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Greg Bell |
Recent
Magazine Articles Privatization Merits
‘Serious Consideration,’ Panel Says
Privatizers
Say: Contract Out
Everything But Delivery
Retirement, Early-Outs
and the Incentive
Management and Privatizers:
Reading from the Same Script
USPS Plays the Perception Game
Recent
Web ArticlesLessons Learned, Lessons Ignored
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APWU Magazine Articles by Greg Bell
2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005
Privatization Merits
‘Serious Consideration,’ Panel Says
(This article will appear in the May/June 2013 edition of The American Postal Worker.)
The National Academy of Public Administration, an organization chartered by Congress to provide advice to government leaders, recently evaluated a proposal to privatize all postal operations except delivery and concluded the idea “merits serious consideration. The original privatization proposal, which I wrote about in the March-April issue of The American Postal Worker, was written by a group of self-described “postal industry thought leaders.” [read more]
The End Game
Privatizers Say: Contract Out
Everything But Delivery
(This article first appeared in the March/April 2013 edition of The American Postal Worker.)
In January, a group of “postal industry thought leaders” published a paper that advocates contracting out all postal functions except delivery — a plan that is often referred to as “the last mile strategy.” The paper, titled “Restructuring the U.S. Postal Service: The Case for a Hybrid Public-Private Partnership,” helps us understand what’s behind the current financial “crisis” at the Postal Service. [read more]
Convenient Untruths
(This article first appeared in the January/February 2013 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
When the postal service announced in November that it had incurred a $15.9 billion loss in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2012, newspaper editorial boards and anti-government politicians cited the figure as proof that the Postal Service is doomed. They bemoaned the USPS financial crisis and called for privatization of the nation’s mail system.
Many blamed the Internet and some even attributed the postal deficit to “excessive” labor costs.
But those explanations are just convenient distortions of the truth. [read more]
Retirement, Early-Outs and the Incentive
(This article first appeared in the November/December 2012 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Many APWU members are contemplating a momentous decision: whether to end their careers to qualify for a $15,000 incentive. Under the terms of a Sept. 28 agreement negotiated by the APWU, eligible employees who opt for regular retirement, voluntary early retirement (VER) or resignation will receive payment in two installments. The first installment of $10,000 will be paid on May 24, 2013; the second installment of $5,000 will be paid on May 23, 2014.
A secure retirement is one of our greatest benefits, and the decision to retire is among the most important you will ever make. I urge you to con- sider it carefully, and to participate in USPS counseling sessions so you can make an informed decision. [read more]
Management and Privatizers:
Reading from the Same Script
(This article first appeared in the September/October 2012 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Instead of developing a strategy to preserve the Postal Service in the digital age, top management executives have been undermining public confidence in the USPS — angering communities and lowering employee morale with plans to close thousands of post offices, consolidate hundreds of mail processing facilities, and cut service in ways that will drive away customers and devastate our treasured institution. [read more]
USPS Plays the Perception Game
(This article first appeared in the July/August 2012 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
On May 17, the Postal Service announced that it would begin implementing a “new” network consolidation plan. Unfortunately, the new plan is the same as the old plan.
In February, the USPS announced that it had approved 223 mail processing facilities for consolidation, with six more still under study. On May 17, we learned that the Postal Service intends to consolidate 48 plants before Aug. 31, take a break during the fall mailing season, and then consolidate another 92 plants beginning in January 2013. Management intends to consolidate 89 additional plants by the end of 2014 — for a total of 229 mail processing facilities. The bottom line is the same as it ever was: Cut the current mail processing network of 461 plants in half. [read more]
USPS Misrepresentations
Lead to Barrage of Criticism
(This article first appeared in the May/June 2012 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The Postal Service’s top management, including Postmaster General Donahoe, has been drawing fire from all sides in recent months, after a series of disturbing and embarrassing revelations.
Criticism of postal management started mounting after the USPS filed a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) for an advisory opinion on plans to degrade service standards — to eliminate overnight delivery of most first-class mail and periodicals, and generally slow delivery. Prior to the September request, postal managers had been telling legislators and affected communities that consolidating mail processing facilities would not affect service. [read more]
PRC Critique also Applies to Plants
(This article first appeared in the March/April 2012 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
In a sharp rebuke to USPS plans to close more than 3,600 retail facilities by 2015, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) issued an opinion in December that challenged the Postal Service’s methodology in developing its “Retail Access Optimization Initiative.” [read more]
Postal Service Gets It Wrong Again
Slashing the Network Won’t Save the
USPS
(This article was first published in the January/February 2012 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Among the Postal Service ’ s major plans for solving the USPS financial crisis is to slash the mail processing network — to close or consolidate as many as 252 of approximately 460 mail processing facilities. Wrong again! [read more]
The Threat of Privatization – From Within
(This article was first published in the November/December 2011 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Postal workers are under constant attack by the forces of privatization. Unfortunately, this group includes the Postmaster General, members of the Board of Governors, some members of Congress and others. Privatization is a clear and present danger — facility by facility, operation by operation, and job by job. [read more]
Union Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge
Consolidation: USPS Refuses Information Requests
(This article was first published in the September/October 2011 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The APWU recently filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) protesting the Postal Service’s refusal to provide the union with information regarding Area Mail Processing (AMP) feasibility studies. Management’s failure to provide the information constitutes a breach of its obligation to bargain in good faith, the union asserted. The USPS must conduct the studies before it consolidates mail processing operations.
On May 10, 2011, the APWU wrote to the Postal Service requesting information about AMP feasibility studies. The union pointed out that the USPS provides the APWU with notices of its intent to conduct AMP studies, and asked for the data management relies on in making the decision to conduct the studies. [read more]
OIG Audit Confirms Improper
Deletion Of Employees’ Clock Rings
(This article was first published in the July/August 2011 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
A recent report by the postal service’s office of inspector general (OIG) confirms the union’s suspicion that supervisors have been depriving employees of overtime pay they were entitled to receive by improperly altering time and attendance records.
“Management controls over time and attendance at the locations included in our audit were not adequate to ensure employees’ workhours were reported accurately,” the OIG wrote. “As a result, we could not determine with certainty the reasons supervisors altered employee time and attendance records.” [read more]
Why Vote ‘Yes’
(This article was first published in the April-June 2011 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
APWU members, an important decision is in your hands: in march, the APWU and USPS reached a Tentative Agreement on a new contract, and now you have the opportunity to vote on ratification.
The APWU Rank-and-File Bargaining Advisory Committee voted unanimously
to approve the agreement, as did the National Executive Board. We urge
you to vote “yes” as well.
[read more]
Union Oposes USPS Plans to Remove
Bulletproof Glass at Some Retail Facilities
(This article was first published in the January-March 2011 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The USPS recently notified the APWU of plans “to improve the customer experience” in retail lobbies by removing the bullet-resistant glazing at the counter line at some facilities “when a risk analysis supports the removal.” The APWU objected to the Postal Service’s plans at meetings and in writing, notifying management that there is no justification for removing bulletproof glass at counters where it currently exists. [read more]
Contract Negotiations:
Fighting to Protect Our Future
(This article was first published in the November/December 2010 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
I would like to thank the members of the APWU for electing me the Executive
Vice President of the American Postal Workers Union. It is truly an honor.
Thank you to every member who cast a ballot. Unfortunately, the low percentage
of members who chose to exercise their right to vote was disappointing.
If our union election reflects postal workers’ participation in
the congressional elections, we will continue to have major problems.
[read more]
Contract Negotiations Underway
(This article was first published in the Sept/Oct 2010 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Contract negotiations began on Sept. 1, and bargaining sessions are scheduled every week during the months of September, October, and November. The current contract expires at midnight on Nov. 20, 2010, and a lot of hard bargaining will take place between now and then. In this round of contract talks, we will face some of our toughest challenges ever: Many issues that have threatened us in the past are looming again, and we will have to fight to retain some of the gains we made in years past. [read more]
OSHA Slams USPS for Safety Violations
(This article first appeared in the July/August 2010 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has charged the USPS with a series of citations in multiple cities for “willful and serious” safety violations. As of mid-June, OSHA had issued citations to the Postal Service at 12 facilities, and ordered it to pay fines of more than $2 million. The violations, all related to electrical hazards, were discovered after OSHA inspectors visited the sites as a result of complaints filed by APWU locals. The Postal Service “ignored long-established safety standards and knowingly put its workers in harm’s way,” OSHA said. [read more]
Arbitrator: OIG Agents Intended to Make a Grievant’s Life a Living Hell
(This article first appeared in the May/June 2010 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
I rarely write about regional arbitration awards, but a case came to my attention recently that should serve as a cautionary tale about OIG agents and the potential danger they pose to postal workers. [read more]
Members Input on Bargaining Is Welcome
(This article first appeared in the Mar/Apr 2010 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
With negotiations for a new contract set to begin in August (90 days prior to the Nov. 20 expiration of the current contract), the Industrial Relations Department is busy preparing for bargaining. As part of our preparation, we seek input from union members and officers at all levels of the organization. [read more]
New Law Expands FMLA for Military Families
(This article first appeared in the January/February 2010 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
A Defense spending bill signed into law by President Obama on Oct. 28, 2009, includes a section that expands provisions of the Family & Medical Leave (FMLA) for military families. By increasing the scope of “exigency leave” and “caregiver leave,” which were added in 2008, the bill offers important benefits to America’s veterans and their loved ones. The leave amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2010 (NDAA) became effective with the president’s signature. [read more]
The Challenges We Will Meet In Collective Bargaining
(This article first appeared in the November/December 2009 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The APWU will officially open negotiations for a new National Agreement with the Postal Service sometime in August, approximately 90 days prior to the current contract’s expiration on Nov. 20, 2010, and just days after the conclusion of our 20th biennial national convention. It is essential that at the convention in Detroit we – members, stewards, and officers of the American Postal Workers Union – are united in the struggle. [read more]
Employee Rights During 'Surprise' Investigations
(This article first appeared in the September/October 2009 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Visits by postal inspectors or OIG agents – which are usually unannounced – often catch employees by surprise, and sometimes cause them to panic. Our stewards, officers and arbitration advocates are doing an excellent job of defending union members, but this article should remind employees of their rights. After all, when you exercise your rights to the fullest, you help protect yourself the most. And unfortunately, postal inspectors and OIG agents have persisted in conducting overly zealous investigations that have resulted in employees being wrongly accused and issued notices of removals. [read more]
Union Battles USPS Over Ergonomic Hazards
(This article was first published in the July/August 2009 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Locally filed OSHA complaints and a national Unfair Labor Practice Charge are among the actions taken by the APWU in our ongoing battle with the Postal Service over ergonomic hazards on the Delivery Bar Code Sorter (DBCS). In a March 25, 2009, letter to local presidents, the national union urged locals to file individual complaints with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) for each facility that has a DBCS within the installation. [read more]
New Family and Medical Leave Act Rules
(This article first appeared in the May/June 2009 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The APWU has been meeting with the Postal Service regarding the implementation of changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act – changes that the Bush administration implemented just four days before President Obama took office. The APWU has updated our FMLA forms to provide additional information for medical certification requirements. [read more]
Arbitrator: USPS Form Letters Violate FMLA
(This article first appeared in the January/February 2009 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
In a national-level award issued Oct. 13, 2008, Arbitrator Dennis R.
Nolan found that certain form letters that the Postal Service planned to
require employees to use when seeking leave under the Family and Medical
Leave Act (FMLA) violate the law. Arbitrator Nolan ordered the Postal Service
to revise the form letters to comply with the FMLA.
[read
more]
Non-Compliance a Persistent Problem
(This article first appeared in the November/December 2008 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Postal Service non-compliance with arbitration awards and grievance settlements is a persistent problem in some areas of the country. One of the responsibilities of the APWU Industrial Relations Department is to deal with non-compliance issues, and to take appropriate action when management fails or refuses to comply with an award or settlement. [read more]
Disputes Sparked by USPS Policies on FMLA
(This article first appeared in the September/October 2008 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
We have been unable to reach resolution on two-national-level disputes with the Postal Service over Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) issues. The disputes have been appealed to arbitration, and we want to make clear the union’s position in these cases so that appropriate grievances can be filed at the local level. [read more]
USPS Liable for Supervisor's Threats of Retaliation
(This article first appeared in the July/August 2008 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
A supervisor who threatened an employee with reprisals after the employee filed an unfair labor practice charge was acting as an “agent of the USPS” and therefore the Postal Service was liable for his actions, according to a U.S. Court of Appeals decision enforcing an order of the National Labor Relations Board. [read more]
Settlement Undercuts Our 'Weingarten' Rights
(This article first appeared in the May/June 2008 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
In September 2007, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) informed
the APWU that it had been engaged in negotiations with the Postal Service
to reach a settlement agreement on a pilot program to address pending and
future “Weingarten” violations at postal facilities.
[read
more]
New Transfer Rules for Excessed Employees
(This article first appeared in the Mar/Apr 2008 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The APWU receives numerous inquiries from members around the country about transfers, particularly from employees who are being impacted by excessing. The following pertains to the recently negotiated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding “Transfer Opportunities to Minimize Excessing” that appears in the 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement. [read more]
Wallet Card on Employee Rights Sows Confusion
(This article first appeared in the January/February 2008 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The Postal Service recently distributed to supervisors and managers a wallet-sized reference card intended to advise them of the rights of employees under the Supreme Court’s “Weingarten” ruling. The landmark decision requires that employees be provided a union steward, if requested, in any management-conducted investigatory interview that the employee reasonably believes could lead to discipline (including interviews by Postal Inspector or OIG agents). [read more]
Laptop Computers Missing
USPS Puts Employee Information at Risk
(This article first appeared in the November/December 2007 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The Postal Service recently notified the APWU that several laptop computers
containing the personal and confidential information of several hundred
APWU bargaining-unit employees, including names, Social Security numbers,
home addresses, and other personal information, have been reported missing
or stolen in the past year. USPS officials have informed us that every
employee whose personal information was contained on any of these laptop
computers has been notified, and they have assured us that there is no
indication that any information stored on these laptops has been compromised.
[read
more]
Know Your Rights: The ‘No FEAR’ Act
(This article first appeared in the September/October 2007 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
We often receive inquires regarding whether postal workers have any type of “whistleblower protection.” Yes, we do. Although postal workers – unlike most federal employees – are not covered by the Federal Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, we are protected by certain USPS regulations. In addition, postal workers are covered under an important law, the “Notification and Federal Employee Anti-discrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002” (the “No FEAR Act”) ... [read more]
Court: USPS Engaging in ‘Egregious’ Misconduct
(This article first appeared in the July/Aug 2007 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
A federal appeals court recently issued a decision that enforces an order of the National Labor Relations Board against the Postal Service in Albuquerque NM, which was found to have unlawfully disciplined and discharged a steward. The USPS also threatened to retaliate against rank-and-file APWU members who exercised their union rights. What makes the decision significant is that not only was the Postal Service ordered to stop engaging in unfair labor practices, it was ordered to cease “ in any other manner interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed them by Section 7 of the [National Labor Relations] Act.” [Emphasis added.] [read more]
Military Leave Ruling Applies to USPS
(This article first appeared in the May/June 2007 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
In the March/April 2006 issue of the American Postal Worker, I wrote about a 2003 court decision that overturned the federal government’s longstanding practice of charging employees “military leave” for non-workdays spent training in the armed forces. Since that article appeared, there have been several new developments in the law, including a Merit Systems Protection Board ruling that indicates that postal employees are indeed eligible for back pay for non-workdays during a time when they are undergoing armed forces training. [read more]
Ratification Sets the Stage for Local Negotiations
(This article first appeared in the Mar/Apr 2007 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Now that national contract negotiations have been successfully concluded with the ratification of a new National Agreement, locals across the country are preparing for local contract negotiations. Under Article 30 of the National Agreement, negotiations for a local agreement must occur within a 30-consecutive -day period that will take place during a 60-day period beginning April 2, 2007. [read more]
Union Wins Debt-Collection Arbitration
(This article first appeared in the Jan/Feb 2007 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
In a recent national-level award, arbitrator Linda Byars found that the Postal Service violated the National Agreement and a 1993 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) when it changed the regulations for collecting debts from postal employees. [read more]
NLRB Ruling is One More Step in AMS Struggle
(This article was first published in the Nov/Dec 2006 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
A recent decision by the National Labor Relations Board overturning the dismissal of a Postal Service “unit clarification” petition is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute over management’s exclusion of the Address Management System (AMS) Specialist position from the APWU bargaining unit. [read more]
‘Protected Rate’ Wage-Increase Dispute Settled
(This article was first published in the Sept/Oct 2006 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The APWU and the USPS recently settled a dispute over the Postal Service’s unilateral change to the way it calculates general pay increases for employees in a “protected rate” status. An employee involuntarily assigned to a lower-level position is, under certain circumstances, eligible for protected-rate status... [read more]
Court Reverses Ruling on FMLA-Covered Absences
(This article was first published in the July/Aug 2006 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
In the September/October 2005 issue of the American Postal Worker, I wrote about a landmark U.S. Court of Appeals ruling dated July 19, 2005, that invalidated USPS return-to-work requirements for Family and Medical Leave Act-covered absences. [read more]
The Employee’s Right to Remain Silent
(This article was first published in the May/June 2006 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
In the Nov./Dec. 2005 issue of the American Postal Worker, I wrote about the transfer of responsibility for investigating certain types of postal employee misconduct. With the responsibility of conducting probes of some internal crimes being shifted from the Postal Inspection Service to the Office of Inspector General, I discussed the rights of employees and the union during such investigations. [read more]
Military-Leave Dispute Centers on Back Pay for Non-Workdays
(This article was first published in the March/April 2006 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
Several local leaders and members have inquired recently about whether the Postal Service intends to comply with a 2003 federal Circuit Court decision that overturned the government’s longstanding practice of charging employees “military leave” for non-workdays spent training in the armed forces. At issue is whether postal workers are entitled to back pay. [read more]
Decisions Pending on Major Arbitrations
(This article was first published in the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
As we prepare for this year’s contract negotiations, one of my top
priorities continues to be making the grievance arbitration process more
responsive to the needs of our members. Grievances filed at the local level
and subsequently appealed to regional arbitration directly impact the employees
and/or postal installations where the grievances are filed. Grievances
initiated at the national level, however, have nationwide impact and general
application.
[read more]
What’s Behind Changes in Internal Investigations?
(This article was first published in the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
In March 2005, the Postal Service informed the APWU that the responsibility for investigating certain types of employee misconduct (internal crimes) was being shifted from the Postal Inspection Service to the Office of Inspector General. [read more]
APWU Wins Landmark FMLA Case
(This article was first published in the Sept/Oct 2005 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The union won a major victory this summer, when a federal appeals court ruled that the Postal Service’s return-to work requirements for absences of more than 21 days are in conflict with the Family and Medical Leave Act. [read more]
Another Sunday Premium Dispute Win
(This article was first published in the July/Aug 2005 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
In a significant win for the union, an arbitrator has ruled that the Postal Service must grant Sunday premium pay to employees who work on Sunday, even if the work is the result of a request for a temporary change of schedule for the employee’s own personal convenience. [read more]
USPS Survey Tactics Raise Concerns
(This article was first published in the May/June 2005 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The postal service is once again promoting its voice of the Employee Survey. Employee surveys and participation programs have long been a point of dispute between the Postal Service and the APWU, with the union actively urging our members not to take part in such studies. Our main concern is that the Postal Service has misrepresented the results of employee opinion surveys in the past, including during contract negotiations and interest arbitrations when it has used survey data to justify claims that employees supported its wage proposals. [read more]
APWU Wins Major Attendance Case
(This article was first published in the Mar/Apr 2005 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
An arbitrator has sustained the APWU’s position in two of three outstanding issues in a significant attendance case. In a ruling in late January, Arbitrator Shyam Das said that the Postal Service may not require an employee to describe the nature of an illness or injury during a phone call to report an absence from work. He also ruled that the USPS policy on second and third medical opinions is inconsistent with the Family & Medical Leave Act and the National Agreement. [read more]
USPS Found in Violation of Rehab Act
(This article was first published in the Jan/Feb 2005 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine.)
A clerk who had been receiving Office of Workers' Compensation Program benefits and was subsequently separated from the Postal Service has been awarded a favorable court ruling that says the USPS violated the Rehabilitation Act by failing to engage in an “interactive process” to determine whether a reasonable accommodation existed for her. [read more]
