The following is the latest official information from our national president about the status of contract negotiations:

APWU President William Burrus has told union members that progress toward an agreement had been made, but that “important issues remain that have not been finalized.” The parties will continue discussions on Nov. 21. “The terms of the new contract are too important to rush agreement because of an artificial deadline,” he said.

The APWU has established a Negotiations Hotline, which will help union members stay abreast of late breaking developments regarding bargaining. The toll free number is 800-992-APWU or 800-992-2798. Updates will be made as events warrant. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expired Nov. 20^th.

The APWU won a major victory last week when Arbitrator Shyam Das sustained a grievance protesting USPS custodial staffing policies. “This landmark award will help the APWU protect the custodial workforce,” said Maintenance Division Director Steve Raymer. The award, dated Nov. 16, requires postal management to rescind the Maintenance Staffing Handbook (MS-47) issued in 2001, which outlined new staffing procedures, and reinstate the 1983 version. It also requires the Postal Service to “reinstitute or prepare staffing packages as soon as practicable.” Arbitrator Das remanded discussion of a remedy for the intervening period to the parties, but retained jurisdiction if the parties are unable to agree on that portion of the remedy. The union’s grievance protested the revised MS-47, which eliminated the use of staffing standards based on cleaning frequencies and implemented a staffing policy based upon budget considerations. Performance standards were not changed, but previously-used staffing documents were replaced with budget worksheets.

Good news for those raising money for APWU COPA, the union’s Committee on Political Action: The number of allotments allowed from employee paychecks through PostalEASE each pay period has been increased from two to three. Approximately 2,000 union members currently give to COPA on a regular basis through small allotments from each paycheck. Some members, however, have been unable to make COPA contributions in this manner because they already had two payroll allotments established (for example, to a credit union account and to make supplemental insurance payments). The increase in the number of PostalEASE allotments will permit many more union members to contribute to COPA on a regular basis. “These ongoing contributions are essential to maintaining a strong political action fund,” said APWU President William Burrus. “Contributing through PostalEASE makes it convenient for union members to donate a modest amount every payday, and provides a steady source of income for the union’s political action program.

APWU Western Region Coordinator Omar Gonzalez reports that the fate of Denver’s Air Mail Center (AMC) remains in doubt. Several Western Region AMCs have received specific notice of closure dates as follows: Phoenix – November 11, 2006; Tucson – early 2007; Reno – November 2006; Portland – early 2007; and Spokane early 2007. Denver, Seattle and Salt Lake City AMCs do not have tentative closure date at this time. However, this should not be regarded as an indication that these facilities will not be slated for closure in the near future. Local management believes Denver’s AMC will be closed some time during 2007. These closures are being driven by management’s desire to eliminate the expense of leasing facilities to house Terminal Handling Service (THS) operations. The intention is to sublease space at AMCs to THS and perform the same work formerly handled at leased facilities. Operations formerly handled at AMCs have, for the most part, been moved to nearby plants. In Denver, such work has been transferred to the General Mail Facility.

The DMAL conducted Intermediate Steward Training on November 15 – 17, 2006 for eight DMAL stewards. The agenda included numerous exercises geared to understanding a violation and preparing and conducting an investigation. The eight DMAL stewards Tim Feuerstein, Muriel Ponder, Brenda Dreith, Al Barker, Terry Moody, Robert Helmig, Tyler Falduto and Mark Kirby were joined by Aurora Steward Shelly Alvarado and BMC Stewards Jack McHam, Cipriano Montoya, Jesse Overton and Rick Daniels. This was the first training the DMAL has conducted to include stewards from outside our local.

Now that the national elections are over, I would like to thank all the people who made my job as APWU release staff much easier and enjoyable. Most of the people mentioned are those who either walked or made phone calls. I want to thank our local officers, Dennis Enderson, Gary Scott and Paul Pearman for making the hall available for several walks and for the generous donations of food and money as well. Those who volunteered to walk or to make phone calls are Miguel Salazar, Carolyn Molock-Shipp, Sandy Garcia, Rudy Apodaca and his wife Mary, Bonnie Hollomon, Bobby Rollins, Sonda Goss, Gail Kirby, Anita Hicks, Bill Knuth and of course, Tina and Phil Desautels. If I have overlooked any volunteer, it is inadvertent. 

Denver Metro APWU Maintenance Craft Steward Muriel Ponder has suggested that we start printing the names that are drawn at our monthly union meetings of members who, if present, would receive a cash door prize. I think this is an excellent idea and we will begin this time by sharing with you the names that were drawn at both the October and November meetings. None of those members were present. If they had been, they could have won either $200 in October or $225 in November! As you can see, this is not chump change!