TIAREAP - The T Stands for Trouble
On May 10, the Postal Service and NALC agreed to a new joint route evaluation and adjustment process memorialized in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Re: Technology Integrated Alternate Route Evaluation and Adjustment Process (TIAREAP) Which is broken down into three parts; M-01982, M-01983 and M-01984.
Under these MOUs, the parties have agreed to evaluate and adjust city routes until the end of 2023. TIAREAP contains many provisions like previous joint processes before it IRAP, MIRAP, JRAP and CDRAAP, with the added use of new USPS technologies. One new USPS system being used when evaluating street time is Digital Street Review (DSR). DSR uses GPS breadcrumb data obtained from the Mobile Delivery Device (MDD) to create a daily, virtual PS Form 3999. This data is then reviewed and interpreted by the route evaluation and adjustment teams for use in street evaluation and creation of a manual PS Form 3999-DSR.
Some of the fundamental differences with the new TIAREAP, and in my opinion why the National Union likes it, is that TIAREAP uses GPS and Geofence technology to make “walked” unnecessary. I believe that clearly, we are all lab rats working on the BETA version of what will become a more streamlined process.
That is why conversations like these are so important. The changes are happening around us faster than ever. As a result, it has become more and more important to focus on how best to protect our Routes and our Jobs. The following information is based on the accuracy of the assumption above. Keep in mind that the process is likely to evolve and Branch 6000 will have to evolve with it.
It is important that we all start to focus on the Best Practices for the TIAREAP environment. These practices are in line with the TIAREAP MOUs, the M-39, the M-41 as well as good ideas going forward.
· Make sure you always carry your Scanner to eliminate unnecessary idle time.
· Carriers should Scan Parcels and Accountable Mail at the delivery point
· Carriers should take lunch, breaks, personal time, and take notes on the times and locations where they do so. They may be asked about it later at the Consults.
· Carriers should be delivering the route as it is in their case and edit book.
· Carriers should be updating their edit books on a regular basis making sure that the Form 1564 is updated, accurate and all items completed.
· Any unusual routes or delivery points that are out of the ordinary should be reported to the Local Contact, so that information can be given to the REAT team.
· Stewards should be actively engaged with the process and may want to consider discussing being designated as the Local Contact with their Full-Time Officer.
· Have an explanation if you leave the territory of your Route for any reason, especially for Lunch Breaks or Comfort Stops. (GioFence)
· Document No-Lunches and Leave.
· Take notes of Business Closed days/New Construction/Deliveries.
· Be aware of your Rough Cull and their relay-time before and after Relays/Loops for P&L.
· Be aware of the time it takes for and where you switch and replenish trays on Mounted and Mixed Deliveries.
Late 2022 I was informed that my home office was being selected by Management to be placed on the process. As a result, I have become the Local Office Contact (LOC). Local Office Contacts (LOCs). The LOCs, One NALC and one USPS representative, selected by local branch president and district manager (or designee) are responsible to complete Local Office Pre-evaluation Questionnaire, review the current seniority list, vacancy/replacement carrier information, potential data integrity issues, PS Form 3999 data and any Assistance with territory adjustments, reading the TIAREAP MOUS and becoming familiar with the process, communication between REAT and all local parties - carriers, supervisors, union stewards, postmasters/station managers, perform jointly conduct carrier stand-up talk, provide carriers with evaluated times prior to adjustment consultation, ensuring Workhour Workload Report is posted daily.
When acting as the LOC, the priority in preparation is to review your Local Memorandum of Understanding (LMOU) or “Local”. For a possible adjustment through the TIAREAP process. It will be important to be able to prove whether your station has an Office break or two (2) Street breaks, Longer AM and PM washup times, or an additional washup after Lunch. If your LMOU fails to demonstrate language, you may want to explore substantiating a Past Practice that covers any of these issues, if the issues meet the criteria of Article 5 of the NA.
The Second thing you should do is review and complete the LOC questionnaire included in the packet. It is important that you conduct interviews with some of the Carriers about the information asked and make sure that you have a consensus on the information.
The following information I feel is important to relay to the membership so that we can focus on the best practices to provide our customers the safest, best service and at the same time preserving our assignments It is very important to differentiate the duties that we are supposed to be performed in the Office vs Street time.
Office time is composed of two parts - our Fixed Office Time (FOT) and the casing of mail. The casing of mail is either your demonstrated time or your base standard (8 flats/ 18 letters - per minute + 70 pieces per minute to pull the route down). Management is going to use the lowest of the two numbers. So, the faster you case mail, the lower your office time will be. SPRs are considered Flats. SPRs must be either cased up or trayed up on Office Time.
Fixed Office Time (FOT), at a minimum, should be either 33 minutes or 43 minutes depending on if you have a 10-minute office break, plus whatever extra time was either evaluated or negotiated during the last Count and Inspection. Keep in mind that approximately 15 minutes of your FOT is used in the afternoon for 3M, Nixie Mail, CFS, Holds, returning equipment, returning accountable Mail and scanner and afternoon washup. For this example, if the Carrier had 1 hour for his/her FOT, their office time would be 1:43. Hypothetically the corresponding Street Time would be 6:17 and the leave time projection would be 9:28, on a tour that started at 8:00 AM. However, keep in mind that these numbers can be wildly inaccurate due to changing regular carriers, FSS, COVID and Data integrity issues. As such, they should all be viewed as projections. M-01664 protected letter carriers from management’s use of DOIS time projections. The parties agreed that DOIS projections “are not the sole determinant of a carrier’s leaving or return time, or daily workload. As such, the projections cannot be used as the sole basis for corrective action.”
The Following is a list of Credited Fixed Office functions:
AM:
Getting and setting up Scanners
Inspecting your Vehicle
Equipment/Rubber bands/Hampers
Service/Safety Talks
Telephone/Counter Customer Communications
Handling Hold Mail
Counting Third Bundles
Cutting Straps and Shrink Wrap
Complete PS 3996 and PS 1571 Forms
Updating Forwards (1 x weekly)
Replenishing Forms (1 x weekly)
Travel to DPS (for Dismount Deliveries)
Checking for Sleepers/turning off case light
Retrieving SPRs
Throw Back Case /CFS/Nixie
Wash-Up
Management Inquirers
Five Minute Personal Time*
Review the Edit Book.
PM: 3M case, Nixie/Mark-Up, CFS/FWD, Hold Mail, returning equipment, clearing accountable, Returning Scanner, wash up, Rectifying Attempted Parcels
Street Time: The Route Evaluation and Adjustment Teams (REATs) will typically ask questions about several of these items during the initial consultations. These activities should be credited:
Load Time (Parcels Load Function)
Travel To/ from Route
Travel Within
Rough Cull (separate out going from all others)
Lunch (document no lunch)
Street Breaks (1 or 2?)
Comfort Stops/Personal Needs
Pickups
Relay Time
Collection Time
Deadhead Time
Gas Station
May Not be Credited: Miss Deliveries, Break Downs, Some Customer Contact, Animal Interference, Construction, Traffic, Unexplained Idle Time.
Digital Street Review (DSR) is the platform that the USPS is using to replace DOIS, or conventional PS 3999 Inspection of Letter Carrier Route forms. The DSR program uses the GPS and GEO Fence technology to track Letter Carriers every second of every day by dropping GPS breadcrumbs to create a virtual Route Walk every time you carry your route. The DSR Program will also make deductions based on assumptions that the program makes based upon the GPS data it collects. Theses deductions will show up as “disallowed” time on the DSR-3999. The program will also present the virtual line of travel in RED on the DSR-3999 if Carrier goes beyond certain time guidelines that have been affixed to a specific activity or duty. These items are also likely to brought up at the initial consultation. This is only a guideline of what will show up as RED on the DSR-3999:
Loading Time 22:00
Unloading Time 7:00
Signature Required Scan 3:00
Relay Time 1:35
Delivered/Other Scan 1:00
Miscellaneous Other (Stationary Time) 7:00
However, these are NOT time standards to be met by the Carriers. Carriers may be asked about the times during the initial consultations and should have a viable explanation for them.
