Then he should just do what he is doing, is the leave worth giving up his senior spot, I would not think so.

He should probably transfer there, because the regular carrier is probably not coming back, and he could walk into a regular job.

But if the regular carrier does come back, then he will be screwed, because it's an H route.

Plus he's the senior sub in our office, and the senior regular could decide to retire anytime.

I'm worried whichever way he goes will turn out to be wrong.

WVruralgirl m/19938 What I think might have happen is one of your supervisors didn't take you off of leave earning status by filling out the SF 50 again. You might have slipped through the cracks, just enjoy it. Did you ever get paid for the Annual leave that you earned as a sub? You would have gotten a lump sum payment of your unused Annual leave.

"assigned routes only"??

Im sorry I gave you the wrong one, but it saids the same thing.


531.7 Rural Carrier Associate
531.71 Designation 78
Entered on duty date must be on or after April 11, 1987. Designation 78
employees have bidding privileges on regular rural carrier positions under the USPS/NRLCA national agreement, Article 12, section 3B. Rural carrier
associates (RCA) are not entitled to step increases, leave, or COLA. In
addition, they are not eligible for life insurance, CSRS, or FERS.

531.72 Designation 74
An RCA (Designation 78) can be appointed via SF 50 to serve full time on a
vacant route or in the absence of the regular carrier for more than 90 days. Effective January 21, 1988, Designation 74 employees began earning annual and sick leave on their assigned routes only and will be compensated for the annual leave balance on return to their Designation 78 position. Sick leave is handled in accordance with ELM 513.712. Designation 74 employees have FICA deductions withheld, do not earn step increases, and are not entitled to COLA.
A Designation 74 employee may work as a replacement carrier on a regular
route and on an auxiliary route. Leave will be earned at a maximum of 4
hours per pay period only on the route assigned as a Designation 74.

You know our contract is so complicated that even if it is 3 years some mgmt may not even know it. The rules we live by are so strung out in so many places that most of us have no idea where to look for this stuff. When I made regular I was mistakenly awarded my sub time and it was at least 5 years before they noticed it and told me if I wanted to keep it I had to pay for it. Kind of like the tax code. Its so complicated that most people in the IRS don't understand all of it. I've even heard that the members of congress who wrote it don't know what is in it.

Edited by author 07-03-2009 09:16 PM
/m19936 But how many Des 72's and 73's are there anymore?

rcaforever, I never entered the leave earning capacity again until I made regular. It was over 4 years for the time frame. Like maybe 4 years and 7 months. I was just in a regular rca slot nothing else. It is exactly what I was told when I left the Aux. that my sick time would be "banked" until such time as I made regular or reentered a leave earning job. No time frame was ever mentioned. Not that I would have had enough knowledge to ask anyway. I know quite a bit more now, alot thanks to PT's site.

Is it possible that after you left leave earning status, you enetered it again ??? maybe covered for a sick regular over 90 days ??? I've always heard of the three years and then you lose it..........kinda like you lose it when you retire.........sorta........

OK I found it..
531.3 Substitute Rural Carrier
531.31 Designation 72
A substitute rural carrier (Designation 73) can be appointed via SF 50 to
serve full time on a vacant regular route or in the absence of a regular carrier for more than 90 days. The substitute rural carrier earns annual and sick leave on the assigned route only and is compensated for the balance of his or her annual leave upon return to the Designation 73 position. Sick leave is handled in accordance with Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) 513.712. Designation 72 employees have FICA deductions withheld and earn step increases (see 581.2 for additional information). A substitute rural carrier (Designation 72) may work as a substitute(Designation 73) on a regular rural route other than the assigned route. However, the substitute rural carrier (Designation 72) may not work on an auxiliary route or provide auxiliary assistance on a regular route. Work performed as a Designation 73 must be recorded on the assigned regular carrier’s PS Form 1314. Leave Without Pay (LWOP) must be charged to the assigned route.

This is taken out of the Handbook F-21

bluegoose_1348 /m19924 Thats nice that you beg to differ, but that means nothing. Why dont you call your steward and you will find out. I had to deal with this issue in my office and it was like /m19908 said "You are still rather unclear on how much you have worked the route in question. It has to be your ASSIGNED ROUTE (sub of record) for more than 90 work days." I saw it in writing but I just can't find it right now. Maybe it was a step4 or a MOU. Just call your steward and you will find out.
Thanks

Wishful Thinking.

Did they possibly change the rules, the ELM or the contract at some time so that some people's experience would be different from others? Like buying back sub time?

I had earned sick leave as a sub and it there was more than acthree year break when I stopped earning it and before I went regular and I didn't lose mine. There has been other subs in our office to that didn't. I think if I remember right it was credited after the first 90 days of being regular

I guess I was really lucky then that the PO screwed up and gave me my 20 days. I sort of figured that since I had never left the postal service is the reason why I got the sick time back. Like I said, it had been over 4 years since I had left a leave earning capacity and I got it all back. YEAH ME!!!

Edited by author 07-03-2009 04:18 PM
You will indeed get your sick IF you return to leave earning status within 3 years.. Again from the ELM

 513.7 Transfer or Reemployment
513.71 Transfer
513.711 Crediting

Individuals who are transferring from a federal agency to the Postal Service are credited with their sick leave balance provided there is not a break in service in excess of 3 years.
513.712 Recrediting

The following provisions concern recrediting:

   1. If a Postal Service employee transfers to a position under a different leave system to which only a part of the employee’s sick leave can be transferred, the sick leave is recredited if the individual returns to the Postal Service provided there is not a break in service in excess of 3 years.
   2. If a Postal Service employee transfers to a position to which sick leave cannot be transferred, the sick leave is recredited if the individual returns to the Postal Service provided there is not a break in service in excess of 3 years.

It would be considered a break in service if you go from leave earning status to non leave earning status... In other words, if you go back to non leave earning status, you must enter leave earning status within 3 years to have your sick leave recredited to you....

http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/manuals/elm/html/elmc5_003.htm