Projections Use
Your rights and the National Agreement
In most areas we are seeing a new trend on the workroom floor: carriers are being assigned off-assignment work based on undertime projections, and overtime requests are being disapproved with unauthorized overtime being logged as a result. This isn’t a new grievance, and we’ve been dealing with it here in branch 203 since the May of 2023. This post is going to give you a comprehensive guide as to why it’s happening, previous rulings, and what you need to do in order to cover your butt in this process that is actually very hostile to carriers.
Where this comes from:
Years ago the Postal Service created projection tools to help them estimate carriers’ workloads in the emerging DPS environment. These projection tools were quickly used in an attempt to hold carriers to their metrics as a standard of performance: carriers were being disciplined for not meeting these projection programs’ estimates. In the years after, there were several National level grievances and rulings concerning management’s use of projection tools. We can see a timeline through these rulings that shows management has a long history of being told not to use projections in this manner, but continues to do so anyway. This illustrates our need to continue to work for our rights through the grievance procedure and protect ourselves along the way.
Why is it here again?
Our TIAREAP process has been very enlightening, as well as NALC education and information networks, about the resurgence of management’s use of projection tools. In our meetings with our TIAREAP teams, a management counterpart confirmed what members of the NALC have believed: it’s about raises for management at the station and area levels. If management can make their metrics they get raises, and their metrics are based on your performance. Here’s where the issue comes from: the National Agreement and several National level arbitrations protect you from being held to projection tools’ arbitrary standards. Management needs you to meet their projections so they can meet their own metrics, the National Agreement keeps those metrics from being used on you in any way that violates the National Agreement.
The history of your protection.
We’re going to get into some contractual citations here, and these are the provisions we rely upon to file grievances based on projections use. These are no secret, management has copies of these and can easily read them over to understand the nature of the grievance. You can find these on the NALC.org website here.
M-01769 (2011): This settlement is an agreement between the Service and the NALC that “any similar time projection system/tool will not be used as the sole determinant for establishing a carrier’s office or street time projections.” Further, it upholds that “there is no set pace at which a carrier must walk and no street standard for walking.” Additionally, this settlement addresses a carrier’s reporting requirements and management’s scheduling responsibilities.
M-01664 (2007): This settlement is the precursor to M-01769 and specifically states “DOIS projections are not the sole determinant of a carriers’ leave or return time, or daily workload.”
M-01444 (2001): This document shows that projection tools will not be the sole determinant of discipline, meaning that performance-based discipline must be supported with more than projection data. It also upholds “there is no set pace at which a carrier must walk and no street standard for walking.” Also, it states “It is understood that no function performed by DOIS or POST, now or in the future, may violate the National Agreement.”
M-01181 (1994): This document shows that PS Form 1838c (am office counts) do not specifically measure the carrier’s performance by pieces per minute because there is no entry for it on the form. This shows that 1838c do not accurately reflect am office time and cannot be the sole determinant of a carrier’s am office time.
M-00829 (1986): This document shows that a one-day count and inspection does not establish any street standard. This is important because management may say you have a demonstrated performance according to similar mail volume on a different day. Contractually there is no such thing as demonstrated performance, it exists only in Postal projection tools to help assist in estimating daily work volumes.
M-00326 (1972): If management disapproves your overtime or unauthorizes your overtime, but requires to to carry in an overtime status the time is automatically authorized. It is improper to log the time as unauthorized when instructions are given to carry in an overtime status. It’s old, but it’s still in effect.
As you can see, we have a timeline going here from 1972 to the present of management attempting to establish standards for us in order to be able to issue discipline for not meeting those standards. Why would they do that? To incentivize you to go faster when delivering. Their job is to put the pressure on you to make you go faster, it’s your job to know your rights and do the job safely, accurately, and procedurally correct.
Your AM leave time.
We’ve focused on your street time, but the other very important element is your am office time. Your leave time is being calculated by several different projection tools, and management simply chooses which one they want to issue you that day. According to the M-41, you have 33 minutes of fixed office time based on time allotments to do your morning functions (if you perform all morning functions), and that does not include casing up your route or pulling it down. That’s important because when management comes around in the morning and tell you your leave time is thirty minutes after you’ve clock in you know there’s a problem; they are using a projection tool called PET (Performance Enhancement Tool). This program takes out all of your fixed office time, and even the time it takes you to walk across your workroom floor, and says you should be out in a time that doesn’t allow you to do any of the other functions you need to do.
Get familiar with your rights in the office via the M-41, and keep it tight in there. Yes, we all like to chat and hang in the morning, but avoid time wasting practices or it does give them grounds to start investigating you. Be beyond reproach and show off a good work ethic, and don’t neglect your am office duties.
Why it’s important.
Standing up for your rights is always important because if you don’t, your rights erode and you have to start from square one. If you acquiesce to allowing projection tools to determine your leave time, return time, and daily work loads you are allowing management to set arbitrary standards for you. Those standards will get tighter and tighter and force you to run your route down, your off-assignment work, and that collection or have management accusing you of not meeting your demonstrated performance: “You’ve done that route in seven hours before, how can you say you’re not able to today? It’s the same amount of mail.” Because every day is different.
In the office we’ve got a casing standard of 18/8 (18 letters a minute or 8 flats a minute), but we have a lot more duties than just casing and getting out on the street. We have a whole page on am office functions and the time we’re credited for doing those things. Check it out in the M-41 (you can find a PDF here). On the street it takes what it takes, and we have no standard. As long as you’re working you’re good. That said, always be honest about your work and expect to be observed by management. Just pretend like you’re always being watched, you are anyway.
Lastly and most concerning, management has shown that carriers can be disciplined for entries on a PS Form 1017B. Does that form sound familiar? It’s the controlling document that shows a carrier’s unauthorized overtime. So, some management is issuing off-assignment work based on projection tools and unauthorizing any overtime that comes as a result on a 1017B. As a result, they may decide to issue you discipline on a whim based on this practice. This adverse action is an attempt to make you move faster so you don’t get discipline.
Branch 203’s experience with this.
Springfield has dealt with this subject in the summer of 2023 extensively, and on through November. We have received decisions from our Dispute Resolution Team that has clearly stated the practice of using projections in the manner outlined here is a violation of the National Agreement on many fronts, and that management is to comply with the provisions cited. However it has not dissuaded management from using them, and we have been told that management plans to continue their use in this manner.
Is it right? No, provably and already decided upon at all levels of the grievance procedure locally and Nationally. That’s precisely why we must continue to stand up for our rights and grieve the use of projections to intimidate our carriers. Because of this, we must all be vigilant and make use of your rights to representation by requesting a steward and contributing to the grievance procedure.
How do you protect yourself?
Follow procedure. Maintain your cool. You got this. Here’s what you do:
If you are assigned off-assignment work in projected undertime simply ask yourself, “Do I think I’m going to have undertone today?” If so, let them know what you think. If not, let them know what you think. You can respectfully ask where they are getting their information from if you’re not reporting any undertime. Let them know honestly of the situation, but there’s no need to argue and it will only hurt you. Comply with the order, no problem. Request to see a steward though; disregarding your reporting requirements and using projections as the sole determinant of your daily workload is a violation of your rights and the National Agreement.
If you are assigned off-assignment work based on “demonstrated performance,” it’s the same as above, but management’s angle is that since you delivered similar volume on a different day that you should be able to do it again. It’s simply not true, and as a carrier you know this, but it doesn’t matter to the numbers. Again, respectfully request a steward.
Request a PS Form 3996 if you think you’re going to be over and fill that thing out honestly. Respectfully request a disposition (management is required to give you one on the 3996), and if your overtime is unauthorized get it in writing what you’re supposed to do. Ask them to give instructions on your 3996, “Would you write down my instruction to either bring the mail back in eight hours or continue to carry in an overtime status?” It’s non confrontational and covers everyone involved. If management won’t write instructions on the 3996 that’s okay, don’t argue. Either way, request a copy (management is required to give you a copy if you ask for it) and start keeping a personal file for yourself if you haven’t already.
If management did not write instructions down for you on your 3996 you will need clear instructions because you cannot comply with two different instructions. At some point use the scanner to send a message to management asking them for instructions, “My OT was unauthorized, should I bring back the mail for 8 hours or continue to carry it?” Take a picture of the response and follow instructions. Do not argue, this will hurt you in the future.If you are disapproved overtime but are required to carry in “unauthorized overtime” request a steward. This is bad news, right here. You can be disciplined based on entries on a 1017B, and in this case management is forcing you into a position where it is completely at their discretion as to whether they log it or not, and then it is at their discretion whether to issue you discipline or not. Do not take a chance on this; we have strict timelines for filing grievances and conducting investigations so request a steward ASAP.
If you are told to curtail mail or to bring the mail back follow instructions, but also follow procedure. Upon return request a PS Form 1571 (it’s a curtailment slip) and fill it out to the best of your ability. Have management sign it and request a copy. If they will not provide the slip or give you a copy request a steward. You are responsible for any mail curtailed, so if you bring back a bunch of mail that isn’t properly covered by a 1517 you may face discipline for bringing the mail back, which can be serious. Cover your butt.
Recap
Request a 3996 if you think you will be over 8. Get a copy.
Get clear instruction about your overtime in writing on the 3996 or through the scanner.
Follow instructions, be respectful, and don’t argue: this helps us a TON in the grievance process.
Use a 1517 for any curtailed mail.
Request steward time if needed and actually take it. Tell a steward you have requested time so we can follow up.
And there it is, the whole thing. Now you know the history of the projection tools, management’s goal in holding you to those standards, the potential discipline in the variety of areas, and the procedure to protect yourself. Sorry it’s so long, but it’s a big one and I hope this brings you some peace of mind. Remember; stay cool and always be respectful. The contract is on your side, the grievance resolutions are on your side, and the procedure is on your side.
Take care out there, Union brothers and sisters.