Hey Bigtruckerman, why would you request for management to post all bids at the VMF if no one is going to move positions? I'm just wondering! Then your screwed for 2 years, and that's the time they try and reduce the # of positions. NOW WHAT DO YA DO!!! I'm just sayin....

However I have yet to see anyone challenge contracting out using veteran's preference. This would look bad to the USPS if they are dumping veterans in favor of contracting out. I would contact your Congressman to stop the transformation plan this has been the problem all along. I would also inform the congressmen the a campaign will be started to stop kids from joining the military because there will be no jobs for the disabled injure to go to. This happened in the Vietnam war, Korea, and World War II. There were so many injured vets that had no jobs so they created the 1973 Veterans Rehabilitation Act this forced the post office as well as other federal agencies to hire these guys. Now the post office in the last 10 years had refrained from hiring 10 point vet prefs to stay away from the trouble of getting rid of them. There you now see what the transformation plan is all about. I would not encourage anyone to join the military right now until there is some protection for them.

To trucker's wife. You can use veterans preference if needed. However if there is going to be exessing then it has to be from junority up. But If there is a veteran with preference at that point then the next person above with no prefs has to go first. As for the VMF not bidding every two years where is your Director? If he is not doing his job then you need to contact your local president to see why he is not following the contract. If there is not a reasonable response then you can contact your MVS national buiness agent in your region. If there is still no response then you will have to call the national MVS officers. But I am very puzzled as to why there was no bidding in the first place. As for the seniors not bidding that was stupid you all should have bidded and then filed for the grievance and ask for out of schedule pay. Now you have very little to go on because management followed proper procedures for assigning your bids.

To #950: It's only wise to rebid when it's needed, as in senior people are going to move around and save the union (2YR) bid for when u need it, like when management screws it all up!!! Because you have to wait 2 more years after the rebid to fix things. If senior dues paying members are not moving don't call for the rebid!!!

39.2.A.7 states when requested by the Union (the Union works for the Members, get a vote from only the dues paying MEMBERS) all full-time regular MVS maintance duty assignments shall be posted. The JCIM states on page 257, #17 that management CAN NOT reject the Unions' request!!!

To those who were past over by a junior for a best qualified position, I say EEO and prove your case.

To #953: You can't find it cause it does not exist. Article 12 is the only article about involuntary reassignment/excessing. Alot of rules in article 12. Ya got to read that article just to begin to understand and not for a newbie, get help.

GUYS IM LOOKING FOR HELP HERE; WHERE CAN I FIND THIS LANGUAGE IN THE CBA OR IN THE JCIM WHERE IT SAYS THAT ARTICLE 39 SUPERCEEDS ARTICLE 12 WHEN IT REFERS TO A INVOLUNTARILY REASSINGMENT/EXCESSED. THANKS

To Tech47, I will tell you once again that in Providence,RI, Best Qualified Means Absolutely Nothing and the same goes for KSA'S. I am not talking about just one person putting in for a Best Qualified Position, if you are not in the Loop, you are not going anywhere, Bids Are Fixed Here.

If you dont put in for the job you will never get it, I know where I am I am low on the pole and was the only one who put in for the job so I got it
others have had the chance to put in but will not do it's because they dont do it out of spite.
Thats going to so them. I know for a fact that we have had one member who has been asked to put in for the union steward and had many times passed up being a lead but wont do it BUT is one of the first to bitch about the guy doing it.

To post 946, I can't wait to see what Carol Stream wrote. Thanks. It sounds like 20 year got some bad advice! Not a good deal when your craft director and your steward is giving you bad info! I would push for the shop re-bid! We had our first re-bid in about 18yrs last year. Now it should be done every 2. Providing there can be movement. And Loser is absolutly correct, there are people in the wrong positions and it is all due to favoritism! It sucks but there is not much you can do about it. Keep fighting people, its all we can do!

To Post#946, At the Providence VMF, Any Best Qualified Position, not just Lead Tech does not always go to the Best Qualified Employees, Management picks who they want in whatever Position weather you are Qualified or not. 991's and KSA'S mean absolutely nothing here, Best Qualified should have never been allowed to ever happen, Favoritism Rules. We have had one or two Auto Techs here that should have been Promoted to Lead Techs Lose out to Less Qualified Employees due to Best Qualified being allowed to happen. Best of Luck and Happy Thanksgiving to All.

We were told by our local craft director very clearly do not bid. I questioned it at that time but the majority decided this was the way to go. The people that did bid were the junior people that are now on preferred jobs. Some of the senior people are still unassigned regulars. The out of schedule grievance has been mentioned but no action has been taken. The vmf manager Ted Nappier has said he is going to refuse a rebid. There has not been a complete rebid since the tech upgrades that management did 8or 9 years ago. As far as I know The VMF can be rebid every year if agreed by both parties and can be insisted on every two years if requested. Does this take a majority to do or just the union requesting it? The junior Techs have a petition going around to not rebid. One of the people behind it is a shop steward. The craft director is supposed to do something to stop it but has not yet. I would sure be curious what the national union craft director has to say about it. Ted Nappier is just the acting VMF manager it will be real funny if this all falls apart and the local management sees him for what he is. We have gone from current on scheduled maintenance to behind in just three short weeks. It is not due to people not working it is due to the disorganization of the shop and lack of good management. The next step will be contracting out of services. The manager is already telling the stations to get and use contractors where they have never been needed or used yet.

To #945 your guys could have bid, under protest, to ensure senority, then file a out of schedule pay grievance.

To #944 (How can someone be promoted when they need to bid for a position?)You do not bid for a promotion, you apply for promotion w/991 and all your KSAs filled out. A bid is for someone who is already titled in that position(senior qualified). The lead automotive tech position goes to best qualified within the MVS craft(2007 JCIM, page 265 #12). FYI there is a ccmail/email that went out about filling those vacant positions from Carol Stream, IL. I'll look for it and tell ya what is said.