FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
In This Edition From The President’s Desk Cont……....2-3 NDC Conner.......……………….…………..4 Nomination Announcement..…...…….…...5 Critical Year for Mail Handlers Power Cont.. …....…..…………...………………...…..6,7,8 You Have to Vote..…...…..………………...9 Happy New Year Brother and Sisters..…10 Looking in the Future...…….………..……11 Recent Development in GJ PDF...………12 This is our Last Chance..………….……...13 Accountability..………...………………13,14 MHBP Information...………………………15 Retirement Pictures………..…16,17 18,&19
F
irst, I want to congratulate all 30 MHAs who recently got converted to Full Time Regular (FTR) at the Denver GMF. I also wish to congratulate all 4 MHAs at the Colorado Springs GMF, which also recently got converted to FTR. The union as fought long and hard for these conversions, we are currently By Tony Wilson working on getting 15 MHAs converPresident sion at the Denver, NDC, but lately management informed the union that they would convert 13 MHAs instead and give us four transfers. We will accept this and move forward.
A DIVISION OF THE LABORERS’ INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA
LOCAL 321 NPMHU
The Denver GMF just got a new Machine, the High-Density Universal Sorter (HDUS); this machine supposed to be the first of its type in the Nation. I am happy to announce that the Mail Handlers Craft is assigned the primary craft for this machine. Grand Junction facility will get an AFSM 100, which should boost Mail Handler's staffing in that facility. There are rumors on the work-room floor that management will be taking out one DBCS, and an AFCS 100 from that facility to facilitate the AFSM. In a separate meeting with Management, they assure the union that they have no intention to do so. We will see. Colorado Springs GMF is slated to receive an ABPS machine; management has made a requested to the union to go over the MHA CAP in that facilitythe union will consider this if Postal Management converted all the reminding 5 MHAs to FTRs in that facility and immediately converted the first three new MHAs upon hire. As you all know, that Postal Service has placed withholding on all Postal facilities within a 50-mile radius of the Denver GMF. In management, withhold notice to the union. Management stated that they are going to excess 36 clerk employees from the Denver GMF. So what does this mean for us (Mail Handlers)? Well, it is simple – (From the President’s Desk Continued on page 2)
STATE OF THE UNION
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2020 PAGE 1
(From the President’s Desk Continued from page 1)
Management will secure landing place for these 36 clerks, either in the Mail Handlers craft, the clerk craft, letter carrier craft, or in the maintenance craft, in doing so, they will be holding vacancies in the Mail Handlers craft and all these other crafts until they obtain or not enough landing place for the excess employees. Management stated that they would offer the impacted clerks an option to stay in the Denver GMF only if they chose to go to the Mail Handler Craft—as Mail handlers. NPMHU LOCAL 321 1833 W ELK PL DENVER CO 80211
Tony Wilson President 303-455-6400 office 303-455-5810 fax ewilson@local321.org Curtis Grantham Vice President 303-853-6487 GMF union office 303-853-6061 fax cgrantham@local321.org Jeff Morgan Treasurer 303-853-6487 GMF office 303-853-6061 fax jmorgan@local321.org Samuel –T-Koduah Recording Secretary 303-853-6487 GMF office 303-853-6061 fax skoduah@local321.org Mike Ruiz State Executive Board Member & Branch President Denver P&DC 303-853-6487 GMF office mruiz@local321.org Curtis Grantham Branch President Denver NDC 303-853-2885 BMC union office 303-853-2851 fax cgrantham@local321.org
303-455-6400 Fax 303-455-5810 www.npmhulocal321.org
Richard Lairscey Branch President Colorado Springs GMF 719-570-5509 GMF union office 719-570-2612 fax rlairscey@local321.org Curtis Beaittie Branch President Grand Junction Foresight Annex 970-244-3436 facility 970-361-7714 cell NPMHU Headquarters Suite 5100 Washington DC 20 202-833-9095
If the above happens, any clerk employee that is involuntarily or voluntarily change to the Mail Handlers Craft will begin a new period of seniority, which means their seniority will start on the day they were excess to the Mail Handlers Craft. The provisions of Sections 12.2F1a and F1b set forth the rule that employees will begin a new period of seniority as a part-time, flexible employee if such status is available in the installation when the employee voluntarily moves to another postal installation or voluntarily moves from another craft to the Mail Handler craft. Both the GMF and the NDC are a 200 man year facilities; therefore, the PTF category does not exist. Therefore, these clerk employees would be excess to the Mail Handlers Craft as Full Time Regular, but with a new seniority date.
The provision of section 12.2G3, further stated, “When an employee changes from another craft to the Mail Handler craft involuntarily, the employee will begin a new period of seniority.” If any of these scenarios play out, these excess employees will go to the bottom of the seniority list. And start a new period of seniority. The union will continue to monitor this development and keep you informed. Realignment Realignment is just another way of management, saying that they will Fover Mail Handlers. Management recently notified the union of their intention to realignment all the bid assignments in all sections and on tours at the Denver GMF. (From the President’s Desk Continued on page 3)
(From the President’s Desk Continued from page 2)
The union has not received any real details or information on this new round of alignment, but one thing is certain; it is never good; it will cause hardship for many. Management is using what they call “Run Plan Generator (RPG) to justify these changes. So what is an RPG? The Run Plan Generator (RPG) is a software application used by the Post office to optimize machine usage and operational efficiency; it is also used to adjust staffing compliment. As we all know, if put garbage in, you will get garbage out, especially when you are relying on a computer application. The RGP term is just another word substitute for F1 Schedular; management will tell you that it sole suppose this round of changes is to assists them with meeting established clearance times (the latest time mail can complete a mail processing operation) and to ensuring transportation trips depart on time.
The union believes that management is incompetent in the performance of their duties because we have been down this road many times
The union believes that management is incompetent in the performance of their job because we have been down this road many times, and it resolves nothing; there are too many inadequate trained SDOs/MDOs in this facility, and if that does change, then nothing will. The union will monitor any justification for abolishment and subsequent repost of bids, the excessing of mail handlers from their bids sections, and the changes reporting times. If they go ahead with these actions, there are contractual obligations that management must be adhered to when making these changes. Per Article 12.4. In the Denver GMF, where Mail Handlers holds bid assignments, these sections are defined by Pay Locations per LMOU. As such, the starting point for excessing mail Handlers to the needs of a section will be done in accordance with article 12.6C4 of the agreement. The National Agreement outlines a particular process for reducing the number of Mail Handlers excess to that section. These procedures are outlined in subsections 12.6C4b and 12.6C4d of the National Agreement. In addition, to the above mention provisions, any changes to starting times, and or days off, management must include the provisions outlined in article 12.3B4, 12.3B5, 12.3B6 and, 12.3B7 12.3B7a. Brothers and sisters, your union, will monitor these changes if and when should they be implemented—this union will hold management to the letter of the agreement, any violations will be met with immediate opposition from this local.
Local 321 Scholarship Deadline is April 24, 2020 On January 2020, Local 321’s Executive Board unanimously once again, approved a motion to continue funding our Local scholarship program for the next school year. The Board has approved (5) five-hundred-dollar scholarships for the 20202021 school year. Scholarship packets are available in each facility Union Office. You can also print copies by going to your local union website at: STATE OF THE UNION
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NDC Corner
I
t has been an ongoing issue to get the Local Dispute Resolution to meet on the grievance filed on areas 13 and 14 of PSM-4 that is presently being worked by the clerks. The Union has argued that when NDC management converted the chutes on the wire container aisle, they took the work from the clerks and gave it to the mail handlers. What has happened on P-4 is no different. This action was grieved by the APWU and was basically alive Curtis Grantham until last year. When the new Vice President RI-399 Tri-Partite agreement was signed by USPS Headquarters, the APWU and NPMHU National offices, it ended that grievance. The settlement required that all parties do a reinventory on the work being performed by both crafts in the plants and the work be assigned to the craft performing the work on 9/1/2017. Since we were doing the work on the wire container aisle, it was permanently assigned to the mail handlers. This same RI-399 agreement allowed the NPMHU to challenge any changes in work after 9/1/2017. When management started to cut out the chutes in December of 2017, the grievance was filed. NDC management and the NPMHU agreed to extend this case until a final determination on how many chutes would be modified was finalized. The failed implementation of the NDC working the outgoing states first class parcels further delayed this case. If it were successful, the clerks would have been sorting these parcels in that area. This grievance was moved forward after it was determined that NDC management wasn’t going to do anything to address this case.
-5 checks. Unfortunately, this only applies to fulltime regulars only. Possible Changes: If you have spent any time with the Postal Service, you will realize that change never stops. We are now learning that management intends on installing a new machine in Colorado Springs that they plan on running all the 808 -812 priority parcels on. What impact it will have on the NDC is yet to be determined. Hopefully in the next couple of months when they have more time to work on this we will have more news. Staffing - MHA Conversions: The union has been in constant communication with PM Kuruvilla on the staffing issues. The Union have pushed for immediate MHA mail handler conversions to fill this severe shortage of FTR mail handlers. It has been explained to him that the one-time conversion of 10 MHA mail handlers he did in November of 2018 was lost in 2019 with the drop of an additional 20 FTR mail handlers. PM Kuruvilla has been hesitant on doing this with the upcoming potential changes with mail in the district. The NPMHU can’t concern itself with that, we will continue to push him for additional MHA conversion to fix this problem.
At step-3, the APWU moved this case to the Regional Dispute Resolution Committee as allowed under RI-399. The RDRC moved this case back to the district for the Local Disputer Resolution Committee (LDRC) to meet on. Now PM Kuruvilla, APWU President and I will have to meet to discuss this locally. I’m quite confident that the APWU is going to fight this. Keep in mind they challenged when management gave us the wire container aisle. I have requested this meeting with PM Kuruvilla and the new District Labor Manager James Dunlap. Manager Dunlap inadvertently has gotten this case mixed up with P&DC cases, so the meeting hasn’t happened. I will continue to push and get this case moving. We are asking for the work in that area and a monetary settlement for the work being performed by the clerks. The settlement requested continually goes up daily, so the delay only increases the damages requested. March Snow Storm: Management has finally started processing the adjustments for last March’s snow storm. If you were on vacation, called in for FMLA, or sick leave, you are not eligible. They should be showing up in your PP-4 or PP STATE OF THE UNION
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2020 PAGE 4
ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS OF MAIL HANDLERS CRAFT LOCAL UNION 321 NOTICE OF NOMINATION MEETING
This is to advise all members in good standing that on MARCH 21 2020 AT 10:00AM a meeting of Mail Handlers’ Local 321 will be held at the time and place set forth below for the purpose of nominating candidates for the following local union officer positions. OFFICERS
TERM OF OFFICE
Local President and Delegate to National
3 Years
Postal Mail Handlers Convention Vice President and Alternate Delegate to National
3 Years
Postal Mail Handlers Convention
Recording Secretary
3 Years
Treasurer
3 Years
State Executive Board Member
3 Years
Branch President for the following branches:
3 Years
Denver P&DC Denver NDC Colorado Springs, Colo. Grand Junction, Colo. If you are unable to attend the nominations meeting, you may send your nominations via US Mail. Mailed nominations must be received by 9 AM on MARCH 21, 2020. Mail nominations to: JUDGES OF ELECTION OF LOCAL 321 P.O. BOX DENVER CO. 80211 The date, time, place of the nomination meeting will be: DATE OF NOMINATION MEETING: MARCH 21, 2020 TIME OF NOMINATION MEETING: 10:00 AM
PLACE OF NOMINATION MEETING: UNION HALL 1833 W. ELK PL, DENVER, CO. 80211 NOTE: BRANCH PRESIDENTS MUST BE NOMINATED AND ELECTED BY MEMBERS FROM THEIR BRANCH. YOU MUST BE A MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING TO MAKE ANY NOMINATIONS.
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2020 PAGE 5
2020 is the CRITICAL year for Mail Handler Power!
T
Torres Small (bipartisan, imagine that!).
Their press release stated, in part, “Since 2007, this unfair mandate is responsible
his year 2020 is quickly shaping up to be of MA-
for more than 90 percent of USPS’s fi-
JOR importance to Mail Handlers’ future. Several
nancial losses and 100 percent of losses
issues are arising, which will have a major impact
over the past six years…. This legislation
on our benefits, wages, and actual job security!
will not only end USPS’s financial crisis
The latest news on the tentative agreement was very promising By
Jeffrey Morgan, Treasurer
but will allow the agency to invest in crit-
(I’m voting for it);
ical improvements, all while maintaining
however, other influ-
its commitments to retirees’ health bene-
ential forces hang
fits.” (Press Release, May 1, 2019)
their ugly heads over unlikely ratification. The hopeful enact-
It is crucial to the survival of the USPS
ment of the ‘USPS Fairness Act’ (recently passed in the U.S.
and to you that the ridiculous mandate is
House of Representatives), the changing of the guard of the up-
repealed. It has affected the Postal Ser-
coming retired Postmaster General, and the 2020 Elections all
vice's ability to compete, innovate, and
could impose major consequences on you. With all of this
provide additional services. GovTrack
looming, you may also ask yourself, what can I do to help our
Insider stated, “2006’s pre-funding re-
Mail Handler craft in this new and critical year? Well, let’s take
quirement put the U.S. Postal Service at a
a look at these forces that are on their way to challenge you and what you can do about them. The USPS Fairness Act (bill H.R.
It is crucial to the survival of the USPS and to you that the ridiculous mandate is repealed.
2382) is a bill that would repeal the requirement in 5 U.S. Code 8909a(d) that the U.S. Postal Ser-
staggering competitive disadvantage with
vice (USPS) make annual payments to the Retiree Health Bene-
the likes of FedEx and UPS. And the
fits Fund, which are paid for retired workers. This was put into
Postal Service is banned from lobbying
effect by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of
Congress — unlike their private-sector
2006 (PAEA). The Post Office is the only federal agency (out
competitors,” and, “…industry’s lobbying
of several hundred) mandated to pre-fund its employees’ future
to mandate the status quo would likely be
healthcare benefits – up to the year 2056 at the cost of $5 billion
strong. FedEx spent $10.1 million on lob-
per year! “If that doesn't meet the definition of insanity, I don't
bying last year, while UPS spent $9.3
know what does,” writes Barry Ritholtz (Bloomberg Opinion,
million.” (https://www.govtrack.us/
April 4, 2018, ‘Congress, Not Amazon, Messed Up the Post Of-
congress/votes/116-2020/h37) That Fed-
fice – Legislators passes a law that made the USPS less compet-
Ex and UPS are against the bill should
itive with the private sector.’)
tell you all you need to know, even though
The bill was introduced in the House on April 29 as bill number
they rely on the Postal Service to deliver their
H.R. 2382, by Representatives DeFazio, Reed, Fitzpatrick, and
packages to unprofitable rural destinations.
STATE OF THE UNION
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(Continued on page 7)
2020 PAGE 6
(continued from page 6)
“Indeed, both UPS and FedEx contract with USPS to perform so-called last-mile delivery for their rural and most-expensive routes. They leverage the existing infrastructure of USPS to provide services for their client base without having to build that same costly last-mile infrastructure for letters and parcels. Effectively, they arbitrage what would otherwise be low-margin or unprofitable deliveries,” writes Ritholtz. “It’s also significant that lots of companies benefit from a burden that makes the USPS less competitive. These same companies might also would (sic) benefit from full USPS privatization, a goal that has been pushed by several conservative think tanks for years.” That the bill makes the Postal Service a lot more financially stable by eliminating a provision to fund future retiree health benefits far into the future is easy to understand considering what the PAEA has caused since its enactment. “The Postal Service has lost money for 13 consecutive years , and a majority of those losses stemmed from the pre-funded requirement. In fiscal 2019, for example, 83% of the $8.8 billion the agency lost came from payments into its retiree pension fund and retiree health benefits fund,” writes Eric Katz, Senior Correspondent, in ‘Government Executive.’ (February 5, 2020, https://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits, “House Votes to End Controversial USPS Payments for Future Retirees’ Health Care’) He goes on to state that, “Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., has introduced a companion bill (S. 2965) in the Senate with Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii. The measure would eliminate the requirement going forward and forgive all payments on which USPS has defaulted.” This is where the “what can I do” part comes in (drum roll)! Be-
lieve it that you can have an impact by calling your Senators and urge them to become a cosponsor of S. 2965. There will be a nationwide call-in day on February 25th, where we can flood the phones in our Senators’ Gardner and Bennett’s offices and tell them to support it or else. Senator Cory Gardner is particularly vulnerable this year as Tell him (or his The Postal Serwas one of the
you can have an impact by calling your Senators and urge them to become a cosponsor of S. 2965
ment programs
he is up for re-election. aides) that! vice retirement program most well-funded retirein the country before
2006. It met retiree health care needs before the pre-funding mandate and will continue to do so once the mandate is repealed. We will monitor the votes closely. Anyone who does not vote for the Postal Service should never get a vote from its workers. Incidentally, your Colorado Representatives in the house voted in favor of H.R. 2382 by a margin of five to two (5-2). Four of our Democrats and one Republican voted in favor while the other two Republicans voted against. Those in favor were Diana DeGette (Denver), Joe Neguse (Central Colorado), Scott Tipton (Western Colorado, inc. Pueblo), Jason Crow (South and East metro/ suburbs), and Ed Perlmutter (North and West metro/suburbs). Those against the Postal Service bill were Ken Buck (Eastern Colorado) and Doug Lamborn (Colorado Springs area). (continued on page 8)
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2020 PAGE 7
The last convention was the most interest-
(continued from page 7)
Two other issues that will impact Mail Handlers in a major
ing, inspiring, and unifying one I had ever
way is the Postmaster-General (PMG) vacancy to be and the
attended. It was also inspiring and moti-
2020 elections. The word is that the new PMG may come from
vating to the call of rank and file union-
outside the Postal Service, much like when “Carvin’” Marvin
ism.
Runyon was appointed in 1992. The implication would be that reductions in Post Offices, deliveries, Universal Service and standards, and employee wages, benefits, and bargaining would be pursued with an outside PMG. This would fall in line with the Donald Trump Administration’s Presidential Task Force on the USPS Report. This “Report” issued recommendations to reduce all of the above and went further in recommending the elimination of collective bargain-
We will let you all know what comes out of the COPE Convention. It will be an update on the progress unions, in general, are making in the candidates' endorsement process. Of course, we will communicate
to the body how these candidates have been voting on Postal Legislation.
ing over the wages of postal employees, reducing pension or
There will be much more “what can I
workers' compensation benefits, and increasing subcontracting
do?” volunteering later in the year in the
of mail processing operations.
form of phone-banking, canvassing, and
This last one is particularly threatening because this is where
assisting in endorsed candidate cam-
Mail Handlers exist and could be subcontracted out. Incidental-
paigns. It’s now up to us in this local and
ly, this laundry list by the Task Force also specifically advocat-
this country to get more involved! In the
ed against changing the existing pre-funding requirement of
end, it will enhance Union Power and, of
retiree health benefits. It stated that the Task Force, “…does not
course, Mail Handler Power! I mean, after
believe that…the liability for the USPS retiree health benefits
all, do you want more or less?
should be shifted to the taxpayers.” Again, this is misleading as the Postal Service is the only Federal agency that is required to pre-fund these benefits and, regardless, has done so quite well in the past before 2007. All of this leads to the 2020 Elections. All Mail Handlers should keep a close eye on the way their Congressional candidates are voting. We shall see soon enough how they vote on S. 2965 and what they do for the Postal Service in defending workers’ rights, benefits, wages, and job security (i.e., contracts!). On March 26th through the 28th, your Local Representatives, including myself, will attend the COPE Convention in Pueblo. This will be a fundamental starting point to the 2020 elections and who may be endorsed for vacant seats in the national, state, and local elections. It will be of huge significance. STATE OF THE UNION
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2020 PAGE 8
You Have to Vote!
Y
ou don’t know how important you are! That’s the slogan I’m using for this year’s upcoming elections. Heck, I just may use that for the rest of election eternity – because it’s too true! Some people think that their vote just doesn't count. That's not true! Josh Downey, President of the Denver Area Labor Federation, reminded union leaders at a reBy Jeff Morgan Treasurer cent meeting that Mike Feeley lost to Bob Beauprez in the 2002 congressional election by only 121 votes! In 2010, Dianne Primavera was defeated by only 314 in the Colorado State legislature. In comparison, there are over 900 Mail Handler members in Colorado who are receiving this newsletter. With a number like that, and along with many other various union members in Colorado, we can make a difference and elect union-friendly and working family candidates in this coming election.
the candidates to determine who will best support our unions, jobs, and working families. Our livelihoods depend on electing representatives who value unions, a fullfledged U.S. Postal Service and working families. My only concern is to represent Mail Handler interests and issues solely and fully. I don't care if you're Democrat, Republican, or Independent. If a candidate supports the U.S. Postal Service and values labor unions, that's where my vote is going. I'm concerned about our paycheck, benefits, and working conditions. That is where my voting and livelihood depends on. Please take charge and lead us all to the polls for each other! Thank you!
I am also a proud dues paying member of the OPIEU, Local 30; one of the many unions (like Local #321) that is a member of the Denver Area Labor Federation (DALF). DALF represents many public and private sector unions in the State of Colorado. Together, our many unions can protect our jobs, wages and working conditions by voting for representatives at the local and national levels who have our backs. At the Colorado AFL-CIO, housed in the same building as DALF at 140 Sheridan Blvd., we are canvassing and phoning many union members and nonaffiliated voters. We are under attack at many levels both as Postal employees and as Union members. But we are attempting to unite together to get out the vote of our members.
Our livelihoods depend on electing representatives who value unions, a full-fledged U.S. Postal Service and working families.
First, you must register to vote if you haven’t already. It’s so easy it can be done before you read this article. You can also just check to make sure you’re registered. Just go to http:// www.sos.state.co.us/ and go down to the bottom left of the page to "Register to Vote." All you need is your Driver’s License or Colorado State ID card. Enter your name, number, and birthdate and you’ll receive a mail-in ballot and election information that you can read and complete in the comfort of your own kitchen (or abode). It’s that easy! Too easy for you to simply let it pass for you to have a say. We're doing it for each other as a union. There are other ballot initiatives that you can have a say on too. Like I said before, you don’t know how important you are! We need you! We need each other! DALF conducts interviews with STATE OF THE UNION
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Happy New Year Brothers and Sisters
G
reetings from the Colorado Springs P&DC. Great news; as of December 2019, degenerate Plant manager Karl Foster was relieved of his post. Thankfully we now have someone in charge who wants to see our facility thrive with more work and personnel, more By Richard Lairscey Colorado Springs Branch Mail Handlers to be exact. Julio Medina as President been sent here from Eugene, OR. Since his arrival he has started a joint effort to clean up the building of all it’s clutter. An engineer has come to the facility and has drawn up new plans to create a more efficient mail flow and machine placement. We are on track to have an APBS installed (which is like a SPBS if you remember it) it will process all drop pallets of 2C and standard bundles, all SPURS (small packages) pretty much everything except NMO’s. This will create more bid assignments for the Mail Handler craft. We are also slated to receive the 812 mail. We may lose one of the AI flat sorters to Grand Junction. All this will mean we will now need a tour 3 on the AI to run the prime and AO’s and tour 1 to run the city zones. All and all the future looks good for the Mail Handler craft.
general wage increases. Added benefits for the MHA’s. Increase in night shift differential. More agreement details are on our local website @ NPMHU Local 321.org or NPMHU.org. In closing I would like to thank our Stewards, Anthony Chanes, Roberto Hernandez and Vicky Vargas for all their hard work and dedication to you; the Members. ratification. The new agreement includes 6 COLA’s and 4 general wage increases. Added benefits for the MHA’s. Increase in night shift differential. More agreement details are on our local website @ NPMHU Local 321.org or NPMHU.org. In closing I would like to thank our Stewards, Anthony Chanes, Roberto Hernandez and Vicky Vargas for all their hard work and dedication to you; the Members.
BUY UNION!!! BUY AMERCAN!!!
In December 2019 we had 4 Mail Handlers retire: James Ferguson (5 SEP 1978), Ronald O’Donnell (12 DEC 1992), Willie Outlaw (27 SEP 1997) and Ronald Webb (6 JAN 2007). I would like to thank these men for their service, commitment and loyalty to the NPMHU Local 321. Congratulations and enjoy. Yes, we have had some job reversions and abolishment’s (3 F-PARS jobs). The Union is on top of these issues with the Grievance process. The management staff is still using Mail Handler overtime and clerk pse’s to backfill the lack of personnel in this area. We are also on top of these Grievances. As always; work safe. If you see something that is unsafe; please file a 1767 (safety violation report) with your supervisor. Let the Union make a copy so we may also follow up. We should have a new contract soon. Everyone will be getting some information in the mail explaining the new agreement and asking the National Membership to vote for ratification. The new agreement includes 6 COLA’s and 4
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Looking into the Future
W
hen I walked through the doors of the Denver NDC, BMC, on 9/11/19913, I could have never envisioned the changes in mail volumes that I’ve witnessed. I’ve watched magazines, catalogs, newspapers, and telephone Curtis Grantham books literally disappeared. Vice President Let’s face it, the USPS was the only business in First-Class Letters, and that’s a dying market. This is the electrical era. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Electronic Funds Transfer and the likes have made the first-class letter a dying part of the Postal Service and have directly impacted other areas of the mailing industry. You can even send cards electronically. Do they even teach you how to address a letter in school anymore? I was recently reading an article titled “Americas 25 Dying Industries” by Samuel Stebbins on 24/7 Wallstreet dated 12/5/2019. The areas that should be alarming to all Postal Workers is the directory and mailing list publisher industry. This industry publishes phone books, mailing lists, and other directories that are used by private mailing companies. That directly affects the USPS. Other industries identified are greeting card manufacturers, newsprint mills that manufacturer newspapers and the photofinishing industries were also identified. I can remember a time when the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Kodak and TV Guide were some of our bigger customers. We would process catalog orders for Sears, JC Penny, Wards that were ordered through a catalog that we delivered. Amazon has directly affected these businesses that were once our major customers.
cheapest most dependable way to get their deliveries handled. Scanning provides them with that accountability. Hold yourselves accountable. It is up to us to make this happen. If you can’t find a working scanner, insist that your supervisor provide you with one. Hold them accountable to provide you with the tools that you need to do your job. The private industry is all about saving money. The Postal Service is the cheapest way to send parcels. If we can show to these businesses that we can provide the quality of service they are looking for, they will come back. Money saved for them is money made for both them and the Postal Service. Scanning is the future of the Postal Service and the future of all of our jobs. This isn’t a private corporation. Every mail handler, supervisor, and manager are an employee of the Postal Service, including the Postmaster General. When it comes on to scanning the mail, it is apart of our everyday duties; it let us know (Union / Management ) what comes in and what goes out in term of volume, which will help us in the grievance process for jobs.
The future of the Postal Service (OUR JOB) is the parcels. Let’s take care of our current customers. Let’s show the big mailers that we can give them great customer service. The big mailers want accountability on their products. That is why customers like Amazon, UPS and FedEx have developed ways to bypass our mail processing plants to get their deliveries to their rural customers. All the parcels that are currently running on the Fort Collins ADUS machine were once processed through the plants. They are the only remaining customers of the big mailers that we still have a stronghold on. It saves them money having us deliver to them. If we don't provide them with that service, there are many private industry mailers who will. They will continually seek the STATE OF THE UNION
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Recent Development in the Grand Junction PDF
G
reetings Brothers and Sisters, I wanted to take a moment to discuss recent events in the Grand Junction PDF. Management has informed the Union that they intend to install a flat sorter in the facility. My first thought upon hearing this is, “don’t you mean in the parkCurtis Beaittie ing lot?” Because Branch President that is about the only Grand Junction place, we have room for any new equipment. Our Plant Manager walked the facility with a team from Western Area to point out all the operations and explain our workflow. Anyone that has worked in this facility knows that we barely have room for the mail and equipment that we have now, so adding an additional machine would be physically impossible. The team of managers from Area do not see it that way. Just this week, our Plant Manager told me that he had received the proposal from Area that calls for the removal of a DIOSS as well as one of our two AFCS machines. This is a problem. If we lose one of our cancellers, we will be unlikely to finish processing on time to meet dispatch on Mondays, Tuesdays after a Monday holiday, and basically every day in the month of December. In a surprising twist, Plant Manager Rapier agrees with me on this. However, he was told to make it happen. I reached out to President Wilson in Denver to explain the situation and see if he can discuss our concerns with the powers-that-be at the District level. I am not opposed to the Postal Service bringing new equipment into Grand Junction. However, I am opposed to making changes to the operation that will inevitably result in a failure to meet our customers’ expectations on timely delivery of their mail, as well as any changes that will likely result in more non-OTDL Mail Handlers being mandated to work more overtime. This is another thing that local Management and I agree on. On a more positive note, local management has made progress in securing equipment that we actually do need in Grand Junction. For the past three years, I have been pushing to try and get a Cart Caddy in our facility to assist us in moving cages full of letters across the building. We have had too many Mail Handlers developing shoulder and back problems due to the amount of mail that we
manually move around the facility. Now, I have finally been told that our requests are being moved through the process, and we are now awaiting District approval to purchase two of the machines. Having access to these pieces of equipment will result in decreased chance of Mail Handlers injuring themselves by moving heavy cages from the far end of the facility out to the dock (Management had previously measured the distance from Machine 5 and the Tour 1 814/815/816 priority areas to the dock, and it is approx. 100 yards). This will also likely increase our efficiency and will definitely result in happier, healthier Mail Handlers. As you all know, in Grand Junction, we had half of the Maintenance craft working as Mail Handlers during most of November and all of December. I am pleased to announce that the last of the cross crafting grievances from December have been settled with Management. Some of you should have already started to see grievance payments on your paychecks. However, Management has agreed to split the payments between pay periods (as we have done with large settlements in the past) so that we don’t take such a large hit on taxes being withheld. I am still receiving witness statements about cross craft violations on an almost daily basis, although the number of hours is not nearly as high as it was in December. Please remember to keep watching for Clerk craft employees, as well as Supervisors performing Mail Handler work, and write a statement when it happens. Filing grievances on cross craft violations does more than get people more money; it ensures we keep the work that is rightfully ours and helps us in getting more positions for career Mail Handlers for career Mail Handlers.
THIS IS OUR LAST CHANCE
Accountability
appy New Year. It’s game time; we can truly make this a Happy New Year. All we must do is make sure that Greed doesn’t win again this November. Now is our time. Time for Working Families to take charge of America. It’s time to “Make America Union Again”. We must stand together and educate America Richard Lairscey on what Legislative & Political Coordinator Greed and Corruption has done and is continually doing to this country. We must work together diligently to take back our workplace, our homes and our lives.
We are all employees of the USPS (Mail Handlers, Clerks, Management, and others). While craft employees generally do more of the physical work and management does more of the organizational work. Management generally should be ultimately responsible and Mike Ruiz is held to a higher SEBM standard than the craft employees. Really, there are settlements from management that say that they are held to a higher standard. I know we have all seen situations where Mail Handlers are held responsible for many things that management deems incorrect. but are management held to the same standard?
This is our last chance. If Working Families (the Democratic party) doesn’t regain the power to run this country; we will be victim to nation wide right to work laws, and the demise of the working class.
I can give a few examples if a Mail Handler has attendance issues management deems it necessary to investigate and issue discipline. But I have seen supervisors with attendance far worse than a Mail Handler, but still issuing discipline to that Mail Handler. These supervisors have not had disciplinary action. We are all employees of the USPS and there should not be a different standard between craft and management. I have had discussions with upper management, and it seems that they believe that it’s appropriate for a manager who has worse attendance issues able to discipline a Mail Handler with lesser attendance issues. To me, this does not feel right and is not in line with a higher standard, but I cannot say I’m surprised that they think this way.
H
We must use this time to do the research and find out which political candidates believe in Unions, care about a livable wage and affordable healthcare for all Americans. These are the people we need to vote into office on all levels; from city council all the way up to the White House. We must elect our friends so we may crush our enemies. So please join me this November; Vote your paycheck and the prosperity of your family’s future.
BUY UNION!!!
BUY AMERICAN!!!
I’m sure you have all seen or heard of examples where management has walked an employee out of the building. Many times, this results in an employee missing work because a manager is trying to inappropriately dominate or bully a craft employee. In these situations, the employee misses work for a length of time, causing hardship for an inappropriate reason. This usually results in the employee being brought back to work with pay for the time they have missed. This pay can be large amounts, up to thousands of dollars. The Union has discussed this problem with management, and I have been told that in order to remove employees, management will have a chain of command (continued on page 14)
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( Accountability continued from page 13)
where the upper managers need to give approval. It sounded good in theory, but we have also seen upper management act out against Mail Handlers and inappropriately remove employees as well. Usually, these situations could be handled in many other less drastic ways. Also, what financial sense does it make to inappropriately remove an employee and then have to pay them a large sum of money when they return. Are these managers held responsible for going out of their way with inappropriate action (not that I have seen) or held accountable for causing the Service to lose large amounts of money? I can tell you the answer is no. I have actively pursued to have managers held liable (the same way employees are held responsible) with their superiors. Typically it falls upon deaf ears; maybe they get talked to if anything. To me, it doesn’t feel right when there are no consequences for inappropriate actions by management that is also literally costing the Service large amounts of money. US Postal Service policies hold the same weight for all employees even management, but it is not enforced. This is why we see the same bad apples in management creating problems again and again. One more example, how about disrespect from management to craft employees. Why does this happen all the time when it shouldn’t happen at all. Like I said above, if management feels that a Mail Handler is inappropriate, they remove them (causing hardship to the employee) and end up paying them for their time off (wasting USPS money).
for creating a positive work environment for craft employees. The point is that if management wants craft employees to respect them and be motivated at work, they will hold themselves accountable. If management wants our facilities to be better, they need to have real consequences for management who are inappropriate actions and act out on a regular basis. There should be two choices. 1. If the supervisors are unprofessional or inappropriate because they legitimately don’t understand supervisor responsibilities or have the right personality for a supervisor, they should not have a supervisor position in control of Mail Handlers. 2.
If the supervisors are unprofessional or inappropriate because they are abusing their power and are trying to damage Mail Handlers on purpose. And have repeating problems; they definitely should not have a supervisor position in control of Mail Handlers.
In both cases, management is held to a higher standard and needs to hold their own people accountable and set the right standard if they want to hold others accountable.
But when a manager acts disrespectfully or inappropriately, they are not given time off by their superiors. What are the consequences, if management removes employees for inappropriate reasons and costing USPS thousands of dollars or harassing employees? As a Union, we have to deal with these problems and then watch management do nothing and let them happen again and again. Let me further clarify for everyone; not all management has these problems. There are supervisors who do the right thing and are fair to their employees. Supervisors who know how to manage and legitimately help employees (not only when it benefits them). I would like to personally thank those supervisors STATE OF THE UNION
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Congratulations to all our brothers and sisters who recently retired or who will soon be retiring
STATE OF THE UNION IS PUBLISHED FOR THE DUES PAYING MEMBERSHIP OF LOCAL 321 OF THE NATIONAL POSTAL MAIL HANDLERS UNION. ANY MEMBER MAY SUBMIT ARTICLES FOR PUBLICATION, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF LOCAL 321 RETAINS THE RIGHT OF FINAL APPROVAL OF ALL SUBMISSIONS. SOME ARTICLES CONTAIN EDITORIAL COMMENT WHICH IS THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR AND NOT NECESSARILY LOCAL 321.
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Denver P@DC Retirees
Brother Louis Roybal is presented with his retirement jacket by Steward John Martinez to the right and SEBM Mike Ruiz to the left. Thank you for your service and for being a member Brother Roybal.
Brother Miller is presented with his retirement jacket by Local President Tony Wilson Thank you for your service brother.
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Denver P@DC Retirees
Brother Lorenzo Garica is presented with his retirement jacket by Local President Tony Wilson. Thank you for your service and for being a loyal member .
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Denver NDC Retiree
Brother Martinez is presented with his retirement jacket by VP Curtis Grantham to the right. Thank you for your service and for being a loyal member over the years.
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LOCAL 321 1833 W ELK PL DENVER CO 80211
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