UPDATE
# 12-03
June
20, 2003
Executive
Vice President Cliff Guffey and I met with postal officials today to discuss the implementation
of the agreement to offer early retirement to eligible APWU-represented
employees. A general time line has been
established for management
to notify eligible employees, to initiate the process for employees
to express an their interest in early retirement, and for workers to to make their final decisions.
Instructions will be issued from pPostal headquarters to will instruct the Areas area-level officials to identify eligible employees and to forward tosend them letters Letters of interest Interest for early Early retirementRetirement. The letters will require a response by a specific date. Postal
headquarters will
also instruct
managers to certain and a review of the
personal
personnel file
of each eligible
employee that is considered eligible to ensure they meet the criteria
for early retirement. A specific
date for the initiation of the process, by sending letters to each
eligible employee, will occur be determined at the Area area level, and is mutually expected
to begin by the second week of July.
It is expected that vEmployees who
elect voluntary early
retirements,
dependent on the total
number of employees by installation and employee’s specific skills, will
take effect be permitted
to retire during October 2003 and February 2004. These specific
months are not firm but are approximate periods , whenso early retirementsthey can be permitted withoutwill not adversely affecting
operations during heavy
mailing periods. The final
determination on dates will depend on the number of employees in an
installation who elect to retire early and their skills.
At
the time early retirement is approved for each an employee, a specific
date will be established for termination termination of their USPS employment. In those circumstances where employees who
elect to retire cannot be replaced within from the existing complement, discussions
will occur on other means of replacing them employees through reassignment,
training or transfer.,
Contrary
to announcements by some Area area-level postal officials, opportunities
for early retirement will be offered to all
eligible APWU eligible employees, pursuant to the terms of
the Memorandum
Collective
Bargaining Agreement and
within the rules as established by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Agreement
has been reached to hold a tripartite meeting with officials of the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM).
The
meeting will be held consistent atwith the earliest possible date, depending on the availability
of the three parties.
Bill Burrus
President