continue to apply. If the employee thereafter decided to place his/her name back on the “Overtime Desired” list, he/she would need to sign the list during the two weeks prior to the start of a subsequent calendar quarter.

Question: Can employees place their names on the Overtime Desired List at any time besides the two weeks prior to the start of a calendar quarter?

Answer: Yes. Newly converted full-time employees and employees converted, transferred, or reassigned into an installation or into the Mail Handler craft within the installation, or a mail handler that bids or isreassigned during the calendar quarter to a duty assignment in a different facility, in a different section, or on a different tour, may place their names on the “Overtime Desired” list within two weeks (14 calendar days) following the date upon which they are converted, transferred, or reassigned to full time. It does not matter whether the mail handler was on the OTDL for the losing facility, section, or tour. Placement on the list shall be effective on the next calendar day.

Source: 2019 – 2022 National Agreement Questions and Answers, 5/22/2020.

Question: Is an employee who is on light or limited duty permitted to sign the OTDL?

Answer: Yes. The employee will be selected within the normal rotation so long as the work needed falls within his/her medical restrictions. For example, an employee with restrictions of “no lifting over five pounds” would normally not be eligible for overtime work on the outbound docks.

Source: Letter to All Affected Representatives, September, 1987, and Step 4 Grievance H4N-5B-C 9731, dated July 11, 1986.

Question: Is an employee who has been on military leave permitted to sign the OTDL after the start of the calendar quarter?

Answer: Yes. A mail handler on military leave at the time when full-time employees places their names on the OTDL may place his/her name on the OTDL upon return to work.

Source: Step 4 Grievance H4N-1K-C 41588, dated April 8, 1988.

Question: When a mail handler bids during a calendar quarter to a duty assignment on a different tour, may he/she sign the OTDL for the gaining tour?

Answer: Yes, if the mail handler was on the OTDL for the losing tour and the Local Memorandum of Understanding does not provide otherwise.

Source: Step 4 Grievances H1C-1E-C 41245/42949, dated August 7, 1985.

Question: Under what circumstances is a mail handler allowed to remove his/her name from the OTDL during the course of a calendar quarter?

Answer: The mail handler’s request to have his/her name removed from the OTDL should be honored provided that the request is made prior to the date on which the scheduling of overtime that the employee would otherwise be required to work occurs. Furthermore, that employee cannot subsequently place his/her name back on the OTDL for the remainder of that calendar quarter.

Source: Letters NPMHU to USPS, dated May 30, 1989, and USPS to NPMHU, dated June 20, 1989.

Question: May management unilaterally remove an employee’s name from the OTDL if the employee refuses to work overtime when requested?

Answer: No. However, employees on the OTDL are required to work overtime except as provided for in Section 8.5E.

Source: Pre-arbitration Settlement H4N-5K-C 4489, dated September 13, 1988.