2006-2010 Contract Revisions REVISIONS TO THE USPS/NRLCA NATIONAL AGREEMENT Article 7.D Temporary Relief Carriers Allows hiring TRC employees in any office provided the Area’s TRC complement does not exceed 15% of its total regular rural routes. The previous calculation involving the number of bargaining unit leave replacements compared to regular routes in each district and the 80% limitation no longer applies. Article 8.5 Relief Day Worked Allows all regular rural carriers regardless of route classification, to sign the Relief Day Work List twice a year. There is a two week period prior to the beginning of the guarantee period and again two weeks prior to the beginning of the first full pay period in May. Each list supersedes the previous list. Article 9.1.A Basic Annual Salary Salary increases as follows: November 25, 2006 – 1.2% November 24, 200 7 – 1.5% November 22, 2008 – 1.5% November 21, 2009 – 1.5% Article 9.1.B One-Time Cash Payment Regular rural carriers will receive a cash payment of $686. PTF rural carriers will receive a cash payment prorated based on the number or hours worked. Article 9.1.F Cost-of-Living Adjustment COLA adjustments will continue every 6 months compared to the May 2007 CPI. An amount equal to the COLA will be rolled into RCA/RCR hourly rates in February 2011. Article 9.2.C.3 Mail Counts There will be three national mail counts. All vacant routes, auxiliary routes and other routes opted in by the carrier or Employer will be counted on the following dates: 2008 – 12 day count (2/23 – 3/7) 2009 – 24 day count (2/14 – 3/14) 2010 – 12 day count (2/27 – 3/12) Article 9.2 .J EMA Quarterly adjustments based on CPI-W will continue. The EMA base rate will be increased and effective in the c a rriers’ pay checks as follows: 3 cents per mile – January 2008 2 cents per mile – October 2008 2.5 cents per mile – October 2009 Article 9.2.M Training Pay Newly appointed RCAs will be paid the higher of the actual hours worked per week or the evaluation of the route(s) for the week (up to 40 hours) for the first 5 pay periods of employment. An RCA utilized on a route he/she has not served in the past 12 months will be paid the greater of the actual hours worked or the evaluation of the route (up to 40 hours). Article 9.2.N Training Presentations Form 8127, Rural Carrier Supplemental Payment, will be paid at the carrier’s straight time rate. Article 12 Principles of Seniority, Posting, and Reassignment A new bidding procedure will be implemented. Initially, carriers w i ll bid by using PS Form 1717-A, Preferred Assignment Multiple Bid Card. When a vacant route is posted, a description of all re g ul ar routes in the office will be listed on the posting. Carriers wishing to bid will list, in order of preference, any route that will be accepted by the carrier should the route become available as a result of filling the vacant route. The bid card will be submitted and the carrier will not be able to decline any route they listed on the form after the posting period. The use of PS Form 1717-A is temporary until such time that the process of bidding for rural carrier vacancies in this manner can be automated (e.g., computer, telephone). At that time, rural carriers will be required to utilize the automated bidding procedures (similar provisions have been added to Article 30 for bidding on PTF rural carrier assignments). Another change to Article 12 concerns reassignments due to an excess number of rural carriers in an of fice. Changes in the reassignment provisions will allow carriers to bid in an expanded area to avoid involu nt ary reassignments. Added provisions also allow the Employer to reassign rural carriers temporarily when the situation that causes the excess number of rural carriers is not permanent. The offices where vacancies are withheld for excessing may be expanded to accommodate the number of impacted rural carriers. Another provision allows opportunities where a regular rural carrier may elect to revert to a PTF rural carrier in lieu of involuntary reassignment outside their office. Article 15 Grievance and Arbitration Procedure Increases the time limits for the Union to appeal an adverse Step 2 decision to Step 3 to 15 days. Provisions were also modified concerning area and national arbitration panel vacancies. Article 17 Representation Allows an area steward to be designated to handle a particular grievance in lieu of the l oca l steward. Representatives identified by the Union will be notified and provided ample opportunity to address new employees during orientation. Article 21 Health Benefits The Employer’s contribution to the cost of employee health insurance under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program is decreased as follows: 2009 plan year – 2% 2010 plan year – 1% 2011 plan year – 1% Article 25 Higher Level Assignments Eliminates the requirement to provide a copy of Form 1723, Notice of Assignment, to the state steward. Article 30.2.E Filling a Leave Replacement Vacancy When a vacancy occurs in the leave replacement ranks, the route may be added to a PTF rural carrier’s assignment instead of being offered to other leave replacements. Additionally, leave replacements must be offered a leave replacement vacancy that was previously not accepted by any leave replacements on the initial offer; when the regular carrier assigned to the route has been on extended absence for more than 30 day s.   Article 31 Union / Management Cooperation Changes have been made that provide data to the NRLCA on a routine basis. MOU #7 Bids by Rural Carriers Unable to Perform the Duties Rural carriers temporarily unable to perform the duties of a bid-for position, due to job-related or non-job-related restrictions, may have the assignment held in abeyance for up to six months, rather than one year, with supported medical documentation. MOU #8 Right-Hand Drive Vehicles Provides a lump sum payment of $1,000 to rural carriers who purchase new RHD vehicles for use on rural routes. It also provides $500 to rural carriers who purchase used RHD vehicles or convert their LHD vehicles to RHD for use on rural routes. The incentive applies to regular rural carriers and bargaining unit leave replacements. MOU #12 Court Leave for PTF Rural Carriers Provides court leave to eligible part-tim e flexible r ural carriers. MOU #13 Employer Provided Vehicles Provides 3,000 additional right-hand drive (RHD) vehicles on rural routes each year from 2009 through 2013, totaling an additional 15,000 RHD Employer provided vehicles on rural routes. MOU #20 Route Adjustment Process for DPS Flat Mail After a route begins to receive DPS flats and has passed any required qualifications, a mail count will be conducted in one of the three periods: National mail count period set forth in Article 9.2.C.3 (currently Feb – Mar) Special mail count period during the last 12 working days of September The 12 working days immediately after Mother’s Day MOU #21 Revenue Generation Engages rural carriers in revenue generating initiatives by submitting leads from business customers currently utilizing competitors, by increasing customer awareness of our products and services and by informing customers of the USP S webs ite usps.com in an attem pt to promote alternate access to Postal products and services. The weekly stamp stock standard credit will encompass any time associated with these activities. MOU Mail Count Task Force Establishes a committee of union and management representatives at the national level to consider methods of selecting a representative period to conduct national mail counts. MOU Leave Replacement Task Force Establishes a committee of union and management representatives at the national level to review training and retention issues for leave replacement employees. Handbook Changes PO-603 Modifies Handbook PO-603, Rural Carrier Duties and Responsibilities, to reflect a different credit for changes of address (COAs). Each 3982 label received during the mail count will be 15 seconds unless the carrier is required to perform any additional duties of completing Forms 3575, 3546 and/or writing addres s es on Form 3 982. In such instances, the credit for the 3982 label will be two minutes.