NRLCA APPEALS POSTAL SERVICE’S PROPOSED DPS FLATS STANDARD DIRECTLY TO PRIORITY NATIONAL ARBITRATION
On September 14, 2009, the NRLCA received the Postal Service’s official notification that it proposes to implement a new street standard for handling delivery point sequence (DPS) flats on rural routes with postal-owned vehicles. The Postal Service’s proposed standard is 69 pieces per minute or 39 pieces more per minute than the DPS letter mail standard. While the parties did conduct a joint study in an effort to reach agreement on a new DPS flats standard, the Postal Service determined that several of the timed elements captured during the study should not be factored into the new standard. We believe the Postal Service’s analysis of the joint study to be deeply flawed.
The NRLCA’s proposed DPS flats standard is 17 pieces per minute, which is supported by analysis from the Union’s industrial engineer.
Accordingly, on September 18, 2009, the NRLCA filed a direct appeal to priority National Arbitration. The parties have already reserved hearing dates in January 2010 with National Arbitrator Richard Bloch for this purpose. The issue before Arbitrator Bloch will be whether the national concepts involved in the Postal Service’s proposed time standard are fair, reasonable, and equitable.
Pursuant to Article 34 of the National Agreement, during the period prior to the issuance of the arbitrator’s award, the new time standard will not be implemented.
Of course, the National Board will keep you advised of any new developments in this critically important case.
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