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

May 03, 2006

Local Update by Jackie Engelhart

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

As many of you may have heard by now, Northern Illinois District Manager Lynn Smith has been named Acting VP, Delivery & Retail, effective May 1. He will be responsible for retail, delivery and vehicle operations involving the nation's more than 37,000 Post Offices, stations and branches.

Nancy Rettinhouse Named Acting District Manager.

Nancy Rettinhouse, Postmaster of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been named Acting District Manager for the Northern Illinois District, effective May 1. She began her career with the USPS as an LSM Clerk in Grand Rapids. She has served as a Postmaster, Senior Post Office Operations Manager and Acting Manager of Human Resources (in Michigan &Virginia). We welcome Nancy, and have scheduled a meeting with her for May 8, 2006. We have heard good things about her.

Mark Tovey Reassigned

Mark R. Tovey, Senior Plant Manager of Chicago, and former Plant Manager at Palatine P&DC and Senior Plant Manager at Carol Stream, was reassigned as the Senior Plant Manager for Central Illinois, effective May 30, 2006.

Saundra D. Richardson Named Acting Plant Manager for Chicago

She is currently the Plant Manager in Miami, FL. She began her career as a Distribution Clerk in Ft. Lauderdale. She has held positions of General Supervisor, Manager In-Plant Support, Plant Manager of Ft. Lauderdale and Miami P&DC.

Promotion /Demotion

Lynn Smith is going to Washington based on his aggressive performance in the Northern Illinois District. I am told the NID'S high utilization of APCs (Automated Postal Centers) was a key factor in his promotion. A "Lobby Director" has been mandated for 8 hours daily in al1 NID Associate Offices, in spite of the unrelenting reduction in AO clerk staffing & excessing. NID management created the position of "Complement Coordinator" and assigned Labor Relations Manager Carol Dellutri to the ongoing task of moving clerks from A0 to AO. While NID Senior Management states these offices are "over-staffed" the Postmasters, employees, and PTF and overtime hours tell a different story. The story is not much different in the Plants, where employees are required to move mail with less staffing. The only way to accomplish this "goal" is to be "more productive" by working harder and faster. National Level Certification is a management tool to achieve greater productivity. Senior Management of the NID has been aggressive across the board in making their goals and this is why Mr. Smith is going to Washington. Mark Tovey was not as successful at achieving his goals in Chicago, and that is why he going to Central Illinois. Is it possible to make your goals and give consideration to the employees?

Function 4 Reviews

Another management tool is the Function 4 Review, which is a staffing review in Associate Offices. Such a review was conducted recently at the Schaumburg Post Office, and I spoke with Schaumburg Local & IPWU President Linda Turney. She told me 34 Postmasters followed 32 employees around for the entire day. She said they followed them to the bathroom and waited for them to come out. This is what management is basing their AO staffing on, that employees will work as if the Postmaster is following them around 8 hours per day. Is this realistic? Management continues to reduce staffing in the AO's based on Function 4's and decline in mail /sales volume. Postmasters and employees say that Senior Management, in many cases, has cut too far.

Voice of the Employee & "WE"

All APWU employees should know by know that the Union is opposed to participation in management's VOE Surveys. The reason for our opposition is that these surveys go directly to the employee and bypass the Union. VOE Survey responses and response rates are factored into management's merit pay, and that is why they push them so hard. Management is using the Workplace Environment Committee to improve VOE scores. While we remain opposed to VOE, we are participating in WE. The real "WE" are the Union members. We support any workplace improvement that may come out of the "WE” Committees, but we do not support the VOE Survey. This is a contract year, and that is more reason not to say "no" when they as/tell you to fill out the VOE.

Carol Stream LCTS Dispute Appealed to the Region on May 2nd.

We sent a detailed position paper to the Regional Dispute Committee on May 2, 2006. We sent our dispute to the Regional Dispute Committee on March 7th but management had failed to schedule a meeting within the required 30 days. When there was further delay, we asked that management provide us a decision so we could make our appeal to the Region. We realize that no change would result by meeting with the parties locally, as the LDRC is a rubber stamp for the decision made by Plant Manager Ron Woodall. At both Carol Stream and Palatine he assigned the second Low Cost to the mailhandlers, in violation of tripartite agreements, and is spite of the fact that the work performed is distribution. Management provided a description of the work performed in Low Cost #1 as "Moving trays from General Run outs to direct containerization and Low Cost#2 as "Moving trays from General Runouts to direct containerization. "Low Cost # 1 is for incoming mail and is staffed by Clerks (per tripartite agreement) and Low Cost #2-4is staffed by mailhandlers per decision of Ron Woodall. What is the difference between LCTS #1 and#2-4? Both operations perform distribution of direct trays or tubs, with one being incoming and the other Outgoing. Why does management refer to distribution as "containerization"? Management believes by calling distribution something else, i.e., containerization, separation or transporting, they can take work away from clerks and give it to the mailhandler craft. When we meet to discuss the Culling Low Cost, do you think we will claim culling is distribution?

Human Relations Committee to Host a Retirement Seminar on May 20, 2006. (Members Only)

Human Relations Director Mimi Jackson is coordinating the Retirement Seminar to be held at the Union Hall at 194 W. Lake Street in Elmhurst. Our special guest speaker will be Linda Turney, Illinois Postal Workers Union President. The seminar is open to al1 NWIAL members and admission is free, with a $10 donation to COPA requested. The seminar will be on Saturday, May 20, 2006 from 10 am to 2 pm. Space is limited so advance registration is requested. Flyers are posted with more information on the seminar.

State Convention in Rockford on May 4-6.

Al1 officers will be attending the State Convention in Rockford on May 4-6.

Union Building Maintenance

Long overdue work has been completed at the Union Hall to correct problems with heat and air distribution. One part of the building got no heat at al1 due to problems with wiring, relays, motors, etc. We are currently getting estimates to replace several rotted window frames. These repairs are not cheap but are needed. The Union Hall mortgage is paid off, but money must be spent to maintain the building.

Thanks Volunteers!

On Saturday, April 22, 2006 Officers Al Modi, Linda Retel, Calvin Taylor, Jack Pyssler, Ray Wience, Steward James Faulkner and I spent several hours raking and cleaning up the grounds at the Union Hall. Jack cleaned gutters and Ray pruned trees at the back of the parking lot. Dave Baskin faithfully did his share of raking during the week prior to the clean up. We did ‘spnng clean-up' ourselves to save money.