(This was originally in the SJ Area Local Newsletter of February 2019. Written by: Mike Wright)
Administrative Errors/T7s and TACS
Recently, we had found more alleged “administrative errors” where clerk hours were somehow in LDC 38 (custodial hours). One or two occurrences, one could see a possible mistake, but every week? This mirrors what “allegedly” happened in other offices last year. With time card integrity memos send out almost quarterly, how does this continue to happen? The only way to protect our hours and jobs is to enforce the 2016 Global Settlement in which the Lead Clerk will perform TACS duties.
On January 7, I had sent Requests for Information for every Level 20 and above office under our jurisdiction to see which offices are having their Lead Clerks performing the TACS duties in accordance with the settlement. After getting back most of the data, I could count on one hand how many offices were compliant. This is our work, just as much so as working the window and distributing mail. Why do we continue to give our work away without a fight?
MDAT
We’re begging to start running MDAT in offices that are fully staffed and still show a need to create full-time positions based on the hours work by PTFs or PSEs within a nine- or ten-hour window depending on the size of the office. We’ve preached Article 37.3.A.1 which states desirable duties are to be created based on actual hours worked, not what is earned, not what the computer monitor tells them (management), and certainly not based on a Function Four study. Making sure we’re continuously on the right operation is still needed and not happening in many offices which does nothing but put a bulls-eye on the clerk operations there.
Article 1.6 and 7
The other thing that continuous to hurt the clerks in the Associate Offices is the lack on witness statements regarding Management (1.6) and other crafts (7) performing our work. The job of a Local Steward is hard enough, when they’re the only one speaking up, giving statements, and making the Local aware of violations, we’re doing nothing but showing on paper that jobs can be done with less clerks. PSEs and PTFs should be the most concerned with this, it’s the elimination of full-time positions due to our complacency of the said violations which could have been the position that they might have been converted into that is in jeopardy.
Misc.
My email is mjwrightapwu@hotmail.com, those who have emailed me over the years know my quick response rate regardless of the time of day. I’ve also over the years send out what many offices don’t post, which are conversion opportunities. In a perfect world, I’d like to see every dues-paying member in a full-time position. We need to continue to fight, if you see something that isn’t right, email me, contact the office @ 856-228-8090, or fax a statement to the office @ 856-228-2627.
(This article was first reported in the June 2018, Local Newsletter) Written by: Rob Armentani, President of APWU, SJAL #0526
With Election day rapidly approaching, it’s time to have our voices heard! This issue of the South Jersey Postal Express is being mailed to both members and non-members due to the importance of the upcoming elections and we are strongly encouraging everyone to get out and vote for those candidates that support the Postal Service and working families. Failure to get out the vote could have a negative impact on all Postal workers.
Fight Postal Privatization!!
On October 13th through the 15th I attended the National President’s Conference in Portland Maine. During the conference, National President Mark Dimondstein and National Legislative Director Judy Beard spoke to the delegates about the very real possibility that the Postal Service may be privatized under the country’s current administration. Recently the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) unveiled a plan for privatization of the Postal Service promoted by corporate interests that have powerful influence in the Trump administration. There have since been bipartisan bills introduced to both the Senate and the Congress to help combat a proposal to privatize the Postal Service: House Resolution 993, this resolution calls on Congress to take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and not be subject to privatization and Senate Resolution 663 which states, Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and is not subject to privatization.
We are all in this fight together to save our jobs! It doesn’t matter what political party you support, your race or whether you are a Union member or not. If you are a Postal worker it is time to unite to fight for our jobs, fight for our livelihoods. It is imperative that on November 6th you go to the polls and cast your vote for those who support the Postal Service and oppose Postal privatization.
Contract Negotiations
Our Collective Bargaining Agreement was set to expire on September 20, 2018. Negotiations for a new contract began on June 26, 2018. When an agreement wasn’t reached by September 20th, the parties agreed to a 30 day extension to continue to try and come to an agreement. On 10/20/2018 APWU President Mark Dimondstein announced that the union and the Postal Service again agreed to extend negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement for an additional 30 days until November 20, 2018. All the rights, benefits and provisions of our existing union contract remain in place, and are fully enforceable during the new 30-day extension of negotiations.
South Jersey Area Local Elections
By the time you receive this edition of the newsletter you should have received and returned your ballot for our Local Elections. The ballots must be received by November 15th so if you have not returned them, please cast your vote and return them. We have had some dismal participation in our Local Elections in the past and I would really like to see that change this time around. This is your Union. You should be heard on who you want to represent you. Complacency is management’s best weapon and our biggest obstacle.
Why Am I A Union Member? Since this edition is going out to non-members as well as members I want to formally invite you to come on board and stand with your co-workers and support YOUR Union as we fight for fair wages, benefits and working conditions. Without the support of our membership we cannot maintain this fight. I will be more than happy to meet with anyone to answer questions you may have about Union membership.
When I was hired to work for the Postal Service in March of 1987 at the Philadelphia BMC, the first thing my father told me was to make sure I signed up with the Union. Of course, I asked why and this is the story he told me:
My father got a job working for the Philadelphia Fire Department back in the 60s. Not long after he was hired there was a contract dispute with the city and there were many pickets and rallies held by the Union. My father was fortunate, or should I say unfortunate, enough to be on the front line of one of these pickets and a picture of him walking the line made it into the local newspaper. Since he was identified in the newspaper he was fired from his job. The contract dispute was settled and my father was unemployed with three children. The Union immediately went to bat for him and fought and won his job back. Because of the Union fighting to get my father’s job back, my siblings and I enjoyed a good upbringing and my parents enjoyed a good retirement. My father showed me the picture he was referring to and then he showed me another. It was a newspaper clipping of him carrying a child down a ladder out of a burning house. Thankfully for that family my father was still on the job thanks to his Union representation.
After hearing his story, I didn’t hesitate one second to sign up when I got the chance.
As I get closer to retirement myself I understand more than ever why it is so important to have a job that offers fair wages, benefits and working conditions. Without the Postal Unions I believe we would all be nothing but casual employees. Remember them? No raises, no benefits and you could be fired with the snap of a finger.
In closing I want to again encourage you all to stand together as Postal Workers. Get out and vote for those who support the Resolutions against Postal Privatization.
(This article was first reported in the November 2018, Local Newsletter) Written by: Frank Bollinger, Business Agent of APWU, SJAL #0526
Jobs
The South Jersey Local is dedicated to both properly converting PSE’s into career positions as well as looking for opportunities to advance our PTF’s and sub 40-hour NTFT’s into better positions (aka Desirable Duty Assignments). There is a fine balance in figuring who is entitled to positions under our current Collective Bargaining Agreement. Previously it was reported by me that there was some controversy regarding who is entitled to a residual vacancy once we hit item 6 of the Residual Vacancy MOU. Management took the position that they were allowed to jump ahead to item 7 without fulfilling requests that are covered under item 6. That was explained in more detail at our previous General Membership Meeting.
Now, however, some new issues have come about and they came to us from our members. In the first situation, a PSE was not afforded the opportunity to bid on a PTF preference position. This happened due to an oversight by the individual’s local management who never posted the available list. Obviously, this violated the PSE’s rights as a job they would have taken was awarded to an individual with a lower relative standing. This was corrected through negotiations at which time it was agreed that the current office the PSE was domiciled at had the ability to add a PTF position to their compliment. As such the individual was converted to a PTF there.
We received some concerns from the other employees that it may impact the hours of the other PTF’s at the office. It was explained that they were allotted two PSE’s and management was, more likely than not, going to revert to only having one PSE at the office due to the additional PTF position. Being as it seemed like a 1 for 1 situation the hour impacts should be minimal if any. At the same time an individual was afforded their proper opportunity to convert to career status. The members who had the concerns about hours seemed to understand that the Union had an obligation to correct a violation.
Second situation is a little different. We had a sub 40-hour NTFT at an office, the work showed management should add the hours to make it a 40-hour a week job. Management agreed without much pushback to add hours to bring it up to 40 though over 6 days still. Of course, the job will be put up for bid internally for all clerks (more likely than not) though this individual will get it.
In comes a call from a member at that office questioning why we increased the hours of the job. It was explained that the work hours showed the need and it is the Union’s duty to fight for desirable assignments and 40 over 6 was much more desirable then 36 over 6. The individual had a few more seeming negative concerns/comments about it. The truth came out later that making the job 40 hours would probably impact the overtime of the FTR who was calling. It was explained that overtime is not guaranteed and again the Local’s priority was to move as many members as possible into 40 hours jobs. It was explained that unfortunately, though we realize individuals like overtime, when it is overtime versus a 40-hour job the Union will always go for the 40-hour job. The individual in this case refused to accept that fact.
I am sorry if this seemed more like a rant than a report but honestly, we are supposed to be bonded as a Union Family. The first situation is understandable, people can have some questions at time and once explained they understood. The second situation seriously frustrates me. We are supposed to be a Union Family yet individuals would willingly step on their Union Brother/Sister so that they can get some scraps of overtime for themselves. We wonder why Unionism is dying in the U.S., if we are willing to throw each other to the wayside for a pittance then we don’t stand a chance against those that wish to destroy us.