At a meeting between APWU officers and USPS officials in Washington DC on Aug. 16, the Postal Service acknowledged that local managers have no authority to post more Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT) assignments in Customer Service areas than the number needed to accommodate Part-Time Flexibles and Part-Time Regulars when they are converted to full time on Aug. 27, Director of Industrial Relations Mike Morris has reported. A provision of the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement [PDF] requires the Postal Service to convert all PTFs in Level 21-and-above offices and PTRs in the Clerk Craft and MVS Craft on Aug. 27.

The meeting was prompted by reports from the field that some local managers have notified the union of plans to post more NTFT duty assignments than are needed. Postal officials at USPS headquarters agreed to inform field managers that they have no authority to post NTFT in excess of the number of conversions slated for Aug. 27.

“If local, district or area managers persist in posting an excessive number of NTFT jobs, please provide the details to your National Business Agent, so the problem can be addressed,” Morris said.

“Remember, local union input — including a meaningful opportunity to review, comment, make suggestions and propose alternatives — is required before Non-Traditional Full-Time duty assignments can be posted,” he said.

After duty assignments are posted to accommodate the PTFs and PTRs that will be converted on Aug. 27, management will send suggested staffing criteria to the field for each Customer Service area. Locals will have an opportunity to provide input and propose alternatives to their counterparts in order to ensure as many “desirable” duty assignments as possible are created.

Any disputes that result from these postings will be addressed in the Administrative Dispute Resolution Process, described in Memorandum of Understanding on Non-Traditional Full Time Assignments [PDF].

source: NTFT Assignments Cannot Exceed the Number of Employees to be Converted.