National Associationof Letter Carriers

The Letter Carrier’s Guide

Dear Letter Carrier:

Greetings from the National Association of Letter Carriers andwelcome to your new job. As a letter carrier, you will performan important service for the American people. This is why let-ter carriers for generations have won the respect and admira-

tion of their fellow citizens. It is a recognition we have diligentlyearned.

For well over a century, letter carriers have joined together into astrong union. In fact, 2014 will mark our 125th anniversary as aunion; something we are very proud to celebrate. We represent allcity letter carriers in the Unites States. More than nine out of 10active carriers belong to the NALC.

We have created this booklet to tell you a little bit about our-selves—the history of the NALC, our internal makeup and the widerange of services we provide to all our members. But we would alsolike to give you a basic introduction to your job—your duties andresponsibilities as a letter carrier. As a letter carrier, you are the faceof the Postal Service, which is consistently voted the most trusted ofall government agencies. It is a responsibility that letter carriers takepride in fulfilling.

We are here to guide you and help you in your new job so that youmay enjoy a long and prosperous career as a letter carrier. Again, wel-come to your new job, and remember, the NALC is here to serve you.

In Solidarity,

Fredric V. RolandoPresident, National Association of Letter Carriers

TheLetter Carrier’s

Guide

National Associationof Letter Carriers100 Indiana Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20001

Table ofContents 4 You and

Your Union

28 The Contract,the Lawand You

44 Tipson YourJob

47 Appendix:For FurtherInformation

4 NALC’s Past: A RichTradition Steeped InStruggle

7 NALC’s Present:Membership Services

19 How the Union Works

19 NALC Is Democracy at Work

24 NALC and the LaborMovement

26 NALC and the Community

27 Your Place in NALC

28 Job Classifications

29 Work Schedules

29 Overtime Distribution

29 Wages

30 Leave

36 Grievance-ArbitrationProcedure

38 Probationary Period

39 Discipline

40 Seniority and RelativeStanding

40 Workers’ Compensation

43 Safey and Health

44 Sanctity of the Mail

45 Postal Inspectors/Office ofInspector General

45 Uniforms

46 Following Instructions of Your Manager

46 Working Off the Clock

47 Materials Available fromNALC

48 How To Order

Everyone loves their lettercarrier. That’s why thereis more to becoming a let-ter carrier than just doing

a job and collecting a paycheck.Letter carriers have a history, aspecial importance in Americansociety and a proud tradition ofunionism. More than 91 percentof our country’s letter carriershave chosen to take part in thattradition by joining the NationalAssociation of Letter Carriers.You should too, and we’repleased to tell you why.

NALC’s Past: A RichTradition Steeped inStruggleLong hours, low pay and car-

rying the mail every day of theyear—those were the condi-tions that led some 60 lettercarriers from 13 states to estab-lish the National Association ofLetter Carriers in 1889. Byfounding their own labor unionto fight for a decent living andjustice on the job, these earlyletter carriers were joining fel-low American workers in thefledgling labor movement ofthe late 19th century.From its inception until 1970,

the National Association ofLetter Carriers fought forwages and benefits in the hallsof Congress, because it was

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You andYour Union

wages were so low that somequalified for public assistanceprograms. By 1970, letter carri-ers’ patience had run out.In March 1970, letter carri-

ers in New York City went outon strike. Joined by carriersand other postal workersacross the country, the strikersultimately numbered 200,000strong.The strike rocked Congress

and the White House. InAugust of 1970, Congressenacted pay increases andpassed the Postal Reorganiza-tion Act. The act replaced theold Post Office Department,with an independent quasi-cor-porate entity, the U.S. PostalService (USPS). Most impor-tantly, under the new law,postal employees won the rightto bargain with the newly creat-

Congress that oversaw theoperation of what was then thePost Office Department—anarm of the executive branch ofthe government. Throughoutthis period, the NALC facedconstant opposition—from re-pressive postmasters, an oftenindifferent, hostile Congressand, at times, a vindictiveWhite House.Finding strength in unity, the

NALC won pay increases, vaca-tions, sick leave, retirementbenefits for its members, andfreedom for letter carriers tovoice their concerns in thenation’s legislative halls.Despite these strenuous leg-

islative efforts, letter carrierwages remained painfully lowthroughout most of the 20thcentury—even during the pros-perous 1950s and 1960s. In fact,

ed USPS over wages, hoursand working conditions.A new era for letter carriers

began, as the NALC emergeda stronger and more effectiveadvocate. Collective bargain-ing was added to NALC’s arsenal.For decades, letter carriers

have won significant gains atthe negotiating table and atthe work place, while the

union has renewed its com-mitment to advance the inter-ests of letter carriers throughlegislation. Equally important, during the 1970s letter carri-ers revolutionized NALC from the inside with reformsensuring that every member’svoice would be heard. TodayNALC stands proud as amodel of strong and demo-cratic unionism.

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NALC’s Present:Membership ServicesJoining NALC entitles you to alot more than a union card. Asan NALC member, you gain awide range of services and ben-efits tailored to letter carriers.

A Contract ThatProtects You

The NALC is the exclusivenationwide bargaining repre-sentative for all city letter carri-ers. That means NALC negoti-ates one collective-bargainingagreement for all city carriersemployed by the Postal Service.This “National Agreement” isthe “law of the workplace.” Itspells out the terms of employ-ment and therefore affects near-ly every facet of a letter carrier’sjob. Members should read theAgreement and keep a copy forreference.NALC’s elected national offi-

cers have negotiated new con-tracts every two to five years inface-to-face meetings withPostal Service officials since1971. Every negotiated con-tract must be approved by amajority of the membership. Inthis way, every NALC membercan have a voice in decisionsvital to his or her job. If we areunable to agree with the PostalService on a negotiated con-

tract, the NALC can go to arbi-tration to attain a new NationalAgreement. While the National Agree-

ment establishes uniformwages and working conditionsfor letter carriers throughoutthe United States, Article 30 ofthe contract permits individualbranches to bargain over anumber of workplace issues.This allows local leaders tonegotiate certain aspects oflocal work schedules, such asvacation bidding, job postingsand overtime lists.

A Grievance ProcedureThat Safeguards Your Rights

One of the most significantgains NALC members haveachieved is a comprehensivegrievance procedure. Thegrievance procedure allows let-ter carriers to challenge postalmanagement conduct that vio-lates the National Agreement.NALC officers throughout theunion—stewards, branch offi-cers, regional officers and thenational leadership are allinvolved in the grievanceprocess, enforcing your rightson the job. By providing mem-bers with skilled representa-tion in dealing with manage-ment, the NALC works toensure fair and decent treat-

ment for all letter carriers. Tolearn more about the grievanceprocedure, consult page 36 ofthis Guide and Article 15 of theNational Agreement.

Making Our Case OnCapitol Hill

Although NALC bargainsdirectly with the Postal Servicefor the wages, working condi-tions and many fringe benefitsfor letter carriers, other bene-fits are set by law and providedto all federal employees—which is one reason why the

union backs up its collective-bargaining strength withaggressive lobbying.Perhaps more importantly,

the health and viability of theUSPS as a public institution andthe rights of letter carriers tobargain collectively depend onthe political support ofCongress. Rights granted byCongress in law can just as easi-ly be taken away by Congress.Furthermore, every gain wemake at the bargaining table canbe taken away by the stroke of alegislative pen. This is why the

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union energetically championsthe interests of letter carriersand the Postal Service in thehalls of Congress.In the mid-1980s, the NALC

played a key role in keeping fed-eral retirement benefits by help-ing to create the FederalEmployee Retirement System(FERS), which provides careerpostal and federal employeeswith the means for a secureretirement. During the past twodecades, the union has also lob-bied against attempts to increasethe cost of or diminish the quali-ty of health insurance for careerletter carriers under the FederalEmployees Health BenefitProgram. In addition, we havesucceeded in stopping repeatedcongressional efforts to cutretirement benefits, eliminatecost-of-living adjustments(COLAs) and weaken the ThriftSavings Plan. Through the pas-sage of Hatch Act reform, theNALC led a successful fight toreform the decades-old law thatsharply restricted the politicalrights of letter carriers and otherpostal and federal workers.More recently, the NALC has

focused on finding ways to helpthe Postal Service adapt to tech-nological and economic chal-lenges posed by the Internet. Weare working to strengthen thePostal Service every day. Our

goal is to ensure that letter carri-ers will be delivering mail inevery city and town for decadesto come while protecting ourmiddle-class standard of living.The NALC encourages all let-

ter carriers to participate in theunion’s grassroots legislative pro-gram. Under the leadership ofthe National President and theLegislative Depart-ment, StateAssociation Pres-idents (Chairs)lead legislative and politicalaction on the state and federallevel in their respective jurisdic-tions. In 2005, the NALCunveiled its “NALC’s Field Planfor the Future” ensuring thatNALC members will be legisla-tively and politically active in all

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50 states for years to come. Withthe adoption of the “Field Plan,” aCongressional District Liaison(an NALC member serving asthe NALC’s contact person to acongressional representative)has been appointed in every con-gressional district to keep NALCissues visible. Another new posi-tion introduced in the “FieldPlan” was the appointment of amember, in every branch with 50or members, charged with rais-ing money and awareness of theNALC’s political action commit-tee (PAC), which is named COL-CPE (Committee on LetterCarriers Political Education).The field plan, which is regularlyre-viewed and adjusted, set thestage for amendments to the

NALC Constitution to give thestate associations the primaryfunction to mobilize letter carri-ers for legislative and politicalactivism.A consistent effort is made to

get NALC members to join theunion’s “e-Activist” legislativenetwork. This network providesimmediate legislative updatesand calls on you, the members,to take immediate action whennecessary. Through our strongrelationships with members ofCongress, the continued growthof our PAC and the activism ofour members, the NALC is aunion that is committed to pro-tecting the rights and benefits ofits members at the grassrootslevel as well as on Capitol Hill.

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The NALC Auxiliary, a volun-tary organization of carriers’spouses and relatives, also par-ticipates in congressional lobby-ing, local community activitiesand branch social functions.

Keeping MembersInformed

NALC places the highest pri-ority on keeping its membersand the public fully informedabout its activities. The PostalRecord, the union’s monthlymagazine, is mailed to everymember, and approximatelytwice each month the NALCBulletin is sent to branch offi-cers and a designee in yourwork location for posting onNALC bulletin boards. Thesepublications contain articles onmatters vital to letter carriers,messages from NALC’s presi-dent and other national officersand many additional features ofgeneral interest to members,their families and the public.

The Postal Record is a contin-uing chronicle of importantNALC issues and activities. ThePostal Record also reserves anumber of pages for items ofinterest submitted by branchand state associations.Another publication is the

NALC Activist, a quarterlynewsletter for branch officersand stewards. Additionally,

many NALC state associationsand branches publish their ownnewspapers to keep membersup to date on state and localunion developments.In addition to communicating

with members via print publica-tions, the NALC uses theInternet not only to enhance theunion’s grass-roots legislativeprogram as discussed on page 8,but also to provide union andcraft information to membersand to the general public. By log-ging on to the NALC website,

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Internet users can find out aboutthe structure and history of theunion, look up NALC officers andregions, access digital versions ofmany printed NALC and USPSpublications. They also reviewinformation on the NALC HealthBenefit Plan, Mutual BenefitAssociation and Auxiliary, findresource materials on communi-ty service projects, check detailson upcoming union activities orresearch affiliated postal andlabor organizations. In many sec-tions crucial full-text documents,are available in Acrobat PDF for-mat for browsing or downloadingso members can be sure thatthey are getting authoritative,official information on crucialissues directly from NationalHeadquarters. Whether you arelooking for information on theNALC, carrier issues or the latestnews, be sure to check online atwww.nalc.org.

Insuring Lives

The United States LetterCarriers Mutual BenefitAssociation (MBA) is NALC’sLife Insurance Department.MBA was formed by the NALCas a fraternal organization toprovide low cost plans of insur-ance that would assure incomeand security for active andretired NALC members. ActiveNALC members may insure

themselves as well as theirspouse, children, grandchildrenand even great-grandchildren.The MBA offers a variety of

life insurance products, includ-ing whole, term and universallife. In addition, annuities (Non-Qualified, Traditional IRA andRoth IRA) are offered. The hos-pital confinement coverageoffers benefits of $30, $50, $75,or even as much as $100 perday, over and above the HealthBenefit Plan benefits.For more information about

the U.S. Letter Carriers MutualBenefit Association and its plans,contact your MBA representativeor call the home office at NALCNational Headquarters inWashington, DC, 202-638-4318,Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Eastern Time, 800-424-5184 Tuesday and Thursday, 10a.m.–12 p.m. and 2–4 p.m.Eastern Time or log ontowww.nalc.org.

Providing Health BenefitCoverage

The 2011 National Agreementcontains provisions for healthinsurance for CCAs. A letter fromNALC Director of HealthBenefits Brian Hellman is repro-duced on the next few pages.This letter thoroughly explainshealth insurance options avail-able to CCAs.

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And Many AdditionalServices

NALC’s officers and profes-sional staff also provide manyother resources and services tomembers. For instance:• Information and Research

Services provides researchassistance to union officers,staff and members in the fieldin two ways. First, theInformation Center furnishesreference information on thePostal Service, labor relations,general economic and politicaldevelopments, NALC historyand the like. Second, economicand statistical research is con-ducted in three major areas:analysis of Postal Service oper-ating and financial data; themonitoring of NALC member-ship and organizing efforts;and the study of a variety ofbroader economic issues thatdirectly and indirectly affectthe lives of letter carriers.• The Office of the General

Counsel provides NALC withprofessional legal support. Ourattorneys represent membersand the union in court, assistNALC officers in high-levelgrievance actions, and promotethe membership’s interestsbefore the Postal RegulatoryCommission and in federal regu-latory proceedings, at the direc-tion of the National President.

• The Compensation De-part ment provides informationand assistance regarding on-the-job injury claims, and thushelps ensure that NALC mem-bers receive the full benefitsand protections of the FederalEmployees’ Compensation Act(FECA). The department pro-vides information on therequired procedures for filingworkers’ compensation claimsin a column in The PostalRecord each month, on theNALC website, and periodicallyin other NALC publicationssuch as the NALC Activist. TheDirector of Workers’ Compen-sation provides direct assis-tance to the Union’s 15National Business Agents andtheir offices with guidance con-cerning issues and problemsthat arise in the course ofclaims, and, when claims aredenied, in analysis of pendingappeals to the Office ofWorkers’ Compensation Pro-grams (OWCP) of the Depart-ment of Labor (DOL) includingappeals to Hearings andReview and requests forReconsideration. The Directoralso represents individualNALC members, upon request,in their appeals to theEmployees CompensationAppeal Board (ECAB) inWashington, DC.

• An elected national officerworks cooperatively with thePostal Service to ensure thesafety and health of carriers aswell as the effectiveness,integrity and confidentiality of management’s EmployeeAssistance Program (EAP).EAP is designed for employeesand their immediate familieswith substance abuse or otherpersonal problems that inter-fere with employees’ workplaceperformance. In addition toboth serving on joint labor-management committees thatoversee the safety and healthand EAP provisions of theNational Agreement and moni-toring related programs at theUSPS area and district levels,the elected Director of Safetyand Health provides safety,health and EAP information tothe union’s National BusinessAgents, branch officers andmembers through a monthlycolumn in The Postal Recordand a regularly updated safetyand health/EAP page onNALC’s website.• The Education Depart-

ment creates union educationprograms for NALC activistsand officers in the field. In addi-tion, the department assistsother Headquarters depart-ments and the regional officesin formulating educational pro-

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grams, developing strategiesfor delivering programs to themembership and publishingeducational materials forinstructors and training ses-sion participants. The depart-ment’s goal is to build unionstrength by providing partici-patory educational opportuni-ties for all NALC activists.• Under the direction of an

elected national officer, theRetirement Department helpsretired members enjoy the fullbenefits they’ve earned. Thedepartment is in frequent con-tact with the U.S. Office ofPersonnel Management(OPM) and other federal agen-cies to track down informationfor retirees having special

problems. It keeps retirees upto date on important retireeissues through the depart-ment’s page on the NALC web-site and through the Directorof Retired Members’ PostalRecord column. In addition, thedepartment helps NALC’s leg-islative staff understand retire-ment-related legislation beforethe Congress and mobilizesretired members to take anactive role in backing candi-dates who support letter carri-ers. NALC members with ques-tions about retirement issuescan call the department toll-free at 800-424-5186 everyMonday, Wednesday andThursday between 10 a.m.–12p.m. and 2–4 p.m. Eastern

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Time or 202-393-4695Monday–Friday, from 9am.–4:30 p.m.• All letter carriers who

belong to the NALC automati-cally are covered by a $5,000Accidental Death InsurancePolicy. Since 1985, approxi-mately $5 million has been paidout to active and retired lettercarriers under the policy. Inaddition, every NALC branchhas the option of purchasingadditional group insurance onbehalf of all active members ofthe branch.• Every year, the NALC

Scholarship Program awardsfour William C. Doherty col-lege scholarships and one John

T. Donelon scholarship to thechildren, legally adopted stepchildren or grandchildren ofactive and retired letter carri-ers who are NALC members ingood standing. The Dohertyscholarships are each worth$4,000 per undergraduate yearand the Donelon Scholarship,$1,000 per undergraduateyear. Scholarships are award-ed on a competitive basis bythe NALC Scho larsh ipCommittee assisted by profes-sional educators.• All active and retired

NALC members are eligible fora number of money-saving pro-grams of fered by UnionPrivilege, an arm of the AFL-

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CIO. These include a low-inter-est , no-annual - fee LetterCarriers Master Card that hasa number of special features.The credit process is handledconfidentially between House-hold Bank and union members.Additionally, Union Privilegeoffers credit counseling, creditscore information, an onlinetax service, low-cost legal serv-ices, an auto-buying service,vacation tours, low-costInternet services, and dis-counts on Dell computer prod-ucts, car rentals, AT&T wire-less service and much more.To view benefits offered toNALC members, log on towww.unionplus.org.

How the Union WorksRunning a union with hun-

dreds of thousands of membersis no simple task. It takesmoney, competent officers andstaff, a sound organization andinvolved members. Here’s howNALC operates.

The Union Runs on Dues

Your dues dollars keep theNALC alive—so paying uniondues as a member of theNALC is the best way to pro-tect and promote your inter-ests. Dues pay for offices andadministrative support, repre-

sentation, contract negotia-tion, arbitration, publication ofunion news and technical sup-port materials, the salaries foryour union of ficers, staf f,union conventions and otheressential functions.Dues for active members are

deducted each pay period in onelump sum and distributed to thenational, your state associationand your branch to performtheir functions representing you.NALC is fully accountable

for all dues. Protections includean annual audit by an inde-pendent accounting firm andfederal laws requiring financialdisclosure. In addition, NALCpublishes financial statementsevery six months and biennialfiscal reports to the nationalconvention. Moreover, changesin dues can only come throughdemocratic processes. Most ofall, dues are a sound invest-ment in your future. You arethe union and your dues enablethe union to function.

NALC Is Democracyat WorkUnions are essential to a

democratic society. They giveworkers a real voice in theirwork life and provide justice inthe workplace.Democracy is the bedrock of

NALC. Letter carriers electevery union official frombranch officers to the nationalunion president. It’s one mem-ber, one vote in every election.In addition, National Agree-

ments—unless decided by arbi-tration—must be approved byNALC members in a mail-ballotreferendum.NALC democracy is firmly

rooted in a written constitutionthat spells out election proce-dures, officers’ duties, conven-tion responsibilities, and otherkey matters. NALC’s constitu-tion has evolved over the yearsto meet the union’s changingneeds and to strengthen mem-bers’ control over union affairs.NALC’s national convention

is the union’s supreme govern-ing body. The convention meetsevery two years, and electeddelegates from every branchacross the country are eligibleto attend. At the convention, del-egates consider constitutionalamendments, discuss keyissues in standing committees,

and set national policy forNALC. In addition, delegates toevery other convention nomi-nate national officers for elec-tion to four-year terms.While the National Constitu-

tion is the supreme governingdocument for union rules andfunctions, some decisions areleft to local branches to decidein the form of branch bylaws,such as those governingbranch meeting times andplaces, and branch officers’duties. Local branches may

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UNIONSTRUCTURE

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enact these branch bylaws, aslong as they are not in conflictwith the National Constitution. The lifeblood of a democratic

union is the active participationof its members. You—the lettercarrier—make union democra-cy work.

Union Structure andOfficers

For strength and efficiency,NALC is organized into a well-defined structure which is out-

lined in the union constitution.Democratic procedures, linesof authority, and officers’ dutiesare specified in order to helpthe union work for you.All NALC officers, from

steward to national president,have one goal—to serve themembers. They need your sup-port to realize that goal. Youcan help by attending and con-tributing to union meetings,and volunteering your time forunion activities.Union officers and functions

NALC Headquarters

NBA Regions

State Associations

Local Branches

NALC Members

are organized into four struc-tural levels:Branches: As an NALC mem-

ber you are automatically amember of your local branch—one of thousands of NALCbranches of varying sizethroughout the country.Your branch is run entirely

by letter carriers like yourself.Although some of the largerNALC branches have one or more full-time elected offi-cer(s), virtually all branchesrely heavily on volunteerunion activists who give theirtime to help their fellow carri-ers and to do good works inthe community.

Members elect their ownbranch officers in free and fairelections, and any regularmember in good standing mayrun for office. In addition, eachbranch has shop stewards—let-ter carriers who represent youin your dealings with manage-ment. (For more on the role ofthe steward, see page 37.)Branch business is conductedat monthly membership meet-ings, which any member mayattend.Although the branch’s first

job is to represent letter carri-ers at work and thus ensurethat carriers receive all therights and benefits of our laboragreements, many branchesalso engage in additional activi-ties, depending on memberinterests. Many NALC branch-es, for example, offer classes tohelp new carriers “worksmarter” on the job, and con-duct special classes for shopstewards and other unionactivists. Many NALC branch-es are deeply involved in thepolitical and legislativeprocess, promoting the inter-ests of letter carriers.NALC branches also have

many benefits for its memberssuch as vision and dental bene-fits, additional retirement bene-fits, accidental death benefitsand scholarships, to name a few.

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NALC branches promote fel-lowship and solidarity amongbranch members by offering avariety of social activities, frombowling nights to picnics to ballgames to special dinners forretirees, stewards and othergroups. Final ly, branchesengage in a number of commu-nity and charitable activities,including NALC’s annualnationwide food drive and ourannual collection for theMuscular Dystrophy Associa-tion.For tens of thousands of let-

ter carriers, participating in theNALC is simply a great way tohelp strengthen the one organ-ization dedicated solely to pro-tecting carriers’ interests in theworkplace and in the halls ofCongress—and to also serveour fellow Americans. Find outhow you can get involved!State associations: Members

also belong to NALC state asso-ciations. Among their duties,elected state association presi-dents supervise NALC’s grassroots legislative activities intheir jurisdictions and, in manycases, organize lobbying visitsto Washington, DC, to meetwith the state’s elected repre-sentatives. State associationsalso coordinate training pro-grams with the national busi-ness agents and at a minimum

of once every three years; theyalso hold conventions attendedby branch delegates.NBA Regions: NALC’s nation-

al administration is groupedinto regions, each directed byan elected national businessagent (NBA). Every regionalso employs at least tworegional administrative assis-tants (RAAs), appointed by theNALC national president.Acting under the national pres-ident’s ultimate direction,NBA’s have extensive authorityover union affairs in theirregions, and serve on theNALC executive council. AnNBA’s primary responsibility iscontract administration—han-dling grievances, presentingarbitrations, and dealing witharea and district postal manage-ment. They also provide skilledservices to the field, respondingto branch officers’ requests foradvice and assistance.Nat iona l Headquar te rs :

National union business is gen-erally conducted at the NALC’sWashington, DC, headquar-ters by nationally elected resi-dent officers. These includethe president, executive vicepresident, vice president, sec-retary-treasurer, assistant sec-retary-treasurer, director ofcity delivery, director of safetyand health, director of life

insurance, director of healthbenefits, and director of retiredmembers.These officers, along with

the NBAs and the nationallyelected three-member board oftrustees, form the NALC exec-utive council. The executivecouncil, chaired by the presi-dent, governs the unionbetween conventions.NALC national officers, repre-

senting the entire membershipon the national level, are ulti-mately responsible for allaspects of union administrationand policy. Under the presi-dent’s leadership, the officershelp negotiate and police thenational agreement, conduct

legislative campaigns, direct theunion’s staff departments andrepresent NALC before the pub-lic. Final authority for the union’sexecutive functions rests withthe president, who presides atthe national convention.

NALC and theLabor MovementNALC members share a com-

mon bond with the widerAmerican labor movement. Inrecognition of that bond, NALCis affiliated with the AmericanFederation of Labor Congressof Industrial Organizations(AFL-CIO), the nation’s largestand most important labor insti-

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tution. It represents millionsof workers in more than 50national and internationalunions. NALC’s voluntary affil-iation entitles the union to avoice in Federation affairs.However, it does not affectNALC’s independence. NALCremains an autonomous union,accountable to its membersalone.NALC proudly shares in the

tasks of the AFL-CIO as theFederation fights for the unit-ed interest of all our country’sworkers. Under AFL-CIO lead-ership, American workers

have won minimum wage leg-islation, protections againstdiscrimination on the job,occupational health and safetylaws, unemployment insur-ance, Social Security,Medicare and Medicaid bene-fits, and countless additionalmilestones. Through NALC’sAFL-CIO affiliation, letter car-riers continue the struggle fora better life for all Americans.But dedication to the labormovement does not stop at theUnited States’ borders.Through the AFL-CIO, theNALC also expresses its con-

cern and commitment toimproving the condition ofworking brothers and sistersthroughout the world.In addition, our affiliation

with the Post and Logisticssector of Union NetworkInternational (UNI) demon-strates our solidarity withpostal employees all over theworld. NALC actively partici-pates in UNI’s ef for ts toimprove the lives of postalemployees by engaging withinternational institutions thatregulate labor standards (theILO), interaction mail flows(the UN’s UPU) and WorldTrade Organizat ion (theWTO).

NALC and the CommunityNALC also contributes to the

communities in which weserve. NALC founded andsponsors the Letter Carriers“Stamp Out Hunger” FoodDrive. Annually, on the secondSaturday in May, letter carriersin more than 10,000 cities andtowns across America delivermuch more than mail whenthey walk and drive along theirpostal routes. They collect thegoodness and compassion ofour postal customers partici-pating in what has become the

largest one-day food drive inthe nation.City carriers, with the help of

rural letter carriers, otherpostal employees and volun-teers have collected well over abillion pounds of non-perish-able food items and distributedit to community food banks andpantries over the last 20 years.Assisting with the drive are the Campbell Soup Company,the Postal Service, AFL-CIO,NRLCA, AARP Foundation,United Way, Valpak, Valasis,Uncle Bob’s Self Storage,Feeding America, along withFamily Circus cartoonist JeffKeane.The NALC was the first na-

tional sponsor of the Muscular

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Dystrophy Association (MDA)more than 60 years ago andletter carriers are amongMDA’s top fund-raisers, col-lecting more than $20 millionin the past 15 years alone tofinance research and providecare and services for childrenand adults with muscular dys-trophies.NALC’s local branches are

honored annually during theMDA Telethon over the LaborDay weekend for their efforts.Many branches plan specialevents year round to promoteawareness and raise funds forMDA. It’s a great place tostart getting involved in yourunion.

Your Place in NALCIn the preceding pages,

you’ve read a lot about NALC’saccomplishments and services.But NALC isn’t some large,impersonal organization. It’syou—the men and women whowill shape the union’s proud tra-dition in the years to come.Here is just a brief list of thesolid accomplishments of NALCmembers and their union:• A decent standard of living

for all letter carriers.• A secure retirement.• A voice in the workplace

and the means to seek justiceon the job.

• A say in the affairs of the nation—through politicalaction and affiliation with otherworkers in the AFL-CIO.• An end to management’s

unbridled power over workers.That’s what organized letter

carriers and their union haveaccomplished. That’s NALC’srecord of achievement.Your union needs you to stay

strong. The stronger NALC is,the better of f all letter carriers are!

How to Get InvolvedThere is more to the NALC

than the shop steward you seeon the workroom floor. Thereare so many ways to getinvolved with the union beyondworkroom-floor issues.If you ever wanted to try

your hand as a lawyer, arbitra-tion advocacy might be for you.If you enjoy giving back in yourcommunity, you can assist withthe NALC Food Drive, branchblood drives, or other volun-teering opportunities. If politicsis your cup of tea, there aremany opportunbities to contactyour legislators and tell themabout the importance of lettercarrier and workers’ issues. These are just a few of the

many ways you and your familycan get involved. All you needto do is ask.

This section of the Guideis offered as a primer onhow letter carriers areaffected by the National

Agreement and federal legisla-tion. We have included informa-tion on your wages, benefits andcontractual protections.The information in this section

and the one that follows shouldanswer many of your initial ques-tions. However, it is not compre-hensive, and should not be con-sidered a substitute for theNational Agreement, the NALC-USPS Joint Contract Administra-tion Manual (JCAM), the Meth-ods Handbook M-41 (CityDelivery Carriers’ Duties andResponsibilities), or the Employeeand Labor Relations Manual(ELM). If you need informationnot covered in this booklet, askyour NALC steward, your otherbranch officers or your nationalbusiness agent.

Job ClassificationsCity Carrier Assistant: Every

City Letter Carrier hired in thePostal Service will begin as aCity Carrier Assistant (CCA).The CCA workforce is made upof non-career, bargaining unitemployees. CCAs are hired forterms of 360 days for eachappointment and have a break offive days between appointments.CCAs earn up to 13 days of annu-al leave (based on number of

TheContract,the Law and You

29

workhours), can bid on tempo-rary hold-downs, get a uniformallowance and have enhancedopportunities for career employ-ment based on relative standing.For more information on relativestanding see page 40.When the USPS hires new city

letter carrier career employees,CCA employees within the instal-lation will be converted to full-time regular career status to fillsuch vacancies based on theirrelative standing. A full-time reg-ular carrier works a full scheduleconsisting of five eight-hour days,adding up to a 40-hour week.In addition, you may see

these employees as well:Part-Time Regular (PTR): A

part-time regular letter carrierworks less than full-time, but isguaranteed a minimum numberof work hours each week. Thereare only 682 PTRs in the country.As Part-time Flexible (PTF)

employees are converted to full-time in accordance with existingcontractual processes, the PTFclassification shall be phased out.There shall be no new hiring ofPTF employees.

Work SchedulesWhile City Carrier Assistantsdo not have guaranteed workschedules, they do have certainprotections in regard to hours:

Article 8, Section 8.D of theNational Agreement states, “Any

CCA employee who is scheduled towork and who reports to work in apost office or facility with 200 ormore workyears of employmentshall be guaranteed four (4) hoursof work or pay. CCAs at other postoffices and facilities will be guar-anteed two (2) hours work or pay.

Overtime DistributionAlthough City Carrier

Assistants receive overtime payfor hours in excess of eight perday and 40 per work week (seepage 35), CCAs must workovertime when postal manage-ment directs them to do so.On the other hand, manage-

ment’s ability to require full-timecarriers to work overtime isrestricted by the rules set out inArticle 8 of the NationalAgreement. These rules aredesigned to maximize overtimefor full-time carriers who want towork overtime and minimize itfor those who do not.

WagesAs a newly hired letter carri-

er, you will enter postal serviceas a City Carrier Assistant(CCA). A CCA’s wages can beseen on the chart on page 31.In addition, as a CCA you will

receive 6 pay increases over thelife of the 2011-2015 NationalAgreement:• November 16, 2013, CCAs

will receive a general wage

increase of 1.0% and a CCA wageincrease of another 1.0%.• November 15, 2014, CCAs

will receive a general wageincrease of 1.5% and a CCAwage increase of 1.0%.• November 14, 2015, CCAs

will receive a general wageincrease of 1.0% and a CCAwage increase of 1.5%.All future career letter carri-

ers will come from the ranks ofCCAs. Based on relative stand-ing, a CCA will be converted tocareer full-time status as avacancy opens. When you reachthis point, your wage scale willbe the one seen on page 31.

Step IncreasesCareer letter carriers receive

regular raise—step increas-es—at established intervals.The time requirements in eachstep before entering the nextare as follows:

Step A .........................46 weeksStep B .........................46 weeksStep C .........................46 weeksStep D.........................46 weeksStep E .........................46 weeksStep F..........................46 weeksStep G .........................46 weeksStep H.........................46 weeksStep I...........................46 weeksStep J ..........................46 weeksStep K .........................46 weeksStep L..........................46 weeksStep M ........................46 weeksStep N.........................46 weeksStep O.........................46 weeksLetter carriers reach the top

step in about 12.4 years.

LeaveAnnual LeaveAnnual leave is paid vacation,

credited to letter carriers as it isearned. City Carrier Assis-tants(CCAs) can earn up to 13 days ofannual leave per year based onworkhours (see chart below).

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This leave can be used forpersonal convenience, whenyou are sick or as bereavementwhen a family member passesaway. When a CCA becomes a

career employee, they are enti-tled to additional types of leaveand they may carr y annualleave over from one year to thenext. To see the earning ratefor career employees, seechart at bottom of page. Formore detailed information,consult your union steward.

Emergency Annual Leave

If a genuine emergencyrequires taking annual leavewithout prior approval, employ-ees must notify postal authori-ties promptly about the emer-gency and the expected lengthof absence. As soon as possibleafter returning to duty, employ-ees must submit Form 3971and furnish convincing evi-dence of the emergency to thesupervisor. Although manage-ment is not required to approve

requests for emergency leave,any arbitrary or unreasonabledenial may be subject to agrievance.

Sick Leave

Sick leave is a benefit forcareer employees. You maytake sick leave when you aretoo sick to work or to covertime spent at medical and den-tal appointments. Like annualleave, it is paid at your regularstraight-time rate, and is limit-ed to a maximum of eighthours for any single day.Career letter carriers earn sickleave at a rate of four hours per80 hours of work, which is theequivalent to 13 days a year.You can bank an unlimitedamount of sick leave hours.Carriers taking sick leave

generally must notify the appro-priate supervisor before thescheduled workday begins. Forabsences in excess of threedays, employees must submitmedical documentation or otheracceptable evidence of incapaci-

Annual Leave Earning Rate for Career EmployeesTotal Cumulative per 80 per year ofFederal Employment hours of work full-time work

0-3 years 4 hours 13 days

3-15 years 6 hours 20 days

over 15 years 8 hours 26 days

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ty to work. If a carrier requestssick leave under unusual cir-cumstances (e.g., calling in sickon a day for which annual leavewas denied), management mayrequire medical documentationregardless of the length of theabsence.

Sick Leave forDependent Care

NALC’s 1994 NationalAgreement with the PostalService established a new rightfor career letter carriers to usesick leave. During the course ofthe postal calendar year, everycareer letter carrier is entitled touse up to 80 hours of his or herearned sick leave to give care orotherwise attend to a family

member with an illness, injuryor other condition which, if anyemployee had such condition,would justify the use of sickleave by that employee. Familymembers include children, par-ents and spouses.Approval of sick leave for

dependent care is subject tonormal procedures for leaveapproval.

Other Types of Leave

• Paid Court Leave is availableto all career letter carriers forjury duty and for acting as a non-official witness in court on behalfof a state or local government.• Paid Administrative Leave

may be granted to career lettercarriers for several reasons, each

with different regulations andtime limits and subject to man-agement approval. Administrativeleave is granted to career lettercarriers for acts of God (naturaldisasters), civil disorders, civildefense programs, voting andregistering to vote, blood dona-tions, physical exams for enteringthe armed forces, relocation andfirst-aid exams and treatment foron-the-job injury or illness.• Paid Military Leave is avail-

able to career letter carriers whoare members of the NationalGuard or reservists of thearmed forces but it does notcover all types of military duty.Consult your union representa-tives for details.• Leave without Pay (LWOP)

is an authorized absence fromduty by a career or CCA employ-ee in a non-pay status, and coversonly those hours which an em-ployee would normally work orbe paid. LWOP may be grantedfor many reasons, including: inad-equate leave to cover vacationperiods, personal injury or illness(when annual and sick leave areexhausted), union business,assumption of full-time unionoffice, or other personal reasons.

Family and MedicalLeave Act

The FMLA is a 1993 federallaw that requires the Postal

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Service and many other employ-ers to give employees time offwork, without penalty, torespond to serious family andmedical problems. Each postalemployee who has worked forthe Postal Service for at least oneyear with a minimum of 1,250hours during the 12-month peri-od preceding an absence is guar-anteed up to 12 weeks of FMLAprotected leave each year for thefollowing reasons:• a new child in the family—

by birth, adoption or by place-ment in foster care;• caring for a family member

with a serious health condition;or• the employee’s own seri-

ous health condition that pre-vents him or her from perform-ing the job.This is not a separate catego-

ry of leave, but rather ischarged to annual leave, sickleave, and/or LWOP in accor-dance with current leave poli-cies. Moreover, the Family andMedical Leave Act does notprovide letter carriers with paidleave in addition to that towhich carriers are entitledunder NALC’s National Agree-ment with the Postal Serviceand any related postal hand-books and manuals. AlthoughCCAs only earn up to 13 daysof annual leave per year, they

35

are covered under FMLA andare eligible to use both annualleave and LWOP.

Overtime Pay

Pay for what is considered“overtime work” is either oneand one-half-times the basichourly straight-time rate ortwice this same rate. The fol-lowing rules, contained inArticle 8 of the NationalAgreement, determine whichrate applies:1. Full-time regular carriers

are paid at the rate of one andone-half times the base hourlystraight-time rate for work per-formed between eight and 10hours in a scheduled serviceday and for work in excess of40 hours in a service week.Full-time regulars are paiddouble-time (except Decem-ber) for work performed morethan 10 hours in a service day,over eight hours on a non-scheduled day, and for work-ing overtime on more thanfour of the five scheduled daysin a week.2. City Carrier Assistants

are paid one and one-halftimes the base hourly straight-time rate for work performedbetween eight and 10 hours ina service day and for work per-formed between 40 and 56hours in a service week. City

Carrier Assistants are paiddouble-time (except Decem-ber) for work performed inexcess of 10 hours in a serviceday or 56 hours in a serviceweek.

Night Differential

Article 8, Section 7 of theAgreement provides thatcareer employees receive anight dif ferential premiumfor hours worked between 6p.m. and 6 a.m. The exacthourly night dif ferential ratesvary depending upon theemployee’s step and gradeand range from $0.97 to $1.63per hour.

COLAIn addition to the fixed raises

above, the National Agreementprovides periodic cost-of-livingadjustments (COLA) in salariesfor career employees. COLA istied to increases in the Con-sumer Price Index and is thusdesigned to help letter carrierskeep up with inflation.

Grievance-ArbitrationProcedureThe National Agreement

The National Agreement, asexplained earlier, is the “law ofthe workplace” for letter carriers.It is also a “Bill of Rights,” guar-anteeing your wages, hours and

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working conditions. (“Workingconditions” cover a wide range ofjob-related topics, such as senior-ity, promotions, job security, andso on.) The National Agreementand the JCAM is the authoritativesource on questions about youremployment. While it is writtenas concisely as possible, ques-tions of interpretation and appli-cation sometimes arise. Yoursteward can guide you to the cor-rect answers to most of yourquestions.

Your Steward

The steward in your station is aletter carrier who has beenappointed or elected by theunion to represent all letter car-riers in your work location. Thesteward is empowered by theNational Agreement to investi-gate, present and process griev-ances on behalf of any letter car-rier, group of letter carriers orthe union. You should workthrough your steward when youhave any problem, howeversmall, at work. This providesmanagement with a visibledemonstration that it cannotbypass the union in dealing withletter carriers’ problems.Support your steward—because he or she supports you.A strong steward system is thebedrock of a strong union.

What is a Grievance?

Article 15, Section 1 of theNational Agreement defines agrievance as “a dispute, differ-ence, disagreement, or com-plaint between the parties,related to wages, hours andconditions of employment.”While this technical definitionis very broad, most grievancesinvolve complaints by employ-ees and/or the union aboutunfair treatment on the job orviolations of the rights that theNALC has bargained for you.

The Procedure and TheProcess

The grievance-arbitrationprocedure is a detailed methodfor resolving grievances in atimely fashion. The procedureis set out in Article 15 of theNational Agreement and isorganized into a series of stepsallowing NALC to pursue griev-ances from the workroom floorto the point of final resolution.If you think you have a griev-

ance, talk it over with yoursteward. He or she is experi-enced in grievance handlingand can give you informedadvice. After discussion withyour steward, it may be deter-mined that there is a grievance.Here are the Steps:• In fo rmal S tep A : At

Informal Step A, the grievant or

the union representative mustdiscuss the grievance with thegrievant’s immediate supervi-sor within 14 days of the datethe grievant or the union firstlearned, or should havelearned, of the situation whichgave rise to the grievance.During the discussion, thegrievant may be accompaniedand represented by a unionofficial. In addition, the unionitself may initiate a grievanceon behalf of an employee orgroup of employees.• Formal Step A: If a griev-

ance is not settled at InformalStep A, it may be appealed bythe union to Formal Step A.This step of the grievance pro-cedure takes on the characterof its name. Both parties arerequired to state in detail thefacts and contract provisionsrelied upon to support theirpositions and provide any andall documentation.• Step B: If a grievance is not

resolved at Formal A, then theunion has a right to appeal thecase to Step B. In order toresolve grievances, the partieshave adopted a system wheretwo individuals—one appointedby NALC and the other by thePostal Service discuss casesnot resolved at Formal A. • Arbitration: If the parties

cannot reach an agreement at

Step B, they may impasse thegrievance. A case that has beenimpassed is sent to the appro-priate national business agent(NBA) office for review. Theregional NBA then has theright to appeal the grievance toarbitration, where a neutralthird party (arbitrator) will ren-der a decision that is “final andbinding.”

Probationary PeriodAll new career postal employ-

ees must serve a probationaryperiod for 90 calendar days.Article 12 of the NationalAgreement states that duringthis 90-day period, managementmay separate a probationaryemployee for any reason and theemployee cannot contest theaction through the grievance-arbitration procedure.However, under the 2011

National Agreement any CityCarrier Assistants (CCA) whosuccessfully completes at leasttwo successive 360-day termsas a CCA, will not serve a pro-bationary period when hiredfor career appointment, provid-ed such career appointmentdirectly follows a CCA appoint-ment.In addition, every letter carri-

er—probationary or not—haslegal appeal rights if the carrierbelieves he or she was removed

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by reason of discriminationbased on race, color, religion,sex, national origin or a handi-cap covered by the law. Undersuch circumstances, the carriermay file an Equal EmploymentOpportunity (EEO) complaint,which must be filed within cer-tain time limits and is above andbeyond the rights of your con-tract. Despite management’sright to terminate employeesduring the probationary period,the union does represent proba-tionary employees regardingwages, hours, safety and work-

ing conditions. Your union willenforce your rights through thegrievance procedure.

DisciplineThe following explanation of

discipline is not intended to becomplete, but instead explainsthe basic principles of the disci-plinary procedure. If you arethe subject of discipline or youbelieve you may become thesubject of discipline, contactyour steward immediately.Remember, your steward isyour on-the-job expert inenforcing your rights.While management retains

the right to discipline postalemployees, disciplinary meas-ures are subject to the contrac-tual protections of the NationalAgreement. Article 16 of theAgreement provides that disci-pline should be correctiverather than punitive. Moreover,no employee may be disci-plined or discharged except forjust cause—such as insubordi-nation, failure to perform workas requested, failure to observesafety rules and so forth.Because “just cause” is a gen-eral term without a precise def-inition, the reasonableness ofdiscipline may be challengedthrough the grievance-arbitra-tion procedure. This applies toa CCA once they have worked

90 days or had 120 calendardays of employment.

Seniority and RelativeStandingSeniority is defined as the

length of continuous careerservice. The seniority systemis designed to prevent unfairdiscrimination and favoritismby the employer. Career lettercarriers are ranked by seniori-ty for several purposes, such asdetermining reassignments,choosing vacation periods andbidding on jobs.CCAs are credited with

something similar to senioritycalled relative standing. Rel-ative standing is determined bythe original CCA hire date in aninstallation. For those CCAswho were Transitional Employ-ees (TEs) before being hiredas CCAs, all time served as aTE after September 29, 2007 is credited toward relativestanding.Relative standing is extreme-

ly important. When CCAs areconverted to full-time careerstatus within an installation, theCCA with the most relativestanding in that installation isthe first one to be converted tofull-time career status. CCAs may use their relative

standing to opt for available

temporary, full-time assign-ments of five or more days.CCAs who successfully opt onthese temporary assignmentsassume the hours and sched-ule of the full-time carrierwhose assignment is beingcovered. Once a CCA becomes a

career full-time letter carrier,their relative standing ends andtheir seniority begins.

Workers’CompensationCCAs are covered by the

Federal Employees’ Compensa-tion Act (FECA). The FECAprovides wage-loss, medical,and other benefits to PostalService employees, includingCCAs, who sustain personalinjury or employment-relatedillness while in the performanceof duty. The FECA also paysbenefits to dependents if theinjury or illness causes theemployee’s death. The Office ofWorkers’ Compensation Pro-grams (OWCP), a subdivisionof the U.S. Department ofLabor, administers the FECAthrough 12 district offices.It can be daunting for injured

workers to successfully navi-gate through the intricacies ofthe FECA. Fortunately, CCAswho are members of the NALC

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can obtain advice and assistanceon their claims from their NALCbranch of ficers and theirNational Business Agents.CCAs and other letter carrierswho are not members of theNALC cannot draw on thesevaluable resources.Employees who are injured

the job should report the matterpromptly to their supervisorand complete and submit theappropriate OWCP claim form.They can obtain these formsfrom the Postal Service or theNALC website.If an injury is caused by a

work factor(s) or event(s) occur-ring during a single work day orshift, it is considered to be atraumatic injury and the employ-ee should file a CA-1 form. If the

injury is caused by work factorsthat extend over a period ofmore than one work day, it isconsidered an occupational dis-ease or illness and the employeeshould file a CA-2 form.Employees have the right to

initially choose their physicianand may select any qualifiedlocal physician or hospital toprovide necessary treatment.When a claim is accepted,OWCP pays all medical servic-es and supplies needed for treat-ment of the injury and reim-burses transportation used forobtaining care.Employees who sustain a

job-related traumatic injury(CA-1) generally have a right tocontinue to receive their regu-lar rate of pay from the Postal

Service for periods of disability,not to exceed 45 calendar days.This is called Continuation ofPay (COP). The employee,however, must use his or herown sick leave, annual leave, orleave without pay for the firstthree days of disability. If thedisability exceeds 14 days thisleave can later be converted toCOP. The Postal Service doesnot pay COP if the disabilityresults from an occupationaldisease (CA-2). In cases of dis-ability due to occupational dis-ease and in cases of traumaticinjur y (CA-1) that extendbeyond the 45-day COP period,employees have a right towage-loss compensation. Suchcompensation is paid at 2/3 ofthe employee’s pay rate if theemployee has no dependentsand at 3/4 of the employee’s

pay rate if he or she has one ormore dependents.The FECA also provides for

the payment of schedule (mone-tary) awards when the acceptedtraumatic injury or occupationaldisease has caused permanentimpairment to certain members,functions or organs of the body.A schedule award is paid

when the medical evidenceshows that the injured employ-ee has reached maximum med-ical improvement. Like com-pensation, it is paid at 2/3 or3/4 of the employee’s rate ofpay. Schedule awards may bepaid while an employee isworking, on paid leave or whilereceiving an OPM annuity.However, it may not be paidwhile an employee is receivingwage-loss compensation bene-fits for the same injury.

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Safety and HealthBoth federal law and the

National Agreement mandatethat the Postal Service pro-vide safe working conditionsfor letter carriers and otherpostal employees. They arerequired to investigate acci-dents and maintain records onoccupational injuries and ill-nesses.The Postal Service is sub-

ject to the Occupational Safetyand Health Act. This lawempowers the Department ofLabor’s Occupational Safetyand Health Administration(OSHA) division to enforcethe Act’s standards and regula-tions.In addition to its require-

ments under federal law,Article 14 of the NationalAgreement, obligates thePostal Service “to provide safeworking conditions” in postalfacilities and “develop a safework force” and that the NALCwill cooperate with and assistmanagement to live up to thisresponsibility.The contract provides that

employees have the obligationto observe safety rules andprocedures and that manage-ment must correct unsafe con-ditions and equipment andensure that the workplace issafe and sanitary. In fulfilling

its responsibilities, manage-ment must make available atthe workplace PS Form 1767(Report of Hazard, UnsafeCondition or Practice) that car-riers and other employees canuse to report unsafe andunhealthy conditions. In addition, employees mustreport all accidents andinjuries immediately. You areencouraged to contribute to asafer work environment byreporting hazards that youencounter.Article 14 also sets forth sev-

eral paths for employees to pur-sue should they believe theyare being required to workunder unsafe conditions. Theseavenues include notification toyour supervisor, notification toyour supervisor through yourshop steward, filing a form1767 and ultimately, the filingof a Formal Step A grievancewithin 14 days of notifying man-agement if no corrective actionhas been taken during theemployees’ tour.Finally, the National Agree-

ment attempts to foster a coop-erative approach to safety andhealth by establishing jointsafety and health committees atthe national, area and local lev-els to oversee, evaluate andimprove management’s safetyand health programs.

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This will provide someuseful on-the-job advicefor new letter carriers.Included are some

important topics you should befamiliar with as you performyour day-to-day duties.

Sanctity of the MailThe Postal Service requires

its employees to adhere tovery high standards of integri-ty and fidelity. These stan-dards are set out in the Codeof Ethical Conduct, which youcan obtain from your supervi-sor. Foremost among thesestandards is the requirementthat employees preserve thesanctity of the mail. Mail is pri-vate property entrusted to theletter carrier for safe passageand delivery to its intendedrecipient. Any compromise ofthe mails or other violations ofstandards may lead to severediscipline. In addition, thereare federal statutes pertainingto willful and knowing delay,obstruction, or theft of anymail.New letter carriers often

work under great time pres-sures because of unfamiliaritywith some work assignments.As a result, some are temptedto seek shortcuts that are notproper. Do not fall into thistrap—you must take extreme

Tips onYour Job

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care not to be involved in anyaction or practice that mightappear to look like mistreat-ment of the mail. Careless-ness can get you into serioustrouble.If you need extra time to

complete a work assignment,inform your supervisor by sub-mitting Form 3996, CarriersAuxiliary Control and ask forappropriate instructions.

Postal Inspectors and Office of theInspector GeneralSpecial AgentsPostal Inspectors and Office

of the Inspector General(OIG) special agents are thelaw enforcement and inves-tigative arms of the PostalService.While you are required to

cooperate fully with postalinspectors and OIG specialagents at all times, you alsohave specific rights guaranteedby the National Agreement andlaws upheld by the U.S.Supreme Court. First, you maynot be required to submit to apolygraph (lie detector) test.This right is found in Article17, Section 3 of the NationalAgreement. Second, you havethe right to demand represen-tation during questioning by a

postal inspector or OIG specialagent under the following cir-cumstances:1. Under the National Labor

Relations Act, an employeehas the right to demand thepresence of a union represen-tative during an investigatoryinterview which he or she rea-sonably believes may lead todiscipline. If managementdenies the request for repre-sentation, the employee hasthe right to refuse to answerquestions.2. If you are interrogated

regarding a matter that mayinvolve criminal penalties,immediately request represen-tation by an attorney. Say noth-ing and sign nothing. Respect-fully decline to continue theencounter until you have repre-sentation.

UniformsWhen a newly hired City

Carrier Assistant (CCA) hascompleted 90 work days, orhas been employed for 120calendar days, whichevercomes first, the CCA will beprovided with an annual uni-form allowance equal to theamount provided to careeremployees. Uniforms are expensive, so

spend your allowance wisely.It’s a good idea to ask what the

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other carriers in your worklocation need yearly.Being out of uniform can be

grounds for discipline, so it isimportant that you wear onlyauthorized uniform items.

FollowingInstructions of YourManagerLetter carriers are required

to follow instructions fromtheir supervisors—except anorder that would cause immi-nent danger to life or limb orviolates the law. Under all othercircumstances, the instructionshould be obeyed and a griev-ance should be filed within 14days if you believe it violatesyour rights.

Working Off theClockThe National Agreement

provides that carriers may notstart early to get a head-starton their routes. Article 41,Section 3K states, “Supervisorsshall not require, nor permit,employees to work ‘off theclock.’” Furthermore, this is aviolation of the Fair LaborStandards Act. All stewardsand most supervisors will prop-erly enforce this provision.

MATERIALSAVAILABLE FROM NALC1. CARRIERS IN A COMMONCAUSE; A HISTORY OF LETTERCARRIERS AND THE NALC Tracesthe historic struggles and victories ofletter carriers from the beginning ofthis country’s postal system in 1775,through the organization of the NALCin 1889, to the present day struggles.

2. CONSTITUTION Governs NALC’sstructure and operations. Covers awide variety of subjects such as electedofficers’ duties and salaries, elections,branch, state associations, etc.

3. LETTER CARRIER’S GUIDEDescribes NALC’s history and opera-tions and explains letter carriers’benefits, wages and rights. Useful forexperienced carriers and for orienta-tion of new carriers.

Appendix: For Further information

4. NALC CONGRESSIONAL DI -REC TORY Lists leadership, membersand committees of the sittingCongress. Organized by state, eachentry includes party affiliation, com-plete Washington addresses, telephonenumbers, committee membership,major staff, and term.

5. NATIONAL AGREEMENT Formalagreement between USPS and NALCwith all negotiated items, includingwages, hours and working conditions.Also available in PDF format on theNALC website (www.nalc.org).

6. JOINT CONTRACT ADMINIS -TRATION MANUAL (JCAM), theresult of national-level discussionsbetween the NALC and postal manage-ment, contains authoritative, agreed-upon interpretations of the NationalAgreement, clarifying contract languagethat has frequently been misunderstood.Also available in PDF format on theNALC website (www.nalc.org).

7. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ONFERS: THE FEDERAL EM PLOY -EES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM Thisbooklet is designed to answer 251 fre-quently asked questions on FERS forletter carriers who are about to or havealready retired. It addresses suchissues as how your annuity is calculat-ed, how your contributions to the ThriftSavings Plan are invested, and howFERS benefits supplement SocialSecurity. Also available in PDF formaton the NALC website (www.nalc.org).

8. U.S. LETTER CARRIERS’MBA Explanatory brochures andapplications for U.S. Letter CarriersMutual Benefit Association pro-grams, including life insurance,retirement annuities, and hospitalconfinement insurance. See “How toOrder” below. Also available in PDFformat on the NALC website(www.nalc.org).

9. NALC RETIREMENT CD ThisCD provides vital, in-depth informa-tion for letter carriers planning toretire in the near future and for morejunior employees who are planningahead. It is intended to be used with

NALC’s shorter booklets on retire-ment subjects including “Questionsand Answers : The Federa lEmployees’ Retirement System.”This booklet also provides refer-ences to related materials from othersources including items produced bythe U.S . Of f ice o f PersonnelManagement.

10. NALC BRANCH OFFICERS’GUIDE TO FINANCE AND ADMINIS-TRATION This guide offers importantinformation and advice for those NALCbranch officers and other members whohandle the business components of localunion leadership. Topics include manag-ing and budgeting the branch’s finances,tracking membership and dues, keepingthe branch books, managing bankaccounts, investments and other branchproperty, filing tax returns and othergovernment reports and related activi-ties. Applicable laws and regulations arecited and other resources noted.

11. NALC’s AWESOME ACTIVITYBOOK While having fun coloring andworking through various puzzles andmazes, children of all ages learn abouthow letter carriers process and movethe mail.

HOW TO ORDERTo ensure that your request is processed quickly, state the proper title of each

publication ordered.For U.S. Letter Carriers Mutual Benefit Association publications, write to U.S.

Letter Carriers MBA, 100 Indiana Avenue N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. Phone:202-638-4318 or call toll-free 800-424-5184, Tuesdays and Thursdays between 8:00a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

For all other publications listed, write NALC, Supply Department, 100 IndianaAvenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001. Phone: 202-393-4695. Make checks payableto the Secretary-Treasurer or pay by credit card. Payment must be received beforeshipment. All prices for publications are subject to change.

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Fredric V. RolandoPresident

Timothy C. O’MalleyExecutive Vice President

Lew DrassVice President

Jane E. BroendelSecretary-Treasurer

Nicole RhineAssistantSecretary-Treasurer

Brian RenfroeDirector of City Delivery

Manuel L. Peralta Jr.Director ofSafety & Health

Ron WatsonDirector ofRetired Members

Health Benefit PlanBrian HellmanDirector

Life Insurance DepartmentMyra WarrenDirector

Board of Trustees-Laws SectionLawrence D. Brown Jr.Chairman

Randall KellerMike Gill

National Business AgentsChristopher JacksonPaul PriceNeal TisdaleRoger W. BledsoeDan PittmanPatrick C. CarrollChris WittenburgPeter S. MossJudy WilloughbyKathy BaldwinDaniel E. TothWilliam J. LuciniTimothy W. DowdyJohn J. CascianoLarry Cirelli

National Associationof Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO

Officers

2014

National Associationof Letter Carriers100 Indiana Ave. NW

Washington, DC 20001