Agreement Reached on
AFSM 100 Re-Staffing Process
by Dennis Enderson, President
The Denver Metro APWU and postal management have negotiated a final agreement on the process of re-staffing the AFSM 100 operation at the Denver GMF in conjunction with the retrofitting of all seven machines with both Automatic Induction (AI) and the Automated Tray Handling Systems (ATHS). We have been reporting for some time that this conversion will result in the transfer of most clerk jobs in this operation to the Mailhandler craft, based upon a headquarters level jurisdictional decision by management that has been grieved by the national APWU. Unfortunately this will trigger the need to excess and abolish over 70 clerk craft employees from the AFSM 100 unit across all three tours. In effect, six of the seven formerly clerk craft positions on each machine will be transferred to the Mailhandler craft, with one clerk remaining to work the Feeder Station on each AFSM 100 machine.
The terms of the re-staffing agreement are as follows:
1. A total of 39 AFSM 100 Clerk Craft duty assignments will be retained, with 11 on Tour 2 and 14 on both Tour 3 and Tour 1.
2. Some senior employees remaining on each tour will need to bid in-section for new scheduled days off caused by operational changes. This process will occur on each tour beginning next week.
3. Excessed employees will receive letters notifying them that their duty assignments are being abolished, and informing them of their unencumbered FLSA assignments outside of the AFSM 100 section.
4. All employees excessed from the AFSM 100 sections will retain their current scheduled days off as part of their FLSA schedules, and will remain on their current Tours. These employees will be assigned to Automation, and will have their report times adjusted to match that of the corresponding Automation section. (Employees are cautioned that these FLSA assignments are temporary, and are not guaranteed for an extended period of time.)
5. Sufficient vacancies will be posted for all excessed employees to secure new duty assignments in an expedited manner. Employees are strongly encouraged to bid to avoid involuntary assignments to residual vacancies.
6. With regard to senior employees remaining in the AFSM 100 operation, in-section bidding will be conducted by passing out appropriate forms during stand-up talks next week. Employees absent or on leave will be contacted by mail. Every reasonable effort will be made to ensure that all employees are afforded a chance to submit an in-section bid. Employees failing to bid by the deadline will be involuntarily assigned to an in-section residual vacancy.
We are gratified that excessed employees will retain their current tours and days off for the time being, and we thank Senior Plant Manager Roland Fuentes for allowing this to happen. However, it is important to remember that an FLSA work schedule is not a permanent duty assignment, and affords no long term security. Unencumbered employees are strongly urged to review job postings and to secure a new duty assignment as soon as possible.
All of this information will be conveyed directly to impacted employees during the stand-up talks next week. Every effort will be made to answer all questions you may have. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to work through these very challenging operational changes.
Collective Bargaining Set to Begin Aug. 29
APWU Web News Article #49-06, Aug. 23, 2006
Negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the APWU and the USPS are scheduled to begin Aug. 29, 2006, union President William Burrus has announced. Management and union officials are expected to present opening statements and establish a schedule for future meetings. The current contract expires Nov. 20. “Negotiating a new agreement is one of the union’s most important tasks,” Burrus said. “APWU members who wish to observe the first meeting are welcome to attend.” The meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, DC, at 11 a.m. The union’s Rank-and-File Bargaining Advisory Committee will observe the proceedings, as will members of the National Executive Board.
At the recently concluded APWU national convention, delegates established priorities for negotiations. They include:
Maintaining job security — including extending no-layoff provisions; protection against the negative effects of consolidation, and continuing efforts to eliminate contracting out;
Winning real wage increases and protecting benefits — including winning fair wage increases, maintaining cost-of-living raises, winning salary upgrades, and protecting existing health benefits and retirement programs; (Many resolutions for upgrades of positions were presented, and all were approved by delegates.)
Establishing an all-career workforce — including the elimination of casuals and the conversion of Transitional Employees (TEs) at Remote Encoding Centers to career employees, and
Improving the methods for resolving craft jurisdictional disputes.
For updates on bargaining, check local union bulletin boards and visit
www.apwu.org.
Careful and Steady
Wins the Function 4 Race
by Steve Claeson, Coordinator
If you work at a Denver Station, you may soon experience a “Function 4 audit”. Long-time station clerks know exactly what that is, but whether you are new at the station or experienced, the union would like to remind you of a few things to keep in mind while you are being “Function 4’ed”. What we are about to ask is not easy, but it is important for you and for your station.
First, keep working. Steady work is what the auditors want to see. Extra “smoke breaks”, for example, are counted as dead time and then their report will show that your station doesn’t need clerk staffing during that time.
Also, while working, do your job in a thorough and efficient manner. Do not take short cuts. Don’t worry if the carriers are not getting to the street as soon as they would like to, or if customers are waiting in line a little longer. If management wants carriers out faster or a shorter line in the lobby, the only way to accomplish that during a “Function 4” is by staffing with more clerks. That is what this is all about – staffing. Helping those carriers out the door fast during a Function 4 will not help those carriers (or you) if your station has fewer clerks in the future.
On the window, ask all the mystery shopper questions. Fully explain our premier services like Express Mail in a manner that informs and excites our customers, taking care to make sure packages are properly prepared and meet all mailing requirements. Please don’t forget to take time to smile and make our customers feel welcome.
In the back, watch for postage due items, damaged items, and make sure you get your volume count. Sort all flats and letters (remember, 3rd class items that come in your “rejects” or “non-linear mail” are considered “upgraded” and must be worked along with the first class). Be aware of safety. Do not carry too much and do not overload equipment.
The bottom line is this – you know your individual station job better than anyone else. You probably know lots of short cuts. With our short staffing you probably also know how to prioritize what you do every day so that the critical work gets done on time, and so you can get to break on time. During a Function 4, the union is asking you to forget that desperate scramble to beat the clock, and do your job as it would be done by someone who wanted to carefully and efficiently cover every aspect of that clerk job. This is hard work, but it is to our long term benefit to have adequate staffing in stations, and that means station clerks need to be doing steady, careful, and thorough work while the people with clipboards are watching.
Latest CPI Rise Will
Yield $812 Annual Increase
APWU Web News Article #48-06, Aug. 16, 2006
The final Cost-Of-Living Adjustment under the National Agreement will give APWU-craft employees an annual raise of $812.
The Consumer Price Index rose slightly in July, the last month of the latest six-month Cost-Of-Living Adjustment measuring period in the extended 2000-2003 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The 10th COLA (the second under the 2005-2006 extension) will be effective Sept. 2, and will be reflected in Sept. 22 paychecks (Pay Period 19-06). The adjustment will amount to a 39 cents per hour increase, or $31.20 per pay period.
“The second September paycheck will reflect the largest COLA increase under the current National Agreement,” said President William Burrus.
“COLA raises have made important contributions to our members’ wages,” he said. “This further shows the value of a union contract and strengthens our resolve to negotiate a strong new agreement.”
The current collective bargaining agreement expires Nov. 20. Bargaining with the Postal Service is set to begin Aug. 29.
Farewell to Union Brother Charlie Fedor
by Dennis Enderson, President
We are saddened to learn of the recent passing of long-time union brother Charlie Fedor. Charlie was a loyal and long-time union member who attended many union meetings and was very involved in union activities. We will miss Brother Fedor very much. Our condolences go to all of his family and friends. Wherever you are Charlie, we offer you our heartfelt gratitude for all that you did to make our union stronger!
2006 National Convention Report
by Dennis Enderson, President
The Denver Metro APWU was well represented by our 14 delegates at the recently concluded 2006 APWU National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 3,000 delegates in attendance took action upon a great number of resolutions covering all aspects of the union’s activities.
Here are a few highlights:
1. A resolution was narrowly approved authorizing President Burrus to form a committee to study the feasibility of an eventual merger with the National Postal Mailhandlers Union. The concept generated great controversy because some APWU officials want to pursue a forced merger based upon an APWU sponsored campaign to decertify the NPMHU. The resolution adopted will not result in any such action going forward at the present time, only a feasibility study. The Denver Metro APWU strongly supports the idea of one postal union, but we do not support a hostile raid on our sister union. We would much rather see this accomplished through friendly negotiations. While some claim this isn’t possible because the NPMHU is a subsidiary of the Laborer’s International Union of North America (LIUNA), which could attempt to block such a merger, nothing would prevent NPMHU’s leadership from supporting a decertification effort if they wanted to effectuate a friendly merger with the APWU.
2. A resolution was soundly defeated that would have forced the APWU to withdraw from the RI399 Dispute Resolution Agreement with the NPMHU. While it was recognized that there are serious problems with the RI399 dispute resolution process, the delegates realized that the alternative of having no agreement would be worse. A resolution was adopted that requires the APWU to pursue enforcement of the APWU of the existing agreement by any means necessary, including litigation.
3. A Constitution and By-Laws change was adopted establishing pay parity for all national APWU Craft Directors and Assistant Craft Directors. Formerly, some of these officers received different salaries based upon craft. A similar proposal will soon be considered by the members of the Denver Metro APWU.
4. A resolution was adopted requiring our national office to schedule a national day of picketing to protest USPS service cuts and facility consolidations. This demonstration will occur by no later than October 2006. The Denver District has not yet felt the effects of major facility closings, but we intend to stand in solidarity with our APWU brothers and sisters around the country who have been experiencing the massive excessing and dislocations caused by this ill conceived effort to balance the postal budget on the backs of the employees. Please watch for news about this item in the near future.
Much more happened at the convention that we lack the space to report on here. For more detailed information, please go to www.apwu.org.
Issues With ERRP
by Dennis Enderson, President
For several years the Denver Metro APWU has participated in the Ergonomic Risk Reduction Process (ERRP). ERRP exists because of a memorandum in our National Agreement, and is governed by a headquarters level memo signed by the USPS, OSHA, the NPMHU, and the APWU. The goal of ERRP is to identify and seek expedited solutions to ergonomics-related workplace hazards. The key component of ERRP in participating offices is a “core” committee comprised of a management “site coordinator”, along with representatives appointed by the NPMHU and the APWU. The ERRP Committee is tasked with meeting regularly to discuss ergonomic issues and formulate mutually agreeable strategies to eliminate or minimize any hazards.
Questions have arisen about proper compensation for committee members who attend CORE meetings outside of their normal schedules, relationship problems between various designees, the proper role of the committee in relation to the union contract, and other matters. Over time, these difficulties have led some to consider whether the Denver Metro APWU should withdraw from the process. Research reveals that ERRP has, by and large, been a success. Injury rates have declined. The national APWU fully supports ERRP, and has recently signed off on a two year extension. While some issues remain, it appears premature and counterproductive to pull the plug without further discussions. The Denver Metro APWU Executive Board will consider this question at our next meeting on September 15th. We will also discuss ERRP with the Colorado NPMHU.
In the meantime, we have resolved the compensation question by agreeing that all APWU ERRP designees are waiving any claims for out of schedule pay and/or other lost pay or premiums when they attend CORE meetings, regardless of whether they are scheduled during their regular work hours. This waiver is part of our cooperative agreement with the USPS to support ERRP in the Denver installation. Further discussions are underway about possibly changing the structure of the joint committees.
Your input is welcome with regard to this issue. We will keep you informed of our progress.
/rb
opeiu #5
afl-cio
