Flash Bulletin

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The Flash Bulletin is put out by the Minneapolis Area Local
with updates and other information to keep the members informed.

Jerry Sirois, President

Vol. XXVI, No. 05 / March 01, 2005

NE Office:(612) 623-0677 / TCMH:(612) 370-4820

BMC Phone:(651) 454-4492 / MPO Desk:(612) 338-6225

Meeting Notice:

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MINNEAPOLIS AREA LOCAL, APWU

MONDAY, MARCH 28, 2005 @ 10:00 AM

NE National Guard Armory & Training Center
1025 Broadway NE
Minneapolis, MN. 55413

Hearing impaired members need to call the Union Office approximately 2 weeks
in advance of the meeting in order for an interpreter to be scheduled.

In This Issue:
* Web Site Update
* Anoka County Game Fair
* BMC Apps Update
* Killer Coke

Minneapolis Area Local Web Site Improved?

www.Minneapolisapwu.org

We think so, but let us know! Please be advised that we have recently made many changes on our local web site that will go into effect around March 1, 2005….We now have an officer and staff link where you can go for introductions to most of our officers provided they have provided those to us for your benefit. Additionally, we have changed our flash bulletin link so once you click it the flashes will be listed by the topics that were on them along with the date….This should help immeasurably with those wanting to find past issues they remember reading because of topics that may become important to them at a later date…

Additionally, we have placed a recent event ticker on our front page that will change on a regular basis as we learn of news that may be important to you…Our “Links of interest to members” link will be loaded with links that members can access to help them find web sites of benefit to them like life care, EAP, USPS Lite Blue for bidding and finding employee deals, etc.

We will be in a constant state of updating and trying to enhance our web site and your suggestions and comments are welcomed….Many thanks to local Web Master Rick Grata for all his hard work and dedication in improving our site!

We invite you to visit our site at www.minneapolisapwu.org and look at the updates….Let us know what you would like to see and we will try to incorporate any changes that we feel will benefit Postal Workers!

SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN – SIGN UP FOR GAME FAIR

Please be advised that the annual Anoka County Game Fair will be held on Friday – Sunday, August 12-13-14, and 19-20-21, 2005. The fair held from 9 AM till 6 PM each day is at Armstrong Kennels Ranch, six miles northwest of Anoka.

Our affiliate the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council (CLUC) will be sponsoring a Union booth at the game fair and needs volunteers to staff the booth! We need groups of four to staff each three hour block and once we get enough volunteers we can stake out a time block or more on behalf of the Minneapolis Area Local APWU! All volunteers will get free admission to the Game Fair. Please call 612-623-0677 and ask for Sheila. Tell Sheila the time and day you are interested in working and we will write you in and contact you with more details as the event approaches. As this is a terrific family event, why not staff a booth with family members?? In addition to free admission, our volunteers will receive a free Rapid Action Team (RATS) 24/7 T-Shirt and cap! Call today as most time blocks are still open!

BMC APPS Implementation Update

On Friday, February 25, 2005, the Union met with BMC Management officials regarding the recently received impact statement on APPS implementation at the BMC. Local Managers are currently being told that the APPS will arrive at the BMC in June of this year but that with many projects such as this delays are not uncommon and further delay, or “slippage” as Management refers to it may be experienced.

We will have additional meetings as Management is able to provide more details as to their re-staffing plans, however, the initial meeting has revealed that out of Installation and/or Craft excessing will probably not be necessary and that local Managers seem to be genuinely engaged in trying to minimize the potential impact to all BMC employees who may be impacted. Please stay tuned as we will pass on any new information as it becomes known regarding the APPS deployment to the BMC……

Did You Know That…….?
Coke…It really is a killer!

The Minneapolis Area Local is affiliated with many other Labor Organizations and groups who promote Social Justice….Among these groups are the International Labor Council, Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition, Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council, AFL-CIO, Minnesota AFL-CIO, and Minnesota Postal Workers Union to name a few.

Why do we do this? Because we want to be good unionist, neighbors, and community activists who work with developing coalitions that promote living wages and decent jobs. We want to know about the AFSME workers who are fighting for a contract, the Hotel and Restaurant Workers that are fighting the Grand Hotel for Union representation of workers and the list goes on. We want political candidates elected who will help promote a decent life for all of us instead of promoting corporate welfare.

It doesn’t stop at our borders either as more and more jobs get shipped overseas we are seeing widespread oppression, torture and murder of people who dare to speak out about the conditions they are being forced to work in….One prime example is Union officials in Columbia being killed off at the hands of Coca Cola Bottling Plant officials and Para military forces working at their behest. This is going on at an alarming pace and Brothers and Sisters it is up to us to do something about it! For more information go to www.killercoke.org and see what is being done and what you can do to help stop these deplorable acts.

Made w/ Golive

Copyright (c) 2005 MPLS Area Local MN. All Rights Reserved.