PTF Rural Carrier?

HoosierDude · May 16, 2019

1. Can somebody explain to me the typical situation in which an RCA would be converted to a PTF carrier? I was having trouble comprehending what situations this would occur under. 2. A PTF is also considered a career carrier and gets the same benefits correct?

I ask because I believe I should/could have been made a PTF carrier years ago but never was. Currently an RCA Aux carrier for 5 years with a 6 day hold down on a 32 hour weekly evaluated route. Only 3 total rural routes in our office but our K and J routes didn't have a sub for almost 3 years so I would have to do both the aux and full route in 1 day!

gotstamps · May 16, 2019

The PTF position is a bid-for position akin to the Regular bid position. It would go through the same bidding process. PTFs are usually created due to a lack of new-hires, too many 120-Day letters to fulfill, & too many Peeps working OT. District approves the creation of these positions when a PM requests AND can show that they are trying & failing in the hiring process. There are benefits since it is a Career position but not quite the same as Regulars.

Morty · May 16, 2019

The regular has to submit a 120 day letter and grieve to make a PTF possible.

Good luck. Even when the regular I replaced was sitting at home with a broken back/hip/shoulder and knowing he'd never recover...he still refused to do the 120 day letter to give me the PTF position.

gotstamps · May 16, 2019

Morty said:
The regular has to submit a 120 day letter and grieve to make a PTF possible.

Good luck. Even when the regular I replaced was sitting at home with a broken back/hip/shoulder and knowing he'd never recover...he still refused to do the 120 day letter to give me the PTF position.

Sorry but a Regular being out on injury doesn’t have anything to do with the PTF position. As soon as it was clear that the injured carrier would be gone over 30 days, mgmt was supposed to offer the Primary position to all trained RCAs. If no takers, then mgmt could hire for the route & the Secondary & Tertiary would work the route or Senior available until then. A PTF must have a minimum of 2 routes on a String therefore a “hold-down” route should not be placed on a string (IMHO). Of course, nothing in writing (yet) says a hold-down can’t be on a PTF string.
Regardless, an RCA should have taken the Primary, changed to Des. 74 after 90, and any other Regular that was in need of an RCA should have submitted their 120-day.

HoosierDude · May 17, 2019

gotstamps said:
The PTF position is a bid-for position akin to the Regular bid position. It would go through the same bidding process. PTFs are usually created due to a lack of new-hires, too many 120-Day letters to fulfill, & too many Peeps working OT. District approves the creation of these positions when a PM requests AND can show that they are trying & failing in the hiring process. There are benefits since it is a Career position but not quite the same as Regulars.

Thank you for the info! Can a PTF do a mutual transfer with a regular in another office?
From my understanding it sounds like I could/should have been made a PTF years ago when our full time routes had no subs for years. Would it be too late to grieve it?

iastfan112 · May 17, 2019

If I'm not mistaken the fact that your office had only 1 K route would mean you're out of luck. Rural PTF's must be assigned to at least 2 K routes.

Even if you had 2 K routes in the office, as others have said, if the regulars didn't fill out the 120 "Find me a sub" form you're also out of luck.

gotstamps · May 17, 2019

HoosierDude said:
Thank you for the info! Can a PTF do a mutual transfer with a regular in another office?
From my understanding it sounds like I could/should have been made a PTF years ago when our full time routes had no subs for years. Would it be too late to grieve it?

No. You can bid on DISTRICT WIDE PTF postings and all Regular Carrier postings (as RCAs can). It is mgmt discretion to create PTF positions. It is not a “right” so no violation has occurred.

iastfan112 · May 17, 2019

gotstamps said:
No. You can bid on DISTRICT WIDE PTF postings and all Regular Carrier postings (as RCAs can). It is mgmt discretion to create PTF positions. It is not a “right” so no violation has occurred.

It's not entirely management ' s discretion though. If there are at least 2 empty K routes, and one of them has filed the 120 letter and management doesn't fill the slots then a PTF position has to be created. Given the details given in this situation I don't think it applies but its not something management can just decide not to do.

btdtret · May 17, 2019

HoosierDude -- "Only 3 total rural routes in our office but our K and J routes didn't have a sub for almost 3 years so I would have to do both the aux and full route in 1 day!"

-- Based on a 3-route rural office with 1 K route, 1 J route and 1 AUX route, there is no way to create a PTF position. PTF serves a MINIMUM of 2 K routes.

-- True - the PTF is a career position with some benefits. Think of it as an RCA on steroids as a PTF can be utilized just about everywhere in the office if not working one of his / her "string" assignments.

-- RCA's are not "converted" to a PTF position. RCA's and substitute rural carriers bid on PTF positions. Successful bidders will be placed on the new assignment.

-- Mutual Transfers are between regular rural carriers ( Article 12.5.B.3. ) and only for an exchange of post offices. The new arrival will get whatever residual route is remaining from the bidding process. To get to another post office, you'd have to check on District-Wide PTF postings.

wamailmom · May 17, 2019

In my old office, the PM decided NOT to create PTF positions by hiring new RCAs, and not caring whether or not they stuck around. He admitted that he hired new subs just to "reset" the 120-day clock. A few PTF positions did finally get created, but only after some district peeps came in to investigate why the office was doing so poorly.

wamailmom · May 17, 2019

More info for you HoosierDude, once a PTF position is created, it does NOT stick around after that PTF carrier becomes a regular. It goes away, unless management decides to open up a new one.