Workplace issues
Contract Administration Unit
Lew Drass
Vice President
Lew Drass was elected national vice president in 2014 following national balloting held among the union’s active and retired members. He was first appointed to that position earlier in the year by NALC President Fredric Rolando to fill a vacancy. Full bio
NALC’s Contract Administration Unit oversees contract enforcement efforts at the highest level. The group of several NALC officers and staffers, headed by Vice President Lew Drass:
- Oversees the grievance arbitration system
- Files, discusses and attempts to resolve Interpretive Step grievances involving issues of contract interpretation
- Offers advice and support to the national business agent offices in NALC's 15 regions
- Compiles and publishes information resources for NALC contract enforcers at all levels of the union.
‘Wounded Warriors’ leave
PS Form 5980, “Treatment Verification for ‘Wounded Warriors’ Leave”
“Advanced Formal A and Beyond”
“Advanced Formal A and Beyond” is for NALC activists who have some experience at Formal Step A. The focus of this program is to teach participants to look at every Formal Step A case file from an arbitration advocate’s point of view. This training also sharpens the skills needed for enforcing the National Agreement at Formal Step A and provides an experience of what it’s like to serve as a Step B representative.
There is a lot of emphasis placed on handling situations where management fails to follow the grievance procedure as required by the National Agreement.
Two sessions have been scheduled for 2018: Sept. 16-21 and Oct. 21-26. (Three sessions were set for 2017: April 2-7, Sept. 17-22 and Oct. 22-27.)
NALC Shop Steward’s Guide & Tool Kit
The shop steward’s job is difficult and demanding. The NALC Shop Steward’s Guide is a resource for the front-line steward that goes beyond the language of the National Agreement and Joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM) by providing more in-depth information on grievance-handling and how to effectively handle the day-to-day situations shop stewards encounter.
The NALC Shop Steward’s Guide is written for every steward/activist who handles grievances at the Informal Step A and/or Formal Step A of the grievance procedure. It has step-by-step guidance for what to do and what happens before, during and after each step of the grievance procedure from Informal Step A all the way to arbitration. This includes advice on how to handle matters when management fails/refuses to participate in the grievance procedure as required by our contract with the USPS. There also are individual sections on topics such as time limits for grievances, investigative interviews, information requests, remedies, tips for writing statements, grievance-handling forms and more. The samples in the grievance-handling forms section can be tailored for branch use.
The NALC 2014 Shop Steward’s Tool Kit is a DVD designed to put everything a steward may need for grievance-handling in an electronic format that is user-friendly. It contains updated versions of the NALC Shop Steward’s Guide, JCAM, Materials Reference System (MRS), many of the USPS handbooks and manuals, an updated “Grievance Starters” section and more.
The hard copy of the NALC Shop Steward’s Guide comes three-hole punched with a cover and a spine so that stewards can put it in a small binder. This will allow NALC to make future supplemental additions. A copy of the DVD will be included with each guide.
For branches that need additional copies of the NALC Shop Steward’s Guide and the NALC 2014 Shop Steward’s Tool Kit, these materials are available from the Supply Department for $5 per set. Call 202-393-4695, ext. 874.
News and Updates
Agreement reached on implementing new Article 8 provisions
NALC and USPS have agreed on a new memorandum of understanding.
2016 Penalty Overtime Exclusion period
The December period during which penalty overtime regulations are not applicable consists of four consecutive service weeks.
National-level arbitration case decided on ‘Work and Time Standards Video Recording’
In an award dated Aug. 9, National Arbitrator Dennis Nolan ruled that the “Postal Service is directed to comply with Article 34 when conducting time or work studies designed for use in collective bargaining or interest arbitration.”
Three MOUs renewed
The NALC and USPS have agreed to renew three MOUs: Re: Full-time Regular Opportunities – City Letter Carrier Craft, Re: Sunday Delivery – City Carrier Assistant Staffing, and Re: Signing Overtime Lists.
NALC, USPS agree to revise PS Form 8190
NALC and USPS have agreed to revise PS Form 8190 to update the instructions section on Page 2 to reflect the language from the first paragraph on page 15-4 of the July 2014 NALC-USPS Joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM).
PS Form 8190 revised
The national parties have agreed to revise only the instructions page of PS Form 8190 to reflect a change.
National-level arbitration case decided on the 440 hour annual leave carryover rules
A national arbitrator has rejected USPS’ attempt to set a nationwide limit on the remedial authority of regular panel arbitrators based on the 440 hour annual leave carryover limit set forth in the ELM.
NALC, USPS settle two national-level cases
Cases settled concerned the rules when employees are excessed into the letter carrier craft outside of their original installation, and the effective date that coverage begins after selecting a health benefit plan following conversion to career status.
Parties release joint summary overview of FMLA
The national parties have reached agreement on a jointly-developed summary overview of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA).
National-level case concerning revisions to the ELM resolved
NALC and USPS have settled a national-level case concerning revisions to the ELM regarding payment and employee disputes for uniform purchases.
National-level arbitration case decided
National Arbitrator Shyam Das issued an award on Sept. 21, 2015, concluding that the USPS is not obligated to offer retreat rights to an employee who was excessed to a different installation until a “residual vacancy” exists in the original installation.
National-level case settled over ‘rights and responsibilities’ forms
NALC and USPS have settled a national-level case concerning two forms that explain employee rights and responsibilities and are issued to letter carriers who are injured on the job.
Two national-level arbitration cases decided
Newly converted CCAs are “new employees” who, under ELM, must complete 90 days of service before they may take or be credited with annual leave; M-39 Handbook Sec. 126.3 does not “directly relate to wages, hours, and working conditions” under Article 19.
NLRB charges USPS with failing to bargain with NALC over cyber attack’s potential impact on letter carriers
The NLRB has formally charged USPS with failing to bargain with NALC over the potential impact on letter carriers of September’s cyber-security breach that compromised Postal Service computers containing workers’ personal and employment information.
Memorandums renewed, modified
The NALC and USPS have agreed to renew three MOUs: Re: Full-time Regular Opportunities – City Letter Carrier Craft, Re: Sunday Delivery – City Carrier Assistant Staffing, and Re: Signing Overtime Lists.
Cost of living adjustment (COLA) news
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has published its Consumer Price Index update for January 2015.
Interpretive dispute over obtaining fingerprints resolved
NALC and USPS have settled a national-level case by agreeing that reasonable and necessary time spent by city carrier assistants obtaining fingerprints necessary for a background investigation is compensable time.
NALC and USPS settle case over maximization
The NALC and the Postal Service have settled national level case Q06N-4Q-C 11084998 concerning whether the maximization provisions of the MOU Re: Maximization/Full-time Flexible – NALC apply when an installation is under Article 12 withholding.
2014 penalty overtime exclusion set
The 2014 penalty overtime exclusion period begins Pay Period 26-14, Week 2, and ends Pay Period 02-15, Week 1.
NALC files NLRB charge over USPS response to hacking
NALC has filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board protesting the Postal Service’s failure to provide NALC advance notice of, and an opportunity to bargain over, the Postal Service’s response to the breach of employee data.
MOU on bidding during probationary period
NALC and USPS have entered into the Memorandum of Understanding Re: Article 12.1 – Probationary Period – Bidding.
USPS-NALC Joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM) now available online
The NALC is pleased to announce that the 2014 JCAM is now available online.
NALC, USPS settle national-level relocation case
The NALC and the Postal Service have settled national level case Q06N-4Q-C 12217402 concerning the creation of Handbook F-15-C, Relocation Policy – Bargaining Employees.
National level case on Voluntary Early Retirement counseling settled
NALC and USPS have agreed to a national-level settlement on whether USPS is required to provide individual retirement counseling prior to a Voluntary Early Retirement decision irrevocability date when counseling is requested by a VER-eligible carrier.
MOU on CCAs being temporarily assigned to other post offices
NALC and USPS have agreed on a memorandum of understanding, Re: City Carrier Assistants – Temporary Assignments to Other Post Offices, that defines the process for temporarily assigning city carrier assistants (CCAs) to other post offices.