The Local Line
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The Official Voice Of The
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Phone: 630-833-0088 Fax: 630-833-0248
Jackie Engelhart – President Alan Czerwinski - News Director
September 15, 2009
Management Moves Forward with AMP
Management met with both unions and with employees twice this week to provide limited information about the AMP. On 9-8-09 we were informed there will be a public meeting on the AMP proposal, which means they intend to go forward. They also provided the following written notice: "On June 10, 2009 we notified you that we were beginning an Area Mail Processing (AMP) feasibility study at the Palatine P&DC to see if it would make sense to consolidate some operations into the Carol Stream P&DC. The Northern Illinois District office has completed its review and submitted it to the Great Lakes Area Office for consideration. We will hold a public meeting to explain the proposed changes on 9-22-09 at Harper College, Wojcik Conference Center, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine." The time is from 7 to 9 pm.
AMP Public Meeting on 9-22-09 at 7-9 pm
"At the public meeting we will explain the AMP study results and what operational changes we proposed to make...Comments on the proposal from employees and the public will be considered before any decision is made. You can also submit your comments on the study up to 15 days after the public meeting. Comments may be mailed to: Consumer Affairs Mgr. Northern 11, District 500 E. Fullerton Ave. Carol Stream, IL 60199" All employees who are concerned about the loss of jobs this consolidation will have on Palatine should make every effort to attend this meeting and be prepared with your questions and comments. The "public" is getting 14 days notice for something they know nothing about. Only 10 "stakeholders" were notified by USPS, so the "public" is kept in the dark. The only 600 Mayor notified by USPS of the meeting was the Mayor of Palatine.
"A Net Decrease of 131 Positions is Projected"
At the second meeting the unions and employees were given the first real information on the AMP. According to the AMP feasibility study, the proposed annual saving is approximately $10 million, and a net decrease of approximately 131 positions is projected. The 131 positions is for all crafts and EAS personnel, and they have not stated that any additional employees would be needed at Carol Stream. Some Carol Stream employees think we are against the AMP because Palatine is losing the mail but we do not want either plant to lose mail to the other. The meeting on 9-22-09 is our only chance to make our voices heard. Every concerned employee should come out to this meeting, and mail in their written comments. We hope the employees from all offices and all crafts will come out to support their union brothers and sisters at Palatine in solidarity. This is not just a Palatine struggle, it's a Union struggle.
Union Actions on AMP
Dave and I had already met with some of the 600 Mayors, including Palatine and Arlington Hts. They did not want the mail moved out of Palatine and told us to keep them informed. Dave has sent letters in the last two days to every mayor in the affected 600 SCF and has been making phone calls to these mayors. He has also drawn up a petition against the AMP for the employees to sign. This petition will be circulated and may be signed on your break and lunch. I have sent Greg Johnson a letter requesting that he allow as many Palatine employees advance leave to attend this meeting as possible. We will be taking other actions that we do not want to share at this time. We need to make a showing at the 9-22-09 Public Meeting at Harper College.
Chicago Pickets the Closing of 25 Stations and Branches
The Chicago Local asked us to support their picket at the Chicago Post Office in Federal Plaza on 9-9-09. We sent a group of Legislative Committee members and Officers to the picket. Thanks to Legislative Director Walter Elerby and members Dorlisa Billups, Laura LeGal, Tom Colato, Janice Scott, and Ramone de Paralta. Six officers also attended the Chicago picket. In spite of the support of NWIAL, South Suburban, Fox Valley, Rockford and Schaumburg, the Chicago picket had few Chicago members in attendance. President Myles and the Officers were out in force but the members were not there. This means that if the members don't turn out to let the public know, the closings and consolidations will be carried out by USPS with little public notice. We need our members to show up.
No Work Available Meetings to Start Soon
If you are a Rehab employee and do not have an NRP Job Offer it is likely that you are targeted for No Work Available. I recently spoke to employees who do not have an NRP Job Offer who think they are safe because they are working in a productive assignment. One was working in Cancellation (a former Clerk who called me) and one is working in Flats. In both cases I had to tell them that according to National Reassessment Process in the Northern Illinois District you will not be accommodated. On the other hand management has made up special jobs that they have assigned some employees to. I told Health and Human Resource Manager Gilbert Lopez that they are being inconsistent when they pick and choose who gets a special job while others will be told "No Work Available" and no job. His response was if the employee was doing something that was "considered necessary" they would not take that job away from them. This contradicts what we have been told all along, which is that you would get an NRP Job Offer if you were MMI within one year and/or if you are working your bid with restrictions. Now we find management is picking and choosing who is accommodated in special jobs where the employee is not MMI within one year and is not working in their bid. Gilbert stated they would not be doing NWA interviews on 9-17-09 at Carol Stream but they will be starting soon. He also stated if an employee wants time to take a Limited Duty Job Offer to their doctor they will be placed off work until the job offer is accepted, if it is still available.
Labor-Management Meeting at Chicago Metro
Surface Hub
We met yesterday with Plant Manager Ruby Branch and her staff from 8am to 1130 am. We were told Busse will not be impacted by the ISC to AMC move, with the possible exception of additional Standard mail coming in. Busse is not receiving another SPBS machine from ISC. The proposed staffing changes will not be implemented until early 2010. Ruby agreed to hold some Town Hall meetings soon to share any information she has. Busse is still 8-9 Custodians short with tour 1 being the most understaffed. We asked Ruby when these residual vacancies will be filled and she said we are in withholding. We know employees are being moved out of Detroit and the BMC in Forest Park, so they should be able to fill these jobs at Busse. No Custodian should be assigned more than 7.5 hours work per day. We don't agree with the Chicago District "Unscheduled Absence Interview" which we were told is held with every employee for every unscheduled absence as this is a blanket policy. Employees with acceptable attendance should not have to submit to this interview, but they said all the employees have bad attendance. We also said 3971's should be in triplicate as they use old 3971's that do not have three copies. They said they cannot afford new 3971's and will make some with carbon paper. We asked for the clock-rings for the SPBS settlement and were told they have to check with the Law Department to find out if they can copy them on a flash drive provided by the union. We should find out this week but they must provide these clock-rings.