Latest COLA Will Yield $686 Annual Increase
Even with the Consumer Price Index falling slightly in July, the latest Cost-Of-Living Adjustment under the National Agreement will give APWU-craft employees an annual raise of $686. July was the last month of the second six-month COLA measuring period in the 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The COLA will be effective Sept. 1, and will be reflected in Sept. 21 paychecks (Pay Period 19-07). The adjustment will amount to a 33 cents per hour increase, or $26.40 per pay period. This will be the third largest COLA increase since 2000. PWU-represented employees received an $812 cost-of-living raise last September, and a $728 COLA in September 2005.  (8/15/07)

2007 Joint Contract Interpretation Manual

The 2007 Joint Contract Interpretation Manual (JCIM) is now available. The 2007 JCIM update was agreed to by the parties on June 29, 2007. The JCIM is intended to be a resource for the local administration of the National Agreement. Jointly prepared by the APWU and the USPS, the JCIM provides a mutually agreed to explanation of how to apply the contract to the issues addressed. When a dispute arises, the local parties should first go to the JCIM to determine whether the dispute is addressed and, if it is, the parties are required to resolve the dispute in accordance with this manual. Click here for a copy of the 2007 JCIM [PDF].  (7/09/07)

APWU: Back Pay to Be Issued May 18

The USPS has notified the APWU that it expects to disburse back pay for the period from Nov. 25, 2006, through Feb. 2, 2007, in paychecks dated May 18 (Pay Period 10-2007). The retroactive pay will reflect a 1.3 percent raise for five pay periods (Pay Period 25-2006 through 03-2007).The 1.3 percent raise was negotiated for all APWU-represented employees as part of the 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement. (3/06/07)

Ask President Burrus
I support the union and all the good that comes from it. However, I strongly disagree with the provision of the tentative agreement that would allow casuals to work year-round. Not to mention that we lose our right to protest the use of casuals in lieu of career employees. Please help me understand why our union would consider allowing this to be part of our contract. Jamie, Southwest Florida Area Local (1/08/07)

Video: Postal Workers 1978 Strike Against Mandatory Overtime, Speedups - On July 21, 1978 thousands of postal workers across the country walked off their jobs when their contract expired, saying "No" to mandatory overtime, forced speedups and hazardous working conditions. As a result of this wildcat strike, six hundred thousand postal workers won a better contract. But two hundred workers were arbitrarily fired by management to teach all postal workers a lesson (1/08/07)

If You Didn’t Get a Ballot…
(12/28/06) Ballots for the contract ratification vote must be received in the New York office of the American Arbitration Association by 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2007. If you have not received a ballot, contact the American Arbitration Association by phone at 800-529-5218 or via  email e-mail  apwu [at] adr.org to request a duplicate.

Union Presents Economic Proposals; Assails ‘Lack of Progress’ in Talks

After offering a blunt assessment of the first two months of negotiations, APWU President William Burrus presented the USPS with economic proposals on Nov. 6, calling for raises and upgrades that are commensurate with union members’ performance over the six years of the contract that expires Nov. 20.

Burrus then made the following economic proposals for a contract of three years duration:

• Basic annual salary increases of 4 percent, effective Nov. 25, 2006, Nov. 24, 2007, and Nov. 22, 2008;

• Semi-annual COLA increases, using the current formula with a base month of October 2006, based on the change in the CPI-W Index points for January 2007, July 2007, January 2008, July 2008, January 2009, and July 2009;

• Upgrades;

• Return of Night Differential to 10 percent of the basic hourly straight-time rate;

• Continuation of the bi-weekly Employer contribution for Federal Employees Health Benefits Program self-only and self-and-family plans at 85 percent of the weighted average biweekly premiums; and

• Conversion of the current uniform and work-clothes allowances to a centralized purchasing and distribution system for required on-the-job clothing. (11/06/06)

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Burrus Denies "Raid" On Mail Handlers Union  - "You may have heard that APWU is considering an effort to “raid” your union. This is untrue. While we favor combining employees who work in mail processing and the BMCs into a single union, only the employees involved can make that decision." (10/14/06)

APWU Negotiations Update
Management representatives painted a bleak picture of USPS finances during contract talks held Oct. 3, and, to no one's surprise, concluded that "cost containment is the only answer." Labor expenses are the "key drivers of costs," management asserted, in a presentation clearly intended to convey that labor costs must be restricted. Union negotiators challenged the USPS analysis and raised pointed questions about productivity improvements, excessive postage discounts, and mail volume. Management's presentation did not include any contract proposals.   (10/04/06)

  APWU President Burrus Responds to Postcom Gene Del Polito (PDF) -In a recent article, "What's Up with APWU", Gene Del Polito asserts: "Here is an organization that is supposed to represent the long-term best interests of a key sector of the Postal Service's employees in a manner that best insures continued employment. Yet, nary a week goes by without seeing something in the electronic or print media that reflects a union that is hell-bent on ensuring its members' extinction." Burrus responds in part by writing:. "I attribute your failure to understand the objectives of the American Postal Workers Union to my communication skills - or lack thereof - and take full responsibility. It is not the intent of the American Postal Workers Union to ensure our own extinction. In fact, if there is any doubt, our union plans to be a viable organization far into the future. In we have failed to deliver a clear message identifying our objectives, I offer the following .

Burrus Outlines Union’s Contract Goals For Rank and File Bargaining Committee - In a meeting with the union’s Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee, APWU President William Burrus identified three paramount issues for contract negotiations: securing adequate wage increases, protecting workers’ healthcare benefits, and revising the process by which craft jurisdictional issues are decided. Burrus did not address specific proposals at the June 29 meeting, and he noted that the union’s bargaining stance would be refined by the committee, as well as by delegates to the national convention in August. Bargaining is set to begin Aug. 29 — 90 days before the expiration of the current contract. (6/29/06)

Proposed Revisions to F-1, Section 473.12, Rescinded [pdf]

This settlement (case #Q94C4QC96092498) rescinds a proposed revision to Handbook F-1 (Accounting Procedures) Section 473.12 which would have provided that "Employees cannot grieve or request a hearing for salary or travel advances."

Ask President Burrus
Question: There has been an increase in rumors concerning CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System). According to these, CSRS seems to be in a precarious state. Is it possible to do away with CSRS? Have there been discussions between management and the APWU in regard to a CSRS enticement? I’m getting sick and tired of hearing things that supposedly came from a very reliable source, so I’m bypassing this and going directly to you. (6/19/06)

APWU: Five Consolidations Cancelled - USPS: ‘No Significant Opportunities to Improve Service’ - APWU has been notified that the proposed consolidation of “certain operations” at five postal facilities in the Northeast Area has been cancelled, because they present no substantial opportunities to improve efficiency or service. The five Processing & Distribution facilities are: Utica (NY) ; Plattsburgh (NY) Post Office; Burlington (VT) ; Springfield (MA) and Portsmouth (NH) (5/24/06)

Judge Issues Opinion in Union’s AMS Specialist award suit

 On March 23, 2006, U.S. District Court Judge Henry H. Kennedy Jr. issued an interim opinion finding that Arbitrator Snow’s award in the Address Management System (AMS) Specialist case is final and binding. However, a final decision in the APWU’s suit to enforce the Snow award is still pending further motions and/or a trial. The Snow award, dated April 29, 2003(Case No. Q94C-4Q-C98117564 sustained the union’s grievance challenging the exclusion of the AMS Specialist position from the bargaining unit. The NALC and the USPS petitioned the arbitrator to review his decision, but he passed away before responding to the parties’ motions. It should be noted that the National Labor Relations Board has yet to rule on a related Postal Service petition seeking to overturn the arbitrator’s decision on the grounds that it violates NLRB rules on adding employees to an existing bargaining unit. (4/24/06)

Click here for a copy of the opinion

Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee Members Named
APWU President William Burrus has announced the names of members who will serve on the Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee. In accordance with Article 13.9 of the APWU Constitution, each member of the National Executive Board names one person to the committee; a 13th member, appointed by the president, is a representative from the APWU Deaf/Hard of Hearing Task Force. (4/05/06)

APWU  Creates e-Team

The APWU Legislative Department is establishing an e-mail alert system that is intended to help union members react quickly to important developments. “Legislative matters can change with very little notice,” said Legislative Director Myke Reid. “And with the security measures that are in place on Capitol Hill, letters are often delayed until it is too late to affect a representative’s actions on important legislative issues. “We are introducing the APWU e-Team, to ensure that our members’ voices are heard quickly and loudly on Capitol Hill. We are asking union members — as well as their family, friends and supporters — to join us by signing-up for the APWU e-Team.” Union members, retirees, and family members can  can register here  (3/20/06)

APWU Executive VP: Long-Anticipated Grievance Cases Should Soon Be Scheduled -It’s looking like 2006 will be a good year for resolving several long-standing and lingering disputes. I expect four cases that I appealed to arbitration more than 10 years ago to be scheduled for national arbitration in the next few months.  March/April 2006 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine

USPS Revises Standard Operating Procedures for Handling Hazardous Materials - The Postal Service has revised its Standard Operating Procedures for the Handling of Hazardous Materials. The new procedures are effective immediately and may not be altered in any way by local management. These procedures apply to acceptance, handling and transportation of mail containing or believed to contain hazardous materials, and provide detailed instructions for the actions that must be taken to minimize potential hazards during processing, distribution and transportation.  (2/27/06)

Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Update
For Employees Covered by the National Agreement and the Operating Services Agreement: (Feb. 22, 2006) In January, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) rose to 577.7. The ninth Cost-Of-Living Adjustment under the extended 2000 National Agreement and the 2000 Operating Services Agreement (the first COLA under the 2005-2006 extension agreements) will be $457 per year. The adjustment amounts to a 22 cents per hour increase, or $17.60 per pay period. The ninth COLA will take effect March 18, 2006 (pay period 07-2006, pay date April 7, 2006).

Operating Services [pdf]

Intermediate Travel for Training Settlement [pdf]

(Feb. 2, 2006) This settlement (case #H0C-NAC 19002) reinstates the language of Section 716.123 of the ELM that existed prior to 1991, which permits intermediate travel (for employees on an extended duty assignment) to a location other than the employee's permanent duty station when authorized in advance by the employee's management.

APWU: Joint Contract Interpretation Manual (JCIM) Update - A change has been made to the section on "Full-time Flexibles" on pages 37 and 38 of the 2005 JCIM. The title of the section was changed to “Full-Time Flexible Memorandum” and a note was added to the end of that section as follows: “Note:  Conversions required pursuant to the Full-Time Flexible Memorandum shall be in addition to (but not duplicative of) conversions that may be required pursuant to Article 7.3.A, B and C.” The note is taken from the Mittenthal Award on the issue. These changes have been incorporated into the PDF version of the JCIM (available below) and will be reflected in any future purchase of the JCIM from the APWU Store. (1/25/06)

APWU purchases home for Southern Region - other new offices planned -In the next few weeks, APWU’s Southern Regional Coordinator and several of the region’s Clerk Craft Business Agents will have a new place to call home. The APWU is planning to purchase property in other locations as well, as part of a plan to gradually reduce the use of rental property. Discussions currently are underway regarding the purchase of property in Tampa, FL.  (1/21/06)

APWU, Serco Open Talks Over Detroit MTESC Agreement -The APWU’s Detroit District Area Local and the privately-owned Serco Corporation have begun negotiations over a successor contract at its MTESC site in suburban Detroit. Serco purchased RCI (Resource Consultants Inc.) last March. In 2003, RCI negotiated the first Detroit MTESC (Mail Transportation Equipment Service Center) contract, which covers about 160 APWU-represented workers.  (1/21/06)

Ask President Burrus
Question: Why was the national APWU caught off guard by the USPS consolidation plans? The only time I know of that the APWU protested management’s refusal to provide the consolidation plan was during the first year of the contract extension. Why was there no follow-up? Why wasn’t legal action taken or a grievance filed? What is the national doing in regard to all the Area Mail Processing (AMP) studies? Grassroots efforts are fine, but what is the national union doing?

Answer (in part): We are continuing to review the options for filing a lawsuit, and are reaching out to appropriate congressional representatives and requesting their assistance. In addition to these activities, we took steps to inform and mobilize the union membership. Early in 2003 we distributed a packet to all local and state presidents outlining methods for organizing union members and involving the community in efforts to oppose consolidation. (1/18/06)

Burrus to Sam Ryan: Postal workers' pay did not cause stamp rate increase -

In his Jan. 6 Opinion piece, "Instead of raising stamp rates, the USPS should cut costs," Sam Ryan claims that postal workers earn "substantially more than their private sector counterparts," when, in fact, FedEx and UPS employees earn more than the workers we at the American Postal Workers Union represent. Though many postal clerks, truck drivers, mechanics, and computer and electronic technicians are highly skilled, on average they earn far less than the $65,000 Mr. Ryan implied. Meanwhile, no serious postal commentators are blaming the latest rate increase on costs associated with workers' pay or benefits - not the Postal Service, not the legislators grappling with postal reform, and not large business mailers.(1/17/06)

Previously Adopted Labor Management Resolutions Book Available

In preparation for contract negotiations, and to assist APWU locals and state organizations as they prepare for the national and state conventions, the Industrial Relations Department has compiled a book of Previously Adopted Labor Management Resolutions [pdf]. Delegates to state conventions can use this book to determine whether resolutions they are considering may have already been adopted and are therefore standing resolutions. Labor Management resolutions adopted by delegates to the national convention are used to guide the APWU's national negotiators as we prepare for contract negotiations (1/17/06)

APWU: REC Site Dispute Resolved - USPS Agrees to Pay Up to $500,000 - A long-standing dispute between the Postal Service and the APWU regarding the use of Transitional Employees to the detriment of career part-time flexible employees at Remote Encoding Centers (REC) was resolved late last year. The settlement , dated Dec. 21, 2005, requires that the USPS “cease and desist” from the practice, and awarded payment to affected PTFs not to exceed a total of $500,000. (1/05/06)

Olympian Effort May Be Model For Combating 'Consolidation'

Activities by the Olympia (WA) Local in response to a plan to move the city’s mail processing to Tacoma (a much larger city 30 miles away) may prove to be a model for other APWU locals fighting consolidation. The Olympia local has taken its message to the public – and loudly – and has challenged each claim the Postal Service has made. “The Olympia APWU Local honestly believes that a plan to transfer mail operations to Tacoma will cost the Postal Service more money and will reduce service to the local community and the state,” said Clint Burelson, the Olympia Local’s president. “It is also our contention that the Postal Service is purposefully misleading the public on this issue.” (Dec. 22, 2005)

APWU: Joint Contract Interpretation Manual (JCIM) Update Available
The newly updated Joint Contract Interpretation Manual (JCIM) is now available. The 2005 JCIM update was agreed to by the parties on Nov. 30, 2005. The JCIM is intended to be a resource for the local administration of the National Agreement. Jointly prepared by the APWU and the USPS, the JCIM provides a mutually agreed to explanation of how to apply the contract to the issues addressed (Dec. 20, 2005)

USPS Instructs Facilities Not to By-Pass Biohazard Detection Systems On Their AFCS - The APWU recently became aware that postal facilities with the Biohazard Detection System (BDS) on their Advanced Facer-Canceler Systems (AFCS) machines have made local decisions to by-pass the AFCS and utilize alternate canceling equipment (such as a Micro Mark or NEC). The Industrial Relations Safety & Health Department notified postal headquarters of this serious breech of security. In response, USPS headquarters issued a December 9, 2005 policy to all Managers and Operations Support (Area) instructing them to ensure that all stamped mail meeting the processing specifications for the AFCS be processed on the AFCS.

Click here for a copy of the Dec. 9, 2006 Memo (Dec. 14, 2005)

Accident Training for Supervisors [pdf]

Compensation for Disabled Vets To Increase Effective Dec. 1 - Disabled veterans will receive an increase in their benefits effective Dec. 1, as a result of recent legislation (P.L. 109-111). The legislation grants veterans who receive disability payments (or their survivors) the same cost-of-living adjustments Social Security recipients receive. The December COLA increase will mean an increase of 4.1 percent. (11/30/05)

APWU: Consolidation Begins in Bits and Pieces
The long-expected USPS network consolidation has begun in bits and pieces, with individual offices now being notified of changes to their mail processing operations. Over the past several weeks the union has received notification from the USPS of the planned consolidation of “some operations” at 10 offices one week, followed by a dozen more the following week. It is now clear that USPS management plans to alter the national network through a series of piecemeal changes. It is expected that in the coming months the Postal Service will inform the union of additional offices identified for change. (11/17/05)

2006 Organizing Campaign: ‘It’s All About You!’
With a mailing to non-members and the distribution of the first in a series of flyers, the “It’s All About You!” organizing campaign has officially begun." The mailing to non-members that announced the September cost-of-living raise has generated more than 2,500 new members,” APWU President William Burrus said. “But that’s just the beginning: I am asking every local and state organization to make organizing a top priority over the next several months.” The campaign is designed to reach those who are most likely to join, Burrus said. “Our targets for this campaign are those who have never been inspired to join and those who take the union for granted. There are many workers who are not hostile to the union, but who simply have never been asked to join. And there are former members who dropped out for one reason or another and have never been asked why they did so or whether they would consider coming back.” ( November 9, 2005)

Christmas Holiday Facts, By Bill Lewis -The following Christmas Holiday facts are for APWU members and the information contained in the article is from the APWU Collective Bargaining Agreement.  I would like to share with everyone some of the questions and my responses to many questions relating to the upcoming Christmas Holiday. ( November 4, 2005)

OIG Report:  Nature of Grievances and the Initiatives Taken to Reduce and Prevent Them -"This white paper identifies for the Postal Service the top 10 types of grievances unions file, and the ones that could cause a backlog. The Postal Service could use this information to reduce the number of filings and the backlog, by establishing new initiatives to target the causes for the grievances. By reducing the number of grievances and settling them at the lowest possible level, the Postal Service can reduce costs associated with grievances and improve labor relations with its unions. Further, we estimated the Postal Service could incur approximately $1.3 billion in costs associated with labor-management issues for FYs 2000 through 2005, including $807.6 million in known costs, and an additional $499 million in estimated costs through the end of FY 2005. For example, for the last two years (FYs 2003 and 2004), the top three issues grieved pertained to letters of warning, overtime assignments, and cross craft assignments. (November 03, 2005)

APWU: Locals Threatened with Consolidation Are Urged to Take Action to Protect Jobs, Service - APWU President William Burrus has written to 17 local presidents, notifying them of USPS plans to consolidate some mail processing operations in facilities represented by their locals, and providing them with material to help protect jobs and service in their communities." Any attempt to deter management from closing facilities or consolidating operations will require a grass-roots effort by members of your local, in concert with other postal unions and labor organizations, as well as with community organizations,” Burrus wrote on Oct. 24. USPS to Consolidate Certain Mail Processing Operations -USPS has notified APWU on plans to consolidate certain processing operations of nine facilities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. (10/24/05)

- Kinston postal operation to move | Mojave mail to get new postmark

- First-class mail processing to move from Youngwood

APWU, USPS Finalize 'Q&A' Addressing Issues Raised By Hurricane Katrina - The APWU and USPS have finalized a set of Questions & Answers addressing issues raised by the Sept. 27 Memorandum of Understanding on procedures for assigning employees impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Among other things, that memo stipulates that during an interim period, “all impacted employees volunteering to work shall be accommodated” with temporary assignments “within their craft and as close to their permanent work schedule as possible.”  (10/06)

APWU: USPS Seeks to Thwart Landmark FMLA Ruling
The Postal Service has filed a petition seeking to overturn a recent court ruling that invalidated USPS return-to-work requirements for employees with absences of more than 21 days. The APWU had hailed the July 19 ruling as a major victory in the fight to preserve workers’ rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The USPS motion, filed Sept. 6 in the U.S. Court of Appeals, requests “reconsideration and rehearing” before the full Seventh Circuit Court, contending that a three-judge panel “erred” in a July 19 decision overturning a Postal Service return-to-work policy. The petition for a rehearing is being supported by the Bush Administration, with Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao filing a brief in support of the USPS petition. (10/04)

- APWU Files Dispute Over USPS Return-to-Work Requirements (PDF)

APWU Responds To USPS FMLA Return-To-Duty Procedures

"Following this appeals court decision, the Postal Service issued a memorandum on procedures for returning craft employees to work following FMLA-protected absences. The July 26th memo states in part that “the Postal Service will comply with the Harrell decision in those facilities located within the three states subject to the court’s jurisdiction; Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.” The APWU is pursuing actions in preparation for a challenge if the Postal Service refuses to apply the substance of the appeals court ruling to return to duty procedures for FMLA-covered conditions on a nationwide basis." (9/17)

2005 Guide to Local Negotiations Available

(09/06/05) The Industrial Relations Department has produced a special edition of the Collective Bargaining Report (CBR) to aid locals in their preparation for local negotiations under the 2005 extension to the 2000 National Agreement. The CBR is being mailed to local presidents, but can also be downloaded here for those who can't wait. Note: local presidents will need their password to access this CBR.

APWU Private-Sector MVS Workers Turn Back Decertification Effort
 By a vote of 60-25, APWU-represented motor vehicle operators at a private-sector mail-haul operation in Kansas City have rejected a union decertification effort. "Management tried to split and divide us," said Tony Olson, an APWU steward and driver for Mail Contractors of America, the employer. "They even resorted to personal attacks on union activists." The APWU has been trying to get a first contract at MCA in Kansas City for more than three years. The union also has been working to get renewed contracts with MCA at terminals in Des Moines and Jacksonville, FL. Drivers at all three locations went on strike against MCA for three weeks last spring. "We're just trying to get our fair share," Olson said. "Our membership is growing and the union is here to stay. We will continue the fight for a true voice at work and job security." MCA is one of the nation's largest private mail haulers. It has imposed conditions on drivers such as forcing them to assume all costs of health insurance premiums if they wished to maintain the coverage guaranteed them under lapsed APWU contracts. Approximately 110 drivers were eligible to vote in the decertification balloting in late August. (09/02/05)

Modified Work-Week Update -(08/25/05) The APWU’s five regional coordinators are asking local presidents who are interested in developing modified work-week program (pdf) to complete one of the forms below and return it to their respective coordinator no later than Sept. 30, 2005. An Aug. 25 letter to local presidents also includes the appropriate form for each local.

The 2000-2003 APWU/USPS National Agreement references MOUs on the implementation and establishment of a Modified Work Week Program for APWU bargaining unit employees and Modified Work Week (10 hours per day, 4 days per week) Guidelines. Consistent with the MOUs, the parties agreed in the 2006 APWU/USPS Contract Extension to commence a minimum of 18 modified work week pilot sites during the term of the extension.

The contract extension agreement, ratified Aug. 5, provides for the establishment of a minimum of 18 pilot sites during the term of the extension. The regional coordinators will be working with management to formulate rules for implementation of the program. The coordinators will use the completed forms to provide USPS management with a list of potential sites. After the first six months of operation, the union and management will review the pilot programs. However, they will continue for at least six more months unless both parties agree to terminate them. For more news about the contract extension, click here.

APWU Represented Employees to Receive Biggest COLA Raise in 25 Years
(08/16/05)   The eighth Cost-Of-Living Adjustment under the extended 2000 National Agreement will be $728 per year, which works out to $28.00 per pay period or 35-cents-per-hour. The eighth COLA will take effect Sept. 3, 2005 (pay period 19-2005, pay date Sept. 23, 2005.

Local Negotiations Period Set  - Contract Extension Establishes 60-Day Window for Bargaining - As a result of the ratification of the contract extension, local unions and management will have an opportunity to negotiate changes to local agreements during the 60-day period from Oct. 3 through Dec. 1, 2005, APWU President William Burrus has announced. Under the terms of the contract extension, existing local memorandums of understanding will remain in effect during any discussions, and can be changed only upon mutual agreement. (08/16/05)

APWU Members Ratify Contract Extension
APWU members have ratified a one-year extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement by a vote of 69,763 to 9,201, in balloting that ended Aug 5. The National Agreement is now set to expire on Nov. 20, 2006. (8/5/05)

Anxious Moments Precede House Vote on Postal Reform
There were many anxious moments before the vote July 26, 2005, to approve HR-22, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. Eleven amendments were submitted by the 1 p.m. deadline the day before, and some of them would have been devastating to postal workers and the Postal Service. Legislative representatives from all the postal unions and several supervisory organizations met to develop a strategy to defeat the amendments. Our attention now turns to the Senate, which is expected to take up its postal reform bill (S-662) after the August recess. Assuming the Senate adopts its bill, the two measures will be sent to a conference committee, where we will once again face serious challenges (7/28/05)

APWU Rank and File Committee Recommends Extension -The APWU Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee voted to approve a tentative contract extension agreement between the union and USPS today, clearing the way for a ratification vote by union members. Ballots will be mailed to members July 18-20 and must be returned by August 5th. (7/8/05)

APWU, USPS Announce Tentative Agreement On Contract Extension |

- Burrus: Tentative Contract Extension Is Part of Long-Term Effort

- Tentative Contract Agreement

APWU and USPS Agree to Joint Q&A on Application of Article 12 to Excessing Issues - APWU and the Postal Service signed a document May 18, 2005 expressing our joint understanding of how to apply Article 12 of the contract to excessing issues. The Article 12 Questions and Answers (PDF), are provided as a resource for the local administration of the National Agreement. If a dispute arises, the local parties should use the Article 12 Q&A’s in conjunction with the APWU/USPS Joint Contract Interpretation Manual (JCIM) to determine if the issue is addressed and resolve the dispute in accordance with the JCIM and the Q&A’s. The Article 12 Q&A’s will be updated with additional material as necessary. (5/26/05)

Arbitrator Rules Union Leave Does Not Count Toward FMLA Eligibility [pdf]

Senate Panel Approves Postal Nominations-"When questioned by Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) about the apparent inconsistency of calling for regulating the pay of line workers while deregulating the pay of executives, Carolyn Gallagher responded: "Many people argued to the President's Commission that postal employees receive a wage that is in excess of the private sector." USPS executives, on the other hand, receive compensation that is significantly lower than that of their private-sector counterparts, she said. "Clearly, Governor Gallagher will be no friend to postal employees," APWU President Burrus said. "In fact, she seems intent on reducing postal workers' pay and benefits."  (5/26/05)

San Bernardino (Calif.) Remote Encoding Center to Close
Automation prompts mail-sorting closure- A Postal Service mail-sorting center in San Bernardino will close as technology to sort mail automatically reduces the need for a human set of eyes, the postal service announced Thursday. The San Bernardino Remote Encoding Center will be phased out between now and February. About 257 part-time employees will be laid off, and 43 career employees will be transferred to other jobs in the postal service, postal spokesman Mike Cannone said. The part-time employees will receive outplacement counseling. The center opened in 1995 and reached a peak of 675 employees in 1997. Mail that had been looked at in San Bernardino will now be sorted in Topeka, Kan., and Salt Lake City. (5/21/05)

USPS to Expand Salt Lake City (Utah) Remote Encoding Center

 Employment at the U.S. Postal Service's remote encoding center in Salt Lake City is expected to grow from 710 workers to about 1,300 by year's end. The Postal Service center is moving in September to a new 74,000-square-foot facility . It now operates from a 28,000-square-foot facility . Employees at the center handle mail from Utah and other Western states that cannot be processed by optical machinery.  (5/19/05)

more REC news

Stewards' Status in MSPB Appeals
Recently, the union has received inquiries about the right of stewards to prepare appeals to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) while “on the clock.” After a review with APWU’s general counsel, the following represents the APWU’s position on this subject matter: Though stewards have a right to file grievances while on the clock under the provisions of Article 17 of the National Agreement, this contractual right does not include a right to file MSPB appeals on the clock. While acting as an official representative of an employee in filing an MSPB appeal, a steward is not representing the union but is acting in his/her individual capacity as the employee’s representative. Therefore, rules applicable to representation are set out in MSPB regulations. In the case of claims involving discrimination that are filed in the MSPB, EEOC rules may also apply.

APWU Retirees Director Retires-Rumor Confirmed: John R. Smith, director of the APWU Retirees Department since its creation in 1993, retired May 7. Replacing him will be Douglas C. Holbrook, the union’s Secretary-Treasurer from 1981 to 1998, APWU President William Burrus announced. Holbrook serves as an APWU presidential appointment. Beginning in 2007, the retirees department director will be elected, as required by the APWU Constitution and Bylaws (5/12/05)

APWU Seeks to Unionize 5,000 Workers at Ohio DHL hub

APWU said Monday it wants to unionize 5,000 ABX Air Inc. workers at the DHL hub in Dayton, Ohio. Workers who support joining the union said they want more respect on the job, including adequate breaks, overtime pay, safer working conditions and seniority privileges. The company responded by saying the decision to form a union is up to the workers, but they should be warned that customers prefer dealing with union-free operations. Mark Dimondstein, a union field organizer with APWU, said workers have been harassed for trying to start a union "That's unlawful," Dimondstein said. "Managers even told them that DHL may close its hub if a union was established and that's an implied threat, which is also unlawful." (4/19/05)

FYI: In reference to the below article; The APWU Constitution requires that the APWU request and make every effort to secure a meeting with the NALC a minimum of once a year, for the sole purpose of discussing and moving in the direction of eventual merger. (Article 2 Section 11.a)  Also please refer to Article 2 Section 11.b. (4/14/05)

Frank Rigiero, National Business Agent 'A'
New England Region, Clerk Div.
APWU, AFL-CIO

NALC President Young : Merger? Thanks, but 'No!' (4/12)
"There are no merger talks underway with the APWU. NALC did receive a communication suggesting discussions be held on combining the NALC and American Postal Workers Union, but that's as far as it went. NALC President William H. Young said he isn't interested, even if it meant NALC would have the presidency of a merged union. ?NALC continues to believe that the interests of its members are best served by remaining a union that represents only city letter carriers,? he said."
From APWU National Constitution and Bylaws as Amended August 2004 and Corrected April 2005

SEC. 11. (a) The American Postal Workers Union shall request and make every effort to secure a meeting with the National Association of Letter Carriers, a minimum of once a year, for the sole purpose of discussing and moving in the direction of eventual merger.

(b) Also, the same type of meetings shall be conducted, a minimum of once every two (2) years, with the other postal unions (in the United States) that represent postal workers in non-supervisory levels.

Entrance Exams -In January 2005, the Postal Service began implementing a new entrance exam, known as the ON Battery 473. The new test will replace the ON 470 exam. (2/2/05)

The ON 473 will apply to the following positions:

1. Mail Processing Clerks (2315-0063)

2. City Carriers (2310-2009)

3. Sales, Service and Distribution Associates (2320-0003)

4. Sales and Service Associates (2320-0001)

5. Mail Handlers (2315-01xx)

With the exception of career DCOs (Data Conversion Operators) working in Remote Encoding Centers – who are hired under the ON 710 exam – the new test will have no immediate impact on APWU members. Employees will continue to be permitted to bid on all duty assignments they were entitled to bid on before the ON-473 exam was established. They will be permitted to voluntarily transfer; can be excessed in accordance with the provisions of Article 12 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and can be assigned under the terms of Article 37.4, as in the past. There are several additional issues that will be addressed by the union and management, including:

• DCOs working in Remote Encoding Centers;
• In-Service Exams for Transitional Employee; and
• In-Service Exams for Career Employees.

The parties have agreed to develop a series of Questions and Answers dated May 26, 2005 [PDF], concerning the new test. An Implementation Schedule dated Jan. 7, 2005 [PDF], and provided by the USPS, shows the dates the new exam will be applied at various Performance Clusters. (source: APWU)

Contract

National APWU Grievance Over New (Sick -CALL-IN) System

Arbitration Award: Craft Priority of Limited Duty Assignments

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Article 8 Q & A

Holiday Memo

 Article 11

Injured or Ill Employees

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Safety & Health -Article 14

Clerk Craft

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AFSM 100

Postal Automation Redirection System (PARS)

Postal Automation

Landmark Agreement Settles Disputes on 'Loaner Clerks'

Part-Time Flexible Clerks Working in Other Installations Questions & Answers-

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The Legal Rights of Union Stewards

by Robert M. Schwartz

The FMLA Handbook: A Union Guide to the Family and Medical Leave Act by Robert M. Schwartz

Medical Leave Act-Will Aitchison 2003

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