Get a Copy

On too many occasions letter carrier’s submit forms to a Supervisor or Postmaster and fail to obtain a copy of the form that they submitted to management to show that they actually made a specific request or notified management of an issue.  When a Letter Carrier fails to obtain a copy of a form more often than not problems arise that could shed doubt that request or notification was made by a Letter Carrier. If a Letter Carrier fails to obtain a copy of a request or notification a letter carrier puts themselves in danger of having to defend a specific position without proof that any such form was actually submitted to management by the carrier. Let’s review two of the more often used forms and some contractual language that emphasis a carrier’s right to obtain a copy.    

PS FORM 3996:

PS Form 3996 must be used by a letter carrier to tell your manager when you cannot complete your assignment in 8 hours. This responsibility for a letter carrier to inform their supervisor that they cannot complete their assignment in 8 hours is found in the Handbook M-41: City Delivery Carriers Duties and Responsibilities under section 131.41 and 131.42 and states:     

131.41 It is your responsibility to verbally inform management when you are of the opinion that you will be unable to case all mail distributed to the route, perform other required duties, and leave on schedule or when you will be unable to complete delivery of all mail.

131.42 Inform management of this well in advance of the scheduled leaving time and not later than immediately following the final receipt of mail. Management will instruct you what to do.

Do not be fooled by those supervisor’s who will tell you  that it is not necessary for them to hand you a PS FORM 3996 or they will give you one at a later time.  Many a letter carrier have had problem’s when not obtaining a PS FORM 3996 from their supervisor’s. Letter Carrier’s should not only request a copy of PS Form 3996 from their supervisor when applicably but also request a copy completed in full.

The supervisor must provide you with a copy when requested.  This requirement is not optionally nor may it be provided back to a letter carrier at a later time in the day or the next day. Management’s requirement to provide a copy of PS Form 3996 is found in Article 41 and States:  The Employer will advise a carrier who has properly submitted a Carrier Auxiliary Control Form 3996 of the disposition of the request promptly after review of the circumstances at the time. Upon request, a duplicate copy of the completed Form 3996 and Form 1571, Report of Undelivered Mail, etc., will be provided the carrier.

If a letter carrier’s request for a copy of 3996 is not provided by the supervisor, a letter carrier should notify their steward so a grievance can be filed if necessary.

PS FORM 1571:

PS Form 1571 is the form that letter carrier’s use to record undelivered or curtailed mail. The responsibility for a letter carrier to record undelivered or curtailed mail is found in the Handbook M-41: City Delivery Carriers Duties and Responsibilities under section 131.44, 131.45 and 131.46 and states:  

131.44 Report on Form 1571 all mail undelivered — including all mail distributed to the route but not cased and taken out for delivery. Estimate the number of pieces of mail.

131.45 Do not curtail or eliminate any scheduled delivery or collection trip unless authorized by a manager, in which case you must record all facts on Form 1571.

131.46 Before you leave the office, enter on Form 1571 the mail curtailed; when you return, add any mail which was not delivered and which was returned to the office. Follow any special local procedures set up to identify errors and corrective actions for mail returned because it was out of sequence.  

442.1 After return from trip, obtain Form 1571, Undelivered Mail Report, (see exhibit 442.1) from unit manager.

442.2 Add any mail which was not delivered but was returned to the office.

442.3 Sign the form and give it to a unit manager.

As noted in the language from the M-41 stated directly above it is the letter carrier’s responsibility to notify management of Undelivered mail whether it occurs because one curtailed mail in the AM (never curtail mail unless instructed to do so by a manager) or one brings undelivered mail back in the PM when a Carrier returns to the office after completion of their assignment.

Management however as stated in Handbook M-39 (Management of Delivery Services) has a responsibility to “Issue a Form 1571 to any carrier when instructed to curtailed mail and place what appropriate action the manager is taken on the PS Form 1571 including signing and dated the Form.  In addition the language in the M-39 also requires that management upon request from a letter carrier to return a duplicate of the completed form to them.

The exact language from Section 11.2(j) of the M-39 Handbook states.

j. Issue Form 1571 when the carrier is instructed to curtail mail, indicating action thereon. Upon request, a duplicate of the completed form will be provided the carrier.   

The requirement to provide a carrier with a copy of the completed PS Form 1571 is also found in the M-41 cited above. If a letter carrier’s request for a copy of PS Form 1571 is not provided by the supervisor, a letter carrier should notify their steward so a grievance can be filed if necessary.

The requirement for the two above forms to be filled out and the requirement for a Supervisor to provide a duplicate copy of the completed forms should be strictly enforced because when the requirements are done correctly it insures protection of any letter carrier that otherwise may have to answer allegations by management that a carrier failed to follow proper procedures.   

As stated above this article refers in detail to requirements related to PS Form 3996 and PS Form 1571. However it is highly recommended that whenever presenting a supervisor with any other form, notice or request it be done in writing and a copy be requested and returned to you.  This includes but not limited to PS Form 1767, PS Form 3971, PS Form 1723, Vehicle repair tags, Department of Labor Forms (Ca-1 Ca-2) and  request to hold down a vacant assignment, just to name a few.