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The Springfield Rifle Volume XLVI, Issue 5 Sept/Oct 2016
The Springfield Rifle 1
The APWU is urging union members to join a boycott
of Mexican-made Nabisco products launched by the
Bakery, Confectioners, Tobacco Workers and Grain
Millers International Union (BCTGM) and endorsed
by the AFL-CIO.
Affected products include Oreos, Newtons, Chips
Ahoy, Honey Grahams, Animal Crackers, Ritz
Crackers, Premium, Belvita, Lorna Doone, Teddy
Grahams, Honey Maid and Wheat Thins.
BCTGM, which represents nearly 4,000 workers who
make Nabisco snack products, launched the “Check the
Label” campaign to stop Nabisco, which is owned by
Mondelez International, from outsourcing jobs. The
union is urging consumers to boycott Mexican-made
Nabisco products and instead buy snacks that are union-
made in America.
There are two ways to find out of a Nabisco product
was made in Mexico:
Check for the words “Made in Mexico” on the
packaging.
Check the plant identification code. Don’t buy
products labeled “MM” (Monterey, Mexico) or “MS”
(Salinas, Mexico). Buy AE (Chicago), AH (Portland,
OR), AP (Fairlawn, NJ), AX (Atlanta), AZ (Richmond,
VA) or XL (Naperville, IL).
-- Condensed from APWU Web News
Chris Morrison President
Dean Smith Vice President
Stu Kibbe Recording Secretary
Tara Lanzo Treasurer
David Lanzo [email protected]
Russ Evans Clerk Craft Director
Dave Sarnacki Maintenance Craft Director
Charles Morin Motor Vehicle Service Craft
Dir.
Todd Griffen Webmaster
Deb Koscielski Research & Education
Pete Mooradd Executive Board at Large
John Dodge Executive Board at Large
Tony Leroux Trustee
Hector Torres Trustee
Judy Quintin Trustee
Dennis Reyes Sergeant at Arms
Jeff Laing Sergeant at Arms
Rich Peabody Safety & Health Rep
Robert Hyde Legislative Director
Don Brin ABA Representative
Todd Griffen Web Master
Volume XLVI Issue 5 APWUSAL.ORG Sept/Oct 2016
The Springfield Rifle 2
Brothers and Sisters of Springfield Mass
Area Local 497
Hope everyone had a great summer. As you know
we have a new contract. Some of the highlights of
the new agreement include a new pay rate. The
new pay rate began on 8/6/16. There is retroactive
pay involved from 11/14/15 through 8/4/16.
Retroactive pay is expected to be included in the PP
22 – 2016 which will be included in our pay checks
on Nov 4, 2016.
CAREER EMPLOYEES 1.2% EFFECTIVE 11/14/2015
1.3% EFFECTIVE 11/26/2016
1.3% EFFECTIVE 11/27/2017
COLA updated with July 2014 as index base.
FEHB (health care contributions)
2017 – 75% of weighted average bi weekly
premium not to exceed 78.25% for any individual
plan
2018 – 74% of weighted average bi weekly
premium not to exceed 77.25% for any individual
plan
2019 – 73% of weighted average bi weekly
premium not to exceed 76% for any individual plan
PSE
Wage increases of 2.2% effective 11/14/15,
2.3% effective 11/26/16… 2.3% effective 11/27/17
Additional wage increase to
$.09 / hour effective 11/14/2015
$.20 / hour effective 5/17/17 $.21 / hour effective 5/26/18
HOLIDAYS
Six paid holidays (New Year’s Day: Memorial Day;
Independence Day; Labor Day: Thanksgiving; Christmas)
PSE holiday pay:
200-man year office – 8 hours
Post Plan Office – 4 hours
All other offices – 6 hours
PSE’s who work the holiday may elect Annual
Leave credit in lieu of holiday leave pay.
As of Labor Day the new language was
instituted. This includes the Modified work week
clerks on Tour Three (the old NTFT clerks).
There will be pay anomalies until all the bugs are
worked out. Please be patient, and contact your steward if your pay is incorrect.
This contract went to binding arbitration at
the national level. Management at the national
level wanted to do away with COLA’s, wage
increases and much more. Our national officers
fought a good fight to protect your rights. That’s
what your union does for you. We continue to
convert our PSE’s into regular positions as they
become available. We were also able to convert a
PTF into regular position at the Athol Post Office.
Keep in mind that our local has many Associate
offices that we represent. If you need to contact
us with questions or concerns, we will be happy to
assist you.
Since our last Newspaper our steward in Athol,
John Dodge has retired after many years of
dedicated service with our local. I think I can speak
for all that know him and say congratulations and
thank you for everything you did and continue to
do.
I still continue to come in on tour three and
tour one too see how things are going and to
check in with your stewards. When you see me
and have any issues or concerns you would like to
have addressed please stop me let me know.
Thanks
Russ Evans (Clerk craft director)
Volume XLVI Issue 5 APWUSAL.ORG Sept/Oct 2016
The Springfield Rifle 3
Dear Brothers and Sisters
I just want to take a moment and hopefully clear
up some misinformation and misconceptions on the
Peer Review program. I am hoping this article will
help you all become familiar with the facts about
this program. The idea was presented by union
members, and officers, with your best interest in
mind. So many times in the past we sit back and
react after management has disciplined us, or
violated our contractual rights. Management is
about to resume their own Driver Observation
program.
When they do, wouldn’t you rather be armed
with the proper tools to withstand their scrutiny, or
be aware of the rules, and policies that management
are going to be evaluating you on? So as part of our
ongoing initiative of always looking for better and
more proactive ways’ to fight for you and protect
your rights, we decided in collaboration with our
Safety and Health Officer Rich Peabody, and our
Tour 1 Safety Captain, and alternate steward Dave
Sims, that a few seconds of someone passing on
some useful information could save you from a
week or more of waiting to be "retrained" because
your driving privileges were revoked due to an
accident, or negative supervisor observations.
What some of you might not know is that
management, especially specific supervisors in our
department have recently used “employee review
and observation”, as an excuse to harass and
discipline multiple employees. This has led to
discipline all the way up to a current removal we
are currently fighting. You all know more than just
the basic rules of driving. We are all professional
drivers. Yet despite all that we know we are not
perfect. As evident in some of the recent accidents
in the past 2 years were; stationary objects such as
light poles, curbs, signs, and parked vehicles.
Here are some of the highlights of the program-
The results of a Peer review ARE NOT
shared with management for any reason.
The reviews are only to be done by a
qualified TTO
The point of a review is to identify a habit
that could lead to an accident, or will
certainly be penalized on a driver
observation done by management
Once your review is done, nobody from
the peer review team is going to be
looming over you remember the observer
is one of us
Although the program has been signed
off by MVS management it is not there
Program
The agreement was necessary in order to
allow us the time to carry out the
program, as well as giving us the ability
to ensure you that no discipline would
come from this Peer Observation
program
It is not the "Management sponsored
RAT program” if it was we would not be
involved!!!!
I understand that none of us like criticism. I also
understand that most of us are stuck in our ways.
All we are asking for is for you to have an open
mind and give it chance. Treat each other with the
same respect you all deserve, they are there to help.
I always say we are the best drivers, and when
challenged we will always prove it. We need to
adapt and evolve so that we can survive, and this is
no different. Thank you for your time and
understanding and allowing me to fight for you.
In Solidarity,
Hector Torres
Volume XLVI Issue 5 APWUSAL.ORG Sept/Oct 2016
The Springfield Rifle 4
Maintenance Craft Report September 19, 2016
Sisters and Brothers, Arbitrator Jaffe issued a supplemental decision regarding the staffing of BMC’s. He ordered the Service to prepare and provide to the Union a new staffing package no later than August 4th, 2016. The Union was provided a copy of this package late in the evening of the 4th. Springfield fared the best in the country with the addition of 29 maintenance positions. The package still fell short as the Service improperly calculated the operational maintenance hours as found in MMO-022-04 (BMC Gold) staffing guidelines. Had the Service used the proper calculations per BMC Gold, it would have resulted in an additional 7 positions. A grievance has been filed on this issue and a copy forwarded to our National APWU leadership. The Service failed to include the type 1 high bay cleaning as found in BMC Gold. These discrepancies as well as changes made by the Postal Service to several staffing forms may require going back before Arbitrator Jaffe. I had the privilege and honor to be asked by our national assistant director (A) Idowu Balogun to speak on these discrepancies at the BMC convention which took place
prior to the start of our national convention. The Arbitrator further ordered the Service to implement the new staffing package no later than October 1, 2016. Local grievances were settled which resulted in the posting and requirement to fill an additional 5 MPE positions, up to and including hiring. The new staffing package also resulted in the posting and filling of an additional 36 MM-7 positions. The Service opened in-service testing for employees to be placed on the in-service register to fill these positions as outlined in the pecking order found in the JCIM. These positions are filled from the in-service register by offering the positions to maintenance first, followed by other APWU represented crafts and finally other postal employees (carriers, mail handlers, etc.) During the national convention I attended training on our new contract. The new contract contains positive changes for the maintenance craft. Higher level employees such as an ET are now deemed qualified for lower level positions regardless of whether or not that employee has an in-craft rating for that position. Prior to this language if an ET
were to be identified for excessing and a lower level vacancy existed in the installation he/she would not be considered qualified unless they possessed an in-craft rating. Further if a lower level vacancy exists the employee is not excessed down with saved grade, rather those duties and responsibilities of the vacancy will be incorporated into the employee’s current position. The Contract does contain new language concerning the posting and filling of vacant ET-11 positions. Previously if an ET-11 retired the position would be filled by utilizing the PER. A vacant ET-11 position is now filled by a national PAR (dream sheet) amongst ET-11s nationwide, then the PER from the installation where the vacancy exists is utilized. Arbitration dates have been solicited for October-December. The grievances concerning the Main Street Station (MSS) custodians and BEMs will be scheduled for arbitration. I am also in the process of getting the cases held in abeyance to the Jaffe BMC staffing award, taken out of abeyance and scheduled. In Solidarity,
Dave Sarnacki Maintenance Craft Director
Volume XLVI Issue 5 APWUSAL.ORG Sept/Oct 2016
The Springfield Rifle 5
The Downward Spiral
Approximately twenty years ago I changed
my bid sheet in efforts to leave the Bulk Mail
Center. Consistently ignoring the constant
reminders of “safety in numbers” from my senior
custodians and the “I can’t believe you’re leaving
me” from my partner in crime Mr. Briggs. Because
of this fear of the unknown as a junior employee I
was able to secure a bid on Tour 2 with
Saturday/Friday off at Main Street Station.
The first day I arrived I was met by a big burly man
who met me at the door. He introduced himself as
Corny and then referred to me as “rookie”, a name
that I am still called by many. He gave me a tour
of the building and introduced me to all. He knew
and greeted everyone as if he where the mayor. I
immediately felt like part of the building and soon
decided that I would never voluntarily return to the
plant. I was taught early on that the most important
thing at Main Street was a clean building.
While a clean building is all of management’s goal,
so they say, this was truly different. The
postmaster, station manager, and POOM all had the
same vision. If a trash can was missed one day or
a window not washed it was a HUGE deal. The
managers took pride in their building and we all
knew the consequences. POOM Teddy Goonan
drove around the block every single day and would
be irate if he saw one piece of trash outside. We all
bickered about these individuals because of how
strictly enforced our tasks where but at least we
knew our importance. During this current asbestos
abatement, they would have been fighting with us
to ensure more custodians remained.
Oh how the times have changed. Our station is now
only a stepping stone for postmasters and
managers. They take no pride or effort in our
building because soon they will be moving on. A
few years back I vowed not to introduce myself to
the new postmasters anymore because it just didn’t
matter. They would be gone before they learned
my name. We were no longer assets in their eyes,
only nuisances. To prove this theory please take a
ride by our building and witness for yourselves, if
you dare I also challenge you to enter the customer
lobby and take a peek at the disgusting conditions.
To think that this is still considered a Premier Post
Office held to the highest standards. It actually
saddens me.
Sincerely,
Jeff Laing
Volume XLVI Issue 5 APWUSAL.ORG Sept/Oct 2016
The Springfield Rifle 6
Dear Brothers and Sisters
I recently was afforded the opportunity to take a Union
Administration course with Joyce Robinson, Director of
Research and Education in Baltimore. The course was five
days long with a multitude of speakers on many subjects.
Our days started early and ended late and they were jam
packed with lots of information. We were tasked to
complete two group projects each day and one large week
long project due on the last day.
Some of our subjects were Duties of Election Committees;
Filing and Defending a Charge with the National Labor
Relations Board; Getting out the Union’s Message;
Monitoring Dues Check Off (DCO); Understanding
Diversity; Labor History; Parliamentarian Knowledge and
Using Social Media in our Locals. We touched upon Postal
Banking, Safety and Health, Town Hall Meetings, Postal
Legislation, Postal Privatization and Postal Consolidation.
Since the class was held in Baltimore at the Maritime
Institute (which was, by the way a very cool place to walk
around with its very own maritime museum) we were privy
to many of our Officers in Washington.
President Mark Dimondstein came to visit us and praised us
for stepping up and stepping in to fight for the rights of all
of our members. He told us to continue the good fight and to
always thank our Brothers and Sisters for doing the same.
So I say “Thank you.” Thank you for standing up and not
just standing by.
Vice President Debby Szeredy came to speak to us about
the Parliamentarian aspect of our Union. She was insightful
and very well versed in our daily operational duties. She
stayed the week with us and was available to all of us for the
many questions that arose. I was able to get one on one time
with her and had some questions answered. A diversity
workshop, taught by Fred Mason, President of Maryland
AFL-CIO was also included in the schedule. A team of
attorneys came and spoke on the very dry subject of filing
labor charges. The information was purposeful and exact.
A local professor in Labor History had us take our country
decade by decade, and see the ‘Labor Fight’ in detail
throughout the last 100 years. Broken into groups we were
given decades to research. Fortunately for me, my group
was given the 80’s–90’s. These were the years that I was
beginning to understand the struggle as my father was a
Union man, and taught us children to always work hard but
more importantly, work smart. I was pleasantly surprised
how much I enjoyed this particular session.
Josh Goldman from National’s Communications
Department spoke to us about getting the word out to our
members, and to the public via social media, television and
radio. We role played television and radio interviews, we
heard reasons why Facebook is becoming a fast and furious
route to reach out to our members and even learned the fine
art of Tweeting -#Getinthenowforthefuturessake
#StopPostalPrivatizationNOW
We ended our week with the unveiling of our week long
assignments. Each group made a presentation on a
particular subject assigned at the beginning of the week. We
had late nights, even a shopping trip for supplies and lots of
laughter preparing. My group in particular was assigned the
topic “Stop Postal Privatization.” We created posters, flyers
and picketing signs. We created a hashtag and hosted a
town meeting. We spoke passionately about how Postal
Privatization will affect negatively on our lives as well as
our neighbors and our country as a whole.
Again, I am so very thankful that I had the opportunity to
join this wonderful group of union leaders. I was amazed at
the friendships I made while in Baltimore. I look forward to
taking this knowledge with me into the future to continue
making Local 497 a success for our members. As a final
word and dedication to my team in Baltimore I ask: Will
you stand with me? Will you stand with me? Stand up for
us! Stand up for you!
In solidarity,
Tara Lanzo
The graduating class of the 2016 Union Administration Course
Volume XLVI Issue 5 APWUSAL.ORG Sept/Oct 2016
The Springfield Rifle 8
From the Desk of the Editor
August was a busy month with local officers
attending the Pre-workshops’ on the 19th -21st in
preparation for the National Convention on August 22nd.
I attended several pre-conferences workshops on that
Friday. One such workshop was “Libel & Copyright
laws” with the focus of getting permission to reprint
non-union articles, and properly crediting the writer,
and how APWU articles can be reprinted without the
need for permissions. The second part of that course
focused on “Legal issues, and Communications”, with
Internal Local Elections. One such legal issue unware to
me before hand, was that submissions to the local paper
cannot be accepted by any non-regular contributors 6
months prior to local elections. The other workshop
later in the day was called “Reaching the Membership”
where we discussed “The Power of Words” for better
writing, editorial outlines, advertising policies for union
publications, and reaching the membership
“Communications at the local level” a lot to take in, and
I’m sure my High School English teacher would be
rolling in her grave if she knew I was attempting to do
any of this LOL.
At the four-day “Fight for Justice” conference
August 22nd Thru the 25th we had several guest
speakers all of them talked about the importance of
Union's and their roles at the national and local levels.
One such speaker who has made recent headlines
nationally, Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha who is at the center
of the Flint Michigan Lead Water Crisis. She talked
about the effects of lead in water and the need to fix the
public water infrastructure in Flint. Dr. Hanna-Attisha
related to the importance of how this should be done
with union labors, getting paid a living wage. She shared
her personal background growing up in a union family
and the opportunities she’s been afforded because of her
father working a union job. The American Postal
Workers Union, and the convention attendees’ raised
$50,000 for Dr. Hanna-Attisha Charity “Flint Child
Heath & Development Fund” you can and should check
out her speech at the APWU National Convention on
YouTube # DR MONA HANNA ATTISH 8 23 2016 #,
watch closely at the end and you’ll see the MVS Craft
Director Charlie Morin as the camera scans the room.
Mehrsa Baradaran came to us and talk to us
about Postal Banking and how the effects would greatly
improve the lives of the low-income workers of
America who have to pay in order to cash their
paychecks. Her theme, and opening remarks are “Its
expensive to be poor in this country”, those of us that
started later in life at a good job understand this all too
well. A postal banking system could alleviate their
burden, and expand the role of the Post Office for all
low income earners across America. Her APWU video
can be seen on YouTube # MEHRSA BARADARAN 8
23 2016 #.
Dave Ward, General Secretary of the
Communication Workers Union came to speak us from
the UK, and was probably the most relevant speaker at
the convention, on the privatizing issues facing the Post
Office. See Mr. Ward is very familiar with our struggle
to keep the post office out of the hands of privateers’, as
this is what happened to the UK postal system. He
describes the challenges and struggles that they faced,
and relayed it to the challenges and struggles we here
face with the United States Postal Service. He talks
about the political challenges, as well as the unions
struggle to keep the mail from being outsourced to
facilities like staples, were minimum wage workers,
most of whom show little or no loyalty to their job
(definition of JOB= just over broke) none of whom
swore an oath to up-hold the sanctity of the mail, and
service we provide, and why union participation is vital
to you and our families living wage. I strongly urge you
to check-out his video from the conference on YouTube
# DAVID WARD 8 22 2016 #. There are many more
great speakers and videos however these were just few
I felt I had to get you to see. Check them out as well at
our national site APWU.org
Last but certainly not least, as this paper arrives
to you it will be time to vote, please vote!! Even if you
feel both candidates are irrelevant, or you think your
vote doesn’t matter, somebody’s child died to ensure
you have that right, pay them that respect, voting your
conscience that is the greatest respect you can give a
veteran. We owe the fallen and those who served that!
Again Please VOTE.
Fight for Justice, everyday
Dave Lanzo
Volume XLVI Issue 5 APWUSAL.ORG Sept/Oct 2016
The Springfield Rifle 9
CLERK CRAFT
Chris Morrison Steward T2 S/S Athol, Barre, Brimfield, Chester, Chicopee,
East Longmeadow, Hampden, Warren, Agawam, Ludlow, Monson,
Palmer, Orange, [email protected]
Russ Evans Steward T2 S/S AO’s, Agawam, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Orange
John Dodge Steward T2 S/S Athol [email protected]
Deb Koscielski Steward T1 S/M PSM, FSM, Manual Flats, Pouches
Jim Long Alternate T1 T/F AFSM
Emma Lucas Alternate T1 S/M Expeditors, all other areas
Lee Crenshaw Alternate T1 S/T
Anthony Leroux Steward T2 M/T FSS, Flat Sorter, all other areas
Tim Kuzdal Steward T2 S/S PSM, Expeditors
Tara Lanzo Alternate T2 T/W
Mark Kenyon Alternate T2 S/S
Shawn D Kirkland Alternate T2
Joe Pluta Steward T2 W/T
Nancy Kenyon Steward T3 W/T/F PSM, Inquiry, IPP, Office Clerks
Don Brin Steward T3 F/S/S
Deb Robert Alternate T3 M/T/W
Tammy DeMars Alternate T3 S/M/T Expeditors, FSS, Walmart/Exceptions
Cathy Ulloa Alternate T3 S/S
Etta Hapgood Steward T2 MSS, All Sections
Anne Provost Steward Wilbraham
Evelyn Scyocurka Alternate T-2 S/S Chicopee
Anthony Leroux Alternate T2 M/T Agawam, Ludlow, Monson, Palmer, Orange
MAINTENANCE CRAFT Dave Sarnacki Steward T2 W/T NDC / P&DC & AO's [email protected]
Andy Mayo Steward T-2 S/S AGAWAM
Shaun Heady Alternate T1 S/S NDC / P&DC
Doyle Maloni Alternate T1&2 T/W NDC/ P&DC
Gina Jones Alternate T2 S/F NDC / P&DC
Dean Smith Steward T3 T/W NDC/ P&DC
Stu Kibbe Steward T3 F/S NDC / P&DC
Enid Rivera Alternate T3 S/F NDC/ P&DC
Steve Trembley Alternate T3 S/S NDC / P&DC
Jeffrey Laing Steward All S/S MSS
James Waltein Alternate All S/S MSS
MVS CRAFT Charlie Morin Steward T2 S/S MVS all areas [email protected] Ed Rowell Steward T1 M/T MVS
David Sims Alternate T1 S/S MVS
Dennis Reyes Alternate T1 S/S MVS
Tom Brown Alternate T1 S/M MVS
George Scott Steward T2 S/S VMF, Alternate TTO
George Scott Alternate T3 S/S MVS
Hector Torres Alternate T2 S/M MVS
Volume XLVI Issue 5 APWUSAL.ORG Sept/Oct 2016
The Springfield Rifle 10
NEXT MEETING: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17th AT 6:30PM
APWU Springfield MA Area Local 497 1124 Berkshire Ave. Springfield MA 01151-1368
NON - PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE
P A I D Springfield MA
01151 Permit No 215
If you are about to move, clip out your address and return it to us with the correction - - - - save your local money
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