Old Dirty Base Time - Part II X Max

Greetings Brothers and Sisters and happy and joyous holidays to all of you and yours.   May the conclusion of 2023 bring you solace and peace knowing that you provided for family and as well as brought good service to your customers. Here is the second part of my article last issue.

Hold mail- Letter carriers also should be afforded the proper amount of office time to process hold mail. Mail may be held for many reasons, including customers being temporarily away or on a 10-day hold in anticipation of processing a change of address. The procedures for processing hold mail vary based on the type of mail and the reasons for the hold. These procedures are explained in depth in Chapter 2 of Handbook M-41. Whatever the reason mail is being held, letter carriers should process this mail on office time.  Handbook provisions instruct management to have letter carriers retain hold mail at the carrier case. This language is found in Section 117 of Handbook M-39:

117.1 Workroom Floor Layout

k. Hold Mail. Instruct the carrier to place hold mail in a central location only when space is not available at the carrier’s case.

10-minute breaks.  City letter carriers are entitled to two paid 10-minute rest breaks during each eight-hour workday. One of these rest breaks may be taken in the office-on-office time if your local branch has chosen this option. The negotiated two 10-minute break periods are the required minimum.  Longer breaks may be established by past practice or by the local memorandum of understanding (LMOU). Letter carriers are required to take the negotiated breaks. The Joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM) on page 41- 28 explains this requirement as follows:

National Arbitrator Britton ruled that the Postal Service must ensure that all employees stop working during an office break. Contractual breaks must be observed and cannot be waived by employees (H4N-3D-C 9419, Dec. 22, 1988, C-08555).

If your Office has an office break, letter carriers must take this break on office time. During the route inspection process, letter carriers receive credit for this office break on the PS Form 1838-C, and it is included in the office time evaluation for each route. Letter carriers should never skip their negotiated rest breaks whether they are taken in the office or on the street.

BUT WAIT THERES MORE!  If you act now, you get PM Fixed Office time for the low price of completing P.M. office duties!! In some locations, supervisors instruct letter carriers to complete their assigned p.m. office duties within a predetermined amount of time. Oftentimes, afternoon office duties can be unclear for city letter carriers. Section 4 of Handbook M-41 specifies what duties letter carriers should perform as p.m. office functions after clocking back in from the street. The Supervisor’s responsibilities can be found in Handbook M-39. Those duties include the following:

Section 127 Office Work When Carriers Return from Route The carrier unit managers must observe and direct carrier activity when carriers return from the route. Observe such things as:

a. See that carriers promptly clock in on return to office.

c. See that clerks are available to check in accountable items as efficiently and promptly as possible.

As indicated, handbook provisions state carriers should clock back into the office immediately after unloading their vehicle and before disposition of collected mail. This is indicated in Section 42 of Handbook M-41:

42 Disposition of Collected Mail Place the mail collected on designated table or in receptacles.

Sorting of outgoing collection mail and all other end of day activities should be conducted on office time. Letter carriers also should return accountable items to the clearing clerk for proper clearance while on office time, as indicated in Section 43 of Handbook M-41 and Section 127.c of Handbook M-39 cited above. See the following sections of Handbook M-41 for detailed explanations of the p.m. office duties pertaining to accountable items:

43 Clearance for Accountable Items

431 Keys

432 Registered and Certified

433 Insured Mail

434 CODs

435 Customs Duty Mail

436 Postage Due

Processing of undelivered mail also should be performed on office time, whether this mail is processed in the morning or in the afternoon upon return from the route. Section 44 of Handbook M-41 explains this requirement:

44 Undelivered Mail

441 Processing Undelivered Mail Follow procedures listed in part 24 to process forwardable and undeliverable mail (1) that you didn’t process before leaving the office and/or (2) that you picked up on route. After processing, place this mail in throwback case, as explained in part 24.

442 Completing PS Form 1571

442.1 After return from your trip, obtain PS Form 1571, Undelivered Mail Report, 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.

There is no set time in which the above duties must be performed. These duties are equally as important as morning office or street duties. Letter carriers still are responsible for estimating the amount of time it will take to complete their assigned duties. Likewise, management still has a responsibility to manage that workload within the confines of the handbook language. Important to know your obligation to inform Management when you cannot complete your assignment within the time that they instruct.

Orally inform your manager: Sections 131.41 and 131.42 of Handbook M-41 require you to orally inform your manager when you believe you cannot carry all the mail distributed to your route in eight hours or within your normal schedule.

Request PS Form 3996: Section 122.33 of Handbook M-39 requires the manager to provide you with a PS Form 3996 when requested. When you request a 3996, no matter what your manager says to you, say, “I am requesting a 3996,” and explain the reasons for your request. If you are denied the form, immediately request to see your shop steward.

Don’t argue or negotiate: There is no reason to argue or quibble about your projected street time. The best thing you can do is tell Management that you will do your best and ask for a copy of your 3996. Finish your office work and go to the street. All you have to do is your best. Work professionally. Never compromise your safety or skip breaks or lunches to make it back to the office by a certain time. Make sure you call or send a RIMS message in a timely fashion if you cannot comply with their instructions on you return time.

If letter carriers are not allowed to perform office duties, or if they are not afforded adequate time to perform these duties, the Shop Steward or branch officer should be notified so they can investigate and, if appropriate, file a grievance.

REMEMBER:  For most of USPS Customers we are the face of the USPS. The Relationship between us and our customers is the single most important factor in the survivability of the USPS going into the future.  Our customers vote on many key pieces of legislation that can either sustain us or mortally wound us.  Don’t take the poor leadership of bad Managers out to the street with you. How you treat people matters! Ho Ho Ho.