PTF Conversion Milestone Reached in Denver
by Dennis Enderson, President
We are pleased to announce that on Saturday, February 4, 2006, the last four Part Time Flexible Clerks in the Denver office will be converted to full time regular status. This means that, for the first time in recent history, the Denver Post Office will have no Part Time Flexible Clerk Craft employees! When the current group of officers took office in March of 2004, we decided that our local would place a heavy emphasis on PTF conversions, with a goal of achieving zero Part Time Flexible employees by the end of our current terms of office. When we began, there were 65 PTF Clerks. Through a variety of methods, we have succeeded in chipping away at this list until it was exhausted. This was a huge task that required the efforts of many union officials too numerous to mention. I know we all join together in thanking everyone who played a part in achieving this important milestone. I also thank the Postal Labor representatives and managers who worked in good faith with the union to bring justice to these employees. Special thanks go to Senior Plant Manager Roland Fuentes for honoring the contract and doing the right thing.
Progress Report on PTF
Conversions Local-Wide
by Dennis Enderson, President
Motor Vehicle Craft Director Fred Morin reports that there are only two remaining Part Time Flexible Tractor Trailer Operators in the MVS Craft. This represents significant progress towards our goal of an all Full Time Regular work force in all crafts and in all offices within our local’s jurisdiction. We will continue to push for the conversion of the remaining two PTF TTO’s.
Over the past year and a half, the Denver Metro Area Local APWU has succeeded in converting 99 Part Time Flexible employees to full time regular status! This includes employees in Denver, Golden, Westminster, Evergreen, Greeley, Englewood, Longmont, Brighton, Boulder, Castle Rock and Lyons. Grievances are pending in several additional offices where management is stubbornly resisting PTF conversions.
Our thanks go out to all of the union officials who have contributed to our outstanding success with PTF conversions. While we are gratified with our progress, there is still work to be done. We will not rest until every PTF makes regular.
Santa Calls
by Paul Pearman, DIR
Once again the APWU’s efforts in assisting Santa in calling our member’s children was a huge success. 72 Children in all received a call from Santa.
Those working the switch board ensuring each child received their call were Clerk Craft Director Brian Thomason, Maintenance Craft Director Miguel Salazar and the long time Santa switch board director Ric Lopez.
Denver CFS Mail Diverted
to Colorado Springs
by Dennis Enderson, President
The Denver Metro APWU has received notice that up to 50,000 pieces per day of Denver CFS mail will be diverted to Colorado Springs on a sporadic basis. The stated purpose for this diversion is to reduce overtime in Denver by more fully utilizing Colorado Springs’ PARS system. The Postal Automated Redirection System (PARS) captures “undeliverable as addressed” mail at the first machine handling and re-directs it to the correct destination. This system greatly reduces the need for CFS processing. Colorado Springs received its PARS system last year. Denver’s PARS deployment has been delayed several years and is currently scheduled for the summer of 2006.
Denver Postmaster Selwyn Epperson has publicly stated that this diversion of Denver’s mail to Colorado Springs is a temporary change, and is not a prelude to career staffing reductions in the Denver office. In fact, even when PARS is fully deployed in Denver, we will begin receiving mail from surrounding areas that should result in a staffing increase in the Denver CFS unit. Regardless of any rumors to the contrary, the Denver Metro APWU is convinced that CFS is a relatively “safe” place to bid that will provide an excellent degree of job stability for the foreseeable future.
Denver MPA Job Realignments
Still on Schedule
by Dennis Enderson, President
Despite the current surge of mail caused by the impending rate increase, there are no plans to delay the January 21, 2006 staffing realignments caused by APPs deployment at the Denver MPA. Clerk Craft employees are understandably upset by their ongoing instructions to perform Mailhandler duties while management beefs up Mailhandler staffing in the run-up to January 21st. Some employees believe that this somehow confers ownership of these Mailhandler duties to the Clerk Craft. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. Craft jurisdiction over these duties is a fully settled issue that cannot be altered at the local level, even in the face of continued craft-crossing violations. The NPMHU is correctly filing appropriate grievances and achieving monetary remedies for these violations. We fully understand that clerks at the Denver MPA are very frustrated and upset about losing their current duty assignments, and that they want union officials to push for the retention of clerk craft positions to perform these duties. The pursuit of this issue would be pointless, and cannot be done. The only duties in dispute are the actual operation of APPs. A national level grievance has been filed and is awaiting an arbitration date. The successful adjudication of this grievance is the only way that clerk craft jobs will be created to operate and support the APPs machine.
We are going through a very difficult and tumultuous transition period. The anger and frustration of the impacted employees is only natural and very understandable. However, the union has done everything in its power to enforce the contract and protect the interests of all APWU employees. We have received unequivocal assurances from management that the January 21, 2006 implementation date is rock solid, and that sufficient Mailhandler staffing will be in place to effectuate the transition.
This situation has come about because of the natural progression of automation implementation. There is nothing that could be done that has not been done to soften the blow to impacted employees. All we can do is ask for your patience and understanding as we continue to work through these changes, and the many more changes to come in the months and years ahead.
Union Meeting Schedule for 2006
by Dennis Enderson, President
In accordance with the local’s Constitution and By-Laws, our regular Membership Meetings for 2006 are scheduled as follows:
Saturday Meetings (9:00 AM – 11:00 AM) | Wednesday Meetings (5:00 PM – 7:00 PM) |
January 28th | February 22nd |
March 25th | April 26th |
May 27th | June 28th |
September 23rd | October 25th |
November 25th | |
Food will be served at each meeting. Please mark your calendar now and plan to attend as many meetings as you can!
Convention Delegate Nominations
at January Union Meeting
by Dennis Enderson, President
The 2006 APWU National Convention is scheduled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from August 14-18, 2006. The Denver Metro Area Local APWU delegate election will occur at the regular membership meeting on Wednesday, February 22, 2006 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Nominations for this election will be accepted at the membership meeting on Saturday, January 28, 2006 beginning at 9:00 AM. There are a total of five delegate slots for which nominations will be accepted. Any member in good standing from any craft may be nominated to run for one of three general delegate slots. The remaining two delegate slots are reserved for members in good standing from any craft who are actively employed in an Associate Office under the jurisdiction of the local.
The acceptance of nominations and the delegate election will be conducted in accordance with the local’s Constitution and By-Laws, and will be supervised by the Election Committee chaired by Louisville steward Deanna Tesone.
If you have interest in serving as a convention delegate, please ensure that your name is placed into nomination at the union meeting on January 28, 2006.
REC Site Dispute Resolved
APWU Web News Article #02-06, Jan. 5, 2006
A long-standing dispute between the Postal Service and the APWU regarding the use of Transitional Employees to the detriment of career part-time flexible employees at Remote Encoding Centers (REC) was resolved late last year. The settlement, dated Dec. 21, 2005, requires that the USPS “cease and desist” from the practice, and awarded payment to affected PTFs not to exceed a total of $500,000.
The national union provided the USPS with names of PTFs who are eligible for payment. The amount that will be paid to individuals depends on the extent of the violations and the degree of harm to the PTFs.
The Postal Service had taken the position that Article 7 did not cover — and therefore did not protect — PTFs who work in REC sites.
Under the agreement, USPS REC site management will immediately begin to apply Article 7.1.C.2: “Over the course of a pay period, the Employer will make a reasonable effort to ensure that qualified and available part-time flexible employees are utilized at straight-time rate prior to assigning such work to transitional employees working in the same work location on the same floor.”
The APWU national office will provide the USPS with the name and pay location of every affected PTF. Because the Postal Service has agreed to stop violating Article 7 at REC sites, the union has agreed to “withdraw any and all grievances with the same or similar issue.”
USPS Realignment Plans Spark Controversies
Consumers, Postal Workers
Express Concerns About 'Consolidation'
APWU Web News Article #01-06, Jan. 3, 2006
Postal Service announcements of plans to consolidate “some operations” at mail processing facilities around the country have generated interest in the press, as well as among elected officials and consumers. The reviews are almost universally unfavorable.
The deterioration of customer service, the demise of historical postmarks, and the dislocation of citizens important to local economies are issues that seem to resonate with the media, legislators, and the public.
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