APWU                                                                      APWU

Pat McCann, President      St. Paul, MN Area Local    November 30, 2007­_

www.stpaulapwu.org                                                         651-778-1637      _

PENALTY RATE OVERTIME

          Article 8.4.C. of the National Agreement states:

“Penalty overtime pay will not be paid for any hours worked in the month of December.”

          Each leave year, a four-week period is designated “the month of December”.  This year’s period for the penalty rate exclusion begins on December 1, 2007 and ends December 28, 2007.

          The exclusion of the penalty rate of pay during this four-week period does not impact other aspects related to the use of the Overtime Desired List.  The Overtime Desired List still exists in December.  It is only the penalty rate of pay that is affected.

******

2008 LEAVE YEAR

          The new leave year will begin January 5, 2008.  For those that are out of annual leave, January 5, 2008 is the date that you can start using leave that you will earn in 2008.

********

ANNUAL LEAVE CARRYOVER

          The new leave year begins on January 5, 2008.  You may carry over 440 hours of annual leave into the new leave year.  If you have more than the 440 hours as of January 5, 2008, you will lose ALL leave hours in excess of 440 hours.

          So, if you currently have more than 440 hours allowed for carry over, use that annual leave before the new leave year begins.

          If you are having problems with a supervisor approving the use of excess leave, request to see a steward.

********

ANNUA LEAVE EXCHANGE OPTIONS

            (Reprinted from the National Agreement)

“The parties agree that APWU career employees will be allowed to sell back a maximum of forty (40) hours of annual leave prior to the beginning of the leave year, provided the following two (2) criteria are met:

1.       The employee must be at the maximum leave carry over ceiling at the start of the leave year; and

2.       The employee must have used fewer than 75 sick leave hours in the leave year immediately preceding the year for which the leave is being exchanged.”

Note:  The leave you are exchanging is leave that you will earn in leave year 2008.  You cannot exchange leave that is in excess of the 440 hours that you are carrying over.

********

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY WORKED PAY

          Employees required to work on his/her Christmas Holiday (Christmas Day, or the employee’s designated Christmas Holiday), will be paid one and one-half times the base hourly straight time rate for each hour worked.  It is not paid for work performed on December 25^th unless it is the employee’s holiday.  This is in addition to the Holiday Leave pay the employee is entitled to receive.  Those requesting annual leave in lieu of the Holiday Leave pay will still be paid one and one-half (1 ½) times the base hourly straight time rate for each hour worked on the holiday or their designated holiday.

********

CHOICE VACATION FOR JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, 2008

          Employees who submitted 1547’s (Choice Vacation slips) for choice vacation in the months of January, February, March of 2008 should have received an answer back from your supervisor by November 21, 2007.  If you have not, please request a steward.

********

CITY DIVISION DECENTRALIZATION CONTINUES

          The union has been verbally notified that the remaining zones (1 & 2) will be decentralized in the near future dependent upon the completion of remodeling of the Riverview Station.

          The particulars of the decentralization have not been shared with the union at this point.  Further discussion with management will probably occur sometime in January, 2008.  As we receive information, it will be shared with you.

********

APWU              St. Paul, MN Area Local        APWU

Pat McCann, President                October 31, 2007

www.StPaulAPWU.org       651-778-1637

January, February, March Choice Vacation Period

          During the last LMOU negotiations the union negotiated a more structured procedure for requesting choice vacation for the months of January, February and March. Employees have always had the ability to take choice vacation for those months but never really had a procedure for accomplishing it. With more and more members taking winter vacations it was necessary to put some procedures in place.

          Employees wishing to take choice vacation during the months of January, February and March must make their selection on Form 1547 between November 1, 2007 and November 21, 2007. Management must return the 1547 back to you no later than November 30, 2007.

          Employees are granted (2) two selections as their first choice during the choice vacation periods unless you select (15) fifteen continuous days of annual leave which would count as (2) two selections.

          If you select choice vacation during the months of January, February and March, it will affect the number of selections you can make during the March choice vacation selection period for the remaining months of the choice vacation period.

St. Paul Area Local Organizing Drive Kicks Off

          The Local’s Organizing Drive will encompass a three month period beginning November 1, 2007 and ending on January 31, 2008.

          All APWU Members are eligible and encouraged to participate as “organizers” in our new member drive. As an incentive, for each non-member you sign up on a membership form (PS 1187) you will earn  $100.00 during the Organizing Drive.

          Additionally, the name of the organizer will be placed into a drawing for each non-member signed during the drive. At the end of the drive there will be an “Organizer Grand Prize” drawing. The amount of the Grand Prize will be determined on the total number of 1187’s submitted as follows.

1-10   $100.00

11-20  $300.00

21 or more $500.00

          Organizers are paid in the form of a St. Paul Area local check at the conclusion of the Drive.

          Once a non-member completes an 1187 and becomes a member they are eligible to be an “Organizer” and obtain “Organizer” incentives.

          Newly hired employees or transferred APWU bargaining unit employees who complete an 1187 are not eligible.

          There is no better time than today to join the ranks of the dues paying members!

And the Winners are!

          The following members who voted in the 2007 APWU National Elections made themselves eligible for the Local’s “Get out the Vote” drawing and were randomly selected from the ballot return envelopes. Congratulations to the following members.

Tom Smith

Terry Gallagher

Herb Schnobrich

Dan Anderson

Pat Riley

          Each will receive a $100.00 check from the local. Thanks to all those who took the time to vote, your participation is what keeps this union strong.

APWU             St. Paul, MN Area Local               APWU

Pat McCann, President                                                           10/12/07

www.StPaulAPWU.org                                                  651-778-1637

Why Does the Union Allow Management to Staff Improperly?

(WE DON’T!)

The contract, handbooks and manuals give management the direction on decision making as to how they are going to staff and if and when the mail will be worked.  Some employees believe the union controls the scheduling of employees, which creates short staffing.  Nothing could be further from the truth. The union has consistently reported on this phenomenon but it continues to pop up.  If management decides not to staff properly, by either reducing bids or not filling a vacancy when someone bids out, or is on leave, that does not now mean that it is up to the rest of the employees to fill that void. 

          Article  34.A of the Collective Bargaining Agreement states: “The principle of a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay is recognized by all parties to this Agreement.”  what this means is you are obligated to work within your duty assignment, including scheduled breaks and lunches, no more, no less. So, for those employees who believe because management refuses to schedule properly that you now have to take up the slack and are responsible to do the work of two employees when only receiving pay for one, you are allowing management to take advantage of you.  You as an employee do have some control of staffing by not performing the work of two employees. 

          If you believe it is your job to fill the void, you are only setting yourself up for possible injury, and proving to management that they can do more with less. Because if you are willing to do the work of two or more employees, why would management see a need to staff properly? 

          As a reminder, you, the member, are the union.

Judy Fricke

Industrial Relations Director

*********************************************

(Over)

APWU “Wild” Night Out

          The St. Paul Area Local has obtained tickets for two Minnesota Wild Hockey games for this season.

Team: Wild vs. Phoenix Coyotes

Date: Sunday 1/13/08

Time: 5:00 p.m.

Seats: Club level

Cost:  $88.00

20 tickets available

Team: Wild vs. Dallas Stars

Date: Thursday, 2/7/08

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Seats: Upper Level

Cost: $44.00

20 tickets available

          If you are interested in attending the St. Paul, MN Area Local’s “Wild” Night Out with other union members, please contact Vice President Dawn Ecker at 651-224-2639.  Tickets must be purchased at least 30 days in advance of the game you wish to attend.

*********************************************************

Next Meeting – October 23, 2007  11:00 a.m!