The material contained in this document, Filling Residual Maintenance Vacancies, comes from a variety of sources.  It is not instructional -- not in the sense that I have offered explanation of how the process works or how to approach grievances involving vacant positions.  This material, rather, is resource material taken from the Joint Contract Interpretation Manual (JCIM), handbooks and manuals and some other sources.  It represents the contractual provisions and Postal Service regulations that control the process of establishing, maintaining and using registers to fill vacant positions that remain after completion of the Article 38 procedures for bidding and promotion within the Craft.

There are different types of registers that have relevance to Maintenance Craft positions -- the Preferred Assignment Registers and the Promotion Eligibility Registers are peculiar to Article 38, controlling in-craft procedures.  Also relevant, though, are in-service registers -- filling positions with current Postal Service employees from the other Crafts -- and entrance registers -- filling positions by outside hiring.

The Maintenance Selection System (MSS) is controlled by certain negotiated agreements and by the regulations found in Handbook EL-304.  You will find more information about the MSS on the Maintenance Selection System page.

Custodial examination 916 suspension
In-service registers for custodial maintenance positions generally rely on the qualifying written examination 916.  However, at various times over many years, the Postal Service has suspended the exam 916 requirement for in-service registers. This suspension was formally stated in 2006, achieving agreement from the Union as to a "pecking order" for the composition of in-service registers during the exam 916 suspension.  This same suspension and in-service register "pecking order" was renewed in 2008 with an extension of the exam 916 suspension.