Is This Real or an April Fools Joke?
by Brian Thomason, Director Clerk Craft
If you have been on the workroom floor at the GMF or MPA in the last couple of days, you’ve heard all the rumors of possible changes to jobs. It is NO April Fools joke! Management is up to their old bag of tricks again. They see the need to make more changes to some of the operations at both the GMF and the MPA.
Before I start into the details, let me point something out. The APWU was first notified by management of these possible changes on Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, we were told of more changes and more specifically, that some of these changes were to happen the very next day on Thursday, March 20th! We were not given timely notification so that we could sit across the table with management and discuss the possible changes. We were not told;
Why the changes were to occur and,
A possible timeline, or to give the union time to discuss among ourselves these changes.
The union’s goal is always to find a way to lessen the impact as much as possible to the members. The union was NOT given this opportunity on any of these changes! Thus, this is where we are today.
I feel the need to write this article, along with conducting stand-ups, because management is UNWILLING to stand before you and tell you themselves! They have been asked on two separate occasions by me to meet with craft employees and both times they flatly refused! But, I feel that since the union is aware of these changes coming, that we should share what we know at this point in time with the membership. But please understand that these are management’s changes, NOT the union’s! Your questions of ‘why’ and your anger should be directed at management not the union since this is their grand plan. I guess they don’t want to stand too close to the fire in the kitchen! So you know what they say, “If you can’t stand the heat, get the hell out of the kitchen!”
The first operation to be affected immediately is the Mail Flow operations at both facilities on all three tours.
Tour 1:
Will have minimal change. The change is that six of the eight clerks will have their start time adjusted later by one hour to 2300, so all will have a BT of 2300.
Tour 2:
Has only two clerks and both will be affected. The junior clerk will be excessed and abolished. The senior clerk will have his hours changed from 0500 to 0700 and will report to the GMF every day instead of the MPA.
Tour 3:
Has nineteen (19) mail flow clerks at both the GMF and the MPA combined. Management wants to keep 11 clerks total between the facilities. The senior 11 clerks will be allowed to remain in their bids. There will be eight junior clerks however that will be excessed and abolished. These clerks have already been given letters reassigning them to T-3 Automation at the GMF until further notice. But this is not the end. Management is also proposing to change some of the days off of the remaining clerks as well as their start time to a later report.
Quality Assurance Expeditors:
They have also told us of their desire to excess and abolish four Tour 3 Quality Assurance Expeditors at the GMF. These clerks have already been given reassignment letters on the SAME DAY within hours of the union being first notified! But stay tuned as I believe there is more to come!
SPBS Tour 2:
MPA Management wants to make changes in is the Tour 2 SPBS at the MPA. There are two changes being floated. One is to totally abolish and excess Tour 2 SPBS operation. The other idea being considered rather than abolish and excess the T-2 APBS clerks, is to change the report time from 0700 to 1100 or 1150. Once the union is notified of management’s decision, we will notify the craft.
We remember what it was like under Plant Manager Sam Ruden. I was here and a front line steward during that terrible time. I have to say it was the worst time in our Denver plant history! The total disrespect to all crafts and even his own MDOs and his frontline supervisors was unimaginable. He did what he wanted, when he wanted and the hell with what his own people said or especially, the hell with what thoughts or suggestions the craft had. It was a draconian time in our history here in Denver that no one wants to relive. Sick leave went up, people went out on stress and those glorious numbers that management so badly wants went in the toilet! The unnecessary changes and the lack of respect to all to sit down with both APWU and NPMHU were unjustified and downright wrong!
That was then and this is now. But I feel we are going back to those days again very quickly! The unions are not getting proper timely notifications and an opportunity to sit with management to discuss these changes. It is being told this is how it is, this is when it’s to be done and the hell with the union if they don’t like it. Well Mr. Black, Mr. Fuentes and Mr. Catlin, you will reap what you sow. The clerks nor the union do not take kindly to the total disrespect of your actions! It seems to me you would learn from your mistakes in the past and not repeat them!
I believe that our members have the right to be addressed by their supervisors and MDO’s and Station Managers, and be allowed to ask direct questions as to the business reasons why changes are being proposed before they are affected. There should be dialogue between both craft and the union. These members have families too and when changes are proposed they should have time to prepare, not walk in and be handed a letter and told to report somewhere else the next day. This gentlemen, is what I call total DISRESPECT! Please understandany or all of this information could change and be careful if your decision is to bid out of harms way. No job is safe as long as the volume continues to dry up.
Automatic Disqualification of Diabetics Lifted
APWU Web News Article #14-08, Feb. 13, 2008
Motor Vehicle Services employees won an important pre-arbitration settlement January 31st , when the Postal Service agreed to rescind a policy that prevented insulin-dependent diabetics with valid Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) from operating postal vehicles that weigh 26,001 pounds or more.
As a result of the settlement, insulin-controlled diabetics who hold valid CDLs will not be automatically disqualified from operating such vehicles. Instead, these drivers will undergo individual medical assessments to determine if they are qualified to operate postal vehicles.
The settlement agreement resolves case #Q00V-4Q-C05069239, which was filed at the national level on March 7, 2005, as an interpretive dispute. It is the culmination of a long standing disagreement between the APWU and the USPS.
Throughout the dispute, the Postal Service claimed that management’s policy was based on applicable provisions of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Administration regulations (49 CFR 391.41). However, in July 2005, Congress passed legislation that enabled insulin-treated diabetics to drive commercial vehicles.
The APWU has been fighting to protect the rights of diabetics and other MVS employees with medical conditions for more than a decade. During the 1990s, much of the focus was on establishing appropriate procedures for resolving differing opinions between employees’ physicians and the USPS. The procedures remain in effect.
1767’s
Connie Archuleta, Safety & Health Representative for the Denver Stations
First off I would like to introduce myself, for I have taken on the safety and health issues as your APWU representative for the Denver stations. It is my understanding there has not been a representative for the Denver stations ever and I can already tell it will be quite an undertaking.
I have already been to a Labor/Management Safety Meeting and a serious accident review panel for a member who recently hit his head after falling on ice. I know there are a lot of things we in customer service put up with on a daily basis and we need to look out after ourselves and practice safe ways to handle the mail every day. If we get hurt it can and probably will be considered our fault. I have been working in customer service at the Bear Valley Station since November 1993 and have been a steward here since May of 1997. I am a Sales and Service Associate and a distribution zone 32 clerk, day off floater. I have done every job here at this station except one.
Second off, our first line of defense is a Form 1767. If you are not familiar with this form, it is what management gives us as a tool to report any unsafe condition and needs to be available at all times in a neutral location so everyone has access to one. It can be filled out anonymously or not and has to be responded to in 24 hours after it is submitted. I know that many of these forms do not make it down to the safety office for review so if I know one is put in, I can keep track of it and the supervisor will know that it is going further than their circular file. I will have a hold-out at the union hall and you need to make a copy of the front because the employee gets the last copy and of course by then, you can’t read it. Also, you can make a copy of it after the supervisor has responded so I will know what action has been taken, if any.
You can fax these to the union hall at 303-365-0096 or mail it to: 15677 E. 17th Ave. Aurora, CO 80011. If I know one has been put in, I can monitor them and address them at quarterly meetings or with the appropriate management representatives. If you have any comments or questions, my extension at the union hall is 330. If you want to report an unsafe condition or practice at your station, you need to fill out a 1767!!
Colorado AFL-CIO Special
Constitution Convention
by Sonda Goss, Executive Vice-President
On Friday, March 28th, seven DMAL delegates will be attending a one day special Colorado AFL-CIO 26th Constitutional Convention in Denver. As many of you know, they have been under Trusteeship for nearly a year. President Sweeney of the National AFL-CIO has directed that several issues and steps be addressed before terminating the Trusteeship. Part of that is to adopt a new structure that must be reflective in Constitutional changes.
The proposed Constitutional changes, in addition to the structural changes, reflect new accountability measures and renewed solidarity for all Colorado unions. Although the proposed Constitution has been pre-approved by President Sweeney, the Advisory Council and Trustees, the debate on these changes will be very lively to say the least.
Please Attend the Labor 2008 Kick-Off
by Sonda Goss, Executive Vice-President
The Colorado AFL-CIO, in cooperation with IBEW Local 68, will be hosting the Colorado Labor 2008 Kick Off at the IBEW Local 68 Union Hall at 5660 Logan Street on Saturday, March 29th, from 9:00 AM to noon. Among those speaking at this rally will be:
*National APWU Secretary/Treasurer Terry Stapleton
*Richard Trumka, National AFL-CIO Secretary/Treasurer *Joan Fitz-Gerald, Congressional Candidate District 2.
There will be most of Colorado’s Elected State House and Senate Democrats in attendance. In addition, many National Congress and Senate members may attend.
This is an excellent opportunity for our members to win political power and defeat outside interests’ attack on the labor movement. We need to show our support for labor friendly candidates by attending this function. Only through large numbers can we impress upon our leadership that we are serious about improving working families’ lives in this country. We encourage all of you to attend this important event and look forward to seeing you on the 29th!
DMAL Headquarters Telephones
Down for 20 Hours
by Sonda Goss, Executive Vice-President
On Wednesday, at approximately 2:00 PM, we experienced a major power surge and outage that caused our phones to malfunction. Telephone calls were dropped and our voice mail system was inoperable. We are asking that any members who were attempting to contact us during this period accept our apologies for the inconvenience and please call back!
/jd
opeiu #5
afl-cio
