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

November 22, 2006

Local Update by Jackie Engelhart

MS-47 Award Issued!

The long-awaited award for the APWU national level grievance filed for the USPS changes to the MS-47 Custodial Staffing Handbook was issued on November 16, 2006. Arbitrator Shyam Das sustained the APWU grievance, stating “The Union's challenge to the revised MS-47 issued by the Postal Service in 2001 is sustained. This award is a huge victory for the APWU and the maintenance craft in particular. Three hearings were held for this arbitration, and it took slightly over one year from the date of the final hearing, for the Arbitrator to issue his award. The Arbitrator stated "The 2001 MS-47 removed critical components of the previously agreed to structure for ensuring a satisfactory level of cleanliness is maintained within set parameters and that custodial jobs are not unduly eliminated. He further stated “For all of these reasons; I am not able to conclude that the 2001 MS-47 is fair, reasonable, and equitable, for purposes of Article19. This is not a matter of a few portions of the revised MS-47 not meeting the standard, but it is based on the major changes made to key parts of the basic structure of the handbook. Under the circumstances, it is appropriate that the Postal Service be directed to rescind the 2001 MS-47, to reinstate the 1983 MS-47, and to reinstate or prepare staffing packages as soon as practicable. Whether any remedy is appropriate for the intervening period since implementation of the 2001 MS-47, and, if so, what it should be, is a matter remanded to the parties for further discussion. The arbitrator retains jurisdiction over that aspect of the remedy. “With the Postal Service continuing to look for ways to get rid of APWU craft employees, this award means that they must consider the fact that the APWU will challenge them up at every level to protect all APWU work and craft employees.

Stress at Chicago Metro

I have been getting calls from clerks at Busse, complaining of the treatment of clerks at the facility. Supervisors, including A/MDO Jacqueline Hudson are saying there will be no clerks at Busse. I spoke with Plant Manager Anderson this morning and he said he will speak with these managers, as this should not be happening. I asked Melvin that meetings be scheduled with the tour 3 clerks so we would talk to them and hear some of their complaints and problems. He stated we could set this up, and that he would attend. In the meantime, any further complaints should be reported to the Union immediately. As I stated in the last floor letter, Plant Manager Anderson does not know if a third APPS will fit into Busse, or if some of Busse's mail will be sent to Irving Park Road. Whatever happens, your job and your pay will be protected by the contract if you are excessed, and you will most likely be excessed to another craft within the facility.

Automatic Induction at CS

We were notified on 11-15-06 by Postal management at Carol Stream P&DC that they were subcontracting the relocation of the AFSM. Also stated in this letter was the reason for the movement of the AFSM machines. "This move is mandatory for the future setup of AI (Automatic Induction).With Carol Stream receiving The AI in early spring it makes this project mandatory for December's completion." As we pointed out at the Carol Stream Labor-Management meeting on 11-16-06, management had yet to notify the APWU of the deployment of AI at Carol Stream. Our only official notification was the subcontracting notice dated 11-7-06. Tour 3 Chief Steward Walter Elerby called me yesterday and he said AFSM clerks are being told by supervisors that there will be an impact. Again, we have not been notified of any impact for the Automatic Induction, and any such information should be shared with the APWU prior to speaking with the affected employees. I called Senior Plant Manager Ron Woodall, and he agreed we should be notified of any impact to the clerk craft due to AI. I spoke with Senior MDO Melvin Dean and he stated that there is no impact statement yet for AI, and the Union will be properly notified. Melvin agreed to allow us to meet with AFSM clerks on all 3 tours to soon so we can answer any questions as to how the AI will affect their bids, and he will be getting back to us with dates and times. Due to the number of AFSM bids held by injured clerks, we hope any impact due to AI will be minimal. APWU will share information as we get it.

USPS on AI

The following information was obtained from a USPS document sent to all managers at Carol Stream. Carol Stream will receive four AFSM-AI systems. This system will replace the existing Flat Mail Preparation area with a state of the art preparation and transport system, located near the AFSM-100. In order to accommodate the AI, all 4 AFSM-100's and the FSM-1000 will be relocated beginning on 12-4-06, in anticipation of the AI on 2-10-07. The AFSM 100's existing feeders will be replaced by three modified Automatic Feeders. This system will do away with manual ledge loading of flats into the AFSM-100. An employee (clerk) will be permanently assigned to monitor and remove jams on all feeders. Four Prep Stations will receive bundles or USPS flat trays from the Load Station by way of the Mail Distribution Conveyor. Employees working here will remove straps and sleeves before placing the mail into the Automatic Compatible Tray. The trash will be dropped into the trash receptacle and vacuumed to the trash compactor. The Prep Stations will replace the Flats Prep operation (035), where employees prepare flat mail into an ergo car, thus eliminating the need for ergo carts in the facility. The ACT conveyor system will transport the prepped mail from the Prep Stations to the Automatic Feeders in front of the AFSM-100. Since Carol Stream is not scheduled to receive the Automatic Tray Handling System (ATHS), there will be a sweeper (clerk) assigned to each side of the AFSM-AI, responsible for removing and replacing full tubs in each bin. APWU will share information as we get it.

APWU on AI

The Postal Service at the national level has awarded most work on the AI to the Mail Handler craft, in spite of the fact that FSM work has always been clerk work. Clerks have historically performed all work in the flatsorter. When the AFSM-100 was deployed management awarded prepping to the MH craft if it was performed in a separate prep unit. Now that the prepping is returned to the machine the work should return to the clerks. Instead Mail Handlers will be putting mail into plastic crates on one end of the machine and these crates will travel from one end of the machine to the other where they will come down a chute and be dumped automatically on the feed stations. The Mail Handlers are loading ledges from the other end of the machine, but that is the USPS plan to continue to assign mail processing work to the Mail Handlers. On 11-20-06 Calvin Taylor, Dave Baskin and I went to South Suburban to see the Automatic Induction in action for ourselves. We spoke with the supervisor, who said the AI does not process mail any faster, and we spoke to Plant Manager Mark Tovey, who said the thru-put is better. At South Suburban they also have ATHS, so they only have one clerk and 5 or 6 Mail Handlers per machine. The Postal Service has assigned sweeping on AI with ATHS to the Mail Handlers, but sweeping on AI without ATHS is assigned to Clerks. Carol Stream is lucky because they do not have ATHS, and the staffing on AI should be 3 to 4 Clerks per machine.

Correction on CS Health Fair

In the last floor letter, I said the date for the Carol Stream Health Fair was 12-9-06 and this is incorrect. The correct date is 12-6-06.