The Local Line

“A PPA Award Winning Publication”

The Official Voice Of The Northwest Illinois Area Local

American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO

194 W. Lake Street Elmhurst IL 60126

Phone: 630-833-0088 Fax: 630-833-0248

Jackie Engelhart – President Alan Czerwinski - News Director

Floor Edition

March 21, 2007

Local Update by Jackie Engelhart

Local Files Labor Board Charges at Carol Stream & Palatine on “AI”

Vice President Baskin filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board against the USPS for their actions at both Carol Stream and Palatine concerning the transfer of clerk work to the mail handler craft. We consider USPS action to be Union busting. Dave and I have been spending a large percentage of our time over the last few weeks to ensure that we have taken every action we can to defend our craft and our union against this unprecedented attack. We have sat in the room while the employees are given the news that most of them have already heard. You will be excessed into the mail handier craft, you will be excessed out of the AFSM section (and possibly be forced to another tour) or you will remain in the AFSM section but lose your non-scheduled days (that took you so long to get) Now go back to work!

The Messenger

Bertha McGee is the recently detailed “Complement Coordinator” for the Northern Illinois District. All Districts have one now because they are needed to keep track of the constant upheaval being inflicted on (mainly clerk craft) employees. Bertha's new job has placed her in the unenviable position of having to face the 100 clerks whose lives are being turned upside down by the callous action of senior management. As was pointed out, none of us in this room can change it, and we need to work through it. Unlike Plant Manager Greg Johnson at Carol Stream, Senior Plant Manager Ron Woodall has not been in attendance at any of the scheduled meetings at Palatine. The unpleasant task of facing the clerks and explaining management's actions has fallen on Bertha. As she tries to justify what is being done, the clerks see through it. They do not believe management, or as I told Ron "The Emperor has no clothes."

What You Need to Know

1. Clerks excessed to the mail handler craft will go as full-time and will begin a new period of seniority in the mail handler craft. Should you return to the clerk craft you will have lost no seniority in the clerk craft.

2. Clerks excessed to mail handler will retain saved grade, but must continue to bid on any level 5 jobs posted in the mail handler craft to retain it.

3. You will be placed in a residual vacancy in the mail handler craft and you will be able to bid in that craft.

4. You do not have retreat rights to the AFSM section unless you are actually moved out of the section. If you bid out before you are actually moved, you will not have retreat rights to your section and tour

5. We are waiting for word from the national union on whether clerks excessed to mail handler will receive the upgrade next year.

From Steward Bob LaFoe:

“As a concerned and loyal Union Representative and member, it is very disturbing for me to hear and see our Clerk members worried or confused about the loss of more jobs to the Mail Handlers. It is even more disturbing when I see that very few of our members seem to be aware of the numerous opportunities in Maintenance at Carol Stream and Palatine. Do our members realize that level 3 Custodians make more money than level 4 Mail Handlers? Do they realize that a level 5 Clerk only makes $2000 more per year than a level 3 Custodian? Do they realize that once they enter the Maintenance Craft, they can apply for any position in Maintenance, including Maintenance Support Clerks, Maintenance Mechanics, Equipment Mechanics, and Electronic Technician? Our members should be informed that there are far better options in Maintenance than in the Marl Handlers Craft.'' If you are interested in transferring to the Custodial Craft, write a letter to the Plant Manager and get on the list for reassignment.

Retroactive Pay on May 18

The USPS has notified APWU that it expects to disburse back pay for the period from Nov. 26, 2006 thru Feb 2, 2007 in pay checks dated May 18, 2007. The retroactive pay will reflect a 1.3 % raise for 5 pay periods . Upgrades for all APWU-represented employees will be applied on Feb 6, 2008, and there will be a 1.2% raise effective Nov. 21, 2009. The Cost of Living Adjustments will

remain unchanged. The nonmember scabs continue to take all of these negotiated benefits, and continue to free-ride off the dues paying members.

Breaks Part II

The APWU is continuing to file class actions at both Carol Stream and Palatine on the break sign out and id policy. We strongly disagree with this action and consider it a unilateral change in the past practice, as well as demeaning to the craft employees. We also understand that District Manager Lynn Smith has a right to enforce that breaks are 15 minutes and that cooperation is needed to end the sign out and in policy. We want to see this policy ended and Lynn Smith wants to see the employees respect that breaks are 15 minutes. We know that there will be times when you are late from break, but the message is being sent that this should be the exception rather than the rule. From my discussions with Lynn, he believes that employees taking extended breaks is the rule rather than the exception. If the employees will monitor their own breaks, the policy can be rescinded and that will be a win-win at both facilities.

MS-47 Award Non-Compliance

From Maintenance NBA Don Foley "It has come to light that USPS headquarters officials have given specific direction to their field subordinates to do nothing. To implement the MS-47 or the Das award. This instruction, itself constitutes a violation of labor law and of the National Agreement ... Arbitrator Das remanded the grievance to the parties for discussion of possible remedy for the period of the 2001 revision. He did not grant the USPS and “grace period” for the implementation of the terms of the status quo ante." The APWU must now file grievances on the USPS non-compliance.

Chicago Metro Surface Hub

One of our involved members from Metro is Nick Foskaris, and he was at the last union meeting. He told me he wants to see more about Busse in the floor letter, and he wanted to know what we can do locally to track grievances appeals. His goal is to ensure that we do not see a repeat of grievances not being appealed to step 3 that we suffered under the ADRP program a few years ago. Most stewards did not agree with the ADRP, which stands for Alternative Dispute Resolution Process, but which was in reality, a deal allowing management to hold grievances indefinitely at step 2. When Bob Miles ended the ADRP in June of 2003 we moved hundreds of Palatine grievances for clerk and maintenance to step 3 and arbitration. We literally moved two years worth of grievances in a few months. The ADRP was agreed to at Busse, Palatine and Carol Stream by the Union leadership at that time. It was a mess, but most of the grievances at Palatine and Carol Stream were appealed under Bob Miles, because we had the files. At Busse we could not find many files, but were told by the former Vice President that they were at the Elmhurst Union Hall. I looked when I became 600 Clerk Craft Director and there were very few files. Chuck Olson is now being blamed by some at Busse for this mess, but it is not his fault. Chuck was not the Union Official in charge at Busse when these grievances disappeared and the employees need to know this. We have not had a problem with lost grievances at Busse since that Union Official left office, but that is small comfort to those affected. We will look at Nick' s suggestion for tracking step 3 appeals and appeals to arbitration.