Local Newsletter | South Jersey Area Local 0526 - APWU

(This article was first reported in the November 2018, Local Newsletter)
Written by: Mike Wright, Director of Associate Offices of APWU, SJAL #0526

Level 18 Offices/1412s
If you were at the September 2018 General Membership Meeting, you had heard me speak of the PMEOD settlement again which was in my February 2018 article. We had had an issue in an office and when it was addressed by the Local Steward, the Postmaster decided to allegedly walk out and go home in the middle of the Step 1. I personally went to that office the following week and readdressed the issue. Amazingly not only did they stay for the Step 1 Informal, they were kind enough to say it was going on in approximately 15 other offices. The following week, we had sent out Requests for Information to all the Level 18 Offices in our jurisdiction (41 offices). Out of those 41, 10 were not compliant with either the PMEOD settlement or the e1260 reports. Postmasters/OICs cannot just freely stay logged in all day to the RSS unit, every minute logged in counts against their 15 hours of bargaining unit work allowed in the CBA. If done correctly, there should be 3 final deposits per day worked, which would create opportunities that have been taken from PTFs prior to the PMEOD settlement. This won’t be the last round of mass RFIs to the 18s. Every office that had a violation will have a second RFI by the time this newsletter hits your mailbox.

Misc.
We began sending RFIs out to the AOs with LSSAs (T7s) to take more of our work back with TACS. This was awarded to us in a 2016 settlement which District has continually dragged their feet on, even after it was addressed at the SJ Labor Mgmt. Meeting (see “Dog and Pony Show” from my November 2017 article). We have been informed that it is finally being addressed in the latest EAS timekeeping course at Bellmawr. I guess 14 months after it was brought to their attention is timely in the eyes of the District. This is our work and it needs to be returned to us.

Speaking of the District, we’ve given them the opportunity to address the “alleged” time card manipulations and the abusive managers in this district with zero results; unless you count the latest Integrity Memo we received in a Step 2 denial from Labor. We’ve already sent a NLRB charge on the continual “alleged” retaliation and harassment of employees in one office in this district. Diplomacy has not worked with this district. Future “allegations” that come my way will now be addressed with outside organizations.

A little tip to my fans at the 501 Beningo building (I KNOW you read this). If you want to keep me quiet, try following the contract! Stop with: the delays on information, the games regarding investigations, and the rest of the nonsense that comes out of this district.

(This article was first reported in the June 2018, Local Newsletter)
Written by: Rob Armentani, President of APWU, SJAL #0526

Proposed Constitutional Changes
During the April General Membership Meeting, two proposed Constitutional changes were submitted. These proposals were submitted to the Constitution Committee for consideration. The membership will vote on the proposed resolution at the June 19th GMM.

Proposed Constitutional Change:

It is proposed to amend the language of Article IV. I President as follows.

It is proposed to remove the following language, ”He I She shall be a full· time officer” in Article IV.I for a period of one term (2019 through 2021) after which time the language will be reinstated, provided that this language had not already been reinstated through a subsequent constitutional amendment..

Submitted by – Edward A. Lafferty

Recommendation of the Committee: Concurrence

Proposed Constitutional Change:

Article IV Officers

Sections 5 & 6

– Whereas the Local Union has been making adjustments to the make-up of the Executive Board in an effort to be more financially sound,

– Whereas many of the duties of the Director of Human Relations have been reassigned or are no longer needed,

– Whereas the Director of Safety position has been vacant for almost a year,

– Whereas the combination of these positions would save the Local Union $1,777 in Officer salary

– Be it Resolved That the Director of Human Relations and The Director of Safety be combined into one position. The Director of Safety and Human Relations with a salary equivalent to the current salary of The Director of Human Relations

– Be it further resolved that Sections 5 & 6 will be combined into Section 5 and read as follows:

DIRECTOR OF SAFETY AND HUMAN RELATIONS– He/she will be a special advisor to the president of the SJAL, APWU on all matters concerning safety and health for the members of the SJAL, APWU. He/She shall represent the members of the SJAL, APWU on all safety matters including environmental issues and will be Local’s representative on Safety Committees established which may include the Plant and District Safety & Health Committees and will represent the president of the SJAL, APWU on these committees. He/She will be a direct contact with the Eastern Region Safety & Health Representative to ensure that the SJAL, APWU is in compliance with the APWU Regional and National Safety & Health policies. He/She shall aid and advise the membership on all questions relating to benefit plans of the American Postal Workers Union and shall be responsible in recommending to the SJAL Executive Board additional member benefits. He/She shall also be responsible with advising and assisting the membership in various personnel matters concerning member benefits. He/she shall direct and be responsible for maintenance and/or increasing the membership in this Local and direct the organization of the unorganized. He/she shall be principle organizer of any activity established by this Local He/She will be a member of the Executive Board. He/she shall be allowed the sum of $3,027 @@@@@““` plus expenses for the discharge of his/her office.

Submitted by: Rob Armentani

Recommendation of the Committee: Concurrence

Labor/Management Meetings
Recently Associate Office Director Mike Wright and myself have been heading out to offices for Labor/Management meetings in an effort to address issues at the ground level. We have brought many of these issues up at District Labor/Management meetings and to the Manager of the Labor Department only to see them not be addressed. For that reason, we have recently boycotted the recent District Labor/Management meeting and the joint JCIM training at the District. If our voices are going to be ignored then there is no reason to show up to these meetings. We have decided that we will attempt to go back to the ground level to address office issues and if we cannot resolve issues through local meetings then our voices will be heard through the grievance procedure. We will continue to boycott District events until we receive the respect our Local and our membership deserves. We are tired of sitting through their Ra Ra Dog and Pony Show only to have our concerns brushed to the side after the meeting. The issues that we have been addressing in many local offices include; Abusive Supervisors, management doing craft work, crossing crafts, management falsifying operation codes, landscaping subcontracting and T7 employees doing TACS. If you are experiencing any of these issues in your office or have some other serious concern please contact the office immediately and we will set up a meeting in your office.

She’s Back…..
T-1 at the SJ Plant has been a hostile work environment for several years. The failure of previous Plant managers to address this issue in the past, despite overwhelming evidence of abusive supervision, has been the most frustrating thing I have ever experienced as a Union official. Recently T-1 supervisor Eyddie Battaglia went out of work on a medical issue. While she was out, believe it or not, things on T-1 seemed to calm down a little. Well she has returned and she has returned worse than ever. We have experienced a steady stream to the Union office since her return. The discipline has increased and the moral has plummeted. She is singling out employees and issuing the most ridiculous discipline. I’m beginning to wonder if there is some kind of secret prize being offered to the supervisor that issues the most discipline. The most outrageous thing about her return is that she has returned to work with a walker and she has been moving through the entire building with it. This is the same person who wrote up a 30-year employee with a prosthetic leg for walking between machines with her walker. This is the kind of person we are dealing with. At the time I am writing this article I have a meeting scheduled to discuss her behavior. We can only hope that this is taken seriously by upper management and our new Plant Manager.

PSEs Speak Up!!
I recently had a conversation with a PSE in the Plant about a violation of the contract that affected him. The only reason we were aware was because a Career employee witnessed the violation and notified us. When I did speak to the PSE he confirmed that the violation did occur. We discussed the need for not only him but all PSEs to speak up and let us know when their rights are being violated. The concern seems to be that the PSEs are afraid their hours will be cut if they speak up. DO NOT let this deter you from standing up for yourself! You have rights and are protected by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. If management attempts to retaliate we will address this. We have been successful in getting PSEs paid for lost time when management blatantly retaliates against PSEs for contacting the Union. Let us do the job you pay us for. Do not give up your rights!!

In closing I would like to wish everyone a Safe and Enjoyable Summer!!!