The members of the Denver Metro APWU voted unanimously at the regular membership meeting on Wednesday, February 23, 2005 to adopt our budget proposal for fiscal year 2005. This budget includes all of the cost saving measures approved by the members at our last meeting in January 2005. These include the five percent reduction in full time officer salaries, the fifteen percent reduction in steward dues rebates, a reduction in the number of delegates required to attend certain union functions and a reduction in the required frequency for publishing the Mountaineer. Also included in this budget was the cancellation of the Steward Appreciation event and the suspension of the Membership Picnic for the 2005 fiscal year. In addition, the budget anticipates reductions in expenditures for office supplies, equipment and telephone usage. It is important to acknowledge that additional future cuts will probably be necessary unless the Postal Service resumes hiring and our membership expands. The Executive Board will lead the way and your input is needed to help us plot a course.

The local conducted another highly successful Basic Steward Training class from Wednesday, February 23^rd through Friday, February 25, 2005. The five stewards who completed this training were Lisa Kurcz-Gonzales, Tyler Falduto, Robert Helmig, Mark Kirby and Charlie Garcia. Many thanks go to Executive Vice-President Gary Scott, Director of Industrial Relations Paul Pearman, Clerk Craft Director Brian Thomason and former APWU National Business Agent John Kelly for coordinating and conducting this important training. Our steward-training program is one of the best in the country. It is designed to give our stewards the tools they need to continue providing high quality representation. Good luck to all of our most recent graduates!

Field Coordinator Christine Arellano reports that she has successfully negotiated the conversion of the two senior PTF clerks in the Evergreen Post Office to regular status effective by no later than March 5, 2005. Congratulations to these two employees and many thanks to Chris for her excellent work in keeping our momentum going on PTF conversions!

Congratulations to Evergreen’s newest Full Time Regulars. Chris Arellano worked hard on this grievance and the result speaks for its self. This boosts the local’s conversions to over 30 since last March. This administration has made PTF conversions a top priority. Your stewards are working hard to make it happen. Congratulations to all of this year’s Full Time Regular conversions and thank you to all the stewards for the dedication and work in filing those grievances.

Labor’s Community Agency has partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado to accept your used vehicle as a donation if you live in the Denver Metro area. When you donate a vehicle through LCA, it receives a percentage of the gross sale of the vehicle. LCA needs these funds to continue to provide programs and services for our working families in crisis and need. In addition, you will be helping Big Brothers Big Sisters with mentoring programs for children in need of a consistent, caring friend. To donate a vehicle, please contact Terri Kuehn at 303-744-6169 ext. 10 or e-mail terrikuehn@laborcommunityagency.org.

Confirming longtime rumors, the Postal Service has announced official plans to replace all District Human Resources personnel with automated systems by the end of 2007. This means all local access to officials in Human Resources will soon be eliminated. This will include Bids and Awards, the Retirement office, Personnel and all other functions.

The Postal Board of Governors (the governing body of the Postal Service) recently sent a letter to the United States Senate recommending draconian changes to our benefits as they exist under current laws and regulations. They also want to place extreme legal constraints on the ability of arbitrators to grant wage and benefits increases. Please read my article in the next Mountaineer for more information about this potentially devastating initiative.

The Denver Metro APWU has received information that costs doubts upon the impact of PARS on CFS staffing. Several years ago, when the Postal Service announced the impending arrival of PARS, local union officials were informed that CFS staffing would be severely adversely impacted. Based upon this information, the union agreed to allow CFS staffing to reduce through attrition, and to permit the backfilling of vacancies with non-career employees such as TE’s and casuals.

We are currently investigating the issue of casual usage in the Denver office. In accordance with the National Agreement, casuals may not be “employed” in lieu of career employees. We are focusing on casual usage at the Denver Mail Processing Annex and in CFS.

• The Mailhandler’s union is investigating the spreading mail at Denver Stations and branches. You may see Mailhandler union officials in your office over the next several weeks or months. If a dispute is initiated relative to work jurisdiction, it will go through a tripartite process involving the NPMHU, APWU and the USPS.    Administrative Aide Sandra Carruthers and Field Coordinator Steve Claeson very capably represent the Denver Metro APWU in this dispute resolution process.
• Jim Elliott has resigned as Sergeant at Arms effective February 28, 2005. I will nominate someone to take his place at the next Executive Board meeting on March 18, 2005. Many thanks go to Jim for his service as an officer and a steward for our local. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
• We have received notice that APPS implementation has been “officially” re-scheduled for October 8, 2005. It is unclear whether this date will hold.
• There is no new information relative to the re-structuring and/or possible closure of the Denver Air Mail Center at this time. 
• The March regular Membership Meeting has officially been re-scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM on Saturday, March 19, 2005. Please mark your calendar now and plan to be there!