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September 2019 Consultative

President Brian Wagner, Executive Vice President Ivan D. Butts and Secretary/Treasurer Chuck Mulidore attended the September consultative meeting. Executive Board Chair Tim Ford attended via telecon. Representing the Postal Service were Bruce Nicholson, Phong Quang and Henry Bear, USPS Labor Relations Policy Administration.

NAPS incorrectly noted that the March 2019 consultative report marked the end of the resolutions delegates at the 2018 National Convention passed with the expressed desire for inclusion in the monthly consultative process as defined by 39 U.S. Code § 1004(c)(1). Following are the final two resolutions adopted at the 2018 National Convention:

Resolution 63: EAS detail assignments and/or special projects are to be no longer than 90 days per the calendar year. Detail assignments and/or special projects cannot run from one calendar year into the next year, thereby causing an EAS employee to be out of their PS Form 50 position for up to six consecutive months. No detail assignments and/or special projects are exempt from these guidelines, except an EAS employee holding a NAPS national officer position.

NAPS requested that, for any detail assignments and/or special projects that total more than 90 days in a calendar year, the USPS creates a career, EAS-funded position to accommodate the vacancy. In addition, NAPS requested that the new position be created and posted no more than 60 days from the date the USPS is informed of the violation of the agreement.

NAPS also requested that the new EAS position be at a comparable level as other EAS employees doing the same duties and functions.

Joseph Bruce, director, National Human Resources (Headquarters), attended to respond to this agenda item: This resolution is not adopted. The guidelines for temporary assignments are established in “Handbook EL- 312,” Section 716.12, Temporary Assignments to Nonbargaining Positions. These guidelines include higher-level approval of temporary assignments, next-higher-level approval of assignments in excess of 90 days and VP approval for assignments exceeding one year.

Temporary assignments often are made to occupied positions of an individual who is on an extended absence for an unknown duration that could exceed 90 calendar days. Temporary assignments also are used for employee developmental opportunities.

Resolution 65: The Fleet Management function should be added as an individual unit in NPA. This would provide specific NPA targets directly related to Fleet Management, which represents a one-half billion-dollar budget managed by approximately 300 EAS employees.

NAPS contends the Fleet Management/VMF, having been restructured as a Headquarters function, has no direct control over the corporate goals used for NPA. NAPS requested that Fleet Management/VMF functions be returned to Field EAS NPA.

Prior to establishing Fleet Management at Headquarters, NPA performance for EAS employees at the VMFs was measured based on the Manager, Operations Support (MOPS) scorecard. The MOPS scorecard was made up of corporate- and unit-performance indicators, such as deliveries per hour percent SPLY, percent DPS and other Function 2 and 4 indicators measured at the district. Budgets and performance of Fleet Management are not tied to district performance. This resolution should be developed further.

Agenda Item #1

NAPS asked why it cannot get OIG reports of investigation (ROIs) in conjunction with proposed adverse action cases without using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). NAPS contends these reports are part of the documentation relied on as just cause for a USPS action and should be released without a request being made under the FOIA, as is done in cases involving the APWU, Mail Handler and Letter Carrier unions.

Joseph Bruce responded: If the ROI issued by the OIG was relied on in proposing an adverse action, then that information should be provided to the employee or representative on request.

Agenda Item #2

NAPS noted that USPS attorneys are attending ELM 650 mediation hearings with their computers. Also, the USPS attorneys are generating numerous pages of legal language instead of the standard documentation the mediator uses.

NAPS asked why USPS attorneys are being assigned and allowed to take part in the ELM 650 mediation process against EAS employees. Is this USPS attorney participation a new policy? If yes, NAPS contends the USPS did not consult with NAPS and afford it direct participation as outlined in 39 U.S. Code § 1004(b).

The guidelines for mediation are developed and administered by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Participation by postal attorneys in administrative proceedings is not a new USPS policy.

Agenda Item #3

NAPS raised the issue of the Customer 360 program, saying it presumes this process is designed to replace the eCC process. NAPS asked what steps are being taken by the USPS to address concerns of inadequate training, the lack of understanding of the screen prompts and poor workflow.

NAPS contends implementation of this process impacts the benefits of EAS employees and, therefore, entitles NAPS to “participate directly in the planning and development of pay policies and schedules, fringe benefit programs and other programs relating to supervisory and other managerial employees.” NAPS noted the USPS did not afford NAPS direct participation in the initial development of the Customer 360 program, as outlined in 39 U.S. Code § 1004(b).

Kelly Scott, Customer Experience Process Improvement analyst, and Rose Torres, program manager, Customer Policy and Engagement, provided a briefing on the Customer 360 initiative in response to this agenda item:

The briefing deck was provided to NAPS Headquarters. Customer 360 (C360) is a web-based application designed to replace the eCustomer Care application (eCC). The complaint-handling process has not changed.

The C360 Headquarters Program Office created two web-based HERO training courses based on the user role (local post office operation and consumer and industry contact operation). The training was deployed in June 2019. The course consisted of six modules to introduce consumer and industry contact (C&IC) and local post office personnel to the new application.

The course educated learners on how to use C360 to collect customer data and manage customer inquiries from receipt all the way to resolution. In addition to the web-based training modules, there were classroom training sessions and daily/weekly webinars hosted by district ambassadors and power users. Headquarters hosted two Q&A sessions in the first three weeks of national deployment.

Each area selected one power user to be trained as a subject matter expert (SME) by the Headquarters C360 Program Office. The area power users conducted four-hour (in-person/hands-on) training with the district ambassadors in Norman, OK, in June 2019. District ambassadors and C&IC users were advised to contact their area power users for support. Area power users also conducted daily/weekly webinars for additional support.

Each district selected one to three ambassadors to be trained as district SMEs. District ambassadors conducted two-hour (in-person) quality service request resolution training for Level-22-and-above local post offices. Some districts chose to train Level-18-and-above local post offices.

Local post office users were advised to contact their district ambassadors for support. District ambassadors also con-ducted daily/weekly webinars for additional support. The following C360 website was established for additional support for all users: https://blue.usps. gov/caweb/c360.htm

The C360 is not a program, but a web-based application. There is no change to the complaint-handling process. Multiple correspondence has been sent to NAPS since the first notification of C360 in June 2018. The Postal Service welcomes recommendations for enhancements.