Changes Changes Changes
by Mark Kirby, President
Hello union members. Just when you thought that we were getting some stability in your work schedule, and everyone started getting their lives in order from all the changes that management did in the beginning of 2017, here come more drastic changes! I don’t believe that management realizes that you all have lives to live, family, taking care of parents, children and grand kids, school schedules, babysitters, doctor appointments and many other obligations in life that we all have, and that these obligations can be done tomorrow. When changes are made to the Clerk Craft, does management consider how these changes impact the Maintenance Craft, the MVS Craft and our brothers and sisters in the NALC and NPMHU. I know most of you have heard of rumors of what is to come. In fact, some of you may know more of what is happening in your section or station than the union knows, and I apologize for that.
We have had a few meetings with management and every time we meet I am amazed at the information management is giving to us, and how amazed I am at the inaccuracies contained in the information. I have asked numerous times that management conduct stand-up talks with all Clerks in all sections and stations, so they can explain why they are disrupting your lives again, instead of the shop talk that you’re hearing on the workroom floor. We all know how well the stand-ups went earlier in the year. We will make sure that everything is done according to the contract, even though I have been told by upper management that they have to go through these changes even if they don’t agree, and that these changes are coming from the area and national level based on computer programs.
We are really going to need help from each and every one of you, to assist us by giving us information on what is happening in your work location. That means we need statements, statements, and more statements. Get involved, and ask to see your union steward so that you can write us these statements. Work hours and days off are going to change, some may be reposted for all to bid on, and some may be excessed and abolished where in section bidding may occur. I don’t have a time line on when this will all take place, and if it was up to management it would have been done yesterday without any notification. I can almost guarantee that we will have to grieve most of these actions again. That is why it is imperative that we have your statements in writing.
MVS Goings On
by Robert Helmig, Director MVS Craft
Statements: I strongly advise not providing a statement to management until your union representative has reviewed it. I cannot think of one time when management has not used it against the person writing it.
3971’s: Please review every 3971 before you sign it. If you do not understand what it is saying or has initials that you don’t understand, ask. Once you sign it, it is difficult to argue against it. You are not obligated to sign it unless it is correct.
Management is cracking down on attendance. If you need FMLA, please get with Kijana Myers as he is our Director Human Relations and has a vast knowledge of FMLA. If you are brought in a for a due process, or an Investigative Interview, please request a steward.
We are still supposed to get the Aurora's and Arvada’s back in October. I have a signed grievance settlement that holds management accountable. I have sent notification to management requesting the bids to be conducted and completed by October 31st. Since I can’t meet with George Moreno without Karen Padden there, and she has been out of office, I do not know managements plans. In an email George Moreno has said the bids are ready for review, but has not said when the union can get them.
Overtime is still a BIG issue in MVS. If you believe you have been bypassed or skipped for overtime, please let a steward know immediately. It’s amazing at how little management cares for PVS as they will not call sixth day overtime when we have nine open runs daily, before anyone calls in. By the way, if you allow management to change your schedule to avoid paying overtime, you are part of the problem. Stop it!
As always, if you have any questions or believe you have a grievance, see your steward right away. Remember, we have 14 days from the date of incident to grieve something.
Brace Yourselves
by Monica Lipscomb, Assistant Clerk Craft Director
So, management is proposing round two for the plant and round one for the Denver Stations, Hooray!
Another re-alignment is coming where bids in the plant will ultimately have different start times and different days off. From the preliminary proposal that the DMAL received think multiple begin tour times and no Sunday/Monday days off.
I must say that we are beyond frustrated and we know you are as well. The worst thing about these upcoming events is that we cannot share any information with you. There simply is no worthwhile information to share. Everything is subject to change at this point. They also want to have everything in place by October 1, 2017 really?
At the stations, we received a proposal that basically tweaks the start time of bid regulars, making them report to work later in the morning, while PSE’s have earlier start times. Window clerk jobs are cut in most stations. While management always has their own data to support these changes, we too filed MDAT grievances supporting more full time bid jobs. So, what now? This plan is also supposed to be accomplished prior to peak mailing season.
At the Union offices, both Local and National, we file the appropriate grievances. We are learning how to combat these tactics with training classes etc. In the meantime, management cannot be stopped.
Not one of them can honestly tell us the reasons why this is being done. They say it is for business reasons, but we are not a business, we are a service. Why then? Every station, every tour at the plant, across the country is doing more with less. Every supervisor I speak with states that they are short staffed. At some locations supervisors and managers are alongside carriers and clerks throwing thousands of parcels to routes. Express mail is being delivered by anyone with a drivers license, Accountables aren’t treated as accountable, on and on it goes.
In the coming weeks and months, we will be asking for you all to act, whether it’s to call your congress person, or put a sticker on your car, everyone must get involved. The job you save may be your own.
Win for Lead Clerks at Stations
by Ron Malunat, Administrative Aide
Recently I settled a grievance for supervisors doing Lead Clerk work (TACS) at Denver Stations. It involved sizable payouts to Denver Station Lead Clerks and yet management is still doing the TACS work and Lead Clerks still have not been trained. If you are still not doing TACS duties please call me at 303-365-1524 ext. 24 so I can grieve it and get you more money and stop management from doing our work. We have fought for years to not only get back TACS work but to stop the use of 204B’s, and this is a big step toward that.
A lot of these Lead Clerk duties are unknown, so I am going to list a few here:
1) Inputting TACS Rings
2) Ordering Supplies
3) Entering Daily Mail Volume
4) Delivering Express/Priority Mail After Carriers Leave
5) Ordering Stamp Stock and Ready Post
6) Scheduling/Staffing the Window
Help Yourself
by Muriel Ponder, Maintenance Steward, GMF
The Maintenance Craft continues to be under assault from the plant manager. Her latest move is to decree we relinquish our book lockers. In the past, she has attempted to force us to turn over keys to our book and tool lockers. She took away our holding areas where we made minor repairs and waited for reactive calls. Now we must stand in or walk through the same areas occupied by mail and PIT equipment. If we stand, it is without the benefit of the mats provided to the machine operators. If we walk because standing on concrete is painful, we do so at risk of being struck by moving equipment. This puts the mechanics and equipment movers at risk. It is a matter of time until someone is injured.
Maintenance mechanics are angry and frustrated and I understand that. You want to push back! You want the UNION to push back, and we are! But where were you Saturday when we had a monthly meeting? Not at the meeting! You want your Union working on your problem 24/7, and we are, but you can't give up two hours a month for a meeting? You can't even seem to give up 10 to 20 minutes to write a statement regarding your issue!
My mother used to say, “God helps those who help themselves, so get busy!” Here are some things to do to help us help you:
First, apply for a locker, since you'll no longer have a book locker to store your coat and lunch bag. The Service must provide one. Notify Dave Suwalski or myself if you are told there are no lockers available.
Second, stop bailing out management! It is not our job to compensate for their bad decisions that hamper our ability to do our job. Management says, “No spare parts on your carts.” So, do not carry spare parts on your cart. If Tools and Parts does not have adequate supplies on hand, it is not our fault. If a machine is down due to no parts on hand it is their fault!
Third, if work goes undone because Upper management does not hire and cannot schedule adequate staffing, it is not your fault! Do not volunteer to do extra work that should have been done by another tour. If people do that, management can justify not hiring more mechanics. You help them and harm your co-workers! Stop it! Just stop it!
If management's self-defeating policies cause you to have to walk more and fix less, welcome that as an opportunity for exercise. Most of us could benefit. I have lost 20 pounds this year and my joints don't hurt as much. What does hurt is your unwillingness to help yourselves!
Report or Not to Report
by Kijana Myers, Director of Human Relations
Hello union members. I know you are probably wondering why my heading says what it does. When and if you get injured on the job, you must report it to your supervisor immediately. It is not a choice that you should waiver, you should do it. Ultimately it is your decision, but if you don’t report it and later down the line your injury rears its ugly head, and it is not on record, it will be more difficult for treatment.
CA-1 and CA-2 are so different in many ways and it’s no laughing matter. CA-1 grants you COP or continuation of pay, where as a CA-2 doesn’t. On the CA-2 the burden of proof is on you and your doctor and a CA-1 it is traumatic. There is no question if it happened at work or not. Those are the two major differences I wanted to point out.
I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but this is a serious matter and I don’t want to see anyone get screwed by the system in this regard. So please heed to my warning and don’t question if you should or not, because you most definitely should.
On another note, it has been brought to my attention that when you do report a traumatic injury, management is not providing care immediately. This is wrong! Elm 544.1 shows exactly what should be done. The very first bullet point, “immediately ensuring that appropriate medical care is provided.” That says it all. So, if they don’t want to provide care, try and find a steward if possible.
I’m going to close by saying only you can take care of you. Don’t look for “management” to have your best interests at heart.
Notary Availability for Members
by Rita Burns, Office Manager
As a benefit of your membership of the Denver Metro APWU, a notary is available free of charge. Rita Burns and Lindi Reeder are both notaries for the state of Colorado and their services are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Be sure to call ahead to make sure one of us is available. Another reason it pays to belong!
/lr
opeiu #30
afl-cio
