Newsroom | apwu917

Newsroom:
Local and National News:

Quarterly meeting
October 26, 2024

General Membership Meeting

The next General Membership meeting will be held at the Union Hall on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at 4:00 P.M.

Magazine
June 10, 2024

2024 Contract Campaign Slogan Winner Announced!

Earlier this spring, APWU National called on active and retiree members to submit slogan ideas for the upcoming 2024 contract negotiations. We asked members to submit ideas for slogans to represent our fight for a contract that strengthens wages, benefits, and rights for APWU-represented postal workers, and to ensure that our essential service is safely and adequately staffed for years to come.

APWU members answered the call: APWU received more than 3,000 slogan ideas, which highlights the enthusiasm and support for our Contract Campaign on the workroom floor. The National Executive Board is proud to announce that the winning entry and choice for our 2024 Contract Campaign slogan is “Union Proud, Say It Loud!” The entry was submitted by Ronnie McGee, of the Atlanta Metro Area Local (GA).

The second-place entry was “Unite, Organize, and Mobilize”, submitted by Emily Kim of the Mankato Area Local (MN). The third-place entry was “A Strong Union, A Strong Future” submitted by Edward Teets of the Boise Local (ID).

These slogans will now be used in Contract Campaign materials and on union gear for members to show their support of our fight for a good new contract. We will announce when these Contract Campaign materials are online for purchase on the APWU store at apwustore.org.

“Congratulations to our winners. The tremendous response to the contest shows our members’ enthusiasm for the upcoming contract negotiations,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein.

“We are proud of our members’ creativity and wit,” said APWU Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Powell. “The volume of responses shows that our members are ready to show their union spirit and solidarity when we begin negotiations on June 25.”

Solidarity Is The Antidote to a Toxic Workplace

Charlie Cash:
As the “Chief Spokesperson” for the 2024 contract negotiations, I have both a huge and humbling task. The outcome of negotiations, whether through a voluntary agreement or through a contract imposed upon us by an interest arbitration panel, will have a direct effect on 200,000 postal employees covered under the main agreement - and if we count our families, hundreds of thousands more. Rest assured that your APWU negotiators are up for the challenge.

As I have worked on these negotiations and thought about priorities, one thing that comes to mind is, how do we deal with the toxic work environment that postal employees of every craft face each day? I will not attempt to convince you that I know all the answers. I do know this is not a simple subject. Can we fi le grievances regarding the issue? Yes. But will grievances fi x the problem? They might in the short term in a single facility, but many of these grievances go in the queue for arbitration scheduling. In the meantime, the toxic situation still exists. We have negotiated memorandums of understanding (MOUs) for setting up task forces and committees to attempt to address the issue at the national level. Unfortunately, what I have found is that management, at the highest levels, does not want to address the toxic work environment.

It is my opinion that toxic work environments are a systemic problem within the Postal Service. This has been a problem for decades. The term “Going Postal” is offensive, but was born from Postal Service leadership’s acceptance—if not encouragement—of abusive and toxic leadership styles. Grievances alone will not fi x the problem or force management to deal with the abusers. The leadership must want to change it. We, as union members, must organize to put pressure on management at all levels to want to change the toxic environment. We can do this by utilizing internal worker action, public campaigns, congressional pressure, and public exposure of the abusers, to not only demand change but to make management want to change.

But what is going to make them want to change? One thing I believe they are starting to see is that people do not want to come to work in these toxic and abusive environments. I believe they know that they need to improve the environment in order to make people want to come to work. Another thing that will help is being united and supporting one another on the workroom floor.

What does this mean? To me it means we cannot say “it’s not my problem,” nor can we turn a blind eye when our coworkers are being abused. Everyone has the right to get involved and tell the abusers to stop. Everyone has the right to write a statement about what they saw. I have been told before, “Well, they are a bad worker so that is why management treats them that way. They will never treat me that way.” Guess what? More than likely, your day will come when the abuse is aimed at you. Whether it’s because you had a health issue or just got slower with age, one thing about the Postal Service is that the abusers are equal opportunity abusers. Wouldn’t you want someone to stand next to you and be your witness when you are abused?

If the Postal Service sees employees united against abuse and toxicity, it might be the catalyst that makes them want to change. Standing together makes our grievances – and other efforts – better, and shows the Postal Service that we are serious. I am not saying this is the only solution—but it is an easy step to take in this battle. I end every article with the word Solidarity! This is one way we can practice it. ■

You Have Power As A Postal Worker
and As A Customer

Debby Szeredy

I am sharing information about how you can help save our public Postal Service by utilizing your power as an APWU member and customer.

There is an attack on many public, government services in this country. It’s about corporate billionaires taking control and taking constitutional rights from the people so that they have no public services that provide prompt, reliable, secure, efficient, and affordable government services. When these services are degraded, these corporate billionaires use poor results as a case for privatization. Private-sector companies have no laws to provide prompt, affordable, secure services. I’m a Vote-by-Mail citizen and I’m very concerned.

It’s difficult to provide First-Class services with consolidations and the degradation of public mail services. These attacks take away prompt, affordable, and secure services from our community, as well as living-wage USPS jobs. They affect the services that: connect you to your family members, no matter where they live; help small businesses thrive; receive medical prescriptions on time; provide mail ballots on time; if you run for office, send out political campaign materials on time; communication with legal services; apply for passports; send and receive money orders; provide overnight affordable express service for emergency needs. I could go on and on.

The Postal Service provides a service for the poor. Ask Reverend Barber, the leader of the Poor People’s Campaign, how many people with minimum wage jobs have the need for public services, as well as those who live in rural areas, or on reservations. People need to connect with family in other countries or provide subsistence to family members overseas or in military service. We need to help save these services before it is too late.

Postal revenues are made off the backs of the communities and the workers across this country. Postal workers are paid, thanks to our customers in every community. All communities deserve prompt, affordable, and secure services.

What Power Do You Have?

You can demand that your senators and House representatives do more than write letters. Request that they vote to place a moratorium on the USPS plan, stop the consolidation of 57 plants that would delay mail service, stop the removal of automation that provides prompt services to the public and takes away jobs. Stop changing plants into Sorting and Distribution Centers (SDCs), with more transportation costs, delayed services, and lost jobs in small post offices. Stop the optimization plan to keep your mail and packages delayed and sitting in post offices overnight. Stop the USPS from silencing the public’s voice after Board of Governors’ meetings, stop the USPS from attempting to eliminate the right to in-person public meetings and input when there is a plan to shut down a post office. The USPS needs to stop their tactics that sabotage the rights of the public to have ample opportunity to attend public meetings when there is a study on possible consolidations to remove mail, automation, and jobs from a community plant. It’s the people's Postal Service, and we have the right to ask questions, review studies, and make comments that affect the public services in our communities.

Contact your local or state union, your coworkers, and your community members, and ask that they step up with you in this fight. The Postal Service is moving fast with no real transparency. We have to be faster to get a moratorium in place until the USPS plan has been thoroughly investigated on its effects to our communities. We can’t afford to lose our very important public Postal Service. ■

Understanding the Travel and Expenses, and Other Important Policies, at the Local and State Levels

Elizabeth Powell

Since Travel and Expenses is a major category of union expenditures, the Department of Labor prefers a policy in writing that details how the local pays for and reimburses travel and business expenses.

The purpose of the Travel and Expense policy is to protect the organization’s funds and ensure uniformity and accountability. Locals should have control of their travel expenses and it should be clear that only expenses required for union business will be reimbursed. Locals should also adopt a Lost Time/Leave Without Pay (LWOP) policy, and a Credit Card policy. The policies should be established by the executive board and presented to the membership.

Travel and Expense Policy

The travel and expense policy should include, but not be limited to, the following travel expenses:

Expense Filing and Approval.
Travel Arrangements.
Air Travel (suggest the union pay with union credit card or by check).
Lodging/Hotel (Suggest the union pay with union credit card or by check, room and tax only).
Ground Transportation/Airport Shuttle.
Per Diem (GSA rate or Reimbursement-fully receipted).
In-Town Meetings and Assignments.
Personal Car Usage/Mileage.
Car Rental.
Lost-Time Reimbursement.

Lost Time/LWOP Policy

Required documentation includes:

Constitutional language or motion to compensate LWOP.
Properly approved PS 3971/Time and Attendance Collection System (TACS) Report.
Properly approved local/state pay voucher.
Reimbursement for Lost Annual and Sick Leave (after accumulating 80 hrs. of Code 084 Union LWOP).

Credit Card Policy

Authorized users (recommend only president and treasurer).
Limit the amount of expenses that can be charged without executive board approval.
Original receipts for each transaction.

To fulfill Labor Management Disclosure Act (LMRDA) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements, all authorized expenditures are required to be properly documented with an expense voucher, original receipts, approved PS 3917 for Lost Time/LWOP, and mileage log, when applicable. It is important to establish what will be reimbursed when properly documented and receipted, and what will be compensated at the GSA rate. The only advance payment should be a per diem check, if your local uses the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) plan. Local and state treasurers should visit gsa.gov to assist in determining the correct amount payable per diem by state and county. The GSA mileage rate for calendar year 2024 is 67 cents per mile. All expense vouchers should be submitted within 30 days of the expense being incurred.

The Travel and Expense policy should not be in your local constitution. This will permit changes to the policy without the formal constitutional amendment process. The policy should, however, be referenced in the constitution.

Article 16 Compliance!

The Secretary-Treasurer’s Department will continue to verify that locals are in compliance with Article 16 of the National Constitution. APWU locals who fail to abide by the regulations may have their Dues Check- Off (DCO) dues withheld until they comply or provide an explanation for non-compliance. Locals are required to provide verifi cation that they have complied with DOL and IRS fi lings as well as the APWU Constitution by providing a copy of their DOL reports and IRS Forms 990 to the Secretary-Treasurer’s Department after they have been electronically submitted. Also maintaining suffi cient bonding coverage in addition to the $5,000 bond provided to all APWU locals by the national union is required. Lastly, provide the results of local elections and a copy of the current local or state Constitution and Bylaws to the Secretary-Treasurer’s Department. ■

The Union Keeps Us Strong!
A Message from President Mark Dimondstein

While Wall Street, bankers, and the billionaire class pad their profits by investing in and manipulating the stock market, the best investment workers make is with each other through our union.

The investment of our union dues and participation in the APWU is returned many times over in better pay, benefits, rights, safety, and job security.

Yet, many of the union accomplishments won over generations of struggle, especially resulting from the victorious 1970 Great Postal Strike, are often taken for granted. As we head into national negotiations, engage in our “Building Union Power” organizing drive, and face down management’s “network modernization” plan, it’s a good time to reflect on what a huge difference the union makes. Some highlights:

Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) and Wages: Career employees’ union-won pay includes regular raises, COLAs, step increases, night and Sunday differential, overtime pay after eight hours and double time after 10. We remain the only postal union with full COLA. Due to high inflation, the COLA alone in our current contract amounts to $5,325.00 annually for full-time employees, and $2.67 per hour for part-time flexible employees (PTFs). Talk about financial security!

Incredible job security: Career employees with six years of service have “no lay-off” protection, a benefit few U.S. workers have. The 50-mile limit on excessing limits disruption to family life in situations where employees are moved due to changes in the network and mail mix. Protection against unjust discipline: Without unions, bosses can terminate employees “at will.” With “just cause” protection, discipline - including termination - can be challenged and overturned!

Grievance Procedure: Employees have the right to fi le grievances on the clock to address contractual violations. That’s worker power!

Seniority and Bidding: Seniority eliminates favoritism and discrimination in job assignments. Preferred off days, hours of work, and jobs are based on one’s years of service, not who the boss likes!

Guaranteed Hours: Prior to 1970, employees were often placed into a “non-pay status” when waiting for more mail to work, often having to work 12-14 hours just to receive eight hours of pay. Now, full-time career employees are guaranteed eight within nine or 10 hours, depending on office size. In addition, full-time career employees are guaranteed eight hours a day, and 40 hours a week. PTF guaranteed hours have improved!

Paid Leave: Strong annual leave, sick leave, and paid holiday benefits. Many other workers have no paid sick leave. Health and Safety: Safety grievances are prioritized. Workers have the right to report unsafe work conditions using Form 1767s. Union-negotiated COVID safety provisions literally saved lives and enabled workers to take needed time off to protect themselves, co-workers, and families without repercussions.

Non-career conversion to career: With the exception of four-hour POStPlan offices, Postal Support Employees (PSEs) receive automatic conversion-to-career after two years. Many are converted sooner due to negotiated provisions regarding the filling of residual vacancies.

Legislative Engagement: Legislation, good or bad, has a big impact on the Postal Service. The APWU keeps members informed and engaged around important legislative matters. The 2022 Postal Service Reform Act is an important example.

Your voice, your union: We are a democratic union. Local, state, and national officers are elected with one person, one vote. Any member can run for office. Regular union meetings enable workers to vote on issues. Locals and states send delegates to represent them at national conventions. Communications with the members: The APWU website, magazine, News Service Bulletins, mailings, social media, and podcasts keep members informed about the many challenges and opportunities facing postal, and all workers.

When you hear a nonmember say, “the union doesn’t do anything for me,” shout the answer from the rooftops – “who are you kidding?!” No union is perfect, but together, union strong, we collectively build better workplaces, stronger families, and more vibrant communities! Be proud to be union! ■

A Newly Redesigned and Accessible Footer!

We have a newly redesigned and more accessible footer that makes accessing information and helpful tools in the footer! Simply scroll down to the bottom of the page to check it out!

Meet Our Local Union's Committee Teams!

Per a request, our website now includes our executive board committee teams that are the cornerstone in making decisions that benefit our local union. We believe that these appointed or elected executives are serious in taking action on important matters. Check out the new page by going to https://apwu917.org/committees or by simply clicking the button below!

Our Committee

Monthly Newsletter
May 01, 2024

May 2024 Achieved Newsletter

Last Month's Achieved newsletter.

Union Member Appreciation Logo
and T-Shirt Contest

Creativity in New Opportunities!

Calling all union members! As we closely approach contract negotiations that are set to begin in June, our local union would like to show our appreciation by having a contest for a new logo and slogan for our t-shirts and apparel of 2024. Simply upload your design by clicking the upload button below. Based on a majority vote, the winner will have their design featured on this year's apparel. Voting designs will occur sometime in June. The winner and results will be announced sometime in late June to early July.

Upload

Delegates Flights/Hotel Issues?

As discussed during the executive board meeting (e-board) and general meeting, about nine (9) delegates are attending the APWU 2024 27th Biennial National Convention.

Hotel rooms located near the convention center (located at

Huntington Place,

1 Washington Blvd,

Detroit, MI 48226)

have been fully booked!

If a delegate is still experiencing trouble booking flights and hotels to Detroit, MI, please speak to the Executive Board (E-Board), or an officer of the local union to have your expenses planned and compensated.

More information about the convention can be found at the link below!

Union Member Appreciation
T-Shirts and Apparels

Building a stronger and more active membership makes us powerful. Whether we are fighting for a good, fair new union contract in June, protecting our jobs during proposed consolidations due to the Postal Service’s network modernization, or defending our safety in the workroom or, working together in a union is what wins the day!

Every year, as postal workers retire and new hires join our ranks, the privatizers and corporate giants hope our union will get weaker – that new hires will fail to join the union and pay their dues, until one by one, our union shrinks, and we are too weak to fight off their attacks.

The outcome of this contract depends on our union’s power and leverage. We are the American Postal Workers Union!

With it being a new contract negotiation year, during the executive board meeting (E-Board), a motion and budget have been passed to allocate $20,000 for union member appreciation mainly for t-shirts in the year 2024. The e-board and general meeting opened up the motion and budget to also include other types of apparel such as beanies, ball caps, cycling hats, mugs, keychains, lanyards, and ID Holders. An e-board committee will come together to discuss the design and distribution of apparel.

Fountain Valley (FV) Annual Summer Fest!
June 13-16, 2024

What is another good way to get together with members, family, and friends? Simple! Attend an already-planned event like SummerFest!

Fun awaits you at the 2024 Fountain Valley Summerfest from Thursday, June 13 through Sunday, June 16 at the Fountain Valley Sports Park.

Rock with a jam-packed line-up of live concerts on the Floor & Decor Stage. Soar to new heights as you spin around and upside-down in the Fun Zone where you can enjoy carnival rides and play games for all ages.

Taste delicious eats-sweet treats, savory bites, and fest favorites along with adult beverage options including our signature drink, Summer Smash.

Come out to support the Fountain Valley Community Foundation Stage, a dazzling array of talented performers that will feature local area dancing troupes, theater groups, and music groups such as high school and small bands.

Make sure to visit all the amazing vendors (this could be a potential opportunity to promote the union here)!

Be mesmerized by the FREE Drone Shows on Friday and Saturday night that will light up the sky of the Fountain Valley Sports Park.

Summer has never been so much fun!

Parking is free with only a $5 admission per person!

More information can be found at the link below!