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The Bay Breeze

PO Box 10323 Green Bay, WI 54307-0323

Electronic Service Requested

Non-Profit Organization US Postage

Paid APWU Bay Breeze

Help postal employees hurt by Hurricane Harvey

Postal Employees’ Relief Fund

CFC#10268

To Make an immediate donation: Go to postalrelief.com with your credit card

or send a check to: Postal Employees’ Relief Fund

P.O. Box 7630 Woodbridge, VA 22195

1

President’s Report

Business Name

Newsletter Date The Bay Breeze

The Bay Breeze

Volume 60/Issue 5

• Next Meeting:

September 23, 2017

3pm @ Denny’s Res-

taurant Oneida Street

Inside this issue:

President’s Report 1,3

Clerk Operations 4

Member Article 5

Recipe 6

NEWAL Minutes 7

Essay Contest 9

COLA Increase 11

THE

BAY BREEZE

#2247 Volume 60/Issue 5

September-October 2017

Hello and welcome to fall, 2017 lots

happening, so here we go.

I attended a 1 day workshop in WI Dells

on August 11th, 2017. The classes I

took are trying to understand your

paycheck and the codes used, plus

what happened to that job. I talked with

national President Mark Dimondstein

and Industrial Relations Director V Zim-

merman about excessing around the

country. A lot of what Dimonstein said

to me can be found in the latest article

of the Postal Worker union magazine.

Dimondstein said that he is really wor-

ried about the new contract negotia-

tions. As far as excessing goes, I have

been in contact with Willie Mellen and

most of the excessing surrounding

Green Bay is done until February. I also

talked with Dimondstein about the

Wausau plant still being held under im-

pact for the last 6 years as this affects

all employees trying to bid on

e-reassign. He said that he is trying to

work with management to get more

package business to buildings that are

currently being under utilized. The

package business is very cut-throat

right now as Amazon is attempting to

start to deliver all their own packages in

the near future.

Associate offices, are

your Postmasters

working over 15 hours

per week in level 15-

18 level offices? This

is your work and lately

management can’t fill

positions so Postmas-

ters are expected to fill

in the gaps - again

THIS IS OUR WORK!!!!!

Custodian craft will go to team cleaning

very soon and be prepared for major

changes as to the way the place is

cleaned. Ao’s that have RMPO’s; if you

are a custodian of an ao that has

rmpo’s your hours should increase and

you should be cleaning in those offices

as well. The union has initiated non-

compliance grievances. I was told by D

Tauscher that no custodians at the

plant will get excessed and that attrition

will lower the custodian complement.

Nominations for elections will be held at

the next union meeting. I am always

looking for help. Offices for election will

be President, Secretary, Treasurer,

Clerk Craft Director, Vice-President,

Maintenance Craft Director, Editor, and

MVS Director. We need members to

help me fight, as I am getting burnt-out

Kelly Heaney

Continued on page 3

2

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The Bay Breeze Volume 60/Issue 5

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“To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from

the story here.”

The Bay Breeze is the official voice of the American

Postal Workers Union, Northeastern Wisconsin Area

Local, Published six times a year. The due date for

publication is the first day of the odd month unless

otherwise publicized.

The Bay Breeze attempts to keep the membership

abreast of all important issues. We are proud mem-

bers of the National Postal Press Association and In-

ternational Labor Communications Association. We

are also members of the APWU of WI, Wisconsin

State AFL-CIO , Greater Green Bay labor Council and

were the first local in WI to join the APWU Accident

Benefit Association as a 100% local.

Letters, correspondences, and articles by members

and officers are encouraged. Send them to the return

address on this newsletter. Articles must be signed by

the author and names may be withheld upon re-

quest. Opinions are those of the contributors and

not necessarily the Union, the Officers, or the Editor.

The Editor reserves the right to delete, edit, or re-

write to fit the format or this newsletter, to disallow

any attacks of individuals, and to refuse to print any

article deemed improper or unfit for publication. Arti-

cles that are not credited are those of the Editor.

STEWARDS

Packerland Drive Office (GMF)

Tour 1

Clerk Chief Steward Dave Kroll

Maintenance Chief Steward Dave Willwock

Maintenance Alt Steward Rich Stephenson

Tour 2

Clerk Chief Steward vacant

Clerk Alternate Steward Mary Oliver

Maintenance Steward Ekaterina Bouyear

MVS Chief Steward Tim Alberts

MVS Alternate Steward Jeremy Linberg

Tour 3

Clerk Chief Steward Christine Bouyear

Clerk Alternate Steward Steve Paradise

AO Stations

Clerk Chief Steward Amy Zehms

DePere Post Office

Clerk Chief Steward Sheri Beauleau

Clerk Alternate Steward Sandy Murphy

All other AO’s

Clerk Chief Steward Kelly Heaney

President Kelly Heaney

Vice President Steve Paradise

Secretary/Treasurer Bryce Thomas

Recording Secretary Jenny Starry

Editor Kelsey Helf

Clerk Craft Director Dave Kroll

Motor Vehicle Craft Director Tim Alberts

Maintenance Craft Director Dave Villwock

11

The Bay Breeze Volume 60/Issue 5

Thinking about retirement or currently

lucky enough to already be there?

The USPS has a website for postal retirees.

It’s called; KeepingPosted.org

There you will find information about retirement and health benefits

and links to resources for those getting there or already retired.

Second Significant COLA Increase of 2017 Announced

APWU Web News Article 76-2017 08/11/2017 - In accordance with the 2015-2018 Collective Bar-gaining Agreement, career employees represented by the APWU will receive a 13 cents per hour cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) effective September 2. The increase is the result of an increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). The increase will ap-pear in paychecks dated September 22, 2017 (Pay Period 19-2017), and will total $270.00 per year.

The next COLA increases will be based on the Janu-ary 2018 CPI-W and July 2018 CPI-W effective the second pay period following the release of those indexes. The cost-of-living adjustments are in addi-tion to general wage increases. This is the fifth cost-of-living increase under the 2015-2018 contract:

$0.00 The first COLA would have been effective September 5, 2015 $0.00 The second COLA would have been effec-tive March 5, 2016. $21.00 The third COLA was effective September 3, 2016. $333.00 The fourth COLA was effective March 18, 2017. $270.00 The fifth COLA increase effective Septem-ber 2, 2017.

Postal Support Employees do not receive cost-of-living increases, but they have five general wage in-creases under the 2015-2018 contract. On May 13, 2017 PSEs received a $0.20 per hour pay increase. Also on November 25, 2017, PSEs will receive a pay increase of 2.3%.

10

The Bay Breeze Volume 60/Issue 5

Donation Form

Wisconsin Labor History Society

2017-2018 Labor in the Schools Outreach

(Donations to the WLHS Labor in the Schools Fund are used to encourage Wisconsin school children to

participate in the High School Labor History Essay Contest and National History Day programs, plus other

school outreach programs)

Name of Union, Labor Council or Individual: ___________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip____________________________________________________________________

Contact person:___________________________________________________________________

Phone: (______)______________________ Email:_______________________________________

Amount Enclosed:_________________________________

Make check payable to the Wisconsin Labor History Society. Mail check along with this form to:

Wisconsin Labor History Society

6333 W. Bluemound Rd.

Milwaukee, WI 53213

Cut here————————————————————————————————————————————

Tony Van Scholarship Winners $500 each

Nicholas Fameree Anna Kroll

Alternates

Joshua Fameree Alec Gebelein

3

HELP NEEDED!!!

Election chairperson and helpers for the Union elections:

Interested parties should see Kelly Heaney

Chairperson takes nominations for offices of the NEWAL APWU on

September 26th, 2017 at Denny’s at 3 PM

Helpers help to send out ballots and count ballots.

Also seek nominations for the offices of President, Vice-President,

Secretary, Treasurer, Clerk Craft Director, MVS Director, Maintenance

Craft Director, and Editor.

Questions speak with Kelly Heaney, Bryce Thomas and/or Dave Kroll

The Bay Breeze Volume 60/Issue 5

fast. Yes, being a steward is hard

work, but helping your fellow

members should be the award.

Veterans day is coming up fast

and I am wondering if non veter-

ans would like to thank all vets

who served by having big pot luck

for all 3 tours. Can’t ever thank a

veteran enough for there service.

Thoughts and prayers go out to

all of our southern union brothers

and sisters in the cross-hairs of

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Plant employees, remember if

you ask to see a steward you

should be able to see one that

day. Get it in writing if you have

been denied. Stewards, request

union time in writing and tell

management if you don’t get

enough time.

Speaking of time, I posed a ques-

tion about PSE’s and their break

in service. My union rep advised

me that management can make

the break sooner, but should let

the employee know so he/she

could possibly make plans, but

my rep also said that by giving

the break early, one may lose out

on pay and/or the paychecks are

getting screwed up. PLEASE

people get a small calendar and

write down your hours each week

and compare them on your

check. Also if you call in sick you

should be signing a slip either a

3971 or 3972 when you return. If

one is not there upon your return

fill out 3971 yourself and hand it

in to a SDO. Fill out in triplicate if

you want the first receipt copy

back.

All for now, enjoy the Packer

season and GO PACK GO!

President’s Letter Continued from page 1

4

The Bay Breeze Volume 60/Issue 5

ATTN CUSTOMER SERVICE CLERKS It is imperative that bargaining unit employees understand the importance of swiping their timecard

into the proper operation. Not only are we not getting the proper credit but we are losing hours

because it is showing more hours in operations that should not be there.

Commonly Used Function 4 Operation Numbers

637 – Parcel Return Service (LDC 42)

639 – Merchandise Return Service (LDC 42)

649 – Business Reply Mail (LDC 42)

079 – Parcel Post & SPRs Sortation including scanning

AAU (LDC 43)

• 077- Sunday NSA (Amazon)Parcel Post sorted for

Dynamic Routing (LDC 43)

161 – Manual Letter Sortation (LDC 43)

172 – Manual Flats Sortation (LDC 43)

241 – Allied Distribution (LDC 43A)

• Setup Distribution Area

• Off-Loading Letters and Flats – Mail Preparation

• Distributing Presort Letters to Routes and to Boxes

Sections

• Withdrawing Mail from Distribution Cases

• Removing Labels & Storing of Empty Equipment

769 – PO Boxes – Walling/Boxing Mail including De-

tached PO Box Units (LDC 44)

355 – Window Service – Station and Branches (LDC

45)568 – Window Service – Main Office (LDC 45)

352 - Lobby Assistant – (LDC 45A)

065 – Scanning only when performed separately from

distribution activities (LDC 48)

228 – Express Mail Delivery (LDC 48)

353 – Standby – CS Operational – temporary lack of

work, power failures, late transportation, equipment

breakdowns, etc., greater than 10 minutes (LDC 48)

606 – Standby – CS Institutional – Under provisions of

the National Agreement indicating a need for staffing

adjustments (LDC 48)

544 – Registry/Accountable Cart (LDC 48)

558 – Office Work & Records (LDC 48)

• WebBATS, Records, Customer Services, Claims &

Other

608 – Steward Time (LDC 48)

621 – Travel Time –Customer Services (LDC 48)

631 – Meeting Time

638 – Premium Forwarding Service (LDC 48)

640 – Collections from lobby and collection boxes by

clerks at own workplace (LDC 48)

644 – BMEU (LDC 48) When Not Funded in F7!

742 – Miscellaneous Activity (LDC 48)

• Retail Consolidation Operation

• Outgoing Dispatch Preparation

• CS Work Hours that cannot be classified into other

operations

784 – Training & Service Talks

748 – Custodial (LDC 38)

794 – Miscellaneous Mark-Up Activities (LDC 48) • In

units other than designated CFS units

If a clerk fails to enter an operation move,

all hours for the day will improperly default to the base operation.

9

The Bay Breeze Volume 60/Issue 5

The Wisconsin Labor History Society announces its Essay Contest for the 2017-2018 School Year for Wisconsin high school students (Grades 9-12). Win cash prizes up to $500. Write essays of 750 words on the topic:

“Unions have been important to my family and my community because….”

ALL Wisconsin high school students have ready ac-cess to labor history. Students are urged to inter-view family members, neighbors, friends or others for their stories about work and unions. Teachers are urged to assist students in their efforts. Also you may do independent research on topics of labor his-tory. Check the Wisconsin Labor History website (www.wisconsinlaborhistory.org) for resources and other ideas.

Eight students could win cash prizes:

First place, $500; second place $300; Third place $200; honorable mention (up to five) $100.

Here’s what winners in recent contests chose to write about:

A Shorewood HS freshman told how his father’s labor union helped his family with an immigration problem.

A Monona Grove HS senior wrote that her grand-father’s union taught his family the value of sup-porting others.

A Milwaukee Rufus King HS senior learned that Latinos gained great support for their work in the United States through unions.

A Madison West HS junior found links between the 1984 Pullman Car Strike and those who marched against Wisconsin’s Act 10.

EASY TO ENTER

Essays should be approximately 750 words in length. They will be judged on understanding, evidence of original research, writing style and significance. Essays must be typed, double spaced, and on white paper. Two copies must be submitted (One may be a photocopy.) Please be sure to provide the following information on the cover sheet: Your name, address, home phone number, you email address, your grade in school, name and address of your school and, if you were encouraged or assisted by a teacher, the teacher’s name. (Also list your family’s union mem-bership, if applicable.) If you have any questions, contact:

Harvey J. Kaye 920-465-2355 or kayeh@uwgb.edu

Submissions must be postmarked by February 15, 2018. Send completed essays to:

Prof. Harvey J. Kaye

Center for History and Social Change

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Green Bay, WI 54311

Sponsored by:

Wisconsin Labor History Society

[Affiliated with Wisconsin Historical Society]

6333 W. Bluemound Rd.

Milwaukee, WI 53213

414-771-0700 x20

Email: info@wisconsinlaborhistory.org

Website: www.wisconsinlaborhistory.org

Opeiu#9, afl-cio

8

The Bay Breeze Volume 60/Issue 5

Thanks for allowing me to go to the PPA Conference

in August. I hope you can tell that I have learned a

few things. As always, your comments and sugges-

tions are always welcome.

With all of the activities going on lately in this world,

many people are donating money to the causes in an

effort to help. Donating your hard earned money is a

great gesture and always much needed to be sure.

However, did you ever think about what happens to

that money? Wherever you send it, someone needs

to take some action to make the money useful to the

cause.

We feel good because we donated, but who is doing

the work that’s needed because of the donations we

send? Someone has to buy the goods, organize the

volunteers, give the care, clean the mess, etc. Just

sending the money does not solve the problem. The

people that do the work where the money is needed

are important, probably more than the money. Send

$10 to buy the food to feed the hungry -someone

needs to go to buy it, prepare and serve it and then

there is the clean-up as well. No organization works

with just the money. They all need people too.

This union has plenty of dues paying members, but

who’s doing the work? Just paying the dues, does

not file the grievances, organize the parties, schedule

the meetings, fight for our jobs and fair treatment,

etc. We need our members to get up and take some

action.

Everyone should offer to help with an event in some

way - at least once, maybe offer to lead a committee

or help with an event, ask about how to become a

steward, be the eyes on the floor and write the state-

ments that might help our stewards get management

to stop their asininity. Doing anything is better than

doing nothing. We all expect results but few want to

put in any effort to help get those results. Just paying

the dues does not get the work done folks. ‘If I was

in charge, things would be different’, or ‘it’s not an

active union, why should I join?’ Well, BE in charge,

and join so you can be the one who gets things going!

*An airplane needs more than just the pilot to fly.*

Thanks for reading. Share some kindness today. And

I hope to see you at a meeting sometime. **our dues

buy us food at the meetings ya know-just sayin’.

by Editor Kelsey Helf

Check out our website to get the scoop

about the Children’s Christmas Party. Yep,

we are planning it already. Can always use

some helpers………….

September Special Days-

19-International Talk Like a Pirate Day

21-International Peace Day

22– Autumn Equinox

28-Ask a Stupid Question Day

October Special Days-

2-National Custodial Worker Day

8-American Touch Tag Day

28-Make a Difference Day

31-Halloween

5

Did you Know? By Diane Vaile

The Bay Breeze Volume 60/Issue 5

Did you know that we received an

award recently for Overall Perfor-

mance?

Did you know that as an apprecia-

tion for our hard work and dedica-

tion we are being congratulated

with a meal in the breakroom?

Did you know that 41 employ-

ees received letters that their

jobs were being abolished

and that they have to bid

different jobs?

Did you know that some of

the most senior employees

are affected by manage-

ment’s decision to abolish

these jobs?

Did you know that some of

these same senior employ-

ees, with more than 25 years

of service, are losing their

weekends off?

Did you know that some of the

employees who were forced to bid

different jobs were told they were

only allowed 15 minutes on the

clock to bid those 41 jobs?

Did you know that after these

same employees expressed con-

cerns that 15 minutes would not

be enough time to bid, the em-

ployees were sternly told that 15

minutes is all that management

would allow?

Did you know that initially the em-

ployees were given a pure, un-

marked printout of the jobs that

were input onto the USPS Liteblue

job bidding site?

Did you know that just days before

the bid closing date, management

marked “cancelled” with a pen

across one of those jobs?

Did you know that no meeting was

called to inform the employees

that management had cancelled

that job?

Did you know that some of the

employees already had all of the

bids in place before they heard

from others that one of the jobs

they had bid just happened to be

the job that management had

marked “cancelled”?

Did you know that one of our fel-

low employees received a

letter that his job was being

abolished and then manage-

ment reposted that very same

job?

Did you know that although

this job was important enough

for management to decide it

was a much needed job, it was

much more important for man-

agement to mark “ cancelled”

on it rather than allow that

employee to stay in his job?

Did you know that although

management made a decision

to pen mark “cancelled” on

one of the jobs, it is still in the

USPS Liteblue bidding system and

any employee who bid that job

received an ‘eligible’ mark behind

the bid?

Did you know that we received an

award recently for Overall Perfor-

mance?

6

Ingredients 1 (9 inch) pie crusts, baked

3 cups whole milk

3/4 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks, slight-ly beaten

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla • 3 bananas

Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

Page 6

The Bay Breeze Volume 60/Issue 5

Before Cool Whip and instant pudding, this was how a cream pie was made. If you leave out the bananas, you have vanilla cream pie. If you add 1 cup shred-ded coconut to milk as it's being heated, you have coconut cream pie.

Directions 1. Have baked 9-inch pie shell ready.

2. In a large saucepan, scald the milk.

3. In another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir in the scalded milk.

4. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened.

5. Cover and, stirring occasionally, cook for two minutes longer.

6. In a small bowl, have the 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready; stir a small amount of the hot mix-ture into beaten yolks; when thoroughly combined, stir yolks into hot mixture.

7. Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly.

8. Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla.

9. Let sit until lukewarm.

10. When ready to pour, slice bananas and scatter in pie shell; pour warm mixture over bananas. If desired, make a meringue (you'll have 3 leftover egg whites) to top the pie, or just let the pie cool until serving.

Forever in Our Hearts

Jason, son of Jim Reinhard– May 2017

Kimberly Edwards– July 2017

Happy Retirement!!

Jim Tshantz

Please send your announcement, suggestion, article, etc. to:

GBnewal@gmail.com or newalaybreeze@gmail.com

7

NEWAL Meeting Minutes August 20, 2017 see July minutes on gbnewal.org

Date: Sunday August 20th, 2017

Place: Denny’s

President Kelly Heaney called the meeting to order at

1925 hours.

A quorum was declared with 15 members in attendance.

Kelly Heaney led the Pledge of Alliance and Steve

Paradise led the invocation.

The following officers were present:

President: Kelly Heaney, Vice President: Steve Paradise,

Clerk Craft Director: Dave Kroll, Maintenance Craft

Director: Dave Villwock, Motor Vehicle Craft Director: Tim

Alberts, Recording Secretary: Jenny Starry, Secretary/

Treasurer: Bryce Thomas, and Bay Breeze Editor: Kelsey

Helf.

Minutes of the July 2017 meeting were read by Recording

Secretary Jenny Starry. A motion was made by Dave Kroll

and seconded by Jean Wald to accept the minutes as

read. Motion passed unanimously.

The financial report for July 2017 was read by Bryce

Thomas.

REPORTS

Executive Committee: The e-board discussed:

Excessing at the AO’s, The John Akey Seminar, the job

posting.

A motion was made by Lucy Hauser and seconded by

Dave Villwock to allow Sheila Herrmann, PSE from

Seymour to attend our union meeting although she is

unable to vote but she has a voice and we will send her

the paperwork to join the union. Motion passed

unanimously.

Labor/Management: The labor management meeting

was cancelled because there was an arbitration about

travel pay for maintenance to go to Oshkosh.

Grievance: 4 grievances were filed on the August job

posting. They are at step 2. A grievance was filed

because Steve Paradise’s job was not reverted within the

28 days. So, this job, 1600 start with Sat/Sun off will be

on the next posting. A grievance need to be filed every

time mail handlers do clerk work. Let a steward know if

you see this.

Automation:

Safety/Health:

Legislative: Steve Paradise gave the Legislative report.

He talked about preventing Trump’s harmful budget

proposals that would cost federal and postal employees

and retirees hundreds of thousands of dollars. H.R. 756 is

not completely dead, but it won’t be brought up again

this year. The TSP Modernization Act(S.873/H.R.3031)

would expand and create more flexible withdrawal

options for TSP participants.

OWCP: If you get injured at work, report it within 24

hours.

New Members:

Lost Members:

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

NEW BUSINESS

We need volunteers for an election committee

chairperson and two committee members, one from each

craft.

A motion was made by Kelsey Helf and seconded by

Steve Paradise to have the next meeting on Tuesday,

September 26th at 3pm at Denny’s. Motion passed

unanimously.

OTHER BUSINESS

ADJOURNMENT

A motion was made by Tim Alberts and seconded by Lucy

Hauser to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed

unanimously. NEWAL meeting adjourned.

The $10 door prize was won by Steve Paradise.

Attendees: See attached sign-in sheet.

Minutes submitted by Recording Secretary Jenny Starry.

The Bay Breeze Volume 60/Issue 5