Comfort Inn Suites

Embassy Suites

Hyatt Regency

Please note that the Adam’s Mark still has rooms available. Please refer to the attached pages from the Pre-Convention magazine for information pertaining to Adam’s Mark hotel reservations.

 Click here to view the room reservation for the Adam’s Mark.

via News Info.

Click here for a memo regarding the attack from Gregory Long, Executive Director of the Federal Retirment Thrift Investment Board.

Click here for an FAQ regarding the attack.

via News Info.

The NRLCA is reviewing the PMG’s proposal to determine whether there could be any contractual repercussions.

We’ll be following this new development in postal reform closely, so check our website frequently for updates. In the meantime, read more about this proposal from a recent Reuters article here that refers to rural carriers as “post office[s] on wheels”:

“The Postal Service has announced plans to contract with local general stores to offer some services and to use more rural letter carriers, who serve as a post office on wheels, in areas where they close.”

via News Info.

Approved by a vote of 218-199, H.R. 5652 would increase Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) payments from 0.8% of each paycheck to 5.8%. Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) payments would jump from 7% to 12%. This increase would be implemented over a five-year period for existing employees; new employees hired after 2012, however, would begin paying the additional 5% immediately.

The bill also eliminates social security supplements for FERS employees who retire before the age of 62.

The Senate is expected to reject this legislation. In a statement opposing H.R. 5652, President Obama said he would veto the bill.

Stay tuned to our website for more updates.

via News Info.

Of course this list is not all inclusive, and should any problems arise, be sure to contact your steward. These are some of the things we thought important for new regular carriers to know along with some personal commentary and experience from me.

First and foremost, there are some manuals and documents you need to become very familiar with..

1. The rural carrier contract- This is what I call the rural carrier “Bible-Part 1″ It has all of the things in it that you NEED to know about your job.

2. The PO 603- This is Part 2 of the rural carrier “Bible”. It has very easy to understand language on the guidelines of job. READ IT, LEARN IT, KNOW IT!!

3. The ELM- Employee and Labor Relations Manual- This has all of the information about your benefits, how you get paid, insurance, and a wealth of other information.

Download all of the above to your computer or at least have them bookmarked. You WILL need them!!

There are many other manuals that you will need to use to find information you might need. I have all of the manuals links in my knowledgebase! Spend some time reading and learning.

Edit Book/Red Book-

You will have to start updating your edit book, sometimes called the red book. Every route has one, and it will become your responsibility to keep up with additions, deletions and extensions on your route. Most districts do this once per Pay Period, but there might be some that do not do them that often. Below are a couple of links on updating your edit book, but there are a couple of things I wanted to point out.

a. Once a customer moves from one of the deliveries on your route, the box does not become vacant immediately. That box stays on your edit book for 90 days before you would mark it as vacant. If your route has a high turnover rate, this can become difficult to keep up with. I use a calendar and when the customer moves, I add that address 90 days in advance. If a new customer moves in before the 90 days is up, then I just mark that box out and leave it on my edit book. If that box stays vacant for 90 days, then I can just look at the address on the calendar and mark that box vacant on that date.

b. Make sure you mark your vacant boxes as vacant. I have heard many horror stories from carriers who have been disciplined and even lost their jobs because the USPS considers a carrier getting credit for a vacant box as stealing from the USPS. If they find out a carrier is “padding” their box count, they will pursue it and it will not be a pleasant experience for the carrier.

Here is a Q and A from the NRLCA

Here is some more information on edit books. Click here

The PS Form 4003 and the PS Form 4241A:

Become familiar with the 4003 and the 4241A.

The PS Form 4003 contains all the route’s current, active delivery data including an official line of travel, current number of deliveries, miles traveled, authorized dismounts, etc… This form is used to update any changes that occur on a rural route between mail counts.

The PM or supervisor must complete Form 4003 for submission to the district at the end of each pay period if there are ANY changes. The effective date for each 4003 should be the first day of the PP which will always be a Saturday. Some managers will do this automatically when you turn in your edit book, but double check that your manager has updated your 4003. If your manager updates your edit book but not your 4003, you will not get credit for any new boxes added or any other changes.

Form 4003 controls your rural carriers’ pay checks. The rural carriers pay can ONLY be adjusted when Form 4003 is submitted and processed. Updating the Edit Book does NOT update any box counts on Forms 4003 nor Forms 4241-A, but edit book updates should match the 4003 updates.

Once your 4003 has been updated, you should receive a PS Form 4241A, usually a couple of weeks later. This will show the current status of your route. It will show miles, boxes, salary, etc.

Rural carrier adjustments are done in one hour increments. So if you do not have enough additions that add up to a full hour, it will be added to your “bank time”.

“Bank Time” is a term used to define the time accumulated on a route as a result of adding new boxes, miles, etc. to the route. This time is accumulated each time a PS Form 4003 is submitted with new data. This accumulated time is printed on the bottom of the PS Form 4241-A until the route accumulates an additional one hour of time. At that time an interim adjustment is triggered in the route’s evaluation. The “bank” disappears each time an interim adjustment becomes effective, or when the route undergoes a mail count.

Both of these forms should be kept in the route book at your case! Become familiar with them, learn them, know them!!

X Days and the Relief Day Work List(RDWL)

The relief day work list at each delivery unit shall be established twice during each guarantee period. Each time the new relief day work list is established it shall supersede the previous list. All regular carriers, regardless of route classification, desiring to work their relief days shall place their names on the relief day work list.

The first opportunity to sign the relief day work list will be two weeks prior to the new guarantee period. The second opportunity to sign the relief day work list will be two weeks prior to the beginning of the first full pay period in May.

COMPENSATION FOR WORKING RELIEF DAY

All regular rural carriers, not on the relief day work list, who work the relief day will receive compensation at 50% of the carrier’s daily rate of pay, in addition to receiving an X day within twelve (12) weeks as scheduled by the Employer.

Regular rural carriers on the relief day work list who work the relief day will select one of the following options:

1. An X day to be immediately scheduled by mutual agreement between the carrier and the Employer. The scheduled X day must be within the next twelve (12) weeKs.

2. Compensation at 50% of the carrier’s daily rate of pay, in addition to receiving an X day within twelve (12) weeks as scheduled by the Employer.

3. Compensation at 150% of the carrier’s daily rate of pay. The carrier will not receive an X day.

The regular rural carrier must make his or her election of the above options, no later than the day of the worked relief day.

One point to add to this, I hear a lot of instances where the USPS is trying to cut down on their overtime by “discouraging” carriers from taking #3 listed above. If you have signed the RDWL, do not be intimidated. This is written in black and white! Local managers do NOT supersede a national contract! If they continue to “discourage” the use of option #3 and you know you are entitled to it, call the union and get a steward involved!

Click here for more information on X days and the RDWL

PS 3971- The leave slip

When you want to take any kind of leave you will have to fill out a 3971 leave slip. For the regulations on leave, see this link

See this link for instruction on filling out the PS Form 3971- Request for leave

Guarantee Year/Guarantee Period

In pursuance of an agreement made as a result of collective bargaining by representatives of employees certified as bona fide by the NLRB, which provides that during a specified period of fifty-two consecutive weeks the employee shall be employed not more than 2240 hours and shall be guaranteed not less than 1840 hours … and not more than 2080 hours of employment for which he shall receive compensation for all hours guaranteed or worked at rates not less than those applicable under the agreement to the work performed and for all hours in excess of the guarantee which are also in excess of the maximum workweek applicable to such employee under subsection (a) or 2080 in such period at rates not less than one and one-half times the regular rate at which he is employed …

This is the legal basis for the rural compensation system. The basic requirements as applied to rural carriers, are as follows:

1. Employee shall be employed on an annual basis at a guaranteed annual wage.

2. The guarantee must be a minimum of 1840 and a maximum of 2080 hours.

3. The employee shall receive overtime compensation for all hours actually worked in excess of:

(a) 12 hours in one day; (b) 56 hours in one week; (c) 2080 hours in one year.

4. The employee may not actually work more than 2240 hours during the 52-week guarantee period..

A couple of points here: A carrier cannot be made to take LWOP to stay under 2080 hours. click here

Every year in the spring , managers begin warning regular rural carriers whose workhours are projected to exceed 2,080 by the end of the guarantee year in November, that special measures might have to be taken. Your local management has to respond to their managers on why rural carriers in their office are “projected” to exceed their 2080 hours. There are many reasons their excitement may be premature. Click here for a detailed explanation.

Free Saturdays

Our contract Article 10.4, Saturday Leave. It states:

A. The approved absence on a Saturday of a regular rural carrier, substitute, or rural carrier associate in a leave earning capacity, which occurs within or at the beginning or end of a period of annual or sick leave, shall be without charge to such leave or loss of compensation provided the appropriate leave balance on the Form 1223 (Earnings Statement) reflects at least 6 days of leave and the following conditions were met:

1. There are more than 5 days of annual or sick leave within the period; or

2. There are more than 4 days of annual or sick leave plus a holiday (see Article 11) within the period. If a holiday falls on Saturday, which is a scheduled workday, absence on the preceding Friday shall be without charge to leave. If the leave period is 4 days or less, absence on Friday shall be charged to leave.

3. Interruption during the approved period of annual or sick leave by court leave due to circumstances beyond the employee’s control shall not disqualify the carrier for coverage as provided in 1. or 2. above.

B. Upon request, a rural carrier shall be granted annual leave or leave without pay on Saturday, at the carrier’s option, provided a leave replacement is available.

Click here for some Q and A’s on Free Saturdays

Click here for Free Saturday scenarios

Partial Trip Served

When a regular carrier becomes ill or cannot finish the route while on duty, either in the office or on the route, and is unable to complete service for the day, she/he is granted sick or annual leave for the entire day. The salary payment for the trip will be made to the replacement carrier and will include equipment maintenance. The regular carrier will not be entitled to equipment maintenance while on sick/annual leave. When the regular carrier does not complete a trip due to unexpected circumstances for reasons other than personal illness or injury, she/he will be charged annual leave for the entire day. The salary payment will be made to the replacement in the same manner as above.

Step increases

You will now earn general step increases. The Step increase waiting periods are as follows:

You start out at Step A and go through Step 12. Once you hit Step 12 you have topped out and the only increases you will receive are if there are wage increases included in a contract or you receive a Cost of living adjustment.

A-B= 96 WEEKS | B-C= 96 WEEKS | C-1= 44 WEEKS | 1-2= 44 WEEKS | 2-3= 44 WEEKS | 3-4= 44 WEEKS

4-5= 44 WEEKS | 5-6= 44 WEEKS | 6-7= 44 WEEKS | 7-8= 34 WEEKS | 8-9= 34 WEEKS | 9-10= 26 WEEKS

10-11= 26 WEEKS | 11-12= 24 WEEKS

You can always find that information at the bottom of the rural carrier salary table.. Download that here

High/Low Option

You wont be eligible to take the High option until you are in the 20 day leave earning category, which you get after being regular for 3 years. You might still want to familiarize yourself with what the High/Low option is. Click here for more information.

8127- Rural Carrier Supplemental Pay

This form was designed to fulfill the requirements of Article 9.2.N. Although no exact definition exists, functions that are proper for the supplemental payment should meet the following criteria:

CRITERIA:

1. An action or task that is not directly related to normal daily work functions (casing and delivering the mail).

2. An action or task that does not occur on a daily or weekly basis (If it did, theoretically, it should have been computed into the routes evaluation under Column “R”, Other Time, during a mail count.) SEE PO-603, 535.12r– Column R — Other suitable allowance: “(1) A reasonable time allowance may be claimed for unusual conditions, or for other services rendered on a daily or weekly basis, that are not accounted for under normal work functions.”

3. An action or task for which no time has been allotted in the rural route standards.

Click here for more information

Benefits-

(Thanks to Mike for putting this benefit list together)

Annual leave

Earn rate-

0-3 yrs. of service (as a regular)- 13 days per year

3-15 yrs of service – 20 days per year

15 yrs of service and up- 26 days per year

Maximum carryover to new year- 55 days

New leave year begins the first Saturday of the first full pay period in January

Full year’s leave advanced to you at the beginning of the year

If you go regular in the middle of the year, that year’s leave is pro-rated

Sick leave

All regulars earn 13 days per year; no maximum carryover from year to year

Sick leave credited as you earn it.

No leave (sick or annual) is credited to you for the first 90 days as a regular although you will be earning it. On the 91st day, both sick and annual will be available for you to use. However, if you were earning leave as an RCA when you made regular, your leave should roll over and you will not have to serve a probationary period (can use leave immediately).

Leave must be used in one day increments.

Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan (FEHBP)

You can sign up within 30 days of becoming a regular; otherwise you will have to wait until open season (generally from 2nd week in November to 2nd week in December).

Coverage is available for Self Only and Self & Family.

Several plans available; some union-sponsored plans require membership in the union.

Can change plans during open season or with qualifying life changes (marriage, birth of child, etc.)

Pre-existing conditions are covered by all plans.

Federal Employee’s Group Life Insurance (FEGLI)

Must sign up within 30 days of going regular.

Different coverages available for self and family.

You can find more information about FEGLI & FEHBP at www.opm.gov. The booklets for these programs are available online and even possibly the ability to sign up. (My personal recommendation on the life insurance; sign up for the 5X your annual salary- it is fairly cheap at your age, but jumps up in price once you hit 55. You can lower your coverage at any time if needed.)
FEDERAL EMPLOYEE’S RETIREMENT SYSTEM (FERS)

This is the retirement system that all new career employees are covered under. It is a 3-tier system.

ELIGIBILITY FOR RETIREMENT

• Minimum Retirement Age (MRA) with 30 years service. MRA is based on your year of birth.

• Age 60 with 20 years of service.

• Age 62 with 5 years of service.

There are other reduced retirements available. For more information, visit www.opm.gov.

The 3 parts of FERS are;

1. USPS annuity of approximately 1% per year X no. years of career service, based on your high-3 salary.

2. A special Social Security supplement until you reach age 62.

3. Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)

One part of FERS (Federal Employee Retirement System); similar to 401K.

USPS automatically contributes 1% of your salary; matches your first 3% dollar for dollar, next 2% 50 cents on the dollar; in effect your first 5% is matched dollar for dollar.

Can invest in a number of investment funds.

For more information, visit www.tsp.gov

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Provides pre-tax dollars to covered non-reimbursed health care expenses or child care.

Maximum contributions per year is $5000. (Drops to $2500 beginning in 2013).

Must re-enroll each year.

For health care, you can file for reimbursement even if not enough funds in your account.

Child care account must have money in account to be reimbursed.

Health care can be used to cover co-pays, deductibles, and non-covered expenses but not premiums.

If you are a union member, you can find more info on the union website. The USPS FSA is different from other federal FSA, mostly on filing a claim.

HOLIDAYS

We have 10 paid holidays, the same as other federal employees.

New Year’s Day

MLK Day*

Presidents Day*

Memorial Day*

July 4th

Labor Day*

Columbus Day*

Veteran’s Day

Thanksgiving

Christmas Day

*Indicates Monday holiday.

You must be in a pay status either the last working day before or after the holiday to receive holiday pay. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, then Friday becomes the holiday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, then Monday becomes the holiday. If you are required to work your designated holiday, you will receive holiday pay plus the regular day’s pay (double time) except for the Christmas holiday which is double time and a half pay.

While this is not all your benefits, these are the important ones as they require you to sign up within 60 days of going regular or wait until open season.

Prior Military Service

If you have prior military service, you can use your years of service to increase your leave category. All you need is a copy of your DD-214. And you can also buy back your military time (called a deposit) to add to your total postal service time. You have 3 years to do that before interest is added, and it can be done on an allotment basis. Click here for more details

How to read your pay stub

Here are a couple of links on decoding your paycheck stub

Paycheck Codes

Paycheck decoding

Union Information

Make sure you bookmark the National union website at NRLCA.org. You will need it and you will visit that website often. And be sure you know who your State level Stewards are and how to get in touch with them! Please read our disclaimer and please do not rely on this website for any grievance. A grievance can only be pursued through official channels of the union.

NRLCA.org

State Stewards list

Assistant State Stewards list

I hope this guide has been helpful to you! And dont forget, our Rural Community is always here if you have any questions. Here is a list of helpful Ruralinfo links to help you!

• Ruralinfo.net – Our main hub from which all other arms of our site begin
• Rural Mail Talk – One of our active forums
• Ruralinfo Quicktopic – Another one of our forums
• Ruralinfo Rural Connect – Our social network for rural carriers. This is where to sign up to get our weekly newsletter
• Ruralinfo.net on Facebook - Our facebook page that is always hopping!
• Ruralinfo.net Knowledgebase - Our knowledgebase full of rural carrier information (still a work in progress)
• Ruralinfo Route Vehicle Reviews – Want to know what kind of vehicle works well on a route and which ones dont?
• Ruralinfo Postal Classifieds- Looking for a route vehicle? This is the place to start your hunt!

Download this guide in PDF Format to save on your computer

After receipt of post-hearing briefs in early May, the arbitration panel will meet to decide the terms of a successor contract to the 2006-2010 National Agreement.

We will advise as soon as the arbitration panel renders its award.  Thank you for your support during the last five months.

via News Info.

S. 1789 eliminates six-day delivery after two years and refunds $11bn in FERS overpayments, some of which will be used for buyouts. In an effort to save six-day delivery, Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) proposed Senate Amendment #2043. It failed yesterday during debate by a vote of 56-43. Sixty votes were needed.

Consideration of H.R. 2309 has yet to be scheduled in the House of Representatives. If H.R. 2309 passes, the two chambers of Congress will meet in conference to resolve the bills’ differences. Following this, the bills will go back to their respective chambers for an up-or-down vote.

Stay tuned to the NRLCA website for ongoing updates concerning postal reform in Congress.

via News Info.

The Senate has adjourned for the night, and will reconvene tomorrow afternoon at 2 PM EST to finish voting on amendments, then the final postal bill.  Once the amendment process is finalized, it will take 60 votes for the final postal bill to pass the Senate.

Please continue to check the NRLCA website for updates for S. 1789.

via News Info.

Thirty-nine amendments have been agreed upon by Senate leadership.  Each amendment will be debated for 2 minutes, then will be voted on.  For an amendment to pass, it will need to reach the threshold of 60 votes.  Please contact your Senators and let them know how important maintaining 6-day mail delivery is.  Tell them to support Senate Amendment #2043 now.

via News Info.

That’s 120 seconds to make sure the one amendment to save 6-day mail delivery passes: Senate Amendment 2043.

When you consider the fact that Senate Amendment 2043 is being required to achieve the especially difficult task of going beyond a simple majority to earn 60 full votes, that’s not much time at all.

Your senators need to know right now that as a rural letter carrier, you support Senate Amendment 2043.

Even if you contacted your senators following our last E-Network update, we urge you to call them again. Keep your senators feeling the pressure from now all the way to the bill’s final vote on Tuesday night.

Contact your senators now:

Akaka, Daniel K. – (D – HI)

141 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6361

Alexander, Lamar – (R – TN)

455 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4944

Ayotte, Kelly – (R – NH)

144 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3324

Barrasso, John – (R – WY)

307 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6441

Baucus, Max – (D – MT)

511 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2651

Begich, Mark – (D – AK)

111 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3004

Bennet, Michael F. – (D – CO)

458 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5852

Bingaman, Jeff – (D – NM)

703 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5521

Blumenthal, Richard – (D – CT)

702 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2823

Blunt, Roy – (R – MO)

260 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5721

Boozman, John – (R – AR)

320 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4843

Boxer, Barbara – (D – CA)

112 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3553

Brown, Scott P. – (R – MA)

359 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4543

Brown, Sherrod – (D – OH)

713 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2315

Burr, Richard – (R – NC)

217 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3154

Cantwell, Maria – (D – WA)

311 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3441

Cardin, Benjamin L. – (D – MD)

509 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4524

Carper, Thomas R. – (D – DE)

513 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2441

Casey, Robert P., Jr. – (D – PA)

393 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6324

Chambliss, Saxby – (R – GA)

416 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3521

Coats, Daniel – (R – IN)

493 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5623

Coburn, Tom – (R – OK)

172 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5754

Cochran, Thad – (R – MS)

113 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5054

Collins, Susan M. – (R – ME)

413 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2523

Conrad, Kent – (D – ND)

530 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2043

Coons, Christopher A. – (D – DE)

127A RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5042

Corker, Bob – (R – TN)

185 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3344

Cornyn, John – (R – TX)

517 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2934

Crapo, Mike – (R – ID)

239 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6142

DeMint, Jim – (R – SC)

167 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6121

Durbin, Richard J. – (D – IL)

711 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2152

Enzi, Michael B. – (R – WY)

379A RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3424

Feinstein, Dianne – (D – CA)

331 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3841

Franken, Al – (D – MN)

309 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5641

Gillibrand, Kirsten E. – (D – NY)

478 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4451

Graham, Lindsey – (R – SC)

290 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5972

Grassley, Chuck – (R – IA)

135 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3744

Hagan, Kay R. – (D – NC)

521 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6342

Harkin, Tom – (D – IA)

731 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3254

Hatch, Orrin G. – (R – UT)

104 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5251

Heller, Dean – (R – NV)

361A RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6244

Hoeven, John – (R – ND)

120 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2551

Hutchison, Kay Bailey – (R – TX)

284 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5922

Inhofe, James M. – (R – OK)

205 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4721

Inouye, Daniel K. – (D – HI)

722 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3934

Isakson, Johnny – (R – GA)

131 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3643

Johanns, Mike – (R – NE)

404 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4224

Johnson, Ron – (R – WI)

386 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5323

Johnson, Tim – (D – SD)

136 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5842

Kerry, John F. – (D – MA)

218 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2742

Kirk, Mark – (R – IL)

524 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2854

Klobuchar, Amy – (D – MN)

302 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 2051

(202) 224-3244

Kohl, Herb – (D – WI)

330 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5653

Kyl, Jon – (R – AZ)

730 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4521

Landrieu, Mary L. – (D – LA)

431 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5824

Lautenberg, Frank R. – (D – NJ)

324 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3224

Leahy, Patrick J. – (D – VT)

437 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4242

Lee, Mike – (R – UT)

316 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5444

Levin, Carl – (D – MI)

269 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6221

Lieberman, Joseph I. – (ID – CT)

706 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4041

Lugar, Richard G. – (R – IN)

306 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4814

Manchin, Joe, III – (D – WV)

303 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3954

McCain, John – (R – AZ)

241 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2235

McCaskill, Claire – (D – MO)

506 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6154

McConnell, Mitch – (R – KY)

317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2541

Menendez, Robert – (D – NJ)

528 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4744

Merkley, Jeff – (D – OR)

313 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3753

Mikulski, Barbara A. – (D – MD)

503 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4654

Moran, Jerry – (R – KS)

354 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6521

Murkowski, Lisa – (R – AK)

709 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6665

Murray, Patty – (D – WA)

448 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2621

Nelson, Ben – (D – NE)

720 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6551

Nelson, Bill – (D – FL)

716 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5274

Paul, Rand – (R – KY)

208 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4343

Portman, Rob – (R – OH)

338 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3353

Pryor, Mark L. – (D – AR)

255 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2353

Reed, Jack – (D – RI)

728 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4642

Reid, Harry – (D – NV)

522 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3542

Risch, James E. – (R – ID)

483 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2752

Roberts, Pat – (R – KS)

109 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4774

Rockefeller, John D., IV – (D – WV)

531 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6472

Rubio, Marco – (R – FL)

317 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-3041

Sanders, Bernard – (I – VT)

332 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5141

Schumer, Charles E. – (D – NY)

322 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6542

Sessions, Jeff – (R – AL)

326 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4124

Shaheen, Jeanne – (D – NH)

520 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2841

Shelby, Richard C. – (R – AL)

304 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5744

Snowe, Olympia J. – (R – ME)

154 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5344

Stabenow, Debbie – (D – MI)

133 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4822

Tester, Jon – (D – MT)

724 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2644

Thune, John – (R – SD)

511 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2321

Toomey, Patrick J. – (R – PA)

502 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4254

Udall, Mark – (D – CO)

328 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5941

Udall, Tom – (D – NM)

110 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6621

Vitter, David – (R – LA)

516 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4623

Warner, Mark R. – (D – VA)

475 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2023

Webb, Jim – (D – VA)

248 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-4024

Whitehouse, Sheldon – (D – RI)

717 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-2921

Wicker, Roger F. – (R – MS)

555 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-6253

Wyden, Ron – (D – OR)

223 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510

(202) 224-5244

via News Info.

via News Info.

Find your Senator below and contact them today! Tell them to maintain 6-Day mail delivery by supporting Senate Amendment 2043.

via News Info.

Home Page.

If the bill receives sixty votes, the Senate will begin debate. The NRLCA expects numerous amendments to be offered, the first of which is the introduction of a “Manager’s Amendment to S. 1789,” which can be viewed by following the link below.

We thank our members for contacting their senators about this issue. Stay tuned to your e-mail for more breaking news and calls to action.

Click here to view the Manager’s Amendment to S.1789…

via National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.

Look at the links below to see who exactly has been lobbying for postal service changes.  In 2011, 122 organizations lobbied Congress on Postal Service issues… The unions are on the list as they should be, but how about the rest of them?  Take a look here at the organizations that did it..  

Do you think the majority of those were lobbying FOR postal employees interests?

Post office debate triggers lobbying

Delivering Postal Reform

Are you willing to put your future in their hands? If you are, stop reading now and go back and stick your head back in the hole!

S. 1789 forces a USPS health plan on us, allows 5 day delivery in 2 years, REQUIRES arbitrators to take the USPS fuzzy math financial condition under consideration during contract arbitrations, and I cant even begin to understand yet what this will do to injured employees..

Have you contacted your Senators yet? If you want the USPS running your health care then dont contact them.. If you want an arbitrator required to take all of the USPS fuzzy math financial calculations to heart while deciding our future pay and benefits, then dont contact them.. We all know they are always broke before negotiations and then all of a sudden “find” some kind of financial error after negotiations are over.

THIS AFFECTS YOU DIRECTLY!!! Are you going to let it happen without a fight? Now is the time to either have it shoved down your throat, or stand up for yourself.

Click here to contact Congress

Click here to read a quick and dirty break down of S. 1789

Click the RED browser button on the top right of the page to do NOTHING!!

“If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.”

The driver’s seat is empty or has a stack of mail. The driver takes the passenger side to reach out the window to mailboxes strung along country roads and — from there — must also accelerate, brake and steer.

via ‘Wrong side’ mail drivers push the envelope daily – Roanoke.com.

click here

via National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.

Rural Carriers

In accordance with provisions of Article 9, Section 2.J.3 of the Rural Carrier National Agreement, effective April 7, 2012 (Pay Period 09-12), the equipment maintenance allowance (EMA) will increase from 70.0 cents per mile to 71.5 cents per mile. The EMA is 71.5 cents per mile, or a minimum of $28.60 per day, whichever is greater.

Auxiliary Rural Carriers, Rural Carrier Reliefs, Rural Carrier Associates, Rural Carrier Part-Time Flexibles, and Auxiliary Assistance

Employees providing auxiliary assistance or serving auxiliary routes under provisions of Article 9, Section 2.J.5, receive an EMA of 71.5 cents per mile or $7.75 per hour, whichever is greater. This EMA should not exceed the amount provided in the special equipment maintenance allowance for the route stops and miles.

EMA Rate Schedule

The EMA rate schedule on pages 62–63 supersedes all previously published EMA schedules for employees receiv­ing EMA.

via Finance.

We are very concerned about the proposed elimination of six-day delivery. In fact, our officers meet constantly with senators and Senate staff to maintain six-day delivery. Although we won’t be attending April 12th events, there’s still a way for you to stay involved: Contact your members of Congress.

The NRLCA is at its most effective when you contact your members of Congress and tell them your story. Get involved today by telling Congress six-day delivery is vital. Tell Capitol Hill to preserve six-day mail delivery in S. 1789.

via National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.

A motion-to-proceed vote offered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) failed to garner the 60 votes needed to begin debate on a final version of the bill. Today’s development could mean we won’t see action on S. 1789 until April 16, when senators return from a two-week Easter recess.

Before the vote, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) appealed to colleagues on the floor: “Anytime when the Postal Service is facing extreme competition from e-mail and the internet, in my view, the last thing you want to do in this country is slow mail service… If we are serious about protecting America, and if we are serious about protecting 3,600 rural post offices… and we don’t want to slow or delay service… I think it is important we have that debate.”

Check our website’s legislative page for future updates.

via National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.

On May 1st 1974, The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was amended to include all Postal employees.  It was not until sometime later that year that the Postal Service and the NRLCA became aware of the serious impact it would have on the Rural Carrier Pay system.  In its current form it was not compatible with the FLSA. 

In its normal application, Section 7(a) requires that overtime compensation is payable at 150% of the regular hourly rate for any week that an employee actually works in excess of 40 hours.  Most rural carriers worked nearly every week in excess of 40 hours.  Although the evaluated system is computed at an overtime rate for all hours in excess of 40, it is not considered overtime because it is considered a basic annual salary. 

Unless a solution to the problem could be found, the time honored pay system for rural carriers would have to have been abandoned and would have to go to straight hourly rate of pay.  

Download the History of FLSA and the rural craft

Our 1st goal is to raise awareness of just how important it is to vote for your delegates. Our 2nd goal is to try to give some information on who the delegates are and how they feel about the issues this craft is facing.

I hear time and time again from carriers who wish they could find out more information about the Delegate candidates before they cast their Delegate ballot.  They want to know whether a carrier is working or retired, a regular carrier or an RCA, how they feel about having National conventions every other year, and so on.    The problem is no identifiable information is allowed on the ballot aside from the names.

What most carriers end up doing is voting by name recognition.  They think, hey, Ive heard that name before, I will just vote for them.  Which sometimes it might be a good vote for you to make, but we can never be sure can we?  That is what I aim to do with the Delegate Awareness Project.  I want to provide information for carriers that are voting on Delegates and give Delegate candidates a chance to share their ideas and thoughts on the future of the rural craft.

There are a lot of Delegate candidates willing to tell us their ideas and thoughts on the future of this craft, but there are far more that will not.  Most States pay to send Delegates to the National Convention.  That means your dues pay to send Delegates to the National Convention.  You and I deserve more information about who we are voting for.

So please ask those carriers that you know that are running to be a Delegate at the National Convention to come to this site and tell you their thoughts and ideas on the future of the rural craft.   And please check back to the site often to see if more have added their information.  Don’t let your VOTE go to waste and exercise one of the most important rights we have!!

And please, please dont throw that ballot away when you get it!  The Delegates you send to the National are sent there on your behalf.   If you do not vote, then someone else voted in your place.

Download the Delegate Awareness flyer –  Hand it out to every rural carrier you know!!

Submit your listing – If you are running for National Delegate, please add your listing to the site today!  It takes a few minutes, but might gain you some votes!

Not sure how it all works?  Click here  for all the information you need.

Why is this so important? -  Read an editorial on why this project is important.

Please Share this post and help me spread the word!  Visit the Delegate Awareness Project today!!

First of all make sure you have your USPS Employee ID and your 4 digit USPS pin number. If you do not have these, you will not be able to log into ejob bidding. The first thing you do is go to the USPS Liteblue website and enter your ID and 4 digit pin number. If you do not know your pin number, or have lost it, there is a place to click if you have forgotten your pin number. For step by step directions on how to bid online, download the following power point presentation. It should show you all you need to know about the online bidding. Good luck!

Download the online job bidding presentation

Addressing the importance of the bipartisan postal reform bill she has cosponsored with Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Scott Brown (R-MA).,  Sen. Collins stated of her working relationship with Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe that “It is clear we have two very different visions on how best to help the Postal Service. While each of us wants to ensure the Postal Service is set on a sustainable path, I fear Mr. Donahoe’s approach would shrink the Postal Service to a level that will ultimately hasten its insolvency.”

Despite months of working with the Postmaster General in order to mutually agree on a bill to save the Postal Service, Mr. Donahoe has pushed forward with plans to lower service standards, reduce the Postal Service’s workforce and raise prices in a scheme which analysts predict will eventually push customers towards delivery alternatives. As customers turn towards these alternatives, “they won’t be coming back, and the Postal Service will be sucked into a death spiral.”

As the financial condition of the Postal Service heads towards the breaking point, the NRLCA will continue to support and work closely with Senator Collins in order to preserve the financial viability of the Postal Service.

Click here to view the text of Senator Collin’s remarks…

via National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.

More information to follow as the story develops…

via National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.

Click here to view the 2012 Rural Carrier Benefit Plan Brochure…

via National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.

Any residual route that was withheld per the August 15, 2011 MOU, that is not in an office scheduled for implementation of or currently receiving DPS Flats and was not reduced to 26:00 standard hours or less, must be posted within 30 days of March 24, 2012.  These routes will not be considered newly vacant routes and therefore are not subject to the provisions of Article 12.3.A.2.a (60 day extension for consolidation, adjustment or conversion).

Without a mutual agreement of the parties to extend the MOU, the terms provided in this MOU expired on March 24, 2012.  The following is intended to clarify several issues regarding the expiration of the MOU.

Q. When will the withheld residual regular routes in offices not currently receiving DPS Flats and those not scheduled to receive DPS Flats be posted?

A.  Residual vacant routes in offices that are not currently receiving DPS Flats and not scheduled for implementation of DPS Flats must be posted within 30 days of March 24, 2012. (April 23, 2012)

Q.  What happens if an adjustment or consolidation is pending on a withheld residual vacancy, yet the adjustment or consolidation was not completed by March 24, 2012?

A.  All adjustments or consolidations to withheld residual vacancies, in those offices not scheduled for implementation of or currently receiving DPS flats, should have been completed by March 24, 2012 or the routes will be posted.

Q.  What happens to auxiliary routes that are evaluated at 39 standard hours or more on March 24, 2012?

A. In offices not scheduled for implementation of or currently receiving DPS Flats, auxiliary routes that remain 39 standard hours or more will be converted to regular routes within 30 days of March 24, 2012 without requirement of mail count, and will be posted within 30 days from the date of conversion.

Q.  What happens to currently withheld residual routes and auxiliary routes that are 39 standard hours or more in offices that are receiving DPS Flats or are scheduled for implementation of DPS Flats?

A.  In offices scheduled for implementation of or currently receiving DPS Flats, withheld vacant routes will continue to be held and auxiliary routes will not be converted to regular at this time.  Any new residual vacancies resulting from postings of newly vacant routes will also be withheld in these offices.  A subsequent MOU will address withheld residual routes and auxiliary routes in these offices.

Q. When an auxiliary route is converted to a regular route, does the assigned leave replacement, normally a Designation 79, serve as the leave replacement for the regular route?

A.  No.  This is a new regular route and therefore, there is a leave replacement vacancy which is to be filled in accordance with Article 30.2.E.1. of the National Agreement.

Q.  When a withheld residual vacancy has been reduced to 26 standard hours or less and is converted to an auxiliary route, will the leave replacement that has been serving the regular route, normally a Designation 74, be assigned to this auxiliary route?

A.  No.  This is a new auxiliary route and therefore it will be filled in accordance with Article 30.2.G. of the National Agreement.

via National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.

Therefore, in accordance with the provisions of Article 9, Section 2.J.3 of the USPS/NRLCA National Agreement, effective April 7, 2012 (Pay Period 09-12), the Equipment Maintenance Allowance (EMA) will increase from 70.0 cents per mile to 71.5 cents per mile, or a minimum of $28.60 per day, whichever is greater.

Auxiliary Rural Carriers, Rural Carrier Reliefs, Rural Carrier Associates, Rural Carrier Part-Time Flexibles, and Auxiliary Assistance.

Employees providing auxiliary assistance or serving auxiliary routes under the provisions of Article 9, Section 2.J.5, will receive EMA of 71.5 cents per mile or $7.75 per hour, whichever is greater. The EMA will not exceed the amount provided in the special EMA chart for route stops and miles.

Please note that the latest EMA Chart will be posted upon receipt

via National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association.

via National Rural Letter Carriers Association.