Re: Suspension of Custodial Exam 916 (8/27/2007)

From: Steve Raymer, Director, Maintenance Division via Gary Kloepfer, Assistant Director, Maintenance Division 

There have been inquiries from the field about the suspension of the custodial exam. This is to provide some information to the field so please forward along as appropriate.

We have received notification from the USPS that requirement to pass the Test 916, Custodial Exam, is suspended until September 30, 2008 for all purposes.

A meeting with the Service at this level is scheduled for Friday, August 31, 2007.

We believe this suspension may be a good thing (pending the responses at the above meeting) and possibly a step towards the total waiver of the Test 916. That would put us in the same position as with the old custodial exam, Test 911. The Test 911 had long been waived for career employees but the Service did not permit waiver or substitution of the Test 916.

As background, the Service had taken a position (in National case Q98C4QC02005533) that they could ignore or waive the exam at their discretion (for example, in cases of excessing) yet maintain that minimum qualification requirement for members of the Maintenance Craft. As one example of the absurd situation this creates; current maintenance employees could not down grade or be promoted into custodial duty assignments because they were not qualified (in the USPS’ position) due to not having the Test 916 on their record. Our position is the Service can’t have it both ways, either waive the requirement for everyone or it must be enforced across the board and cannot be selectively waived.

We will, as always, keep the information coming when we have an update to give

Gary Kloepfer
Assistant Director
Maintenance Division

(202) 842-4213
(202) 289-3746
(202) 251-1495 – Cell