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
June 21, 2005
President’s Report
by: Jackie Engelhart
Contract Extension
Talks
President Burrus
announced on June 20 that APWU is in discussions with the Postal Service to
extend the current contract by one year. Extending the contract would mean that
the contracts of the four largest postal unions would expire at the same time, November
20, 2006. The four unions are APWU, the National Association of Letter
Carriers, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, and the National Rural
Letter Carriers Union. Any extension must be approved by the members.
COLA Update
Subject to
fluctuation in the next two months, the next COLA adjustment is projected to
equal an annual raise of $582.00, 28 cents per hour, or $22.40 per pay period.
This eighth COLA will be based o the July 2005 Consumer Price Index and will be
effective September 3, 2005. The most recent COLA increase was $208 and took
effect March 19.
Casual Update
(Carol Stream)
In the Local Line
floor spread dated June 21, 2005 I informed Carol Stream clerks that the
millions of dollars promised for casuals in lieu of is not a reality. The fact
is the only casual in lieu of settlement we have was a $150, 000.00
pre-arbitration settlement signed on May 25, 2005 by National Advocate Rod Thompson.
As I stated, after looking at the case file I believe the settlement was a good
one. I also stated that the rest of the casual in lieu of grievances I have
found were not appealed to step 3 and are dead. I have 10 (well documented)
tour 2 grievances filed in 2000 during the time we were in the Alternative
Dispute Resolution Procedure (ADRP) agreed to by former President Slupik. When
former President Miles ended the ADRP in June of 2002 these cases should have
been appealed. At Palatine the Clerk Craft Director was responsible for
appealing the clerk grievances and the Maintenance Craft Director for the
Maintenance grievances. I knew that 601 Clerk Craft Director Gerry Giddens
became ill shortly after taking office, but she was not replaced by current 601
CCD Calvin Taylor until October of 2002. I have since talked to Calvin Taylor, Gerry
Giddens, and Bob Miles in regard to the appeal of these grievances. Calvin told
me neither he or Gerry had them. Gerry Giddens told me that then Vice President
Lindsey Jefferson Jr. had been discussing the casual in lieu of grievances with
Labor and that he was continuing to discuss them.
ADRP Appeals
Both Calvin and Gerry told me the same thing, that they
did not have these grievances. I was responsible for appealing all of the ADRP clerk
grievances at Palatine P&DC. I assumed the 601 Clerk Craft Director was
responsible at Carol Stream. The President is ultimately responsible to ensure
that grievances are appealed per contractual time limits because the President is
responsible for ensuring that all other officers and stewards do their jobs. I
do believe Lindsey Jefferson was discussing the casuals in lieu of grievances
during his term as Vice President and that this task was assigned to him.
President’s Report in March of 2005
In the Local Line home edition for March of 2005, Lindsey
Jefferson referred to the casuals in lieu of grievances in “The President’s Report”.
He stated “Management has agreed to settle all casual in lieu of grievances of
the Carol Stream facility. An approval is pending and expected from Washington D.C.
for expenditure (within 30-60 days); the district can’t cover the expense.”
This statement seems to confirm the fact that Lindsey had assigned himself to
settle these grievances both as Vice President and President. In the previous
Local Line I stated “Gerry Giddens became ill shortly after taking office and
her duties were-assigned to Calvin Taylor by Vice President Lindsey Jefferson.
Calvin was not assigned these duties until October of 2002. President Miles and
Vice President Jefferson were responsible for assigning these duties in the
absence of Gerry Giddens.
Casuals at Carol Stream & Chicago Metro Surface Hub
During the lowest mail volume period of the year
management has continued to hire and maintain casual staffing in the clerk
craft at Carol Stream. I spoke to an MDO today about the low mail volume and I
asked why we need casuals during the historically low volume summer season. I
was also told that employees should be able to get leave now because of the low
mail volume. I have requested a list of all casuals and T.E.‘s and the reason
for hire at both Carol Stream and Chicago Metro Surface Hub. The situation at
Metro appears to be temporary as the second APPS is scheduled to arrive July 5th
to be accepted September 5th. Once the APPS is accepted the clerk T.E’s and
casuals will not be needed and we have been told no more clerks will be excessed
out of the clerk craft. The situation at Carol Stream appears to be more
business as usual with casuals being worked year round or as the saying goes
“in lieu of”. This will be the first order of business at the Carol Stream
Labor Management meeting scheduled for July 12, 2005.
Officers All Hard at Work
As I work on this floor letter (as the phone rings
frequently) I have signed off on several holiday grievances today, talked to
the National about our Local’s participation in a July 24fh AFL-CIO rally,
researched some Labor Board charges I filed against management, and I have a
pile of grievances and letters to work on. Dave Baskin is here discussing the grievance
shake-out and pulling and reviewing the grievances. 600 CCD Pyssler and MVS
Director Imburgia were here working for awhile. Treasurer Modi was here most of
the day working in his office and Chief Trustee Wience and Clerk Trustee Kwon were
here all day training newly elected Maintenance Trustee Mulligan. All of our
officers have been working hard to perform their duties. Secretary Retel, 601 CCD
Taylor, and Maintenance Director Olson were not here today but they are here
working on a regular basis. I believe we have a group of dedicated officers.
New Steward Appointments
New stewards were appointed effective June 12, 2005. New
clerk stewards at Palatine are Randy Bolden and Karen Salmond on tour 1, Vera
Wilkerson on tour 2, and Keith Gosu and Mark Johnson on tour 3. Dan Mulligan is
the new maintenance steward on tour 3. New clerk stewards at Carol Stream are
Elaine Bartlet-Walker on tour 1, Derrick Glascoe on tour 2, and Doreen Motley
on tour 3. Ron Joseph is the new maintenance steward on tour 3 and George Toben
is the new MVS steward on tour 3. New steward training was held last week by myself,
Dave Baskin, Jack Pyssler, and Calvin Taylor.
Good News on Incidental Leave and Holiday Scheduling at
Palatine
New A/Plant Manager Melvin Dean has stated that he wants
to reduce the holiday drafting at Palatine. He believes that it doesn’t make sense to draft over the weekend
and ask employees to go home Tuesday because there is no mail. (We have said
that for years). Melvin also is making an effort to increase the number of employees
management has been allowing off for incidental leave at Palatine. While he is
not promising 14% every day he has stated he would like to allow 14% of the section
schedule in per each day of the week. We do not agree on the meaning of 14% but
we do agree Melvin is making an effort to improve working conditions at Palatine.
Good (or bad) morale starts with the Plant Manager.