I like to welcome all our newly hired brothers and sisters to the U.S. Postal Service. We have created this page with information to help guide you through your career at USPS. The NALC, The National Association of Letter Carriers is here to help you with any questions about the job. Feel free to explore this page and our website from Knowing Your Rights to our Local Union Events. We are looking forward to meeting and greeting all of you at our Union Meetings and our Annual Events.
NALC Branch 294 President Tony Paolillo
News & information
January 23, 2020 - In all offices, CCAs who have at least 30 months of relative standing on February 15th to be converted to career status

NALC and USPS have settled a national-level grievance regarding non-compliance with the contractual caps on the employment of City Carrier Assistants (CCAs). This settlement (M-01906) provides that all city carrier assistants in any size office with 30 months of relative standing on February 15, 2020, will be converted to career status within 60 days from the signing of the agreement on January 22, 2020. CCAs meeting this criteria in 200-workyear offices or larger will be converted to full-time regular, and CCAs meeting this criteria in all other offices will be converted to part-time flexible.

Select districts will make conversions to career status in addition to those described above.  The districts where these conversions will take place and the number of months of relative standing to be used are identified in the settlement.  The criteria for these additional conversions will otherwise be the same. All CCAs converted to career status in accordance with this settlement will be converted within their current installation.

NALC projects this settlement will result in almost 4,800 CCA conversions to career status, including approximately 3,000 conversions to part-time flexible in smaller offices.

Local Taxes IT-2104 needs to be filed with the USPS
by all Employees in Local Tax Code Area otherwise nothing will be taken out so check your records
Any Questions call Accounting Help Desk (866)974-2733

ROUTE HOLD-DOWNS


All CCAs can take a route Hold-Down after they been working on the job over 60 days. You don't have to be off your 90 Day Probation to apply so consult your Shop Steward or Union Office if you have a problem. You can only take a route hold-down but not a floater unless the manager assigns you to it and you may be entitled to the higher pay of that position so consult your Shop Steward if that happens. Once on that Hold-Down you assume the schedule of that route including rotating days off. To apply you can use this form or ask for a buck slip from you manager to apply. Always make a copy for you and your Shop Steward.

Updated March 2020

Strike of 1970

CCAs: Understanding your health insurance options
Click here to read a letter from NALC Health Benefit Plan Director Brian Hellman that helps to clarify some complicated issues surrounding health insurance for CCAs and to ensure that all CCAs understand their options and rights under the NALC’s National Agreement with the Postal Service.
Extending Coverage for Young Adults. Under the law, young adults will be allowed to stay on their parents’ plan until they turn 26 years old (in the case of existing group health plans, this right does not apply if the young adult is offered insurance at work). Check with your insurance company or employer to see if you qualify.

What is an Investigatory Interview?

An investigatory interview is one in which a Supervisor questions an employee to obtain information which could be used as a basis for discipline or asks an employee to defend his/her conduct. If an employee has a reasonable belief that discipline or discharge may result from what s/he says, the employee has the right to request Union representation.

Examples of such an interview are:

  1. The interview is part of the employer's disciplinary procedure or is a component of the employer's procedure for determining whether discipline will be imposed.

  2. The purpose of the interview is to investigate an employee's performance where discipline, demotion or other adverse consequences to the employee's job status or working conditions are a possible result.

  3. The purpose of the interview is to elicit facts from the employee to support disciplinary action that is probable or that is being considered, or to obtain admissions of misconduct or other evidence to support a disciplinary decision already made.

  4. The employee is required to explain his/her conduct, or defend it during the interview, or is compelled to answer questions or give evidence.
It is an obligation of the Union to educate bargaining unit employees about their Weingarten rights BEFORE an occasion to use them arises. An employee must state to the employer that he/she wants a Union representative present; the employer has no obligation to ask: the employee if she/he wants a representative.

Weingarten Rules

When an investigatory interview occurs, the following rules apply:

Rule 1 - The employee must make a clear request for Union representation before or during the interview. The employee can't be punished for making this request.

Rule 2 - After the employee makes the request, the supervisor has 3 options. S/he mug either: Grant the request and delay the interview until the Union representative arrives and has a chance to consult privately with the employee: or Deny the request and end the interview immediately; or Give the employee a Choice of: 1)having the interview without representation or 2) ending the interview

Rule 3 - If the supervisor denies the request and continues to ask questions, this is an unfair labor practice and the employee has a right to refuse to answer. The employee cannot be disciplined for such refusal but is required to sit there until the supervisor terminates the interview. Leaving before this happens may constitute punishable insubordination.

Union Representative's Rights Under Weingarten

You are not required to merely be 'silent witness'. You have the right to: be informed by the supervisor of the subject matter of the interview take the employee aside for a private conference before questioning begins speak during the interview request that the supervisor clarify a question so that what is being asked is understood give employee advice on how to answer a question provide additional information to the supervisor at the end of the questioning. You do not have the right to tell the employee not to answer nor, obviously, to give false answers. An employee can be disciplined for refusing to answer questions.

A standard statement to suggest to members is:

"If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or discharged, request that my Union representative be present at the meeting. Without representation, I choose not to answer any questions."
The employer will be ordered to cease and desist and to post a notice. Discipline that is imposed for insisting on Weingarten rights will be overturned. Discipline will not be overturned if the discipline was for reasons other than insistence on Weingarten rights. Although information gained by the Employer from the employee in a meeting during which a breach of Weingarten rights occurred, may be excluded from a hearing on the matter.

An employee has NO right to the presence of a Union representative where:

  1. The meeting is merely for the purpose of conveying work instructions, training, or communicating needed corrections in the employee's work techniques.

  2. The employee is assured by the employer prior to the interview that no discipline or employment consequences can result from the interview.

  3. The employer has reached a final decision to impose certain discipline on the employee prior to the interview, and the purpose of the interview is to inform the employee of the discipline or to impose it.

  4. Any conversation or discussion about the previously determined discipline which is initiated by the employee and without employer encouragement or instigation after the employee is informed of the action.

Even in the above four (4) circumstances, the employee can still ask for representation. Most employers will permit a representative to attend even when not required to.

CCA annual uniform allowance: Memorandum of understanding M-01822 provides details on the annual uniform allowance for CCA employees, information on the procedures, instructions, and a sample letter from the USPS to authorized uniform vendors.

To all new City Carrier Assistants
We are collecting uniforms and other gear from our Union Brothers and Sisters both working and retired from our branch. Feel free to contact our Union Office to see what is available for your needs on the job.

Darkness, Safety and You