July 24, 2012
BEGINNING OF THE END
In a letter
dated June 7,2012, the Postal Service informed the APWU National
President that it had decided to subcontract Postal Vehicle Services
in all Pacific Area mail processing and network distribution
facilities in the state of California. On July 11, 2012, the Oakland
Local became aware of the letter and immediately contacted APWU
Headquarters to ascertain if a date had been established for the
subcontracting. I received a response on July 12, 2012, and was
advised that no action had been taken by the Postal Service. I was
also advised that Management had agreed to meet with them in two
weeks to discuss the subcontracting issue. In the interim, all the
California locals have been asked to find out what is happening with
the one and two ton trucks. It appears that the Postal Service has
chosen to contract out that work because they cannot comply with the
California emission regulations and that this is another ploy by the
Postal Service to eliminate PVS.
IT'S TIME TO
EXCESS THE POSTMASTER
from the
Postal Service with no relocation expenses and retreat rights. It
has been reported that Postmaster Donahoe is obsessed with the idea
of closing the USPS if Congress does not allow him to stop Saturday
delivery, fire 120,000 employees and close 3,700 post offices.
However, he has not pushed for Congress to return the overpayments
made by the USPS for health benefits for retired workers. It's no
wonder that postal employees across the nation are asking that he be
fired.
MAINTENANCE
SUPPORT CLERKS RECEIVE UPGRADE
In an
agreement reached by the APWU and the USPS on May 9, 2012, all
Maintenance Support Clerks (MSCs) Level 6 were upgraded one pay
level on day 1 of the pay period immediately following the issuance
of MMO 057-12. The upgrades will be in place with no reposting or
other impact on the duty assignments. The parties also reached
agreement on an updated staffing criterion for MSCs.
TO BE OR NOT
204B: THAT IS THE QUESTION
The 2012
Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) reduced the number of days
that a clerk craft employee represented by the APWU may be detailed
as a supervisor without losing his or her bid assignment. Previous
CBAs allowed craft employees to supervise for up to 120 days, then
sit down for not less than 5 working days and resume supervising
without forfeiting their bid assignments. The current CBA permits
them to act as supervisors for only 90 days and requires them to
return to the craft for a minimum of one continuous pay period (two
weeks). Effective June 1, 2012, the Postal Service was required to
eliminate the usage of clerk 204-B's except in the absence or
vacancy of a supervisor for 14 days or more. Clerk employees now
serving as 204-B's, as well as other craft employees under the
auspices of the APWU, should be aware that the APWU will start
enforcing the CBA provisions regarding 204-B's. Too many units are
chronically short-staffed because of long-term 204-B details. People
should consider carefully whether or not supervising for months at a
time is worth the loss of one's bid assignment.
Fredric
Jacobs - Editor
Susan Robison -Senior Assistant Editor
Robert Moore - Assistant Editor, FO
DERRICK LEE, Reporter
JAMES PERRY, Reporter
7901 Oakport Street, Suite 2300 • Oakland, CA 94621
