The use of transitional employees at all postal
facilities but remote encoding center sites has been
discontinued as of Dec. 31, 2005 as the result of a 2000
bargaining agreement between the American Postal Workers
Union and the Postal Service.
An arbitrator gave USPS the authority to hire TEs in 1991
to fill anticipated impacted positions as a result of
automation, something the union said it opposes in an
effort to establish an all-career, all-regular workforce.
USPS management successfully argued in 1990 that temporary
employees were necessary during its transition to automation
and hired thousands to fill vacancies caused by attrition
and to staff positions that would be eliminated once the
equipment was deployed–but according to the union, USPS
continued to rely on TEs to fill workforce needs.
The union said the temps, 24,000 of them in 1992 dwindling
to 4,000 between 2002 and 2005, did not get cost-of-living
raises or contributions to health insurance and were not
protected from disciplinary actions it considered unjustified.
Further, APWU complained that hiring temps prevented the
regular workforce from working overtime during times of
peak-volume, that the practice limited the career
opportunities of permanent employees, and that part-time
employees were unable to convert to regular employment.
APWU said the use of REC temps is covered under a separate
agreement.
