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
March 22, 2006
Local Update by Jackie Engelhart
Progress
at Busse.
We met with
Plant Manager Melvin Anderson and his staff at Chicago Metro Surface Hub on March
16,2006. We discussed the list of issues I had previously sent to him, most of which
were cited in the Local Line floor spread dated March 10, 2006. Melvin agreed
to resolve many of the problems we discussed. A grievance settlement was signed
to convert the two senior PTF’s, after Labor Relations balked at converting
based on our verbal agreement with management.
Bids to be
Posted
Management
proposes to post approximately 32 newly created Manual Rack/Flats bids on the April
posting. Melvin’s proposal calls for these bids to have a starting time of 1930
to 0400. We will continue to talk to management to see if some of these bids
can be posted with an earlier start time. Melvin also stated that most SPBS bids
will be abolished to coincide with the April bid posting.
Maintenance
Staffing.
Maintenance
Manager Surgit Grewal states that we have sufficient mechanic and E.T. staffing
as employees currently assigned to SPBS machines will be assigned to APPS. He
also stated that management is seeking Area approval to increase custodial
staffing. Any Metro clerk who is interested in a reassignment to a custodial maintenance
should write a letter to Plant Manager Melvin Anderson.
Dignity
& Respect
This did not
suddenly become a problem since Melvin arrived. Melvin states he will be
addressing this with his supervisors and MDO’s. Please let us know if you are being
treated in a disrespectful manner by any supervisor or MDO. Melvin has stated
that he does take this issue seriously and he needs to know when a manager is treating
employees in an abusive manner. This is the first sign of progress at Busse and
we hope to see more. Plant Manager Anderson has shown he can make things
happen.
Meeting at
Carol Stream
A meeting was held on March21st at C.S. to discuss our serious concerns on the transfer of distribution work away from the clerk craft. Dave Baskin, Calvin Taylor, and I met with E. Lynn Smith and Ron Woodall and we clearly expressed that distribution is clerk work, regardless of what you call it. 1 asked Mr. Smith if clerks were performing MEO work for five years would it then become clerk work, and he replied “no.” Mr. Smith agreed to convene a meeting of the three parties for the purpose of negotiating an updated RI-399 Local Inventory. This is long overdue at Carol Stream. I stated that no operation should be excluded from these negotiations and this was agreed. I stated that over the years it has been my experience that when USPS assigns work improperly, it is more often clerks losing the work. We do not want to take MH work; but if distribution has been assigned to MH’s we want that work. (Thanks to an involved member, Jurl Woods)
“APWU News
Bulletin ”
The following is reprinted from the March 10, 2006 news bulletin: “Vowing to do “everything in our power to thwart the Postal Service’s network realignment plan”, the union’s National Executive Board voted to approve a $5 dues assessment that will help pay for an advertising campaign designed to make the public aware of the expected changes and the negative effect they will have on services to individual customers and small businesses. “This plan was created without any input from the American people, whose mail service will deteriorate,” said APWU President William Burrus. “It is the result of pressure on the USPS mailing industry, which is seeking to reduce its costs at the expense of all others.” The advertising campaign will be coordinated with a grassroots effort to enlist support from e1ected officials, businesses, individual citizens, and community organizations. The assessment will take place over two pay periods in increments of $2.50 each, on paychecks issued to employees on April 7 and 21. “This is just the beginning” Burrus said. “We will use all the tools at our disposal to engage the public in this effort. It is essential that we involve our members as well. “The Evolutionary Network Development plan is a stunning example of a dangerous trend within the USPS. Instead of serving the nation’s citizens, postal management now places primary importance on acting as a conduit for the major mailers to transmit advertising.” Although the USPS has been advocating network realignment for several years, it briefed the APWU on Evolutionary Network Development (END) plan for the first time on February 14, the same day it submitted the plan to the Postal Rate Commission for evaluation. The Postal Service is required by law to seek an advisory opinion from the commission when it proposes to make changes in service that are national in scope. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Postal Service is also required to notify the union when a major relocation of employees is planned “due to the implementation of national postal mail networks.” The USPS briefing for union officials contained virtually no specifics. It failed to provide the number of facilities, the timing, and the locations that would be affected. The Postal Service announced it would replace the nine existing facility types with five: Regional Distribution Centers, Local Processing Centers, Destination Processing Centers, Airport Transportation Centers, and Remote Encoding Centers. More than 40 facilities have been identified since October 2005 for consolidation of “some operations,” or for feasibility studies. “Additional changes are expected to be profound and the Postal Service plans to implement them over a period of years.
“Area Mail
Processing (AMP)”
AMP is the USPS term used to refer to $3 consolidation program. The focus is on function 1 (Plants) and the transportation networks. Every plant will be looked at for consolidations into high population geographically located Regional Distribution Centers. In order to make this work the USPS has requested the Postal Rate Commission to relax mail delivery standard. It appears the plan is to consolidate to plants located in major cities & population centers.
Pay
Increases Effective March 18
APWU members
will receive pay increases totaling approximately $1200 per year, effective
March 18. The raises, which were negotiated as part of the extension of the
Collective Bargaining Agreement will show up on checks received on April 7. Six
thousand APWU represented employees will also receive upgrades, equal to more
than $1,000 annually. The upgrades cover 14 positions in the Clerk,
Maintenance, and Motor Vehicle Service Crafts.
Legislative
Committee Selling Candy for COPA.
The
Legislative Committee has candy for sale for COPA. COPA is the Committed on
Political Action. Buy a bar and support COPA.
Join the
Organizing Committee
Newly
appointed Organizing Director Laura LeGal is seeking new members to join the
committee. If you are interested in being part of this committee let us know!
TSP E-Mail
Scam
Some TSP participants have received an e-mail claiming to be from TSP. The e-mail, asks for confirmation that the participant has added an e-mail address to their TSP account. The link in this e-mail takes the person to a bogus version of the TSP account access screen where it asks for your Social Security Number and PIN. It then takes you to another screen where it asks for your credit card and banking information. This is not an official Thrift Savings Plan communication! You should never give any personal, credit, or banking information in response to unsolicited e-mails; the TSP would never ask for this information via an e-mail. If you did provide this information, contact your credit card Company or bank immediately. Call the TSP and have you account access blocked (l-877-968-3778).