We have been in discussion with postal management relative to scheduling issues during the Christmas holiday weekend. We have been informed that management will make every effort to schedule only volunteers on Saturday, December 25, 2004. We anticipate very few if any mandates on this day, or on the following Sunday (to the maximum possible extent). In addition, management will limit scheduling as much as possible on Friday, December 24, 2004. In Processing and Distribution operations, every effort will be made to release employees by no later than 8:00 PM. In Customer Service operations, afternoon staffing will be reduced as much as possible until closing time. These criteria are dependent upon conditions in each individual office and installation. Every effort has been made to release as many employees as possible on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. All of us wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas, a joyous Holiday Season and a Happy New Year! 

On Saturday morning, December 11, 2004, Santa Claus visited the children of the Denver Metro Area Local. There were carnival games and prizes, a tattoo parlor, photos with Santa, songs and dances with Santa and lots of punch and cookies. Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived with bells ringing and HO HO HO’s filling the air! The children were full of excitement and wonder at the sight of Santa. The children circled around Santa and Mrs. Claus and they all sang songs and did little dances. Each child sat on Santa’s lap and told him what they wanted him to bring them on Christmas Eve and had their photo taken with “Jolly Old Santa”!  

The deadline for health plan changes has been extended to December 28, 2004. This extension was due to OPM not having the FEHB comparison guide printed and in your home in a timely fashion. If you plan on making a change in your health plan, you can use the postal computers located in the GMF cafeteria or the MPA or utilize the new postal web page liteblue.usps.gov from your home computer. You can also use Postal Ease by telephone. Which ever way you decide to make a change in your health plan, you must have your employee ID and your pin number to access the system. Once there, just follow the easy step by step instructions to complete the process. At the end you will get a confirmation number of your transaction to print and keep for your records. There are a lot of new plans this year to choose from. Not all plans are the same. There are HMO’s, Fee for Service plans and Consumer Driven plans etc. Do your homework well to pick what plan is best for you. If you are past the deadline in making a requested change in health plans, your request will be denied and you will have to stay with your current health plan provider for another year until open season next year. If you have questions on any of the APWU plans you can call our Health Plan Director Ric Lopez at 303-365-1524 ext. 134. 

It’s that time of the year that we sometimes forget that winter and the cold weather can cause inconvenience when driving. Here are some tips to keep in mind. 

• To minimize the chances of a weather-related delay, plan ahead with safety in mind.
• Always be sure to check the forecast; if a winter storm is predicted for the area in which you will be driving, think twice, or ask yourself if the trip is necessary.
• Always have an emergency car care kit that contains jumper cables, flares or reflectors, windshield washer fluid, a small shovel, an ice scraper, antifreeze, blankets, non-perishable food and a first aid kit.

• Be sure to turn off all accessories (radio, heater, lights etc.) before starting your car. This will maximize your battery’s starting power.
• If your car has a fuel injection system, don’t touch the accelerator pedal. For carbureted cars, depress the accelerator once before attempting to start the vehicle. Then, simply turn the key and hold if for a few seconds.

• Pull as far off the road as possible. This helps to avoid getting hit by another vehicle.
• Indicate trouble by opening the hood and turning on the vehicle’s emergency flashers. Place a “Call Police” sign in the rear window.
• Stay in the car. Avoid the temptation of accepting a ride with a stranger. Instead, if someone offers help, ask him or her to notify the police if you do not own a cell phone. Leave only with a marked police car or a state or city emergency vehicle.
• Don’t walk or hitchhike, both of which invite trouble – you could either get caught in a storm, or be forced in a dangerous situation involving strangers.

• Always wear seatbelts.
• Remove ice and snow from windows, license plates and lights. Also be sure to clear snow from the vehicle’s hood, roof and trunk.
• Reduce your speed while driving. The posted speed limits are for dry, clear conditions only.
• Watch for slick spots under bridges and on overpasses.
• Keep your gas tank at least two-thirds full to prevent the vehicle’s fuel line from freezing.

I am happy to report to the membership that there will be two more PTF conversions to full time regular effective January 8, 2005. This was made possible through mutual cooperation with SMDO Roland Fuentes and myself. After these two conversions, this will leave the APWU with 37 PTF’s. Your union is still vigorously seeking more PTF conversions. We are in the process of acquiring clock rings for the remainder of the PTF’s so that we can possibly pursue a PTF maximization grievance. Once all clock rings have been received, they will be charted to see how many PTF’s fall under the national contract language to be converted to full time regulars. This is a tedious task to chart all the clock rings and will require a lot of hours to sift through each persons clock rings every day for the last six months. This work will be done by GMF Tour 3 Steward Shane Allen with assistance from DIR Paul Pearman. Once this work is completed, I will negotiate with Roland Fuentes as to any additional PTF conversions. I will inform you with new information once we have completed this work and I have spoken with SMDO Roland Fuentes. I am hopeful that we may be able to convert more PTF’s without filing a class action grievance once the documentation is submitted for their review. 

Your bid annual is due December 20, 2004. The bid annual sheets are available from your supervisor. The directions on how to fill the form out is located on the front side of the bid annual form. Should you need more information, you can sign the union book to see a union steward and get the answers you need. The form must be turned in to your supervisor. The bid annual process is to be completed no later than January 15, 2005. Any bid annual forms received late will not be considered nor approved. 

Looking ahead to next year and in accordance with the Denver Metro Area Local APWU Constitution and Bylaws, our Regular Membership Meetings for 2005 are scheduled as follows:

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend the Regular Membership Union Meeting beginning at 9:00 AM on Saturday, January 22, 2005. As previously reported, we will be considering and voting upon a number of important proposed changes to our Constitution and Bylaws. We will also be reviewing and considering approval of our 2005 operating budget. Four of the five proposed constitutional changes are directly relevant to our 2005 budget and beyond.  These include proposals to reduce the salaries of the full time officers, to reduce the amount of dues reimbursements to stewards, to reduce the required frequency for publishing the Mountaineer and to better control the costs of travel to a number of union conferences and conventions. Please come to your union meetings, carefully consider these proposals, listen to the debate on each issue and help us to make good decisions about the future financial health of our local. Please feel free to contact the union office if you would like to request a copy of these proposals and/or ask any questions. Thank you for your active participation in your union. 

You can access POSTALEASE on the Internet. Go to the website: liteblue.usps.gov. You can now use your home computer to make changes on PostalEASE for payroll and benefits, including allotments, federal W4, Thrift Savings Plan, Federal Employee Health Benefits and Flexible Spending Accounts. 

• Call 1-877-477-3273
• Press 1 for PostalEASE
• When prompted, enter your Employee ID (the eight-digit number on the top line of your pay stub)
• When prompted for your PIN, pause, then Press 2
• Your USPS PIN will be mailed to your address of record the next business day.

The 2004 Organizing Drive comes to a close on December 31, 2004. You still have time to sign up non-members and qualify for prizes in this year’s drive! Our top organizer will receive a grand prize of $500! Second prize is $300 and Third Prize is $100. You will also receive $100 for each new member recruited off the current non-member list. There are several other ways to qualify for prizes. Please contact the union office to request blank Form 1187’s and/or a list of the non-members in your facility. Please help us to strengthen our union while you help yourself to qualify for great prizes! Thank you for your help! 

There are many benefits to being a dues paying member of our union. One such benefit is access to the AFL-CIO’s Union Plus Benefits Program. This program affords access to Chase Bank’s reduced cost mortgage program. The Denver Metro Area Local APWU has joined with the Colorado Mail Handlers Local 321 in making Chase Home Buyers Seminars available to all of our members. The first seminar was held at Local 321’s office a few weeks ago. The next seminar is scheduled at the Denver Metro Area Local APWU office at 15677 E. 17^th Ave., Aurora, CO 80011. Two seminars are scheduled on Tuesday, January 18, 2004 at 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Please RSVP and direct all questions to Randy Schofield at 303-759-6755. Please plan to attend one of these seminars to learn more about your union benefits and the home buying process. Parents and/or children of union members are also eligible. It pays to be a union member!