GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CLASS

The BINDERY ASSISTANT performs a variety of basic hand and machine operations to gather, collate, fold, staple, or bind printed materials in a printing plant.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES

This is the first level of a two-level series and is distinguished from the higher level by the absences of setup, operation, and maintenance of the most complex equipment and procedures and by receiving guidance from higher level employees.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Equipment Operation. Typical tasks: sets correct spacing on drills or punches to make binder holes in printed stock; feeds, offloads material and operates punching or drilling machines; loads stapler or nailer with correct wire size, adjusts guides to paper size, and feeds machine with preassembled printed materials to be "stitched;" loads or offloads stock at large collator, stitcher, or trimming equipment to assist journey operator; loads or offloads materials at perfect binder; guides and adjusts paper flow at an equipment work station on ganged, multipurpose equipment (e.g., combined collating, folding, trimming, stitching operations) through local adjustment of equipment and clearing blockages; loads, operates, and offloads shrink-wrap or strapping equipment; uses pallet jacks to move stock from one work station to another; in some plants sets up, loads, collates, staples from small (11x17) collator-sticher-folder and sets up, loads and operates small (11x17) folder.
2. Hand Operations. Typical tasks: works at "round table" (lazy susan rotating bins) or regular table to collate self-carbon or odd-sized paper stock into correct sequences and groups; jogs (vibrating machine to shake stock into even, squared lots); pads (applies glue to spine) preassembled lots of paper; counts or measures and calculates quantity of paper to determine correct lots in accordance with job orders; folds scored wrap around covers for some forms; fills and packs cartons with completed materials for shipment; marks or labels packages for delivery to client; performs assembly and less complicated hand binding operations at work table.
3. Miscellaneous. Typical tasks: reviews job orders to assure correct processing and procedures; monitors materials in process to detect previous processing errors (incorrect assembly, printing errors, paper damage, etc.) and notifies supervisor if problem is serious; maintains accurate production and time records; maintains clean work site and observes appropriate safety procedures at all times; maintains current of knowledge in field by reading trade publications and attending training when provided; assists in other work areas (warehouse, mail, shipping/receiving, printing) when required.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

Employees in this classification have occasional in-person or telephone contact with employees of other production units to coordinate processing or when assisting in other units and customers to exchange information about jobs.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Employees in this class receive work assignments and general supervision from a shift leadworker. Work is reviewed as completed for timeliness, accuracy, and conformance with job order specifications. Guidance is provided orally from a journey-level bindery worker or leadworker and in writing through job order forms, unit procedures manuals, and equipment operating manuals.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Positions are primarily found in the production environment of a printing plant. They require the willingness to work in the environment associated with the position's location including dust, noise and vigorous activity.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• completion of a bindery assistant apprenticeship period; OR
• one year of experience working as a bindery assistant in a production bindery.

Individuals in this class must have:

• knowledge of bindery operations;
• knowledge of arithmetic;
• knowledge of spoken and written English;
• skill in measuring paper stock to job specifications;
• skill in sorting, counting, and collating printed materials by number, color, or other characteristic.