DMAL Executive Board Votes to
Recommend to the Membership
an Endorsement of Burrack Obama
For Democratic Primary Candidate
by Gary Scott, President
On February 22, 2008, at the DMAL Executive Board meeting, discussion and vote occurred to recommend to the General Membership to endorse Barrack Obama for Democratic Party Primary Candidate. Please plan on attending the Membership Meeting on February 27, 2008, to voice your opinion on whether to become the first APWU Local in the country to endorse a candidate.
Where Do I Park?
by Robert Helmig, Director Motor Vehicle Craft
The issue of parking at the GMF is now a reality with the start of construction to expand the building to accommodate the FSS Automation, due to be installed in August 2009. Within the next month, mobilization and earth work will begin. A few key milestone dates are:
A. Building under roof August 2008
B. Building systems start up November 2008
C. Project complete December 2008, with FSS’s installations to begin August 2009.
The total number of existing parking spaces before the fences went up was 1695. The total number of parking spaces lost will be 561. Total parking when construction is complete will be 1335. Management does have contingencies in case additional parking will be needed, which we expect. The Finance Station parking lot could reveal 30 additional spaces. The Administration Building parking on Tour 2 has 240 spaces, and temporary Christmas parking using recycled road base in the area east of Driver Training, could exceed 240 spaces for a total contingency parking of 510 spaces. The Auxiliary VMF parking lot located just south of the south dock and west of the Auxiliary VMF could open up for MVS personnel as well.
Suggestions, questions and inquiries are being solicited by postal management in an attempt to keep this inconvienence to a minimum. The GMF parking committee, which includes DMAL members will keep you informed as we proceed.
Coming Soon…
Reposting of Jobs in Customer Services
by Gary Scott, President
Management has begun to notify clerk craft employees throughout the District of changes being made to their work assignments. In Denver, approximately ten clerks have been targeted for changes in SDO’s, which will require those jobs to be reposted installation-wide. A smaller number of clerks have been told of changes in their BT by as much as two hours. The union has initiated efforts to minimize these actions, but so far to no avail. The reasons being given by Denver management are:
1. All craft members working on Sunday are no longer necessary.
2. Increase the number of SSA’s on Saturday in most every station.
3. Eliminate all overtime.
A number of Associate Offices have involved the DMAL in advance and joint sessions continue to minimize impact to the craft. Wheat Ridge has completed their overhaul with minimal reposting. Golden is currently under advisement. Greeley changes are close to resolvement that hopefully will not create much change for now. Brighton meetings occurred this week and changes seem inevitable. Calls from Associate Offices continue while we are out discussing pending situations. We will communicate to all openly and honestly as to the contract protections afforded depending on the facts.
Custodial Employees to
Share in Long-Awaited Remedy
Union Wins $48 Million Settlement
In MS-47 Handbook Grievance
Jan. 30, 2008 (APWU News Bulletin Vol. 38, No. 1)
The APWU and the Postal Service finalized a $48 million payout Jan. 29th to “remedy” the USPS violation of staffing procedures for custodial employees. The settlement will be in the form of lump-sum payments of $2,700 to more than 17,000 employees occupying custodial positions. Payment will be made by April 18, 2008.
The settlement is the culmination of a Nov. 16, 2006, arbitration victory in which Shyam Das ordered the USPS to rescind Handbook MS-47, Housekeeping Postal
Facilities, issued in 2001, and to reinstate the 1983 version. The 2001 handbook had revised custodial staffing procedures. Arbitrator Das remanded discussion of the remedy for the violation to the parties, and the $48 million settlement is the result.
“The 2006 award was the third in a series of national level awards since 2002 that have helped us to better protect the custodial workforce,” said Maintenance Division Director Steve Raymer. “But we were frustrated in our efforts to secure an appropriate remedy for our members for the improper staffing policies that management instituted via the defunct 2001 handbook. Finally, after more than a year of intense negotiations, we have achieved our goal.”
In October 2001, the APWU filed a national-level grievance protesting the revised MS-47, which eliminated the use of staffing standards based on cleaning frequencies and implemented a staffing policy based upon budget considerations. Previously used staffing documents were replaced with budget worksheets.
“We were extremely gratified by the original arbitration award, which was critical to the job security of custodial employees,” said APWU President William Burrus. “And I commend Maintenance Craft Director Steve Raymer for aggressively pursuing this substantial remedy.”
Some Custodial Employees To
Receive Arbitration Payment This Week
APWU Web News Article #16-08, Feb. 20, 2008
The APWU has been notified by the Postal Service that approximately half of the eligible custodial employees will receive their share of a recent $48 million dollar settlement this payday, on Feb. 22, 2008. Each eligible employee will receive $2,700. The remainder of more than 17,000 eligible employees will receive their portion of the award one pay period later, on March 7, 2008.
The agreement, finalized on Jan. 29, settled the remedy portion of a national-level grievance. It is the culmination of a Nov. 16, 2006, arbitration victory in which Shyam Das ordered the USPS to rescind Handbook MS-47, Housekeeping Postal Facilities, issued in 2001, and to reinstate the 1983 version. The 2001 handbook had revised custodial staffing procedures.
The Jan. 29 settlement required the USPS to make payment no later than April 18.
USPS Notifies Union of Payroll Glitch
APWU Web News Article #15-08, Feb. 14, 2008
Pay increases associated with the Feb. 16 upgrades will be reflected in March 7 paychecks, but the USPS has informed the APWU that the new level adjustments have not been implemented because the Postal Service has failed to complete the necessary computer programming.
Employees will receive the value of the upgrade, but postal records will continue to indicate that employees are assigned to their former level. For example, an employee who was due to be upgraded from Level 5 to Level 6 on Feb. 16 will receive the value of the upgrade in his or her pay, but the employee’s Form 50 and pay stub will indicate the employee is assigned to Level 5.
The Postal Service expects the programming to be completed by Pay Period 10-2008, when Forms 50 and pay statements will reflect the correct grade assignments. Pay Period 10 begins on April 26; the pay date is May 16.
“There is absolutely no excuse for the Postal Service’s failure to complete this project on time,” said APWU President William Burrus. “The 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement was signed on March 29, 2007. It is unacceptable that the programming required to implement the terms of the agreement is incomplete more than 11 months later.
“I have expressed my dissatisfaction directly to the postmaster general. Apparently, his intervention was insufficient to correct the problem in the short time that remained.” A letter prepared by the USPS has been mailed to APWU-represented employees, explaining that the pay increases reflect a one-level upgrade, but, due to computer programming difficulties, numerical level adjustments will be made in Pay Period 10-2008.
On payday, March 7: A notation indicating “Upgrade” will appear on the earnings statement for Pay Period 5 (Feb. 16-29, 2008); the pay of employees who were upgraded from Grade 1 and Grade 9 (approximately 250 employees) will reflect an upgrade based on the old pay scale. When the programming is complete, the salary to which these employees were upgraded on Feb. 16 will be eliminated, and they will be slotted in the correct, higher grade. Employees who were upgraded from Grades 3 and 7 will move into pay grades with shorter waiting periods. Because employees carry their waiting time, an adjustment will have to be made in the due-date for the next step increase for these employees. Some employees in these groups may be eligible for an immediate move to the next step. These step increases will not take place on Feb. 16, but will be accomplished by Pay Period 10, along with any necessary retroactive pay adjustments.
Corrected Forms 50 will be executed for all employees once reprogramming of the payroll system has been completed. In the unlikely event that any employees have been overpaid, the Postal Service has agreed, at the union’s request, to waive collection of the overpayment.
Despite the appearance of the erroneous grades on pay documents and Forms 50, postings inviting bids and applications, as well as award notices, will use the correct pay grades. “We will work with the Postal Service to ensure that no APWU member is adversely affected by the programming delay,” Burrus said, “and that the upgrades we negotiated will be accurately reflected in all postal records as soon as possible.
Review Your PAR Sheets NOW!
by Tino Valle, Director Maintenance Craft
By now, everyone at the Denver P&DC, Aurora MPA, and the Holly Building should be aware that construction has began for the FSS machines that will soon arrive at the Denver P&DC. Some maintenance employees may not have taken into consideration that management must increase staffing to accommodate FSS operations.
How does this affect you? Many have been in the same duty assignment for years. Others have been on Promotion Eligibility Registers (PER’s) for years waiting for, or declining, promotions. All maintenance employees need to be aware that management will be promoting as many individuals from various PER’s as possible.
If you don’t want the nasty “surprise” of being moved or promoted out of your preferred duty assignment, you need to review your current Preferred Assignment Register (PAR) sheet to ensure it reflects where you want to be within the maintenance craft. Any promotions you may be selected for can be withdrawn in accordance with Article 38.5.A.11.
This notice applies to all maintenance occupational groups.
Latest CPI Increase
Means $479 Annual Pay Hike
by APWU Web News Article #18-08, February 21, 2008
The Consumer Price Index rose in January, the last month of the most recent six-month Cost-of-Living measuring period under the 2006 National Agreement. The rise in the CPI gives APWU represented employees an annual raise of $479.
The Cost-of-Living Adjustment will be effective March 15, and will be reflected in April 4 paychecks (pay period 07-08). The adjustment will amount to a 23-cent per hour increase, or $18.40 per pay period. The January index represents the completion of the third (of eight) six-month COLA measuring periods in the 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
“Cost of living adjustments demonstrate the value of our contract and the strength of our union”, said APWU President William Burrus. “Coming just one month after across-the-board upgrades, the COLA means our members will enjoy a substantial increase in pay over a short period of time”. APWU members who began the year at Level 5 Step O will realize an increase of more than $1,700 per year as a result of the upgrade and the March COLA.
There will be five more COLA adjustments under the 2006 National Agreement. After receiving no adjustment a year ago, employees received a $686 raise on September 1, 2007. With the latest adjustment, the COLA raises in the current contract have totaled $1,165.
