President Brian Wagner, Executive Vice President Ivan D. Butts and Secretary/Treasurer Chuck Mulidore attended the April consultative meeting. Representing the Postal Service were Bruce Nicholson, Phong Quang and Henry Bear, USPS Labor Relations Policy Administration.
Agenda Item #1
NAPS has received questions from the field in regard to the Maintenance Manager (MM) position scheduled for an upgrade. The matter has been put on hold, though, based on a July 20, 2018, memo from Simon Storey, USPS Employee Resource Management vice president.
NAPS has not received any correspondence concerning the hold on MM upgrades. NAPS requested a briefing on the status of the upgrades, as well as the following from Storey’s July memo: “A project is underway that may result in changes to plant facility types and levels, as well as to the criteria for staffing authorized within plant facilities.”
Correspondence was sent to NAPS Headquarters before Storey’s July 20, 2018, memo. This project still is in the evaluation stage. If it is determined that changes are required to the established staffing criteria, it will be proposed to NAPS in accordance with the consultation process in Title 39 § 1004 (d) 1004. NAPS will be contacted in advance of any changes to this staffing criteria.
Agenda Item #2
NAPS brought Agenda Item #5 from the April 11, 2018, consultative to the table for an update:
NAPS Headquarters has been made aware of a recent settlement in the National Reassessment Program (NRP) in which monetary awards have/will be made that could directly impact total operating expenses (TOE).
NAPS requested responses to several questions. Roger Collado, manager, Injury Compensation & Medical Services (A), attended and addressed this item:
There was no settlement. This was a class-action decision by the EEOC. Notifications have been sent to the class members. The Postal Service currently is in litigation.
The Postal Service’s most recent response:
The Postal Service still is in litigation.
Agenda Item #3
NAPS asked for the standard position description for the recently created supervisory EAS-19 positions in the Sales Retention Team units.
The position description was provided during the meeting.
Agenda Item #4
NAPS brought Item #2 from the Aug. 4 consultative, which was finalized, back to the table. This agenda item was a follow-up to the April 11, 2018, consultative when NAPS brought back to the table Agenda Item #1 from the Feb. 14 consultative for an update:
NAPS requested an OCC code review for consideration of the Supervisor Differential Adjustment (SDA) for the following EAS positions assigned to the Stamp Fulfillment Services Center (SFSC):
NAPS requested the salaries for the EAS positions with OCC-codes 2355-0011 and 2375-0015 be corrected and updated in ELM 412.12b. NAPS also asked whether the USPS authorizes the SDA for work that has been and is being performed by these two EAS positions.
These positions are being reviewed by USPS Headquarters Compensation. NAPS will be informed of the Postal Service’s decision.
NAPS asked for an update on this request. Following is the Postal Service’s response at the April 11 consultative:
The supervisor, Maintenance Operations Support (SFS), and supervisor, Order Processing (SFS), will be included in the position group “All Other Eligible” of the SDA, effective May 12, 2018. Retroactive pay adjustments are not applicable when positions are added to or removed from the SDA chart.
Following is the Postal Service’s response from the Aug. 4 consultative:
As indicated in our response during the April consultative meeting, both jobs were added as SDA-eligible in the position group “All Other Eligible.” Salary adjustments for employees in the two occupation codes were made effective on May 12, 2018, with no retroactive pay.
NAPS contends that OCC Code 2355-0011, based on the staffing noted in the original SDA update request, clearly reflects an EAS OCC Code that should be in the Plant Maintenance Position Group for SDA. NAPS requested that OCC Code 2355-0011 be placed in the correct position group of Plant Maintenance and pay adjusted from the USPS effective date of May 12, 2018.
Headquarters Compensation conducted a review of this position, commencing in January 2018. As we have in the past and as a courtesy to NAPS, we will ask Compensation to review this Headquarters position and advise whether it is consistent with the SDA pay policy.
Follow-up response from USPS:
The Postal Service has made a determination to add this position—supervisor, Maintenance Operations Support (SFS), Occupation Code 2355-0031—under the position group of Plant Maintenance on the SDA chart.
Agenda Item #5
On Sunday, March 24, 2019, NAPS Headquarters received calls and inquiries regarding the emergency closure of the Pittsburgh NDC due to a hazardous material spill (mercury) at that facility that occurred on March 23. This call came from employees at the facility because no emergency actions took place. Potentially exposed employees were sent home. The Spill Team did not arrive at the facility until March 24; there was no response from area leadership until March 24.
NAPS only received notification of this hazardous situation after it complained to the USPS regarding the lack of notification. NAPS still has received no official briefing of the incident that potentially exposed its members to harmful levels of mercury.
NAPS asked for a briefing on the hazardous spill, as well as for a copy of the COOP, POC or other current emergency response plan in use by the USPS.
Local NAPS representatives were informed of the mercury event, as well as planning and recovery events. National-level representatives from the management associations were informed of the mercury spill once it was received by Labor Relations. However, the Inspection Service is investigating this matter. Once the investigation is complete, a briefing will be provided to advise of additional findings.
Agenda Item #6
Field EAS employees provided NAPS the following information that impacts its members:
Eastern Area, Pittsburgh Plant Reopening, Pittsburgh District
“Regular operations will resume Friday, April 5, 2019, at 5 a.m. ET for the Pittsburgh NDC, 300 Brush Creek Rd., Warrendale, PA 15095. We appreciate your patience during this unexpected closure.”
NAPS Headquarters is disheartened that USPS leadership has failed to engage NAPS on issues that impact the health and welfare of its members. However, now that this facility—a major hub for all classes of mail—is being reopened after a 13-day closure, NAPS is requesting a briefing on the mitigating factors for the PFP process due to this closure, which has impacted NPA scores on a national, area, district, MPOO area, Lead Finance number and Unit Finance number. The shutdown of this facility has negative impacts on various NPA scores. These impacts apply across the nation in various NPA indicators—not just service indicators.
The Postal Service disagrees with NAPS’ allegation that the Postal Service failed to engage NAPS on issues that impact the health and welfare of its members. In this instance, local NAPS leaders were advised of the event and ongoing communication was provided.
The Postal Service follows the consultation process when proposing changes to programs and policies affecting supervisory and managerial employees and invites and encourages NAPS to participate in developing and making changes to those programs and policies.
The Postal Service also notifies NAPS, often daily, of new initiatives and other postal matters deemed relevant to postal employees who are NAPS members. Headquarters Leadership encourages its areas to engage NAPS on local initiatives.
Mail processing operations were shifted to other facilities. It is too soon to determine whether there were any impacts to NPA indicators resulting from the closure of the Pittsburgh NDC.
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