CIM v6 2024

Source Document

NPMHU Contract Interpretation Manual version 6 April 9, 2024

NPMHU CIM v6

Introduction

This Contract Interpretation Manual (CIM), jointly prepared by the National Postal Mail Handlers Union and the United States Postal Service, represents a good faith effort to identify contractual issues on which the National parties are in agreement regarding interpretation and application of the parties’ 2022 National Agreement. The CIM is referenced in the National Agreement between the parties at Article 15, Section .3E, which is reprinted below. (Note that actual language from the National Agreement, Memoranda of Understanding and Letters of Intent is shaded in gray throughout the CIM.)

The parties have agreed to jointly develop and implement a Contract Interpretation Manual (CIM) within six (6) months after the effective date of the 1998 National Agreement. The CIM will set forth the parties' mutual understanding regarding the proper interpretation and/or application of the provisions of this Agreement. It is not intended to add to, modify, or replace, in any respect, the language in the current Agreement; nor is it intended to modify in any way the rights, responsibilities, or benefits of the parties under the Agreement. However, production of the CIM demonstrates the mutual intent of the parties at the National level to encourage their representatives at all levels to reach resolution regarding issues about which the parties are in agreement and to encourage consistency in the application of the terms of the Agreement. For these reasons, the positions of the parties as set forth in the CIM shall be binding on the representatives of both parties in the resolution of disputes at the Local and Regional levels, and in the processing of grievances through Steps 1, 2 and 3 of the grievance-arbitration procedure. In addition, the positions of the parties as set forth in the CIM are binding on the arbitrator, in accordance with the provisions of Article 15.4A6, in any Regional level arbitration case in which the CIM is introduced. The CIM will be updated periodically to reflect any modifications to the parties' positions which may result from National level arbitration awards, Step 4 decisions, or other sources. The parties' representatives are encouraged to utilize the most recent version of the CIM at all times.

The parties agree that the CIM will be made available to their representatives who are responsible for handling disputes at the Local and Area/Regional levels and for processing grievances at Steps 1, 2 and 3 of the grievance-arbitration procedure in an effort to reach resolution regarding issues about which the parties are in agreement and to assure consistency and compliance with the terms of the National Agreement. The parties’ agreement in this regard is designed to facilitate the resolution of grievances and to reduce grievance backlogs. Contract interpretations set forth in the CIM may be cited and, if cited, shall be applied to all pending and future cases at Steps 1, 2 and 3 of the grievance procedure, and in Regional arbitration; this includes cases initiated prior to the issuance of the CIM to the extent that the specific contractual or handbook/manual language interpreted in the CIM was in effect at the time the case was initiated and has not subsequently been changed.

Preface

The interpretations contained in the CIM should be self-explanatory. As specified in Article 15, Section .3E of the National Agreement, the CIM is not intended to “add to, modify, or replace, in any respect” the language in the National Agreement. Additionally, the CIM is not intended to “modify in any way the rights, responsibilities, or benefits or the parties under the Agreement.”

The positions of the parties contained in the CIM are binding on their representatives in the resolution of disputes at the Local and Area/Regional levels and in the processing of grievances at Steps 1, 2 and 3. The positions of the parties contained in the CIM are binding on the arbitrator in any Regional level arbitration case, regular or expedited, in which the CIM is introduced. If introduced in Regional level arbitration, the CIM will speak for itself and the parties’ advocates will not seek testimony on the content of the document from the National parties.

The parties at the National level have committed to update the CIM periodically to reflect any modifications to their positions which may result from national arbitration awards, pre-arbitration settlements, Step 4 decisions, or other agreed upon sources. The parties at the Local and Area/Regional levels should assure that they are working with the most recent version of the CIM at all times and that they apply any revisions or modifications prospectively from the date of revision.

Preamble

This Agreement (referred to as the 2022 “Mail Handlers National Agreement”) is entered into by and between the United States Postal Service (the “Employer”) and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, a Division of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, AFL-CIO (the “Union”).

The 2022 Mail Handlers National Agreement became effective, except as set forth in particular contract provisions or as noted in the CIM explanation of Article 39.2, on April 8, 2023.

Article 1 Union Recognition

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§ 1.1 Recognition

The Employer recognizes the Union designated below as the exclusive bargaining representative of all employees in the bargaining unit for which the Union has been recognized and certified at the national level: National Postal Mail Handlers Union, A Division of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, AFL-CIO.

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The NPMHU is the exclusive bargaining agent representing mail handlers and mail handler assistants employed by the U.S. Postal Service. It has been so recognized in accordance with the terms of the Postal Reorganization Act (PRA) of 1970, which transformed the federal government agency known as the “Post Office Department” into an independent establishment of the Government of the United States, the “United States Postal Service.” The PRA also granted bargaining-unit employees the right to bargain collectively with respect to “rates of pay, wages, hours of employment, or other conditions of employment.”

As the exclusive bargaining representative for all mail handlers, the NPMHU is the only organization that is entitled to represent mail handlers in their collective bargaining relationship with the Postal Service.

The other unions exclusively representing large, national groups of USPS craft employees are:

APWU or American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO: clerks, maintenance, motor vehicle, mail equipment shops and material distribution center employees;

NALC or National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO: city letter carriers; and

NRLCA or National Rural Letter Carriers Association: rural letter carriers.

The NPMHU and the unions representing other postal crafts all negotiated together and executed joint National Agreements with the U.S. Postal Service covering the periods 1971-73 and 1973-75. The NRLCA bargained separately for its 1975-78 Agreement and all agreements thereafter. The NPMHU remained in a jointly-bargained National Agreement with the APWU and NALC covering the periods 1975-78 and 1978-81. Beginning in 1981, and continuing to this day, the NPMHU has bargained separately for its own National Agreement. The APWU and NALC continued to bargain together as the Joint Bargaining Committee in 1981, 1984, 1987, and 1990, but have bargained separately since 1994. Presently, therefore, the four major postal unions have separate National Agreements with the Postal Service.

§ 1.2 Exclusions

The bargaining unit set forth in Section 1 above does not include, and this Agreement does not apply to:

1. Managerial and supervisory personnel;
2. Professional employees;
3. Employees engaged in personnel work in other than a purely nonconfidential clerical capacity;
4. Security guards as defined in Public Law 91-375, 1201(2)
5. All Postal Inspection Service employees;
6. Employees in the supplemental work force, as previously defined in ~ Article 7 of the 2016 National Agreement;
7. Rural Letter Carriers;
8. City Letter Carriers;
9. Maintenance employees;
10. Special Delivery Messengers;
11. Motor Vehicle employees;
12. Postal Clerks;
13. Mail Equipment Shop employees; or
14. Mail Transport Equipment Centers and Supply Center employees.

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This provision sets forth various postal employees who are excluded from or are not part of the bargaining unit represented by the NPMHU.

The supplemental work force, which was previously defined in Article 7 of the 2016 National Agreement as casual employees, are excluded from the bargaining unit. Additionally, managerial and supervisory personnel, employees exclusively represented by one of the other postal unions, and postal employees who work at the Mail Transport Equipment Centers are among those excluded from the bargaining unit.

Question: Are managers or supervisors members of the bargaining unit represented by the NPMHU?

Answer: No. However, mail handlers serving in a temporary supervisory position (204b) or in a supervisory training program are still considered to be craft employees and may continue to accrue seniority in the mail handler craft. The right of such employees and those detailed to EAS positions to bid on vacant duty assignments or to encumber their current duty assignment is governed by Article 12 (Section 12.3B12).

Question: Are postal employees still working at the Mail Transport Equipment Centers or Repair Centers (MTEC) represented by the NPMHU?

Answer: Yes. However, they are considered to be members of a separate bargaining unit, and therefore are not directly covered by the 2022 National Agreement between the NPMHU and the Postal Service. Rather, pursuant to the Memorandum of Understanding Mail Transport Equipment Centers/Repair Centers (MOU) that is contained in the 1998 National Agreement, the terms and conditions of employment for employees at the MTECs are governed by the Supplemental Agreement covering the MTECs (as specifically modified by the MOU) until all such postal facilities are closed and all employees are reassigned in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding regarding reassignment from MTEC facilities.

§ 1.3 Facility Exclusions

This Agreement does not apply to employees who work in other employer facilities which are not engaged in customer services and mail processing, previously understood and expressed by the parties to mean mail processing and delivery, including but not limited to Headquarters, Area Offices, Postal Data Centers, Postal Service Training and Development Institute, Oklahoma Postal Training Operations, Postal Academies, Postal Academy Training Institute, Stamped Envelope Agency, Supply Centers, Mail Equipment Shops, or Mail Transport Equipment Centers and Repair Centers.

§ 1.4 Definition

Subject to the foregoing sections, this Agreement shall be applicable to all employees in the regular work force of the U.S. Postal Service, as defined in Article 7, at all present and subsequently acquired installations, facilities, and operations of the Employer, wherever located.

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This section provides that, subject to the exclusions listed in Sections 1.2 and 1.3, all members of the regular workforce as defined in Article 7 (Section 7.1A), including all full-time regular employees, part-time regular employees, part-time flexible employees, and mail handler assistants (MHAs) are members of the bargaining unit represented by the NPMHU. This includes postal employees at all present and subsequently acquired installations, facilities and operations of the Postal Service, wherever located.

§ 1.5 New Positions

1. Each newly created position shall be assigned by the Employer to the national craft unit most appropriate for such position within thirty (30) days after its creation. Before such assignment of each new position the Employer shall consult with the Union for the purpose of assigning the new position to the national craft unit most appropriate for such position. The following criteria shall be used in making this determination:
   1. existing work assignment practices;
   2. manpower costs;
   3. avoidance of duplication of effort and "make work" assignments;
   4. effective utilization of manpower, including the Postal Service's need to assign employees across craft lines on a temporary basis;
   5. the integral nature of all duties which comprise a normal duty assignment;
   6. the contractual and legal obligations and requirements of the parties.
2. The Union shall be notified promptly by the Employer regarding assignments made under this provision. Should the Union dispute the assignment of the new position within thirty (30) days from the date the Union has received notification of the assignment of the position, the dispute shall be subject to the provisions of the grievance and arbitration procedure provided for herein.

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This section requires that before assigning a new position to the most appropriate national craft bargaining unit, the Postal Service shall consult with the NPMHU. Additionally, it contains standards that shall be used in assigning new positions to the appropriate unit and provides that the NPMHU will be promptly notified of the decision as to which bargaining unit a new position has been assigned. Any dispute regarding the assignment is grievable at the national level within 30 days from the date the union receives notification of the assignment.

In the Letter of Intent Re References to Union, Craft or Bargaining Unit, which is reprinted in the CIM after Article 39, the parties have agreed that the Postal Service will continue to inform the NPMHU of all new positions whether or not the positions are within the craft unit represented by the NPMHU.

§ 1.6 Performance of Bargaining Unit Work

1. Supervisors are prohibited from performing bargaining unit work at post offices with 100 or more bargaining unit employees, except:
   1. in an "emergency" which is defined to mean an unforeseen circumstance or a combination of circumstances which calls for immediate action in a situation which is not expected to be of a recurring nature;
   2. for the purpose of training or instruction of employees;
   3. to assure the proper operation of equipment;
   4. to protect the safety of employees; or
   5. to protect the property of the USPS.
2. In offices with less than 100 bargaining unit employees, supervisors are prohibited from performing bargaining unit work except as enumerated in Section 1.6A1 through 1.6A5 above or when the duties are included in the supervisor's position description.

(The preceding Article, Article 1, shall apply to Mail Handler Assistant employees.)

[See Memo, page 135]

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Section 1.6A prohibits supervisors in offices with 100 or more bargaining unit employees from performing mail handler bargaining unit work, except for the reasons specifically enumerated. Section 1.6B provides that in offices with fewer than 100 bargaining unit employees, supervisors are prohibited from performing bargaining unit work, except for the reasons specifically enumerated in Section 1.6A or when the duties are included in the supervisors’ position description.

Question: Can an employee on a 204-b assignment perform bargaining unit work?

Answer: No. An employee serving as a temporary supervisor (204b) is prohibited from performing bargaining unit work except to the extent otherwise provided in Section 1.6 and in the Memorandum of Understanding Re: Overtime/Acting Supervisor (204B) Detailed EAS Position discussed under Article 8.

Question: What is the definition of “post office” for purposes of Article 1, Section 1.6?

Answer: The provisions of Section 1.6A as they relate to the proper definition of “post office” were arbitrated at the national level in case number AB-NAT-1009. In his award, Arbitrator Gamser rejected the Postal Service’s position that there are stations and branches which act or function just like post offices. Arbitrator Gamser’s award sustaining the grievance quoted a postal witness in a NLRB proceeding as follows:

“Post Office or postal installation is a mail processing and delivery activity under the head of a single manager. That could range from a single small Post Office to a large Post Office with several associated stations and branches which are responsible to the single manager or could include a large Post Office with many stations and branches, even over 100 stations and branches including related activities such as vehicles and motor facility or an air mail facility, all of which are part of that single postal installation.”

Further, Arbitrator Gamser accepted the definition of an installation as defined in Article 38 of the 1973 National Agreement.

“...Installation. A main post office, airport mail facility, terminal or any similar organizational unit under the direction of one postal official, together with stations, branches and other subordinate units.” (Emphasis supplied)

Source: National Arbitration Award AB-NAT-1009, Arbitrator H. Gamser, dated June 8, 1974.

Question: How is it determined whether an office has 100 or more bargaining unit employees?

Answer: At the beginning of each Agreement period, a count is made of all employees represented by the APWU, NALC and NPMHU to determine which offices have 100 or more employees. The resultant list – which adds together employees in all three of these bargaining units – is effective for the life of the Agreement and does not change during the Agreement.

Question: How is “emergency” defined for purposes of this Section?

Answer: The definition of emergency found in Article 3 (Section 3.6) is used in this Section: “an unforeseen circumstance of a combination of circumstances which calls for immediate action in a situation which is not expected to be of a recurring nature.” Normally, an increase in mail volume is not, in and of itself, an emergency situation.

MOU Supervisors Performing Bargaining Unit Work

It is agreed between the U.S. Postal Service and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, a Division of LIUNA, AFL-CIO, that where additional work hours would have been assigned to employees but for a violation of Article 1, Section 1.6.A of the 2022 National Agreement and where such work hours are not de minimis, the employee(s) whom management would have assigned the work shall be paid for the time involved at the applicable rate.

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Question: What is the remedy when a supervisor performs bargaining unit work in violation of Section 1.6A?

Answer: Except where the time involved is de minimis, the employee(s) who would have been assigned the bargaining unit work will be paid at the applicable rate for the additional work hours that would have been assigned to the bargaining unit employee(s) but for the violation.

Question: Does a union representative have a basis for filing a grievance when he/she believes that a supervisor is performing bargaining unit work in violation of Section 1.6, where the work in question is properly assigned to another craft?

Answer: In keeping with the exclusions outlined in Section 1.2, in those circumstances in which there is no dispute that the work in question is properly assigned to another craft (e.g., the work is properly assigned to the clerk craft under the provisions of RI 399), the union representative would have no basis to file a grievance over the supervisor’s performance of that work.

Article 2 Non-Discrimination and Civil Rights

§ 2.1 Statement of Principles

The Employer and the Union agree that there shall be no discrimination by the Employer or the Union against employees because of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, or marital status. In addition, consistent with the other provisions of this Agreement, there shall be no unlawful discrimination against employees or individuals with disabilities, as prohibited by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974.

[See Memos, pages 135 - 140]

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This article gives mail handlers the contractual right to object to and remedy alleged discrimination through the filing of a grievance.

In addition, in accordance with federal law and regulations, employees and applicants for employment with the Postal Service have legal recourse to remedy alleged work place discrimination. A mail handler can begin this process by contacting an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Counselor. The matter then can be pursued by filing a formal complaint, having a hearing, appealing to the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and ultimately appealing to federal court.

Section 2.1 also provides mail handlers the contractual right to object to and remedy, through the grievance and arbitration procedure set forth in Article 15, alleged violations of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Act of 1974. The USPS guidelines concerning reasonable accommodation are contained in Handbook EL-307, Guidelines on Reasonable Accommodation.

Question: May the Postal Service be required to reasonably accommodate an employee due to religious reasons?

Answer: The Postal Service has agreed that accommodations should be attempted for those employees who, because of their religious beliefs, may be prohibited from working or required to attend religious services. Such accommodations must be consistent with the National Agreement. Management is not required to provide accommodations that create an undue hardship on the Postal Service.

Source: Postmaster General policy letter of November 25, 1981.

Body § 2.2 NA2022

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Body § 2.2 CIM6 2024

Body § 2.3 NA2022

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Body § 2.3 CIM6 2024

Body § 2.2 NA2022

Body § 2.3 NA2022

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Body § 2.2 & § 2.3 CIM6 2024

Body § 2.4 NA2022

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Body § 2.4 CIM6 2024

Body § 2.1.i NA2022

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Body § 2.1.i CIM6 2024

Body § 2.1.ii NA2022

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Body § 2.1.ii CIM6 2024

Body § 2.1.iii NA2022

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Body § 2.1.iii CIM6 2024 Article 3 Management Rights CIM v6 2024 Article 4 Technological and Mechanization Changes CIM v6 2024 Article 5 Prohibition of Unilateral Action CIM v6 2024 Article 6 Layoff and Reduction in Force CIM v6 2024 Article 7 Employee Classifications CIM v6 2024 Article 8 Hours of Work CIM v6 2024 Article 9 Salaries and Wages CIM v6 2024 Article 10 Leave CIM v6 2024 Article 11 Holidays CIM v6 2024 Article 12 Principles of Seniority Posting and Reassignments CIM v6 2021 Article 13 Assignment of Ill or Injured Regular Work Force Employees CIM v6 2021 Article 14 Safety and Health CIM v6 2024 Article 15 Grievance-Arbitration Procedure CIM v6 2024 Article 16 Discipline Procedure CIM v6 2024 Article 17 Representation CIM v6 2024 Article 18 No Strike CIM v6 2024 Article 19 Handbook and Manuals CIM v6 2024 Article 20 Parking CIM v6 2024 Article 21 Benefit Plans CIM v6 2024 Article 22 Bulletin Boards CIM v6 2024 Article 23 Rights of Union Officials to Enter Postal Installations CIM v6 2024 Article 24 Employees on Leave with Regard to Union Business CIM v6 2024 Article 25 Higher Level Assignments CIM v6 2024 Article 26 Uniform and Work Clothes CIM v6 2024 Article 27 Employee Claims CIM v6 2024 Article 28 Employer Claims CIM v6 2024 Article 29 Limitation On Revocation of OF-346 CIM v6 2024 Article 30 Local Implementation CIM v6 2024 Article 31 Union-Management Cooperation CIM v6 2024 Article 32 Subcontracting CIM v6 2024 Article 33 Promotions CIM v6 2024 Article 34 Work and/or Time Standards CIM v6 2024 Article 35 Alcohol And Drug Recovery Programs CIM v6 2024 Article 36 Credit Unions and Travel CIM v6 2024 Article 37 Special Provisions CIM v6 2024 Article 38 Labor-Management Committee CIM v6 2024 Article 39 Separability and Duration CIM v6 2024