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

September 14, 2007

 

 

Local Update by Jackie Engelhart

  

Membership Endorses Candidates in National Election.

The members present at the September membership meeting passed a motion to endorse the following candidates in the national APWU election:

  1. William Burrus for President
  2. Steve Raymer for Maintenance Craft Director
  3. Judy Beard for Retirees Department Director
  4. John Cychosz for Motor Vehicle Service (MVS) National Business Agent for the Central Region

These candidates were also unanimously endorsed by the Executive Board. No endorsements were made by the membership for Health Plan Director or National Business Agent A for the Clerk Division as there was division as to whom to support for those positions. Ballot mailing begins on September 2, and must be received by October 5th at 2 pm. If you do not receive a ballot by September 20th, contact the American Arbitration Association between the hours of 9am and 5pm (EDT) at 800-529-5218 to request a duplicate ballot. Ballots may also be requested by e-mail to apwu@adr.org. Official results are expected by October 12th. Vote!

 

 

 

Jack Potter and the Disappearing Clerk Craft.

I saw a cartoon in a New York area Local with that caption, which reminds me that we are not alone in our fight to preserve jobs. This is a national fight and we would like to see more progress on the national level. One bit of good news concerns automation. In response to questions as to whether Automation (DBCS DIOSS) will be getting automatic feeders, I contacted National Clerk Craft Director Jim McCarthy , and he got back to me saying there is no plan for automatic feeders in automation. There is a plan for what he called the 7th generation of DBCS which is supposed to process 50,000 pieces per hour. This means that every new machine will be able to process the same amount of mail as two of the older machines. We don't know how they expect human operators will be able to keep that machine loaded and swept. As it stands we have an over-zealous tour 1 manager standing over Clerks badgering them that they must get 28,000 pieces in contradiction of the fact that there is no negotiated production requirement for the Clerk craft. Management continues to threaten and intimidate automation Clerks for failure to make production, when this is only a goal, and not a requirement. Tour I automation Clerks feel they know their job, but this manager insists they must get 28,000 and when an employee told her that the union said that's only a goal she allegedly said the union is a liar. Any employee or manager can look at Article 34 of our contract and see the parties have agreed to "a fair day 's work for a fair day’s pay. " under Work/Time Standards. It's a goal.