The Local Line
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The Official Voice Of The
American Postal
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Phone: 630-833-0088 Fax: 630-833-0248
Jackie Engelhart – President Alan Czerwinski - News Director
February 15, 2010
AMP Report Finally Provided to the Union
On 2-8-10 we finally received a copy of the AMP feasibility study for Palatine into Carol Stream, and this was provided in response to an information request submitted by Vice President Baskin on 2-3-10. Labor Relations Manager Scott Sharon noted in his cover letter that management was not providing draft copies of the study because the National Labor Relations Board determined the union was not entitled to these documents because the requested information is not relevant to the duties of the union under the Act. In short, management refused to provide any information on the AMP to the union until it was approved and announced to the unions and the employees. We got it after it was a done deal. The estimated annual cost savings for the AMP are $9, 102, 290 in work-hour savings based on a reduction of 130 craft positions.
Numbers at the Losing Facility
The Clerk craft will be reduced from 621 fulltime to 506 for a proposed loss of 115 Clerks. The Mail Handlers will be reduced from 391 to 326 for a loss of 65 MH. It shows there are now 368 full-time MH on the rolls and 12 PTF-MH and 11 Casuals. The study show the Maintenance Craft complement being reduced from 194 to 180 positions for a loss of 14 positions. There is no change shown for the Motor Vehicle Craft. The staffing shows eight Limited Duty or Rehabs.
Numbers at the Gaining Facility
The Clerk Craft will be increased from 572 fulltime positions to 609 for a gain of 37 positions. The Mail Handler Craft will increase from 309 to 330 positions for a gain of 21 positions. The Maintenance Craft will increase from 185 to 191 positions. There is no change shown for the Motor Vehicle Craft. The staffing shows 22 Limited Duty or Rehabs.
60 Day Notices Issued
Palatine issued 60 notice letters to 61 Clerks at Palatine on 2-8-10 but failed to provide copies to the union. We found out from the employees who brought their letters to the union office. Blaise Steel said he was told to pass them out as Labor was to notify the union. Carol Stream provided us with 60-day letters for 26 Clerks but has yet to issue them to the CS Clerks. The CS letters should be rescinded due to the AMP study showing CS will gain 37 Clerks. Management has yet to give us the final numbers based on the AMP and the 90% BPI impacts but these are the numbers we have now.
Palatine Impacts
Management issued an impact for 90% BPI for 61 Clerks, and today we received another one for 15 Clerks based on the Kenis Award returning Clerks from the MH Craft. The AMP study shows a loss of 115 Clerks. If all of these serial impacts are implemented at Palatine the Clerk Craft will lose 191 positions, yet we still see supervisors working.
AMP Impact by Tour?
We requested a meeting with management to find out what their final numbers are and what the AMP impact will be by tour. Greg Johnson promised we would have the numbers within two weeks (2-16-10). Once we have more information beyond the AMP study numbers we will be meeting with the affected employees at Palatine to share information and to answer questions. We know the tour 1 DPS operation will not change and will continue to be staffed but the tour 3 outgoing operation will most likely see a drastic reduction in staffing. The start time for manual letters will probably be moved later and most likely into tour 1 according to Industrial Engineer Steel.
HR Manager Lillgenfelser to Meet
With Palatine Employees
She will be meeting with Palatine employees who received 60 day notices for the "BPI" impact and those who will receive 60 day notices due to the AMP which have not been issued yet. She wants these employees to waive their right to the 60 day notice and to agree to be moved to new positions sooner. She states she wants to move them into jobs ahead of the NDC (formerly the BMC). This would be strictly voluntary. She must be able to tell them what kind of jobs she has, where they arc and how many she has. She must include all jobs and not just the Carrier jobs that management wants filled. Per the voice mail message I received today the meetings will be on Wednesday night at 9 and 1030 pm or service day Thursday 2-18-10. The Palatine BPI 60 day notices were issued on 2-3-10 but not provided to the union until 2-11-10.
USPS Can't Rationalize "Network
Rationalization"
(From APWU Web News Article) An audit by the OIG issued on 1-7-10 states that after more than five years of initiatives to streamline the mail processing network, the USPS has failed to establish criteria for identifying consolidation opportunities. "Stakeholder opposition" and resistance to service downgrades were the primary factors that delayed or resulted in the disapproval of Area Mail Processing (AMP) Studies. Additional challenges include "facilities with long-term leases, workforce inflexibilities, facility data consistency and reliability, and lack of a comprehensive plan." There is a "lack of specific criteria" the USPS can consistently apply nationwide and AMP's have been cancelled without providing a rationalization. The audit reports that 13 AMP consolidations have taken place, including two facility closures. 16 others have been approved while 39 proposed consolidations have been cancelled. Another 30 are listed as "active" which means a final decision has not been made. After a lull for most of 2008, USPS began initiating AMP studies in great numbers in 2009. President William Burrus states "We have questioned the validity of the so-called "right-sizing" programs from Day One. The plans have had many different names, from Evolutionary Network Design to optimization to realignment, and the OIG agrees that the latest version, the "Rationalization Initiative" can't be rationalized." By what criteria did management approve 29 and disapprove 39 AMP's, and how did Palatine become the latest to be approved?
Tour 1 Bids at Busse
I recently met with Plant Manager Branch and a room full of HR staffers to explain why the tour 1 distribution bids must be posted closed section. Ruby asked for the meeting to resolve the issue to prevent future liability to USPS. The problem is that management is relying on someone who does not understand that closed section bidding must occur until all Clerks who were excessed out of the section on tour 1 have an opportunity to exercise retreat rights back to the section. They are listening to Herby Weathers who was once the President of the Chicago Local and has since changed sides. It appears the HR Manager thinks he's infallible because he was once a Local President but she chooses to ignore this Local President when I tell her that he is wrong about posting tour 1 distribution bids for everyone while Clerks remain excessed out of the section. Management is relying on someone who clearly does not understand Article 12 so there will be liability for these improperly posted tour 1 bids but Labor Rep. Weathers said he would take responsibility for any liability.
USPS Attendance Crackdown
The OIG conducted an audit of USPS attendance control policies and concluded that supervisors have failed to comply with policies and procedures regarding unscheduled absences. The report recommends refresher training for supervisors, internal controls to monitor supervisor compliance, and use of the ERMS system. Supervisors who do not follow through and issue discipline will be subject to discipline themselves, so there will be an attendance crackdown in 2010.