The Local Line
“A
PPA Award Winning Publication”
The Official Voice Of The
American Postal
Workers
Phone: 630-833-0088 Fax: 630-833-0248
Jackie Engelhart – President Alan Czerwinski - News Director
September 19, 2008
National Reassessment Process (NRP) Interviews Begin on
10-15-08
I met with Human Resource Manager Phyllis Lingenfelser on 9-16-08to discuss the grievance filed for management's failure to provide information requested for their list of "necessary work". I filed this grievance for their failure to provide information requested on 6-10-08. I have been told by Phyllis and Injury Compensation Manager Gilbert Lopez the "necessary work" has not been "approved" so they can't give it to me. I asked how they can be writing job offers for injured carriers to come into the plants if they don't have "necessary work" approved. Phyllis said no such job offers have been signed but carriers coming into the plants would become Clerks. She informed me that the Northern IL District has been approved for the interview phase of NRP. This where the limited duty employee is called into a room with three (3) managers.
What to Expect ...
The employee will have a union steward present to represent them while they are being interviewed by managers from Operations, Injury Compensation and Labor Relations. I will be allowed to observe these interviews. The employees should discuss all work they have been doing while in the limited duty status. After reviewing medical restrictions either a job offer will be made or the employee will be told "no work available". They have work for each employees as each has been working in some capacity, but are now saying the work that some employees were performing is not necessary. These job offers will consist of necessary work only, so when we see other crafts assigned job offers consisting of Clerk work a grievance will be filed for a Clerk job. I have asked both Senators for any assistance they can provide. Senator Obama's office has contacted the Postal Service and will be responding.
Too Many Employees ...
Phyllis said that in San Diego many of the employees recovered after being interviewed, and we know some of them have increased their limitations. I asked Phyllis what would happen if they all recovered, as management is desperately trying to get rid of employees, but she could not answer that. I just received the list of APWU employees who have left the rolls in 2008 and people are steadily leaving, but not leaving fast enough. The economy and energy costs are having a devastating effect on the "company" or what postal employees call the service. Those calling for privatization of the Postal Service should look at what is happening in the private sector these days. Three more major companies are in need of a government bail-out due to involvement in risky financial practices. The US government is loaning billions to AIG but not to Lehman Brothers or Merrill Lynch. The Postal Service is still a public service and not a company.
No General Bid (at Palatine)
Rumors continue at Palatine that there will be a general bid. This rumor is false as there is no provision in the national agreement for a general bid unless the entire installation is one section. Palatine has multiple sections per item 18 of the LMOU and excessing out of a section is done by section and tour. The source of this rumor may have come from management saying they may want to move some tour 3 automation clerks to tour 1 at 2150. We have not been notified of any movement of employees and will be meeting with senior management next week to discuss staffing. They say they don't know what they are doing and all options are on the table.
SPBS Bids at
Busse
We met with Plant Manager Ruby Branch on 9-16-08 to discuss the status of bids promised for the SPBS and for Genera1 Clerks in In-Plant Support. She said the 10 SPBS bids should be posted for tour 3 retreat right employees by the end of the month. We also met with Chicago District Management and they are working on getting approval for the General Clerk bids in Transportation.
9 Custodial
Residuals at Busse
We met with Ruby for a three-hour maintenance meeting on 9-16-08 to discuss under-staffing in all occupational groups with little overtime being called. With the facility 9 custodians short and very little overtime, routes are being bypassed. The Chicago area is in withholding due to impacts for AO Clerks from the Northern IL District (NID), Mailhandlers from Chicago, and both crafts from Memphis, Tennessee. Chicago said the NID wants to send them excessed AO Clerks.
Maintenance Staffing
We held a maintenance meeting at Palatine on 9-11-08 to discuss understaffing and bypassed routes. We also raised the issue of management details of MPE's from tour 2 to tour 1 which circumvent the tour 1 ODL. HR Manager Lingenfelser said the Area has approved the hiring of 10 MPE's for Palatine. Carol Stream needs five MPE's and two ET's but their staffing package has not been approved by the Area yet. Tour 2 Chief Steward Szczesny, Steward LaFoe, and Maintenance Director Golden argued the fact that route sheets are being changed by management to complete after the employee properly marked P for partial, and that employees have been told to mark routes as complete when they are not. Rick said he would withdraw any grievance where management could show him documentation that the route had been completed. This issue has not been resolved.
Custodial In-Service Register Agreement Extended to
2010
Palatine Steward Bob LaFoe informed me that the national level agreement to suspend the Examination (916) requirement for Custodian job has been extended to 2010. This extension continues the pecking order of maintenance craft, other APWU, and other crafts. Bob sent HR a copy of the extension and the current Custodial reassignment list.
More AO Excessing
Melrose Park will be excessing four Clerks in January of 2009 based on their CVS "earned complement". Management said their complement should really be reduced by eight Clerk clerks but they are "only" excessing four Clerks. The CVS program determines Customer Service complement and is based on the imposition of illegal work and time standards to obtain these numbers.
Arbitrator Rules Against Us on Palatine Leave Changes
We finally received the arbitration decision regarding changes in the leave policy at Palatine. While the arbitrator denied our changes, two issues we raised were decided in our favor.
1. Denied 3971s: The arbitrator ruled that management failed to follow "the spirit and intent of Item 4.D" of the LMOU. The arbitrator also wrote "The Union presented a strong case that Management has not been reasonable in its application of the existing language" and "there is evidence that management has not provided the necessary justification and has acted impulsively ... he is putting local management at Palatine on notice that verifiable abuses in discretion in regards to the granting of incidental leave can lead to the imposition of "leave on demand."
2. Instructing employees to include NS days at the beginning and end of their vacation leave request.: The arbitrator ruled "The instruction by management to include nonscheduled days in the annual leave request is contrary to the spirit and intent of the National Agreement."
When submitting your vacation leave requests you are not to include your "NS" days at the beginning and/or end. The LMOU language remains the same. Management must change their existing practice of denying annual leave requests. We will be going over the denied 3971's and attempt to get management to resolve our denial of leave grievances and grant you your leave.