Part-time Flexible Rural Carriers, Substitutes,
Rural Carrier Associates, and Rural Carrier Relief Employees
37. Article 30.2.A.3. indicates that the establishment of a part-time flexible rural carrier assignment is at the discretion of the Employer. Is there any formula used to trigger the establishment of the PTF rural carrier?
A. There is no formula used to determine when a PTF rural carrier assignment must be established. A regular rural carrier is entitled to have a leave replacement assigned to his or her route. If management is unsuccessful in its attempts to obtain an RCA or TRC and the route requesting an assigned leave replacement is a K route, the next step would be to establish a PTF rural carrier assignment.
38. Article 30.2.A.2 states that regular rural carriers shall have the right to require that a leave replacement be assigned to their route. How long does the Employer have to make the assignment after the regular carrier invokes this requirement?
A. Management has a reasonable period of time (120 days) to assign a leave replacement. If management is unsuccessful in its attempt to obtain an RCA or TRC, then a PTF rural carrier position may be established in the office or the route may be added to an existing PTF assignment.
39. When a regular rural carrier has requested that a leave replacement be assigned to his or her route and management is unable to obtain an RCA or TRC, will management be required to establish a PTF position?
A. If the office in which the regular carrier who has requested a leave replacement has only one route, no K routes, or where the PTF would only be assigned one K route, management will not be required to establish a PTF position. Management would continue in its attempt to obtain and RCA or TRC.
40. Management shall continue to make every effort to expeditiously fill leave replacement vacancies when they occur. If PTF assignments are created is it necessary to maintain hiring registers for rural carrier associates?
A. Yes. Management must ensure that efforts to recruit, test, and hire continue accordingly. Rural carrier examinations must continue to be administered and hiring worksheets maintained in all districts. In addition, recruitment and hiring of TRCs should also continue.
41. How many regular routes may a PTF rural carrier be assigned as a primary leave replacement?
A. A PTF rural carrier may be assigned as the primary leave replacement on no less than two (2) and no more than five (5) K routes provided all the assigned routes have different scheduled relief days.
42. Can a PTF rural carrier have assignments in more than one office?
A. No, but a PTF may be assigned to routes in different delivery units within the same office.
43. Can a PTF rural carrier have a dual appointment?
A. No.
44. Can a PTF rural carrier be detailed to a higher level assignment?
A. No.
45. If a PTF is appointed as an RCA in accordance with Article 30.2.A.1., will the career benefits of the PTF continue in the RCA assignment?
A. No. The career benefits will not continue if the PTF is appointed as an RCA. However, this employee will be eligible for leave earning as an RCA in accordance with Article 30.2.
46. If every route in the office has a leave replacement, and a PTF is assigned to 3, 4, or 5 routes, is the Employer permitted to hire RCAs or TRCs, or accept RCA transfers and take an assigned route from the PTF?
A. The Employer may hire RCAs or TRCs, and will take one of the routes from the PTF for assignment to the new employee. However, management may not reduce the PTF below 2 K routes. The Employer may not accept the transfer of an RCA as there is no leave replacement vacancy.
47. If an additional route assignment(s) becomes available and there is more than one PTF rural carrier in the office; how is it determined which PTF will be given another assignment?
A. There is no criteria, including seniority, used to determine which PTF will be given an additional assignment. However, PTFs may not be assigned to more than 5 K routes and can not be assigned to 2 or more K routes having the same relief day. Assignments will be at management’s discretion and several factors may be used when making the determination, such as the relief day of the route to be assigned.
48. Who is eligible to bid for a posted PTF rural carrier assignment?
A. All substitutes and RCAs who have completed the probationary period in the office are eligible to bid on PTF rural carrier positions.
49. Is an RCA assigned to an auxiliary route (Designation 79) or serving a vacant regular route (designation 74) eligible to bid for a posted PTF rural carrier position?
A. Yes.
50. Will the senior substitute or RCA in the office be automatically awarded a posted PTF position, regardless of whether or not they bid for the position?
A. No. Only those substitutes and RCAs who bid for a posted PTF position will be considered for those assignments.
51. Is an RCA who is temporarily unable to fully perform the duties of the position eligible to bid for a posted PTF rural carrier position?
A. No. The RCA must be able to perform all the duties of the PTF position at the time that the bid is awarded. See: [Q & A on 30.2.A.3. re. "qualified individuals with disabilities"]
Q. Are PTF rural carriers eligible to bid on district-wide postings?
A. The parties agree that part-time flexible rural carriers are eligible to bid on district-wide postings of part-time flexible rural carrier assignments.
52. If a PTF rural carrier is converted to a regular carrier creating a PTF vacancy, is management required to fill this vacancy?
A. No. Management is not required to retain the PTF position. Management will have the option of eliminating the position or posting it in accordance with the appropriate provisions of the Extension to the 1995 Agreement. The position may be eliminated by obtaining RCAs or TRCs for each route, or assigning those routes to other PTFs in the office.
53. Will the leave replacement assignment list (matrix) still be used in each office showing the primary leave replacement for each route and the second and third leave replacements to be utilized on each route? How does the PTF fit into the matrix?
A. Yes. The matrix will still be posted and utilized in each office. The PTF rural carrier will be shown on the matrix only as the primary leave replacement to those K routes to which he or she is assigned.
54. How will the provisions of the Extension to the 1995 Agreement change the look of the matrix?
A. The provisions of the Extension do not require any changes to the matrix. However, management may wish to change the matrix to reflect the appropriate relief day for each regular route.
55. Can management utilize a PTF rural carrier prior to the designated second or third leave replacement?
A. Yes. A PTF rural carrier may be utilized before a substitute, RCA, or RCR on any route except for the primary assignment or the six-day auxiliary route assignment.
56. Can a substitute, RCA, or RCR be utilized on a route that they are not designated on as the primary, second, or third leave replacement?
A. Yes. When management selects a regular carrier to work the relief day, the leave replacement may be required to work any route in the delivery unit. In addition, if management is unable to provide coverage for a route utilizing qualified leave replacements within the delivery unit, any other leave replacement may be assigned to the route prior to utilizing a regular rural carrier to work on his or her relief day.
57. If a PTF is entitled to 36 hours per week because this is the total of the daily evaluation of each of the primary assignments, and the actual work hours to serve these assignments are less than 36 hours, must management provide additional work for the PTF?
A. No. Although the PTF may have completed the primary assignments in less than 36 hours, they will be compensated for 36 hours, the evaluation of each of the assigned routes.
58. A PTF is entitled to the total of the daily evaluation of each of the assigned primary routes. In this example, the PTF is entitled to 36 hours per week (4 9-hour routes). The PTF serves 3 of the assigned primary routes (27 evaluated hours) with total work hours for these 3 routes equal to 25 hours. On the fourth day the PTF serves a route other than one of his primary assignments with an evaluation of 7 hours which he completes in 7 hours. Is the PTF entitled to 2 hours of work in that week to meet the entitlement as provided in Article 30.2.O?
A. Yes. In this case, the PTF is entitled to 36 evaluated hours for the week (the total of one day’s evaluation of each of the primary assignments). The PTF actually worked 32 hours for the week including one route other than his or her primary assignments. The PTF will receive 34 evaluated hours and should be provided 2 additional hours work during the remainder of the week
59. If a PTF is entitled to 45 hours per week, the total of the daily evaluation of each of the assigned primary routes (5 9-hour routes), and is granted annual leave for the entire week; does his or her entitlement for the week change?
A. The maximum number of leave hours granted per week is 40 hours. A PTF may not use leave to generate overtime. Therefore, in situations when the carrier is on leave and the total of the daily evaluations exceeds 40 hours, the carrier’s entitlement would be limited to 40 hours.
60. In this scenario, a PTF is entitled to 36 hours per week. The PTF serves 3 of the assigned primary routes for a total of 27 paid hours. The PTF is granted annual leave instead of serving the fourth primary assignment. The PTF is authorized no more than 8 hours leave in one day. Is this PTF entitled to an additional hour of annual leave to bring the total hours for the week to 36 hours?
A. The PTF may request the number of annual leave hours necessary to meet the entitlement for the week. However, leave cannot be authorized if a carrier is in an overtime situation, i.e. actual work hours exceed 40 hours per week.
61. If one of the primary routes assigned to the PTF becomes vacant or the regular carrier is on extended leave; will the PTF be entitled to serve the route full time?
A. No. The PTF has no entitlement to serve the route full time. Management may utilize the PTF on the route or utilize other leave replacements in accordance with Article 30.2.D.
62. Are PTF rural carriers permitted to place their name on the Sunday work list?
A. No. However, management may use PTFs to work on Sunday before selecting other leave replacement employees on the Sunday work list.
63. If a PTF loses his or her driving privileges, are they permitted to provide a licensed driver meeting the Employer’s driving standards to drive for them?
A. No.
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