SHOP STEWARD S GUIDE NALC

1 SHOP STEWARD S GUIDE National Association of Letter Carriers nalc To nalc shop stewards First, let me congratulate you and thank you for taking on the job of an nalc shop STEWARD . It is truly a worthy cause and a very important position in our union. There is no greater calling and no greater responsibility in our union than that of nalc shop STEWARD . It requires courage, study, intelligence, and hard work. It also takes a lot of heart. When you become an nalc shop STEWARD you become responsible to the men and women you represent. They count on you to enforce their rights on the job. As a union official at the branch level, you also become responsible to the nalc . The shop STEWARD s job is difficult and demanding.

2 That s why we have created nalc Shop STEWARD s GUIDE . It discusses many of the roles you will play as a shop STEWARD , especially your role in enforcing the collective bargaining agreement. When the contract is violated, an nalc shop STEWARD must research the facts and the contract before constructing an effective grievance . Then he or she needs to articulate the correct arguments at the very earliest steps of the grievance procedure. To do these jobs well a shop STEWARD requires deeper and more detailed information than either the National Agreement or the joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM) provide. nalc created this GUIDE to help union representatives find that in-depth information and put it to work defending our contract.

3 It explains the key principles, contract language, national settlements and arbitration decisions that one must know to effectively represent letter carriers and the nalc . We trust you will find this booklet a helpful and informative GUIDE to your job as a STEWARD . Sincerely and fraternally, Fredric V. Rolando President, National Association of Letter Carriers 2014 National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO Using the nalc Shop STEWARD s GUIDE 1 I. Roles of a STEWARD 2 Representative 3 Leader 3 Organizer 3 Educator 4 Legislative and Political Activist 5 II. Collective Bargaining and the STEWARD 8 The National Agreement 8 The joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM) 8 The Materials Reference System (MRS) 9 Contract Administration 10 STEWARD Certification 10 Acting Stewards 12 Alternate Stewards 14 Chief Stewards 15 Superseniority 16 STEWARD s Rights 17 STEWARD Time On the Clock 18 III.

4 The grievance -Arbitration Procedure Introduction 21 What is a grievance ? 21 Broad grievance Clause 21 Introduction to grievance Processing 22 Types of Grievances 22 The Timeline and Steps of a grievance 23 IV. grievance Handling Informal step A 26 Time Limits 26 Continuing Violations 27 Investigation 28 Is it a grievance ? How to Decide 30 Preparing for the Informal step A Meeting 30 usps / nalc joint step a grievance Form (PS Form 8190) 32 General Bargaining Tips and Advice 34 The Informal step A Meeting 35 Can Letter Carriers Represent Themselves? 37 Time Limit Extensions 37 Management Fails to Meet 38 After the Informal step A Meeting 39 Appeal to Formal step A 39 Paperwork, Evidence, and File Order 41 Additional Resources 42 nalc Shop STEWARD s GUIDE Table of Contents V.

5 grievance Handling Formal step A 44 Time Limits 45 Is it a grievance ? How to Decide 46 Preparing for the Formal step A Meeting 46 Formal step A Meeting Tips 49 The Formal step A Meeting 49 usps / nalc joint step a grievance Form (PS Form 8190) 51 Time Limit Extensions 55 Management Fails to Meet 56 After the Formal step A Meeting 56 Additions and Corrections 57 Appeal to step B 59 VI. step B Dispute Resolution Teams 61 After step B 64 VII. Arbitration 66 Overview of the Arbitration Process 66 Witness Testimony 68 STEWARD Testimony 68 VIII. Special Topics 70 Special Exceptions Safety and Health 70 Special Exceptions Discrimination 74 Special Exceptions MSPB Appeal Rights 75 Time Limits 78 Information Requests 82 Investigatory Interviews 89 Tips for Writing Statements 98 Remedies 101 IX.

6 Sample Forms for Stewards 107 Request for Information 107 Request for Information Discipline 107 Request for STEWARD Time 107 Time Limits Extension Form 108 Informal step A Resolution Form 108 Index 114 Using the nalc Shop STEWARD s GUIDE This GUIDE can be printed in whole or in part. It has also been published in PDF format on a DVD and the nalc website for electronic use. The electronic version contains embedded hyperlinks to assist with navigating around the document and provides easy access to arbitration awards, national level settlements, and other nalc publications. Simply click on any link to go to the desired section or document. This GUIDE also contains both a table of contents and an index.

7 To find material and navigate around the document, it is usually easiest to start with the table of contents. The index is found at the end of this publication. The green links will take you to various sections of the nalc Shop STEWARD s GUIDE as well as the following sections of the Special Topics chapter: Safety and Health, Discrimination, MSPB Appeal Rights, Time Limits, Investigatory Interviews, Information Requests, Tips for Writing Statements, and Remedies. The Special Topics chapter is where specific subjects are covered more in depth, so when you get to a highlighted section, check it out! The blue links will take you to an external website link or an external document in PDF format such as an arbitration award, national-level settlement, or an nalc publication, for example: nalc website or M-01476.

8 Excerpts from the National Agreement are indented and indicated by text boxes. Excerpts from the joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM) are indented and indicated by blue shading. Using the Adobe Acrobat Reader This publication and all the linked documents are in PDF format. PDFs are normally viewed with Adobe Acrobat Reader. Using Adobe Acrobat Reader tools, you can search the individual documents. The Adobe tools will also assist you as you navigate through this GUIDE and the documents linked throughout. You can also copy and paste text for use in a word processing document. Users should modify the Adobe tools found at the top of the screen in Adobe Acrobat Reader to improve navigation.

9 All of the page navigation tools can be very helpful, but it is especially important to have the previous view command. This will allow you to return to each place in this GUIDE that you have previously been. To add the toolbar commands in Adobe Reader XI, go to the View menu at the top of Adobe Reader. Select Show/Hide, then Toolbar Items, then Page Navigation and select the toolbar commands that you desire. For additional help using PDF documents or if these instructions do not work on your version of Adobe Acrobat Reader, consult the Adobe Reader's help files. Another option to utilize the previous view command can be performed from your keyboard by holding down the Alt key and selecting the back (left) arrow.

10 Note to Readers This new publication is based on many previous nalc publications. It summarizes years of experience by nalc officers, national business agents, staff, arbitration advocates, and grievance handlers. We expect it to continue to grow and improve. You can help improve future editions by bringing any suggestions you have to the attention of your national business agent s office. We would especially welcome your suggestions for additional subjects to cover or sections that can be improved or clarified. 1 I. Roles of a STEWARD nalc shop stewards represent and defend the interests of letter carriers. Stewards are nalc members elected or appointed to represent a group of letter carriers.