In response to a request for postponement from the Local Secretary-Treasurer and the National Executive Board of the APWU, the next Executive Board meeting and the next General Membership meeting will be held on the first Saturday of January.

Executive Board Meeting: Saturday, 1/04/2020 at 1 P.M.  By a unanimously passed motion within the executive board, only E-Board members may attend and vote.  However, minutes of the E-Board meetings, as always, will be presented in the general membership meeting.  Since the October meeting was postponed, E-Board shall, in this meeting, recommend to the general membership how many additionally paid delegates shall the local send to the August 2020 APWU National Convention in Los Angeles.

General Membership Meeting: Saturday, 1/04/2020 at 2 P.M.  Open to all APWU members.  Please try to attend.  The minutes of multiple previous meetings must be reviewed and approved by the members.  For more information, call the union office 714-666-1080 or send an email to contact@apwu917.org).  In this meeting, the number of additionally paid delegates to the 2020 APWU National Convention must be determined.  Nominations and elections of convention delegates will take place in a January meeting.

April 27, 2019

All six constitutional amendments proposed by SWC Retiree Chapter President Bobby Donelson were defeated.

Vote counts below are not yet certified and approved, pending, among other actions, verification of eligibility of those voting.

Amendments 1 in conjunction with 2: Eliminate the Vice-President.

     For: 2.

     Against: Almost all present and voting.

Amendment 3: The Secretary-Treasurer shall work full-time for the Southwest Coastal Area Local.

     For: 15.

     Against: 37.

Amendment 4: Change the word may to shall in the first sentence of Article 12 Section 3.

     For: 5.

     Against: Most present.

Amendment 5: All Southwest Coastal Area Local meetings will be open meetings except for trial board meetings.

     For: 8.

     Against 38.

Amendment 6: Southwest Coastal Area Local Retirees shall be allowed to meet regularly at the local union office.

     For: 8.

     Against 31.

The Local thanks all those who attended the meeting.  The meeting was contentious at times.  One member, in particular, lost his temper and yelled, "Shut up."  Nonetheless, the meeting was well attended and a healthy, if exceptionally vocal, debate followed.  Speakers for and against the amendments were given fair and adequate chances to speak.

In this meeting, a minority of individuals also stated that they believed that something published online is not a “publication” and would issue a challenge in order to compel the Area Local to vote on the amendments all over again.

The minority, which included the maker of the motion, attempted to table the vote on the amendments to the meeting scheduled in July 2019.  However, approximately 73% of the those present and voting decided to suspend the order of business to proceed to debate and vote on the six proposed amendments.

If a charge is actually submitted in accordance with the Constitution, the Local is generally restricted from publicly discussing the case until a final adjudication.  This principle has not stopped malcontents from sending out improper emails, however.

Editorial note: To publish is to make content available to the general public.

The Web site apwu917.org is a publication of the Area Local and has copyright protection.  Under U.S. copyright law, published works are required to be "fixed in a tangible medium of expression,” meaning that they have been set in a form in which it can be perceived either directly or with the aid of a device.

“Electronic publishing (also referred to as e-publishing or digital publishing or online publishing) includes the digital publication of e-books, digital magazines, and the development of digital libraries and catalogs. Electronic publishing has become common. It is also becoming common to distribute books, magazines, and newspapers to consumers through digital devices, by online sources” (“Publishing.”  Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.  Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.  22 July 2004.  Web.  29 March 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publication).

Executive Board Meeting: Saturday, 4/27/2019 at 1 P.M.  By a unanimously passed motion within the executive board, only E-Board members may attend and vote.  However, minutes of the E-Board meetings, as always, will be presented in the general membership meeting.)

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General Membership Meeting: Saturday, 4/27/2019 at 2 P.M.  Open to all APWU members.  Please try to attend.  In this meeting, members in good standing will vote on whether or not to approve six proposed changes to the Local Constitution.  All six were submitted by the SWC Retiree Chapter President.  For more information, call the union office 714-666-1080 or send an email to contact@apwu917.org)

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April 13, 2019

President Phil Khong called an extra executive board meeting because, in part, of two former Executive Board members who either recently accepted a promotion to supervisor or a temporary detail to a supervisory position.  One E-Board member resigned last week for personal reasons.  Two other Executive Board members allowed their membership to lapse because of non-payment of dues after retirement.  In all, five positions on the Executive Board were declared vacant, but fortunately for the Local, two of the five elective offices are now filled by experienced stewards.

Please welcome James Taylor of San Clemente Stations and Joseph Lucero of Santa Ana Stations to their newly appointed union offices of Chief Steward.

Though the nomination and confirmation process of members to fill vacant offices is not well defined in the Constitution, the President called the extra meeting for the whole E-Board to attend.  In the extra executive board meeting called to order at 2:14 P.M. today, the nomination of James Taylor was confirmed unanimously, and the nomination of Joseph Lucero was confirmed by a vote of 6 to 0.

In accordance with Article 8, Section 1 of the Local Constitution, both Chief Steward Taylor and Chief Steward Lucero may hold their respective offices until the time as elections can be held per Article 11.

Separately, the nomination of Maintenance Division Director Wilmer Khong to the office of Vice-President was defeated by a vote of 4 to 6.

Executive board meetings continue to be held as executive sessions, but that did not stop a select few from blocking the door and verbally harassing officers as they waited for the meeting to start or as they walked into the Union Hall.  After some minor disruptions from folks who refused to allow the front door to be closed, the extra executive board meeting was called to order at 2:14 P.M.

Notably, there is some confusion about the interpretation of Article 12 Section 3 of the Local Constitution.  The Local encourages everyone to compare an official copy of the Constitution with emailed excerpts being distributed by current and former officers of the Local.  Keep an eye out for missing (or added) language.

January 19, 2019

During the Executive Board Meeting on January 19, 2019, the President announced the new members of the Constitution Committee.  By Article 10 of the Constitution of the Area Local, the standing committees of this Area Local shall be the Budget Committee, the Constitution Committee, the Grievance Committee, and the Steward Training Committee. Each standing committee shall have a minimum of five (5) members, including the President.  All committee members shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the President.

The Constitution Committee shall meet when necessary in order to analyze the existing constitution, and propose the Executive Board any revisions or amendments necessary to comply with labor laws and the State and/or National APWU Constitution.  They shall be responsible for seeing that all approved amendments to this constitution are published in the Area Local’s publication.

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Currently, the Grievance Committee and the Steward Training Committee have not yet met, but potential appointments are still under review by the Local President.

The Form Lm-2 Labor Organization Report, year 2016.  Signed by former President Richard Cantu and former Secretary-Treasurer Frank Townsend.

The Form Lm-2 Labor Organization Report, year 2015.  Signed by former President Richard Cantu and former Secretary-Treasurer Frank Townsend.

January 11, 2019

Please note that Management has authorized another Maintenance Mechanic In-Service posting for Santa Ana P&DC.  This In-Service Register of career craft employees within the Santa Ana District Performance Cluster will be used to fill any vacancies not filled by Maintenance In-Craft procedures or eReassign.

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The closing date is Wednesday, January 23, 2019.

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