Contract provisions of Mutual Transfers

[Postaltexan]

Contract provisions of Mutual Transfers
First of all, there are ethics regulations concerning mutual transfers:

667.13 Paying for Exchange of Positions
It is unlawful for employees to give or receive payment, directly or indirectly, to affect an exchange
of position in the same or different postal units, or any place in the public service.
This offense is punishable by fine and imprisonment and disqualification from holding
any office in the federal government.

These articles show the rules of
a mutual transfer between regular rural carriers according to the
contract.

Article 12.5.A.3 deals with mutual transfers between regular rural carriers.

12.5.A.3. Regular rural carriers of different post offices may
affect a mutual exchange of offices, provided all
rural carriers and installation heads involved have
signed the Mutual Exchange Request Form. Once
the form is signed, the mutual exchange will be considered
final and binding and can only be canceled
if all parties agree. If such an exchange occurs,
each rural carrier will be assigned to the residual
vacancy at the office to which reassigned in accordance
with Article 12.3.A.1.d.

The term mutual transfer leads one to think you are trading places with
another rural carrier in a different office.  Actually, this is not exactly the
case.  You are in fact trading offices with each other, but you are not
trading exact routes.  

Remember the last sentence from the paragraph above..

If such an exchange occurs, each rural carrier will be assigned to the residual
vacancy at the office to which reassigned in accordance with Article 12.3.A.1.d.

12.3.A.d.  When rural carriers of different post offices
agree upon a mutual exchange of offices and if
all installation heads involved approve, the
position currently occupied and to be vacated
by each rural carrier will be posted for bid within
each of the respective offices. In any such
posting of routes, any carrier having retreat
rights shall be given the opportunity to bid.

Article 12 Section 2. Rural Carrier Seniority
In addition to the provisions listed below, rural carriers are
covered by the seniority provisions in Section l007 of the
Postal Reorganization Act, which are intended to prevail.

A. Accruing Seniority
Rural carrier seniority begins to accrue with appointment
as a regular rural carrier and continues to accrue while
service is uninterrupted in the same post office.

12.2.C.3 & 4  Relative Seniority Upon Reassignment

3. Whenever a rural carrier voluntarily transfers to a
rural carrier position in another post office, such as
a mutual exchange or as the result of applying for a
rural carrier vacancy, such carrier begins a new
period of seniority in the new office. Such employee
has no retreat rights or seniority protection.

4. When a rural vacancy is filled by voluntary transfer
of a rural carrier in accordance with Article
12.3.E.1, seniority for filling the position will be
determined on the basis of total service as a regular
rural carrier.

12.3.c.2 deals with Awarding a Vacant Route

2. The following shall be the order of consideration in the filling of a vacancy:
a. All regular rural carriers included in Section 1 above based on the seniority of the carrier.
b. The residual vacancy shall be awarded to a regular rural carrier who has been approved
for a mutual exchange at the office in accordance with Article 12.5.A.3. However, mutual
exchanges may not be approved in an office to which a rural carrier has retreat
rights or to an office that has excess rural carriers.

Section 3. Rural Carrier Posting

A. Posting Requirements
1. Posting of a regular route is required as follows:
d. When rural carriers of different post officesagree upon a mutual exchange of offices
and ifall installation heads involved approve, the position currently occupied and to be vacated
by each rural carrier will be posted for bid within each of the respective offices. In any such
posting of routes, any carrier having retreat rights shall be given the opportunity to bid.

Article 9.2.M. Training Pay
5. When a voluntary reassignment of a regular rural carrier occurs outside the delivery unit,
the regular carrier shall be scheduled for one (1) day of on-theclock familiarization training
on the new route. Such training should conform to the requirements of Handbook EL-701A,
New Employee Training for Non-maintenance Employees.