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
October 23, 2007
Local Update by Jackie Engelhart
OIG Issues Audit Report on the AI & ATHS
On September 10, 2007 the Office of Inspector General
issued an Audit Report on the AFSM -AI. It confirms what APWU has been saying
locally about AI, which is the supposed savings of AI is not there. The OIG
report states "We determined the Postal Service did not fully realize
expected work hour savings, as specified in the respective DARs and field
budgets. While we found the Postal Service reduced overall mail clerk staffing
as planned, work hours for mail preparation operation have increased beyond DAR
projections. In addition, we noted a
decline in AFSM 100 throughput although the Postal Service expected an
overall increase of 6.6 percent. The increase in mail prep work hours and reduction
in throughput negatively impacted the realization of projected savings, On
average, the flat mail prep operations we reviewed were over staffed by 19 work
hours per machine, per day.”
AI Mail Prep Savings?
“A reduction
in preparation work hours through adequate management of the mail preparation operation is necessary
to achieve the full benefit of potential work hour savings. Overstaffing the
mail preparation operation is avoidable by adhering to established standards
and methods, therefore, we will report $80.3 million associated with over staffing
as funds put to better use in our Semiannual Report to Congress.
AI Maintenance Hours
Lastly we found management had used maintenance work
hours within DAR expectations, but maintenance work hours for preventive and
corrective measures were lower than expected. A summary maintenance performance report showed some preventive maintenance
completion rates were as low us 10
percent. These partial completion rates, to some degree , explain work hours being lower than
expected.” Why are routes
not completed?
Clerk Reductions Significantly Impacted by Increases
in Mail Prep Hours & Throughput.
"We found the Postal Service has achieved
substantial reductions in mail clerk work hours due to the AI and ATHS
enhancements. Daily reductions of 44.8 clerk work hours per machine per day
were expected and management realized 118 percent of the projected reduction. However,
excessive work hours incurred for the mail prep operations and an overall
reductions in throughput have offset a significant portion of the clerk work
hour reductions and will continue to impact savings unless management emphasizes
adherence to the process. Post Phase I deployment data show a net work hour savings of 22,000 hours for
the AFSM 100 operation. These
net savings are from a decrease of over 852,000 clerk work hours and an
increase of over 829,000 mail preparation work hours for the period reviewed. " The OIG report is the "smoking
gun" on AI!
Report Confirms Everything
We have said al1 along that the AI is still a mail
processing and not a mail prep
unit, and management is calling it a prep unit to get rid of Clerks. It is no
reflection on the Mail Handlers who are working out of their element on a mail processing
machine that the AI has not met the targets for work hours and throughput.
Management is crossing crafts to save money and trying to force a square peg in
a round hole. It seems likely that management will now be trying to address the
OIG findings and increase the throughput and the efficiency on the AI, and this
will fall on the Mail Handlers who staff the machine. I noted that AI
"prep station" staffing when running tray volume only (what I call
Secondary Towns) is reduced from 3 to 2. Running Secondary Towns involves no
prepping at all and negates the reason for assigning a Mail Handler on AFSM-AI.
We requested production information for the AFSM before and after AI to compare
the throughput. We received this information at Carol Stream, but not at
Palatine because in-Plant Support at Palatine refuses to provide almost all APWU
Information Requests. The Carol Stream data shows the throughput went down from
approximately 1400 pieces per hour to 1200.
The OIG report confirms on a national basis what we are seeing locally. The OIG
says USPS wasted 80 million dollars. Was the goal to save money and work hours,
or was the goal to get rid of Clerks. The only goal achieved was to get rid of
Clerks and reduce throughput. This was all about getting rid of Clerks and giving our work to
Mail Handlers.
The Other FSM (1000)
Last week I was at Palatine on tour 2 and 3 and spoke with
several upset FSM-1000 bid employees who told me that they are hearing the last
machine will be gone by the end of the month. We were told by management that
one FSM-1000 would be gone by the end of the year. This is according to notes
taken by VP Dave Baskin at the District meeting on June 13, 2007 and per Ron
Woodall. I was able to speak with Senior MDO Bracket about this on October
22nd, and we agreed to meet on October 25 to discuss posting bids in flats.
Fall Mailing Season Casuals
For the second year in a row management has hired casuals
in August at both Carol Stream & Palatine for the "Fall Mailing Season". Carol Stream management did not
even bother separating Clerk casuals before excessing Clerks to Mail Handler,
and Palatine began hiring Clerk casuals within 30 days of excessing 40 Clerks
effective July 7, 2007. Why did management hire casuals when they had already
told us at the June 13th District Meeting that "the fall mailing season
would not be as big this year" ? I
recently spoke to a senior manager who said they're still waiting for the fall
mailing season, but its got to come. Management says they are hiring casuals
for an expected seasonal increase in volume that does not materialize then they
should separate the casuals. It looks like they are going to hire casuals even
after they admit the volume is down. The real reason is they excessed Clerks to
Mail Handler and their goal is to get rid of Clerks and replace them with Mail
Handlers, Clerk casuals and the Mail Handler casuals are now working on the AFSM.
Then management tell us "that's why you're losing work, because you
file too many grievances!
Melvin Anderson Leaving Busse for IPR
We have been told unofficially that Melvin has been
appointed the Plant Manager at
Irving Park Road and his last day at Busse will be October 29th. As IPR returns
to the Chicago Cluster, Melvin Anderson is replacing A/Plant Manager Melvin
Dean. We still have many problems at Busse and we hope the new Plant Manager
will work with us to improve working conditions.
New Members
In the last Local Line I listed the new members, and also wrote that sometimes people join
when they get discipline. It was pointed out to me by one of our Stewards that
it read like some of the new members listed joined because they had discipline.
The point I made concerning discipline did not apply to any of those new members
I listed.
Still Working on PTF Conversions in Several Offices
We know PTF Clerks are working full-time in most of our AOs
and are working on conversions in several of these offices.
Human Relations Retirement Seminar on November 17th
APWU's master on retirement is John R. Smith and he will
be with us again to inform and educate. National Legislative Director Myke Reid
will address us on the 2008 national elections. Veteran's information will be
provided by Bob LaFoe. The seminar is free to all NWIAL members, and we are
requesting a $10.00 donation to COPA. Lunch will be served and the seminar
hours are 9am to 4pm. To register, stop in or cal1 the Palatine or Carol Stream
Union office.