NALC Branch 181 Austin TX

What would happen to the “floaters” if the Post Office goes to 5 day delivery?  This question was asked at the March branch meeting.  The answer given was “Nobody knows”.  While this is correct, after consulting with NALC headquarters, the NALC position is:

If USPS goes to 5 day delivery, all “floater” positions will be eliminated. This is a simple deduction because there would be no groups for these carriers to “float” on.

What this means is if the “floater” positions are eliminated, all routes and full-time duty assignments in each station/Post Office junior to the most senior “floater” carrier shall be posted for bid.  The bidding would be station wide and by seniority, starting with the senior carrier. The “floater” carriers would fall into whatever slot their seniority placed them. Then, Article 41.3.O of the LMOU goes into effect, if we have it in our LMOU. 

We are fortunate that in years past L. Doss had the foresight to negotiate this process into our LMOU.  Here is Article 41.3.O:

Article 41.3.O

“When a letter carrier route or full-time duty assignment, other

than the letter carrier route(s) or full-time duty assignment(s) of

the junior employee(s), is abolished at a delivery unit as a result

of, but not limited to, route adjustments, highway, housing projects,

all routes and full-time duty assignments at that unit held by

letter carriers who are junior to the carrier(s) whose route(s) or

full-time duty assignment(s) was abolished shall be posted for bid

in accordance with the posting procedures in this Article.”