A brief history is the USPS did not compensate everyone for travel, therefore grievances were filed and a few were won at the regional level. Retired Southern Region Maintenance NBA Eddie Fuch led the way with some regional arbitration wins. However, regional arbitrations are not precedent setting and these regional awards were not accepted nationwide.

The USPS then declared the issue as an interpretive issue. This led to the 1993 Mittenthal Award which addressed compensation for travel. The USPS started compensation for all overnight travel. However, out of bid hour travel was paid at the FLSA rate minus the straight time portion. Once the Mittenthal Decision was issued the APWU could not reach a full agreement and other grievances were filed and once again the USPS declared the issue interpretive.

This led to the 1996 Snow Award, which addressed travel prior to April of 1993. Once again grievances were filed over the compensation and a few were won at the regional level. The USPS declared the travel grievances interpretive for a third time. This interpretive issue is pending at the Washington, DC level.

Both the 1993 Mittenthal and 1996 Snow Awards generated a resolvement of $150.00 for each travel for training assignment for a specific period of time. In a summary the union has fought the compensation for travel issue for a long time.

Prior to the USPS declaring the latest travel issue interpretive a law suit was filed in Federal Court. This law suite is pending. The law suit is being handled by the law firm of Daryl Anderson.

If someone wants to join the law suit the following information is required. The time frame is the past three years, the time from year two to three may be untimely but the answer to this question is not known at this moment.

Thank you.

Yours in Union Solidarity,
Bobby Donelson, Assistant Maintenance Director A

Washington D.C. Maintenance Officers
Jim Lingberg, Maintenance Director
Bobby Donelson, Maintenance Assistant Director A
Jake Jackson, Maintenance Assistant Director B
Gary Klopefer, Maintenance National Representative at Large

1300 L Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone 202 842-4213   Fax 202 289-3746