Section 12.6

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Section 12.6 Reassignments[edit]

  1. Basic Principles and Reassignments When it is proposed to:
    1. Discontinue an independent installation;
    2. Consolidate an independent installation (i.e., discontinue the independent identity of an installation by making it part of another and continuing independent installation);
    3. Transfer a classified station or classified branch to the juris- diction of another installation or make an independent installation;
    4. Reassign within an installation employees excess to the needs of a section of that installation;
    5. Reduce the number of regular work force employees of an installation other than by attrition;
    6. Centralize mail processing and/or delivery installations; or
    7. Reduce the number of part-time flexibles other than by attrition; such actions shall be subject to the following principles and requirements.
  2. Principles and Requirements
    1. Dislocation and inconvenience to full-time and part-time flexible employees shall be kept to the minimum consistent with the needs of the service.
    2. The Vice President, Area Operations shall give full consideration to withholding sufficient full-time and part-time flexible positions within the area for full-time and part-time flexible employees who may be involuntarily reassigned. When positions are withheld, the local union may request, on a quarterly basis, that local management review the continuing need for withholding such positions and management shall discuss with the union the results of such review. If and when local management learns that an installation is re- leased, in whole or in part, from withholding, it shall notify the Union.
    3. Except as otherwise provided by this agreement, no employee shall be allowed to displace, or "bump" another employee, properly holding a position or duty assignment.
    4. Under Section 12.6A4, governing reassignments within an installation of the employees excess to the needs of a section, the Union at the local level shall be notified in advance (as much as 30 days whenever possible).
    5. Full-time and part-time flexible employees involuntarily de- tailed or reassigned from one installation to another shall be given not less than 60 days advance notice, if possible, and shall receive moving, mileage, per diem and reimbursement for movement of household goods, as appropriate, if legally payable, will be governed by the applicable standardized Government travel regulations, currently set forth in Handbook F-15, Travel and Relocation.
    6. The Regional Director for the 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 employees will receive the same notice at least 30 days in advance. Where employee relocation benefits are applicable the Regional Director for the NPMHU will receive at least 60 days notice for excessing outside of the installation. Such notice shall include a list of potential vacancies for reassignments. Impacted employees will receive the same notice at least 60 days in advance.
    7. Any employee volunteering to accept reassignment to an- other craft or occupational group, another branch of the Postal Service, or another installation shall start a new period of seniority beginning with such assignment, except as pro- vided herein.
    8. Whenever changes in mail handling patterns are undertaken in a geographic area including one or more postal installations with resultant successive reassignments of Mail Handlers from those installations to one or more central installations, the reassignment of Mail Handlers shall be treated as details for the first 120 days for purposes of bidding only in order to prevent inequities in the seniority lists at the gaining installations. The 120 days is computed from the date of the first detail of a Mail Handler to the central, consolidated or new installation in that specific planning program. If a tie develops in establishing the merged seniority roster at the gaining installation, it shall be broken by total continuous service in the regular work force in the same craft.
    9. Whenever in this Agreement provision is made for reassignments, it is understood that any full-time or part-time flexible employees reassigned must meet the qualification requirements of the position to which reassigned.
    10. It is understood that any employee entitled hereunder to a specific placement may exercise entitlement only if no other employee has a superior claim hereunder to the same position.
      1. Surplus U.S. Postal Service employees from non- mail processing and non mail delivery installations, area offices, the U.S. Postal Service Headquarters or from other Federal departments or agencies shall be placed at the foot of the part-time flexible roll and begin a new period of seniority effective the date of reassignment.
      2. Former full-time post office Mail Handlers who were reassigned to mail bag repair centers and depositories on or before July 1, 1956, and who since such reassignment have been continuously employed in the same center or depository and subsequent to March 31, 1965:
        1. When such an employee is declared excess and is returned to the Mail Handler craft in the same installation from which the employee was reassigned, seniority shall be the same as for continuous service in the craft and installation.
        2. Should such an employee who is not excess volunteer to be returned to the installation in place of a junior excess employee, seniority in the Mail Handler craft and installation will be that of the junior excess employee.
        3. If such an employee voluntarily transfers to the employee's former installation he/she shall begin a new period of seniority.
  3. Special Provisions on Reassignments In addition to the general principles and requirements above specified, the following specific provisions are applicable:
    1. Discontinuance of an Independent Installation
      1. When an independent installation is discontinued, all full-time and part-time flexible employees shall, to the maximum extent possible, be involuntarily reassigned to continuing postal positions in accordance with the following:
      2. Involuntary reassignment of full-time employees with their seniority for duty assignments to vacancies in the same, higher, or lower level in the same craft or occupational group in installations within 50 miles of the discontinued installation, or if necessary within 100 miles of the discontinued installation, or in more distant installations, if after consultation with the Union, it is determined that it is necessary. The Postal Service will designate such installations for the reassignment of excess full-time employees. When two or more such vacancies are simultaneously available, first choice of duty assignment shall go to the senior employee entitled by displacement from a discontinued installation to such placement.
      3. Involuntary reassignment of full-time employees for whom consultation did not provide for placement under 12.6C1b above, in other crafts or occupational groups in which they meet minimum qualifications at the same or lower level.
      4. Involuntary reassignment of part-time flexible employees with seniority in any part-time flexible vacancy in the same craft or occupational group at any installation within 50 miles of the discontinued installation, or if necessary within 100 miles of the discontinued installation, or in more distant installations, if after consultation with the Union it is determined that it is necessary, the Postal Service will designate such installations for the reassignment of the part-time flexible employees.
      5. Involuntary reassignment of part-time flexible employees for whom consultation did not provide for placement under 12.6C1d, above in other crafts or occupational groups in which they meet minimum qualification at the same or lower level at the foot of existing part-time flexible roster at the receiving installation and begin a new period of seniority.
      6. Full-time employees for whom no full-time vacancies are available by the time the installation is discontinued shall be changed to part-time flexible employees in the same craft and placed as such, if such status is available in the installation, but shall for six months retain placement rights to full-time vacancies developing within that time within any installation within 50 miles of the discontinued installation, or if necessary within 100 miles of the discontinued installation, or in more distant installations, if after consultation with the Union it is necessary, U.S. Postal Service will designate such installations for the reassignment of excess full-time employees on the same basis as if they had remained full-time.
      7. Employees, full-time or part-time flexible, involuntarily reassigned as above provided shall upon the reestablishment of the discontinued installation be entitled to reassignment with full seniority to the first vacancy in the reestablished installation in the level, craft or occupational group from which reassigned.
    2. Consolidation of an Independent Installation
      1. When an independent postal installation is consolidated with another postal installation, each full-time or part- time flexible employee shall be involuntarily reassigned to the continuing installation without loss of seniority in the employee's craft or occupational group.
      2. Where reassignments under 12.6C2a preceding, result in an excess of employees in the continuing installation, identification and placement of excess employees shall be accomplished by the continuing installation in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement covering such situations.
      3. If the consolidated installation again becomes an independent installation, each full-time and part-time flexible employee whose reassignment was necessitated by the previous consolidation shall be entitled to the first vacancy in the reestablished installation in the level and craft or occupational group held at the time the installation was discontinued.
    3. Transfer of a Classified Station, Classified Branch or other Facility to the Jurisdiction of Another Installation or Made an Independent Installation
      1. When a classified station, classified branch or other facility is transferred to the jurisdiction of another installation or made an independent installation, all full-time employees shall at their option remain with the classified station, classified branch or other facility without loss of seniority, or remain with the installation from which the classified station, classified branch or other facility is being transferred.
      2. A realistic appraisal shall be made of the number of employees by crafts or occupations who will be needed in the station, branch or other facility after transfer, and potential vacancies within these requirements created by the unwillingness of employees to follow the station, branch or other facility to the new jurisdiction shall be posted for bid on an office-wide basis in the losing installation.
      3. If the postings provided in paragraph 12.6C3b preceding, do not result in sufficient employees to staff the transferred classified station, classified branch or other facility, junior employees, by craft or occupational group on an installation-wide seniority basis in the losing installation, shall be involuntarily reassigned to the classified station, classified branch or other facility and each employee thus involuntarily reassigned shall be entitled to the first vacancy in such employee's level and craft or occupational group in the installation from which transferred.
    4. Reassignment Within an Installation of Employees Excess to the Needs of a Section
      1. The identification of assignments comprising for this purpose a section shall be determined locally by local negotiations. If no sections are established by local negotiations, the entire installation shall comprise the section.
      2. Full-time employees, excess to the needs of a section, starting with that employee who is junior in the same craft or occupational group and in the same level as- signed in that section, shall be reassigned outside the section but within the same craft or occupational group. They shall retain their seniority and may bid on any existing vacancies for which they are eligible to bid. If they do not bid, they may be assigned any vacant duty assignment for which there was no senior bidder in the same craft and installation. Their preference is to be considered if more than one such assignment is available.
      3. Such reassigned full-time employee retains the right to retreat to the section from which withdrawn only upon the occurrence of the first residual vacancy in the salary level after employees in the section have completed bidding. Such bidding in the section is limited to employees in the same salary level as the vacancy. Failure to bid for the first available vacancy will end such re- treat right. The right to retreat to the section is optional with the employee who has retreat rights with respect to a vacancy in a lower salary level. Failure to exercise the option does not terminate the retreat rights in the salary level in which the employee was reassigned away from the section.
      4. When full-time duty assignment(s) in the same craft or occupational group and the same level in the section are to be abolished and the junior employee(s) from the Section are to be reassigned, the following shall apply:
        1. The appropriate duty assignment(s) shall be identified and abolished.
        2. The junior full-time employee(s) excess to the needs of the section shall be identified and reassigned.
        3. The duty assignment(s) encumbered by the employee(s) junior to the senior employee whose duty assignment is abolished will be offered, in seniority order, and in an expedited selection process, to the employee(s) remaining in the section beginning with the senior employee whose duty assignment was abolished. An employee(s) declining to make a selection when canvassed shall be assigned to the duty assignment(s) remaining in the section after the expedited selection process has been completed.
        4. The results of the above-listed actions shall be effective at the beginning of the succeeding pay period.
    5. Reduction in the Number of Employees in an Installation Other Than by Attrition
      1. Reassignments within installation. When for any rea- son an installation must reduce the number of employees more rapidly than is possible by normal attrition, that installation:
        1. Shall determine by craft and occupational group the number of excess employees;
        2. Shall, to the extent possible, minimize the impact on regular work force employees by separation all MHAs;
        3. Shall, to the extent possible, minimize the impact on full-time positions by reducing part-time flexible hours;
        4. Shall identify as excess the necessary number of junior full-time employees in the craft and occupational group affected on an installation-wide basis within the installation; make reassignments of excess full-time employees who meet the minimum qualifications for vacant assignments in other crafts in the same installation; involuntarily reassign them in the same or lower level. Before resorting to reassignment to other installations pursuant to C5b, any senior employee(s) identified as excess who meet(s) the minimum qualifications for vacant assignments in other crafts and who volunteer(s) to remain in the installation in other crafts shall be assigned in lieu of junior employees who are identified as excess.
        5. The employee shall be returned at the first opportunity to the craft from which reassigned.
        6. When returned, the employee retains seniority previously attained in the craft augmented by intervening employment in the other craft.
        7. Except as provided for in paragraph C5a4 above, the right of election by a senior employee provided in paragraph12.6C5b9, below is not available for this cross-craft reassignment within the installation.
      2. Reassignments to Other Installations After Making Reassignments Within the Installation:
        1. Involuntarily reassign such excess full-time employees starting with the junior with their seniority into mail handler vacancies in the gaining installation at the same, higher, or lower level for which they are qualified within 50 miles of the losing installation. Mail handlers will be excessed from the losing installation by inverse seniority in their craft by status (full-time regular, part-time regular, part-time flexible), with- out concern to level.
        2. Involuntarily reassign full-time employees for whom vacancies were not identified in C5b1 above in other crafts or occupational groups in which they meet minimum qualifications at the same or lower level within 50 miles of the losing installation.
        3. If sufficient vacancies cannot be identified within the 50 mile area, involuntarily reassign excess employees into mail handler vacancies in the gaining installation at the same, higher, or lower level for which they are qualified within 100 miles. Mail handlers will be excessed from the losing installation by inverse seniority in their craft by status (full-time regular, part-time regular, part-time flexible), without concern to level.
        4. If vacancies cannot be identified within the employees' own craft and occupational group, then vacancies will be identified in other crafts with in the 100 mile area. Involuntarily reassign ex- cess employees for whom vacancies were not identified in C5b3 above in other crafts or occu- pational groups in which they meet minimum qualifications at the same or lower level.
        5. If vacancies cannot be identified within the 100 mile area, and after consultation with the affected union it is determined that it is necessary, the Postal Service will designate more distant installations for the reassignment of excess full- time employees.
        6. If a veteran preference eligible is reached when assigning impacted or unassigned employees to lower level assignments, the following will apply:
          1. The most junior non-preference eligible same level mail handler in the gain- ing installation shall be reassigned to the lower level vacancy.
          2. The impacted preference eligible mail handler will then be assigned to the duty assignment previously occupied by that junior non-preference eligible mail handler.
          3. Any employee reassigned to a lower level duty assignment shall receive saved grade and shall not be required to bid to their former level for two years to retain the saved grade.
          4. 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.
          5. A veteran preference eligible mail handler for personal 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 C5b6c above.
          6. If no level 5 vacancies exist, or if all level 5 occupied positions at the gain- ing installation are occupied by veteran preference eligible mail handlers, the withholding radius will be expanded to allow for placement unless the veteran preference eligible applies C5b6e above.
        7. The Regional Director for the 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 employees will receive the same notice at least 30 days in advance. Where employee relocation benefits are applicable the Regional Director for the NPMHU will receive at least 60 days notice for excessing outside of the installation. Such notice shall include a list of potential vacancies for reassignments. Impacted employees will receive the same notice at least 60 days in advance.
        8. Impacted mail handlers, and senior in lieu of vol- unteers, may be placed as unassigned regular mail handlers in the gaining installation provided that sufficient vacancies will be available for placement of all such unassigned regular mail handlers (regardless of level) within six (6) months of the date that the employee was placed. These mail handlers must bid on all available va- cancies in the gaining installation or be immedi- ately placed into the first available residual va- cancy by management in accordance with the provisions of Article 12 of the National Agree- ment, provided that Level 5 veteran preference mail handlers who were involuntarily excessed will only be placed into Level 5 residual vacan- cies or in accordance with paragraph C5b6 above.
        9. Any senior employee in the same occupational group in the same installation may elect to be reassigned to the gaining installation and take the seniority of the senior full-time employee sub- ject to involuntary reassignment. Such senior employees who accept reassignment to the gain- ing installation do not have retreat rights.
        10. When two or more such vacancies are simulta- neously available, first choice of duty assign- ment shall go to the senior employee entitled by displacement from a discontinued installation to such placement.
        11. A full-time employee shall have the option of changing to part-time flexible in the same craft or occupational group in lieu of involuntary reassignment, if part-time flexible status exists in the losing installation.
        12. Employees involuntarily reassigned under 12.6C5b1 through 12.6C5b5 above, other than senior employees who elect to be reassigned in place of junior employees, shall be entitled to be returned to the first vacancy in any level, in the craft or occupational group in the installation from which reassigned, and such entitlement shall be honored until the employee withdraws or declines to accept an opportunity to return.
    6. Centralized Mail Processing and/or Delivery Installation
      1. When the operations at a centralized installation or other mail processing and/or delivery installation result in an excess of full-time Mail Handlers at another installation(s), full-time Mail Handlers who are excess in a losing installation(s) by reason of the change, shall have a choice to be:
        1. Involuntarily reassigned in other crafts or oc- cupational groups in which they meet mini- mum qualifications at the same or lower level if no vacancies are available in the same craft or occupational group within 50 miles of the losing installation; or,
        2. Involuntarily reassigned starting with the jun- ior with their seniority for duty assignments to vacancies in the same, higher, or lower level in the same craft or occupational group in instal- lations within 100 miles of the losing installa- tion, or in more distant installations if after consultation with the affected Union it is deter- mined that it is necessary, the Postal Service will designate such installations for the reas- signment of excess full-time employees.
        3. Reassignments of Mail Handlers and employ- ees from other crafts involuntarily reassigned into the Mail Handler craft shall be treated as details for the first 120 days, for bidding pur- poses only, to avoid inequities in the selection of preferred duty assignments by full-time Mail Handlers in the gaining installation.
      2. Previously established preferred duty assignments which become vacant before expiration of the detail period must be posted for bid and awarded to eligible full-time Mail Handlers then permanently assigned in the gaining installation. Excess part-time flexible Mail Handlers may be reassigned as provided for in Section 12.6C7.
      3. All new duty assignments created in the gaining installation and all other vacant duty assignments in the centralized installation shall be posted for bid. One hun- dred twenty (120) days is computed from the date of the first detail of an employee. Bidding shall be open to all full-time mail handlers of the craft involved at the gain- ing installation. This includes full-time Mail Handlers assigned to the gaining installation. Employees involuntarily reassigned under 12.6C6 shall be entitled to be returned to the first vacancy in any level, in the craft or occupational group in the installation from which reassigned, and such entitlement shall be honored until the employee withdraws or declines to accept an opportunity to return.
    7. Reassignment-Part-time Flexible Employees in Excess of the Needs of the Craft/Installation Where there are excess part-time flexible employees in the craft for whom work is not available, part-time flexibles low- est on the part-time flexible roll equal in number to such ex- cess may at their option be reassigned to the foot of the part- time flexible roll in the same or another craft in another in- stallation.
      1. An excess part-time flexible employee reassigned to another craft in the same or another installation shall be assigned to the foot of the part-time flexible roll and begin a new period of seniority.
      2. An excess part-time flexible employee reassigned to the same craft in another installation shall be assigned the seniority and relative standing the employee had in the losing installation.
      3. A senior part-time flexible in the same craft or occupational group in the same installation may elect to be re-assigned in another installation in the same or another craft and take the seniority, if any, of the senior excess part-time flexible being reassigned, as set forth in 12.6C7a and 12.6C7b above.
      4. The Postal Service will designate, after consultation with the Union, vacancies at installations in which ex- cess part-time flexibles may request to be reassigned beginning with vacancies in other crafts in the same installation; then vacancies in the same craft in other installations; and finally vacancies in other crafts in other installations making the designations to minimize relocation hardships to the extent practicable.
      5. Part-time flexibles reassigned to another craft in the same installation shall be returned to the first part-time flexible vacancy within the craft and level from which reassigned.
      6. Part-time flexibles reassigned to other installations have retreat rights to the next such vacancy according to their standing on the part-time flexible roll in the los- ing installation but such retreat right does not extend to part-time flexibles who elect to request reassignment in place of the junior part-time flexibles.
      7. Retreat rights shall be honored until the employee withdraws or an opportunity to return is declined, with full seniority or relative standing held in the installation from which reassigned plus credit for service for the time away from the installation.
  4. Part-Time Regular Employees Part-time regular employees assigned in the craft unit shall be considered to be in a separate category. All provisions of this Section apply to part-time regular employees within their own category.
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