Vol. XXV, No. 11 / Jerry Sirois, President / April 12, 2004.

---

DO YOU HAVE A RESOLUTION?

The Minneapolis Area Local will be sending a delegation to the upcoming Minnesota State APWU Convention. The convention will be held in St. Cloud April 29 – May 1, 2004.

If you have any workplace issues, legislative, or basically any ideas you feel would be a benefit for Postal Workers if incorporated into our contract. See one of the following people and give them a basic written description of your idea(s). Jerry Sirois, Peggy Whitney, Mark Pietsch, Jim Miller, Stephanie Carrillo, Jim Henry, Ifeoma Njaka, Dave Gangl, Kevin Meyer, Dale Dugan, James Allen, Sandy Shanks, Abe Abram, Melody Thompson, Kip Narbo, Bob Hart, Moe Griffin, Brea Buettner, Jim Spensley, April Albrecht, Bill Brown, or Dave Anderson. We can look at these and possibly draft resolutions to introduce at our State Convention!

Many items such as pay, higher level, and certain benefit provisions are already standing resolutions, however, if there is contractual language you feel should be modified, now is one of the times to take your shot! Resolutions will be reviewed, discussed and possibly debated as to whether they are adopted and moved forward to the National APWU Convention in August; But once again, this is the way we try to enact change. Each person listed above should be able to help you out as these people have been credentialed as delegates and are scheduled to attend the convention.

JOB RELATED UPDATES!

Once again, it is important to note that most postal changes that are advertised to take place on a particular date, DO NOT take place on the dates first advertised. Sometimes, they never even take place at all! Our advice? Never bid to a job you would otherwise not have bid based on a proposed job action that has not been clarified! What is clarified? You are given concrete times, dates, and information about what is going to happen to jobs in your work area, i.e. excessing etc.

We always strive to get clear, concise, and accurate information to everyone affected as soon as it is possible. If we move too early we would end up in a continuous cycle of putting out premature information that would have to only be retracted later on!

PARS – Postal Automated Reduction System – Will primarily affect jobs in our CFS unit and has been previously scheduled for deployment in Minneapolis only to realize “slippage” on multiple fronts. Latest news: As of April 9, 2004, we received an update from our Central Region Coordinator that a new deployment date is scheduled for October 1, 2004, in the Minneapolis plant, and that deployment will impact approximately 31 jobs. Don’t bolt yet! Does this mean 31 jobs will be lost in Minneapolis? Not necessarily. Minneapolis may add additional duties previously performed in other plants, thereby reducing what the impact would have been. Management has vowed to call input meeting(s) ASAP in the event looming changes become imminent, and we will work to minimize any impact and make sure contractual rights are complied with.

APPS – Automated Parcel Package System – Has and will effect jobs in the TCMH. Facility management has dubbed them the “little” and “big” APPS and all eyes are on the big one! The machine is in full test mode with still no word from USPS headquarters regarding who they feel should get jurisdiction on the machine.

We are all interested in what headquarters has to say, however, our position is and will continue to be that the proper craft is the same craft that has performed daily on the little APPS and performs distribution of the mail that will be sorted by the big APPS, the Clerk Craft. While there is some leeway on who does what during test periods, this should not be continued after acceptance and clarified ground rules should be forthcoming. We want to get this issue bedded down so we can begin intensive efforts to reclaim some sanity in the TCMH!

Once accepted it is anticipated the big APPS will be incorporated into the existing TCMH SPBS sections found in our local Memorandum of Understanding. Such as the incorporation of AFSM – 100’s in the main plant. Much of the impact that was projected for this implementation has already been accounted for. . . . .

IVR-ERMS – Interactive Voice Response – Enterprise Resource Management System – This will affect all facilities we represent in different phases. They both deal with call ins . Basically what the USPS is trying to accomplish is the same thing you encounter when you call another large company- you get an automated menu to talk to!

The APWU has filed a National level dispute on this as of February this year due to the proposed automated system violating existing handbook provisions. It is very important for everyone to remember you continue to have contractual rights when you encounter an unexpected illness or reason you can not work as scheduled. This (as with many other programs the USPS plans to unleash) has experienced slippage. We will have more info forthcoming as it nears implementation in the Minneapolis Installation and associated facilities. . .

Watch Your Mail for a huge savings Opportunity!

We will be sending our all member mailing out soon regarding Valleyfair tickets that we are discounting approximately 50% off regular prices! Please keep an eye out for these and the anticipated brand new COPA efforts we will explain in this mailing! It pays to belong in more ways than one! We are our own front line of defense against forces who want to erode our pay and benefits! Take a stand now and get involved with your union who is and will vigorously fight for dignity, living wages, and the American Family!