This episode of From A to Arbitration, hosted by Corey, features a special guest, Mike Caref, a National Business Agent from Region 3. The episode begins with Corey talking about the upcoming episode, which will feature JB, a National Business Agent from Region 3, who will be discussing the DOIS, 3996, and the PET. Corey then goes on to talk about a couple of grievances that he has received about votes, shop stewards, and the process of voting on shop stewards. He discusses how he would recommend that the shop steward is present during the vote count, as a way to ensure transparency.
Corey then brings up a topic about CCAs being used to case mail on Sunday. He talks about how this is a grievance that he has experienced, but says it is a tricky one to handle. He then gives a personal anecdote about his experience with this issue, and how he had to file a grievance for the right to be able to touch each piece of mail to ensure that it was going to the correct address. He talks about how some of the carriers were spending four minutes per stop because of this, which is an unbelievable amount of time. He encourages listeners to contact him if they experience this issue.
The majority of the podcast features a discussion about the Mittenthal award, which was a landmark arbitration ruling. The ruling specifically dealt with the use of emergency placement, which is the practice of placing a letter carrier on non-duty, non-pay status, without pay, without first giving them written notice of the charge against them. This award was significant, because it clarifies the process that is required for the Postal Service to use emergency placement.
Mike Caref speaks in detail about the case, going through the specifics of the Mittenthal award, and then giving further detail from a subsequent arbitration ruling on the same topic. He goes into the steps that must be taken for the Postal Service to utilize emergency placement, and also the necessary details that should be included in the written notice given to the employee.
The podcast ends with reiterating that emergency placement is discipline, and not administrative action. He then encourages listeners to educate themselves about the topic and make sure that they are familiar with the rules and regulations that govern their work.