July 13, 2004
VICE PRESIDENTS, AREA OPERATIONS
MANAGER, CAPITAL METRO OPERATIONS
SUBJECT: Voluntary Protection Programs Agreement
Attached you will find an agreement with the American Postal Workers Union (APWU),
AFL-CIO, agreeing that jointly promoting the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) will enhance worker safety
and health.
The VPP process will be implemented through the national, area, and local joint
labor-management safety committees. The parties agree that the decision to enter
into the VPP process is a joint decision made between the APWU and the U.S.
Postal Service at the local level.
The VPP process is designed to accomplish the following goals at participating
worksites:
-
Improve safety and health at the worksite so that the Postal Service and APWU
can work together to reduce accidents/injuries.
-
Train Postal Service worksite managers, supervisors, APWU representatives, and
the local Joint Labor-Management Safety and Health Committee to ensure
comprehension of the OSHA VPP process.
-
Reduce the number and severity of job related injuries and illnesses.
-
Eliminate or reduce unsafe working conditions and practices.
All participating sites will Implement and comply with the June 8, 1999,
Correction of Unsafe Condition memorandum (also attached).
Please work with your APWU counterparts to identify worksites for participation
In VPP and notify Robert Brant via email of interested sites. We will be
providing national joint training for the new sites.
If you have any questions, please contact Sam Pulcrano, Manager, Safety
Performance
Management, at (202) 268-2067.
Patrick R. Donahoe
Attachments (2)
cc: Managers, Human Resources (Area)
District Managers
Plant Managers
475 L’Enfant Plaza
Washington, DC 20260-0080
www.usps.com
VOLUNTARY PROTECTION PROGRAMS AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE,
AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION, AFL-CIO |
I. BACKGROUND
It is the responsibility of United States Postal Service (USPS) management to
provide safe-working conditions in all present and future installations and to
develop a safe working force, and of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) to
cooperate with and assist management to live up to this responsibility. The USPS
and the APWU recognize the benefit of establishing the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration’s (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) at postal
worksites. The parties agree that the decision to enter the VPP process is a
joint decision made between the APWU and the USPS at the local level. The
parties agree that jointly promoting OSHA VPP at worksites will enhance worker
safety and health.
II. GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND STRATEGIES
The USPS and APWU will cooperate at all levels (National, Area, and Local) to
identify and prepare worksites for participation in OSHA VPP. This will require
meaningful involvement and participation in the process of both parties. All
participating worksites will implement and comply with the Correction of Unsafe
Conditions Memorandum dated June 8,1999.
A. USPSIAPWU National Joint Labor-Management Safety Committee will evaluate and
make recommendations on all aspects of the VPP process to include program
adequacy, field implementation, training, and unsafe conditions.
-
Roles and responsibilities of the parties at the National level.
-
Determining the appropriate VPP process measurements.
-
Providing guidance and support to all worksites considering participation.
-
Developing a national training program for area and site participants.
Identifying National level trainers.
-
Developing a semi-annual progress report format for area committees/local
worksites.
-
Reviewing and evaluating the progress of worksites participating in the VPP
process.
-
Discussing and resolving issues as necessary to enhance the process.
-
Sharing innovative practices and processes (OSHA identified best practices).
B. USPSIAPWU Area Joint-Labor Management Safety Committees will monitor and
assist Local Joint Labor—Management Safety and Health Committees in evaluating
and implementing their VPP process.
-
Roles and responsibility of the parties at the Area/APWU Regional level.
-
Monitoring the local VPP process and assisting local sites with resolving
Issues.
-
Reviewing and evaluating semiannual VPP progress reports from participating
worksites.
-
Sharing innovative practices and processes with local worksites (OSNA
Identified best practices).
-
Providing a semi-annual area committee/worksite progress report to the
National Joint Labor-Management Safety Committee.
-
Notify the National Joint Labor-Management Safety Committee of all worksites
planning to participate In VPP.
C. USPS/APWU Local Joint Labor-Management Safety and Health Committees may make
recommendations for the development and implementation of the facility VPP
process. They will accomplish this through:
-
Management Leadership
-
APWU Leadership
-
Worksite and Job Analysis
-
Hazard Prevention
-
Training
-
Program Evaluation
The Local Joint Labor-Management Safety and Health Committee may establish a VPP
worksite team.
-
Specifically, the VPP process is designed to accomplish the following goals
at participating USPS worksites:
-
Improve safety and health at the worksite so that the USPS and APWU can work
together to reduce accidents/Injuries.
-
Train USPS worksite managers, supervisors, APWU representatives, and the Local
Joint Labor-Management Safety and Health Committee to ensure comprehension of
the OSHA VPP process.
-
Reduce the number and severity of lob related injuries and Illnesses.
-
Eliminate or reduce unsafe working conditions and practices.
-
Roles and responsibilities of the parties at the Local level.
-
Implement the VPP process.
-
Address local VPP implementation issues.
-
Provide semi-annual progress reports to the Area Joint Labor-Management Safety
Committee.
-
Provide OSHA identified best practices to Area and National Joint
Labor-Management Safety committees.
-
Notify the Area Joint Labor-Management Safety Committee of their intention to
participate in VPP.
III. MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION SYSTEM
The National Joint Labor-Management Safety Committee will develop and Implement
appropriate procedures to measure the progress of the VPP process. At a minimum,
baseline data will be developed and the following will be evaluated:
-
Number of participating worksites.
-
Status of VPP implementation.
-
Incidence and severity of criteria (in comparison with the baseline).
-
Number of managers, union representatives and employees trained in VPP
process.
-
Number of innovative practices and processes shared (OSHA identified best
practices).
These factors and other appropriate information (e.g., reduction of safety
related grievances and OSHA citations), if requested, will be provided by Area
Joint Labor-Management Safety Committees and Local Joint Labor-Management Safety
and Health Committees to the National Joint Labor-Management Safety Committee
for review and comment.
IV. VERIFICATION
Verification of VPP implementation by the participants will be effected through
both off-site and on-site methods. The National Joint Labor-Management Safety
committee may decide to conduct onsite visits. Area Joint Labor-Management
Safety Committees may request approval from the National Joint Labor-Management
Committee to conduct onsite visits. Such visits may be a combination of National
and Area Joint Labor-Management Safety Committee representatives.
V. EMPLOYEE RIGHTS
Nothing in this agreement shall be construed to preclude bargaining unit
employees from exercising any right provided under the OSH Act, nor does It
eliminate their responsibility to comply with any provision of the Act, or any
standard or regulation promulgated pursuant to the Act.
This VPP agreement does not supersede or modify the parties’ collective
bargaining agreement (National Agreement) or supplements thereto.
VI. TERM OF AGREEMENT
This agreement will be in effect for a period of three (3) years from the date
of signing. The agreement may be renewed by mutual agreement of the parties at
the National Level.
VII. TERMINATION
Either National level party to this agreement may, with 30-day written notice to
the other party at the National level, withdraw from this agreement.
______________________________
Patrick R. Donahoe
Chief Operating Officer
and Executive Vice President
|
______________________________
William Burrus
President
American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO |
|
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