All Sections ------------------------------- News & Events Pay & Benefits Departments & Divisions Members Only

Advanced Search

Printer-Friendly Page

Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee Holds Initial Meeting

APWU Web News Article #26-05, June 24, 2005

Committee members, from left, Jim Bertolone, Douglas Brown, Joyce Williams, Yolanda Elder, and Hugh Fung.

APWU’s Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee met for the first time June 22 in Washington, where they were briefed by President William Burrus about a possible contract extension. The committee must approve any tentative extension agreement before it can be sent to APWU members for a ratification vote.

“No specific contract language has been agreed to,” Burrus cautioned the rank and file representatives. “But I will continue to meet with postal officials to see if we can reach an agreement that will best serve the interests of APWU members.”

William Burrus addresses the first meeting of the Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee. Behind him are Clerk NBA Tom Maier, left, and Director of Industrial Relations Greg Bell.

If a tentative agreement is reached, Burrus said, the committee would be called back to Washington to determine whether a one-year extension to the National Agreement should be sent to the membership for a ratification vote.

Burrus also briefed the committee about efforts to expand Retail Sales positions for APWU-represented employees at grocery stores, malls, and other venues that are easily accessible to the public. Initially, the union and management discussed creating positions that would be reserved for retirees, who would continue to draw their annuities.

But union and management representatives were notified by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that such an arrangement could not be approved. “We are going to continue to explore other methods to increase the number of Retail Sales positions,” Burrus said. “In any event, we would have to have absolute protection against any erosion in the number of such positions at postal facilities.”

Committee members, from left, Cindy Martinez, Princella Vogel, Clarice Torrence, Gregory Dixon, Leslie Perkins, Dennis Sullivan, and Moe Lepore. In the right foreground is Phil Thomas.

The rank and file committee named Yolanda Elder as chairman, Jim Bertolone as vice-chairman, and Phil Thomas as secretary. Elder is the president of the Greater Los Angeles Area Local; Bertolone is president of the Rochester, NY, SCF Area Local; and Thomas is the president of the Omaha, NE, Local.

The other members of the committee are: Douglas Brown (President, IN APWU/Muncie Area Local), Gregory Dixon (MVS Director, FL APWU/Tampa Area Local); Hugh Fung (Central Region Representative, Deaf/Hard of Hearing Task Force); Moe Lepore (President, Boston Metro Area Local); Cindy Martinez (President, Texas APWU/McAllen Local); Leslie Perkins (Vice President, Chicago BMC Area Local); Clarice Torrence (President, New York Metro Postal Union); Princella Vogel (President, Houston Area Local); Joyce Williams (President, Cleveland Area Local); and Dennis J. Sullivan (President, Philadelphia Area Local). Sullivan was recently elected and is a committee replacement for his predecessor, Art Doherty.

[For more about the framework for a possible contract extension, read News Bulletin #07-05.]

[back to top]