Update on COVID Isolation/Quarantine Policy and COVID Close Contact Tracing January 2022

UPDATE ON ISOLATION QUARANTINE

2021 1-5 COVID -19 EMPLOYEES RTW UPDATED

2022 1-5 USPS CLOSE CONTACT TRACING

OSH RTW SWI 1.5.22

COVID 19 SUPERVISOR CHECKLIST

President's Message

Greetings Local 302 members and friends!

Peak mailing season is upon us and there have been many changes since our Spring newsletter. The pandemic is still lurking around and has developed many new variants, but the vaccine has made the virus less dangerous for those who have chosen to get immunized. If you are not among those who have gotten fully vaccinated, I highly encourage you to do so. OSHA released the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard on November 4, 2021 which will require the USPS to ensure their employees are vaccinated by January 4, 2022 or require them to produce a negative COVID-19 test result every week. This promises to be a contentious issue with employees not in compliance possibly being denied the right to work. Local 302 will follow any developments closely, file any necessary grievances and post any updates on our website and bulletin boards.

The USPS is installing new processing equipment in many facilities, and planning on operating 3 separate annexes (Reno, Stockton and Sacramento STC) this peak season. All of the new machinery we see is geared towards the increased parcel volumes the USPS is anticipating. We are monitoring the installation of any new equipment and requesting Local Dispute Resolution Committee meetings with management and the APWU to inventory new and existing work. We are also continuing to see the deactivation of letter and flat processing machinery such as the DBCS, FSS and AI flat operations as letter/flat volume continues to decline.

Despite the above-mentioned changes, our craft continues to grow. During 2021, Local 302 has seen the conversion of more than 330 MHAs to career Full-Time Regular status, and the hiring of hundreds of career-path Mail Handler Assistants, with new members in every facility throughout the Local. We welcome the newly hired and converted to our ranks, and congratulate you on your new positions.

We also welcomed several shop stewards in San Jose, Reno, Oakland, Sacramento and North Bay. We thank ALL of our stewards for helping police the contract for the craft. We are always on the lookout for new shop stewards to step up and help represent our members, so if you are interested in becoming a Union representative- please contact me or your Branch President.

In our last newsletter, I reported that management was planning on instituting mail moves at several facilities in Local 302’s jurisdiction, and throughout the Nation. Almost all of those have been put on hold for now. Should these mail moves come back up, we pledge to fight to minimize any negative impact to our craft. The San Francisco ISC closure is still pending with 68 mail handlers from the San Francisco bid cluster (P&DC/ISC/PMA) being told that they will be excessed to facilities within 50 miles in March 2022. That number has shrunk from 115 to 68, but we will continue to fight to lower the number of impacted mail handlers.

We have reinstituted in-person meetings, trainings and events. We were able to safely hold our long-awaited Union summer picnic in Santa Cruz, Reno shop steward training, Reno branch picnic, General membership meeting and branch meetings in most of our facilities. There are pictures and information on those events elsewhere in this newsletter, so please take a look! We are continuing to schedule and conduct meetings, so keep an eye on your bulletin boards and our website/phone app (npmhulocal302.org) for upcoming branch meetings in your facility. For those of you who might have not had a chance to attend a branch meeting, this is an excellent opportunity to enjoy a complementary meal with your Union brothers and sisters and meet with your Local President, Branch President and stewards for updated information. We always have free Local 302 logo swag available to hand out to attendees.

Speaking of SWAG, this year we partnered with ADCO Specialties to provide our members with more choices for our annual giveaway. In the past our members received either an apron or men’s T-shirt depending on what the Eboard chose for that particular year. This year every member was able to choose a free item from several different styles of shirts, apron, smock, hats, face mask or cell phone power bank. The new options were so popular we ended up reopening the store after the first delivery order for those who might have missed out. The items from the second round of orders should be delivered within the next few weeks. We hope that you will proudly display your Union logo gear!

On August 28, 2021, career mail handlers received the fourth of the six possible COLA increases negotiated in our 2019 National Agreement. Mail handlers hired before February 15, 2013 received a $1,934 annual increase. Those hired after that date received a proportional increase of that amount depending on their current step. On November 20, 2021, career mail handlers will also receive a 1.8% contractual increase which you will see on your December 10^th paycheck.  MHAs (who do not receive COLA increases) will receive a 2.8% increase on November 20, 2021. This is the last contractual increase from our 2019 National Agreement which expires on September 20, 2022, but our National Contract Administration is already in preparation to negotiate a successor Agreement. If you have any suggestions for bargaining proposals for the new contract, you should turn those in by January 28^th, 2022 to the NPMHU Field Negotiating Committee. The proposal form and instructions are available on the National website at NPMHU.ORG.

I wish you all a safe and happy Holiday season, and  prosperous New Year!

* NEW LOCAL OFFICE LOCATION: 3700 HILBORN ROAD # 200, FAIRFIELD, CA 94534