NTFT Questions and Answers on the Contract

By Clint Burelson, President of the Olympia Local

The NTFT jobs will significantly affect current workers at the Post Office in a negative manner.  Based on my understanding of the proposed contract, I have created a few key questions and answers regarding the impact of NTFT jobs on current workers.

Question: I have a full-time job that is better than most of the jobs in my facility.  I am the senior employee in my section.  If the tentative agreement passes, can management take my full-time job away from me and convert it to a NTFT job?

Answer: Yes.  This answer is based on looking at the whole of the NTFT changes and particularly the change to Article 37, which if passed, will state:

“(5) Any occupied traditional full-time regular duty assignment which is converted to a non-traditional full-time assignment shall be reposted. Any occupied non-traditional full-time regular duty assignment which is converted to a traditional full-time assignment shall be reposted.” (page 190 in corrected copy of tentative agreement)

After your current bid job is converted to a NTFT job, you do have some protection.  For example, all the jobs in your section held by junior employees should be posted for in-section bidding.  However, the fact remains that the new contract will allow management to take away your current bid job and convert it to a NTFT job.

Question: In my facility, we have 100 full-time regular jobs in mail processing.  How many full-time regulars can have their jobs taken away and converted to NTFT jobs?

Answer: Management will be able to convert half the jobs in mail processing to NTFT jobs.  If ratified by the membership, the contract will state:

“In Function 1, no more than 50% of all duty assignments in the facility may be NTFT duty assignments of 30-48 hours, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties at the local level.” (page 189 in corrected copy of tentative agreement)

Question: In my facility, we have 25 full-time regular jobs in a station.  How many full-time regulars can have their jobs taken away and converted to NTFT jobs?

Answer:  Potentially all of them, given that management determines what is “operationally necessary.” If ratified by the membership, the contract will state:

“In Function 4, Management may create as many clerk NTFT duty assignments of 30-48 hours in a facility as is operationally necessary.”  (page 189 in corrected copy of tentative agreement)

Please correct me if the information above is inaccurate.  Everyone should fully understand the changes in the new contract before voting for their future and the future of others.