I keep hearing from RCAs that say they are being told by their Postmaster/Supervisor that all RCAs get paid hourly instead of evaluated during the Christmas period.
This is NOT correct.
Only RCAs that are designation 79 will get paid hourly during the Christmas period.
Most rural carriers hired after 1987 are Designation 78 unless they were officially appointed via Form 50 to either designation 74 or 79
Rural Carrier Associates (RCAs)—(Designation Code 79) – Rural carrier associates appointed via Form 50 after being assigned to the auxiliary route for more than 90 calendar days.
Rural Carrier Associates (RCAs)—(Designation Code 78) – Rural carrier associates are those employees hired from a register or reassigned from rural carrier relief (RCR- old designation) or auxiliary carrier (old designation) positions, on or after April 11, 1987, without time limitation.
Rural Carrier Associates (RCAs)—(Designation Code 74) – Rural carrier associates appointed via Form 50 to serve full time on a vacant route or in the absence of the regular carrier for more than 90 calendar days.
See more about RCA/relief carrier designations here
So you want to know where that is in writing? It is in writing in the Postal Service’s own Postal Bulletin – Christmas Pay Procedures for Rural Carriers
What is FLSA overtime?
The federal overtime provisions are contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Unless exempt, employees covered by the Act must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek at a rate not less than time and one-half their regular rates of pay. There is no limit in the Act on the number of hours employees aged 16 and older may work in any workweek. The Act does not require overtime pay for work on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest, unless overtime is worked on such days.
The Act applies on a workweek basis. An employee’s workweek is a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours — seven consecutive 24-hour periods. It need not coincide with the calendar week, but may begin on any day and at any hour of the day. Different workweeks may be established for different employees or groups of employees. Averaging of hours over two or more weeks is not permitted. Normally, overtime pay earned in a particular workweek must be paid on the regular pay day for the pay period in which the wages were earned. Read more
As I said, most of today’s rural relief carriers are Designation 78 unless they were officially appointed via Form 50 to either designation 74 or 79.
So basically, for the majority of RCAs, nothing changes for you. RCAs always earn overtime if they go over 40 hours. The same rules apply during the Christmas period.
Please contact your steward for verification.
