Working at the Postal Service, many employees develop a pattern – report to work five days a week, 40 hours each week, and perform basically the same or similar duties every day. Employees also get used to seeing, for the most part, the same coworkers and supervisors. Periodically, employees check the available duty assignments that have been posted for bidding to see if they might want to make a change, but whatever job they are doing, they usually become accustomed to a certain repetition of work each day. Some clerks may not realize that there are other jobs in the Postal Service that could prove to be an interesting change.
Positions such as Data Collection Technician (DCT) and Address Management Systems (AMS) Technician do not often become available. They are Level 7 best-qualified jobs, which require the necessary KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) to meet the minimum qualifications. Positions like Bulk Mail Technician (BMT), Mailing Requirements Clerk (MRC), and Human Resources (HR) Clerk are also Level 7 but are senior-qualified jobs. These positions are fewer in number compared, for example, to Mail Processing Clerks (MPCs) or Sales and Service Associates (SSAs).
It is essential that locals pay particular attention to these types of positions. Certainly, not every postal facility will have these jobs, but if there have been duty assignments in which one or more of these positions existed in your office, you should determine if they are occupied, were reverted or abolished at some point, or inexplicably vanished.
As mail volume continues to decline, the Clerk Division has strived to find new and diverse types of work opportunities to maintain and expand the craft. As we tackle that challenging task, existing work in the Clerk Craft must be protected. The positions mentioned above are not typical of the duties performed by an MPC or SSA, so many times, duty assignments like these are out of sight, out of mind. That does not mean their work is insignificant. It is just not as noticeable as traditional distribution and window duties.
It is noteworthy that many BMTs, MRCs, DCTs, HR Clerks, and AMS Techs are very desirable duty assignments. Most are on Tour 2 with weekends off, in addition to the Level 7 pay. They are worth preserving whenever possible.
We suggest that locals investigate whether they have or have had any of these positions. Of course, all duty assignments should be monitored to maintain information on the jobs in each bid cluster. However, some positions discussed in this article have tended to “disappear” because of their unique scenarios of working out of sight of most employees. An examination of prior bid postings can be beneficial, even if the union must submit a request for information regarding the history of any past duty assignments.
If an established duty assignment, such as the positions discussed in this article, no longer exists, the cause must be determined. Keep in mind the time limits in Article 15 may be relevant, or it could be a continuous violation, depending on the circumstances. Article 1, Section 6 may apply, provided the duty assignment became vacant, was not reposted, and management is now performing the duties. The provisions of Article 1.5 concerning the assignment of non-supervisory, non-managerial work would help.
There are other ways to fight for the reposting or recreation of a duty assignment. Article 37.3.A.1 requires management to utilize all available work hours to create desirable duty assignments. With assistance from the Maximization and Desirable Duty Assignment Tool (MDAT) program, work hours can be charted accurately, and the hours that supervisors performed bargaining unit work can be incorporated to prove that a desirable duty assignment exists and should be posted for bid. Contact your local steward for further information.
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