Hello Denver Metro Union Members

by Mark Kirby, President

Below is an article from our National President Mark Dimondstein on the White House proposal to privatize the United States Postal Service.

Statement by President Dimondstein on White House Plan to Privatize the Postal Service

Web News Article  59-2018

06/21/2018 - The White House proposal on restructuring the federal government released today, “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century,” delivered nothing but misinformation and, if implemented, would end regular mail and package services at an affordable cost to 157 million addresses every day. Furthermore, the White House plan is an attack on many federal agencies and the public services they provide.

The White House’s plan states, “Like many European nations the United States could privatize its postal operator…” What’s left unsaid is European nations charge substantially more for mail services delivered in a much smaller area. They also regularly raise the cost of delivery. For example, the cost of sending a letter in the United Kingdom has increased 80 percent over the past decade. By comparison, the U.S. has the lowest postage rates in the industrialized world. 

Eliminating the universal service obligation, as the plan suggests, would hurt business and individuals alike, and would be a dagger aimed at the heart of rural America and undermine e-commerce.

The draconian plan uses “burdening the taxpayers” as justification to promote the privatization of the U.S. Postal Service when the truth is USPS is self-supporting and receives no tax dollars for postal operations.

And, while letter mail volumes are lower, package delivery is up substantially. No institution is better suited for the e-commerce revolution than USPS.  The public postal service serves each and every person and belongs to the people of this country. According to recent surveys by Gallup and the Pew Research Center, it enjoys the highest level of satisfaction and trust of any government service or agency, rating the highest among young people. 

Privatizing the Postal Service is not in the public interest or the interest of postal workers and would be nothing more than a raid by corporate pirates on a national treasure.

This outrageous White House plan should be a wake-up call to every postal worker and APWU member. The threats of postal privatization, the threats to decent union jobs, the threats to good services, are real.

The American Postal Workers Union stands with the people of the country and our many allies in the ongoing fight to ensure a vibrant public Postal Service for generations to come.

More information and calls for action will be forthcoming.

Among those plain truths:

• The U.S. Postal Service’s unparalleled national network fulfills the Founders’ directive to bind the nation together, providing affordable, universal service unlike any private entity.

• The U.S. Postal Service’s workforce represents the nation’s largest civilian employment of veterans, and our work enables a $1.4 trillion dollar mailing industry employing 7.5 million American workers.  

• The U.S. Postal Service operates without a dime of taxpayer money, but Washington’s political malpractice has put it in a financial bind – crushed by a scheme to pre-fund years of retiree healthcare benefits, a burden that no other agency or company must bear.

• The U.S. Postal Service has already undergone dramatic restructuring since the Great Recession. The U.S. Postal Service has eliminated 200,000 career positions, closed or consolidated hundreds of mail processing facilities, dramatically slowed the mail with lowered service standards, and reduced the hours of operations at 13,000 primarily rural post offices (some as few as two hours a day). APWU emphasized to the task force that USPS managers have cut to the bone and the U.S. Postal Service and its workforce should not be cut further. APWU’s representatives called for a full restoration of service standards that were diminished in 2012.

• The U.S. Postal Service cannot cut its way to profitability. However, by addressing the congressionally-manufactured prefunding crisis, setting appropriate postage rates, and properly accounting and investing postal funds, USPS can generate the necessary capital to fulfill its obligations, replace its aging vehicle fleet, and provide quality service to the American people.

The Denver Metro Area Local would like to extend our condolences to the Steve Raymer family!

In Memoriam - Steven G. Raymer, APWU Maint. Division Director

October 6, 1956 - June 16, 2018

Web News Article  57-2018

Brother Steven G. Raymer, who served as the union’s Maintenance Division Director for the past 17 years, was on the union’s National Executive Board and a lifetime trade unionist died suddenly from a heart attack on June 16, 2018.  Steve was 61 at the time of his death.

“We are all deeply saddened and still in shock over the untimely passing of Brother Raymer.  Our heartfelt thoughts go to his wife Nancy, daughters Allison and Jessica, his three grandchildren and his extended family,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “Up until the last days of his life, he was working on behalf of our members – getting ready for contract talks, national arbitrations and planning for our convention. We salute his many contributions over the years and his deep dedication to the APWU and its members.” 

Brother Raymer, a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corp., was hired into the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in 1982 as a clerk prior to transferring to the maintenance division in 1987. In 1989, he was promoted to Mail Processing Equipment Mechanic (MPE).

In 1990, Brother Raymer was elected by his co-workers as president of the Madison Wisconsin Area APWU Local Union. He served in that position until 2001, when he was elected as APWU National Maintenance Division Director. 

As a national officer, he was fully involved in every National Negotiation since 2001. “I served with Steve for 17 years on the National Executive Board. I know how hard he worked, how much he loved the union and how deeply he cared about our members,” said APWU Secretary-Treasurer Liz Powell.

During his tenure as National Maintenance Division Director, Brother Raymer negotiated hundreds of settlement agreements on behalf of the Maintenance Craft. He played a major role in issues that affected not just the maintenance division, but all members of the union. He also represented APWU on the postal and logistics committee of UNI, the global union.

“The APWU has lost a union brother, a good friend, and a mentor,” said APWU Assistant Maintenance Division Director Idowu Balogun. 

Summer’s Here

by Kijana Myers, Director of Human Relations

Hello everyone.  It’s been a while since I’ve posted an article. I am Kijana Myers your Director of Human Relations.  I just wanted to remind everyone that as the temperature rises, please remember to stay well hydrated as full summer is upon us once again. If you are going to be in the sun, remember sunscreen. Remember to not eat right before swimming, and if you do eat, wait at least an hour before hitting the pool.

Switching gears to remind everyone that at work, please remember to be careful and courteous to one another.  Management loves to see us at one another.  Don’t give them the satisfaction. If you are injured on duty, report it as soon as possible because management will try to persuade you not to report it for whatever reason they come up with. If you don’t report it and later the injury rears its ugly head, then they will try and due process you and make it a CA-2 and not a CA-1. The CA-1 form is for traumatic injuries.  The CA-2 form is for occupational injuries, if it happened while working it is a CA-1, if occurred two or more days it is a CA-2.

As I close, I just wanted to put another reminder out there that there will be no meetings until September. So please be careful, courteous and safe, and please enjoy your summer.  See you at the Meeting in September.

MVS Update

by Robert Helmig, Director MVS Craft

Beware!  Management in PVS is soliciting statements from drivers to try to use that as discipline to other drivers.  I would always advise to not give management a statement for any reason, without giving a copy to the union first.  You will not get into trouble for refusing to give a statement and I don’t know how many times I’ve seen that statement come back and bite the author in the ass.

3971’s - Do not, under any circumstance, sign a 3971 that is not correct.  If you do, you are saying it is correct and when an issue comes up down the road, the union will not be able to correct it.  Only sign a correct 3971.  If you have any problems, get with your steward.

I have an arbitration date of July 6, 2018.  There are five cases scheduled for that day.  Obviously only one case will be arbitrated.  I am working on trying to pre-arbitrate as many of the five cases as I can.  The five cases are AMC closure, Legacy pulling our trailers going to MTESC (unfinalized equipment), the displacement grievance (bumping), Christmas Hub 2016, and a grievance for an individual.  As I get signed settlements on these, I will let everyone know.  Until then, they are all still active grievances pending arbitration.

Still no word on bidding.  I now have our national union and headquarters helping resolve this issue.  I have an arbitration coming up in October and that case will be the no bidding.  Again, I will keep everyone updated as I know more.

As always, if you have any questions, get with your steward or contact me.

New “EPAC” Badge Reader System Coming Soon

by Bobby Rollins, Executive Vice-President

The Denver Metro APWU was informed by management that they will be rolling out a new Badge Reader System by the end of August 2018. The new system is like the current system with the exception of a few key features.  If you piggyback into or out of the building with someone else, your badge will be locked out and deactivated until you go to the badge room to have it reactivated again.

"HAPPY OR NOT"

by Monica Lipscomb, Assistant Director Clerk Craft

If all the world's problems could boil down to one simple questions "Happy or not"?

What a concept...

The Postal Service has invested in a new technology to get customer feedback at various post offices in the Denver area.  Maybe you have seen the three foot tall emoji faced toy look alike, with a cardboard sign perched above saying "Please rate our service today".  The emoji's are big buttons, four of them.  The first is green with a smiley face; the next one is a lighter shade of green, still kind of happy but not smiling; then an orange face not quite unhappy and yet not happy; and finally a red frowning face.  The dreaded red frowning face, yikes!

The company that syncs up the data from all the button pushing is called Happy or Not.  They promise to give a company the most accurate, objective feedback of your customer's experience.  The Happy or Not Company is based in Finland, with a US office in Florida.  At $49 a month, each kiosk toy can be set up in moments, no reading necessary.  Then it is synced up ready to collect data.  It was said that the machine shuts down when it senses an overzealous button pusher, aka a child playing.

With the 36,000 post offices and branches throughout the United States, it could cost $1.7 million a month.  I was told that only a select few stations would receive them.  Then to get really accurate information you probably would have to use the toys for several months, if not several years, to see what our customers really think of us.

I tell you what, for $1, anyone of us could tell you what our customers think.  They want to come in and get out as fast and efficiently as they possibly can.  They want to be treated courteously.  They want to know where their package is.  They want stamps to be readily available.  They want to see more than one clerk at the window.  They want to conduct their business in a clean, well lit, safe place.  They want postal banking.  They don't want the post office to be privatized and costs to skyrocket.  They don't want to push buttons or take surveys.

BTW, when is the last time you saw HAPPY people anywhere?

/rb/lr

opeiu #30

afl-cio