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
September 13, 2005
Local Update
by: Jackie Engelhart
Hurricane Katriua
By now we are all
familiar with what is being termed the worst natural disaster in U.S. history.
Thousands have lost their lives and hundreds of thousands have lost their homes
in the devastated areas. We have seen the news coverage from New Orleans,
Biloxi and the rest of the Gulf. This is a tragedy of epic proportions. As APWU
President Burrus stated “We are deeply saddened by the devastation of Hurricane
Katrina. We mourn the tragic loss of life and the deprivation so many are
suffering.”
Relief Donations
Americans are generously making donations to the Red Cross for relief efforts for the hurricane victims. APWU members are encouraged to help their fellow workers who have suffered tremendous losses by contributing to the Postal Employees’ Relief Fund. The fond is a charitable organization established by postal unions and the USPS, which benefits active and retired postal employees who incur a significant loss in property damage as the result of a major natural disaster. Contributions can be made to the Postal Emplovees’ Relief Fund and sent to PERF, PO Box 34422, Washington, DC 20043-4422, or they can be sent to the APWU, Att: PERF, 1300 L Street NW, Washington DC 2005.
New Thrift Fax#
Due to hurricane
Thrift fax # has been changed to 866-817-5023.
Labor Scheduler
Problems at Palatine.
Employees continue
to be excessed out of their bids at Palatine P&DC, particularly from manual
letters. Employees should be working in their bids and management stated the
Labor Scheduler would put employees where they are needed. ???
LDC 68 Meetings
At both Palatine
and Carol Stream some long term limited duty clerks continue to hold bids they
may never work again. We have asked management to review long term limited duty
clerks to determine if some of these bids should be vacated and the limited
duty clerk be given an assignment consistent with their restrictions. We will
be meeting at both facilities this month.
Casuals
Backfill Injured Employee Jobs at C.S.
At Palatine
management excesses bid employees from unit to unit to cover these injured bid
holders in automation and AFSM. At Carol Stream management uses casuals to
backfill these jobs. Because the employees are not listed as permanent
management continues to hire casuals to cover these jobs on a “temporary”
basis. After a year it is no longer temporary and the casuals are being used
year round.
Carol Stream
Impacts
With the possible
elimination of CFS and SPBS operations next year at Carol Stream management
needs to ensure there are enough jobs for the impacted employees to avoid any
possible excessing out of the facility. Once these operations go the casuals
should go.
Sr. Plant Manager’s Business Update
On September 9 Sr.
Plant Manager Ron Woodall phoned with an update on operations changes mandated
by headquarters. The first is 3 Day Consolidation which will consolidate states
first class letter trays going to small volume destination. This mail will be
consolidated at Palatine P&DC based on this office having the larger volume
of the 3 plants (Palatine, Carol Stream & Rock-ford). The reason for the
change is to eliminate sending out half empty trays that flown under contract
with Fed Ex. USPS estimates this will take out 17 million trays nationally.
“Decentralization of Manual Secondaries”
The second change
is that secondary volumes currently being manually worked in the plants will be
returned to the actual post office. This will affect the Arlington Heights
(EAR) unit at Palatine and the Wheaton unit at Carol Stream. There are
approximately 18 bids in the Arlington unit and 15 bids in the Wheaton unit. We
hope there will be no excessing out of the plants and into these post offices
as a result. We do not have a date yet for these changes.
“Metro Plan & Pathway to Progress”
USPS will be
redesigning networks and consolidating APPS mail to one Regional Distribution
Center RDC) in the metro area. RDC’s will work Standard A bundles, 2 C bundles,
and spurs. Palatine will keep their APPS but their spurs will go to Chicago
Metro Surface Hub once the second machine is accepted. Acceptance of the second
APPS may occur in October.
Chicago Metro Surface Hub
We met with In
Plant Support Manager Adam Nelson on September 7th and he agreed to submit the
paperwork to convert the two senior PTF clerks. He also agreed to post
approximately 15 clerks bids in October. Bids are needed in manual flats,
racks, and general expediter units. Once the second APPS is accepted and SPBS
operators are not needed, more manual bids will be posted. This is progress. We
will continue to meet with Adam, and hope to meet with the new Plant Manager
Melvin Anderson soon.
FMLA Packet to be Mailed from Topeka, Kansas.
Effective
September 20,2005 USPS will begin mailing FMLA packets from Topeka, KS. In the
past these mailings were done by the local FMLA Coordinator. Packets will
include a cover letter, a Publication 71, and the form WH-380, Packets will be
sent when a employee calls in for FMLA and is required to certify or recertify.
The local FMLA office will continue to perform other duties.
USPS Security Audits
Security Audits
are being performed periodically at all Postal installations. The audit person
will enter the facility and look for security breaches, such as employees not
wearing badges, large bags on the work room floor, and unlocked postal
vehicles. These audits are taken seriously and employees need to be aware that
they should wear their badges at all times while at work. If you have items
(such as headphones, gloves, aprons, etc that you need to carry with you on the
workroom floor you should consider a clear bag to carry them. This should
eliminate the security issue on bags.
Carol Stream Key-Handling Win!
Maintenance Craft
Director Chuck Olson received Arbitrator Fletcher’s decision on the Carol
Stream Key Handling grievance on September 11,2005. The Arbitrator ruled for
the Union. The Award Summary states, “The grievance is sustained. Agreement
violated when contractor used to work on conveyor belts in the Carol Stream
Postal facility. Maintenance Craft employees to be paid an amount equal to the
hours contractor worked in the facility.”
PTF Conversions
PTF’s have been or
will be converted in the near future
in the Carol Stream Plant, Wheaton, Melrose Park, and Franklin Park Post
Offices. We will continue to convert as many as possible.
“APC Pilot Project”
An internal postal
management memo is evidence that Automated Postal Centers (APC’s) will be used
to try to cut window clerk jobs. APC’s will be deployed in the counter line,
similar to automated check-ins at the airport. Memo states, “the APC in the
lobby will remain...havmg them in the counter line will encourage usage, reduce
wait time in line, and reduce SSA staffing.”
New Steward Appointment
Daniel Hemandez
has been appointed as a tour 1 clerk steward at Palatine P&DC.
MVS Director Resigns
MVS Director John
Imburgia resigned his position effective August 31,2005. After speaking with
John I (regretfully) accepted his resignation. Carol Stream MVS steward Craig
Bardoner also resigned effective September 7th. Solicitations will be posted at
the facilities for these positions and interviews will be conducted. Letters
may be sent to the President at the Elmhurst office. You must be an MVS
employee to apply.