The AmericAn PosTAl Worker - APWU 480

Transcription

The AmericAn PosTAl Worker
APril - June 2011
Volume 41, number 2
28
c o l u m n s
4
10
12
14
26
PRESIDENT
Collective Bargaining
Works: We are Proof!
D i V i s i o n s
18
VICE PRESIDENT
Why Vote ‘Yes’
20
SECRETARY-TREASURER
The APWU
Has Got Your Back!
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
An Agreement
For Our Times
16
22
24
DePArTmenTs
CLERK DIVISION
32
MAINTENANCE DIVISION
40
MOTOR VEHICLE DIVISION
41
Safeguarding Jobs,
Creating New
Opportunities
Contract Changes for
The Maintenance Craft
Contract Victories
For MVS Employees
WESTERN REGIONAL COOR.
It Takes a Village
To Contain a Monster
42
43
WRITE TO US
We welcome letters. We will print your name and local affiliation, and we ask, for verification purposes, that
you include your address, phone number and social security number or employee i.d. number. send letters
and other items to: The American Postal Worker, Attn: sally Davidow, 1300 l st. nW, Washington, Dc 20005.
LEGISLATIVE & POLITICAL
Saving USPS Finances:
A Top Legislative
Priority
RESEARCH & EDUCATION
Testing Your Home
For Lead
HUMAN RELATIONS
National
Reassessment
Processes
HEALTH PLAN
In Pursuit
Of Excellence
RETIREES
Protecting Retirees
From Inflation
(ISSN 0044-7811) is published bimonthly by the
American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO,
1300 L Street NW, Washington, DC, 20005.
www.apwu.org
Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
THE AMERICAN POSTAL WORKER
1300 L Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20005.
cliff Guffey
Greg bell
elizabeth Powell
mike morris
rob strunk
steven G. raymer
robert c. Pritchard
bill manley
sharyn m. stone
mike Gallagher
John h. Dirzius
Princella Vogel
omar m. Gonzalez
33
FeATures
6
16
24
Tentative 2010-2015
Collective Bargaining Agreement
NETWORK REALIGNMENT
Public, Legislators Join the Fight
To Save Mail Service
A LOOK BACK
Regina V. Polk: Breaking the Mold
28
Attacks on Public Employees
Target Pay, Benefits, Bargaining Rights
33
2010 COPA REPORT
APWU Members
Answer the Call For COPA
President – Editor
Executive Vice President
Secretary-Treasurer
Director, Industrial Relations
Director, Clerk Division
Director, Maintenance Division
Director, Motor Vehicle Division
Director, Support Services Division
Central Region Coordinator
Eastern Region Coordinator
Northeast Region Coordinator
Southern Region Coordinator
Western Region Coordinator
myke reid
martha shunn-king
Joyce b. robinson
sue carney
William J. kaczor Jr.
Judy beard
Legislative & Political Director – Assoc. Editor
Organization Director
Research & Education Director
Human Relations Director
Health Plan Director
Retirees Department Director
stephen A. Albanese
Legislative & Political Assistant Director
Patricia Williams
lyle krueth
lamont brooks
Assistant Director, Clerk Division
Gary kloepfer
Gregory see
idowu balogun
Assistant Director, Maintenance Division
Assistant Director, Maintenance Division
National Representative-at-Large,
Maintenance Division
michael o. Foster
Assistant Director, Motor Vehicle Division
clerk DiVision nATionAl business AGenTs
robert D. kessler
Jeff kehlert
shirley J. Taylor
russell P. bugary
marilyn ‘mo’ merow
robert bloomer Jr.
Peter coradi
nancy e. olumekor
Paul hern
sam lisenbe
stephen lukosus
William mellen
Tom o’brien
Pamela richardson
James e. scoggins
billy Woods
Tom maier
martin barron
brian Dunn
lynn Pallas-barber
Frank rigiero
Dennis Taff
Pat Davis-Weeks
linda J. Turney
robert romanowski
John Jackson
John bernovich
Jack crawford
Jerry mcilvain
christine Pruitt
Gilbert Ybarra
larry crawford
chuck locke
martin J. mater
mike o’hearn
stella ‘Joann’ Gerhart
mike schmid
michael sullivan
bernard c. Timmerman
rachel Walthall
mAinTenAnce DiVision nATionAl business AGenTs
AbOUT ThE COvER:
The ballots have been mailed – now it is up to APWu members
to vote on the tentative 2010-2015 collective bargaining
Agreement. For highlights of the Tentative Agreement, and
information on how to make your vote count, please see
pages 4-5, 6-9, 10-11, 14-15, 18-19, 20-21, and 22-23.
Vance Zimmerman
Troy rorman
Terry martinez
charles sundgaard
William lasalle
richard ‘rick’ logan
Jimmie Waldon
Joe ‘Dean’ hathaway
John Gearhard
moTor Vehicle serVice DiVision nATionAl business AGenTs
bruce bailey
Dwight D. (D.D.) Johnson
merlie h. bell
Joseph lacapria
ulysses coneway
kenneth Prinz
oTher nATionAl business AGenTs
nilda r. chock
James m. Patarini
Daniel soto
ProDuceD bY The APWu communicATions DePArTmenT
sally Davidow
Communications Dept. Senior Manager
PresiDenT cliFF GuFFeY
Collective Bargaining
We focused on
jobs and excessing
because we wanted
to make life better
for our members those who are
in the trenches
moving the mail
every day.
4
The Ame r i c an Pos t al Wor ker
in the midst of nationwide attacks on workers’ rights, the apwu
and the USPS recently sent a clear message: Collective bargaining works,
and we are proof!
On March 14, the APWU and the
USPS unveiled a Tentative Agreement
that is a “win-win” proposition for
postal employees and management. We
gained ground in our ongoing struggle
to safeguard jobs and protect postal employees, and we proved that bargaining
can lead to benefits for both sides.
Despite the fact that the Postal Service is facing a severe financial crisis,
the union’s negotiating team was able
to hammer out an agreement that
protects our jobs and strengthens the
USPS so that we can better serve the
American people.
What We Accomplished
We focused on jobs and excessing
because we wanted to make life better for our members – those who are
in the trenches moving the mail every
day.
We wanted to make sure you could
report to work free from the worry
that you would be forced to uproot
your family and move to a new city
– with very little notice. Thousands of
our members have suffered through
that horrible experience and we wanted to stop it.
We also wanted to end the uncertainty of wondering whether your
job would exist a few months or years
down the road. In the wake of the
elimination of more than 100,000
postal jobs in the last three years,
avoiding layoffs was a top priority.
And we made great strides. The
Tentative Agreement retains our protection against layoffs, limits excessing,
and returns to our members a significant amount of work that had been
contracted out or assigned to managerial personnel. Excessing outside an
installation or craft will be limited to
no more than 40 miles in most cases
and to no more than 50 miles in any
case. If management cannot place employees within 50 miles, the APWU
and USPS will jointly determine what
steps may be taken.
The Tentative Agreement also provides for a 3.5 percent pay raise over
the life of the contract and retains
cost-of-living allowances (COLAs),
with the first increase set to take effect
in November 2012.
In addition, we made significant
progress for employees who work in
small offices. All PTFs in Level 21-andabove offices will be converted to fulltime regular, with a guaranteed minimum of 30 hours of work per week
– up from two hours per pay period!
(For more information about improvements in small offices, see pages 14-15.)
ning Works: We are Proof!
Increased Workforce Flexibility
The Tentative Agreement – which
will run through May 20, 2015 – includes innovative approaches to increasing workforce flexibility. In the
future, the “full-time” designation will
apply to any position of 30 hours or
more per week and to any position of
48 hours or less per week. (Employees
whose schedules exceed 40 hours per
week will have built-in overtime!)
Current full-time employees cannot be forced into positions of less
than 40 hours per week or more than
44 hours per week, and there will be
no mandatory overtime for employees
in “non-traditional” assignments or in
functional areas that utilize them.
The Tentative Agreement also includes new starting and ending wages
for future employees and it increases
the number of non-career workers.
I encourage every member to review the provisions of the new contract. A copy was mailed along with the
ratification ballot, and is posted on the
union’s Web site, at www.apwu.org.
(Highlights of the Tentative Agreement can also be found on pages 6-9.)
I want to thank the union’s negotiating team for their hard work
throughout this process, and I want
to thank you, the members of the
APWU, for your patience.
I am pleased that both the Rankand-File Bargaining Committee and
the National Executive Board endorsed
the Tentative Agreement unanimously.
I hope you will approve it as well.
Still More Work to Do
These negotiations were especially
tough because of the Postal Service’s
desperate financial situation. Workers did not cause the crisis, however,
we continue to support the many public
workers whose rights are in jeopardy.
When
Wisconsin
politicians
rammed through a bill in March that
robbed the state’s public workers of
their bargaining rights, they set a
frightening precedent that cannot be
ignored. This legislation – and other
Workers did not cause the Postal Service’s
crisis, and we cannot make the necessary
sacrifices to return it to economic health.
and we simply cannot make the sacrifices that would be necessary to return
the USPS to economic health. Our
agreement will help the USPS to get
through these difficult days – but we
still have important work to do.
The USPS economic difficulties
are caused by the unreasonable congressional mandate that requires the
Postal Service to pre-fund the health
benefits of future retirees. This is a
burden no other private company or
government agency bears.
I call on all union members to contact their legislators and urge them to
correct this inequity: Doing so is essential to restoring long-term stability
to the Postal Service.
We also must protect the bargaining
rights that we currently enjoy – while
similar bills across the country – must
serve as a wake-up call.
I commend all the members, locals,
and state organizations that participated
in solidarity rallies in support of workers in states where anti-union legislation has been introduced. I encourage
members to continue to show support
for these embattled workers. (For more
on about solidarity rallies, see page 28.)
I ask union members to contribute
generously to COPA – the union’s Committee on Political Action – to ensure
that our voices do not fall on deaf ears
on Capitol Hill. (For more on COPA, see
pages 33-39.)
Unions are the best defense against
the assault on working Americans –
and our involvement is essential as we
struggle to defend the middle class. 4
Apr il – J une 2 011
5
Tentative 2010-2015
A
s we go to press, APWU members are
voting on the tentative 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement. A full copy
of the Tentative Agreement was included in the
referendum mailing, and can also be found on-
line at www.apwu.org. The following are many of
the significant new features of the proposed contract. For a discussion of provisions specific to the
Clerk, Maintenance, and Motor Vehicle Crafts,
please see pages 18-19, 20-21, and 24-25.
Highlights of the New
Below are key components of the Tentative Agreement between the U.S. Postal Service and
the American Postal Workers Union for the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
If it is ratified by the members of the APWU, the contract will expire on May 20, 2015.
Wages
There will be across-the-board pay increases of 3.5 percent
over the life of the contract.
4Nov. 17, 2012 – 1% increase
4Nov. 16, 2013 – 1.5% increase
4Nov. 15, 2014 – 1% increase
Cost-of-Living Adjustments
Cost-of-living increases will continue and will be “backloaded.” COLAs for 2011 were waived, and COLAs for
2012 are deferred until 2013.
4A March 2012 COLA will become effective in
March 2013, together with a March 2013 COLA.
4A September 2012 COLA will become
effective in September 2013, together
with a September 2013 COLA.
4Cost-of-Living Adjustments will be made
in March and September 2013.
6
4Cost-of-Living Adjustments will be made
in March and September 2014.
4A Cost-of-Living Adjustment will
be made in March 2015.
New Entry-Level Steps
Additional steps will be added to the pay scale for
new employees in Levels 3 through 8 with new starting
salaries. Future employees will progress through the new
steps onto the current pay scale, but will not be eligible to
progress to the current top step.
Health Benefits
4There will be no changes to the healthcare benefits
of APWU members in 2012. Each year from
2013 through 2016 there will be a slight shift in
employees’ share of contributions toward healthcare
coverage for most plans. This will amount to an
increase of several dollars per pay period each year.
(Similar changes were made in the last contract.)
Locals: Get Out the Vote!
To encourage participation in the contract ratification
process, APWU President Cliff Guffey is asking locals to
get out the vote.
The national union will reward the locals that are most
successful in mobilizing members to vote, with the top
three locals in each of several categories receiving prizes
to be used on behalf of the local membership.
To be eligible, locals must reach a voter participation
level of at least 50 percent.
Number of Members
1-49
50-99
100-499
500-999
1,000 and above
Prize
$200
$200
$1,000
$2,000
$4,000
If more than three locals in any category generate 100
percent participation, all “100 percent” locals will receive
awards.
4There will be designated area-wide “moving days”
no more frequently than once every three months
for excessing from postal installations. This will
strengthen seniority when excessing occurs in
multiple installations within a geographic area.
Jobs and Job Security
4Protection against layoffs continues for all career
employees who were on the rolls as of Nov. 20, 2010.
The language of Article 6, which governs layoffs
and reductions-in-force, remains unchanged.
4Because it is a low-cost, high-value plan,
USPS contributions for the APWU
Consumer Driven option will remain at
95% for the life of the agreement.
Limits on Excessing
4The agreement limits excessing outside of an
installation or craft to no more than 40 miles
from the installation in most cases and to no more
than 50 miles in any case. If management cannot
place employees within 50 miles, the parties will
jointly determine what steps may be taken.
4Employees will not be required to retreat
to crafts they were excessed from if the
crafts are represented by the APWU.
4New provisions on subcontracting give the
APWU the opportunity to develop proposals
to compete with subcontractors for work, and
stipulate that if APWU-represented employees
can perform the work less expensively than the
subcontractors, the work must be performed
by APWU-represented employees.
4The Tentative Agreement protects jobs with
a provision that stipulates that the APWU
will retain jurisdiction if the duties of union
members are moved to facilities that are not
currently represented by the APWU.
Jobs in the Clerk Craft
4No fewer than 1,100 Call Center jobs that had
been contracted out will be returned to the
Clerk Craft. The Call Center locations will
become part of the nearest installation, so that
APWU members can bid on these positions.
7
4A minimum of 800 duty assignments will
be created in the Clerk Craft to perform
administrative and technical duties that are
currently performed by EAS personnel.
4Lead Clerk, PS-7, positions will be
created in mail processing and in retail
to perform administrative duties.
1At least one Lead Clerk position will be
established in any office where there is no
supervisor.
1At least one Lead Clerk position will be
established in any Customer Service office with
five or more Clerk Craft employees.
1Ratios for the establishment of Lead Clerk
positions in mail processing will be as follows:
# Clerks
5-49
50-99
100-199
200-499
500 or more
# Lead Clerks
1
2
3
4
5, plus one for each
100 clerks
4204Bs will be eliminated except to fill
absences and vacancies of 14 days or
more, not to exceed 90 days.
4Part-Time Regular assignments will be converted
to full-time assignments with a minimum
guarantee of 30 hours of work per week.
Jobs in the Maintenance Craft
4 There will be a joint audit of maintenance work currently performed by contractors to identify duties that
can be assigned to the Maintenance Craft where it is
cost effective.
4 Custodial staffing will be established on an installationwide basis rather than on a facility-wide basis.
4 Initially 1,500 custodial positions that were contracted
out will be returned to the bargaining unit.
4Help Desk positions at the MTSC (Maintenance
Technical Support Center) in Norman, OK,
will be assigned to the bargaining unit.
4There will be an audit of EAS positions to
determine if non-supervisory duties are
being performed. Bargaining unit duties
derived from the audit will be returned to
the bargaining unit, and a minimum of 60
bargaining unit positions will be established.
4All in-craft promotions will be on the basis of
installation seniority within a “banded” score.
Jobs in the Motor Vehicle Craft
4Approximately 740 Vehicle Maintenance Facility
positions will be created to perform work that
is currently performed by subcontractors.
Vote on the Tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement
Ballots Due Back May 10
Voting on the Tentative Agreement for the 2010-2015 APWUUSPS contract is now underway. All eligible members will receive – or have already received – a ballot, which allows them
to vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on the agreement.
Ballots must be received in the designated return post office
box in New York City by May 10. Votes will be counted on May
11, and results will be posted as soon as they become available
at www.apwu.org.
In addition to the ballot, the ratification mailing includes a
copy of the Tentative Agreement; a summary of highlights of the
proposed agreement; the official statement of the Rank-and-File
Bargaining Advisory Committee; a letter from APWU President
Cliff Guffey, and a postage-paid return envelope. The Tentative
Agreement, a summary of contractual provisions, and other information also can be found at www.apwu.org.
In accordance with the APWU Constitution, the Rank-and-
8
File Committee must approve a Tentative Agreement before
members are given the opportunity to vote on ratification. The
committee voted unanimously to endorse the proposed agreement on March 16. The Rank-and-File Committee will supervise
the vote count.
The union’s National Executive Board also voted unanimously to approve the Tentative Agreement.
If ratified, the agreement will expire on May 20, 2015.
If You Don’t Receive a Ballot…
The referendum mailing was sent to all eligible APWU
members April 8-11. If you have not received a ballot by April 18,
contact the American Arbitration Association at 800-529-5218 to
request a duplicate, or by e-mail to apwu@adr.org.
Please provide your name, the last four digits of your Social
Security number, your craft, and your mailing address.
The jobs will be created as follows:
• 219 Level 8 Technicians
• 459 Level 9 Lead Technicians
• 62 Level 10 Lead Technicians
4A minimum of 600 Highway Contract Routes
(HCRs) will be converted to Postal Vehicle Service
(PVS) routes, with a minimum of 25% of the
duty assignments given to career employees.
4The APWU will have the opportunity to review
approximately 8,000 additional HCRs, and will have
the opportunity to submit proposals for the work.
4There will be an audit of EAS positions to determine
if non-supervisory duties are being performed. Bargaining unit duties derived from the audit will be returned to the bargaining unit, and a minimum of 60
bargaining unit positions will be established.
4Part-Time Flexible and Part-Time Regular assignments will be converted to full-time assignments with
a minimum guarantee of 30 hours of work per week.
New, Non-Traditional Duty Assignments
4The Tentative Agreement changes the definition
of “full-time” in a way that gives the Postal
Service and our members greater flexibility.
and Motor Vehicle Crafts. These employees will be
paid lower wages than career employees, but higher wages than Transitional Employees and Casuals.
They will be part of the APWU bargaining unit and
will receive raises, health benefits, and leave. Postal
Support Employees will have access to the grievance
procedure, and they will have the opportunity to join
the ranks of the permanent, career workforce by seniority.
4Transitional Employees and Casuals will be eliminated as workforce categories. Employees who are
currently serving as TEs or Casuals will be eligible
for conversion to Postal Support Employees if they
have passed the appropriate tests and are on the appropriate register.
Small Offices
4There will be no Clerk Craft Part-Time Flexibles in
Level 21-and-above offices. Positions will be staffed
with Full-Time Regulars (including non-traditional
assignments) and Postal Support Employees.
4In Level 20-and-below offices, wherever the union
can demonstrate the existence of duty assignments
of 30 hours or more per week, management must
create them.
1The “full-time” designation will apply to any
position of 30 or more hours per week and to
any position of 48 hours or less per week.
4Restrictions will be placed on the amount of bargaining unit work that may be performed by supervisory
personnel in small offices. The formula is as follows:
1No current full-time employees can be forced
into a full-time position of less than 40 hours
per week or more than 44 hours per week.
1Level 20-and-above offices – No bargaining
unit work by supervisors allowed
1These provisions will allow for the creation
of many non-traditional full-time schedules,
including four 10-hour days, three 12-hour
days, and four 11-hour days.
1There will be no mandatory overtime for
employees in non-traditional assignments or
in functional areas that utilize non-traditional
full-time assignments.
Postal Support Employees
Editor’s Note: In the original version of the highlights of
the Tentative Agreement, Postal Support Employees were referred to as Non-Career Assistants. New employees in these
duty assignments will now be known as PSEs.
4To provide the USPS with flexibility, the Tentative
Agreement creates a new position for Postal Support
Employees, who will comprise up to 20 percent of
the workforce in most functional areas of the Clerk
Craft and up to 10 percent in both the Maintenance
1Level 18 offices – 15 hours per week
1Level 15 and 16 offices – 25 hours per week
4Many Contract Postal Units (CPUs) will
be returned to the APWU bargaining unit;
others will be closed, and a system will be
established to evaluate additional CPUs for
return to the bargaining unit or closure.
Bidding
Employees will enjoy unlimited bidding on jobs that
do not require off-site training or a deferment period.
Such bids will not count toward an employee’s allowed
number of bids.
Light & Limited Duty
The union’s proposals regarding light- and limited-duty
positions will proceed to arbitration. Our proposals are
intended to protect seniority rights and to provide fair
opportunities for accommodation for employees that
need it.
4
9
eXecuTiVe Vice PresiDenT GreG bell
Why Vote ‘Yes’
With public-sector
workers across the
country fighting to
defend their
right to bargain,
our Tentative
Agreement shows
that collective
bargaining works.
10 The Ame r i c an Pos t al Wor ker
apwu members, an important decision is in your hands: in march,
the APWU and USPS reached a Tentative Agreement on a new contract,
and now you have the opportunity to vote on ratification.
The APWU Rank-and-File Bargaining Advisory Committee voted unanimously to approve the agreement, as
did the National Executive Board. We
urge you to vote “yes” as well.
The bargaining process was a
long and complicated one, and it involved input from every level of our
organization. The APWU Negotiating Team reviewed resolutions that
were approved by delegates to state
and national conventions; considered
hundreds of recommendations from
conferences and seminars, and evaluated suggestions from stewards, union
officers, and members on the workroom floor.
No End in Sight
These were difficult negotiations
under difficult circumstances. The
backdrop for bargaining was our nation’s uncertain economic conditions,
the Postal Service’s financial crisis,
and a decline in mail volume. In the
last several years, the USPS has eliminated more than 100,000 postal jobs,
implemented a hiring freeze, engaged
in widespread excessing of APWU
members, outsourced our work, and
announced plans to consolidate Processing and Distribution Centers and
close hundreds of stations and branch-
es. Management had no plans to let up,
and anti-labor members of Congress
continue to demand even more job
cuts and outsourcing.
Under these most challenging circumstances, the Negotiating Team was
successful in reaching an agreement
that maintains protection against layoffs, safeguards jobs, imposes limits on
excessing, retains cost-of-living allowances, and provides wage increases.
Throughout the negotiations, we
sought to preserve our current work;
return work that was previously contracted out or assigned to supervisory
personnel, and provide our members
the opportunity to perform new work.
The Tentative Agreement accomplishes these goals, and much more. By
protecting jobs, we are securing our
future.
The agreement also contains some
necessary compromises. These include
new starting and ending salaries for future employees in Levels 3 through 8,
and an increase in the number of noncareer employees, who will be known
as “Postal Support Employees.” These
employees will be paid lower wages
than career employees, but higher
wages than Transitional Employees
and Casuals, which will be eliminated
as workforce categories.
BELL
Postal Support Employees will be
part of the APWU bargaining unit, receive raises, earn leave, be eligible for
health benefits, and have the opportunity to become career employees by seniority.
Considering Our Options
During negotiations, we concluded
that there was a strong possibility that
arbitration would have resulted in lower
wages for new employees and more noncareer employees, but without many of
the improvements and protections we negotiated for current members. As a matter of fact, in less challenging times arbitrators established lower wages for new
employees on at least two occasions,
and created the non-career category of
Transitional Employees.
We can never know for sure what
the outcome of arbitration would have
been under today’s more severe circumstances, but we believe the guarantee
of additional jobs and work, limits on
excessing, and more rights and benefits
for the new non-career employees was a
wise bargain.
Many union members have expressed
appreciation for the COLAs and wage
increases under these difficult times, but
they have been even more enthusiastic
about retaining protection against layoffs, winning limits on excessing, gaining additional jobs, and the many other
negotiated improvements.
In preparing for bargaining, we took
into consideration the pressing issues
that are confronting APWU members
and we tried to address them. With this
as our standard, we believe the Tentative Agreement is fair to our members.
It also will help the USPS restore service
and succeed in the future, which is in
our best interest.
I urge you to vote “yes” for ratification of the Tentative Agreement.
Attacks on Public Workers
With public-sector workers across
the country fighting to defend their
right to bargain, our Tentative Agreement shows that collective bargaining
works, and it demonstrates the value of
having a voice at work.
The APWU urges union members
to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in states that are trying to
deprive public-sector employees of this
basic American freedom.
On March 2, 2011, I had the pleasure
of speaking at a rally in Wisconsin’s state
capital, joining thousands of workers
who were protesting attacks on collective bargaining. As postal workers, we
stand united with our brothers and sisters in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, and elsewhere throughout our
great nation. The struggle of employees
to protect their basic right to bargain affects every worker in America.
We are not alone in this struggle. We
are joined by elected officials, community leaders and activists, religious leaders, private-sector workers, and people
from all walks of life. Most noticeably,
we are joined by young people, students
– our lifeline – our future.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a
Republican or Democrat, a conservative
or liberal, a private-sector employee or a
public-sector worker. This is a universal
struggle for a common cause. It is part
of the continuing struggle of middleclass Americans against corporations
and politicians that would crush us if
they could.
Workers and unions are being
blamed for a recession we did not cause.
We cannot let that happen. It has been
said that the battle in Wisconsin is our
“Ground Zero” – a fight over the fundamental right of working men and women to have a voice in the workplace. It is
a fight for basic American values – freedom, fairness, and the right to speak,
to organize, and to bargain for a better
life.
If the anti-labor forces succeed in
Wisconsin, we and other workers could
be next. Remember, legislation is pending in the U.S. Senate that includes a
provision that would modify our collective bargaining process and that would
unfairly strengthen the Postal Service’s
position in negotiations over ours.
As legislation depriving workers of
fundamental rights advances in state after state, we must stand together – not
just for the sake of solidarity, but for our
survival. We cannot afford to do anything less.
(See pages 28-31 for more information
about solidarity rallies.)
4
A pr il – J une 2 011 1 1
s ec r eTA rY-Tr eAs ur er li Z PoWell
The APWU Has
Got Your Back!
When we support
our allies, we build
a coalition that we
can count on to
back the APWU in
our fight to protect
the Postal Service.
it is no secret that the postal service is initiating cuts to the
workforce, jeopardizing postal wages and benefits, and closing and
consolidating postal facilities. The APWU has vigorously opposed
these efforts – but postal workers simply have not been able to stop
these threats by ourselves.
The winning strategy we need in
these battles is to involve local communities and other labor unions in the fight
to save our service. Every local union
that has waged a successful campaign to
prevent post office closures and facility
consolidations has built a coalition of
allies – and the best way to enlist their
help in our struggles is to join the fight
on issues that matter to them.
The commitment to support
someone else’s fight is at the heart
of coalition-building. It enables us
to form relationships and build the
trust that can only come from being in the “trenches” together. Other
unions, neighborhood organizations,
and community activists will be more
likely to join the fight to save postal
jobs and services if they know we
“have their back” in return.
Right to Work… for Less?
One of the critical issues that our
brothers and sisters in the labor movement need our help with is the fight
against so-called “Right to Work” leg12 The Ame r i c an Pos t al Wor ker
islation. These laws are in place in 22
states, and legislators in at least 11 other states are proposing new ones.
These bills make it illegal for
unionized workers to negotiate contracts that require each employee who
enjoys the benefit of a union contract
to pay his or her share of the costs of
negotiating and policing it.
In effect, RTW laws limit the effectiveness of unions to negotiate higher
wages and benefits for their members.
(Ironically, these bills allow workers
who refuse to contribute to the cost of
bargaining and enforcing contracts to
enjoy all the benefits negotiated by the
union. As far as I’m concerned, workers who don’t want to help bear the
cost of representation should be willing to back up their beliefs by waiving
any negotiated wages or benefits.)
Many in the labor movement refer to “Right to Work” laws as “Right
to Work for Less” laws. Why? Because
salaries are consistently lower in states
covered by RTW legislation than in
states without these laws. (See box.)
l
While anti-labor politicians argue
that “Right to Work” laws are beneficial
to state economies, the facts don’t bear
this out. A recent study by Economic
Policy Institute (EPI) found that these
laws do not boost employment growth,
and could have a negative economic effect on states’ economies.
Because Oklahoma is the only state
to have adopted RTW in the era of globalization, its experience is especially
instructive. The EPI report concluded
that manufacturing employment in
Oklahoma, which increased in the 10
years prior to the enactment of the law,
fell steadily in the years that followed.
And compared to the six states that
border it, Oklahoma fared no better in
its unemployment rate or rate of job
growth in 2010 than in 2000, prior to
enactment of the law. Furthermore,
the number of out-of-state businesses
opening plants in Oklahoma decreased
following the adoption of RTW.
Unions are weakened by RTW laws,
the EPI report noted, which limit their
ability to negotiate wages and benefits
for workers. In turn, workers earn less,
and spend less on housing, food, and
other necessities, the EPI found. Local
and state governments therefore receive less in tax revenues and must cut
public services – which are crucial for
economic development.
We know from our experience as
postal workers that there is absolutely
no benefit to dues-paying members
when non-members are allowed to
enjoy the same rights and benefits as
members without offering any contribution in return. There is not one
thing a non-member contributes to
the bargaining process to protect our
pay and benefits.
As APWU members and as activists
in the broader labor movement, it is
our duty to support and work with our
brothers and sisters in other unions to
prevent the spread of “Right to Work
for Less” legislation. This is vital not
only because it is the right thing to do
to ensure a strong union presence in
this county, but also because when we
support our allies, we build a coalition.
By offering our support, we can count
on these unions to back the APWU in
our fight to protect the Postal Service.
We need to embrace this “you help me,
I will help you” mentality: It’s a simple
principle.
When the AFL-CIO, other unions,
and community organizations ask for
our help to fight “Right to Work” legislation and other issues affecting the labor
movement, we must answer the call.
We’ve got your back! 4
“Right to Work” hurts everyone
Workers in states with “right
to work laws” have a consistently lower quality of life than
in other states – lower wages,
higher poverty and infant mortality rates, less access to the
healthcare they need and poorer education for their children.
Lower wages: The average
worker in a “Right to Work”
state makes about $5,333 a
year less than workers in other
states ($35,500 compared with
$30,167). Weekly wages are $72 more in free-bargaining states
than in “Right to Work” states ($621 versus $549).
Fewer people with healthcare: 21 percent more people lack
health insurance in “Right to Work” states compared to freebargaining states.
Higher poverty and infant
mortality rates: “Right to Work”
states have a poverty rate of
12.5 percent, compared with
10.2 percent in other states.
Moreover, the infant mortality rate is 16 percent higher in
“Right to Work” states.
Lower worker’s compensation benefits for workers
injured on the job: Maximum
“Right to Work”
weekly worker compensation
states are in blue.
benefits are $30 higher in freebargaining states ($609 versus $579 in “Right to Work” states).
More workplace deaths and injuries: According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of workplace deaths is
51 percent higher in “Right to Work” states, where unions can’t
speak up on behalf of workers.
A pr il – J une 2 011 1 3
inDusTriAl relATions DirecTor mik
An Agreement
For Our Times
I am especially
proud of the gains
we achieved in
negotiations to
protect the most
vulnerable members.
Now, more than
ever, it pays to
belong to the APWU.
we have a tentative agreement! noah webster defines “watershed” as “an important point of division or transition between two
phases, conditions, etc.; a crucial deciding point, line or factor.”
Clearly, this is a watershed agreement.
The decline in first class mail volume,
the onerous requirement to fund future
healthcare liabilities, the ascendance of
electronic communication, and all the
other challenges to our industry have
been written about in great detail. The
United States Postal Service finds itself
in dire economic straits. It should go
without saying that a healthy Postal Service is vital for our common good.
This agreement is beneficial for our
current members: It provides job security by retaining the no-layoff clause;
protects members from the pain of
excessing by limiting transfers to no
more than 50 miles; and returns to the
bargaining unit work that was previously outsourced or assigned to supervisors and EAS employees. It provides
economic security with fair raises and
uncapped cost-of-living allowances as
a defense against inflation.
This agreement is also good for management because it provides lower-cost
employees and more flexibility to meet
changing times and conditions.
No National Agreement since the inception of collective bargaining in the
Postal Service in 1971 has come close
to the cumulative changes that were
made in this round of talks. Throughout the bargaining process, negotiators
were keenly aware that the Postal Service of today is not the same as it was
in decades past, and we have paid our
dues: We have lost more than 100,000
postal jobs in the past three years alone.
Preventing additional losses was a top
priority for us.
We simply could not move forward
with “business as usual.” Concentrating
on pay raises while working around the
edges of our real problems was not an
option. If we had stayed on that road,
we would have little defense against
outsourcing – and our jobs would be
in peril. Difficult times call for bold action.
There will most certainly be areas we
will need to improve upon, and we will
have other opportunities to improve
wages, benefits and work rules for our
new employees. No matter what, we
will keep fighting to protect your interests; that is what we do.
While it is not perfect – no agreement is – it is far better than what could
tor mike morris
be expected in interest arbitration, especially during these trying times.
Perhaps most importantly, our
successful negotiations and Tentative
Agreement prove that collective bargaining works in the public sector – despite the claims of anti-labor lawmakers across the country.
I am proud to have been part of
the team, ably led by APWU President
Cliff Guffey, which was responsible for
negotiating on members’ behalf. An
army of people contributed to these
discussions – including national officers from headquarters and the field.
I would be remiss not to personally
thank three people who worked closely
with me throughout the entire process,
and went above and beyond the call of
duty and friendship. Thank you, Phil
Tabbita, Tom Maier, and Lyle Krueth:
You had my back.
Help for Members in
Small Offices
Many of you may not know that I
began my career in a small post office
in Gadsden, AL, and I subsequently
served as state president and National
Business Agent for that region. I am
well aware of the problems that affect members in our small stations,
branches, and associate offices.
Over the years many have criticized
the union for focusing too much on
the needs of members in large facilities
and offices while ignoring problems
in smaller offices, and while I do not
agree, the criticism is not completely
unfounded.
During negotiations, we made it a
point to address the problems of mem-
bers in the smallest of offices. The list
of accomplishments for these offices is
impressive:
4All PTFs in Level 21 offices and
above will be converted to fulltime regular. The guaranteed
minimum number of work hours
for these employees will rise from
two hours per pay period to 30
hours per week.
4All PTRs in any office will be converted to full-time regular. The
guaranteed minimum of work
hours for these employees will
rise from two hours per week to
30 hours per week.
4There is now a maximum of a
one-hour lunch-break for any
employee with a non-traditional
full-time assignment (anything
other than five 8-hour days).
4Split shifts must now be minimized for PTFs in small offices
whenever possible, except where
it can result in the maximization
of PTFs to full-time.
4Remaining PTFs in Level 20 and
below must be made full-time
when the union can demonstrate
the need for a full-time assignment of at least 30 hours.
4Post Office Assistant (POA) time
is eliminated, so those hours may
now be counted toward the 30hour minimum for maximization purposes.
4Every effort must now be made to
create desirable duty assignments
from ALL work hours (including Postal Support Employees, or
PSEs) for career employees to bid.
4Postmasters may no longer perform bargaining unit work in
Level 20 and above post offices.
4Postmasters are limited to a specific amount of time that they
may perform bargaining unit
work, depending on the size of
the office.
4Dual appointed Rural Carrier
Reliefs (RCRs) performing clerk
work are now prohibited.
4Postmaster Reliefs (PMRs) may
no longer work in Level 15 and
above offices.
4There are opportunities to increase hours in small offices
where custodial work is being
contracted out
I am especially proud of the gains we
achieved to protect the most vulnerable members. Now, more than ever, it
pays to belong to the APWU.
Local Negotiations
Now is the time for locals to begin
preparing for local negotiations. We
have agreed upon a 60-day local negotiating period to commence on Aug. 1,
2011, and conclude no later than Sept.
30, 2011.
The APWU Industrial Relations
Department will soon be issuing a new
Collective Bargaining Report (CBR)
that will be available to officers on our
Web site, www.apwu.org. This important tool will assist locals during their
negotiations. Many of the changes in
the Tentative Agreement will have the
potential to impact local memoranda;
locals and state organizations are encouraged to start planning their strategy early.
4
A pr il – J une 2 011 1 5
NETWORK REALIGNMENT
Public, Legislators Join the
Fight to Save Mail Service
T
he Postal Service’s assault on
the nation’s mail processing
network shows no signs of
stopping – and APWU locals have responded by engaging elected officials,
community leaders, and members of
the public in the fight to save our service.
February was a record month for
consolidation announcements, as the
USPS launched studies that could lead
to the closing or significant downsizing of 20 mail processing centers. The
previous record month was September
2010, during which the Postal Service nearly 100 members of the Flint michigan Area local and community activists gathered for an informational picket on march 16 to protest the proposed closing of the Flint mail processing facility.
announced 13 planned studies.
In response to a new onslaught of
possible consolidations, local unions ramped up efforts
consolidations at several facilities in the state. In early
to prevent the cuts at postal facilities across the country,
February, postal officials announced that inbound mail
building coalitions with members of Congress; elected
processing would be moved from Victoria to Corpus
officials; community activists, and the public.
Christi – a change impacting approximately a dozen
The APWU and these groups are demanding a full,
postal families who would be forced to relocate.
public accounting of how closures would affect mail serRachel Flores, president of the Victoria Area Local,
vice and local economies – and voicing opposition to the
said the proposal was a “bad decision.”
Postal Service’s threats to service, jobs, and the postal net“You have your life here. You have your family here.
work.
You’ve given everything to this post office. That’s what’s
so hard,” she told the Victoria Advocate.
Several hundred miles away, in Tyler, TX, APWU repLocals Lobby Against Cuts
resentatives assert that no matter what postal officials say,
A barrage of consolidation announcements in 2011
closing local facilities will impact customer service. Aldid not stop APWU locals from protesting the proposed
though the Postal Service has not officially announced a
cuts. Locals took to the streets, holding pickets, lunchplanned AMP study at the Tyler facility, union members
time protests, and attending public meetings in efforts to
are not convinced. Paul Shuptrine, president of the Tyler
bring attention to the negative affects the closures would
Area Local, said members have been holding informahave on local communities.
tional pickets and demonstrations, and urging the public
When the Postal Service announced in February that
to get involved by contacting their congressional repreit planned to move the outgoing mail sorting operations
sentatives.
from Gainesville, FL to Jacksonville, APWU members
“The only thing we can do is inform the public. The
were outspoken advocates against the USPS’s plan, saying
public has to stop this,” Shuptrine said to TylerPaper.
it would irreparably damage mail service in the area.
com, a local news source. “If something needs to be cut, it
“Once it is gone, the same service will not return,” Brishouldn’t be customer service.”
an O’Neill, president of the North Central Florida Area
Members in Fort Smith, AR, have also held peaceful
Local, told The Gainesville Sun. “All mail with a 326/244
protests and published an advertisement in a local newsZIP code is under serious threat of losing its service stanpaper alerting the public to the dangers of facility clodard.”
sure.
In Texas, the Postal Service has announced possible
Support from Legislators
No matter how hard APWU locals work to fight facility consolidations, members know that support from local
representatives is crucial in derailing the Postal Service’s
plans. In many districts, elected officials have joined the
fight, offering support and questioning the USPS’s motives behind network realignment.
In March, all five members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation – Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D); Sen. Joe Manchin (D); Rep. David McKinley (R); Rep. Shelley Moore
Capito (R), and Rep. Nick Rahall (D) – signed a letter
expressing concern about the Postal Service’s decision to
conduct many AMP studies in the state.
In the letter to Postmaster General Donahoe, the legislators asked for an explanation for the sudden flurry of
proposed consolidations across the state, targeting facilities in Beckley, Bluefield, Huntington, Martinsburg, and Wheeling. They pointed out that of the
seven states with the same number
or more proposed consolidations,
West Virginia has the smallest population. They also reminded PMG
Donahoe that “the Postal Service is
required by law to provide effective
and regular mail delivery in rural
areas,” according to WTRF-7, a local news station.
In Utica, NY, the possibility
that mail sorting operations might APWu member lisa shmidt.
be consolidated to a facility in Syracuse prompted Rep.
Richard Hanna (R-NY) to write to PMG Donahoe requesting information about the consolidation process.
He told Donahoe that he expects postal officials to fully
investigate the proposal before making a decision.
“I certainly understand the Postal Service’s financial
struggles in this economy,” Hanna wrote, according to the
Rome Sentinel. “However, closing the Utica plant, considering its productivity and performance, may well be a
rash and detrimental action.”
In California, Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA) wrote a letter to postal managers requesting transparency in the possible consolidation of Stockton and Fresno facilities, telling the USPS to not make any closing decisions in secret.
“I urge you to make every effort to keep postal employees, members of the community, and me fully informed
as you make decisions affecting Stockton and surrounding communities,” he wrote.
McNerney also addressed concerns about the impact
consolidation would have on working families. “Many
employees are understandably concerned by what these
changes will mean for them, and I have heard from many
people who are worried that they may be forced to com-
mute long distances or relocate their families. Such disruptions should be avoided to the greatest extent possible,” he wrote.
A Community Coalition
In addition to getting legislators to support the union’s
efforts to prevent consolidations, it is crucial to engage
members of the public and other elected officials in the
fight. Network realignment does not only impact postal
workers – it also affects the public’s mail service and local
economies.
The best way to foster community activism is through
public meetings, which give community stakeholders the
chance to voice their opinion on
planned consolidations. In Fort
Smith, Mayor Sandy Sanders attended a public meeting on Feb.
24, and used the opportunity to
voice his objections.
“Any decrease to the mail service in Fort Smith is completely
unacceptable,” Sanders said, according to 4029 TV, a local news
station. “Among the many factors
that businesses look at when they
come to a community is mail delivery and mail efficiency.”
At the same meeting, Jack
Dunn, who works for the top
mail-producing company in Fort
Smith, took the floor and said a delay in service due to
this possible consolidation would be detrimental to the
company.
Other community activists have taken the initiative to
submit editorials to local newspapers, urging the public
to contact legislators and encourage them to keep mail
processing operations local. In response to a proposed
consolidation of the Portsmouth, NH, facility, Kittery,
ME, resident Daniel Young submitted an Op-Ed to a local newspaper titled “Portsmouth postal officials lying to
Maine residents.”
Young, a relative of a postal employee, wrote that the
USPS is a “mandatory service required by the Constitution. It is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Maine residents,
do your research and please don’t write on deaf ears. Call
your congressional representatives,” he wrote.
As the Postal Service continues to threaten mail service
with planned consolidations, APWU locals must remain
vigilant in our efforts to alert the public and elected officials
of the dangers of these plans. For more information about
consolidations and a toolkit to assist locals in these efforts,
please visit www.apwu.org.
4
A pr il – J une 2 011 1 7
CLERK
D I V ISION
The Tentative Agreement and the Clerk Craft:
Safeguarding Jobs,
Creating New Opportunities
many provisions of the apwu’s tentative agreement with the postal
Service directly affect the Clerk Craft. Highlights of the entire agreement can be
found on pages 6-9, but several Clerk Craft items deserve additional attention.
Automation and declining mail volume have had a dramatic impact on
the craft, and we continue to lose jobs.
Therefore, throughout negotiations,
our top priority was to safeguard existing jobs and create new positions.
More Jobs
The Tentative Agreement returns
to the APWU bargaining unit a
minimum of 1,100 Call Center jobs
that had been contracted out. The
Call Centers will become part of the
nearest installation, which will allow APWU members to bid on these
positions. The number of positions
could increase if the USPS can bring
in Call Center work from other government agencies. Thirty percent of
the Call Center jobs may be reserved
for APWU-represented rehabilitation
employees by seniority.
APWU President Cliff Guffey and
the rest of the negotiating team also
were determined to return to the Clerk
Craft duties that have been gradually
transferred to EAS employees. A minimum of 800 duty assignments will be
created in the craft to perform administrative and technical work that is currently performed by EAS personnel.
Lead Clerk, PS-7, positions will be
established in mail processing plants
and customer service. A ratio of those
employees was negotiated for both areas. The future of these positions is to
return to craft employees work that has
been performed by 204Bs. Therefore,
the number of 204Bs will be reduced.
They will be eliminated from offices
with supervisors except to fill absences
of 14 days or more and vacancies of 14
days or more, not to exceed 90 days.
Employees serving as 204Bs also will
be required to return to the bargaining
unit for a pay period in order to bid and
to avoid having their duty assignments
reposted.
New Assignments and
Bidding Opportunities
The union negotiated new rules that
authorize management to post “nontraditional” duty assignments. The following are examples of non-traditional
duty assignments that may be coming
soon to a post office near you:
4Three 12-hour days
4Four 12-hour days, with eight
hours built-in overtime
4Four 10-hours days
4Four 11-hour days
4Three 11-hour days and a sevenhour day
4Five seven-hour days
4Five six-hour days
es
Assistant Director lamont brooks, Director rob strunk,
Assistant Directors Pat Williams and lyle krueth.
We also negotiated restrictions on
these positions.
Percentages were set to prevent
management from over-using these
types of assignments. In addition, national APWU officers will review the
staffing levels of all offices to address
any abuses by local management.
4No current full-time employees can
be involuntarily assigned to a duty
assignment of less than 40 hours
per week or more than 44 hours per
week. There will be no mandatory
overtime in functional areas where
non-traditional duty assignments
are created. Furthermore, if the duty
assignment is for less than eight hours
a day, the employee will be paid outof-schedule pay for hours worked outside of his or her schedule.
4If the number of hours of work on
these assignments is changed, the
assignment must be re-posted.
All Part-Time Regular (PTR) assignments will be converted to fulltime assignments. In many areas where
employees chose to become PTRs in
lieu of being excessed, the decision was
catastrophic because the employees’
schedules were reduced to just four
hours per week. Under the Tentative
Agreement, the minimum number of
hours worked by full-time regulars will
be 30 per week.
In small offices, Postmaster Reliefs
will be eliminated. In addition, dualappointment Rural Carrier Associates
(RCAs) will be wiped out, and Postal
Operations Administrators (POAs) will
be a thing of the past. This should bring
more hours and more work for our
members. The Tentative Agreement also
restricts the amount of bargaining unit
work that postmasters can perform in
small offices, and PTFs have been eliminated in Level 21 offices and above.
Employees will be allowed unlimited bidding on jobs that do not require
off-site training or a deferment period.
Other Gains
Regardless of our efforts to limit
excessing, we cannot protect workers
from all reassignments to other installations. We tried to lessen the impact
of excessing by agreeing that affected
clerks may elect to transfer within 100
miles or fill residual vacancies without
the loss of seniority. Allowing this voluntary action will help to reduce the
number of forced relocations.
For years, the Clerk Craft has attempted to eliminate “bid blocking.”
Under the new provisions, if a senior
bidder withdraws or fails to fill a vacancy, the opportunity will be passed
to the next senior bidder. This process
continues until the position is filled.
Relief and pool assignment employees can now cover vacancies, provided
notice of the employee’s schedule change
is given by the Wednesday preceding the
service week that the position is set to
start. Relief employees can also be used
to cover vacancies in other installations.
This provision is primarily designed in
the event the work is returned to the
Clerk Craft in smaller installations.
The Tentative Agreement also creates
a new type of position, the “Delivery/
Sales Services and Distribution Associate.” Employees in these assignments
could be used in small offices to work
the window, sort mail, and deliver to
non-prescribed routes. We have been
working to create this position for a long
time in order to prevent non-bargaining
unit employees from doing these duties,
which our members are capable of.
We also agreed to discuss with the
Postal Service changes to Article 37 that
would require all future excessing in the
Clerk Craft to be done by seniority, regardless of level. When the old excessing
rules were written, we didn’t contemplate the changes we currently face, so
this is an effort to “right a wrong.”
While these are some of the main
provisions that will impact Clerk Craft
employees, there are other important
issues included in the agreement. All
members are encouraged to study the
Tentative Agreement, which can be
found at www.apwu.org.
As Clerk Craft director, I want to
thank all of the Assistant Directors –
Pat Williams, Lyle Krueth, and Lamont
Brooks – for their hard work. I want to
also thank our many National Business
Agents who contributed to the process.
I’m proud of the efforts of Clerk Craft
officers and of the union’s full negotiating team.
During negotiations, the APWU didn’t
just think outside of the box – we broke
down the sides of the box to reach an
agreement that benefits both parties. 4
A pr il – J une 2 011 1 9
M A IN T EN A NCE
D I V ISION
Contract Changes for
The Maintenance Craft
the tentative agreement for a new contract includes some important
changes for the Maintenance Craft. During negotiations, your headquarters
officers, Director Steve Raymer; Assistant Directors Gary Kloepfer and Greg
See, and Representative-at-Large Idowu Balogun were assisted by National
Business Agents Terry Martinez and Vance Zimmerman. We all put a great
deal of hard work into the agreement, and we believe the result is the best
that could be obtained under the difficult circumstances we face.
MOU on Subcontracting
Cleaning Services
During negotiations we revised
a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) on cleaning services that is
frequently referred to as the “18,000
Square Foot MOU.” The memo requires the use of a mathematical calculation to determine whether the
Postal Service may elect to contractout custodial cleaning. Until now,
this MOU has been applied to individual facilities, such as stations or
branches.
The new language uses the same
formula and retains the requirements
for notification of local presidents regarding calculations, but it changes
how the determination to contractout is made. Under the Tentative
Agreement, the square footage of all
the facilities that comprise an independent installation will be added.
The total will be divided by 18,000
square feet for the total interior space,
and by 500,000 square feet for the total exterior space. If the result is one
or greater, the facility or facilities cannot be contracted out.
The result will be that facilities currently under contract for cleaning services, such as stations and branches, will
be returned to the Maintenance Craft.
The staffing and scheduling procedures outlined in the MS-47 Handbook
will still apply to each facility. There are
no changes to the handbook or to the
requirement to maintain frequencies of
cleaning.
Duty assignments created by returning work that had been contracted out
will be posted by a Notice of Intent
(NOI) and filled in accordance with
Article 38 of the Collective Bargaining
Agreement, which governs the Maintenance Craft.
Maintenance Jobs MOU
Another MOU on jobs stipulates that
no fewer than 1,500 duty assignments
will be returned to the Maintenance
Craft from cleaning services that are
presently contracted out. This obligation is separate from the work returned
t
Director steve raymer, Assistant Director Gregory
see, Assistant Director Gary kloepfer and national
representative-at-large idowu balogun.
under the Cleaning Services MOU discussed above. The 1,500 jobs will be at
small offices (AOs).
The parties may also agree to establish duty assignments with work at more
than one installation. For instance, if
there is an Associate Office with less than
full-time work (using the MS-47 procedures), it can be combined with another
nearby AO, provided the travel time between the offices is 30 minutes or less.
This distance between locations that can
be driven within 30 minutes obviously
will vary based on geography. The travel
time is not compensable under current
regulations.
Postal Support Employees (PSEs),
a new category of non-career workers,
will be used for these jobs. The Tentative
Agreement limits PSEs to 10 percent of
the Maintenance Craft; the additional
jobs from work returned to the craft will
count against the 10 percent cap.
The Maintenance Jobs MOU also
outlines the method by which PSEs
will accrue seniority within their category. This seniority will be used when
opportunities to fill career vacancies
occur.
Additionally, the MOU requires the
return of Help Desk positions at the
Maintenance Technical Support Center (MTSC). The union and management at headquarters will work out the
method for accomplishing this. The
Help Desk is where installations call
to receive technical support on mail
processing equipment. Although the
number of positions is not large (ap-
proximately 26 positions), this provision advances our goal of returning all
of our work to our craft.
An audit of EAS jobs also will further
this objective. The parties will identify
where EAS employees have taken over
bargaining unit work, and the duties will
be returned to the Maintenance Craft.
We will also participate in a joint
audit of contractor work, which will be
returned to us where it is efficient and
cost-effective to do so. Coupled with
the changes to Article 32 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which
governs subcontracting, this provision
clears the way for us to stop or mitigate
the loss of our work.
A minimum of 60 jobs will be returned to the craft as a result of the
above audits.
Article 38
Another important change to Article
38 is the requirement that all promotions
be filled by the senior-qualified employee
within the “banded score.” This is a big
step toward our goal that promotions be
filled strictly with the senior-qualified
employee. Installation seniority within
a specific banded score will determine
an employee’s standing on any PER. No
occupational groups will be singled out
for preferential standing above others.
For example, BEMs, AMTs, and MMs
will compete equally with MPEs for the
next ET posting. While the Maintenance
Selection System (MSS) bands were
maintained, they were doubled in size,
increasing the effect of seniority.
The effect on an employee’s score
by a subjective management judgment
was removed with the Revised Maintenance Selection System (RMSS) in 2009
with the elimination of the supervisor’s
evaluation and by changing the review
panel determination to “pass/fail.” The
actual numerical result used to determine an employee’s band is what he or
she earned on the exam.
Another change in the Tentative
Agreement is that all duty assignments
will be filled from a single NOI. There
will be no breaks, which management
would use as a chance to revert or
change a job. The requirement to tag
an NOI with the specific duty assignment that will stop the process of filling jobs is maintained.
The Tentative Agreement includes a
requirement that there must be a bona
fide, authorized staffing package for
management to revert non-custodial
vacant duty assignments. This is a significant change, as previously management did not have to staff up to levels
shown on their staffing package, pursuant to a ruling by Arbitrator Shyam
Das. Under the new language, management will be prohibited from reverting
an established duty assignment unless
a new staffing package has been created that reflects the new lower number.
Hence, to comply with the Tentative
Agreement, the staffing must be legitimate and authorized at the time of the
proposed reversion. It is not as easy for
local management to change staffing
packages as some may opine.
4
A pr il – J une 2 011 2 1
MO T OR V EHICLE SER V ICE D I V ISION
Contract Victories
For MVS Employees
the motor vehicle craft made a lot of progress during this
round of contract talks. We are especially proud of the advances we made
in protecting work.
The biggest improvement was in
Article 32, which governs subcontracting. The new language is simple:
If APWU members can perform the
work at the same cost or less than subcontractors, we get the work. That is a
monumental victory and could give a
big boost to the Vehicle Maintenance
Facilities. Currently, a lot of preventive
maintenance and towing is performed
by contractors at a higher cost.
We expect resistance from some
local managers, but if the Tentative
Agreement is ratified, a lot of work
could be brought back in-house. By
the cost standard alone, we could
make significant gains in replenishing our ranks.
Another change – one that may go
unnoticed at first – is that the Tentative Agreement gives us the right to
“perfect” APWU proposals for work
that management proposes to subcontract. If necessary, we can include
a bigger percentage of Postal Support Employees, which would make
our proposals less expensive.
According to the Tentative Agreement, we will immediately get 600
Highway Contract Routes (HCRs)
back; a minimum of 25 percent of
the duty assignments will be for
career employees. Under the new
terms, we also have the opportunity
to review 8,000 additional HCRs –
which is roughly half of all the routes
the USPS has released to HCR subcontractors – and we will be able to
submit proposals for the work. These
provisions will greatly increase MVS
work opportunities.
Another highlight of the agreement is that MVS employees will no
longer be restricted to eight-hour
days. We will have the flexibility to
establish bids with 12-hour days. We
won’t be locked into 40-hour weeks,
but no current 40-hour per week
employee will be required to take a
job with fewer hours than 40 hours.
After our 2006 contract negotiations, some members were disappointed that we did not convert
part-time flexibles in the MVS Craft
to full time, as the Clerk Craft did.
At the time we didn’t think the Motor Vehicle Craft could survive without any flexibility. Postal Support
Employees will now provide needed
flexibility. The PSEs will be part of
the Motor Vehicle Craft’s bargaining unit and they will be hired into
career duty assignments by seniority. We essentially traded 10 percent
on
motor Vehicle Director bob Pritchard,
Assistant Director michael Foster
PTFs for 10 percent PSEs. We think
that was a fabulous swap.
We are looking forward to a new
contract that will reinvigorate the
Motor Vehicle Craft and the APWU.
We hope that you will exercise your
right to vote on the contract. We believe this is an excellent outcome,
and we sincerely hope you agree.
mvS ACTIvIST WInS mAjOR CASE
A member of the Motor Vehicle Craft won a major victory
over the Postal Service when the National Labor Relations Board
(NLRB) slammed management for its refusal to provide information to the union about subcontracting.
Jerome Pittman, former director of the MVS Craft for the San
Francisco Local, filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge that resulted in one of the strongest Consent Orders ever issued against the
USPS by the NLRB – and which the USPS ultimately agreed to.
As a result of Brother Pittman’s charge, the NLRB instructed
the USPS to keep precise records of union requests for information, and to train management personnel on their obligation to
provide such information. Furthermore, the Board provided for
monetary penalties in the event the Postal Service failed to adhere
to its directives.
The NLRB ordered the Postal Service to create a log of all requests for information, listing the name of the person making the
request and the date the Postal Service responded to it. The Board
also instructed the USPS to provide copies of the logs to the Contempt Ligation and Compliance Branch of the NLRB within 14 days
of any requests.
In addition, the NLRB ordered the USPS to:
4 Provide a copy of the order to all supervisors, managers and
EAS employees within 10 days and direct them to comply;
4 Notify managerial personnel that any unreasonable delay or
refusal to provide information would not be tolerated and
that, based on fact circumstances, supervisors or managers could be disciplined by the Postal Service up to and including discharge for a refusal to comply;
4 Require all managers or supervisors receiving the order
to acknowledge in writing that they have been furnished
with a copy.
The NLRB also directed the Postal Service to conduct
training for all managers and supervisors, including temporary supervisors, on an annual basis for at least 10 consecutive calendar days at all San Francisco facilities. The training
“shall reference the Postal Service’s intolerance for unreasonable refusals to provide or delays in providing relevant
information to labor organizations and possible discipline for
such infractions.”
The Postal Service will be audited on a semi-annual basis to make sure it is in compliance with the Board’s instructions. Management is required to post the Consent Order for
a 60-day period and mail the notice to each bargaining unit
employee who works at the San Francisco installation.
The NLRB will also fine the USPS up to $17,500 for every
future violation of the Consent Order, and up to $300 daily for
as long as violations continue.
Thank you to Brother Pittman and the San Francisco Local for their dedication and hard work on this case. As many
union activists know, San Francisco management’s refusal to
provide information is not an isolated incident.
A case in point: Only after exhaustive attempts by the
national union and a settlement from the NLRB that cited
the Postal Service for unreasonable delays were we able
to get information about Ad-Hoc Driving Safety Instructors
(DSIs), Road Test Examiners (RTEs) and Road Test Scorers
(RTSs).
On Dec. 6, 2010, an NLRB Administrative Judge approved
a settlement agreement between the APWU and the Postal
Service (Case 5-CA-35727) concerning our requests.
The settlement notice in the national-level case should be
posted in each MVS location nationwide for the 60 days.
4
A pr il – J une 2 011 2 3
A look bAck
Regina V. Polk: Breaking the M
“ I only met Regina Polk once. Briefly. That’s a
teamster? I thought. The beauty? The cape? The
high heels? The perfect make-up? Where’s the beer
belly and the donut? The scowl and the crowbar?”
– Terry Spencer Hesser
Regina V. Polk fought diligently for workers’ rights, working as a labor organizer and business agent for the Teamsters
in the late 1970s and early 1980s, defying stereotypes and empowering women in a male-dominated workforce.
‘A Woman Who Cared’
Friend and mentor Ray Hamilton described Polk –
known as Gina to family and friends – as a fighter. “She
struggled for the rights of unorganized workers. She championed the rights of union members to get the best contract
possible, and then to make sure they received the full benefits
of their contracts,” he said. “But most of all, she was a woman
who cared.”
Born on Feb. 14, 1950, to cotton and alfalfa farmers in Casa
Grande, AZ, Polk’s upbringing was often difficult. The family
was impoverished, and Eileen Polk said of her younger sister,
“Before she even knew what social justice meant, she was out
there, fighting for the proverbial underdog. Whether it was
with people or animals, she loved helping others.”
Polk’s work ethic – and her compassion for others – led
her to join the Civil Air Patrol where she assisted in a number
of rescue and recovery operations in southeastern Arizona.
At just 14 years old, Polk rode in rescue planes as a spotter
and helped adult crews with rescue strategy.
After high school, Polk was pushed by her mother to attend Mills College, an all-women’s liberal arts school. A sociology major, she felt like an outsider because her family’s
poor financial condition drove a wedge between her and her
wealthier classmates.
From ‘Bystander’ to ‘Warrior’
Polk’s experience with social inequality led to a deep interest and involvement in politics. She participated in antiwar protests, particularly at nearby University of California
at Berkeley, a hotbed of movements for social justice, civil
rights, and women’s liberation.
While at a Berkeley protest, Polk – a bystander – was sprayed
with tear gas by police. This incident led her to become more
“anti-establishment” and increasingly active in politics.
To support herself while she was in graduate school, Polk
Polk at work at the Teamsters
local 743 office in chicago.
took a job at Chicago’s Red Star Inn as a hostess, and discovered that her co-workers – dishwashers, busboys, waitresses,
and kitchen help – were all treated poorly. They were overworked, underpaid, verbally demeaned – and unorganized.
In an effort to correct this injustice, Polk repeatedly tried to
contact the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union to ask
for help, and was directed to Bob Simpson, Organizing Director for Teamsters Local 743.
Simpson described Gina as a hippie: “The way she dressed
and looked. She was for all kinds of rights. Worker rights.
Civil rights. Women’s lib,” Simpson said.
Despite an initial lack of enthusiasm for organizing the Red
Star Inn, Simpson agreed to give Polk a batch of Teamsters
cards, and instructed her that the union had to sign up at least
51 percent of eligible employees in order to gain recognition.
Polk was successful in organizing the employees, which was a
difficult task because most feared they would lose their job if
they were found to be organizing by management.
Once the owner of the Red Star Inn discovered what Polk
was doing, he fired her. Simpson helped Polk file an unfair
labor practice charge against her former employer, and then
hired the young organizer to work for his Teamsters local. Her
first part-time assignments included writing and distributing
leaflets, working telephone banks, and walking picket lines.
‘A Real Trade Unionist’
Simpson said workers responded to her, and she was “very
bright, aggressive, and sincere, strictly a worker’s type person.
She was a real trade unionist.”
In 1975, with Simpson’s encouragement, Polk interviewed
with Don Peters – the founder and leader of Teamsters Local
he Mold
743 for more than 25 years – for a full-time job. At their first
meeting, Peters told Polk about an ongoing campaign to organize the mostly female administrative and clerical workers
at Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Polk said she was up for the challenge – and was hired.
As a young female with a college degree in the male-dominated world of labor organizing, Polk faced her fair share
of opponents. However, her dedication for the cause earned
her the respect and love of many, and she never considered
herself to be “off-duty.”
Once, while driving down a rural road at night in Cook
County, IL, Polk noticed six factory workers – all men – carrying homemade picket signs in front of the Diesel Recon
Company, an engine manufacturer. She stopped her car, explained what the Teamsters could do for them; signed them
up on the spot, and later played an important role in negotiating their contract.
Another time, Polk chased down an 18-wheel tractortrailer driver who had unsuccessfully tried to cross one of
her picket lines. Polk chased him in angry pursuit, forced the
driver out of the truck, followed him into a nearby bar, and
convinced him not to break the strike.
By 1980, Polk was featured in Time magazine and The New
York Times, and her reputation grew as a “brazen, unapologetic warrior with a talent for handling grievances, most notably for employees at Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the University
of Chicago Hospital, Chicago State University, and Governors State University,” Hesser wrote in a biography of Polk.
When Governors State University stalled negotiations with
the Teamsters, Polk arranged for a workers’ strike to occur on
the same day 3,000 special-needs children were scheduled to
arrive on campus for the Special Olympics. Governors State,
fearful of negative publicity, settled the contract the very next
day and averted the strike.
Death in the Line of Duty
Because of her efforts on behalf of working men and
women across the country, 31-year-old Polk was invited
to deliver the keynote speech at the Teamsters Local 743’s
annual Steward’s Seminar in May 1981 – known to union
members as the “Teamsters Prom” – and received a standing
ovation from the audience.
Polk’s passion for working Americans enabled the young
woman to thrive in a setting where men typically held the
power. “Imagine an environment dominated by men unconsciously comfortable with sexism, racism, and brute force.
Further imagine a young working-class woman courageously
embracing the principle of justice
for all workers and compelled to
navigate a terrain dominated
by complex, flawed, sometimes
deeply compromised and always
powerful men,” said Robert Bruno, Labor Education Director at the University of Illinois.
On Oct. 12, 1983, the 33-year-old Polk was set to travel
on a fundraising mission in Carbondale, IL, and would attend a meeting to help dislocated workers gain better access
to job training. Just after 9 p.m., Polk, seven passengers, and
three crew members were killed when their Air Illinois aircraft crashed.
“To the members of Local 743, who were represented by
Regina Polk: You know that you had the finest union representative, ever. She loved you and would do anything for you. Yes,
her personal safety, her freedom, and even her life were yours.
There was never a more dedicated person in the American labor movement,” Ray Hamilton said at Polk’s funeral.
In 1983, the Regina V. Polk Scholarship Fund for Labor Leadership was founded, and since then, it has made
$780,000 in grants benefiting more than 650 women in an
effort to teach new generations how to fight for their rights –
and the rights of all employees.
4
Editor’s note: Information for this article was taken from a biography written by Terry Spencer Hesser, “I Am A Teamster.”
Polk broke stereotypes as a successful
young female in the
male-dominated
world of union organizing in the 1970s.
A pr il – J une 2 011 2 5
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It Takes a Village to
Contain a Monster
picture a scene from an old horror movie – the villagers, armed with pitchforks,
working together to defeat a looming monster. As residents of the APWU “village,”
abusive postal managers are the “monsters” that make our work lives miserable. In
order to fight our villains, pitchforks may not be the weapon of choice, but we are
armed with our best defense: our union contract!
Our ‘Pitchforks’
The Collective Bargaining Agreement is a
potent weapon. A copy of the 2010-2015 Tentative Agreement between the union and management is in your ratification packet, along
with your ballot. Read it – and cast your vote!
Articles 3, 14, and 19 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) can be particularly
helpful in combating managerial abuse.
Article 3 requires abusive managers to comply with postal regulations, laws, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Article 19 enforces handbooks, which impose
working conditions, such as Codes of Conduct.
4ELM 665.24 ensures the basic rights of a
safe and humane working environment.
It sets a strict “no tolerance” policy when
it comes to workplace harassment, intimidation, threats, or bulling by anyone at any
level. Violations can result in removal.
4ELM 665.16 declares that employees
must not engage in disgraceful conduct
and are expected to maintain harmonious working relations; in other words, it
bars managers from doing anything that
may create an unpleasant working environment.
4ELM 665.23 prohibits supervisors from
taking a direct or indirect action or course
of conduct that subjects any person to discrimination.
4ELM 666.17 prohibits supervisors from
taking – or failing to take – any personnel action as reprisal because an employee
exercised any appeal rights granted by law,
rule or regulation.
4ELM 665.13 states that all employees are
expected to perform their assigned duties
conscientiously and effectively.
4ELM 811.23 guarantees all employees –
the Postal Service’s most valued resource
– a safe and healthy workplace. Section
24C declares that management and line
supervisors are responsible for maintaining good employee relations.
4EL 801 also requires line supervisors to
maintain good employee relations.
4ELM 824.6 and 632e outline the purpose
of Form 1767, which is used to report
hazardous working conditions, as well as
follow-up procedures. (Emotional stress
that results from working conditions may
cause medical conditions that should
be reported. Be careful using the word
“stress,” however. The term “hostile environment” may be better.)
Article 14 imposes on management
the responsibility to provide safe working conditions, as well as the union’s
obligation to ensure compliance. Once
health and safety hazards are reported,
they must be investigated immediately
and corrected during the reporting employee’s tour of duty: As the contract says,
health and safety issues must be given
priority.
Article 14.2 dictates that health and
safety issues be given special priority handling. Health and safety grievances may
be appealed directly to Step 2. If these
grievances are denied, they should not
be appealed to Step 3, and they should
not be “remanded” for further consideration by the local parties.
Safety and health grievances that
remain unresolved after a Step 2
meeting can be appealed to the Joint
Labor-Management Safety Committee, or they may be appealed directly
to arbitration. If the Safety Committee fails to meet or resolve a grievance,
it should be appealed to arbitration.
Safety and health grievances can be
placed on the top of the arbitration
docket.
In small offices, the union should
request that a Joint Labor-Management Safety and Health Committee be
formed, or the local should place safety
and health issues on the agenda of regular Labor-Management Meetings.
Although OSHA, the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration, has
no standards for “workplace violence,”
reporting unsafe practices, disorderly
or menacing conduct, and harassment
can be related to OSHA pursuant to
1977.9(c) of the Occupational Safety
and Health Act. Section 11.C. (1) prohibits discrimination or discipline for
reporting unhealthy conditions.
The ‘Village’
When faced with an unsafe working environment or an abusive manager, union members must take the
first action by filing a Form 1767 reporting the abusive boss.
For example, the report could read:
“Supervisor [name] continues to violate
ELM Chapters 6 and 8 by harassing,
intimidating, threatening and bullying employee(s) and is creating unsafe,
unhealthful working conditions when
on [date], [supervisor] did the following…”) The completed form must be
submitted to the safety manager. Provide a copy to the union.
Stewards must investigate, document, and attempt to solve the issue
promptly.
Remember, by working together, we
can contain these work floor monsters!
New Excessing Tools
The Tentative Agreement appears
to give Regional Coordinators Sharyn
Stone, Mike Gallagher, John Dirzius,
Princella Vogel, you, and me additional
excessing tools.
These tools include mandatory
Comparative Hour Reports, identification of jobs for placement, districtwide transfers to residual vacancies,
mandatory advance notice, and limits
on excessing and the radius for reassignments.
The interpretation and application
of “non-traditional assignments,” the
impact of district-wide transfers on
withholding, and incremental excessing
remain to be seen. Protections against
layoffs are critical.
You are the union! You have an obligation to read the Tentative Agreement,
consider the impact of the changes to
you, your family’s interests, and your
job. Cast your vote accordingly. Don’t
leave your destiny to others!
4
APWU CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
BULK MAIL CENTER
CONFERENCE
May 15-16
Greensboro, NC
APWU POWER 15TH
BIENNIAL CONVENTION
July 14-17
San Juan, PR
APWU NATIONAL POSTAL
PRESS ASSOCIATION
EDITORS’ CONFERENCE
Aug. 10-13
Orlando, FL
SECRETARY-TREASURER’S
TRAINING CONFERENCE
Oct. 8-10
Las Vegas, NV
DEAF/HARD OF
HEARING CONFERENCE
Oct. 9-10
Las Vegas, NV
APWU ALL-CRAFT
CONFERENCE
Oct. 13-15
Las Vegas, NV
APWU HEALTH PLAN
CONFERENCE
Oct. 13-15
Las Vegas, NV
For information on APWU
seminars, training conferences,
and other events, visit the
“Calendar of Events” page
at www.apwu.org.
A pr il – J une 2 011 2 7
Attacks on Public Employees Target
A
s APWU members consider the merits of the tentative
Collective Bargaining Agreement with the Postal Service, thousands of public employees across the nation
are facing devastating attacks on their right to engage in contract negotiations.
At stake is not just a decent standard for living for
millions of Americans – teachers, nurses, firefighters,
and other public employees – but the rights of workers
in any industry. Anti-labor legislators have launched an
all-out war to deny workers effective union representation, passing bills that would strip collective bargaining
rights, enacting so called “right to work,” and “paycheck
protection” legislation, and threatening union members
and community activists who protest against these measures.
The anti-union campaigns target both public employees
and private sector workers, and they are taking place in state
capitols across the country where radical politicians took
power in the 2010 elections.
The Battle in Wisconsin
Nowhere has the assault on workers been more pivotal
than in Wisconsin. Upon taking office, Gov. Scott Walker and
other elected officials launched an orchestrated attack on the
state’s labor movement – passing legislation that denies state
employees the right to collectively bargain and negotiate over
benefits, job security and workplace protections.
Claiming the legislation would solve a budget “crisis,”
Walker’s union-busting bill thwarts union members’ ability
to advocate for better treatment in the workplace. Despite offers by Wisconsin’s public employee unions to accept major
concessions on healthcare and pension benefits, conservative
lawmakers threatened massive layoffs – unless Democratic
legislators passed the union-busting measure. Adding insult
to injury, legislators simultaneously handed out $117 milion
in property and business tax cuts - and then passed a measure
requiring a two-thirds majority to raise taxes in the future.
Walker’s scheme sparked weeks of massive protests at the
state capital in Madison starting in early
APWu executive Vice President Greg bell speaks to the crowd in Wisconsin; union officers and staff gather for a Washington, Dc, rally to support embattled workers.
arget Pay, Benefits, Bargaining Rights
If anti-worker politicians succeed
February. In an around-the-clock show of solidarity, tens of
thousands of embattled workers and supporters participated
in demonstrations that soon spread to more than a dozen
other states where lawmakers have launched similar attacks
on public workers.
On March 11, Walker and anti-labor lawmakers rammed
the bill through in a hastily-called late-night session, giving
virtually no notice to Democratic legislators, who vehemently objected to the majority’s bare-knuckled tactics. The next
day, more than 150,000 protestors showed up in Madison
to assure Walker, “It ain’t over yet,” and the battle shifted to
court challenges and recall efforts.
On March 18, a Wisconsin judge blocked implementation
of Walker’s anti-union law while the court decides whether
legislators violated the state’s open meetings law.
APWU members joined the troops and turned out in force
to express solidarity at dozens of protests across the nation.
“What we are seeing, is an attempt to turn back the clock
to a time when unions didn’t exist,” APWU President Cliff
Guffey said. “Without unions, the ‘American Dream’ of
owning a home, sending children to college, and enjoying
the benefits of a free society would be out of reach for most
working families.”
The assault on government workers will likely continue
through the 2012 elections, but the lines of attack are already set.
President cliff Guffey stands in solidarity at a rally in the nation’s capital.
Wichita local members at the statehouse in Topeka, ks.
in Wisconsin and other states, we and
other workers will be targeted next,”
said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “The
APWU stands in solidarity with embattled
public employees across the nation.”
A pr il – J une 2 011 2 9
Tony Carobine
Milwaukee Area Local members showed their support at a demonstration at
the Wisconsin state capital.
APWU member and Colorado AFL-CIO Vice President Chuck Bader spoke to more
than 100 activists at a rally in Colorado Springs in support of Wisconsin workers.
Attacks on Unions, State by State
In many states, anti-union lawmakers who took control
in last November’s elections have launched a coordinated
attack on public workers while cutting taxes for big businesses and the wealthy. Declaring budget “emergencies,”
they are also slashing funding for education, healthcare and
other vital services for working families – services for which
union members pay taxes, too.
Here’s a quick overview of some anti-worker proposals
in states across the nation.
In Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder is expected to sign
a bill passed by GOP legislators that would authorize
state-appointed emergency financial managers to break
union contracts, fire teachers and other municipal workers, and even remove city officials from office without
seeking approval from voters or any elected local government.
In Ohio, backed by Gov. John Kasich, the state senate
muscled through a “compromise” that was unanimously
opposed by Democrats and a handful of Republicans that
would eviscerate union rights for 300,000 state and municipal employees. S.B. 5 would strip unions of their ability to
bargain over healthcare and retirement benefits, and give
state and local lawmakers the final say in contract negotiations over pay and working conditions by eliminating
binding arbitration. The bill would also make it a criminal
Attacks on Public-Sector Unions
Wisconsin-style attacks on state, county and city employees’ jobs, pay, benefits, and collective bargaining rights are
being replicated in more than a dozen state capitals across
the country – and some go even further.
Fact Check: Are Unions to Blame
for State Budget Deficits?
Simply put, unions are not to blame for budget deficits.
State financial problems can be solved without making cuts
at the expense of workers, but that hasn’t stopped many
state politicians from cutting taxes for the wealthy to make
matters worse – and creating phony “budget emergencies”
that make workers pay while they cater to business interests. In fact:
4Wisconsin, which has had unionized workers for 50
years, has a 12.8 percent budget deficit. North Carolina, where public workers have no bargaining rights,
is running a 20 percent deficit. That’s more than twice
than Ohio’s deficit, according to the Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities.
4Many other non-union states are also running big
deficits, thanks to the Wall Street mortgage scam that
caused the Great Recession and put millions of Americans out of work.
4Government workers are not over compensated. In
fact, state and local public employees make 11 to 12
percent less in salary than those in the private sector
when education and experience are considered, and
approximately 7 percent less in total compensation,
according to recent research by the Center for State
and Local Government Excellence.
4Even after the stock market crash, public employee
pension funds on average have more than 80 percent of the assets necessary to meet their obligations, according to the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal Employees. “Full funding can
be achieved in the decades ahead through added
contributions of less than 2 percent of state and local budgets,” noted AFSCME president Gerald McEntee. “There is no need to suggest that state and local
governments are ‘paralyzed’… by unfunded pension
obligations.”
Members of the Illinois Postal Workers Union at the statehouse in Springfield.
offense for public workers to go on strike –or even to talk to
elected officials during contract disputes.
Divide-and-Conquer Rhetoric
In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie has made quite a
show of scapegoating unions and has followed suit with
efforts to cut workers’ pay, benefits and bargaining rights.
After giving $40,000 tax cuts to millionaires, Christie is
trying to pit working people against each other by promising property tax rebates for other middle-class workers
and senior citizens if the legislature approves his unionbusting plans.
According to Christie, there are only two types of people:
“The people who get benefits, and the people who pay for
them.”
In Indiana, Gov. Mitch Daniels is also employing a divide-and-conquer strategy, claiming that public workers are
“privileged elites.” Another state official, Indiana Deputy Attorney General Jeff Cox called the protesters in Wisconsin
“political enemies and thugs,” and encouraged Madison police to “use live ammunition” to drive them from the capital.
(Cox resigned from his post the next day, following a public
outcry.) Daniels, sensing defeat for other parts of his antiworker agenda, subsequently withdrew his proposal to weaken public employees’ collective bargaining rights – at least for
this year.
The attack on public employees is going on in many other
states as anti-worker politicians threaten layoffs and privatization, and other schemes to cut pay, benefits, and bargaining rights.
Attacks on Private Sector Unions
Private-sector unions are not safe from the assault: Lawmakers are implementing “Right to Work” and “Paycheck
Protection” laws and other measures in many states to undermine union representation.
Legislators in at least 11 states are trying to enact laws that
would make it illegal for unionized workers to negotiate contracts that require each employee who enjoys the benefit of a
union contract to pay his or her share of the costs of negotiating and enforcing it. Known as “Right to Work” laws, these
mandates limit the effectiveness of unions to negotiate on
behalf of their members.
Currently, these statutes exist in 22 states, and new “Right
to Work” proposals have been introduced or passed by GOP
legislators in Alaska, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine,
Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire,
New Mexico, Washington, and West Virginia.
In the U.S. Senate, GOP lawmakers are trying to pass a
“National Right-to-Work Act” (S. 504), which would enact
this anti-union legislation on a national level. Introduced
by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), the bill had nine co-sponsors at
press time. (For more on what’s wrong with “Right to Work”
laws, see pages 12-13.)
‘Paycheck Protection’
Anti-worker lawmakers in 21 states are attempting to silence labor’s voice by restricting how unions can use members’ dues for speaking out in important public policy debates like protecting middle-class workers’ jobs, healthcare,
and retirement benefits.
The so-called “paycheck protection” legislation comes on
the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, which allows corporations
and special-interest groups to use unrestricted funds to help
elect anti-worker politicians.
While that decision allows unions to do the same, labor cannot match the amount of money wealthy corporations can spend. Instead of “paycheck protection” bills,
these proposals should be known as “paycheck deception.”
These bills suggest it’s unfair for a small percentage
of union dues to be spent to have a voice in the political
process unless every member agrees to contribute in advance, but they do not seek the same “protection” for the
shareholders of publicly traded companies.
“Paycheck Protection” bills have been passed, are pending, or are expected to be introduced in 21 states: Arkansas,
Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. 4
A pr il – J une 2 011 3 1
myke reid – Director
steve Albanese – Assistant Director
l e G i s l AT i V e
&
P o l i T i c A l
D e PA r T m e n T
Saving USPS Finances:
A Top Legislative Priority
D
espite the recent success in negotiating a Tentative Agreement, our battles are far from over.
With the Postal Service on the brink of insolvency, restoring postal finances remains a top legislative priority. The USPS economic crisis is caused by the
unreasonable requirement that the agency pre-fund the
healthcare benefits of future retirees. No other private
company or government agency bears this burden.
As we go to press, only one bill has been introduced
that would resolve this financial inequity – and this legislation needs major modification. S. 353, introduced by
Sen. Susan Collins (R)
of Maine, directs the
Office of Personnel
Management (OPM)
to change the flawed
methodology it uses
to calculate USPS
contributions into its
two pension funds,
which has resulted in
billions of dollars in overpayments.
According to a report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the USPS has overpaid the CSRS $75
billion dollars over the last 30 years; the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) concluded that the overpayment
ranged from $50 billion to $55 billion. The Postal Service
also has overfunded FERS by over $6 billion dollars. Correcting these inequities – and convincing lawmakers to repeal the pre-funding requirement – is essential to restoring long-term stability to the Postal Service. Absent this
pre-funding burden, the Postal Service would have experienced a profit of $611 million over the last four years.
However, while the APWU supports the provisions
of Collins’ bill that would re-direct the Postal Service’s
overpayments, S. 353 also includes significant negative features: It would require an arbitrator to consider the financial condition of the Postal Service when
negotiations end in arbitration. It also would lead
to reduced benefits for postal and federal employees
who receive payments from the Office of Workers
Compensation Program (OWCP) due to job-related
injuries or illnesses.
If the Postal Service is not relieved of its onerous prefunding obligation, it will continue to attempt to cut
costs at the expense of workers. Solvency for the USPS
cannot possibly come from sacrifices from our members
alone. Workers did not cause this crisis and we simply
cannot bear this burden.
In order to preserve the viability of the Postal Service
and to protect our jobs during the next round of negotiations, we must contact our legislators and urge them
to support legislation that will relieve the Postal Service
of its current financial crisis.
To assist locals in efforts to enlist the support of legislators to correct these funding inequities, the APWU has
produced a booklet – “Surviving the Postal Service’s Financial Crisis” – that explains the sound policy solutions
to the problems confronting the USPS. The booklet can
be viewed on the “Fixing Postal Finances” page of the
Web site at www.apwu.org.
Vote by Mail
We encourage APWU members to support “vote by
mail” legislation, which gives the voting public more
flexibility when casting their ballots.
Currently, 28 states allow citizens to vote by mail. Four
of those states, California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado, allow eligible voters to permanently register for a
“no excuse” absentee ballot.
Two APWU members – Paul Delaine, of the Montgomery County (MD) Area Local, and Cecilia Batson,
of the Baltimore Francis Stu Filbey Area Local – recently
testified before a Maryland state senate committee in
support of establishing permanent “no excuse” mail
balloting, and Jim Ozanian and other Providence Area
Local members attended a hearing in the Rhode Island
State House in support of a similar legislative initiative.
Studies have shown that states that allow “no excuse”
absentee ballots have higher voter participation rates,
and legislation is being introduced in many states that
have not adopted the practice already.
4
2010 COPA REPORT
APWU MEMBERS
Answer the Call for COPA
in these tough political times, a strong voice on
Capitol Hill is an important component of our fight to
preserve to jobs and benefits – and a strong COPA fund is
essential in helping to elect legislators that hear our voice.
In 2010, APWU members answered the call by donating
approximately $1 million to the union’s Committee on
Political Action (COPA).
Money contributed to COPA
helps support the campaigns of
labor-friendly candidates: By contributing to COPA, APWU members support legislators who support postal workers and the rights
of all working Americans.
A strong COPA fund will help defeat legislation that
would deprive public employees of the right to have a voice
at work. It also will support legislators who back efforts to
fix postal finances.
It is no secret that the primary cause of the USPS’s financial difficulties is the mandate to pre-fund future health
care – a $5 billion annual burden that no other government
agency or private company bears. Minus this daunting obligation, the Postal Service would have enjoyed a surplus
of $611 million over the last four years – despite declining
mail volume.
“It is more important than ever that we protect our
hard-won rights by building a strong political action fund,”
said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “We commend the locals and state organizations that continue to raise funds for
legislators who back a vibrant Postal Service – one that can
continue to function while adapting to changes in the way
we communicate.”
But it’s not all about money, Guffey noted.
“When union members get involved, politicians
pay attention. Activists on the local, state and national level must
make our legislative efforts a priority.
“We ask members to visit lawmakers and urge them to support
efforts to address the Postal Service’s financial crisis and to endorse
bills that would strengthen the USPS – without jeopardizing
workers’ rights.”
Closer relationships with members of Congress also help
locals and state organizations fight misguided plant consolidations and station and branch closings. Stopping these cutbacks are also integral elements of our struggle to maintain a
viable Postal Service.
“I would like to thank all the individuals, locals, and state
organizations who worked hard to build a strong COPA fund
this year,” Guffey said. “I urge all union members to get involved – we can’t do it without you.”
WESTERn ny AREA LOCAL LEAdS by ExAmpLE
Members of the Western NY Area Local believe the
key to success is to lead by example – and have successfully engaged members in COPA fundraising efforts.
Local President Tim Northem and Vice President
Lori Ennis said COPA contributions are at the top of the
local’s to-do list.
“We knew that we had to become politically
charged if we were going to preserve collective bargaining and all the rights and benefits we have achieved
as a union,” Ennis said.
The local exceeded its 2010 goal by holding raffles
and other fundraising activities at every local meeting
and special function.
members of the Western nY Area local “go green” for coPA, proudly showing funds
raised at their 50/50 raffle.
A pr il – J une 2 011 3 3
ToP 2010 coPA
conTribuTors
APWu locAls WiTh
1000+ members
members Per cAPiTA
Milwaukee (WI)
Greater CT
Greater Kansas City (MO)
Balt. Francis Stu Filbey (MD)
Palm Beach (FL)
St. Paul (MN)
Indianapolis (IN)
St. Louis Gateway Dist. (MO)
Puerto Rico (PR)
East Bay (CA)
1,680 $12.27
1,479 $8.42
1,364 $8.16
1,796 $6.60
1,051 $6.53
1,350 $6.38
1,402 $5.81
2,324 $5.09
1,217 $5.05
1,036 $4.69
APWu locAls WiTh
500-999 members
members Per cAPiTA
Lehigh Valley (PA)
Tucson (AZ)
Montgomery County (MD)
Colorado Springs (CO)
Madison WI
Des Moines (IA)
Broward County (FL)
Trenton Metro (NJ)
Manchester (NH)
Norfolk (VA)
600 $18.30
529 $12.43
687 $9.84
502 $9.19
751 $9.15
893 $8.22
987 $8.01
593 $7.84
729 $7.64
580 $7.35
APWu locAls WiTh
300-499 members
members Per cAPiTA
Philadelphia BMC (PA)
Jackson MS
Springfield (MO)
Reno (NV)
El Paso (TX)
Twin Cities PDC (MN)
North Central FL
Akron Metro (OH)
Montgomery (AL)
Toledo (OH)
465 $17.65
434 $16.99
306 $10.21
316 $8.08
305 $7.91
393 $6.84
333 $6.23
424 $6.19
403 $5.88
470 $5.82
membership contribution
ALAbAmA
Anniston
Birmingham
Dothan
Gadsden
Jasper
Montgomery
Muscle Shoals
North AL
South AL
West AL
AL State/MALs
ToTAl
ALASkA
Fairbanks
Juneau
Ketchikan
kodiak
Midnight Sun
Petersburg
Ak state/mAls
ToTAl
ARIZOnA
Bullhead City
Douglas
Flagstaff
kingman
lake havasu city
Phoenix Metro
Prescott
Show Low
Tucson
Verde Valley
Yuma
AZ State/MALs
ToTAl
ARkAnSAS
Batesville
Camden
Central Arkansas
El Dorado
Fayetteville
Harrison
Hot Springs
Jonesboro
mountain home
Pine bluff
Western Ar
AR State/MALs
ToTAl
48
912
69
63
19
403
43
244
288
68
163
2,358
$77
$2,776
$52
$260
$100
$2,369
$131
$859
$1,057
$150
$437
$8,267
66
39
23
12
402
5
49
605
$246
$114
$104
$108
$566
$156
$467
$1,761
21
7
53
19
19
2,736
54
34
529
9
47
176
3,741
$50
$108
$76
$220
$299
$7,093
$52
$86
$6,575
$50
$26
$870
$15,505
22
23
563
14
91
43
56
77
10
40
121
233
1,541
$80
$50
$368
$52
$437
$77
$44
$20
$100
$629
$986
$1,303
$4,146
CALIFORnIA
COnnECTICUT
Altadena
5
Area Local 960
183
Bakersfield
329
Bay Peninsula
303
California
2,201
Campbell
12
Channel Island
271
chatsworth
17
Daly city
21
East Bay
1,036
Eureka
77
Fresno
459
Greater Los Angeles 3,215
High Desert
125
Long Beach
681
Marysville
114
Modesto
200
Oakland
1,247
Pasadena
325
Redwood Empire
605
Sacramento
1,747
San Diego
1,486
San Fernando Valley 1,007
San Francisco
1,841
San Jose
759
san mateo
162
Santa Barbara SCF
343
Southwest Coastal
1,826
Stockton
293
Tri-County
480
Visalia
31
CA State/MALs
265
ToTAl
22,100
COLORAdO
Aurora
colorado springs
Denver BMC
Denver Metro
Fort collins
Littleton
Loveland
Pagosa Springs
Pueblo
Steamboat Spring
Western CO
CO State/MALs
ToTAl
101
502
257
2,085
64
116
24
10
80
15
292
143
3,716
Wv QUILTS FOR COpA
At the West Virginia Postal Workers’ state
convention, delegates bid on a quilt sewn by a
fellow member – and raised $500 for COPA.
Rosalie Mitchem, a member of the Beckley
(WV) Area Local, sewed the quilt and embellished it with the APWU logo. While she was
not a delegate or local officer, she decided to
make the quilt and auction it off to raise money
for COPA, a fund she strongly supports.
Members of the KYOWVA Local were the
winning bidders.
Quilt creator rosalie mitchem (left) poses with her masterpiece,
along with the winning bidders from the kYoWVA local.
$25
$1,188
$268
$33
$1,291
$20
$1,214
$260
$645
$4,863
$449
$1,064
$5,366
$53
$602
$14
$149
$2,662
$414
$972
$6,053
$4,157
$973
$2,704
$1,901
$1,395
$845
$2,153
$841
$1,475
$20
$557
$44,625
$935
$4,613
$1,490
$3,862
$780
$623
$25
$6
$60
$100
$1,599
$193
$14,285
Fairfield
Greater cT
Hartford
Stamford
Waterbury
West CT
CT State/MALs
ToTAl
dELAWARE
Southern DE
Wilmington DE/
Malcolm T. Smith
Newark
DE State/MALs
ToTAl
FLORIdA
broward county
Central FL
clearwater
Crestview
Daytona Beach
Florida Keys
Jacksonville BMC
Manasota
Manatee
Melbourne
Miami
Mid-Florida
North Central FL
Northeast FL
Palm Beach
Panama City
Pensacola
Plant city
Playground
sarasota
South County
Southwest FL
Space Coast
Suncoast
Tallahassee
Tampa
Vero Beach
FL State/MALs
ToTAl
GEORGIA
Albany
Athens
Atlanta Metro
Augusta
Brunswick
columbus
Decatur
Forest Park
Gainesville
Hartwell
Macon
Marietta
Moultrie
Norcross
Savannah
Thomasville
Waycross
Winder
GA State/MALs
ToTAl
GUAm
Agana
ToTAl
19
1,479
764
419
142
97
25
3,148
$25
$12,453
$1,090
$877
$1,159
$305
$10
$15,919
82
$45
519
32
24
657
$1,541
$125
$26
$1,737
987
1,028
64
10
247
74
307
285
62
132
2,190
328
333
1,032
1,051
95
236
19
40
91
43
596
58
596
157
1,440
56
161
12,145
$7,905
$2,134
$525
$26
$751
$340
$442
$996
$337
$311
$2,937
$62
$2,073
$2,186
$6,858
$358
$2,237
$260
$46
$774
$30
$1,982
$353
$2,118
$311
$4,828
$28
$785
$41,993
72
131
3,284
147
51
134
56
14
37
4
264
123
11
68
234
12
35
10
278
5,364
$635
$559
$6,645
$530
$215
$3,664
$788
$76
$35
$10
$186
$268
$25
$503
$1,056
$754
$560
$25
$587
$17,121
73
73
$80
$80
membership
contribution
84
560
37
50
68
28
37
864
$924
$2,391
$20
$626
$614
$500
$2,181
$7,256
296
12
27
31
78
27
141
639
$3,432
$211
$35
$174
$615
$473
$601
$5,541
604-605 Local
542
Aurora
49
Belleville
66
Bi-State
216
Bloomington
168
carbondale
80
Centralia
59
Champaign
175
Chicago
2,569
Chicago BMC
496
Danville
12
Decatur
35
Effingham
64
elgin
36
Evanston
34
Fox Valley
304
Galesburg
21
harvey
8
heart of illinois
281
Hillis
87
Kankakee
73
Lake County
98
Lincoln Land
281
mount Vernon
19
Northeastern IL
319
Northwest IL
2,123
Oak Park
36
O’Hare Midway T
453
Quincy
95
Robert J. Govoni
43
rockford
286
sandwich
3
schaumburg
74
Skokie
27
South Suburban Facility 696
Southern Illinois
75
urbana
24
Wheeling
30
il state/mAls
324
ToTAl
10,737
$1,214
$314
$348
$1,657
$265
$766
$156
$701
$3,084
$832
$260
$20
$490
$695
$28
$316
$20
$104
$8,866
$127
$296
$215
$953
$849
$275
$6,733
$25
$1,273
$131
$5
$2,984
$100
$1,184
$52
$763
$492
$200
$26
$2,910
$39,728
hAWAII
big island
Honolulu
Kauai
leeward oahu
maui
Wahiawa
Windward
ToTAl
IdAhO
boise
caldwell
Idaho Falls
Idaho Panhandle
Pocatello
Twin Falls
ID State/MALs
ToTAl
IOWA
ILLInOIS
IndIAnA
Anderson
bloomington
Columbus
Evansville
Fort Wayne
Gary
Indianapolis
Jeffersonville
kokomo
La Porte
Lafayette
Marion
muncie
Northern IN
Terre haute
Valparaiso
Vincennes
IN State/MALs
ToTAl
28
86
80
216
549
285
1,402
17
104
$312
$1,630
$352
$1,194
$3,494
$1,020
$8,151
$15
$2,529
Ames
Burlington
Carroll
Cedar Falls
clinton
council bluffs
creston
Decorah
Des moines
Des Moines BMC
Dubuque
Fort Dodge
Hawkeye
Mt. Pleasant
Rapid
oskaloosa
sioux city
Waterloo
IA State/MALs
ToTAl
kAnSAS
colby
Dodge City
Fort Scott
Garden City
Great bend
Hutchinson
Junction city
Kansas Kaw Valley
lawrence
leavenworth
Manhattan
Pittsburg
salina
Topeka
Western Area
supply center
Wichita
KS State/MALs
ToTAl
kEnTUCky
Bowling Green
Central KY
Covington
Daniel Boone
elizabethtown
hazard
Hopkinsville
Louisville
madisonville
Owensboro
Paducah
Pikeville
KY State/MALs
ToTAl
LOUISIAnA
Baton Rouge
Bogalusa
Central LA
10
96
18
121
260
118
22
13
303
3,892
$25
$149
$26
$2,597
$501
$3,249
$608
$10
$369
$26,230
26
30
15
11
18
16
12
11
893
231
35
54
39
10
233
6
114
98
246
2,213
$338
$25
$100
$3
$654
$134
$130
$50
$7,338
$369
$506
$290
$46
$25
$1,286
$50
$967
$5,075
$97
$17,480
5
23
25
9
10
35
7
505
34
13
18
11
37
176
$80
$100
$70
$50
$480
$82
$130
$1,622
$606
$120
$60
$250
$340
$2,433
112
1,179
145
2,404
$981
$3,541
$395
$11,339
167
439
35
117
30
17
20
777
6
56
84
34
197
2,074
$534
$1,098
$52
$471
$360
$143
$61
$1,202
$60
$412
$104
$194
$552
$5,242
474
8
100
$507
$57
$63
Covington
Houma
Lafayette
Mandeville
Metairie
Morgan City
new iberia
New Orleans
Northeast LA
Northwest LA
Slidell
Southwest LA
Thibodaux
Tri-Parish
LA State/MALs
ToTAl
mAInE
Armand Rowe
Augusta
Bangor
Freeport
Houlton
Portland
Presque isle
Waterville
ME State/MALs
ToTAl
24
49
205
23
80
14
43
654
94
330
23
119
13
53
231
2,567
$82
$35
$1,099
$35
$490
$60
$952
$2,366
$430
$495
$25
$288
$40
$62
$288
$7,371
38
20
183
6
9
548
6
40
147
1,031
$5
$173
$1,013
$26
$3
$2,373
$85
$13
$64
$3,752
mARyLAnd
Baltimore Francis
Stu Filbey
1,796
Cumberland
86
Mail Equipment Shops 28
montgomery county 687
Nation’s Capital/
Southern MD
2,085
Patuxent River
27
salisbury
204
Southwest MD Bay
529
MD State/MALs
85
ToTAl
5,569
mASSAChUSETTS
Boston Metro
Cape Cod
Central MA
Fall River
Foxboro
Hyannis
Lynn
north Adams
north Attleboro
Northeast MA
Peabody
Pittsfield
randolph
South Shore
Springfield Mass
Western MA
ToTAl
mIChIGAn
480-481 Local
498-499 Local
$11,858
$310
$20
$6,759
$6,170
$101
$2,684
$607
$548
$29,057
2,444
166
714
61
9
88
45
8
19
770
29
67
13
596
1,105
105
6,382
$6,276
$655
$1,915
$104
$52
$528
$260
$150
$656
$1,869
$78
$153
$156
$3,744
$1,489
$102
$18,186
1,651
132
$7,119
$1,033
Alpena
Battle Creek
Central MI
Detroit District
Flint
Gaylord
Jackson
Muskegon
Pontiac
rogers city
Saginaw 486-487
saint ignace
Southwest MI
Stevensville
Traverse city
Western MI
MI State/MALs
ToTAl
mInnESOTA
Austin
bemidji
brainerd
Fergus Falls
Greater Northland
Mankato
Minneapolis
Rochester
St. Cloud
St. Paul
Twin Cities PDC
Willmar
MN State/MALs
ToTAl
mISSISSIppI
batesville
East Central MS
Grenada
Greenville
hattiesburg
Jackson
laurel
MS Coast
Northeast MS
Tenn-tom
university
MS State/MALs
ToTAl
mISSOURI
Cape Girardeau
Central MO
Greater kansas
city metro
Joplin
Rolla
St. Joseph
springfield
st. charles
St. Louis BMC
St. Louis
Gateway District
MO State/MALs
ToTAl
5
32
453
2,890
350
81
91
50
80
3
322
2
391
6
152
731
236
7,829
$29
$20
$324
$5,138
$95
$8
$30
$154
$1,115
$699
$945
$78
$389
$21
$3,402
$4,134
$62
$24,790
9
29
28
7
203
124
1,933
104
147
1,350
393
36
229
4,657
$62
$260
$286
$26
$500
$240
$8,912
$666
$252
$8,613
$2,688
$10
$500
$23,015
6
50
49
4
102
434
12
171
56
63
4
125
1,143
$65
$150
$10
$454
$2,616
$7,372
$156
$399
$365
$30
$182
$336
$12,135
121
200
$128
$1,577
1,364
37
47
49
306
73
183
$11,128
$170
$25
$40
$3,125
$823
$1,191
2,324
269
5,156
$11,824
$25
$30,055
The amounts shown represent contributions to APWU COPA during 2010. Tabulations
are based on collections forwarded to the national APWU by local and state offices.
locals listed in green met or exceeded their goals in 2010. Totals reflect all contributions,
including those made by credit card, PostalEASE, and electronic fund transfer. Money
raised at conferences, seminars, and other special events may be accounted for in state
totals. Retirees’ contributions are listed as a separate line item on page 37.
A pr il – J une 2 011 3 5
ToP 2010 coPA
conTribuTors
mOnTAnA
APWu locAls WiTh
100-299 members
Heart of IL
Terre Haute (IN)
Columbus (GA)
Hattiesburg (MS)
Kokomo (IN)
Lincoln (NE)
Traverse City (MI)
Muncie (IN)
Scranton (PA)
Lubbock (TX)
members
Per cAPiTA
281
118
134
102
104
222
152
121
186
228
$31.55
$27.53
$27.34
$25.64
$24.31
$22.70
$22.38
$21.46
$17.06
$16.38
APWu locAls WiTh
50-99 members
Waterloo (IA)
Greater Grand Forks (ND)
Tri-Cities
Central TX
Bloomington (IN)
Kenosha (WI)
Muskogee (OK)
Schaumburg (IL)
Casper (WY)
Lawton (OK)
members
Per cAPiTA
98
51
71
65
86
50
79
74
68
51
$51.78
$41.96
$22.04
$19.48
$18.95
$17.30
$16.75
$16.00
$15.82
$15.69
APWu locAls WiTh
less ThAn 50 members
Rogers City (MI)
Greenville (MS)
Radford (VA)
Thomasville (GA)
Windward (HI)
Great Bend (KS)
Devils Lake (ND)
University (MS)
Mount Vernon (IL)
Springfield (OH)
members
Per cAPiTA
3
4
7
12
37
10
18
4
19
41
$232.83
$113.50
$67.86
$62.83
$58.95
$48.00
$46.39
$45.50
$44.68
$43.12
Billings
butte
Great Falls
helena
Kalispell
lewistown
missoula
MT State/MALs
ToTAl
nEbRASkA
Alliance
blair
central ne
columbus
Fremont
Hastings SCF
lincoln
norfolk
north Platte
Omaha
scottsbluff
Wayne
NE State/MALs
ToTAl
nEvAdA
carson city
crystal bayincline Village
elko
Las Vegas
reno
Sparks
nV state/mAls
ToTAl
189
45
76
42
48
6
76
122
639
$306
$557
$878
$397
$145
$205
$645
$368
$3,501
23
7
80
13
9
15
222
58
40
800
19
3
93
1,416
$38
$104
$883
$110
$206
$62
$5,039
$798
$582
$4,510
$315
$110
$51
$12,808
26
$1,112
13
31
975
316
28
61
1,486
$182
$260
$941
$2,554
$26
$642
$5,717
nEW hAmpShIRE
Manchester
Portsmouth
NH State/MALs
ToTAl
nEW jERSEy
Central Jersey
Clifton
Jersey City
NJ Mid-State
NJ Shore
North Jersey
729
229
105
1,150
$5,567
$1,045
$231
$6,843
504
40
117
1,073
234
1,958
$970
$50
$72
$964
$743
$791
Paramus
Red Bank
Ridgewood
South Jersey
Trenton Metro
nJ state/mAls
ToTAl
20
302
20
1,462
593
60
6,743
$260
$629
$78
$2,128
$4,652
$1,000
$12,356
23
575
5
24
48
23
83
16
15
51
60
74
1,082
$200
$1,373
$104
$30
$505
$162
$616
$196
$33
$520
$234
$381
$4,352
523
1,362
817
65
813
64
1,080
69
$922
$1,723
$2,707
$70
$2,993
$25
$1,250
$52
1,109
30
1,294
83
565
633
6,650
73
1,354
832
123
36
87
573
232
183
591
236
222
19,789
$491
$83
$2,170
$65
$809
$622
$9,045
$203
$2,673
$5,604
$290
$75
$591
$607
$429
$343
$1,849
$2,030
$644
$38,364
nEW mExICO
Alamogordo
Albuquerque
belen
Clovis
Farmington
Gallup
Las Cruces
las Vegas
Los Alamos
roswell
Santa Fe
NM State/MALs
ToTAl
nEW yORk
Albany
Brooklyn
Buffalo
Capitol District
Central NY
Elmira
Flushing
Glens Falls
Greater Hicksville
Mid-Island
Kingston
Long Island
Long Island City
Mid Hudson NY
Mount Vernon
New York Metro
Plattsburgh
Queens
Rochester SCF
Rockland & Orange
Rockville Centre
Schenectady
Southern NY
Staten Island
Utica
Western Nassau
Western nY
NY State/MALs
ToTAl
nORTh CAROLInA
Asheville
253
Boone
12
chapel hill
35
Charlotte
1,182
Durham
96
Eden
6
Fayetteville
405
Greensboro BMC
278
Greensboro SCF
622
Hickory
172
Jacksonville
29
Kinston
76
Lincolnton
10
Raleigh Cosmopolitan 751
Reidsville
12
Rocky Mount
166
Salisbury
28
sanford
16
Weaverville
6
Whiteville
7
Wilmington
70
Winston-Salem
86
NC State/MALs
454
ToTAl
5,405
nORTh dAkOTA
Bismarck-Mandan
Devils lake
Fargo
Grand Forks
Jamestown
Minot
nD state/mAls
ToTAl
OhIO
Akron Metro
Canton
Cleveland
Columbus
Dayton
Findlay
Greater Cincinnati
lake Geauga
lorain county
mansfield
north east oh
northfield
South Central OH
springfield
Steubenville
Tiffin
70
18
147
51
20
42
58
426
$250
$835
$916
$2,140
$140
$225
$822
$5,328
424
304
1,653
1,402
611
11
1,553
101
90
200
22
6
58
41
50
9
$2,626
$1,600
$4,318
$3,335
$4,282
$30
$2,679
$1,173
$1,033
$3,252
$247
$101
$261
$1,768
$110
$240
A COpA CRUSAdER In mILWAUkEE
When it comes to COPA contributions, the Milwaukee (WI) Area
Local has a fundraising mastermind: Jennifer Schweitzer has made
it her personal mission to raise a higher per capita amount in Milwaukee than any other local with 1,000 or more members.
To accomplish this goal, Schweitzer started the local’s “COPAMATIC” campaign to sign members up for regular contributions,
and began holding frequent raffles with creative themes.
After exceeding its goals in 2010, local members presented
Schweitzer with a cake to honor her commitment – under her
fundraising direction, the local has raised more than $20,000 total
for COPA.
$1,148
$52
$280
$2,795
$390
$26
$1,412
$1,211
$1,498
$337
$265
$169
$40
$1,075
$50
$66
$208
$130
$10
$26
$156
$32
$439
$11,815
The coPA milestone cake given to Jennifer schweitzer in honor of milwaukee’s
fundraising efforts.
Toledo
Tri-County OH
Youngstown
Zanesville
OH State/MALs
ToTAl
OkLAhOmA
Ardmore
Chickasha
Durant
enid
lawton
muskogee
Norman
Oklahoma City
Ponca City
Tulsa
OK State/MALs
ToTAl
OREGOn
Eugene
Grants Pass
Greater OR
Klamath Falls
Portland
salem
Southern OR
OR State/MALs
ToTAl
470
372
308
57
243
8,316
$2,734
$809
$693
$388
$1,013
$32,692
18
8
12
25
51
79
30
672
14
560
129
1,703
$150
$30
$134
$917
$800
$1,323
$70
$3,081
$95
$2,005
$50
$8,655
230
17
108
25
1,285
206
137
228
2,290
$236
$6
$70
$5
$5,420
$1,878
$178
$321
$8,114
pEnnSyLvAnIA
Altoona
90
Bensalem Local
26
Dubois
9
Eastern Mont. County 942
erie
216
Greensburg/Foothills
148
hanover
20
Indiana
24
Johnstown
129
Keystone
859
Lancaster
403
langhorne
48
lehigh Valley
600
New Castle
127
Philadelphia
2,119
Philadelphia bmc
465
Pittsburgh Metro
2,154
reading
236
scranton
186
Tri-County
249
Warren
9
Washington
64
West Chester
29
Wilkes-Barre
251
Wilkes-barre PDc
49
Williamsport
92
York
91
PA State/MALs
340
ToTAl
10,104
pUERTO RICO
Puerto Rico
ToTAl
1,217
1217
RhOdE ISLAnd
Providence
Warwick
Westerly
RI State/MALs
ToTAl
837
52
27
16
1,011
$320
$8
$45
$2,510
$2,260
$230
$260
$109
$644
$1,792
$1,599
$633
$10,980
$494
$7,190
$8,207
$4,675
$2,687
$3,174
$1,482
$52
$26
$52
$665
$1,036
$456
$212
$530
$52,325
$6,142
$6,142
$1,201
$140
$30
$10
$1,381
SOUTh CAROLInA
Aiken
Beaufort
Charleston
Columbia
Florence
Laurens
Spartanburg
Sumter
Upper Piedmont
SC State/MALs
ToTAl
21
22
243
557
245
4
61
28
347
109
1,756
SOUTh dAkOTA
Aberdeen
Dakota central
Mitchell
Pierre
Rapid City
Sioux Falls
Watertown
sD state/mAls
ToTAl
TEnnESSEE
Chattanooga
Clarksville
Columbia
Cookeville
Crossville
Dyersburg
Elizabethton
Hendersonville
Greater Smokey
Mountain
Jackson
Kingsport
Memphis
Nashville
Northeast TN
TN State/MALs
ToTAl
TExAS
Abilene
Amarillo
Arlington
Athens
Austin
Beaumont SCF
Bryan
central Texas
College Station
Conroe
Corpus Christi
Dallas
eagle Pass
El Paso
Fort Worth
Galveston
Greater East TX
Greenville
$226
$30
$693
$4,024
$505
$26
$4
$150
$286
$178
$6,122
27
42
8
18
71
231
11
42
472
$229
$513
$50
$110
$131
$1,543
$50
$975
$3,600
586
41
19
28
10
14
5
7
$1,277
$110
$5
$26
$52
$40
$25
$20
519
65
28
1,329
770
117
318
3,986
$2,544
$115
$20
$2,185
$858
$46
$397
$7,720
145
200
109
8
930
213
78
65
24
39
285
3,660
11
305
1,435
24
55
47
$724
$372
$878
$52
$3,596
$917
$10
$1,266
$26
$100
$1,138
$6,350
$156
$2,413
$3,990
$100
$185
$32
Houston
Huntsville
Jasper
kerrville
laredo
lubbock
Lufkin
McAllen
Midland
Palestine
Pasadena
Plano
San Angelo
San Antonio Alamo
sherman
Temple
Texarkana
Tyler
Waco
Wichita Falls
TX State/MALs
ToTAl
3,413
20
8
12
42
228
52
181
120
28
98
73
28
1,135
20
19
63
228
202
90
578
14,820
$9,771
$52
$25
$200
$343
$3,735
$50
$1,215
$566
$200
$156
$20
$52
$2,146
$500
$150
$360
$811
$920
$78
$1,006
$44,661
85
1,232
22
75
96
1,571
$120
$4,211
$101
$273
$681
$5,385
barre
9
Brattleboro
19
montpelier
11
northern VT
140
rutland
40
White river Junction 165
VT State/MALs
97
ToTAl
497
$208
$50
$458
$1,478
$387
$2,006
$67
$4,653
UTAh
Provo
Salt Lake City
St. George
Utah
UT State
ToTAl
vERmOnT
vIRGIn ISLAndS
Virgin Islands
ToTAl
vIRGInIA
Bristol
Charlottesville
Chesapeake
Christiansburg
Culpeper
Fredericksburg/
battlefield
Lynchburg
Norfolk
Northern VA
Peninsula Facility
Petersburg
Portsmouth
radford
Richmond
Roanoke
146
146
$674
$674
92
195
47
10
20
$116
$390
$340
$52
$52
87
143
580
1,701
163
25
27
7
812
317
$1,099
$605
$4,262
$3,611
$385
$26
$48
$475
$3,931
$700
2010 coPA GrAnD ToTAl
$1,018,895
Suffolk
Virginia Beach
Winchester
VA State/MALs
ToTAl
24
118
51
306
4,859
WAShInGTOn
Bellevue
bellingham
Cascade
Centralia
Greater Seattle
Green River Valley
Inland Empire
Kent
Olympia
Puget Sound
Seattle BMC
Tri-cities
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Wenatchee
Yakima
WA State/MALs
ToTAl
45
34
397
8
1,448
77
319
33
114
430
199
71
93
13
49
68
285
3,742
WEST vIRGInIA
Cecil F. Romine
Charleston
clarksburg
Fairmont
KYOWVA
Weirton
Wheeling
WV State/MALs
ToTAl
WISCOnSIn
Appleton
Eau Claire
kenosha
La Crosse
madison
milwaukee
Northeastern WI
Oshkosh
Portage
Racine
sheboygan
Spooner
Wausau
Wi state/mAls
ToTAl
WyOmInG
casper
Cheyenne
Cody
Gillette
Jackson
lander
Riverton
Sheridan
Wheatland
Worland
WY State/MALs
ToTAl
$25
$156
$26
$821
$17,119
$60
$572
$886
$52
$3,060
$414
$1,193
$25
$280
$2,168
$205
$1,565
$26
$19
$513
$20
$1,097
$12,155
48
450
146
11
201
17
63
108
1,260
$52
$580
$1,562
$136
$230
$437
$304
$765
$4,066
36
135
50
85
751
1,680
241
208
28
53
25
42
273
146
3,834
$913
$527
$865
$676
$6,875
$20,622
$1,452
$1,491
$643
$136
$242
$140
$2,323
$1,774
$38,678
68
87
11
24
19
7
12
15
10
15
30
352
$1,076
$171
$30
$30
$270
$60
$20
$40
$30
$40
$82
$1,849
mISCELLAnEOUS
ToTAl
RETIREES
ToTAl
$785
$234,426
A pr il – J une 2 011 3 7
dETERmInEd In dES mOInES
The Des Moines Area Local understands the importance of a strong COPA
fund, and has exceeded its goals for the past two years in a row.
“We have a very active group of stewards and officers, as well as other
members that really help us with our COPA fundraising,” said Local President
Lance Coles.
Coles said Des Moines constantly raises awareness among members about
how a healthy COPA fund is essential to elect legislators that make working
families a priority.
“Our members understand the importance of supporting those that support
us,” Coles said.
This quilt, made of APWu t-shirts and sewn by a local member, was auctioned off at the
PA fundraising picnic.
Des moines Area local’s annual coPA
TRI-COUnTy On TRACk
RAISInG FUndS – And
EyEbROWS – FOR COpA
After steadily moving toward their COPA goals for
the past four years, the Tri-County Area Local (PA) is
determined to meet – and exceed – their goal for contributions this year.
To encourage participation and motivate members,
the local held a raffle for COPA at their monthly union
meeting in March, and are encouraging all members to
give generously.
Local President Mark Hennessy said he is confident that members will work hard to meet their goal
this year.
Don’t ever accuse Washington Postal Workers
Union President Charles Smith of not knowing how to
dress for an occasion.
At the 2010 APWU National Convention in Detroit,
Smith accepted a challenge from fellow member and
state newsletter editor Bob Dyer to wear a dress on
the convention floor for an entire day if they could raise
$500 or more for COPA.
The state organization raised a grand total of $632
– and Smith donned a flowered frock during Wednesday’s general session. He raised an additional $70 for
COPA by charging any members who wanted to take a
picture with him.
members of the Tri-county Area local collect funds for coPA
during a raffle at their march union meeting.
Washington state President charles smith in the floral dress
he wore for coPA, pictured with fellow member bob Dyer.
COPA CAMPAIGN
Striving to Reach Our COPA Goals
As of February 28, 2011
(Dollars raised and percentage of goal)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
$16,392
$4,144
23,288
11,232
147,400
24,584
,
20,600
4,608
81,400
36,504
6,832
,
4,336
71,400
24,656
15,440
14,696
14,080
17,520
6,912
37,896
43,104
55,056
32,048
7,792
35,376
4,392
9,584
10,144
7,792
43,688
7,616
133,360
35,320
2,864
56,424
,
11,784
15,800
68,136
7,208
12,160
3,192
26,840
97,288
10,816
3,152
33,520
26,576
7,992
25,808
2,448
9,360
200,000
Alabama $516
Alaska $154
Arizona $1,593
Arkansas $240
California $4,894
Colorado $1,601
,
Connecticut $2,247
Delaware $112
Florida $4,322
g $1,280
Georgia
Hawaii/Guam $284
Idaho $479
Illinois $3,461
Indiana $1,536
Iowa $1,467
Kansas $554
Kentuckyy $574
Louisiana $432
Maine $208
y
Maryland/DC
$2,340
Massachusetts $2,308
g $2,729
Michigan
Minnesota $2,776
pp $328
Mississippi
Missouri $2,800
Montana $192
Nebraska $1,969
Nevada $732
p
New Hampshire
$779
New Jerseyy $1,083
New Mexico $375
New York $3,927
North Carolina $1,188
North Dakota $150
Ohio $2,337
Oklahoma $662
g $919
Oregon
y
Pennsylvania
$5,193
Rhode Island $192
South Carolina $304
South Dakota $307
Tennessee $515
Texas $3,382
Utah $906
Vermont $532
g
Virginia
$1,401
Washington
$1,275
g
g
West Virginia
$192
Wisconsin $1,964
y
g $140
Wyoming
g Islands $334
Puerto Rico/Virgin
Retirees $28,455
0%
10%
20%
30%
GOAL
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
GOAL
This chart shows how states measure up against their COPA goals. Each state’s goal is based on the number of its APWU members. Smaller states, therefore,
may have accumulated a greater percentage of their goal even though the actual amount they have collected is less than that collected in larger states.
A pr il – J une 2 011 3 9
Joyce b. robinson – Director
r e s e A r c h
&
e D u c A T i o n
Testing Your Home for Lead
M
any houses and apartments built before 1978
contain high levels of lead, which can pose
serious health hazards. The lead typically
comes from the paint used in these dwellings. Federal
law requires landlords and sellers to supply information
on the effects of lead before renting, buying, or renovating pre-1978 housing, and buyers have up to 10 days to
check for lead.
your home has any lead hazards or lead-based paint, and
where the lead-based paint is located.
To check your home, it’s best to hire a trained and
certified professional who will use a range of reliable
methods. There are state and federal programs in place
to ensure that testing is done safely and effectively. Call
800-424-5323 for a list of contacts in your area.
Lead’s Effects
It is important to know that even exposure to low
levels of lead can cause serious harm. In children, lead
exposure can cause damage to the
nervous system and to kidneys; it
also can cause learning disabilities,
attention deficit disorder, and decreased intelligence; speech, language, and behavior problems;
poor muscle coordination; decreased muscle and bone growth,
and hearing damage. While lowlead exposure is most common,
exposure to high levels of lead can cause seizures, unconsciousness, and, in some cases, death.
Although children are especially susceptible to lead
exposure, lead can be dangerous for adults too. In adults,
exposure can cause an increased chance of illness during pregnancy; harm to a fetus, including brain damage
or death; fertility problems (in men and women); high
blood pressure; digestive problems; nerve disorders;
memory and concentration problems, and muscle and
joint pain.
How to Protect Your Family
If you suspect that your house has lead hazards, you can
take some immediate steps to reduce your family’s risk:
4 If you rent, notify your landlord of peeling or chipping paint;
4Clean up paint chips immediately;
4Clean floors, window frames and sills, and other
surfaces weekly. Use a mop or sponge with warm
water and use a cleaner made specifically for lead;
4Do not store food and liquids in lead crystal;
4Check old plumbing in homes and apartments;
4Use only cold water for drinking and cooking. Run
water for 15 to 30 seconds before drinking it. Do
not boil the water before drinking;
4Thoroughly rinse sponges and mops after cleaning
dirty or dusty areas;
4Wash children’s hands often, especially before meals
and before bedtime;
4Wash bottles, pacifiers, toys, and stuffed animals
regularly;
4Keep small children from playing in soil, chewing
on painted surfaces, and
4Clean or remove shoes before entering your home
to avoid tracking in lead from soil.
Testing Your Home for Lead
You can get your home tested for lead in several different ways. A paint inspection tells you whether your home
has lead-based paint and where it is located. However, it
won’t tell you whether or not your home currently has
lead hazards. A risk assessment tells you if your home currently has any lead hazards from lead in paint, dust, or soil.
It also tells you what actions to take to address any hazards.
A combination risk assessment and inspection tell you if
For additional information, contact: The National
Lead Information Center: 800-424-424-5323. To access
lead information via the Web, visit www.epa.gov/lead and
www.hud.gov/offices/lead. For the hearing impaired, call
the Federal Information Relay Service at 800-871-8339
for assistance.
EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline: 800-426-4791.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Hotline:
800-638-2772, or visit CPSC’s Web site at www.cpsc.gov. 4
sue carney – Director
h u m A n
r e l AT i o n s
National Reassessment Processes
T
here are two USPS National Reassessment Processes (NRPs), each with a unique set of guidelines. It’s helpful to understand the differences.
NRP MMI is the original reassessment process. It
only targets employees who have reached their maximum medical improvement (MMI). Under this process, employees and their APWU representatives receive
two weeks advance notice before an initial “interview” is
conducted by the NRP Team, which consists of a USPS
representative from Operations, Labor Relations and
Health Management Resources (formerly Injury Compensation). When a fourth management representative
attends, the union is permitted
an additional representative to
observe the process.
The interviewer is required
to stick to a pre-set script, which
permits interactivity and allows
for corrections. The interviewer
will refer to a 546 Worksheet in
an attempt to demonstrate that
management made every effort
to find medically suitable work. Employees who are told
there is no work available are entitled to a second interview, usually in a week. If, after this interview, nothing
has changed, the employee is typically paid administrative leave for the remainder of the workweek, referred to
OWCP, and escorted out of the building. These employees may also be subjected to the OWCP’s vocational rehabilitation program because their restrictions are considered permanent.
If a job offer is made and the employee refuses it, the
Postal Service permits the injured worker to remain in
his or her existing job offer until OWCP makes a suitability determination regarding the new offer. Once
employees are subjected to this NRP, they generally are
not reassessed again unless their medical restrictions
change or the suitable work ceases to exist.
NRP Limited Duty – This reassessment process targets
employees with “temporary”medical restrictions as well as
MMI employees who weren’t reassessed under the original NRP. Under this protocol, “Work Status Meetings” are
conducted by a supervisor who has no script to follow. Employees and union representatives receive no prior notice
regarding these meetings. Management uses “Priority for
Assignment Worksheets” to support their inability to find
adequate work. When the USPS determines work isn’t available, second interviews aren’t conducted and administrative
leave is not paid. Employees refusing job offers are escorted
out of the building to await adjudication by OWCP.
This NRP requires available work to be re-evaluated
on a daily basis, which violates federal regulations that require job offers to remain available for at least 90 days to
be considered suitable. This routine is apparently bothersome, since it has become fairly common for supervisors
to make adjustments to job offers after they have been
accepted rather than issue new offers and submit them to
OWCP, as required by federal regulations. This practice
misleads OWCP and frequently causes other problems
for claimants. Therefore, each time there is a change, a
new job offer should be issued and sent to OWCP.
Similarities – All affected employees are entitled to
union representation upon request, and neither process
should proceed until the representative is present. Partially
recovered employees will either have their existing job offer renewed; be offered a new job (partial or full day), or
told no work is available. Injured employees should declare
themselves a “qualified individual with disability.”
The Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA)
Procedure Manual states that any withdrawal of medically suitable work is treated as a recurrence; therefore,
employees whose work hours are reduced or eliminated
should file Form CA2-a, and Form CA-7 to request wageloss compensation.
Employees whose hours have been eliminated or reduced should request Form SF-8 to seek unemployment
benefits, which vary by state. These employees may also
file an appeal with the Merit Systems Protection Board,
regardless of their veterans’ preference status.
The USPS has an ongoing obligation to make every effort to find medically-suitable work for all injured workers, even those who are told no work is available. To learn
more about the NRP, please visit the Human Relations
pages at www.apwu.org.
4
A pr il – J une 2 011 4 1
William J. kaczor Jr. – Director
h e A lT h
P l A n
In Pursuit of Excellence
A
Service Scores
any problems. The Health Plan has already taken initiat a time when many healthcare companies are
tives to improve service for our members.
facing criticism, the APWU Health Plan stands
In order to reduce hold times when members call a
tall. Mercer, an independent consulting firm,
representative in our Customer Service Department,
recently reported that the APWU Health Plan received
the Health Plan recently initiated a new Interactive
above average scores for service in all three categories
Voice Response (IVR) system. This will help to dithat were measured: claims processing, payment, and firect incoming calls to the appropriate department for
nancial accuracy.
faster calls and more efficient responses and action.
Through data analysis, the firm was able to gauge the
The IVR system will result in shorter hold times while
quality of service the APWU Health Plan provides to its
waiting to speak with a representative, and will give
members, and our high scores demonstrate our commitmembers easier access to request replacement ID cards
ment to provide exceptional care at low rates.
and claims information. The Health Plan is proud to
While many companies fear the level of transparhave a diverse and loyal membership, and we want our
ency that comes with an audit,
members to know that we appreciate them for choosthe APWU Health Plan embraces
ing to use our plan.
the process as a necessary part
Top-notch customer service combined with timeof improvement and progress. It
tested results and integrity, innovative benefits, and the
gives us goals to reach for – and
union philosophy: This is the APWU difference.
for more than a decade, we have
For more information about theAPWU Health Plan and
exceeded these benchmarks.
the comprehensive coverage we offer, please visit our Web
As a union health plan, we take
site at www.apwuhp.com, or call us at 800-222-APWU. 4
pride in ensuring our members
are treated with
dignity and respect. Unions, includHow does the APWU Health Plan Measure Up?
ing the APWU, lead the way in fighting
for social justice, benefits in the work100
99.2
99.1
place, and job security – and here at
99
99
the APWU Health Plan, we share those
98
goals. We take pride in offering inno98
vative benefits and quality service that
97
set a standard for excellence among
96
health plans within the Federal Em95
ployees Health Benefits (FEHB) Pro95
gram – and across the country.
94
The Health Plan continues to evalu93
ate our members’ needs. In addition to
Mercer’s audit, we contracted with an
92
independent firm to survey members
91
that chose to leave the Health Plan this
past Open Season to find out their rea90
Payment
Processing
Financial Accuracy
sons for discontinuing their plans. Once
FEHB Minimum
APWU HP
the survey results are in and analyzed,
we will use this information to correct
Judy beard – Director
r e T i r e e s
Protecting Retirees from Inflation
W
ith the cost of food, gas, and medical care on
the rise, some elected officials recognize the
toll inflation takes on many retired Americans. On Jan. 26, legislation was introduced in Congress
that would provide assistance to eligible retirees and Social Security recipients who face inflation-related financial hardships.
The Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers Act of 2011 (H.R. 456), introduced by Rep. Charles
Gonzalez (D-TX), would require the Department of
Labor to produce a monthly report reflecting changes in cost of living based on average expenditures for
consumers who are 62 and older.
These reports would be used to
more accurately reflect retirees’
living expenses.
In February, Rep. Eliot Engel
(D) of New York introduced legislation known as the Guaranteed
3% COLA for Seniors Act of 2011
(H.R. 776). This bill would create
a senior-specific Consumer Price
Index to determine how inflation affects elderly citizens’
financial stability.
Both bills have been referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and the House Ways
and Means Committee. The Chair of the Committee on
Education and the Workforce is Rep. John Kline (R-MN),
and the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee is Rep.
David Camp (R-MI). We encourage retirees to contact
their local representatives and these committee chairs,
and urge them to support these bills.
Your local representatives can be reached by calling
866-338-5720. A list of legislators who sit on these committees can be found on the Retirees Department pages
of www.apwu.org.
May is Older Americans Month
As we celebrate APWU retirees during Older Americans Month in May, I would like to take the time to thank
all of our retired local, state, and national activists for
their service to postal workers and the union. The APWU
was built on the contributions of leaders like you who
worked tirelessly to improve the working conditions for
postal employees.
I also would like to give special thanks to the members
of the APWU Retirees Department for understanding
the importance of sharing their history of struggle in the
APWU and in the labor movement as a whole. You are
the foundation of the union; without you, we wouldn’t
be standing.
I urge all locals to host activities this May that celebrate
and honor those who fought for the rights we now enjoy.
Some suggestions include awards receptions or seminars
led by retired shop stewards or union leaders. Please share
your stories and pictures with the Retirees Department
to let us know how you paid tribute to retired leaders in
your community.
4
ApWU nATIOnAL RETIREE COnFEREnCE
The 2011 APWU National Retiree Conference will be held
in conjunction with the union’s All-Craft Conference on Oct. 1113 at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
The following workshops have been tentatively scheduled:
Social Security and Medicare; Navigating OPM Benefits; Effective Retiree Chapters; Hands-On Computer Training and
Media Networking for Beginners; Aging with Grace: Solutions
to Elder-Care Stress; Care-giving.
reGisTrATion – Retirees who wish to attend must reg-
ister by Aug. 28, 2011. The cost is $25. Late registration after
Aug. 28 will be $35. Please call 877-279-8669 to request a registration form. For more information about reservations and
discounted hotel rates, please visit www.apwu.org.
Registrants are responsible for making their own hotel
reservations; however the APWU has negotiated a discounted
price for participants who wish to stay at Bally’s Resort and Ca
sino, using this rate code: sbAPWu1. Please call 800- 634-3434,
or use the link to the reservations page at www.apwu.org.
A pr il – J une 2 011 4 3

The AmericAn PosTAl Worker - APWU 480

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