The following is correspondence between APWU National Maintenance Craft Director Steve Raymer and USPS CPMM, Engineering - Maintenance Policies & Programs, Terry C. LeFevre:

1) Please explain the purpose and scope of this solicitation and any impact upon APWU bargaining units or occupational groups, such as the custodial work force.

A.) It is not a solicitation. It is a request for information to determine if we can gain an economy of scale for contracts at facilities where custodial work is subcontracted. It is not an expansion of existing management rights to contract. No impact to the bargaining unit is anticipated.

2) Is this solicitation for the providing of custodial supplies, the actual performance of custodial work or both?


A.) This request of information is in regards to custodial work.

3) Is this a USPS initiative to obtain a sole source for the contracting out of custodial duties?

A.) No

a) Does the USPS intend to use the responses to this solicitation to contract out work currently being performed by custodial employees of the maintenance craft?

A.) This is not a solicitation. If contracting eventually results it will be consistent with existing MOUs and the CBA.

4) Is this a USPS initiative to expand contracting out of custodial work beyond that established under the CBA?

A.) No

5) Why is there an “IMMEDIATE need for custodial services”?

A.) This statement clarifies, for the interested target audience, that the first service being contemplated is custodial service.

6) Why are the States of Illinois, California and Texas specifically listed as the INITIAL need?

A.) These are states serviced by the PMSCs involved with the evaluation.

7) Please clarify and explain the statement “Capability to do very large contracts”.

a) Is this in relation to total dollar value?

A.) Not necessarily

b) Is this in relation to size of the facility that will be contracted?

A.) No

c) Please identify what is a “large contract”.

A.) Numerous facilities, perhaps over a large geographical area.

8) Under the bullet point of “Capability of electronic reports”, will any such contractors be interfacing with existing Postal equipment and/or employees (e.g. – eMars and/or Maintenance Support Clerks and/or the FSSP)?

A.) Not anticipated

9) Under the bullet point of “Programs for reducing costs/improving efficiencies”, will any such contractors be commenting on, reviewing, etc. the method(s) of or actual performance of work by maintenance craft custodial personnel?

A.) No

Steve Raymer
Director, Maintenance Division
American Postal Workers Union

http://www.postalreporter.com/pdfs/csvendorrequest.pdf