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 The Postal Service’s National Reassessment Process-Limited Duty

The following are excerpts from a letter sent by Susan Carney, APWU Director Human Relations Department to the field:

On May 29, 2009, the Postal Service concluded its National Reassessment Process Limited Duty pilot program. APWU has been notified that this program is being implemented nationwide effective July 13, 2009, with “work status meetings” beginning no sooner than July 27th. You should be aware that the Limited Duty NRP will target limited duty employees as well as those rehab employees who have not yet been subjected ot the original NRP Phase 2, which is now being referred to as the MMI NRP. This new NRP is not intended to replace the MMI NRP. They will exist simultaneously, therefore as explained by the Postal Service, some rehab employees will be subjected to both versions of the program.

It is our belief that this new program has been established to accelerate the NRP, which to this point has proven unfruitful in reducing the Service’s chargeback liabilities when considering the years of resources and finances that the Service has invested in it. We also suspect a dismal response to the USPS’ solicitation , offering early outs is another driving force behind the program.

Nonetheless, the USPS insists that the program merely applies existing NRP processes to the targeted employees and that “available work” decisions will be consistent with current, relevant regulations. However, our review of the new Limited Duty NRP protocol guidelines not only exposed distinct and fundamental differences between the previous MMI program and the new Limited Duty program, but also revealed the continuation of the violations which we previously grieved at the national

Meetings with the USPS
We were advised that districts will start implementation on a staggered basis as determined by each USPS area. The Service projected that there will only be a one-two week period between commencement dates. The USPS further advised that all local and stated union leadership will receive timely briefings, and that employees on the workroom floor will receive a stand up talk regarding the new limited duty process. Additionally, the USPS reiterated that union representation will be provided when bargaining unit employees make such a request.

 

 

        USPS Districts Currently Under Phase 2 Of the National Reassessment Process

According to USPS

The National Reassessment Process is a key initiative that reviews the status of those 33,777 employees in rehabilitation and limited duty assignments at the end of each year. The process ensures that every evaluated employee is placed in an appropriate and necessary work position. NRP was successful in three pilot sites — New York Metro, San Diego, and Western New York, with an additional 29 sites now implementing this initiative. The number of employees in rehabilitation and limited duty assignments was reduced to 31,416 at the end of 2007.

According to APWU:

The Postal Service continues to implement Phase 2 of the National Reassessment Process (NRP) in USPS Districts across the country. There is no set schedule that establishes a date when a particular District will begin Phase 2.

Every USPS District should have already implemented Phase 1 of the NRP, which is the “information-gathering” phase. When a District completes this initial phase, they contact Postal Service Headquarters to seek approval to move forward into Phase 2, which is the “interview and decision-making phase.”

If USPS Headquarters agrees that a District has successfully completed all of the requirements of Phase 1, they will validate the completion of Phase 1 and authorize that District to begin the implementation of Phase 2. The Postal Service will then notify the APWU national office that Phase 2 implementation has been approved for that District.

The Postal Service has informed the APWU that they do not expect more than three Districts in a USPS Area to be in Phase 2 of the NRP at the same time.

Below are the USPS Districts currently approved for the implementation of Phase 2

 

USPS District Date of Implementation
Chicago Early March
Los Angeles                                Early February
Long Island   Early February
Mid-Carolina  Early February
Rio Grande        Early February
Alaska January 2009
Alabama Late October 2008
Nevada–Sierra Late October 2008
Greensboro Early November 2008
Tennessee Early November 2008
Big Sky   Early November 2008
Triboro Late October 2008
Northern Virginia Late October 2008
Sacramento Late September 2008
Pittsburgh Early October 2008
Santa Ana Early October 2008
Dallas Early October 2008
Central Florida Late September 2008
Northland Late September 2008
Greater Indiana Mid-September 2008
Arizona Mid-September 2008
Southeast Michigan Mid-September 2008
Kentuckiana Early September 2008
Sierra Coastal Early August 2008
Colorado/Wyoming Late July 2008
Maine Early July 2008
Central Illinois Mid-June 2008
Greater South Carolina Mid-June 2008
Albuquerque Mid-June 2008
Albany Mid-June 2008
Greater Michigan Mid-May 2008
North Florida Mid-May 2008
San Francisco Late April 2008
Southeast New England Late April 2008
Mississippi Late May 2008
Central New Jersey Late May 2008
Detroit Late March 2008
Suncoast Mid-March 2008
Massachusetts Early March 2008
Central Plains Early March 2008
Gateway LateFebruary2008
Fort Worth Late February 2008
Erie Late December 2007
Richmond Late December 2007
Northern Illinois Mid-November 2007
Oklahoma City Early November 2007
Baltimore Oct. 22, 2007
Connecticut Oct. 10, 2007
South Jersey Oct. 10, 2007
Northern Jersey Oct. 5, 2007
South Florida Sept. 28, 2007
Cincinnati Aug. 1, 2007
Caribbean July 09, 2007
Honolulu July 09, 2007
Boston June 28, 2007
Mid-America May 24, 2007
San Diego
(offices not in NRP pilot)
Mid-May 2007
South Georgia Mid-May 2007
Westchester Late April 2007
Salt Lake City Late April 2007
New Hampshire/Vermont March 13, 2007
Dakotas March 8, 2007

 

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