Lawanda Davis Appointed as
Assistant Clerk Craft Director
by Dennis Enderson, President
We are pleased to announce that Lawanda Davis has been appointed by the Executive Board as our new Assistant Clerk Craft Director. I nominated Lawanda to fill this position at our special Executive Board Meeting on Thursday, March 2, 2006, and she received the unanimous approval of the board. Lawanda fills the vacancy created by the resignation of the previous Assistant Clerk Craft Director, and will serve the remaining part of the three year term until the next officer election in March 2007.
Lawanda brings a wealth of experience to her new officer position. She has served as a steward since 1993, and has represented employees on all three tours in several different facilities. Please join us in congratulating Lawanda and thanking her for accepting this new challenge. We look forward to working closely with Lawanda in her new position during the coming year.
MPA Dock Levelers to be Replaced by Dennis Enderson, President
Denver Metro APWU Safety and Health Coordinator Rick Romero reports that 22 dock levelers at the Denver Mail Processing Annex will be replaced with new devices that will enhance employee safety. The existing levelers will be replaced with Kelly FX pneumatic (air bag) units. Based upon a review of maintenance records, management has scheduled replacements in the following order:
1st Set: 9, 10, 11, 12 | 2nd Set: 36, 37, 38, 39 |
3rd Set: 5, 6, 7, 8 | 4th Set: 40, 41, 42, 43 |
5th Set: 44, 45, 35 | 6th Set: 15, 17 , 33 |
Employees familiar with the current situation are encouraged to review this schedule and give us input with regard to management’s plan. Please forward any questions and/or comments to Rick Romero at 303-365-1524 ext. 423.
Addressing safety issues with these dock levelers has been a high priority for the Denver Metro APWU for quite some time. We appreciate the efforts of everyone who helped bring this issue to a positive resolution.
2006 COPA Progress Report
by Tina Desautels, Political Director/COPA
The COPA Committee is pleased to report that $361.36 was raised for the first two months of this year. $117.00 was raised from the January 50/50 and $122.00 was raised from the February 50/50. I know you’re wondering why this doesn’t add up to the total that was reported. This is because Charlie Fedor won the February drawing and returned his winnings to the COPA fund! Thank you Charlie, you really are a class act!
The March union meeting will kick off our next big event. By popular demand, the next prize will be a Sony 7.2 mega pixel digital camera. 2nd prize will be a Denver Nuggets jacket and 3rd prize will be a limited edition Bronco’s poster. Tickets are $2.00 each and we will be available from your COPA Committee members.
Thank you for your support and we look forward to a great year!
National Convention Delegates Elected
by Deanna Tesone, DMAL Election Committee Chairman
These are the official results of the election of delegates to the 2006 APWU National Convention. The balloting took place at the regular Denver Metro APWU union meeting on Wednesday, February 22, 2006. Three general delegates were elected. Two associate office delegates were unopposed and declared elected after the nominations were made at the regular Denver Metro APWU union meeting on Saturday, January 28, 2006.
General Delegate Results:
Name | Votes |
Robert Helmig | 45 (elected) |
Bobby J. Rollins | 40 (elected) |
Sandy Garcia | 32 (elected) |
Richard D. Romero | 28 (1st alternate) |
Sonda Goss | 23 (2nd alternate) |
Mark R. Kirby | 22 |
Kathy Prusak | 21 |
Bonnie Hollomon | 20 |
James H. Elliott | 6 |
Associate Office Delegates:
(declared elected on January 28, 2006)
Phil Desautels & Joe Quintana
The DMAL is grateful to all those who ran for election as delegates, and to all the members in attendance at the union meeting who voted. Thanks also to all those who volunteered to serve on the election committee.
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Update
In January, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) rose to 577.7. The ninth Cost-Of-Living Adjustment under the extended 2000 National Agreement and the 2000 Operating Services Agreement (the first COLA under the 2005-2006 extension agreements) will be $457 per year. The adjustment amounts to a 22 cents per hour increase, or $17.60 per pay period. The ninth COLA will take effect March 18, 2006 (pay period 07-2006, pay date April 7, 2006).
(Note: The National Agreement specifies that the COLA is effective the second full pay period after the release of the January 2006 index. This web page and the 2006 pay period calendar in the National Agreement previously indicated that the COLA would be effective March 4, 2006 provided the January CPI was released by Feb. 17, 2006. As it turns out, the release occurred on February 22, and the second full pay period following February 22 is PP-07 starting March 18.)
Pay charts reflecting this COLA and the 1.6% pay raise – also effective March 18, 2006 – will be included in the next issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.
Effective with this COLA, employees covered by the 2000 National Agreement and the 2000 Operating Services Agreement will have received the following cost-of-living adjustments totaling $3,078: $457 (March 18, 2006); $728 (Sept. 3, 2005); $208 (March 19, 2005); $624 (Sept. 4, 2004); $208 (March 6, 2004); $291 (Sept. 6, 2003); $250 (March 8, 2003); and $312 (Sept. 7, 2002).
Union Meeting Reminder
by Dennis Enderson, President
Our next regular membership meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM on Saturday, March 25, 2006, at the union office located at 15677 E. 17th Ave. in Aurora. Union meetings are your opportunity to have a voice and a vote in the future of your union. Please plan to attend!
Management Issues
“Mandatory Mystery Shopper Scripts”
by Dennis Enderson, President
Denver Bear Valley clerk craft steward, Connie Archuleta recently provided me with a copy of a document distributed to window clerks called “Denver Post Office Mystery Shopper Script.” Apparently, management is instructing window clerks to read this script verbatim to each and every postal customer. The script walks the clerk through a process of attempting to persuade the customer to utilize more expensive delivery services and to purchase other postal products.
We are deeply concerned about the idea of requiring window clerks to methodically recite a scripted sales pitch to every single customer. We have seen for years how management has cut staffing in customer service offices until we don’t have enough employees to get the work done properly. At the same time, window operations are being understaffed, and management now wants to add another procedure that will further increase customer wait times, probably irritate many patrons and likely won’t do much to improve sales or increase “Mystery Shopper” scores.
If management is seriously concerned about improving service and increasing sales, the best option is to properly staff stations and branches. This would go a long way towards improving morale and allowing window clerks the time they need to speak with customers about postal products.
We have initiated inquiries with national officers about this “script” and we will do everything in our power to protect the interests of our members. In the meantime, please understand direct orders from management must be complied with unless they are clearly unsafe and/or illegal. Please explain to your customers as best you can why you do your job the way you do it, and direct them to your supervisor as appropriate. We will pass along any new information as it becomes available.
Employee Attrition Continues Unabated
by Dennis Enderson, President
Back in January 2000, the Denver office employed about 2300 clerk craft employees. Now, we have a little over 1600 clerks. This represents a loss of about 700 clerks, equating to a 30% decline in clerk staffing. While moderate decreases in mail volume and productivity improvements have compensated for some of these losses, we have also experienced excessive overtime, a big decline in employee morale, and greatly increased workplace stress. Management continues to deny that immediate hiring is needed, instead counting on unrealistic expectations of increased future productivity. Customers all over Denver are filing complaints about excessive wait times in line. Employees at stations and branches are fleeing back to Processing and Distribution to escape the stressful environment they encounter in the field. Non-volunteers are becoming frustrated with mandatory overtime.
The Denver office badly needs an infusion of new employees. If hired now, it would take months to train them so that they become proficient and productive. We hope management will soon accept the reality that it is people who move the mail – not machines. It is quality employees who satisfy our customers – not soulless robots. We need help now. We hope someone is listening!
Colorado Postal Workers
Union Convention Scheduled
by Dennis Enderson, President
The Colorado Postal Workers Union (CPWU) Biennial Convention is scheduled at the Doubletree Hotel in Grand Junction from April 28-30, 2006. The CPWU is the state APWU organization that conducts training seminars and frequently represents “members at large” working in offices without local unions. The Denver Metro APWU is affiliated with the CPWU and we send delegates to each convention. By virtue of office, each Executive Board officer is a delegate to the CPWU Convention. This year there will be a CPWU officer election. As you may know, our own Sonda Goss is the current CPWU Secretary-Treasurer. Our delegates look forward to attending the 2006 convention so we can receive available training and participate in the governance of the state organization.
AFSM 100 Stand-Up Talks to be Scheduled
by Dennis Enderson, President
Clerk Craft Director Brian Thomason is working to schedule stand-up talks with all AFSM 100 employees to discuss issues pertaining to staffing impacts caused by AI and ATHS implementation. We still do not know whether AI is definitely coming, nor have we received any specific information from management as to future staffing impacts. However, we are able to explain and discuss contractual provisions that will apply when staffing changes do happen. These stand-up talks should occur within the next few weeks.
/jd
opeiu #5
afl-cio
