|
Dave Cook is our Motor Vehicle Craft Director.
I would like to start off by thanking the membership for sending me to the National APWU All-Craft
conference in October. It was a great chance to speak with our National MVS officers face to face.
I now understand the Union’s stance on the language bargained in the new National Collective Bargaining Agreement
(contract) that affects the MVS craft. It has also been made clear that much of the language achieved in
regards to the returning of work will be an uphill battle. We have been told that a lot of this language
seems like it will likely not be followed until an Arbitrator gives a decision in the Union’s favor. I
would like to reassure you that the St Paul Area Local APWU will continue to fight for every opportunity to return work to
our TTO’s.As many of you know our PVS operation has had six (6) rotating off day
bids since approximately 2007. The only way management was able to achieve these types of bids was by agreement
by the APWU Local MVS Director (Chris Stage & Dave Cook). For many years these bids were agreed upon
in an effort to minimize down-time and help make our operation become as efficient as possible. We were
led to believe that by doing so we would remain off the radar and retain what work and jobs we had left in the operation.
Well this has not been the case. Over the past several years
we have seen an increase in downtime which has resulted in management once again tracking and reporting this downtime to the
area level. It seems clear once again that management’s goal is to cut work hours once again at any
cost. Per language in the new contract, the APWU has
proposed a package to management that returns some of the work currently performed by HCR Postal Fleet Services.
The APWU was able to show that by adding this work to runs with current downtime there would be a cost savings of approximately
$400,000/year to the Postal Service. Unfortunately, local management rejected this proposal.
In their written response management stated more or less that the Postal Service
does not envision the filling or creating of forty (40) hour bids any more. Instead, they plan on the creation
of Non-Traditional Assignments of less than forty (40) hours/week and an increase in Postal Support Employee (PSE), which
are bids that are guaranteed only two (2) hours of work on any scheduled day.As such,
I have notified Manager Raddatz that the APWU will not continue to agree to the letter of intent which allowed the creation
of six (6) bids with rotating off days. At this time I do not see any gain for our members if we continue
those bids. All we are doing is aiding management by allowing them to take their time planning the demise
of our operation. The employer has made it very clear they are going to take steps towards creating a temporary
work force, rather than returning work to the bargaining unit that can show true cost savings. During this years’ re-bidding of TTO jobs each current full time TTO will be guaranteed a job of forty (40) hours/week
with consecutive off days. We do expect management to repost current residual vacant bids as Non-Traditional
Duty Assignments of approximately thirty-five (35) hours/week. The intent of these bids will be to convert
current PSE’s to full time employee status. We fully intend to appeal those bids up through the Alternative
Dispute Resolution Process (ADRP) and show that there is work available to maintain bids closer to forty (40) hours/week.
I would also like to remind you that management can not force any TTO who was full-time at the signing
of the new contract (end of May 2011) to take a bid of less than forty (40) hours per week! If you are considering bidding
on a NTFT assignment please see a union steward first so we can explain the possible effects this choice would have.
If you are told otherwise or have any other questions ask for a steward.In Solidarity,Dave Cook MVS Director
It has been brought
to my attention that someone who is un-educated in the matter is spreading negative & false information in regards to
the posted list of 330 segments of HCR routes being returned nationally to MVS operations.
These
assignments are part of the 600 HCR routes that the union and management agreed would be turned over to the APWU bargaining
unit during negotiations over the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Although none of these segments include our operation at this time
(but it does give me hope that we could get some work back in the future), this should be a time for us to be happy for our
brothers & sisters across the country. Not to turn this great information into something negative and
try to create hate and discontent for your union. The main goal of this new contract was to gain work back
for our bargaining unit employees and that is exactly what these 330 segments will do.
If you look closely at the list, you will notice that each segment being returned will result in the creation
of thirty (30) to forty-eight (48) hours of work each week! This is exactly what the MVS operations getting
routes back need. This work will allow management at these locations to split those work hours up and add
work to current runs which have down time. This will greatly reduce the tracking of down-time and is guaranteed
to save some current forty (40) hour a week MVS jobs!How is
this a bad thing? Those who are spinning this into a bad thing must not know what is good for them.
If we are fortunate enough to gain some of this work back for our operation would you turn it down?
Would you rather sit on management created down time and wait for your
job to be eliminated! If you know who is spreading this inaccurate information, hate & discontent, confront them. Let
them know that the Union is the only reason they still have good benefits & are working forty (40) hours per week (even
if they are a non-dues paying member).
If they still are so against
the gains this union has provided them, I challenge them to step up and get involved with the Union. Also,
remind them that the union starts with YOU.
In Solidarity,
Dave Cook
MVS
Director
Motor Vehicle Report
First off
I would like to welcome our three (3) new Postal Support Employees (PSE) to the APWU and the MVS Craft. If
you see one of these employees please introduce yourself and welcome them aboard. With all of the attacks
on Unions lately it is always a breath of fresh air to gain members who support the same goals as us, retain a middle class
job that can support the American dream.
I am sure
you all are aware of the ongoing attacks on public Unions and Labor as a whole. We as Postal employees
are not exempt from these same attacks. As we speak, there is legislation in Congress that seeks to remove
Postal employees from the Federal Employees Health Benefits program (FEHB), Federal retirement plans and seeks to lay off
120,000 middle class postal workers! This is NO JOKE! I encourage all Postal employees
to contact their representatives and demand that they support H.R. 1351. H.R. 1351 would allow the USPS
to use the billions of dollars in pension overpayments to meet its financial obligations. It would address the cause of the
USPS financial crisis without cutting pay, reducing benefits, eliminating collective bargaining rights, or slashing service
to postal customer. I would also suggest that employees visit www.apwu.org on a regular basis to keep up on political action affecting Postal employees and working families.
The attack on or jobs is not just limited to the politicians in Washington DC. The same
attacks are being made by local USPS management. It has become very apparent that the Postal service has
no intent on returning work to the bargaining unit as was agreed upon in our new contract. As recent as
2 weeks ago, your PVS Manager made a bold statement to myself and another MVS steward. He informed us that
he had been directed to never post another 5 day/40 hour/week bid again. As bids become vacant he will
be reposting them as new Non-Traditional Full-Time Assignment (NTFT, less than 40 hours/week). To take this another step further Manager
Raddatz also intends on turning all current PVS bids into NTFT assignments (less than 40 hours/week) at the bidding of jobs
in December. Manager Raddatz acknowledges that he will still be required to pay the current Full Time employees
forty hours per week. It is just easier to take this step at the time of job bidding. I
immediately informed Manager Raddatz that this action would be in conflict with the contract and the appropriate grievance
would be filed.
Only time will tell what actions management
follows through with. I can assure you that I am working closely with our Union representatives
at the national level and will continue to vigorously attack this misguided anti-union agenda. Once again
PLEASE get politically involved help save our jobs. Also, attend our General Membership meeting September
27th at 6:45PM. There is so more to talk about than can be discussed in this POSTMARK.
In Solidarity,
Dave Cook
MVS Director
APWU
St. Paul, MN Area Local
APWU
Todd Elkerton,
President
9/8/11
www.StPaulAPWU.org
651-778-1637
As some of you might not be aware, the 2010-2015 Collective
Bargaining Agreement states that the USPS will return some VMF work that is currently being performed by contractors.
Per the contract the returning of this work will result in the creation of 740 duty assignments in the VMF’s
Nationwide. On August 30, 2011 the APWU at the national level
was provided with a list of locations that will be receiving some of these 740 VMF duty assignments, per the USPS.
According to this list, the St Paul VMF will be receiving 6 new Level 9 Lead Automotive Technician bids.
This is great news for our VMF! After preliminary discussions with VMF management, the addition
of these bids will almost definitely result in the creation of a Tour 1 at the VMF. The addition of this
Tour will help us better the services we provide to our customers. Now I am
sure the first question you have will be “Why are they creating all Level 9 Lead Automotive Technician bids?”
This is the first question I asked and as of the writing of this bulletin I still do not have an answer.
I have spoke with VMF management and the National officers of the APWU and no one has a clue as to how or why those
levels were chosen. Nonetheless, we are still more than happy to be receiving an increase in VMF staffing.
This is definitely a good sign when you consider all of the doom & gloom being preached to us on a weekly basis.
A plus of the creation of the above 6 bids is the chance for current technicians to advance their careers and apply
for one of these Level 9 Lead Automotive Technician bids. So if you might be considering one of these bids,
now is the time to start preparing to fill out PS Form 991. The hiring for this position requires a written
application as the Lead Automotive Technician positions are filled on a “Best Qualified” basis. If
you have any questions in regards to this process please feel free to ask one of your union representatives and we will assist
you in any way possible. The other plus in the creation
of the 740 VMF bids nation wide is the opportunity for transfers. As part of the filling process, employees
who have properly submitted an eReassign request will be given access to these bids before people are hired off the street.
You can submit a standing eReassign request (by location and job type) by going to liteblue.usps.gov. You
will need your Employee ID # and 4 number password to log-in. Once you are on the page for liteblue find
the “Employee Apps-Quick Links” bar. You should see the eReassign button. Click
on that and follow the instruction to submit a request. Some
of the possibly desirable locations that will be getting technicians are as follows: San Juan (2), Tampa (2), Nashville (9),
Denver (2), Phoenix (14), San Diego (15), Honolulu (1) & Dallas (11). These is only a few of the locations
available. To see the full list of VMF’s available and the number & type of bids go to www.apwu.org or ask a union steward. In solidarityDave CookMVS Director
6/15/11
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW On 5/23/11, both
parties signed the ratified National Collective Bargaining Agreement. Although there are definitely going
to be changes to the Postal Service as we know it, I believe the majority of our members are happy to have a settled contract.
The new contract is sure to bring plenty of headaches with it. On 5/20/11, I was able to receive some
training in regards to new contractual language that will affect the MVS Craft. The issue that is foremost
in my mind is the returning of work to our craft. As of 5/11/11, the Postal Service should have provided
a copy of each individual HCR contract to the APWU at the National level. The auditing of HCR trips and
the decision to bring certain routes back is going to be done between the parties at the national level. Unfortunately,
this does not give me the power locally to request copies of HCR contracts and perform my own audits. I
have been assured though by the national APWU that I will be contacted to provide input before decisions are made in our operation.
We have been told this will be a slow process and we probably won’t gain work back until around October 2011. Below are
some of the other deadlines for implementing new contractual language: Effective 5/23/11 new article 32 language implemented
“If the service can be performed at a cost equal to or less than that of a contractor, when a fair comparison
is made of all reasonable costs, the work will be performed in-house.” This will allow the
MVS craft the competitive edge to compete against the contractors when it comes to considering/contracting out bargaining
unit work. Effective no later than 8/23/11 all casual TTO’s will become Postal Support Employees (PSE).
They will have the opportunity to become a member of the APWU and will receive some benefits. When
filling residual vacant bids management has to go to the PSE roster first. Posting of Non-Traditional Full-Time
Employee assignments will start no later than 7/23/11. These bids will consist of 3/12hr workdays, 4/10hr
workdays, 4/11hr workdays, etc. No current FTR can be forced to work a bid of less than 40hrs.
/week or more than 44hrs. /week, with 2 off days. The parties at the national level will identify
worksites that can benefit from these types of bids and the locals will be given a chance for input. These
types of bids would allow our PVS operation to capture work that we previously couldn’t perform due to time constraints. Only time will tell what the strengths and weaknesses of this contract will
be. As always, I am sure our members will find ways to utilize this contract to their benefit. In solidarityDave CookMVS Director
4/20/11
VMF
employees:
As most of you are aware, VMF Management has proceeded to contract out vehicle maintenance/repairs
(PMI’s & Tags). On March 4, 2011 the APWU local President received
a notice that the post office was “considering” contracting out the above mentioned work. This letter offered local APWU input prior to a decision being made.
I and steward Doug Peterson met with VMF management on 3/24/11 and 3/31/11
to give our input on this proposal.
During
both meetings the APWU pointed out many inefficiencies with managements proposal. Management
more or less informed us that they can not afford to pay the bargaining unit employees at the 1 ½ rate of pay to address the
backlog of PMI’s but they could afford to pay the contract a higher rate of pay (more than our OT rate of pay) to address
the backlog of PMI’s. With the financial problems currently plaguing the
USPS, how does it make sense to pay contractors more money for repairs than the work could be done for less in-house?
More
or less what it comes down to is Management has been mismanaging the VMF work load for years.
We currently have one (1) residual vacant Automotive Technician bid that
has been costing us forty (40) hours of productive work each week for a little over 1.5 years.
What has management done to address this shortage of hours; nothing. It
is easier for them to contract out the work than it is to take steps to correct the problems. Union steward Doug Peterson
is in the process of filing a grievance on the contracting out of this VMF work.
A
rumor has been spread out there alleging that I and the National APWU have approved
and condoned the contracting out of this work (PMI’s & Tags). I am
also being told that VMF Management is contributing to this rumor. This could
not be further from the truth. Your Motor Vehicle union representatives always
have and will continue to fight ALL CONTRACTING OUT OF VMF WORK. This is my job
and I will do everything in my power to preserve our work/jobs well into the future.
When
rumors spread in the future, remember to consider the source of the rumor. If
management is involved, something is fishy! If anyone has questions please ask
a union steward. We have nothing to hide.
Remember a Union
starts with you. If you have any information on contracted out work please tell
a Union steward. There are only a couple of us and we do not know everything
that goes on in the shop.
In Solidarity,
Dave Cook
MVS Director
APWU
APWU
Dawn Ecker, President St. Paul, MN Area Local
December 1, 2010__
www.stpaulapwu.org 651-778-1637__
TTO’S –
As most of you are aware, Manager Raddatz
has proposed adding 12 more rotating off day bids (total of 18) to our operation. If
agreed to, these bids would take effect January of 2011. The reason for these
requested changes is due to the amount of unproductive time on Sundays in conjunction with the move to Eagan. Steward Henjum and I have spent a lot
of time trying to come up with a solution that would benefit both management and our members.
As of today, we have been unsuccessful in finding this perfect solution, but this does not mean we have given up. We will continue to brainstorm and try to find a solution that will be beneficial
to both parties.
As your Director, I am left with the
task of deciding if accepting the proposal of adding 12 more rotating off day bids is in the best interest of you the members. Let me assure you that I have not taken this decision lightly. At this time I do not believe it is in the best interest of the members to accept this proposal.
Since 2006 (and prior to) PVS management
has been slowly picking apart the work performed by the members and turning it over to contract drivers. As a result of the contracting out of your work, we have seen jobs lost and accepted six (6) rotating off
day bids. These concessions were all placed on the shoulders of the bargaining
unit employees. Yet what has management given in return for your sacrifices? Their answer is another 12 rotating off day bids which would once again affect the
lives of you the members and your families.
Some of the loss of work on Sundays
is a direct result of the contracting out of your jobs and the moving of our P & DC, which was all controlled by postal
management. Management created the problem and now they expect us to give again. We have proposed that it is now management’s turn to give concessions and bring
some of this contracted work back to the bargaining unit. This would help us
balance the burden of concessions. Wouldn’t this be the true meaning of
bargaining in good faith?
PVS management, for the first time,
had stated that the returning of some contracted work was a possibility down the road (some time after the Hub closes). We had extensive discussions recently regarding reinstating trips to and from the
LDC and THS. We had even reached a tentative agreement on bringing this work
back. Unfortunately, at the last minute, Senior Plant Manger Erica Brix shot
down the agreement. The only way management would agree to bring back some of
the work contracted out to Postal Fleet Services is if I would kill the grievance up at Step 4 that was filed in 2006 when
work was initially contracted out to Postal Fleet Services. This is not acceptable!
I have recently seen proposed staffing
packages for when the Twin Cities Metro Hub closes. The initial numbers from
management once again indicate that at the time the Hub closes, our operation will once again be approximately two jobs heavy
(beyond the requested 12 rotating bids asked for now). Management insists that
some of this unproductive time will be reduced by the
need
to retrieve equipment from the stations which is necessary to keep the FSS machine operating for the next morning dispatch. Unfortunately, that will still leave us short on work to perform. At that time, I am sure management will once again want the bargaining unit to give more concessions.
I believe that accepting management’s
current proposal would only put a band aid on the current staffing issues until the Hub closes. This will not do us any good and we are almost guaranteed to be going through the same process in March
or April and potentially with more TTO’s being excessed by management into our installation. I want to ensure all of you that I am committed to finding
an agreeable resolution to this staffing problem and will continue to bargain in good faith with management.
I am confident that if management decides
to come to the table and address our current staffing and the closure of the Hub as one issue, a resolution could be reached. This would only impact our operation once. Management
must be willing to give concessions in this process also.
In solidarity,
Dave Cook
MVS Craft Director
St. Paul,
MN Area Local
American Postal Workers Union
Out with the old in with the new…
TTO’s, by the time you read this article your bids will have started in Eagan at the new P&DC.
With this move will also come unwanted changes. As you all are well aware,
you will now be parking your tractors outside in Minnesota’s
harsh winter elements. This stupid managerial decision is sure to cause problems
for each tractor assigned to the operation.
For now, VMF management intends on our technicians providing all of the support for the tractors parked in Eagan. As VMF management
has already ordered and received voyager cards for each tractor (used to pay for maintenance), I do not expect this to last. Only time will tell. Do not let this
move dissuade you from writing up problems with your truck.
If anything, it is now more important than ever to report problems with your truck and trailers and refuse to drive
them until repairs are made. Without VMF staff onsite, I am sure management will
try to push TTO’s to continue to drive the truck’s (regardless of problem) until the end of your tour. I would strongly suggest that you do not allow this to happen. Management
can not force you to drive a truck that is not road worthy (lights, tires, brakes, etc.).
I would like to remind you all, about 1 year ago one of your fellow St Paul TTO’s received a ticket by local
police for failure signal while turning (although the TTO was emphatic that the signal was used). Further immediate investigation confirmed that the trailer being utilized had an out tail light, which
was repaired by a VMF technician.
This information and a copy of the vehicle repair order was provided to the county at the court date. This did not matter to the public defender or Ramsey county. The
TTO was still issued the ticket and expected to pay the $100 fine and the violation is on his personal driving record. The TTO went to your Manager to request reimbursement for the ticket which was caused
by faulty Postal equipment. Manager Raddatz refused to pay the fine.
As such a grievance was initiated on the employees behalf. Six months
later and at step 2 of the grievance procedure, I was able to get the money reimbursed to the TTO. I however do not have the power to clear the employees driving record.
Moral of the story, if you get a ticket for inoperative postal equipment, you will get stuck with the fine and violation
on your driving record! If it isn’t working, DON’T DRIVE IT.
If this isn’t enough to show were managements allegiance lay, I have been informed by Manager Raddatz that as
our future TTO bids become vacant due to retirement, his plan is to try and capture them under a withholding again. His intention is to hold the bids for TTO’s being excessed due to the closing of the Twin Cities
Metro Hub. As I did the last time, I will do everything in the Union’s
power to ensure our members interests are protected and don’t expect any help from Manager Raddatz!
Last but not least, we need our TTO’s to keep an eye out for trailer moves to and from our dock doors. We have filed a grievance and are aware of NDC jockeys spotting our doors.
This was not agreed to by the APWU. If you see it happen write down the
trailer number, jockey truck number, dock door and the date & time. Then
please get this info to an MVS stewards. We need your help protecting your work.
In solidarity,
Dave Cook
MVS Director
APWU
APWU
Dawn
Ecker, Acting President St. Paul, MN Area Local
July 28, 2010
www.stpaulapwu.org
651-778-1637
AC
Questionnaire
It
has been brought to my attention that VMF Management has been handing out a questionnaire in regards to air conditioning repairs. This questionnaire is the result of a grievance filed by your Union
to gain the equipment necessary to evacuate and re-charge motor vehicle air conditioning systems. As bargaining unit employees perform the repairs on the A/C systems, it is the Unions/contracts stance
that the postal service must provide the tools and equipment necessary to perform the rest of the duties associated with repairing
air conditioning systems. The simple purchase of an automated charging system
would improve the efficiency of our operation and greatly reduce the financial burden associated with these repairs
I would like you to know that this questionnaire is NOT mandatory
for you to fill out or sign. The questions on this form are designed to give
management the answers they want. Management’s plan is to use these completed
questionnaires against the bargaining unit employees in the grievance procedure. Management
hopes that they can refrain from purchasing the appropriate equipment necessary for us to perform our duties as Automotive
Technicians, which just keeps our operation more susceptible subcontracting of our job duties.
We would request that you refrain from filling out any questionnaires
from management regarding vehicle maintenance repairs (and A/C) without seeking input from your MVS stewards first. If you feel management is forcing you to fill out the form please request a steward immediately!
In Solidarity,
Dave Cook
MVS Director
MVS members-
On 4/22/10 thru 4/24/10 the APWU had its Minnesota State
Convention. This convention gave delegates an opportunity to submit and vote
on resolutions. These adopted resolutions will go to the APWU National Convention
in August and some will hopefully be adopted. The resolution process is the only
means we as state and local organizations have to suggest improvements/changes to our National Contract.
A resolution was brought forward by the Minneapolis Area local regarding MVS in-service exams and training
and was adopted by the state convention. Currently there is no contractual process
that allows MVS employees to train and become qualified for different occupational groups within the MVS craft. This would be a huge win for MVS if adopted at the National convention and then bargained into the new
contract. This new process would allow MVS employees to pre-qualify for other
job duties in the MVS craft and have more flexibility in qualifying for a local bid if future excessing were to occur.
I also have some great news regarding the withholding of 5 vacant TTO bids in St Paul. As of 4/20/10, the APWU was officially notified that the withholding of St Paul MVS
bids due to excessing in Detroit and Chicago (MVS) was being
canceled. As such, I have filed a grievance to convert our 5 senior PTF’s
to the vacant FTR TTO bids. This does not mean it is time for a celebration yet. At this time it is not known if management will work with me to achieve this goal. I can assure you if management does not comply with my request, the grievance will
be appealed up the grievance chain expeditiously. At minimum, this is a step
in the right direction for the MVS craft. If there are any questions, please
feel free to contact me or one of your stewards.
In solidarity,
Dave Cook
Motor Vehicle Craft Director
APWU
APWU
Thomas
Edwards, President St. Paul,
MN Area Local
March 16, 2010
www.stpaulapwu.org
651-778-1637
MVS Members
Election Results
The results are
in. On Saturday, March 13, 2010, the Local held a special craft election per
Article IX, Section 5 of the Local Constitution for the Motor Vehicle Services Craft Trustee.
At the close of business on March 12, 2010 there were no written nominations from members of the Motor Vehicle Craft
filed with Local Secretary Jesse Lopez.
Steve Henjum was nominated by Cook, and as there were
no other candidates present at the nomination meeting, it was moved and seconded that Mr. Henjum be duly elected by white
ballot. Motion carried.
Thanks and appreciation to the Election Committee Chair,
Mr. Pat Hawkins for a job well done!
Congratulations Steve!
APWU
APWU
Thomas
Edwards, President St. Paul, MN Area Local
February 16, 2010
www.stpaulapwu.org
651-778-1637
Attention:
Motor Vehicle Service Craft Members
Craig
Carroll has resigned as Motor Vehicle Craft Trustee, effective 2/9/10. The Local’s
Constitution (Article IX, Section 5) provides that in the event of a craft vacancy, a special craft meeting shall be held
and those members present will elect a Motor Vehicle Services Craft Trustee.
Nominations will be accepted from the floor at the meeting. Candidates wishing to be nominated in writing must file a signed written notice with
Local Secretary Jesse Lopez.
The meeting will be held at the 6th St Union Office, 654 E. 6th
St, St. Paul on Saturday, March 13, 2010, at 10:00 a.m.
Article VII, Section 7 of the Constitution of the St. Paul, MN Area Local APWU states:
Section 6. The Craft Trustee shall have general supervisor
of the property of this local and shall take a yearly inventory of same. All
records of the secretary and the treasurer shall be subject to examination by the trustees upon their request. Unless otherwise
notified by this Local, they shall audit the books and records of the officers as of the close of business of each calendar
quarter and submit a written report at the next general membership meeting.
The trustees shall prepare a list of eligible voters of this
Local and list of those members legible as candidates for the regular election of officers and delegates to conventions. A
copy of said lists shall be furnished to the chairman of the election committee for the purpose of mailing ballots to the
voters in all referendum elections.
Jesse Lopez,
Secretary
APWU
APWU
Thomas
Edwards, President St. Paul, MN Area Local February 9,
2010
www.stpaulapwu.org
651-778-1637
MVS Members
Excessing Update
I have recently been made aware of some changes in the excessing
of TTO’s from the Eagan BMC. The Eagan BMC will no longer be excessing
any full time regular TTO’s into the St. Paul MVS installation. This is
due to retirements and the placement of these employees in other locations. However,
in accordance with Article 12 of the NCBA, the St. Paul MVS installation will be receiving one part time flexible TTO, Greg
Johnson from the Eagan BMC. This employee is being involuntarily reassigned into
our installation.
Greg’s official start date in the St. Paul MVS will
be February 13, 2010. Upon his arrival he will be put at the bottom of the part
time flexible seniority roster. Once Mr. Johnson is able to change to a full
time regular TTO; he will regain his seniority he had earned at the Minneapolis-St. Paul NDC, augmented by his part time flexible
service in St. Paul MVS. My understanding is Mr. Johnson’s merge into our
seniority roster should have little to no effect on the current St. Paul MVS seniority roster.
Please give Mr. Johnson a courteous welcome into our installation
as I am sure this mandatory change has caused him many inconveniences.
Also, as of this time, I am still waiting for a final answer
as to if excessing at the Chicago and Detroit NDC’s will be affecting our installation.
I will update you all as more information becomes available. If there
are any questions, please feel free to contact me.
In solidarity,
Dave Cook
MVS Director
St. Paul Area Local, APWU
_____________________________________________________________
Have
you requested a steward lately?
All too often, your union stewards
hear about contractual violations well after our members were made aware. In
many of these instances the contractual 14 day deadline to file a grievance has come and gone.
This makes it extremely hard for your union representatives to grieve the violation and make the represented employees
whole.
The most important factor in all unions
is its members. We need your help policing the contract. If you witness a violation or believe you might have witnessed a violation you must request a steward
from your supervisor as soon as possible. Do not wait until your 14 day deadline
has arrived and do not assume someone else has reported the violation to the union.
To often members inform stewards of
an issue while the steward is not released on official steward time. Although
we appreciate the notification, this is not the proper way to report a grievance. You
must request a steward from your supervisor. By doing so it does two things;
first management will be required to release a steward from their bid to deal with the employees request, second management
will then be forced to release the employee to write a statement for the union. This
will leave the sections impacted short on manpower which will make it harder for management to meet their workload goal (which
we all know bothers them). If there is a penalty for violating the contract that
directly affects your supervisor they may think twice before creating a violation.
So if you see a contractual violation
or think you may have witnessed a violation, don’t tell a steward in passing, don’t leave a note on a steward’s
time card, ASK YOUR SUPERVISOR FOR A STEWARD.
In
Solidarity, Dave Cook MVS Director.
Have
you requested a steward lately?
All too often, your union stewards
hear about contractual violations well after our members were made aware. In
many of these instances the contractual 14 day deadline to file a grievance has come and gone.
This makes it extremely hard for your union representatives to grieve the violation and make the represented employees
whole.
The most important factor in all unions
is its members. We need your help policing the contract. If you witness a violation or believe you might have witnessed a violation you must request a steward
from your supervisor as soon as possible. Do not wait until your 14 day deadline
has arrived and do not assume someone else has reported the violation to the union.
To often members inform stewards of
an issue while the steward is not released on official steward time. Although
we appreciate the notification, this is not the proper way to report a grievance. You
must request a steward from your supervisor. By doing so it does two things;
first management will be required to release a steward from their bid to deal with the employees request, second management
will then be forced to release the employee to write a statement for the union. This
will leave the sections impacted short on manpower which will make it harder for management to meet their workload goal (which
we all know bothers them). If there is a penalty for violating the contract that
directly affects your supervisor they may think twice before creating a violation.
So if you see a contractual violation
or think you may have witnessed a violation, don’t tell a steward in passing, don’t leave a note on a steward’s
time card, ASK YOUR SUPERVISOR FOR A STEWARD.
In
Solidarity, Dave Cook MVS Director.
APWU
APWU
Tom
Edwards, President St. Paul, MN Area Local September
9, 2009
www.stpaulapwu.org
651-778-1637__
VMF Members
The
restructuring of the Postal Service and the ups and downs of our economy have made for an interesting year. We are guaranteed to see more changes to Postal Operations in the near future. I am confident that the professional and efficient services the VMF bargaining unit employees provide will
get us through these tough times.
As you
all know, I have been working with Supervisor Bohach and Manager Peterson to address the possibility of a 4/10 modified work
week. This process has gone on for several months now. I have spent numerous hours writing up a memorandum of understanding and addressed every concern brought
to my attention in order to try and implement the modified work week. Throughout
this process I was reassured that if I addressed management’s concerns with the modified work week that at a minimum
the program would be given a trial to see if it would work.
Well,
unfortunately after all the time I spent bargaining over this issue, your manager decided to deny any implementation of the
modified work week. I have not been given any explanation as to why this program
was not going to be implemented. I do not know why I was surprised with this response from management as this has been a common
practice used by them. It has become all too common for me to spend extensive
time trying to address the issues that affect our operation and members, only to end with the same bold “NO”. It seems clear that your management has no regard for the bargaining unit employees
who make this operation work.
As the
willingness to bargain in good faith by your supervisor/manager has declined, your MVS stewards have been forced to address
the many violations of our contract through the grievance procedure. Unfortunately, this is the only way to get any resolution. Your representatives have been filing an unprecedented amount of grievances, in an
attempt to retain the work that keeps us employed.
The
amount of VMF work that is being contracted out is at an all time high. Such
things as the replacement of engines at AO’s, tag repairs and the rebuilding/remanufacturing of transmissions, are just
a few duties taken from our members. There have been grievances filed on all of these issues, but it is a slow process to
the final resolution. Almost all grievances filed over the contracting out of
your work have been appealed to higher levels of the grievance procedure, as locally they refuse to address the issue. I am
sure we can expect management to attempt to take away more work in our near future.
Your
MVS stewards need your help. There are only a few of us and we do not know everything that is going on in the VMF. We need our members to notify us of any changes to our operation to include the contracting out of vehicle
maintenance. This includes any changes to the PMI inspection process (or failure
to perform a scheduled PMI). If you see or know of any of the above issues occurring,
ask for a steward immediately or leave a note for one of your stewards. Remember,
there is no such thing as a minor repair. All maintenance work is important to
the security of our jobs. The determination of whether our operation will continue
far into the future depends on each and every one of us. If you have any questions, feel free to contract me.
In solidarity,
Dave Cook, MVS Director
APWU
APWU
Tom
Edwards, President St. Paul, MN
Area Local September
9, 2009
www.stpaulapwu.org
651-778-1637__
PVS Members
As we
are all aware, due to the decline in mail volume and thus the decline in revenue, the USPS is taking major steps to try and
improve the efficiencies of the Postal work force. Unfortunately, some of these
steps include the reduction of the bargaining unit work force. As such with most
USPS operational changes, rumors of all kinds are flooding the work room floor. I
am going to try and address some of the rumors to the best of my ability with all the information I currently have.
I’m
sure you have all heard that the BMC is reducing its MVS staffing (and other crafts) due to the operational implementation
of the Network Distribution Center (NDC) initiative. Once the NDC implementation
is complete it will greatly reduce the amount of mail received by the Eagan BMC. This
mail will instead be transferred down to a BMC in Iowa. In order to accomplish their goal of reducing the staffing at the BMC, the USPS will
be implementing the excessing procedures.
As of
last week, the St. Paul Area Local has been notified that the BMC will be eliminating two (2) Motor Vehicle TTO Part Time
Flexible (PTF) positions and four (4) Motor Vehicle TTO Full time regular (FTR) bids.
This action has placed a withholding on all MVS (and other crafts) residual bids within a 350 mile radius of the Eagan
BMC. This means that any residual vacancy TTO FTR Bids and TTO PTF positions
in St. Paul (and Minneapolis)
may not be filled. FTR TTO’s may still bid on vacant FTR bids within the
St. Paul PVS operation. It means that once a TTO bid has been determined as a
residual vacancy, after applying the voluntary bidding process, it will no longer be placed up for conversion.
The
excessing of the BMC MVS employees could affect our facility. By putting a withholding
on our bids, this will prevent our current PTF TTO’s from converting to a FTR TTO.
This could potentially allow the excessed BMC MVS employees to be excessing into our PVS operation. I know the first question I will be asked is “How does this affect our seniority roster?” At this time, it is difficult to give an exact answer.
There are several different scenarios that could play out with this withholding.
One scenario is that the BMC TTO’s would maintain their seniority and be merged into our seniority roster. But once again, it is too early to give a definite answer.
Another
topic of interest is the move to our new facility in Eagan. The St. Paul PVS operation will be moving to Eagan. The good news is that it will stay as a bargaining unit of the St. Paul Area Local
APWU. Also at this time, there isn’t a parking garage, so the tractors
will be parked outside all year long.
I have
been informed that PVS management has started to write the run contents for the move to Eagan. At this time, I have not been able to review these runs but have been assured I will
be allowed to once they are complete. If you have any questions, feel free to
contact me.
In solidarity,
Dave Cook, MVS Director
Dear Members, below is a letter from...Addressing idling of our trailers...click for more
Letter to Robert Pritchard from Peter Sgro
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting Credit for What We Do...click here for more
____________________________________________________________
Click here to open MVS Arb Award!
The "click here for MVS award" is an arbitration settlement in which the
arbitrator makes it clear that drivers are
not to be , in this case, putting motor
oil in their tractors. It is our postition that drivers should not be putting
any
fluids in the vehicles. We as drivers should not be performing duties that belong
to the technicians, just
as we would not want them to do our work.
I posted the latest bulletin on our boards. Pat congratulates us for
getting a
substantual pay raise.
Due to the fact that we have a Union to bargain for us, we have been able to keep
our
Cost Of Living Adjustments (COLA)when most of the private sector has never had
or has lost theirs. It takes our DUES
in order to pay for all of the negotiating
that is required to gain and keep our benefits, which are many. The next
time you
are talking to one of our fellow drivers who do not belong, remember they have not
helped to accomplish this,
yet they enjoy the benifits of your sacrifices. Ask
them to join. Tell them how you really feel about the
fact that they do not share
in the responsibilies but still get the prize.
Thanks Members
I
have received and continue to receive reports of the type of work some of the postal fleet drivers are doing. I was getting written information, fairly often, about how they drive and handle the mail. It has been awhile since I have received anything in writing. All
of this information is included in the grievance to show the Postal Service made a bad choice.
As I have mentioned in the past, the grievance process can
be a slow one if it goes beyond step 2. there are a lot of grievances sitting
at step 2 that are being discussed and the Postal Service Labor Reps are often times waiting for information from you supervisors
in order to decide how to proceed.
The VMF has a lot of contracting grievances which will be
coming to a head in a few weeks. Dave is doing a great job in protecting your
contractual rights.
Most of you have liking for Steve and Chris and probably
have a good rapport with them. When they talk about what ramifications could
come from all of these and other grievances, they really don’t have a clue.
When they (this will include Troy and
the dispatchers) talk about how me or Dave may not bargain, you need to remember when they violate the contract there are
proper remedies and there are good reasons for those remedies. Just because they
don’t agree with them, that does not mean we are being hard asses. On the
contract, they are the ones who are being hard asses. They are simply trying to play let’s make a deal. Most of these violations occur over and over again. They are just trying to lessen the burden they have
created by doing our work or contracting it out, or having someone from another craft transport mail.
We have all been told and can imagine what our working conditions
would be like if we did not have a contract. Those who negotiated it believed that the Postal Service can operate within the
confines of our “agreed to” contract or they would not have created it.
Over the years, I have had supervisors tell me that this
happened or that happened which created a grievance and there was nothing they could do to avoid it. They think that if it doesn’t happen that often, it’s no big deal and there should not be a
grievance.
On the other side of the coin, I have had members who have
been issues a letter of warning for an accident or sick leave usage or whatever, who say the same. But management will say they gave the member plenty of time to correct their behavior so the letter will
stand unless your union rep can get it rescinded.
The same applies with the contract violation. They have had years of living with this contract and yet on a daily basis it is violated. Why should we play let’s make a deal? Sick leave abuse is sick leave abuse and supervisors doing
our work is just that, a supervisor doing our work and a contract violation, and there is a remedy for it, just like they
have a discipline for you.
Do not let them convince you that the union is causing the
problems. They are the people who are supposed to staff enough employees in order
to get the work done. If they cut corners and get bit, so be it. Remember they will bite you without thinking twice.
That will bring me to another subject I have mentioned before,
“Working too hard in order to catch up.” If something happens, crash,
injury, it will be your fault. Don’t do it.
Again, the Postal Service in all likelihood created the problem or perpetuates it.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact
Dave or me so that we can explain in better detail what is happening and why.
As fuel prices rise, so will the cost of mailing. Transportation is a huge expense. Our union at the national
level will be watching how postal officials will apply that rate increase.
With that being said, big mailers will be trying to call
in their chips. This is done through the lobbyist that they give huge amounts
of money to apply to whatever will sway the decisions of those in Washington.
We have our own lobbying effort through our COPA “Committee
on Political Action” campaign. To donate, you can do so through payroll
deduction through PostalEASE, Electronic Funds Transfer, on-line or check, or you can stop in the union office to donate.
We who donate do make a difference. Getting the attention of those who will support our efforts to keep our jobs and pay closer attention to
how the Postal Service runs our company is not free, it costs money.
If you can, go the APWU website to read up on COPA and how
it works. Go to www.apwu.org and on the upper right is a members only link. Log in with
your employee I.D. and your pin. will be your last name and the last four digits of your SSN.
Check it out.
For those that have contributed, thanks for joining your
fellow contributors and for supporting yourself and your family’s security.
Chris Stage
MOTOR VEHICLE - from the October
2007 Postmark
Welcome back Bob and Joel. It’s good (great) to see that we have
a process that allows you to keep your jobs, seniority and benefits. It doesn’t
take much imagination to realize what would have happened if we did not have Union representation.
As we all do, we’ll be talking to Bob and Joel about what happened to them.
While we do, keep in mind that this stuff could happen to anyone. Watch
what you say and do around your supervisors, not to mention others who might happen to overhear a conversation.
Heads up!! Be sure you are not out of bounds while on the clock. By that I mean, do not be somewhere where you should not be. The O.I.G. is out to find job security (theirs). It would
be a very good idea to let your supervisor know where you are going to take your break.
If they agree, then you might be safe. If you do not, you run the risk
of facing the same problems Bob and Joel had. Sorry, there can be no guarantee
the outcome would be the same and if the outcome would be the same I do guarantee this, IT WON’T BE FUN GETTING THERE!!!
I know working around and watching the contractors do our work is frustrating.
If anything, the grievance procedure is slower than we expect it should be. There
can be no way for any steward to be sure how a grievance will ultimately turn out. The
grievance is moving and it will be some time before we have an answer, but do not lose faith in your system – it works.
I want to welcome Terry Neal and Gary Schwitzer as new members. Please
do the same. Terry actually joined when he came back, but his paperwork was misplaced. He realized it when he noticed that his dues were not being withdrawn and brought
it to my attention. While we are welcoming Terry and Gary, we gotta realize why
we belong to the Union. We would not have the
benefits we have if we didn’t.
It was brought to my attention that some Drivers feel that it is more important to get the cages and APCs unloaded
at the stations even though they could run the risk of getting hurt. Remember,
if you try to unload a heavy piece of equipment and strain your back or some other kind of injury, you will be at fault. The Accident Report that is generated will reflect the fact that you failed to follow
instructions and will go into your file as an ‘unsafe act’. We have all been instructed to be safe while working.
If no one is there to help (Sundays), contact the dispatcher. DO NOT let
them talk you into unloading it. It’s not going to be their fault, and
you will not have been the only one who brought mail back because the equipment is too heavy or rolls hard because of bad
wheels (it then should not have been used in the first place). You know how it
goes, they pull it down with a forklift and load it right in or use a pallet jack. We
don’t have that luxury at a station.
I talked to Troy just today about our dues. He was under the impression that a portion of our dues go to political funds, Democrats in particular. That is not true. None of our dues go
to a politician, Democrat or otherwise. We have the Committee on Political Action
(COPA). The money that is raised from COPA is voluntarily donated by members
and others (retirees), and Democrats are not the only ones who benefit. We support
those who will support us as Postal Workers. If a politician fights for our rights
and benefits, that person will get our support, regardless of what party they belong to.
You may not like some of what the politician stands for, but if we don’t support that person and vote our jobs,
where would we go? Our jobs are not bad.
I would like to keep gaining rather than go backwards or lose it all together.
The big mailers who want all the discounts in postage are collectively spending millions to lobby their supporters. That is, of course, why the mailers get the support.
It’s all about the money. We have to help the ones who support us
in office and their campaign funds are what does that.
The following was in the August 2nd Local Bulletin. You will
also see those who contribute to COPA in the Postmark. If you would like to do
the same and are not sure who to go about it, contact me or go to the Union Office on the fifth floor to get started. And thanks .. our future is in our hands and the hands of those who support us.
Starting with the 3rd quarter (July, August, September, 2007) those members contributing
to COPA through Postal Ease or electronic fund transfer bi-weekly will be eligible for the drawing. The drawing will consist of three prizes, one $100.00 winner and two $75.00 winners.
If you haven’t signed up to contribute to COPA through Postal Ease or electronic funds transfer,
now is the time to do so. Once you sign up through Postal Ease or electronic
funds transfer for a continuous contribution, you become eligible for this and future quarterly drawings.
Keep the faith. All of the Union Reps are working hard to represent you
and protect our contractual rights.
Along with the drawing for COPA contributions, we are drawing for the Voice of the Employee (VOE) as well. Turn in your VOE (both the sealed and addressed one and the local one) and you will be eligible for those
drawings too.
Keep in mind the addressed VOE is your mail. You are allowed to/have the
absolute right to take that piece of mail and do what you want with it. Turn
it in on the 5th floor Union Office for the drawings.
Yours in solidarity
Chris Stage
MVS Craft Director
St. Paul, MN Area Local
*********************************************
What's
the Hurry???
By Chris Stage, MVS Craft Director
While you may feel the pressure to get the mail
delivered on time, there's lots of reasons you can't. You have to leave late
because of …? Pre-load not ready?
Dock is jammed so you can not unload? Your out-bound mail is still sitting
on the dock? You can't get into a door because everyone else is dealing with
a jammed dock? The Plant dispatches are not down yet and you are held up for
10-15 minutes?
This is almost a daily occurrence and we all
have asked, "why does management let this happen?" I sure can't figure it out,
nor am I going to try.
So, what do you do about it? Because it is our nature to do the best we can in order to get the job done right - and done on time, we
take shortcuts in loading or unloading until we stain ourselves rushing to lift a door or move equipment. Then we try to make
up time during our in drive time. Hurrying to get a job done is admirable, but it might result in negative consequences. You won't get a bonus and you won't get a little extra in your stocking at Christmas
either. What you will get is hurt - and it will be your fault. If you get a speeding ticket or have an accident - it will be your fault.
Then you will get disciplined and receive anything from an official discussion to a removal. Why hasn't management fixed these problems? Because we make
up for the problems they won't fix by hurrying. Our reward? Pain, embarrassment
and discipline.
Schedules…you might hear that you have
not followed your schedule. Over the years I have heard that the schedule is
what we are supposed to follow - not matter what. Other times I hear that the
schedule is just a guide that should be followed as close as possible. Whichever
rule applies is up to the supervisor. If your schedule is too tight you need
to let your supervisor know. You can request a survey of your run and your supervisor
has to respond. Our LMOU provides that, "Vehicle runs will be checked upon the
request of the full-time regular employees assigned to the run." A supervisor
will follow you to check if a stop is too tight. Do not put yourself or your
job in jeopardy. If you're late you're late - don't let your supervisor know
why or what happened to cause it. It is not our job to make decisions regarding
the operation of the Postal Service. If something out of the ordinary happens
- call your supervisor.
**************
As I write this, there is nothing new to report
on the contracting out of our jobs. Grievances have been filed and will continue
to be filed. I have contacted Congresswoman Betty McCollum and Senator Amy Klobuchar. I have also contacted the VFW and the American Legion.
My reason for this is to impress upon them that the Postal Service is eliminating Veteran
Preference Jobs - we cannot allow these jobs to go away. I encourage you
to do the same. You can contact Congress at the Capital Switchboard 1-800-459-1887. Locate your state representatives' name, address, phone # and email address at: www.leg.state.mn.us/leg.legdir.asp - use the link to "Who Represents Me" at the top of the page. If
you don't have internet access contact me and I'll get the names and addresses for you.
Enough is enough with this crap. They cut costs for big mailers and make up the difference by cutting good jobs and service. The Vets deserve our support. We need to put a stop to this. Thank you in advance for your assistance in this effort.
|
