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Maintenance Update... There's Safety & Strength In Numbers By William L. Pick, Local Maintenance Craft Director/National Staffing Advocate Until the Maintenance Craft at the Ft. Lauderdale Processing & Distribution Center was 100% organized, one employee quit the Union because he obviously felt he was not getting an equitable return for the dues he pays. Locally, covering all crafts, we are 96% organized -- the second most organized Local in the country for our size. After doing some checking, I have found that some of the maintenance craft members are upset about different issues: they didn't get what they wanted in the contract, upgrade issues, pay anomalies, grievances that appear to be stuck in the system, to the age old "it's a clerk union" argument, etc. Not once in the last year or probably in their careers, have any of these members attended a local meeting (9 a.m., 3rd Sunday of the month, except July and December) to find out what is going on, and express their concerns/opinions. Instead they talk it up amongst themselves, until they whip themselves into a frenzy, with a little help from management. Let's talk about the contract issue, IT WAS ARBITRATED, NOT NEGOTIATED! You need to read the "Award" and the "Supplemental Opinion Dealing with Economic Issues" in the back of the new contract mailed to each APWU member, to really see what management was attempting to do to us. Management stated that APWU represented employees receive a "wage premium", meaning they think employees are overpaid. But let's see what else management requested, but was denied by the arbitration panel: 1. 4 year contract 2. $500 lump sum bonus each year 3. No COLA for 4 years 4. Freeze TE salary at the 1999 pay level 5. Reduce USPS portion of Health Benefits 1% per year 6. $1 an hour cut in night differential 7. Sunday premium for Sunday hours worked 8. Future compensation tied to Pay for Performance (more on this later) 9. Reduce annual leave and sick leave for new hires The upgrade issue is a sore spot with some maintenance members, but the Union could not get all occupational groups upgraded at once. You want to talk about hard work, look at the window clerks, they didn't get upgraded, and they have to deal with irate and obnoxious customers in a pleasant and courteous manner, and still remember to ask those idiotic questions that further irritate the customers, that management insists be asked. It is true the majority of members in the American Postal Workers Union are clerks, and the majority of stewards are of the clerk craft, but there has never been any prohibition against any of the other crafts members becoming stewards. Members are welcome to come to the stewards meetings (7 p.m. 3rd Wednesday of the month excluding July and December) to learn about the contract and their rights. There are approximately 1400 members in the Broward County Area Local and there are 25 stewards. Some quick math shows the stewards represent on an average of 56 members and some represent over 100 people. How many employees does the typical line supervisor handle? 10, maybe 20? These stewards stand up for all members regardless of craft, and are dedicated to policing the contract and keeping management as honest as they can, but some members believe management and will not bring issues to the Union's attention. The USPS would be a horrible place to work without the APWU. Management feeds craft employees the "Voice of the Employee", but only heeds the sweet siren's song of the "Voice of the Bonus", formerly known as "Economic Value Added Financial Management" (simply known as EVA bonus), now known as I am not making this up, and management can actually say this with a straight face(!), "Pay For Performance" (PFP). You know all the dirty tricks management used to increase their EVA bonuses, just think what some of these treacherous hacks will do at the detriment of the craft employees to rate higher PFPs. For those people that think there is no need for the Union, here are some of the exciting management offers to look forward to during future contract negotiations, with no Union representation:
Becoming more involved in your Union and sign up non-members. Because there is strength and safety in numbers! |
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