RCA aux hold down

[Link]

An Aux route recently opened up in our office as one of our regulars moved out of state and the RCA who had the aux route now became regular.

Now as I am the only RCA in the office I’m not worried about not getting the aux route, but I would like to do the hold down process and make it official and on paper(for various reasons). How do I go about doing this? Pretty much clueless on this topic, any help is appreciated!

 

[btdtret]

Link -- "An Aux route recently opened up in our office as one of our regulars moved out of state and the RCA who had the aux route now became regular. Now as I am the only RCA in the office I’m not worried about not getting the aux route, but I would like to do the hold down process and make it official and on paper(for various reasons). How do I go about doing this?"

-- Article 30.G.2.

- When an auxiliary route is to be filled, the route will be offered to qualified substitutes, rural carrier associates and rural carrier relief employees in the order to the longest continuous period of service at that office, without regard to classification.

-- "Hold down" is used when an RCA fills in for a regular who will be out for an extended time.

-- You will be assigned to the AUX and after 90 calendar days, you should get a new Form 50 showing you as a Designation 79. May have to remind manglement to submit the paperwork.

-- Not to dampen things, but depending on the size of the AUX, manglement could decide to eliminate the AUX by incorporating its deliveries into other regular routes.

-- On the positive side, when you get the AUX, there will be the decision to run the AUX 6 days a week or 5 / 1. If in a "Formula" office, it will be 6 / 0.

 

[neciat]

In addition to the above from , @btdtret , there is this concerning your situation from The Nat'l Agreement , Article 30 ;

4. In offices that have not changed the relief days
of one or more regular routes in accordance with
Article 9.2.C.5.b., upon accepting an auxiliary route
assignment, the employee must make an election
to serve the auxiliary route six days per week
or continue to serve the auxiliary route and on
the assigned regular route as the primary leave
replacement.
a. An employee serving the auxiliary route and
serving on the assigned regular route as the pri-
mary leave replacement may subsequently elect
to serve the auxiliary route six days, if mutually
agreeable between the carrier and the installation
head. Upon this election, Article 30.2.G.1.b. will
apply.
b. An employee serving the auxiliary route six
days may accept a subsequent leave-replacement
vacancy in accordance with Article 30.2.E

 

[JWJones2017]

Are PTFs considered "qualified substitutes"?

 

[btdtret]

Link -- As a follow up, unlike a regular route that has officially become vacant and manglement has to post it within 30 days, I don't believe there is a time frame for which manglement has to start offering the AUX to eligible RCAs. Anyone? ( one way to keep an RCA from earning sick leave! )

 

[Worve]

Link -- As a follow up, unlike a regular route that has officially become vacant and manglement has to post it within 30 days, I don't believe there is a time frame for which manglement has to start offering the AUX to eligible RCAs. Anyone? ( one way to keep an RCA from earning sick leave! )

If someone leaves the aux due to making career or quit management is suppose to offer it to subs by seniority. Again it’s up to subs to push that issue, no one is going to do it for them. PTF are ineligible for getting hold down or aux status.

 

[Packager]

Are PTFs considered "qualified substitutes"?

Contractually, PTF's cannot be assigned to an auxiliary route. However, they may be utilized in the absence of the assigned carrier who elected to serve it:

Part-time flexible rural carriers may be assigned as the​

primary leave replacement on more than one regular​

route. The part-time flexible may also be utilized on​

any regular route where the primary leave replacement​

is not available and any auxiliary route where the​

assigned leave replacement is not available.​

When the leave replacement assigned to serve the​

auxiliary route is unavailable, the Employer may​

require a part-time flexible rural carrier to serve the​

route or the assignment shall be offered to other substitutes,​

rural carrier associates, and rural carrier relief​

employees in the office in the order of the longest​

period of continuous service in that office, without​

regard to classification. If there are none available, the​

Employer shall select another qualified person to serve​

the auxiliary route.​

 

[JWJones2017]

Thank you. I've been screwed over. 1. I was an RCA on an Aux route when converted a PTF. 2. I was assigned to a route then was bumped by a new hire where the regular shortly after went on a 204B detail. 3. Finally as one of my routes, was removed because of being a PTF, was not utilized as a leave replacement for the 2nd RCA in seniority. The primary RCA is on an Aux route. The frustration mounts daily.

 

[Packager]

The primary RCA is on an Aux route.

If your office is formula, the aux routes are REQUIRED to be 6-day elections. There is no option for a 5/1 in a formula office and they should not be "primary" on anything other than the aux. They would be vacating their primary/secondaries/tertiaries by electing the aux 6 days a week.

 

[Dameon]

I have been searching for an answer, not finding it on this subject.
-RCA has been in leave earning for 15 years on an aux. There is one aux and one K (full) route, 1 regular and 2 rca's. The RCA that is designated a 79 for 15 years lost a kidney he will be out 120 days. Of course the other (junior) RCA is now about to become a 79 at 90 days, my question is when the Senior RCA gets back can he bump the new RCA back off the route and designation 79. Everything I read isn't straight forward, but sounds like he doesn't. Tell me that isn't correct.