St. Paul, MN Area Local                   APWU

Pat McCann, President                              March 16, 2007

        www.StPaulAPWU.org                        651-778-1637

--REMINDER—

CHOICE VACATION FORM 1547 DUE

Note:  If you have not yet received your Form 1547 for selecting choice vacation, please request to see a steward.

          It’s that time of year again.  You all should have received your vacation period selection forms.  The following is information taken from the Local Memorandum of Understanding and a few reminders on completing your Form 1547:

          “Periods for  requesting choice vacation will commence no later than March 1 of each year.  Employees must submit their Form 5147 to management no later than March 21^st.  Normally, management will complete and return Form 1547 to the employee no later than March 31^st of each year.”

          Section 3.B.  “During the months of January, February, March, April, the first 21 days of May, September, October and those dates in November not covered in Section C. 10% of the complement will be scheduled on annual leave in each section or unit.”

          Section 3.C.  “From May 22^nd and including June, July and August, and the 1^st Saturday in November and continuing for a total of 21 calendar days, 14% of the complement will be scheduled on annual leave in each section or unit.”

          “Choice vacation period shall begin with the new leave year and end on the last Friday in November.”

          “It is agreed that all employees shall be granted 2 (two) selections as their first choice during the choice vacation periods.  If an eligible employee requests 15 (fifteen) continuous days of annual leave, such request will be counted as 2 (two) selections.”

          “In the clerk craft, part time flexibles are considered part of their assigned section for leave purposes.  Also, when a PTF requests choice vacation, the vacation will be in 40 hour increments with at least 2 scheduled days off.”

          “Employees changing their assignments shall have their vacation periods honored in the new assignment, and such annual shall not be part of the quota of the gaining section or unit for choice vacation.”

          “No exchange shall be permitted of vacation choices.”

          When filling out your 1547, make sure you enter under “First Choice” all weeks that you want annual leave.  “Second” and “Third” choice areas are for designating and alternate choice if you are not able to receive the leave requested under “first” choice.

          These forms also ask for “inclusive dates”.  This means to include all days that you want, including days off and holidays.

          “The vacation period shall start on the first day of the employee’s basic work week”, unless otherwise agreed upon and in 40 hour increments.  After this basic requirement is met and management has reviewed all 1547’s they can go back and review 1547’s for dates that are in conjunction with the choice week but beyond the service week and less than 40 hours (e.g. 40 hours plus 8 hours).  This leave can be approved as long as it does not prevent anyone from receiving their 40 hour choice vacation period.

Pat McCann

President

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