Blizzard Grievances Settled
by Dennis Enderson, President
We are pleased to report that the grievances we filed seeking additional payments of administrative leave in conjunction with the recent blizzards have been resolved in a comprehensive settlement for the entire city of Denver. You will recall that a major snowstorm began on Wednesday, December 20, 2006. Originally, management agreed to pay administrative leave to impacted employees as follows:
Wednesday, December 20, 2006: Tour 2 employees who left work early due to the storm were compensated for the remainder of their tour; Tour 3 employees who were unable to report due to the storm received eight hours of administrative leave; Tour 1 employees who were unable to report due to the storm (for time card day Thursday, December 21, 2006) received eight hours of administrative leave.
Thursday, December 21, 2006: Tour 2 employees who were unable to report due to the storm received eight hours of administrative leave. Generally speaking, all of these payments applied to employees in all offices throughout the local.
The Denver Metro APWU launched a massive information gathering process to determine whether a grievance should be filed seeking additional payments for impacted employees for both this storm, and the second one that followed a week later. It is important to understand that it is insufficient to demonstrate merely that a storm occurred and large numbers of employees were absent from work. To prevail in an “Act of God” grievance, the union must prove that the event was a true “catastrophe” affecting large numbers of individuals over a wide geographic area. Important factors would include airport closures, orders to stay off public roads, the effectiveness of abatement efforts by local authorities, and the discontinuation of mass transit services such as trains and busses.
After a thorough and comprehensive investigation, we concluded that we could not prove a true “Act of God” catastrophe occurred on the second storm, so this grievance was not pursued. In accordance with the data gathered for the first storm, the parties have agreed to the following settlement:
Thursday, December 21, 2006: Tour 3 employees who were unable to report due to the storm will receive eight hours of administrative leave; Tour 1 employees who were unable to report due to the storm (for time card day Friday, December 22, 2006) will receive eight hours of administrative leave.
Friday, December 22, 2006: Tour 2 employees who were unable to report due to the storm will receive eight hours of administrative leave.
These payments will apply to all employees in the city of Denver, both P&DC and the Stations and Branches. Please note that separate investigations were performed for employees in Associate Offices, and that separate grievances, if any, would be filed in these offices as needed. This is necessary because each Associate Office is a separate installation and must be handled independently. At present, I am unaware of any snowstorm grievances pending in any other offices.
In the Denver settlement, it was further agreed that any unscheduled absences from December 20, 2006 through January 1, 2007 will not be cited in any subsequent disciplinary actions issued to employees.
Many thanks go to all Denver Metro APWU officials who worked hard to gather all of the detailed information necessary to achieve this excellent and very rapid settlement. Special thanks go to Director of Industrial Relations Paul Pearman, who served as case manager. We are now in the process of identifying the employees who will receive these payments. Further information about the timing of any payments will be passed along as soon as it becomes available. Once again, it pays to have a strong and effective union!
“Do Not Mail” Bill Killed
by Dennis Enderson
We are relieved and happy to report that the “Do Not Mail” bill recently introduced in the Colorado House of Representatives has been killed, at least for the current legislative session. Representative Sara Gagliardi has at last recognized the great harm her bill could have caused to small businesses, print shops and, especially, postal workers in Colorado and agreed to withdraw her proposal in its present form.
When we heard about this proposal, the Denver Metro Area Local APWU launched an aggressive drive to persuade all members of the state legislature to oppose it, and we called upon our national office, other postal unions, other APWU locals, the Governor and the Colorado AFL-CIO to aid us in this fight. Many thanks go to Colorado AFL-CIO President Steve Adams and Secretary Treasurer Paul J. Mendrick (also our former president) for their timely and effective efforts on our behalf.
We also thank the editors of the Denver Post and the Rocky Mountain News for their support, along with the communication department of the United States Postal Service. Working together, we were successful in fending off this dangerous attack on our job security. However, while we have won a battle, the war is by no means over. Representative Gagliardi has announced her intention to re-visit this proposal in the future, supposedly after getting more “input”. We will need to remain prepared and vigilant to fight this threat whenever and wherever it resurfaces. Our economic well-being will depend upon what we are willing to do.
Denver P&DC Selected as
Site for Flats Sequencing System (FSS)
Colorado Wyoming District USPS Newsbreak dated March 1, 2007
The Denver Mail Processing and Distribution Center (Denver P&DC) has been selected as one of the sites for the first phase of deployment of the Flats Sequencing System (FSS). The FSS will allow the Postal Service to arrange flats – large mail pieces such as magazines, catalogs and large envelopes – in sequence for carrier delivery using technology and processes similar to those used to automate letters. The FSS includes automated mail preparation, feeding, sweeping, staging and dispatch.
The FSS equipment is designed to sequence flat mail at a rate of approximately 16,500 pieces per hour with two passes. Each machine will be capable of sequencing 280, 500 pieces per day to more than 125,000 delivery addresses. A prototype FSS was installed last year at the Indianapolis, IN, Mail Processing Annex, where it was tested sorting mail in delivery sequence for carriers in that area. Installation of an FSS pre-production machine is scheduled to be completed this summer at the Dulles, VA P&DC. The pre-production machine will be tested and analyzed for approximately one year while optimal methods are identified and standardized.
The Postal Service has identified more than 30 sites that are scheduled to receive the first 100 FSS machines over a two-year period beginning in the summer of 2008. The order of deployment during this first phase has not been finalized. For delivery units, sequenced flats will reduce the time required to case mail and may permit the use of smaller cases which can reduce overcrowding in some offices. During pre-production testing in Dulles, VA work methods may be refined and a determination made if any modifications to LLVs are needed. Based on input from carriers, street trays have been modified to improve ease of removal, reduce reloading frequency, and show better address visibility.
Raises Implemented February 3
APWU Web News Article #13-07, Feb, 20, 2007
The union has been informed that new pay rates for APWU represented employees were implemented in Pay Period 04-2007 and will appear in checks dated February 23. The new implementation date was two pay periods ahead of the date initially promised by the Postal Service.
The new pay rates reflect the 1.3 percent raise negotiated as part of the 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Checks for the back-pay period (from November 25, 2006) will be disbursed at a later date, which the union will publicize as soon as the date is known.
Ballots In the Mail
by Dennis Enderson, President
Your ballot for the Denver Metro Area Local APWU 2007 Officer Election is in the mail. Please take the time to complete and return your ballot so that it will arrive before the March 22, 2007 deadline.
If you have not received your ballot by March 6, 2007, please contact the American Arbitration Association at 303-831-0823 to request a duplicate.
Please make your voice heard! Exercise your democratic right to VOTE!
Snow Shoveling Safety
by Rick Romero ,Denver Metro APWU Safety & Health Coordinator
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network recommend that people keep heart health in mind and “take it easy” when clearing driveways and sidewalks. Here are some facts about shoveling:
Snow shoveling is hard work. The good news is that shoveling snow for 15 minutes qualifies as a moderate physical daily activity recommended by the U.S. Surgeon General. The bad news is that for many sedentary, out of shape Americans, shoveling heavy, wet snow for 10 minutes is equivalent to running on a treadmill to exhaustion. The cold temperatures don’t help, raising blood pressure in people who don’t normally have a blood pressure problem and posing an even greater risk to people with high blood pressure, according to University of Florida researchers. Several easy steps can prevent illness and injuries while shoveling snow in winter. First, anyone who has one of the following conditions should probably not shovel snow without his or her physician’s permission. The list of conditions include:
- A personal or family history of heart disease or asthma
Already sustained a heart attack
A history of back problems
High blood pressure
High cholesterol level
A history of smoking
A history of inactivity
For healthy, active individuals, the Michigan Blues suggest the following guidelines:
Use the right shovel. Shovels with S-shaped handles and non-stick blade surfaces will usually require less effort and minimal bending to move snow. Or, consider pulling the snow out of the way, which requires less exertion.
Avoid stimulants (for example, caffeine and nicotine) that can raise your heart rate and restrict blood vessels. Avoid shoveling immediately after having eaten a large meal.
Warm up and stretch muscles before shoveling, especially in the morning. Muscles are less susceptible to injury during physical activity after a warm-up.
Drink plenty of fluids before and during shoveling to avoid dehydration, but not coffee (see above). Breathing cold air dehydrates the body.
Dress in layers. Wear a scarf or mask and/or goggles. Inhaling cold air may constrict arteries, decreasing your heart’s oxygen supply.
Start slowly to avoid a sudden load on the heart. An average snow shovelful of heavy wet snow weights up to 16 pounds. That means for every 10 minutes of typical shoveling, you’ll be clearing up to 2,000 pounds of white stuff. To lift snow, bend from the knees. Remove heavy snow in two stages. First, skim off the top layer, and then remove the bottom. If snow is too heavy to lift, push it out of the way. Take frequent breaks as needed.
Immediately stop if you feel pain or discomfort. No one knows your body as well as you do.
If you have a lot to shovel, consider hiring a removal service.
If using a snow blower, follow safety precautions completely.
Never attempt to clear a clogged or stuck blade or auger before shutting off the power, and avoid wearing objects that can easily get caught in the blade, such as a long scarf. Before starting, be sure children and others stand clear to avoid being injured by hidden objects thrown into the air. Even using a snow blower will elevate heart rates; so consult your doctor if you have a history of heart problems.
Union Campaign: ‘Organize More Women’
APWU News Bulletin dated February 26, 2007
The APWU is beginning an aggressive campaign to organize more women postal workers.
In a proclamation on Feb. 13, the union’s National Executive Board noted that the membership of women in unions lags behind their representation in the workforce.
The proclamation pointed to the critical role of women in the labor movement and their “unique and powerful role” in the APWU, and called upon “union officers, activists, and members to engage in appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to accomplish this great “undertaking” of increasing the APWU’s female membership. With a launch set to coincide with Women’s History Month, the campaign will begin on March 1.
DE/jd
opeiu #5
afl-cio
