DENVER METRO APWU LAUNCHES 2004 ORGANIZING DRIVE
by Dennis Enderson, President
The Denver Metro APWU is launching a membership organizing drive for the remainder of 2004. Our goal is to provide significant incentives to inspire every one of our members to ask every non-member in our local to join the union. The Executive Board unanimously approved this drive at our meeting on Friday, May 14, 2004. The rules for the Organizing Drive are as follows:
ORGANIZING DRIVE 2004
1. Establish $100 “bounty” for any member who signs up a non-member.
2. Drive runs from date adopted until 12/31/04
3. At the end of the drive, top recruiters receive prizes based upon total number of non-members signed up as follows: a. 1st Prize - $500 b. 2nd Prize - $300 c. 3rd Prize - $100 d. (In case of a tie, prize money is added together for as many positions as necessary and divided equally.)
4. Any recruiter who signs up at least 10 new members will also receive their choice of up to $200 worth of union merchandise (or cash if preferred).
5. In order to count for prizes, new members signed up must appear on the latest non-member list as published by the local. (Orientation signups do not count)
6. While the $100 “bounty” may be collected by a new member signing up himself/herself, such signups do not count towards the prizes in items #3 and #4 above.
7. Recruiters receive credit by placing a note with the form 1187 prior to turning it in for processing by the local office.
8. Recruiters may allow the new member to receive the $100 “bounty” and still receive credit towards other prizes by placing a note with the form 1187.
9. New members signed up during the drive will have their names placed in a drawing to receive $100 worth of APWU merchandise of their choice. (This drawing will occur at the conclusion of the drive.)
10. At each union meeting during the drive, there will be two drawings held among that month’s new members and that month’s recruiters. One person from each group will receive one item of union merchandise valued up to $50. (Must be present to win.)
Please request copies of the union sign up forms (Form 1187) from your union steward. Completed forms should be returned to your steward, or sent directly to the union office. Please contact me at the union office with any questions or concerns. Thank you in advance for your efforts to help us build a stronger union!
HOUSE COMMITTEE ADOPTS POSTAL REFORM BILL
by William Burrus, National APWU President
The House Government Reform Committee voted unanimously May 12th to approve the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2004. In doing so, it resoundingly rejected the anti-worker and anti-consumer recommendations of the President’s Commission on the US Postal Service.
None of the Bush Commission’s proposals to cut workers wages and benefits were adopted by the House Committee, and a Commission recommendation to authorize large-scale post office closings was also discarded.
In addition, the committee members voted to prohibit excessive ‘work sharing’ discounts that subsidize the mailing industry; granted the USPS greater flexibility in rate-setting; approved the transfer of military retirement costs of postal veterans to the Treasury Department; approved the release of retirement funds from escrow; and embraced the principle of uniform rates. These were all issues the APWU had identified as crucial to meaningful postal reform.
The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee released a “discussion draft” of its postal reform bill on May 12th as well. Although the union is withholding judgment on the Senate bill until we have analyzed it further, we have serious concerns about several provisions. We are especially concerned by proposals that would gut OWCP, and those that would continue excessive postage discounts.
Our fight is far from over, and we must remain vigilant. Please continue to monitor the APWU website for updates, and be prepared to contact your elected representatives.
APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR STEWARD APPRENTICES
by Brian Thomason, Clerk Craft Director
The APWU is accepting new applications from members on Tours 1 and 3 at the GMF who want to be APWU stewards. This application can be obtained from the stewards office. Please return the application to Clerk Craft Director Brian Thomason. You can contact me at ext. 176 with any questions or concerns.
AUTOMATED PACKAGE AND PARCEL SORTER APPS DEPLOYMENT DATE DELAYED UNTIL APRIL 2005
by Sandy Carruthers, Administrative Aide
Management has notified the union that the new deployment schedule for the Automated Package and Parcel Sorter (APPS) at the MPA starts installation on April 11, 2005 with acceptance scheduled for May 20, 2005. SPBS bids will continue to be posted. We will keep you informed of staffing impacts and any changes making the deployment later as information becomes available.
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JULY 31, 2004 by Dennis Enderson, President
Due to a delay in publishing the notice about the 2004 Denver Metro APWU Moe Biller Scholarship Awards, the membership voted at the regular membership meeting on Saturday, May 15, 2004 to extend the deadline for submitting applications from June 30, 2004 until July 31, 2004. Please see the upcoming Mountaineer for full details about these scholarship awards. Good luck to all who apply!
MSDP UPDATE
by Miguel Salazar, Maintenance Craft Director
In a Labor Management Meeting with Nimrod Salazar it was revealed that the Maintenance Skills Development Program has been moved again to the 28th of June. We also discussed the other variables such as how the other craft employees would be contacted and released for this training. Though many of the issues have been discussed, we will meet again to continue working toward another successful program. The week of June 7th the employees and their supervisors should be notified of their selection into the program. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at 303-365-1524 ext. 120.
MVS LABOR MANAGEMENT MEETING REPORT
by Paul Pearman, DIR
Craft Director Fred Morin and I had a meeting on May 12th with Tom Martin. Many concerns were expressed and the topic of subcontracting was obviously the top priority. While we did not get too detailed at this time, we did express the unions position on subcontracting. Tom Martin told us the new 11 tons have been ordered and should be arriving in September. They will be a one-for-one trade out with the existing nine tons.
HUMAN RELATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT
by Phil Desautels, Director Human Relations Committee
The Human Relations Committee recently held its first meeting. The energy level was very high. The main sub-committees are: OWCP, EAP/Member Counseling, EEO, Community Activities/Union Events and Union Outreach Groups. There will also be a directory compiled for referrals if anyone needs assistance from Federal/State Agencies. Please bear in mind that we are still in the planning stages and some things are a long way from being put into place. I would like to thank the members that have contacted me expressing an interest. We are seeking as many people as possible to help. If I haven’t contacted you yet, it means I can’t reach you with the information given. Please call the union hall at 303-365-1524 and leave your information with Rita or Jean. We need someone to head the sub-committees in Community Activities/Union Events and Union Outreach Groups.
If you need assistance in OWCP, contact myself at 303-365-1524 ext. 339. EAP, contact Sandy Carruthers at 303-365-1524 ext. 133. EEO, contact Tina Desautels at 303-365-1524 ext. 137.
MEMBERS VOTE TO CREATE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND
by Dennis Enderson, President
At the regular union meeting on Saturday, May 15, 2004, our membership voted to create an employee Emergency Assistance Fund. The local will donate to the fund and sponsor union fund raisers to create additional resources. This fund will be available to assist our members in times of need. The fund will be managed by Labor’s Community Agency, an affiliate of the Colorado AFL- CIO. Once the fund is established, members will be able to petition the LCA Committee for assistance. The LCA Committee will apply strict objective guidelines relative to the distribution of these funds.
THE UNION MARCHES ON
by Dennis Enderson, President
The union has successfully addressed a number of issues over the past several weeks. These include:
Management has agreed to convert the top four senior part-time flexible clerks in the Denver office to full-time regular status over the next few months. We will carefully monitor and aggressively pursue the issue of PTF conversions in the future in every office and every craft throughout our local.
Denver plant management has agreed to a process for handling situations in which employees call in on the last few days of a pay period and subsequently fail to provide requested documentation. Rather than automatically docking future employee paychecks, management has agreed to issue Letters of Demand until employees are given an opportunity to challenge alleged failure to provide documentation.
Management and the union have agreed to a process for distributing the $90,000 grievance settlement payment reported in the last Express Bulletin. (This payment was received as the result of a grievance our local filed protesting a management decision to subcontract transportation work to THS Matheson.)
Management has agreed to re-open and staff PEDC at the Denver GMF on weekends after earlier indicating it would be closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
PLEASE BE AWARE
by Dennis Enderson, President
The members voted unanimously to endorse the Senate candidacy of Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar at the regular membership meeting on Saturday, May 15, 2004.
Newly elected Motor Vehicle Director Fred Morin was sworn into office at the May 15, 2004 regular union meeting. We look forward to working closely with Fred over the next three years.
The Union Membership Appreciation Picnic is now firmly scheduled to occur on Sunday, September 12, 2004 from 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM at Clement Park in Littleton, Colorado. We will soon be sending out an announcement letter about the picnic to every member with a request that you RSVP so that we can get an accurate count. Please return your RSVP as soon as possible to help us properly plan for this event. Thank you!
Red Millard was unanimously approved as MVS Craft Trustee at the Executive Board meeting on May 14, 2004.
The next Regular Membership Meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, June 23, 2004. This is your union meeting, so please plant to attend!
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