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Joining the National Executive Board

(This article first appeared in the March/April 2008 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)

I would like to take this opportunity — in my first article as Eastern Region Coordinator — to thank all the locals, officers, stewards and members who assisted in my efforts to take on this important job. I assure you that you can count on my support on any issue that advances the interests of working people. I am honored to serve on the APWU National Executive Board and look forward to the challenges.

Arbitration Panels

Shortly after each Collective Bargaining Agreement expires, so do the contracts of the arbitrators who are hired by the union and the Postal Service to adjudicate disputes. While there were delays in getting all the arbitration panels fully staffed with arbitrators last year, they are now up and running full bore.

All of the arbitrators undergo orientation prior to hearing any cases. The Area labor relations managers and I recently concluded our briefings of the arbitrators that will work for us, and they know we expect timely decisions that comply with the terms of our contract and provide clear remedies for violations. When the process is running smoothly, there should be no need for further hearings to clarify rulings or outline the application of remedies.

Expedited Dispute-Resolution Process

Too often our members are improperly excessed out of their home facility to other installations that are a long distance away. They file grievances — which management routinely denies — and then they must wait out the disputes’ journey through the time-consuming grievance-arbitration process.

I have negotiated an agreement that I think will accelerate matters and get excessing disputes to arbitration much quicker. The agreement calls for my office to request a Comparative Work Hour Report from management. Such reports will compare hours worked in the home office before and after each excessing event.

If we believe that the work-hour report justifies the return of an excessed employee, my office will file a dispute directly at Step 3 of the grievance-arbitration procedure. If the employee is not returned after Step 3 discussions, then the case will be scheduled for arbitration at the next opportunity.

I believe this agreement will offer dislocated workers a relatively quick resolution of their dispute and give them and their families the relief they deserve.

Article 32 and H.R. 4236

In November, the APWU was instrumental in the introduction of a House bill — the Mail Network Protection Act — that would require the Postal Service to bargain with its unions before subcontracting work involving a significant number of postal jobs. (The Collective Bargaining Agreement requires the Postal Service only to “notify and consult” with the unions when it contemplates subcontracting.)

If passed, this legislation could affect USPS plans to subcontract a significant amount of work that is currently performed at Bulk Mail Centers (BMCs), as well as other postal sites.

After the bill was introduced, a delegation from the Philadelphia BMC Local and I met with Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) and asked him to co-sponsor the measure. I am pleased to report that he was one of the first co-sponsors of the APWU-backed legislation.

It is extremely important that our locals and their members contact their representatives and ask that they cosponsor this important bill. It’s easy to do through the APWU Web site. Visit the Contracting Out issue page on the on www.apwu.org, then click on one ofthe "Take Action" links. Do it today!

Labor 2008

Late last year, Legislative Director Myke Reid, Northeast Region Coordinator Liz Powell and I met with AFL-CIO Political Director Karen Ackerman to learn about the federation’s Labor 2008 campaign for the Northeast and Eastern regions. The campaign’s goal is to get out the vote among working people so that we can elect legislators who will support the issues important to labor.

It is clear that if we are going to protect our way of life pro-worker bills must be able to survive in a filibuster-proof Senate. We must ensure that the next president will sign — not veto — pro-worker legislation, including measures like the Employee Free Choice Act and bills that will bring about healthcare reform.

I encourage everyone to get involved: Work with your local union, your Central Labor Council, or with an individual candidate’s campaign to help elect those who will defend our interests. There is nothing more exciting than to watch election results come in, knowing that you participated in the effort to make this a better country for working people.

We showed two years ago that we could make a difference and 2008 looks like it could be another watershed year. Let’s not miss this opportunity; it literally could mean our jobs.

Open House

The Eastern Region recently held an open house at our new office. A large number of local officers were in attendance and I would like to thank President William Burrus for delivering an update on APWU accomplishments and the issues we face.

In addition, I would like to thank Secretary-Treasurer Terry Stapleton, Clerk Craft Director Jim McCarthy, Maintenance Craft Director Steve Raymer, Motor Vehicle Craft Director Bob Pritchard, and Northeast Region Coordinator Liz Powell for attending and for the information they shared.

As a final note, I have been in regular contact with my fellow regional coordinators, (Liz Powell, Sharyn Stone, Omar Gonzalez, and Bill Sullivan) about issues of common concern. We stand ready to work together to resolve them on behalf of the members of the APWU.

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