Open MRS Index

The NALC's Materials Reference System (MRS) is a prime resource for national business agents, regional administrative assistants, NALC branch officers and shop stewards in their duties of enforcing the collective bargaining agreement.

The September 2009 MRS Index and Summaries contains summaries of key contractual documents and direct links to M-number documents through M-01708.

NALC members may download the 2009 MRS Index by right-clicking the image at right and choosing Save. To get the 2006 MRS with all the original M-number documents together with the MRS Index, order the NALC Contract CD from the NALC supply department ($2 per disk).

To browse the MRS Index, click the image at right. To download it, right-click and choose Save Target or Save Link.

Latest key MRS documents

Here are summaries of MRS materials numbered higher than M-01563 — those published later than, and not included in, the 2006 Contract CD. These materials are in Adobe Acrobat format. Click a link to view the PDF document online, or right-click and choose Save Target or Save Link to download. More Information

• M-01782 – April 24, 2012 - Interpretive Step Grievance on Scanning Delivery Unit Saturation Mail Resolved. NALC and USPS have resolved a grievance at the Interpretive Step involving the scanning process used for Delivery Unit Saturation Mail. The settlement states that this scanning process is an internal measurement system used to verify the date a saturation mailing is scheduled for delivery. This settlement also makes clear that by scanning the mailing, the letter carrier is not verifying that he or she delivered the mailing. The scan only verifies that the mailing is scheduled to be delivered on that day.
  
• M-01778 – April 9, 2012 - Clarifies the intent of the previous DUO agreements as they pertain to the limited circumstance where letter carrier(s) have active retreat rights back to any installation involved in DUO. This MOU requires such retreat rights for letter carriers to be carried forward to the gaining installation.
• M-01777 – April 9, 2012 - Extends the terms of the previous MOU on ‘multiple days of inspection.’
• M-01775 – March 22, 2012 - Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement - Postmaster General Donahoe has expanded the USPS EEO Policy Statement by also prohibiting discrimination or harassment based on "past, present, or future military service."
• M-01773 – April 24, 2008 - Tools for Injury Reduction (‘Good Ideas’) - Consistent with its ongoing commitment to improve safety, the National Joint Labor-Management Safety Committee evaluated several tools designed to reduce injuries associated with lifting, loading, and handling mail. A description of the approved tools is attached.
• M-01772 –  February 21, 2012 - Re: Buras, LA 70041 - The USPS, NALC, and the NRLCA recognize that the devastation from Hurricane Katrina resulted in a significant reduction in delivery points and the reassignment of the city letter carrier to another installation. The parties agree that the remaining city delivery points in Buras, which number approximately 228 deliveries (and any former city delivery points that return), will be serviced temporarily by the rural letter carrier craft. This agreement is temporary and will expire in one year.
• M-01771 - December 14, 2011 - Postal Service directive "Repositioning of LLV Right Side Mirrors" (8/1/2009 edition) is cleared for obsoletion on 12/12/2011. VMO-O1-09 is not replaced by any official Postal Service directive.
• M-01769 - National level interpretive step settlement concerning management’s use of an “office efficiency tool” developed in the Greater Indiana District. A 2007 settlement (M-01664) protected Letter Carriers from management’s use of DOIS projections. M-01769 is applicable to any other tool/system/program currently being used or developed in the future to project office and street times.
• M-01768  - August 19, 2005 - USPS responds to 3 NALC interpretive questions pertaining to its implementation of reassessment of injuries. In response the USPS stated, in part, all assignments will comply with the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) Section 546 and the Rehabilitation Act, if appropriate, based on individual circumstances. (M-01768 updates M-01550.)
• M-01766 - "A Guide for Using COR" This guide was created to take the mystery out of the workings of Carrier Optimal Routing (COR) when it is used to generate route adjustments. NALC representatives are encouraged to read this guide in advance of any proposed COR adjustments.
• M-01765 - 2011 JARAP Training and Resource Guide
• M-01764 - Dispute Log - For use by the Teams to track disputes in the Issue Resolution Process.
• M-01763 - Unit Checklist - For use by the District Lead Team to track and monitor the progress of adjustments.
• M-01762 - COR Presentation (PowerPoint) - Joint Power Point presentation on how to use COR.
• M-01761 - Route Review Request Form - For use by the Local Contacts when when requesting a review pursuant to JARAP 2011.
• M-01760 - Instructions for obtaining a 3999 Audit Trail Report - Shows how to transfer a 3999 from the mainframe to the workstation in DOIS, data summary screen, function analysis screen and audit trail report.
• M-01759 - Carrier Consultation Script - Adjustment - This script must be used when conducting the adjustment consultation with Letter Carriers in JARAP 2011.
• M-01758 - Carrier Consultation Script - Evaluation - This script must be used when conducting the evaluation consultation with Letter Carriers in JARAP 2011.
• M-01757 - Local Contact Duties and Responsibilities - List of duties and responsibilities for those serving as Local Office Contacts under JARAP 2011.
• M-01756 - Nationally developed Unit Stand-up Talk - This stand-up talk should be jointly presented to letter carriers before starting JARAP 2011.
• M-01755 - Workhour Workload Report (by Route) - This report shows the work hours, volume and any auxiliary assistance for a particular route over a specified period of time.
• M-01754 - MODS Operation Numbers Listing - This report provides an explanation of all relevant MODS operation codes.
• M-01753 - Flash Last Four Weeks Report - This report shows a variety of unit information compared to Same Period Last Year including volumes, work hours by function, sick leave, etc.
• M-01752 - Operations Summary Report - Weekly - This report shows the total number of work hours recorded under each MODS operation code in a zip code.
• M-01751 - Steward, Standby and Meeting Time Report - This report will show all time recorded under the following MODS operation numbers: 613 (Steward Time), 354 (Standby) and 632 (Meeting Time).
• M-01750 - LTATS-Weekly Summary Report with Designation and Activity Codes - This report shows work hours transferred from one Designation and Activity Code to another. This report should be reviewed to determine if work hours have been transferred to or from a city carrier assignment.
• M-01749 - March 22, 2011 - The 2011 MOU on Alternative Evaluation and Adjustment Processes.
• M-01748 - March 22, 2011 - An Adobe Acrobat pdf file of the USPS/NALC Joint Alternative Route Adjustment Process Training document for 2011 which must be read in conjunction with M-01746 and M-01747. This training document provides the parties’ joint understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the Postal Service and the NALC when conducting evaluations and adjustments under JARAP 2011.
• M-01747 - March 22, 2011 - The joint guidelines to the Joint Alternate Route Adjustment Process (JARAP) for 2011, including the MOU language itself. These guidelines must be read in conjunction with (M-01748) the USPS/NALC Joint Alternative Route Adjustment Process Training presentation for 2011 to fully understand changes to the JARAP process for 2011 and the National Parties’ understanding of the key roles and responsibilities of both parties.
• M-01746 - March 22, 2011 - The 2011 JARAP Memorandum of Understanding itself.
• M-01745 - March 22, 2011 - Addresses several issues involved when a Delivery Unit Optimization (DUO) occurs including who goes, notice period, seniority, hold down assignments, higher level assignments (Article 25), and previously approved annual leave. It must be noted that this and M-01744 do not apply in situations where there are already clear contractual provisions that govern the movement of Letter Carriers and consolidation of Post Offices.
• M-01744 - March 22, 2011 - Addresses resolving the differences where two or more Local Memorandums of Understanding (LMOU) are involved as well as what happens in the event USPS changes their mind somewhere down the road and decides to move the Letter Carriers back to the original Installation.
• M-01743 - March 18, 2011 - The NALC and the USPS have agreed to jointly test alternative City Letter Carrier route structures. Joint proposals will be developed at the local level by NALC and USPS representatives. The local parties will be asked to address 16 items in their joint proposals which will then be sent to Headquarters within 45 days. The joint proposals will then be jointly reviewed by the parties at the National Level. Participation in this joint test is strictly voluntary. Anyone interested in participating should contact your National Business Agent for further information.
• M-01742 - Memorandum agreed to by NALC President Fredric V. Rolando and U.S. Postal Service COO Megan J. Brennan, communicating Customer Connect program mandates. Of note, quarterly telecons are to be held, which will include station carrier coordinators.
• M-01741 - USPS has eliminated the requirement for delivery employees to place their signature on PS Form 3849 to document delivery items, including Express Mail, where waiver of signature is requested.
• M-01740 - January 10, 2011 - Memorandum of Understanding limiting management to inspecting a route on a 6 day count and inspection to no more than 3 days, and the selection of PS Form 3999 closest to the selected street time.
• M-01739 - December 20, 2010 - This correspondence, from USPS Headquarters, affirms TEs will receive uniform allowances of $298 during a first appointment. In addition, local installation heads can provide the same amount for each successive TE appointment period. It should be noted, however, that all uniforms should be collected from TEs upon separation of service. It is in the interest of both the Union and Postal Service to have TEs in proper uniforms as it is a reflection of our professionalism to the public.
• M-01738 - September 20, 2010 - NALC's withdrawal of national level case number Case No. QO6N-4Q-C 09361503 - The NALC's position remains that the current PS Form 2488 does not comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• M-01737 - September 29, 2010 - Interpretive Step Settlement concerning revisions to Chapter 3 of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM), Issue 16.
• M-01736 - June 18, 2010 - Joint Alternate Route Adjustment Process (JARAP) Training Guide
• M-01735 - June 10, 2010 - Because of the NALC’s Biennial Convention in Anaheim, California, August 9-13, the Postal Service has granted the NALC’s request that the parties at the local, regional and national levels be granted a waiver of time limits for all grievances during the month of August, 2010.
• M-01734 - May 20, 2010 - NALC and the Postal Service have settled a long-standing Article 19 appeal involving modifications made in April 2000 to the Postal Service's leave regulations set forth in Section 510 of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM). The settlement makes clear that the changes to Section 510 introduced in ELM Issue 15 do not change leave accrual or crediting, and do not alter FMLA certification procedures or Postal Service paid leave policies.
• M-01733 - May 20, 2010 - Settlement agreement with the Postal Service and the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) that imposes significant new restrictions on OIG agents and postal inspectors when they seek to obtain confidential medical information about employees from the employees’ doctors or other personal health care providers.
• M-01732 - May 2010 - The Table of Contents of the USPS/NALC Joint Alternative Route Adjustment Process Training and Resource Guide.
• M-01731 - May 2010 - An Adobe Acrobat pdf file of the Carrier Optimal Routing [COR] PowerPoint presentation, as included in the USPS/NALC Joint Alternative Route Adjustment Process Training and Resource Guide.
• M-01730 - May 2010 - Postal Service Delivery Operations Information System [DOIS] instructions for downloading a PS Form 3999 into DOIS, as included in the USPS/NALC Joint Alternative Route Adjustment Process Training and Resource Guide.
• M-01729 - May 2010 - A list of Postal Service Management Operating Data System [MODS] operation codes and descriptions, as included in the USPS/NALC Joint Alternative Route Adjustment Process Training and Resource Guide.
• M-01728 - May 2010 - A Postal Service Flash Last 4 Weeks Report, as included in the USPS/NALC Joint Alternative Route Adjustment Process Training and Resource Guide.
• M-01727 - May 2010 - A Postal Service Time and Attendance Collection System [TACS] Operation Summary Report, as included in the USPS/NALC Joint Alternative Route Adjustment Process Training and Resource Guide.
• M-01726 - May 2010 - A Postal Service Steward, Standby and Meeting Time Report, as included in the USPS/NALC Joint Alternative Route Adjustment Process Training and Resource Guide.
• M-01725 - May 2010 - Adobe Acrobat pdf file of the Joint Training on the Joint Alternative Route Adjustment Process [JARAP], originally given to the JARAP Area/Regional Teams by the JARAP National Oversight Team by PowerPoint presentation on May 3, 2010. [Changes from MIARAP to JARAP are highlighted with red letters.]
• M-01724 - May 17, 2010 - Pursuant to the JARAP agreement, this is the adjustment consultation script to be used by the local office contacts during the adjustment consultation with the letter carrier.
• M-01723 - May 17, 2010 - Pursuant to the JARAP agreement, this is the evaluation consultation script to be used by the local office contacts during the initial consultation with the letter carrier.
• M-01722 - May 12, 2010 - Pursuant to JARAP guidelines in M-01720, this document reflects the duties and responsibilities of the local office contacts that they are to be provided under JARAP.
  
• M-01721 - May 12, 2010 - Pursuant to the JARAP agreement guidelines in M-01720, the nationally developed stand-up talk on JARAP, to be given to employees in a unit selected for JARAP. The stand-up talk is given by management and union representatives assigned by the district evaluation and adjustment team. (This document replaces all previous versions.)
• M-01720 - May 4, 2010 - The joint guidelines to the JARAP, including the MOU language itself.
• M-01719 - May 4, 2010 - MOU on prioritizing incomplete 2009 MIARAP revisits first.
• M-01718 - May 4, 2010 - MOU on Alternative Evaluation and Adjustment Processes.
  M-01717 - May 4, 2010 - The Joint Alternate Route Adjustment Process Memorandum of Understanding.
  
• M-01715 - January 5, 2010 - Interpretive Step agreement resolving the issue of working transitional employees outside their employing installation on a temporary basis.
• M-01714 - January 5, 2010 - Interpretive Step agreement resolving the issue of the impact of eCareer on the Memorandum of Understanding Re: Transitional Employment Opportunities.
• M-01713 - January 5, 2010 - Interpretive Step agreement resolving the issue of assigning a transitional employee to a residual vacancy rather than hiring a career employee when the vacancy is not being withheld pursuant to Article 12, there are no unassigned regular or full-time flexible employees available for assignment, and no part-time flexible employee is available for conversion.
• M-01712 - November 12, 2009 - Article 19 prearbitration settlement agreement stating that the revisions to ELM Issue 15, Section 420, Wage Administration Policy for Bargaining Unit Employees (published in ELM Issue 16, August 2000) do not supersede the provisions of the National Agreement.
• M-01711 - October 13, 2009 - USPS notice withdrawing their January 6, 2009 proposed revisions to ELM 540, Injury Compensation Program.
• M-01710 - October 9, 2009 - Postal Service Labor Relations letter to President Rolando, notifying the NALC of the Penalty overtime exclusion period for calendar year 2009 [PP 26-09 WK1 thru PP 01-10 WK 2][12/5/09 thru 1/1/10].
• M-01709 - August 7, 2003 - Prearbitration settlement agreement stating that ELM 935.21, Absences From Uniform Category of 90 Days to 1 Year does not apply to employees who are permanently reassigned pursuant to a limited duty job offer.
• M-01708 - September 15, 2009 - Pre-Arbitration Agreement: Settlement of a national level dispute over management’s responsibility to provide retirement counseling to letter carriers. This settlement does not affect the national level dispute over management’s failure to provide timely retirement counseling to employees eligible for Voluntary Early Retirement—which is still pending.
• M-01707 - August 21, 2009 - NALC letter regarding Phase 2 of the NRP that the parties June 18, 2009 settlement (M-01706) on NRP reflects mutual agreement that NRP has not redefined or changed the USPS's obligation to provide limited duty or rehabilitation assignments for injured employees and that ELM 546 has not been amended.
• M-01706 - June 18, 2009 - Settlement of a national-level grievance filed on the Postal Service’s application of NRP.
• M-01705 - May 15, 2009 - Postal Service Labor Relations letter to NALC Director of City Delivery Dale Hart, indicating that letter carriers will be advised in advance of the installation and the vehicles receiving GPS devices.
• M-01704 - July 3, 2003 - Postal Service Labor Relations letter to then-NALC Vice President Gary Mullins, regarding Section 617.2 of the Postal Operations Manual [pivoting], indicating that the reinstatement of the language in that section was not intended to impact its historical use or application.
• M-01703 - April 30, 2009 - A training document jointly developed by the NALC and the Postal Service, which details the parties' mutual understanding of the provisions of the Memorandum of Agreement, Re: Modified Interim Alternate Route Adjustment Process - 2009 (M-01702).
• M-01702 - April 7, 2009 - The NALC and the Postal Service have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement on a Modified Interim Alternate Route Adjustment Process for 2009.
• M-01701 - March 26, 2009 - The updated version of the NALC Transitional Employees Questions and Answers referenced and discussed in the Executive Vice-President's April 2009 Postal Record article.
• M-01700 - January 14, 2009 – Memorandum of Agreement concerning delivery jurisdiction in Buras, LA 70041. In a continuing effort to address the difficulties of providing mail deliver in the wake of hurricane Katrina the parties entered into a temporary agreement that allows the rural letter craft to service approximately 40 city delivery points. This agreement is in force for one year and will be reviewed at that time.
• M-01699 - January 7, 2009 – Interpretive Step Decision: Regarding whether assigning a casual employee to work in a different installation on a temporary basis violates Article 7.1.B of the National Agreement.
• M-01698 - December 5, 2008 – Article 19 Pre-Arbitration Agreement: Regarding revisions to Handbook AS-353, Guide to Privacy, the Freedom of Information Act, and Records Management, Section 4-6.5, How to Assess Fees.
• M-01697 - November 24, 2008 – Memorandum of Understanding, Re: Approved FSS Work Methods: The parties, agreement for handling mail in an FSS environment. Following review of the Joint Task Force Report (M-01691) the parties agreed to the methods of handling mail in an FSS environment.
• M-01695 - August 22, 2008 – Memorandum of Understanding, Re: Interim Alternate Route Adjustment Process (IARAP). This memo addresses the mutual need to maintain routes in proper adjustment throughout the year, and a method of route adjustment in the current mail volume environment. This current memo has been extended through March 2009.
• M-01694 - October 22, 2008 – Memorandum of Understanding, Re: Assignment of City Delivery: The parties’ agreement addresses issues regarding the prohibition on sub-contracting for the life of the Agreement, the assignment of city delivery; in offices with both city and rural delivery, new deliveries will be assigned in accordance with existing city/rural boundary agreement. In the absence of such agreements, the city letter carrier craft will be assigned all new growth (excluding in-growth) subject to the specific provisions of the memo.
• M-01693 - October 8, 2008 - This document provided NALC with notice and a draft of a Postal Bulletin article announcing the “Penalty Overtime Exclusion” period for calendar year 2008. In accord with Article 8, Section 4 & 5, penalty overtime is not paid during December. The Postal Service has designated Saturday, December 6, 2008 through Friday, January 2, 2009 the penalty overtime exclusion period. This exclusionary period will have a duration of two (2) pay periods-26-08, week 1 through 01-09 week 2.
• M-01692 - August 27, 2008 – Memorandum of Agreement, Re: Five-Day Break in Service for Transitional Employees: The Agreement applies solely to transitional employees with appointments beginning between the dates September 11, 2007, and February 28, 2008, and who were appointed for 360 days.
• M-01691 - August 18, 2008 – Flats Sequencing System Work Methods Joint Task Force Report: The report was submitted by the Joint Flats Sequencing System (FSS) Task Force in accordance with the September 11, 2007 Memorandum of Understanding, Re: FSS Work Methods. The Task Force Report provides agreed upon work methods in the FSS environment. Any changes to work methods not adopted through this report must be consistent with the terms of the National Agreement.
• M-01690 - August 1, 2008 - Memorandum Of Agreement that minor route adjustments may ONLY be implemented pursuant to Section 141 of Handbook M-39; that the evaluation of a route can ONLY be done consistent with Section 141.18 of the M-39; and that the adjustment of a route can ONLY be done consistent with the formula in Section 141.19 of the M-39.
• M-01688 - June 26, 2008 - Postal Service Headquarters Labor Relations letter to NALC Director of Life Insurance Myra Warren regarding the submission of documentation in support of FMLA protection in eRMS/IVR Fulfillment Center pacage.
• M-01687 - July 22, 2002 - Department of Labor Memorandum regarding the rights of reemployed members of the uniformed services to family and medical leave under the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, .29 U.S.C . §§ 2601-2654 (FMLA), and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, 38 U .S.C. §§ 4301- 4333 (USERRA) .
• M-01686 - May 24, 2006 - Postal Service Headquarters Labor Relations letter to NALC Director of Life Insurance Myra Warren regarding requests for voluntary reassignments to more than one installation in the eReassign process.
• M-01685 - June 4, 2008 - Postal Service Headquarters Labor Relations letter to NALC Director of Life Insurance Myra Warren regarding employees having the option of requesting a voluntary transfer in writing or through eReassign.
• M-01684 - March 24, 2006 - Postal Service Headquarters Delivery Operations letter regarding transferring allied time in the route adjustment process.
• M-01683 - Triparty renewal of City vs. Rural Delivery Memorandum of Understanding, dated April 29, 2008.
• M-01682 - Memorandum of Understanding, dated April 29, 2008, extending the the FSS Task Force.
• M-01681 - April 8, 2008 - OWCP response to NALC regarding whether or not an employee may use annual leave, sick leave or leave without pay during the statutory three-day waiting period prior to accruing the right to compensation for a temporary disability lasting less than fourteen days.
• M-01680 - April 21, 2008 - Memorandum of Understanding limiting management to inspecting a route on a 6 day count and inspection to no more than 3 days, and the selection of PS Form 3999 closest to the selected street time.
• M-01679 - April 11, 2008 - President William Young’s letter to the Senior Regulatory Officer, Wage and Hour Administration, Employment Standards Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, regarding proposed revisions to regulations implementing the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
• M-01678 - March 24, 2008 - A mutual agreement between NALC and the Postal Service that the parties at the local, regional, and national level are granted a waiver of the grievance time limits during the month of July 2008.
• M-01677 - March 26, 2008 - Memorandum of Understanding extending the FSS task force’s due date of its report by sixty days.
• M-01676 - March 26, 2008 - Memorandum of Understanding extending the time by which the National Alternate Route Evaluation Task Force can reach its assessment of alternative methods for evaluating, adjusting, and maintaining routes by three months.
• M-01675 - February 28, 2008 - Postal Service Headquarters letter to NALC Director of Retired Members Ernie Kirkland regarding the processing of PS Form 1187 for letter carrier Transitional Employees and the continuation of their dues withholding status.
• M-01673 - February 28, 2008 - Memorandum of Understanding regarding the data collection of the Postal Service’s test of their stowage and retrieval system in Postal vehicles.
• M-01672 - January 24, 2008 - Interpretive Dispute concerning the denial of administrative leave to letter carrier craft employees who attend political party caucuses in 2008 to select their parties' nominees for President of the United States.
• M-01671 - January 30, 2008 - NALC's withdrawal of national level case number Q01N-4Q-C 07201183.  The national level case was withdrawn because PS Form 2497, Election of Medical Care was withdrawn by the Postal Service on September 12, 2007
• M-01669 - January 23, 2008 - Postal Service letter to NALC President William Young confirming that the National level dispute on the Postal Service’s not compensating letter carriers with administrative leave to attend the 2008 Nevada caucuses will cover all subsequent and similar caucuses.
• M-01668 - December 28, 2007 - NLRB decision ruling that a supervisor conducting an investigatory interview improperly prevented a steward from speaking when the steward sought to object to a "loaded" question asked of the letter carrier being interrogated.
• M-01666 - July 30, 2007 - Step IV Resolution—Article 15—Dispute Resolution Process, failure to activate certain individuals to act as Step B team members
• M-01665 - July 30, 2007 - Step IV Resolution—FSS impact and the associated employment of Transitional Employees
• M-01664 - July 30, 2007 - Step IV Resolution—DOIS
• M-01663 - July 30, 2007 - Step IV Resolution—Third Bundle
• M-01662 - July 30, 2007 - Step IV Resolution—S-999 mail (hold mail, caller mail, change of address mail, non-delivery day mail) processed on DPS automation equipment must receive piece credit.
• M-01661 - July 30, 2007 - Step IV Resolution—Carrier Optimal Routing (COR) process is a management tool to assist with the adjustment of letter carrier routes pursuant to Chapter 2 Handbook M-39.
• M-01660 - Step IV Resolution - MOU Re: Subcontracting—List of 3,071 City Delivery Offices
• M-01659 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Transitional Employee Employment Opportunities
• M-01658 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Local Implementation
• M-01657 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Sick Leave for Dependent Care
• M-01656 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Leave Sharing
• M-01655 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Customer Connect Program
• M-01654 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Alternate Route Review Evaluation Process
• M-01653 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Subcontracting MOU Issues
• M-01652 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Subcontracting
• M-01651 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Article 32 Committee—The Joint Committee established pursuant to Article 32.2. shall be tasked with reviewing existing policies and practices concerning the contracting out of mail delivery.
• M-01650 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Article 17.7.D Payroll Deductions/Allotments—USPS will increase the maximum allotments in the existing program by providing one additional allotment for the use of NALC bargaining unit employees.
• M-01649 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Arbitration Task Force
• M-01648 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Article 15—Dispute Resolution Process
• M-01647 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—District Safety Committee Pilot Program
• M-01646 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Mutual Exchanges CC-01 and CC-02 city letter carriers are considered as being in the same grade. This agreement applies solely to determining whether employees are eligible for mutual exchanges.
• M-01645 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Bereavement Leave
• M-01644 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—FSS Work Methods
• M-01643 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—FSS Implementation
• M-01642 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Transitional Employees (Flat Sequencing System)
• M-01641 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Transitional Employees—Additional Provisions.
• M-01640 - September 11, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding Article 7.1... “The parties further agree that no city letter carrier casuals will be on the rolls later than December 9, 2007.”
• M-01639 - October 9, 2007 - Article 43 Separability and Duration
• M-01635 - January 9, 2008 - Management practices relating to the application of the Family Medical Leave Act documentation requirements under Employee and Labor Relations Manual 515.51.
• M-01634 - December 27, 2007 - USPS/NALC Data Collection – FSS Work Methods Joint Task Force Memorandum of Agreement: The parties agreed that data collected in Hyattsville, MD under the direction of the FSS Work Methods Joint Task Force will be the sole and exclusive use of the Task Force in exploring alternative work methods necessary for handling mail in an FSS environment and to support its joint report to the NALC President and the Postal Service Vice President, Labor Relations outlining findings and recommendations.
• M-01633 - December 21, 2007 - Questions and Answers (27) about NALC Transitional Employees
• M-01632 - December 21, 2007 - Agreement to continue discussion of issues concerning the employment of city letter carrier transitional employees.
• M-01631 - December 19, 2007 - Interpretive Level Disputes Resolved with 2006 National Agreement: National level disputes regarding Carrier Optimal Routing (COR), S-999 Mail, Third Bundle, Delivery Operations Information System (DOIS), Flat Sequencing System (FSS), and Dispute Resolution Process (DRP).
• M-01630 - August 30, 2007 - Memorandum of Understanding—Extension of Negotiation Period for Local Implementation. The top portion of this Memorandum is the agreement between the parties to extend the negotiation period and related deadlines by 15 days. The lower portion of the document is the NALC calendar showing the revised dates.
• M-01629 - August 3, 2007 - Medical documentation contents ELM 513.362 and 513.364
• M-01628 - March 22, 2005 - Please be advised that pursuant to the enclosed memorandum, certain types of work place investigations of employee misconduct are being transitioned to the Office of Inspector General from the Inspection Service. This transition will not restrict, eliminate, or otherwise adversely affect any rights, privileges, or benefits of either employees of the Postal Service, or labor organizations representing employees of the Postal Service.
• M-01626 - April 2, 2007 - City letter carriers may claim “closer to home” when submitting bids through the Interactive Voice Recognition System or by computer bidding.
• M-01625 - June 27, 2007 - Office of Workers’ Compensation Program - the first COP day is the first day disability begins following the date of injury…except where the injury occurs before the beginning of the work day or shift.
• M-01624 - November 14, 2005 - USPS Delivery Operations Information System (DOIS) Data Integrity Memorandum: Memorandum stipulating that it is the district’s responsibility to ensure that delivery units are accurately recording volume and other information in DOIS and area managers are to verify compliance.
• M-01623 - June 25, 2007 - Pre-Arbitration Decision: Pre-arbitration decision that the Postal Service affirmatively asserts that there were no subsequent revisions in Issue 16 of the ELM that directly relate to wages, hours, or working conditions pursuant to Article 19 of the National Agreement.
• M-01621 - June 1, 2007 - USPS/NALC Customer Connect Updates Memorandum: Memorandum stipulating updates and reiteration of required and agreed upon mandates for the Customer Connect program.
• M-01619 - June 1, 2007 - Postal Service Letter: Postal Service response regarding the second phase of PostalPEOPLE implementation affecting the National Agreement’s requirement to post vacant or newly established duty assignment within five days.
• M-01613 - May 3, 2007 - USPS/NALC Memorandum of Understanding Re: Multiple Days of Inspection.
• M-01612 - May 2, 2007 - Pre-Arbitration Decision: Pre-arbitration decision that the Postal Service affirmatively asserts that there are no changes that directly relate to wages, hours, or working conditions pursuant to Article 19 of the National Agreement for revisions made ELM, Section 430, Basic and Special Pay Provisions, which were transmitted to NALC by letter dated April 12, 2000.
• M-01611 - September 27, 2001 - Step 4 Settlement stipulating when an employee declines a valid limited duty job offer may request and receive paid sick leave if incapacitated for duty.
• M-01610 - USPS/NALC Joint Statement of Support of Carrier Alert: Joint Statement from John Potter and William Young on the 25 th anniversary of Carrier Alert.
• M-01609 - April 5, 1985 - Postal Service Correspondence: Regarding miscellaneous Article 8 issues.
• M-01608 - April 3, 2007 - Interpretive Dispute Settlement concerning the conversion of a manual postal form to an electronically generated version.
• M-01607 - August 11, 2006 - Pratt v. DOT (DA-3443-06-0283-I-1) MSPB Decision.
• M-01606 - March 23, 2007 - NALC-USPS Memorandum: Regarding the processing of future city/rural disputes.
• M-01605 - March 12, 2007 - Article 41.2.D.2 Interpretive Step Settlement: Concerning the seniority of city letter carriers who are restored to postal duty after military service.
• M-01604 - March 7, 2007 - Miller v. USPS (PH-3443-06-0392-I-1) MSPB Decision.
• M-01603 - July 24, 2003 - US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Case: Butterbaugh v. Department of Justice (02-3331). See M-01604 above.
• M-01602 - February 26, 2007 - Interpretive Dispute: Initiation at the national level of an interpretive dispute between the parties arising from recent management initiatives to assign new deliveries in city delivery territory to Contract Delivery Service.
• M-01600 - February 21, 2007 - Interpretive Disputes: Initiation at the national level of an interpretive dispute between the parties arising from management's intention to implement Flat Sequencing System (FSS).
• M-01599 - November 8, 2006 - Release Notes for COR Version 1.5.
• M-01598 - FY 2007 Environmental Health Safety Integrated Inspection Schedule.
• M-01597 - December 19, 2006 - Postal Service Correspondence: Concerning the "Deems Desirable" function in eRMS and the restricted sick leave provisions of ELM Section 513.39.
• M-01596 - January 11, 2007 - Postal Service Correspondence: Concerning the resetting of bid counts for letter carriers to zero.
• M-01595 - December 26, 2006 - Interpretive Dispute Settlement concerning the parties' established practice for scheduling arbitrations for the Nevada Sierra District. See M-01582 below.
• M-01594 - September 30, 1985 - NALC-USPS Settlement regarding part-time flexibles with greater craft seniority than full-time employees when scheduling vacation.
• M-01593 - November 17, 1982 - Step 4 Settlement concerning revisions to the formula for computing the 150 and 200 or more work years of employment reports.
• M-01592 - March 3, 1982 - Step 4 Settlement concerning July 17, 1930 Executive Order 5396, President Herbert Hoover.
• M-01591 - January 13, 1981 - Step 4 Settlement concerning whether an employee, who volunteered to work on a holiday was properly passed over.
• M-01590 - November 14, 1979 - Step 4 Settlement concerning employees who are members of the National Guard and who are called to active duty to replace striking prison guards are entitled to additional military leave under existing regulations.
• M-01589 - June 21, 1982 - Step 4 Settlement concerning part-time flexibles requesting leave on a non-scheduled day.
• M-01588 - November 30, 2006 - USPS/NALC Memorandum of Agreement: Agreement recognizing that the devastation from Hurricane Katrina in the area serviced by the Buras, Louisiana Post Office resulted in a significant reduction in delivery points and the reassignment of city letter carriers to other installations. The parties agreed that the remaining city delivery points in Buras and any former city delivery points that return will be serviced temporarily by the rural letter carrier craft.
• M-01586 - November 1, 2006 - Interpretive Dispute: Initiation at the national level of an interpretive dispute concerning revisions to Handbook AS-805, Information Security, published in Postal Bulletin 22190 (9-28-06).
• M-01585 - April 12, 2000 - Department of Labor, Office of Workers Compensation Programs responding to a question regarding 20 C.F.R. 10.506 - that limits employing agencies to written contact with physicians treating injured workers covered by FECA.
• M-01584 - August 29, 2006 - Interpretive Dispute: Initiation at the national level of an interpretive dispute concerning the proper hiring of casual employees at one installation, and the subsequent loaning of such casual employees to installations where the circumstances described in the May 29, 1986 Downes Memorandum (M-01451) have not been met.
• M-01583 - September 13, 2006 - Interpretive Dispute Resolution
• M-01582 - September 21, 2006 - Interpretive Dispute: Initiation at the national level of an interpretive dispute between the parties arising from management's claim that it may unilaterally discontinue the parties' established practice for scheduling arbitrations for the Nevada Sierra District. See M-01595 above.
• M-01581 - September 8, 2006 - NALC-USPS Memorandum: Regarding Ex Parte communications with an arbitrator.
• M-01580 - July 12, 2006 - NALC Correspondence: Requesting a waiver of time limits for all grievances during the month of August 2006.
• M-01579 - June 20, 2006 - Postal Service Correspondence: Concerning "time of call or request" information on PS Form 3971 completed through eRMS/IVRS.
• M-01578 - May 24, 2006 - Postal Service Correspondence: Concerning requests for voluntary reassignments in eReassign.
• M-01577 - April 10, 2006 - Postal Service response regarding revisions to Handbook EL-505, Injury Compensation, December 1995 (Updated With Postal Bulletin Revisions Through May 8, 1997), Exhibit 6.1, Sample Letter: Limited Duty Availability.
• M-01576 - August 9, 2006 - Pre-arbitration settlement concerning proposed revisions to ELM Issue 15, Chapter 540, Injury Compensation Program that were published in ELM Issue 16, August 2000.
• M-01575 - August 2, 2006 - Interpretive Step Settlement: Interpretive Step settlement concerning the discontinuance in some postal districts of providing employees with individual pre-retirement counseling.
• M-01574 - July 3, 2006 - Postal Service Letter: Postal Service notice that it is considering subcontracting the tender and receipt of mail currently performed by bargaining unit employees at 43 Air Mail Centers.
• M-01573 - May 19, 2006 - Postal Service Letter: Postal Service response concerning the voluntary establishment of a Postal Service program for retroactive payment of monetary remedies to current and former employees who had military leave deducted for military service on non-scheduled days during military leave periods.
• M-01572 - May 31, 2006 - Postal Service Letter: Postal Service response concerning the granting of saved rate to qualified injured or disabled employees whose current salary exceeds the maximum salary of the new grade to which reassigned.
• M-01571 - May 6, 2006 - NALC/USPS Memorandum of Understanding: Memorandum of Understanding regarding multiple days of inspection of less than six days during a six day count and inspection in accordance with Chapter 2 of the M-39.
• M-01570 - May 4, 2006 - NALC/USPS Memorandum of Understanding: Memorandum of Understanding regarding the National Accident Reduction Task Force.
• M-01569 - April 25, 2006 - USPS/NALC Dispute Resolution Process (DRP) Memorandum: Memorandum addressing timeliness at various steps in the DRP; the last day to mail the appeal to Formal Step A; and the use of G-10 envelopes for appeals.
• M-01568 - March 8, 2006 - Memorandum of Understanding between the USPS and the NALC and the NRLCA regarding the processing of future city/rural disputes.
• M-01567 - March 3, 2006 - Interpretive Step Settlement: Interpretive Step settlement that data collection and testing conducted pursuant to the Delivery Redesign initiative did not result in any changes to current work measurement systems or work or time standards and that a test conducted pursuant to Article 34 does not modify provisions of the National Agreement, including handbooks, manuals and published regulations incorporated through Article 19, beyond the scope of the new work measurement system or work or time standard being tested. The parties also agreed that Article 8 of the National Agreement was modified or amended during Delivery Redesign testing.
• M-01566 - May 12, 1994 - Step 4 Settlement stipulating that if it is expected that the use of PS Form 3996 will be of a recurring nature after the adjustments resulting from the route inspection are implemented, then the appropriate time should be entered on Line 21 when completing PS Form 1838-C. However, if the use of PS Form 3996 is not expected to be of a recurring nature after the adjustments are implemented, then the time filling out of PS Form 3996 should be entered in Line 22. The determination for whether or not the time filling out of PS Form 3996 is recurring or non-recurring must be made locally on a route-by-route basis.
• M-01565 - February 16, 2006 - Initiation at the national level, of an interpretive dispute between the parties arising from management's claim that it may discontinue providing in-person retirement counseling for letter carriers.
• M-01564 - February 9, 2006 - Initiation at the national level, of an interpretive dispute between the parties arising from management's claim that it may abolish full-time delivery routes, and substitute new part-time or auxiliary routes consisting of less than eight hours work.
• M-01550  - August 19, 2005 - USPS responds to 3 NALC interpretive questions pertaining to its implementation of reassessment of injuries.  In response the USPS stated, in part, all assignments will comply with the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) Section 546 and the Rehabilitation Act, if appropriate, based on individual circumstances.
• M-01514 - March 31, 2004 - Postal Service Letter: Postal Service response stipulating that when management decides to domicile a Vehicle Operations Maintenance Assistant (VOMA) position outside the installation of the VMF, the position is filled by selection of the senior qualified employee assigned to the office domiciled from the eligible crafts. Once selected, the employee remains in his/her craft and office; the selected employee is not reassigned to the VMF.

About the Materials Reference System

The NALC Materials Reference System (MRS) is a comprehensive collection of national-level settlements, important memorandums of understanding, management policy statements and additional materials useful for NALC contract enforcers. The MRS has two parts:

• MRS Index and Summaries:  This is a guide to nearly all significant national-level contract administration materials. Start here when researching a contractual issue.
  
  The MRS Index and Summaries document is heavily indexed by subject, by National Agreement provision and by USPS manual provision. It contains contains short summaries of and references to:
  • Settlements of Interpretive Step (formerly Step 4) grievances settled prior to an appeal to arbitration, and "Pre-arbs" settled after such an appeal.
  • National Memorandums of Understanding not published in the National Agreement.
  • Management policy statements and letters.
  • National-level arbitration decisions.
  • Selected regional-level arbitration decisions.
• MRS Original Materials:  These are scans of the original MRS materials (except arbitration decisions, which are contained in the separate NALC Computer Arbitration System). MRS materials are available from the offices NALC's National Business Agents and on the Contract CD. Back