Memphis: My thoughts are that things aren't over yet. I am sure that DC has already decided a course of action and no power in heaven or hell will disuade them from their path. I guess the high up muckity mucks don't follow history too well. What will happen when the economy turns around and the PO realizes they no longer have a workforce to rely upon? And mail will pick up again. When this happens management will somehow find a way to blame the rank and file instead of the idjits that have put the service in the trick bag that its in.

Hey Philly!!!!!
Anybody out there to give us an update?
Sniffed a foul wind blowing in from your direction today.
Give us a shout...

Memphis: Are you working priority mail in your building. What is the reason that 100 jobs were
excessed?

Tom, you just described what has already happened in the Memphis BMC. Just over 100 jobs were excessed. Those not receiving a position in the rebid went to the infamous "room upstairs" and were paid to look for jobs in other areas.

Some found jobs elsewhere, about ten were brought back to the floor for a mini-tour from 19:30 to 04:00. I don't know the status of the rest. All of the limited duty jobs were reevaluated. Some came back to regular duty, I think one retired, and the others (less than half) are still doing limited duty.

All of the jobs excessed were clerks or mail handlers. No maintenance changes, so far.

What management giveth they taketh away. I'd say in Aug. there will be a hue and cry the likes the building has never heard. Bids will be excessed from T-2 and the other tours will get these M/H's. Light /limited duty folks will have their jobs reassessed and some will not be here. Oh the way of the evil. Saw Hasty the other day. He's heard rumblings from all the way down south. I will sit and watch what is about to go down but will not say "TOLD YA SO".

   Hey Tom, Something Wicked This Way Comes. I'm going to say August. What sayeth thee ?

why r everyone talking about detroit and the detroit b.m.c all this talk are rumors and i have work at this building for 25 years plus. in that time i have heard rumors and not one rumor came true. relax people ,sometime talk r just what it is talk. which is started from people who heard it from other people who r talking. until management talk to us,which is highly unlike,we should just relax and be quiet just like they are.for if management dont know,we definetly dont know. and for the record ,they will lose there job way before mailhandlers and clerks.relax my co-workers ,please relax-at least until the next contract talk,then talk crazy.

Where is my branch president, better yet where is my grievance ? Probably should just forget about my discipline, it is probably past the time limits just like the stewards was. Thanks alot Mike, all of us appreciate you so very much.

hey detroit......I have 17 years in. There a a lot of people below me but I have a lot of veterans below me too. That might make a difference. I have no problem if I have to carry. Management doesn't tell us shit. We have to figure everything out for ourselves. I have heard some supervisors say they thought the place was going to close. We are a 7 day operation so going to a 5 day delivery shouldn't make a difference. Thnaks for the well wishes. I think we all need it.

det bmc how much time do you have left? It must be hard to live like that day to day. As a carrier in a small office I'm pretty isolated from what you guys are going thru but I'm trying to understand. I've got 21 yrs and think I'm pretty safe but who really knows? Things can turn in a heartbeat. The clerks here are nervous. So is management. Then there are the people who have their heads in the sand and don't know or believe anything is going on; they deny volume is down! Think that they've got the world by the azz.

Sure hope things work out for you and you can stay close. Will you have to be a carrier? It's not bad in some stations (so far) but hell in others.

Does management communicate with you guys or is everything you learn through rumors? If we went 5 days would that save jobs there or is it too late for that, too?

I wish you the very best of luck.

I gotta feeling that I won't be retiring from the bmc. I just hope I don't get excessed too far.

ok, on the same site, I found this:

http://home.flash.net/~comvoice/DWV78.html

I was able to find this about the NRP in Detroit:

http://home.flash.net/~comvoice/DWV76.html

So, I take it there are 2 groups of employees going thru this? The injured and ones that there is no current work for?

det bmc & gravy caboose, thank you for the replies.

I imagine the plan is to bore these people enough that they just quit? 8 hours is a long time..... How many employees are we talking about?

I cannot imagine how stressful it is for these folks.

Supposedly there is some website where Rettenhouse (sp) is talking about it but so far I have been unable to find it. Probably something you need USPS computer access to view. ?

a building (A) is closed and is moved up to a facility (B) that has people on standby. Is there a good probability that the people from A will not be going to building B? How soon do you get notified about where you are going? Also, once notified, can you ask for residual jobs into the place that you are sent to? We have a union meeting in 2 weeks and we want answers or opinions from others before we are told what is to happen at the meeting.

/m1864

If there is no mail and craft is in the swing room on stand-by, thus justifying closures and excessing, just what operation is management in?

The employees sitting in the rooms in Detroit are on stand-by time. The USPS puts them there and pays them to read or watch TV, sleep etc.. because of the lack of work.

They will eventually get excessed. Less than 10 got shipped to Grand Rapids and rumor has it others may be required to go as far as Pitt or Philly.

Many large plants have employees on stand-by time on a daily basis for at least a couple hours. Detroit has 8 hour days on stand-by.

No business can afford to do that.

First, eleminate all stamp machines, then reduce window staff and hours of operation and close some offices altogether. Especially in low to moderate income areas where there is limited access to alternate mailing options. Next, get rid of those pesky blue cans, just in case Great Aunt Fanny finds a PO open who still offers stamps and not just stuffed bears. Once we are able to cry poverty and loss of mail volume we can then rid ourselves of craft by justifing further closures and excessing and effectivly guaranteeing my bonus er PFP.
In-fighting. Hostile work environment. One craft pitted against the other.

The PLAN is working!

management dont want there employees to know what is going on.wow. that"s news to me ,or is it.i guess it them against us,and that is sad if this is true.oh well. back in the day, management and employess work together like in baseball and football and we won against other teams a lot[united parcels,federal express,etc].those days are gone i guess,now they want to be quiet.wow. i guess they have to get rid of those questions we check monthly. i miss the good old days,especially now when we need all are teams to win. divide and fight among each other is what management is doing, i hope this is not there plan, for they will lose all the time. sad,very sad

q

Nuthin is going on in the postal service. They are planning a big surprise party for all employees to thank them for allowing managers to shit in our faces for all these years. Then they are gonna promise that it will never happen again. Don't worry no one is gonna lose their jobs. Everything thing is good! My alarm just went off; guess I gotta wake up now.

As far as I know it has to do with light & limited duty. Well for now anyways. They want them gone! You just might see some miracle cures.

I'm a carrier in a small office in the Detroit District. Today our PM had a standup about the mess the PO is in. At one point she started talking about all the people sitting in one big room in Detroit. Some kind of a pilot program?? When we tried to find out what she was talking about she said "they" (management) has a plan for "these people" but that she was not at liberty to say anymore. We tried to drag it out of her but she wouldn't talk. All she would say is that she saw this for herself and it was sad and scarey and just would not say more.

WHAT is going on? Is this injured people they are talking about? Workers whose jobs have been eliminated? Is this only happening in Detroit?

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? And what's the big secret? What's the "plan" that they have?

Whatever the heck is happening needs to not be kept secret IMO. Word needs to get out!!

det bmc /m1853
They will go to open custodial, clerk and carrier positions in your local area. If and when they don't pass the ONLY training opportunity they will be given, they will IMMEDIATELY BE TERMINATED. OR, they will be allowed to transfer to another mailhandler or clerk position in another facility, whereupon they will be excessed from there as well, with nowhere left to go. All who are at the bottom of the seniority list, beware!!!
And for personnel who can't be regular in attendance (on time every time, and every day) look out! Say you are OUT 5 DAYS with a really bad flu or something, this WILL NOT COUNT AS ONE ABSENCE, but WILL NOW COUNT AS 5! (It's illegal, of course, but they are doing everything they can to try to shove us out the door.)
Why do you think top level management is holding so many CLOSED meetings these days? They are strategizing on how to illegally eliminate mail processing jobs on a nationwide basis. We even had an SDO put out the door (temporarily)on bogus sexual harassment charges. This is a guy who NEVER in a million years would do such a thing, and everyone who works with him knows this.
Cover your butts, people. Give them no open doors through which to push you.

Hey Philly BMC, under the newly re-aligned NDC network it sounds like your place got downgraded to a Tier 3 facility, is that right? We won't get renamed until August at the earliest way out here in the west. We got the word this week that we won't be shipping anything by rail when the contact expires later this year, bye bye JB Hunt. Everything will be going over the road.

Det BMC Don't believe anything you hear and only half of what you see. Rumors fly at the DBMC like flies on rotting food. I will not believe the rumor that we are getting priority mail until I see it is at the docks.

Heard another rumor today. They want to excess half the mailhandlers & clerks out of the bmc. Where is everyone going to go??????

What different is going on at the Cincy BMC that is not going on everywhere else? And what is the avp doing to sell you out?

Cincy BMC, have you guys called anybody about this? Make some calls and continue till you get some results. A group of you guys should call the local and say you wish to get steward training because the stewards suck. With all this crap that is going on, now is not the time to be a stuck duck in a lake that is drying up!!

No mail to speack of at cincy BMC and a Branch President who is selling all of the mailhandlers out every time we trun around.Its a shame that we can't even get our Local to meet with us so they can see what is happening to us. This is sure a waste of our hard earned union dues.

There is the Springfield BMC in Mass.

Could anyone please give me the names and addresses of any PEDC plants and BMC plants in Massachusetes(sic) and New Hampshire. I would greatly appreciate your help. I am trying to transfer due to family reasons.

So IS NJI getting extra work with everything going there or do you still have the same tours and workforce?Is the 3 tier bmc network gonna work?Or is it a joke on the east coast.The midwest is very slow.

Edited by author 06-08-2009 07:01 PM
 the mail is getting directed right to NJI bypass the Phila BMC

PHIL BMC: 40 clerks out of how many? Are stations and other sources of orig mail directing
their mail to NJ for processing via dock transfer or direct shipment?

At the Phila BMC or should I say Phila NDC, effective July 18 the tour hours will be T-2 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM and tour 3 will be 8:15 PM to $:45 AM. Can not wait to start at 11 AM. Since they started this NDC there is very little mail in the building. Alot of the mail gets loaded on truck and is sent to NJI BMC. Word has it we will be getting priority mail, I hope so. They already told us like 40 mailhandlers and 40 clerks are being excessed, have a feeling this is just the beginning.

They moved some clerk and mailhandler hours aroun both tour at dsm.Not everyone but some off tour 3 went from 1900 start to 1800.And tour 2 has moved some 0730 starts to 0900.

its the smell in the air. Management they eat their own.

Something is in the air we all can sense it and its not a good feeling.

Nothing new in over 3 weeks. all must be good at the Bmc's or at the whatever?

Opinions Vary, but truth is truth. Management only cares about saving their own ass and will do anything to look good. Where else can high school drop outs have a job with authority and big money for being stupid.

Again, Just My Opinion

Sad to say...you opinion sucks!

Just to let you know about letters on the AFSM 100 w/o the AI, there was letter sent out when the first 100s were being certified, in 2000, that no letter mail that could run in automation, 1st class or bulk, would be run on the 100s. The reason for this was that managers were running letter mail on the 100s to run their numbers up, especially on weekends, when hundreds of thousands of bulk letters were being run on Tour 3. Any carrier can tell you that Mondays and Tuesdays mail had an excessive amount of bulk machine able letters mixed with the flats, and that many grievances were filed and won.

WSS bundles of flats were run over and over when a lot of 100s were certified, because the ran well and maintained high numbers. But it caused problems with the carriers because when it happens, the flats are dumped in the tubs in reverse order of the delivery sequence.

Mail handlers were told by management to not worry about it, just prep and load the trays. Guess it was because the better the mail, the better the run, the higher the numbers, better for pay for performance figures at the expense of the carrier.

All the 100s were suppose to be re certified after the first year, but for some reason those re certifications have never happened. When they have it was because the thru put consistently dropped below 12,000 pcs per hour.

Nationaly, there is a range between 14,000 to just over 20,000 pcs per hour run on the 100s, if you look at the figures published by the various Areas and Districts.

The quality of the mail can determine the thur put as well as the mail handlers who prep and load the trays. My facility, we average between, 19,000 to 21,000 pcs per hour on Tour 1 until we hit PER flats wrapped in plastic, then it slows to 18,000 to 19,000 pcs per hour because of all the jams the plastic causes. The number of jams increased when the air jets at the feed stations when the AI was installed, another intelligent move by the postal service. We now have an ET assigned to the 100 each tour because of the jams, and bugs in the electronics because of the paper dust on the sensors, sliver of paper and plastic that ends up where it shouldn't.

We are also starting to see more bulk letters from automation on the weekends that could be run in automation in bulky mode, but the lack of clerks, on Tour 3 and 1 on Saturday Night, and on Tour 3 on Sunday, in automation has management shifting that mail to the 100s in order to get it out on time.

As a mail handler, I only hope the carriers file grievances by the thousands and get paid for the way management is screwing them over to get the mail out on time using the 100s in a manner that they have been told not to.

Another thing to remember is that once the FSS go online, it can also DPS letter mail just as well as flats, not as fast as a DBCS, and with less clerks. Something for the clerks to think about and hopefully file grievances against using the FSS and the 100s for running machine able letter mail. When the operation number changes on letter mail, file the damn grievance.

Again, Just My Opinion

Edited by author 05-15-2009 06:54 PM
I don't know how much you pay attention to what you are processing as far as magazine titles or which particular catalogs......

The question I have is about AARP magazine..... Don't know if you are familiar with it. These are mags that usually come bundled to each route with some famous person on it who's turning 50 or 60 or whatever. Well, sometimes we'll get 5 or 6 bundles all at once one a.m. and then for the next several weeks, we'll get a bundle here and a bundle there. Then they'll start showing up in the flat sorted tubs. For weeks! The issue that was the worst was one with Jamie Lee Curtis on the cover! We saw her face nearly every day for a whole month and just when we thought we had all the copies of her delivered, it started all over again, even overlapping the next issue of the mag. Do some mailers not drop off all of their subscription issues all at one time? Do they stagger their drops? Or do they somehow just get mixed up and lost somewhere? What would account for this? It (the AARP) seems like the only thing it happens to.

Not an earthshattering issue, just a curiousity!!

Thanks.

flats, yes I think it does answer it. Especially the part about letting someone down the line deal with it! As usual, if someone in charge REALLY gave a darn and UNDERSTOOD the process for beginning to end, and really wanted to save the postal service some serious $$, they would ask and listen to those of us on the front line. There are so many examples of waste and things being screwed up that (it seems to me) could be fixed if they'd listen! Or at least the screw ups could be minimized! When we get those tubs of something that was carrier routed facing every which way, sometimes bent & crumpled all to heck, it adds a LOT of time to the carriers day. The OT money is nice, don't get me wrong!, but with the dire straits they've gotten us into this is a big cost that they are ignoring!
I thank you for your answer. I will say that it surprises me alot that it didn't have something to do with running up the machine processing count or in some way glorifying what some manager is producing on his shift. We were sure that was the case. I have another question that I just thought of and I'll put that in the next post.

lemieux- sometimes we get wrapped bundles for 5 digit and there are crt mixed in with them. If the mailhandlers don't notice the crt's they get prepped with the 5 didit for sorting on the afsm100. also,some mail gets sent to manual flats and sent out, but when it arrives it all gets sent back to afsm even though some of it is non-mach. we also get "bulky" mail from automation (DBCS letters) most are oversized and will run on afsm, but a lot of standard sized letters get mixed in and go through the flat sorter. I'm not sure if this answers your questions. A lot of things happen because some operations can't be bothered to properly separate different types of mail, they just dump it all together to get rid of it and let someone down the line deal with it.

Edited by author 05-14-2009 10:47 PM
Flats, what I was wondering is why on some days does a whole set of flats that usually come to us presorted ends up in those tubs? I have over 500 deliveries and it's much easier and quicker to case for delivery flats in the plastic wrapped or strapped bundles that are in route order than to pull them out of those tubs. They are no longer in route order and they are sideways and upside down slowing things down for the carrier even more. Especially if it is slippery and thin like political mail. Last fall was a nightmare for us carriers! I guess I was wondering why this is done. We figure it is a management decision and a numbers thing most likely. Wondered if we're right and if we could get it stopped. Also most days there are no letters in there but somedays there are more letters than flats. That makes a real mess. Not complaining to you folks or criticizing because most likely it is a management ordered thing and not based on anything efficient or logical. Thanks

YOU WILL GET THE ANNUAL YOU HAVE EARNED

Sincity Bulk started running Priority on the APPS last night.
You’d think there woulda been a ribbon cutting ceremony or something?
Ivory Tower Fairy Folk joined us for the big, big show.
A wonderful event we can all tell our kiddies about.
Almost every operation in the building shut down sending warm bodies to service the APPS monster.
In the end it was a success.
Everyone went home relieved.
M/Hs slept peacefully ‘cause they were dog-tired.
Life is good again?

They are not closing down any BMC's where did u hear that, infact we are supposed to be getting priorty mail to take the place of the other mail we used to work. Things are slow around the cin bmc, and i wonder when this priorty mail will get here hopefully soon. I see units everyday shut down early because not enough mail to work, how long can this last too many people not enough work. I wonder if this priorty mail is something management is saying to take our minds off what is really coming down? I guess we have to wait and see

If I retire in May will I get paid for the annual balance of 2008 and 2009 or will I only get annual for Jan. thru May?

From:

B ash
M ash
C rush

To:
N othing
D one
C enter

After all the BMC's are closed they will sent you to the closest Post Office within so many miles, any thing over to many miles they will have to pay for you to move and some more things.

what are they going to do with everyone when they close all the bmc's?

lemieux- what's your question about flats, I'll try to answer it.

Sorry about the poor spelling. Never won a spelling bee. Suprised? That combined with poor typing skills can cause "grammer havoc" to say the least. Bi four Now. See.

Iv'e read the exerpts from National Pres. Haggerty in the Mail Handler Update. It was nice to see the argument put forth by the NPMHU. Lets hope some one will listen. If not then that may prove some of our suspicions that there is some folks that really want the P.O. to fail. Too many holes in the cheese make American become Swiss. By the way we all know an election is comung around the bend so do your homework people. Do you want the foundation of lies and suspect or do you want a UNION that abides by the contract it so hypocritically demands management to abide by? Without getting too religous, "you reap what you sow".

Thanks jarhead. I don't understand some of those acronyms (sp) but appreciate the answer. So is dps processed at bmc's or you guys handle the bulk type stuff and send it off to another plant for further processing? I have a question about machine flat sorting and don't know if this is the place to ask it. (The flats that come all helicoptered in those white tubs.) Thanks.

Piston Fanatic I just hope if he is screwing you that either you get tested or making use protection because well I heard things about him

rumor here is that hicks has teamed up with the guy from grand rapids.
Couldn't agree more with piston fanatic

bmc2 is gary hicks. the same gary hicks who told everybody in secondary to stop working because he was fighting with the mdo and then used it to suck up to the mdo by telling her he would be getting us all back to work. or is it the gary hicks who screwed me out of CILO money. or is it the gary hicks who fixed the election. or is it the gary hicks who does not bug anything and the tells the mdo that she needs to have me do the work he was supposed to do. he had to leave early so he could go to her house and cut her grass. there are so many ways gary has screwed me i cant keep the all straight in my head.

recmbted – you voted. That means a lot.
50% turnout on a national election?
From my tally, that’s just about the norm for M/Hs.
If everyone had voted the outcome would most likely have been the same.
Most wanted CHANGE just like you.

Our last election actually had about 68% showing.
It was a heated contest and I SWEAR it weren’t ALL my doin’!
Besides, it’s not my fault I am especially fond of M/H elections.

Although I was not rooting for Al Scott as our BP I cannot say things would be better had another been elected in his stead.
After looking at Detroit postings, things could be a lot worse at the CBMC/NDC if one of the other candidates had won and not filed our grievances in a timely fashion.

unUnion (Onion) officials don’t want M/Hs voting.
Local Prez James Bell and his kronies need never worry about how my votes are cast.
Onion carts might get upset iffin’ too many expressed their opinions on ballot instead of mouthing off after the fact.

bmc 2 - hmmm... the last line sums this up.
My best guess is you did not officially express your opinion on ballot in the last election?

BMC DTW - we can FEEL THE LOVE!

Thanks for the update Gary Hicks.. err bmc 2.. commit mail fraud lately?

again, kister - i spend your dues money on myself and family
       lazy virginia -jenny, its everyone else fault
need to go and quit taking our money

If you happen to be one of the many people who have been identified as a candidate for the NRP I feel for ya. The NRP teams are those white collar workers who have been downsized to other positions and of course are going to do everything possible to justify their new positions.
I doubt any of them have a clue of what their doing other than what the other idiot has told them what is right and what is wrong.
My question is what is the National doing about all this?
Is there anybody out there? Keep hiding in the shadows National. Before you know it you'll be working right beside us. Then maybe you'll understand or should I say give a f^ck.

lemieux at dsm bmc clerks sort parcels for our service area small town mail goes in sacks,larger towns in cages and bigger areas go in otr or out of area parcels go into cardboard boxes and mailhandlers dispatch those.Clerks also sort on a spbs machine.small parcel bundle sort.Mailhandlers have nmo area a high speed tray sorter.Plus the standard inbound and outbound docks.

I've never worked in a BMC I'm just a carrier. So I don't know what goes on in a BMC. Do you sort out the bundled mail to go to different offices? Do you run those flat sorters and DPS? Do you have FSS machines? Parcel sorter machines?

Not being a smart ass this is a serious question.

from /www.nwial.com/FloorSpread-HTML/Floor%20Spread%2005-04-2009%20-%20Update%20by%20Jackie%20Engelhart.htm

Light Duty Discussed

The A/Plant Manager is cracking-down on light duty to the extent that few requests are being honored for 8 hours of work. Most slips show 4 hours work per night in manual letters. Those who cannot work 8 hours in machine bids are not getting 8 hours. If there is no work management can send light duty home but these employees are being automatically restricted to less than 8 hours per their light duty assignments. No one should be sent home if there is work available on any given day, but the fact is mail volume is down and light duty is first to go.

 National Reassessment -NRP

The NRP has been keeping a low profile since December, with a sighting here and there to make a job offer. I asked Manager Gilbert Lopez what's going on with NRP and he said they're working on No Work Available. I asked where is my list and he said there is no list. At this point it is safe to assume that those who have not yet received an NRP job offer may not be getting one. At Palatine I have requested a meeting with Greg Johnson to discuss the Necessary Worksheets submitted by Ron Woodall, Danny Bracket, and Ralph Ramion which contain only enough work for those few who are MMI within one year. Not included as necessary work is letters, flats, and nixie, which have been the main areas of accommodation for Clerks for 30 years. If those areas are eliminated, the necessary work and the injured employees are eliminated, and that seems to be the plan. It's no coincidence that management reduced the number of Clerks to be excessed by 42 (from 132 to 90) and the number of Limited Duty Clerks without bids or bids pending at Palatine is exactly 42.

IODs are:

[ ] Lazy asses
[ ] Faking it
[ ] Definitely faking
[x] All of the above

The BMC has finally taken off the training wheels and joined the rest of the failing Postal Service by implementing a holding room for light duty mail handlers. During a VOE Dumblap made it clear that she believes some of those individuals are faking. YOU THINK! Look I'm all for the PO to take responsibility for their carelessness regarding safety but when you have people on light duty for their whole postal career something seems wrong with that picture. Now go ahead and grit your teeth and tighten your ass muscles people because the best is yet to come. I can see the look on your faces when they hand you your layoff notice in 2011. If you don't believe it ask someone who belongs to a real union. Ever heard of the UAW or The Teamsters? America is in trouble folks. Try looking out your window once in a while.

PaleWriter/ Union Member--- I was one of the 50% mail handlers who actually voted during the last election. 50%! The Local Pres. vote count was a mere 45 in favor of Kister. The choices for BP were between a former BP that was inpartial especially for herself and continues to do so as a steward, the other was a steward who never came to work. She was and is still a PTF, ten years and running. Now were learning that the PTF should have been regulars a long time ago, and then you have the current BP. I guess we figured we needed a change. I voted for him because he seemed to be straight forward enough to deal with the issues. I didnt know he was never a steward before. Thats my fault for not researching. But still considering the choices I felt it was right. I hope we've all learned our lesson.

I suggest that before anyone files a 501 petition with the Labor Board (NLRB) against they Local, BP, Chief Steward, or Steward,they need to file a Statement of Charges first. Any member in good standing is eligible to file a Statement of Charges.

But be sure to include in the Statement of Charges is a formal request for the Executive Council of the Local to come to the facility and conduct interviews along with the investigaton. Reason being, that the Executive Council more times than not, fails to conduct interviews, but simply reviews the charges, and take a vote, which again, more times than not, white washes the Statement of Charges without an investigation.

Then if the Statement of Charges fail, no interviews, or investigation at the facility happens, the by all means file a 501 petition with the NLRB. Make sure to include in the petition that a Statement of Charges was filed and that the Local's Executive Council fail to properly investigate the complaint.

I can promise you that no Local or the National wants the NLRB looking in on how the Union is being run at any level.

I will also remind you, like the other post stated, you got what you voted for. Being a popular individual is not a qualification for being a Union Officer. In my many, too many years, the ones, who are normally the big mouths, not to memtion the laziest, make the worst leaders when push come to shove and usually sale their members short for their own gains.

Again, Just My Opinion

Greetings Detroit Mail Handler Pals -
Normally, I would not even consider jumping into your dirty laundry ‘cause the scent is all too familiar.
Leaves a bad taste in my mouth too, YUK!!!!

I am shocked and chagrined to learn of your discomfiture.
Tell me it ain’t true our unUnion (pronounced ‘onion’) has left you in the lurch!
Let me see iffin’ I gots this all straight after reading scads of posts from Detroit?

Your unUnion Local Prez (duly elected representative of the masses) is incommunicado as your unUnion Branch Prez (another duly elected representative of the masses) twists in the breeze and can’t find his arse with both hands even with the help of ousted Ex-unUnion Branch Prez (duly de-elected representative of the masses) whilst disciplinary grievances go untimely leaving discipline unprotested and in force for two full years as the masses that elected the entire gang are crying ‘whoa is me! Alas, who elected these scoundrels?’

Pretty much sum it up?

First off, let me repeat some wisdom I read on the sheet-house wall…
“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers.”

Secondly, you are definitely NOT alone.
Seems to be pretty much symptomatic nationwide.
Just pop those peepers open for a quick minute and do a reality check.
Yep, it’s the same out there!

Thirdly, I express sincere condolences to all Mail Handler Brothers and Sisters caught as collateral damage in this dysfunctional mess. Those of you who voted for the gang got what you wanted. Congrats!

Fourthly, there may be a remedy.
No guarantees or warranties expressed or implied.
Check out the National Labor Board website
http://www.nlrb.gov
On the left hand menu click on the
“How do I file a charge against an employer or union?” hotspot.

Lastly, best of luck.
Share this info with as many as you can.
Obviously, the more complaints NLRB gets the more serious they will take the matter.

Although ‘stupid people in large numbers’ mill about in the herd, you may still prevail.
You don’t have to take it like a man… squirm a little to increase satisfaction all around.

Please note:
Not once were you advised to contact National Postal Mail Handler Onion officers. Hagerty and crew are too-too busy helping our loving PO launch a new ‘We Can Help The USPS Find More Customers While They Outsource Our Jobs Program’ and politicking away our protections with the HR22 bill –good topic for later discussion.

Memphis BMC has clerks and mailhandlers both sitting upstairs in a room waiting to be excessed(30 mailhandlers - 34 clerks). We had an acting plant manager come in about 3 weeks ago, now he is gone to Ohio, now we have a new acting plant manager coming in today. Mail volume is almost invisible on most days. It is really getting strange around this place.

Edited by author 05-06-2009 07:11 AM
Virginia used to whine that Hicks wouldnt let her do her bp job and that he should mnd his own business but now its all Kisters fault that mike doesnt do his. How does that work. Like the guy said read your constitution and you see that the bp is responsible for the filing of the grievances. If he is not doing his job he should go bt people have to step up and file their charges to make it happen.

Someone is lying to you if you think that mailhandlers are not also being excessed all over this nation and that the only people sitting in a room because they do not have any work for them are clerks and not mailhandlers also. But remain delusional if that makes you feel better. Visit a few other postal worker sites besides this one and open your eyes.

Read your constitution. If these mulyocks are as bad as you say the union constitution tells you how to get rid of them. Just make sure you have your ducks lined up right.

I have read the previous comments about Local 307, Kister and the Detroit BMC. My take on the whole thing (postal wide) is that no one really knows how to make changes, make sure the changes are contractually sound or deal with the changes. We all need to be thankful we have jobs at this point. At least we (mailhandlers) won't have to be sitting in a room while they try to find some work for us. As for Mike, no, he was not the guy for the job. And right now representation from Local 307 at the BMC is terrible. Times are changing and we should all try to remain as positive and thankful as we can!

Kister should just tell the other 1800 mailhandlers in michigan to go to hell, all of the whining little kids at the bmc need me to walk them to school every morning, cook there dinner, and then tuck them in at night with their favorite blankets and teddy bears. If someone would have stepped up and done something about our bp long ago we would not be in this situation. Kister is not the one responsible one here, we are, all we do is bitch and moan, last meeting 20 people showed up, what a waste, no one to blame but ourselves. This stuff about an investigation is all BS,
Charges were filed over a year ago, kister was aquitted by a trial board, what else do you want. Anyone ever question Hicks about his ballot fraud, mail tampering, using union funds for campaigning ? Of course not, ask yourselves why. I have no doubt that the glorious Mr. Hicks is the one posting everything here. Bottom line he should have gone to jail and didn't. Did Kister keep him out of jail ? Seems so.

Mike has a whore? why doesnt she help him with greivances? everyone who is stuck with 2 year life on discipline should file complaints instead of whining. Mike had more training than most and Don is the state president not the bmc president.

During my step one Virginia told the supervisor all the parts of the contract that were violated in my discipline. I was impressed. Later the supervisor said to me she would get even with Virginia. Nothing ever happened. Mike has had a lot of union training so what else is Kister to do. Does Kister have to hold Mikes hand on everything. When a steward got fired for helping mail handlers Mike did nothing to help him, in fact his case was not heard in the time limits. Many peoples cases are not heard within time limits and they are then stuck with discipline for 2 years. I guess Kister should come to the BMC and do everything for mike because he has only had the job 2 years and still does not know what he is doing. Even the stewards say mike sucks and does not return their calls. I think Kister is no good and should just step down and the same goes for mike. I would like to write more but I have to get ready for work. I hate these hours.

look we voted mike in because virginia is lazy mike is new and needed kister's help and kister did not help mike any good prez would of stepped in and made sure that the bmc was running right as for virginia see if she could help you now i doubt it the bmc isn't cutting deals like in the old days that means virginia would actually have to write a good grievance the post office wants to cut people and that means the days of deals are over
again kister is being investigated by dept of labor

bmc 2, who is investigating? I can't say anything bad about Virginia since she help me out big time about 7 years ago. I got discipline for missing work three times in one year. She got it thrown out. Mike does not need help, he needs to get off his ass and do his job. All he cares about is his whore and his friends. I did not vote for him and will vote for anybody who runs against him. Well I am off to work. These hours still suck.

the investigation is still going on with kister and lazy virginia
call his phone - he nevers answers
i agree mike needs help and that is what a good local president would do - help at the bmc - look how local 300 raves about their president who always helps
again leave now kister

Who elected mike? the mail handlers did because fools like Hicks told you he was a good choice. I dont thinkmike is a bad guy but that isnt the job for him. Why everyone whine on here and not file charges? If he so bad shouldnt be hard to find a case thats late or something. stop blaiming others and grow up.

BMCclerk we do process priority mail started around the end of March.

BMC 2, how do you know any of this. Don't get me wrong, I am no fan of kister because he is not making Mike do anything and he does nothing to help the BMC, at least in my opinion. He was cleared of stealing money, so I guess your wrong there. how do you know how many hours he works? what women are you talking about.. It is one thing for us to bitch about him not doing anything for us at the BMC but you are just throwing things out with no proof.

first he stole money from you and me
he never works 8 hours in a day
doesnt know the contract
he's petty- small man complex
tried to have woman have sex with him and promise them trips, etc
uses the union credit card for fancy meals, gambling, porno
he should leave now
will we ever have a good president

All Rumors not a fucking thing has changed at cin bmc

bmc 2 - why is he worthless ?

well kister is no fan of yours ---only cares about himself and his money--hope he leaves now---he is worthless

Will the union be involved in this "webinar"?

WEBINAR ON USPS NETWORK REALIGNMENT

The Association for Postal Commerce (PostCom) will be joining with the DMA, Parcel Shippers Association, National Postal Policy Council, Magazine Publishers of America, Continuity Shippers Association and the DMA Nonprofit Federation in sponsoring a webinar focusing on changes in the Postal Service’s mail acceptance, processing network and distribution network at 2:00 p.m. eastern on Tuesday, May 5th. William Galligan, Senior Vice President for Operations at the U.S. Postal Service will be discussing the Service’s actions to date and changes that will soon be coming off of the drawing board. There will be an opportunity to ask question so that participants may better gauge the potential impact of these changes on their own operations. The webinar is free to members of sponsoring groups: DMA, Association for Postal Commerce, Parcel Shippers Association, National Postal Policy Council, Magazine Publishers of America, Continuity Shippers Association and the DMA Nonprofit Federation. To register, please email government@the-dma.org with a subject line ‘Realignment’

Jarhead; Do you process Priority mail in your secondary unit? If not, are there plans in the future?

Phil: The 70 employees that received excessing letters, clerks or mailhandler?

Dear stupid people who run the Detroit BMC,
If you are so short money and can’t move the mail try getting your friends who are craft employees to do some work. A 204b should work when they are not supervising instead of just screwing off all night. On memorial day, independence day, and labor day shut down. You are going to ask us to go home first thing when we show up anyway. Try to train your supervisors and mdo how to color code and this way I will not be told two different things every night. Also teach your supervisors how the building works and how to do their jobs.

We were told on May 18 that new program NDC will begin by sending almost half of our mail to NJI BMC. Do not know what everyone is going to do, there is no mail now, let alone take half. In July suppose to change mail processing hours to 11 AM to 7:30 PM and 8 PM to 4:30 AM. About 70 employees have rec'd letter for excessing. Let the games begin

Today at DSM BMC they sent all clerks to lunch room after we clocked in at 0730.Supervisor told us to read books,watch tv while we were on non productive time.Later they stuffed us in a small room and started showing us osha films.Yet they ran the singulator all morning sorting what mail we did have.How is the hub bmc thing going on east coast?Any other bmc hours changed yet?

All rumors not a thing has changed at the cin bmc

David Jones is Ziggy Stardust's given name

MEM BMC- Rumor has it = Regina Todd will return. Her name has appeared in &
several EEO's. Some say she's going, some sez can't find place. Strokes left her in 'spot' RW

David Jones? He was with the Monkeys right?

 David Jones a good manager and all you need to is come to work and work. He will look and see who working and who not and the supervisor will have to answer that. When your building were in trouble he would come out and be it back on track. Just do your job and you will not have a problem, he know the job and you can't fool him.

You know, all of these postings about mike, virginia, kister, are pointless.
We voted Mike into office and we are suffering the consequences.
i am no fan of kistner's but i am concerned about who will be our next pres. Not sure any of the rumored candidates can do any better than Kistner. this little agreement that mike signed was done without his knowledge and he had to come in and try to get it tossed. Virginia was definately involved in some way. As far as kistner thinking he was going to be the next area VP, I have been told that he in fact nominated Peppers. So much for that story. i do wish kistner well with his retirement.

Memphis Update: Mail volume down from 70+ trailers a day in 2006 to around 40-44 per day now. All clerks and mail handlers are now on the sat/sun or sun/mon day off schedule. A "mini crew" of about 10 people work 7:30 PM to 4:00AM 7 days a week to clean-up and stage mail.

Our plant manager, Mr. Gourdine, is gone, and was replaced with David Jones. Anyone know anything about him? His first effort was to clean up and organize the nasty, filthy facility. Next, he stopped ALL overtime. (Hard to justify overtme with the staffing to mail volume stats) We're cleaning up ratholes, painting columns and rails, and cleaning out the building of all of the rusting hunks of old, broken equipment that seem to be everywhere.

I don't know what will happen with the 100+ excessed earlier this year. I think some have found jobs in other areas, some were included in the mini crew. Others are sitting upstairs, presumably looking for other jobs, getting paid not to work. There is talk of using a few as needed on the floor, but so far just a rumor.

We're still running the NMO, one sack sorter, both primary sorters (on tour 2). Only one runs most of the time. Both secondary sorters are running, as well as all 3 SPBS, and the singulator. Since there aren't enough people to run them all, they move keyers around to different machines, and only run a few at a time.

I dont think its a case of who works for who here. Virginia being a former Branch Pres. and an Executive Board member should have advised him not to sign it. Or is that too far fetched to comprehend? I believe everybody dropped the ball to some degree but ultimately I have to blame Kister. After all Mike, Virginia,and everybody else in this local are his responsibilty. But you know what people need to realize is that the unions lower end is only as strong as its leaders chose to be. I've got less than 5yrs to go but its the same story over and over again. It's a blame game with the only change being the players. I keep hearing that Kister is retiring after his term is over. I strongly don't believe he could get re-elected if he ran again but with only 50% B.M.C. membership voting its a possibilty. Midnight Rider, your concerns about the future of the B.M.C. are legit. Nothing is going to stop this decline. Hey, I'm not trying to rain on anyones parade but if I have only ten yrs in I'd be worried maybe even 15. Where do you think all these people are going to go when they get excessed from other facilites? Do you think the unions will or can do anything? 36 yrs. and never needed the union. No discipline, no attendance issues. So in actuality whoever gets in office wont see my name come across thier desk until its time for my retirement. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck to the rest of you. And I don't mean that sarcastically.

thanks PaleWriter. I thought initially that our recently departed PM at Pitt BMC went to Cincy Bulk but instead went to Columbus P&DC. Thought maybe I could pass some info to you. I have never heard of your new PM before so I wish you the best !

does anybody know how many ft/hr the function 4 audits give for flats, letters and parcels efficiency??

chelsea -
Admittedly, I am experiencing some attention deficit issues of late.
Old age, related.
Nice of you to notice.
Sadly enuff, that's NOT the case at this time.
I have been paying attention.
Over 30 years worth of attention.
In my unconsidered opinion, PO management suffers from a terminal case of Excessive Compulsive Liar Complex (ECLC, if you please). [Maybe it has something to do with mis-managers having to lie to their stuperiors on a daily basis just to cover-their-butts and incompetence? Perhaps we can cover this more thoroughly at a later date?]
There WILL be 204Bs.
They may be called something else, but… there WILL be 204Bs.
The 204B program has ENDED FOR ALL TIME three times now.
I expect history will repeat itself ad nauseum.
As for RIF... well yeah, we've seen that before too.
Circa 1990s: all stuporvisors were EAS 15 and their 60,000 jobs were abolished.
Magically, the Fairey PMG GodFather waved his wand transforming them into EAS 17 overnight and they all lived ‘happily ever after’.
Sorry, I’ve always been a sucker for those ‘happily ever after’ stories.

Looked good on paper.

With the RIF in effect, you will see No more 204Bs..............or haven't you been paying attention...................

About time they shut down Associated Stuporvisor Program... ASP for short. And just what is an ASP? It's the little snake program where baby snakes train to be big snakes; and, they do eat their own! Guess we'll be seeing more 204Bs now <G>. I did a run down on all the 'SUPV DIS OPS' (EAS 17) at my zip and came up with 34 Stuporvisors. Many of them I have never heard of and a few I haven't seen in years. Check yours out here...
http://php.app.com/usps/search.php

kayfabe - The new BigCheeze in Sinsity is David Caproni, an EAS 25 recently of Cincy P&DC maintenance. Don't know a thing about him. He did visit us on nights last week and walked around some. The last Plant MisManger never left the Ivory Tower and certainly didn't waste time coming to take a gander at us. I couldn't have picked him out of a police line-up.

Union Member - About a month ago one of our Fearless-Leaders read a letter addressed to the Baltimore P&DC employees. The opening paragraph informed Baltimore employees that their facility is closing and that Article 12 is suspended and outlying facilities were instructed to hold any vacancies open for displaced workers. I forget how many craft were affected. It was hundreds.

So if virginia told him to jump off the roof he would do it? Who works for who, mike is the branch president and he should know better than sign anything with management. no love for kister here either, he should be more involved but it looks like he does not care about anything that happens at the bmc.
BMC 44 i wish i only had 2 years left. with 20 years to go i am worried that the bmc will not be here when i retire. looked into becoming a carrier but everybody who has carried mail says it sucks.

not true, mike signed the agreement because virginia szugyi told him too don kister assigned virginia to help mike don was in florida telling everyone he was the next national vp - pretty funny it is jefferson peppers virginia was there with mike on the settlement so why didn't virginia tell him not to sign it
don just wanted to harass mike don wasn't going to the meetings at the bmc then don - as usaul- wants to say see what someone else did - i didn't do it trust me don does not know article 12

Sounds like you and Kayfabe have the same plant manager, PaleWriter?

Who is your plant manager in Cincy PaleWriter??

Has anyone heard anything out of Southern MD that are facts. So goes Southern MD, so goes all of CAPMETRO?

rec - I have been affected by both of the abolishments. The 03 abolishment took me from t-3 to t-1 and now I am back on t-3. The first one was messed up from the start just as this last one is. I heard that in 03 tony wanted to abolish t-1 but Gary cut some sort of deal to protect his, derrick's and Statens bids. Just a rumor but maybe a little truth to it.
I recall that Mike made some sort of agreement last year that the local pres. had to have thrown out. I believe that this was discussed at a Branch Meeting. During this go round I have been told that Mike has basically tried to sabotage the whole process because he is listening to folks who really have no clue as to what is going on. I am sort of slamming mike here but in all honesty I voted for him. I thought that we needed a change from Virginia, hindsight tells me different now and all of us have to live with our decisions. I guess change is inevitable and we all have personal struggles that anger and frustrate us. 2 more years to retirement and I won't have to worry about any of this.

BMC44-- I agree that all the bickering is useless however it appears that you where not affected by the last abolishment and if so it seems you weren't screwed like some of us. I think the real issue that has to be addressed is whether the P.O. will be around in the future and if so what state of being will it be. Trust me I get as frustrated as the next person about trivial things but when I watch the news every night it sure makes you wonder. As for solidarity, it'll never happen. Sad but true. Too many personal issues and seperations. Good luck trying to spread the peace BMC44. All I know is our mail is disappearing. The fact that we are a tier 1 NDC with just over 300 mh and our mail volume is dropping makes me believe that we are not done with change. Remember: "Be innocent as doves but wise as serpents."

Everyone was correctly given retreat rights from the first fiasco of realignment that Hicks and company did. Despite the fact that all but one of the grievances that the members had filed about their rights being violated being withdrawn by a former e-board member, the union was able to salvage the rights of the members. I sure didn't hear any Tour 1 mailhandlers bitching and moaning when they did away with Tour 3, but now that you have to walk in our shoes you have issues. So much for solidarity.
There is way to much drama being thrown about. The majority of people are buting into rumors and innuendo's. get a life folks, your constant bickering and in fighting serves absolutely no purpose. Oh and by the way, the NLRB supported the Unions position on the retreat rights, so now what will you do Mike ? Keep running to the scabs and malcontents. They will surely show you how to bend over and take it like a man.

recmbted, what I think has nothing to do with it. years ago management said they may eliminate tour 3 so I bid to midnights. Everybody who did not bid and had their jobs abolished and then were moved have retreat rights. The union told me not to bid back then but I did not listen so I have no retreat rights. Should they file class action grievance? I don't know but the branch president does not care about tour three mail handlers so nothing will change. I tried to talk to him once about things the mdo does and he never got back to me. Got to go to work now, these hours suck.

KCBMC - We are perfectly confident MHs can move this PRIORITY promptly iffin the Petty Tour Officers will let us. It's just as Midnight says the Plant Mis-Managers "Make threats and blame craft employees while the mdo just keeps screwing things up." Must be a PO wide syndrome.

Midnight - Good luck on that 'carrier' stuff. I've heard the horror stories from MHs who have switched over from carrier to know without a doubt that road is not for me.

kaymaczee - LA is not the first place to get stupid with limited/light duty people. Most times these 'wipe-the-slate-clean' policies LA is experiencing backfire and everyone gets back with pay. Each time though, a few will retire or get the long sought 'miracle cure'. The PO is chock full of walking wounded that would rather hurt than put up with all the BS.

midnight rider/ I dont have any doubt she knows how retreat rights work just ask the small group of people she got them for. My question is this, how could you have a whole tour abolished with over a hundred mh's but have retreat rights for only a small group? Don't you agree it should have been a class action? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Midnight, I did that last week when the SDO yelled when I dispatched a trailer that was 100% before another trailer that was still loading. Tried explaining that it was assigned a later trip and hasn't left the yard yet just the docks. Didn't get it. Held my sur vis scanner out and told her that if she knows my job better that she can do it. Threatening discipline right now for failure to follow instructions even thouge instructions would delay the mail. Go figure. We were told same thing about plant closing but since doing a godd job w/ priority everything ok.

Pale writer, your plant manager is just like all the others. Make threats and blame craft employees while the mdo just keeps screwing things up. If you want to confuse a supervisor just ask them a question about how to do your job, they are totally lost. Washington will decide what plants close and if your union is as bad as ours don't look for any answers or help. I am looking at becoming a carrier so I don't have to worry about having a job in 5 years because I think this place can't survive with how it is run.

recmbted, get real. The DOL is done, Kister had nothing to do with her getting a bid or retreat rights. Why don't you just ask her about how the retreat rights work and have her show you in the contract. Then if you are not happy file charges with the union and the DOL.

Latest Headlines from SinSity Bulk!

Labor/Mgmt meeting last week revealed the BIG PLAN.
Our NEW Plant Manager's opening statement went something like this:
"We WERE going to close the BMC, but NOW we are going to give you one last chance. Get this Priority thing right and we won't close the facility. By the way, we are losing 120 daily inbound trips. Oh and we don't know what will happen to all the Inbound Dock jobs."

Our Union's position: "This is what they SAID they are going to do. They might not. But, they can do it if they want. Get ready for more changes."

Alas, our plight is not a pleasant one.

She got a drivers job after she screwed everybody out of their retreat rights in 2001, 2003. Now she cant even do the job for 8hrs. 4up 4down. Sad,sad,sad. I hear the DOL isnt done yet. Thats ok because I don't think they make you drive for 8hrs in prison either.

What's new at the Cincinnati Bulk Mail Center?

What job did virginia get ?

let him retire kister is a waste look at what he did for virginia and screwed other mail handlers to get her a job that she cant do

At our facility (P&DC) the limited/light duty are working within their restrictions now. Those that were casing letters and working flats only(clerks) all have to work on the DBCS machine now. They were told that even tho they hold a bid job, they have to be able to do everything that the job description requires. I was told that at the BMC either you got on full duty(clerks & MHs) or you would be assigned a job on T3 or T1 with weekdays as your off days. My supervisor said that the PO is trying to get everybody in place before they start this "excessing" as they want to. The big wigs don't want to send folks to facilities where the excessed would only be filling in for the injured. She said it will get ugly.

the labmc has identified 58 limited employees and as a result they were reassed and sent home mailhandlers and clerks the feeling is if you get injured on the job all of a sudden theres no work available even if you hold a bid is this happening elsewhere? our union seems too be helpless in fighting this subtle way of downsizing the workforce upper management should be held accountable for their actions these people were not even given notices within a 60 day period too either update their paperwork or return to full duty wheres hegarty and burris at a critical time such as this remember we are all one injury or accident away from being in the same boat

What's happening in Greensboro at the Bulk? Rumor has it they are transitioning to the new thing for the bulks. We here in MD heard they are taking some of our work. Any truth to this or is management blowing the same smoke thay have been for months?

just found out that our local president plans on retiring. Not sure what course this union will take now. Not sure we can do any better. Alot of people don't care for him but I will say that he has always been straight forward with us. I wish him well, and sure hope that we do not fall back to where we were before he came on board.

Smudge,
 I do think that other states will join in on this. Is it a legal move? I don't know but I was informed that mailers are going to take this ruling to court. Will they win? Another I don't know. And if they do win what will be the prize? If they lose watch how many jump on that band wagon. My thoughts on the matter are ifn ya ain't 6 years in don't buy nuthin on credit.

true

I heard that the hours in the bulk was changed and the PSM2 will be back up and running. Is this bs or true?

 San Francisco resolution. What do you think Tom ???

  I think we have to realize that we have a failed, mismanaged, antiquated business model. It doesn't help that we have a large portion of the craft population whose goal is to do as little as possible each and every day. There has not been any accountability at any level for some time. The measures that are being spoke about here are unfortunatly, too little to late. The San Francisco reulution could be the final nail in the coffin. I remember an article years ago that said we are starting a downward spiral that can not be reversed. With a 1.8 billion dollar loss for thwe first two months we are almost past the P-trap.... JMHO

I have read a lot of comments on this site and "yes" the mail volume has dropped, mgmt has made a lot of dumb decisions, but so have we as employees. As Union members we have not been proactive in securing our own employment. USPS is the cheapest way to communicate thru out the world, yet we are in a dilima. If your co-workers are like some of mines, they take extra long breaks when the mail should be moved, or just slack when the mail should be moved. Everyone can talk but who has really made an consertative efford to max their options to remove bad managers. Employees have more power than they think, but rarely choose to use it. Our Union President is in it for the money just like Potter. Members are scared to even write statements. I've seen only one class action filed by a Union Steward in my 12 years of service. If we want or care about our jobs, we need to be more professional and effective activist then talkers. The law library is free and open to all willing to fight and this internet is open to all that have nothing better to do but cry.

The supervisor thing is all on hold.

Set up to fail is what I say. Just when management was riding us about excessing, the shoe drops on them. It will be very interesting to see what happens in the next few months. Good luck to all.

Beverly, the Detroit bmc just did away with tour one and many people are on jobs they have never done before so no work is getting done. Color coding makes no sense to many of us. My supervisor is never in the unit so nobody can ask her any questions. She does not know the answers anyway. The mdo is totally lost. I can't believe that the bmc will survive another 20 years so I can retire. I am thinking of becoming a carrier just so I have a job.

Has anybody been affected by the change in the BMCs? A buddy of mine from the BMC in MD said that some of their mail is being sent to the Greensboro BMC. Rumor has it that they will get the APPS machine too. The GMF has put all folks from the flat sorter on T1 and T3. Only dock workers stay on T2. A lot of unassigned clerks and a few mailhandlers are sitting in a room for about 2 weeks until they get the bid done. There is a plan to excess a lot of clerks. Also to move the majority of the mailhandlers to the GMF and have a small crew for cross docking in the BMC. What a shakeup. What are some of the things you guys are going thru?

There are quite a few of long tenure EAS and above that have earned BAs and MAs while employeed. Trouble is, most of the degrees that are earned, come from a school that is aligned with the postal service. Therefore, they enroll, the postal service pays for it, and a few years of online classes, and a few seated classes, the degree is awarded. This shit started sometime back when degrees were required for certain EAS levels and above. Not sure but it is my understanding that the degree requirements starts at level 22 or level 23 and above.

So what you have is postal educated idiots running the postal service.

Once again I will say.. A multi billion dollar business being run by nothing more then HIGH SCHOOL GRADS!!

Aren't we lucky!!

Edited by author 03-26-2009 01:27 PM
Midnight, my heart goes out to ya. At Sinsy we have the same amount of deadwood stacked at the top of the pile. Color coding was a nasty mess until we read the papers ourselves and confronted mismanagement leaders. Fortunately, some of our stuporvisors aren't the common boot lick variety and "In-Plant Support" was using their noggins for something besides a butt warmer. Support and MDOs had an epic battle in the Ivory Tower and bigwigs from region were called in to settle the dispute. Now we are allowed to tag 'em correctly without flack from the Petty Tour Officers. We have horror stories galore and many (mgmt & craft) still haven't a clue. Alas, the wheels keep turning and unbeknownst to faithful customers, they still get the blunt end.

We are in agreement about our sorry union reps Curious1. Self serving scum, the lot of 'em. My sincere apologies to dedicated stewards elsewhere. Stuporvisors had big RIF meetings yesterday. They were put on notice that 14 mail processing EAS positions are getting the ax. Several are very retirable and there are plenty of EAS jobs available in the area for the rest to apply for. They just won't be at the CBMC. ?BIG question mark? What does this mean as far as shift allignment when they get the ax? As we all know, stuporvisors aren't going to do more work. For the most part they can't handle their responsibilities now.

curious one sure sound upset? Any one in the craft going to lose there jobs.

Edited by author 03-23-2009 05:19 PM
We here at the Cincinnati Bulk Mail Center is waiting for the end of the week to find out which sorry bastards in Management will lose there job!!!! Cant wait to find out.....all the bullshit they did to us, no better for them!!!!!!! And to our sorry backbiting, backstabbing so called "Union Reps"......Fuck You!!!!!!!!!!

/http://lunewsviews.com/

Edited by author 03-21-2009 05:03 PM
And all this just before Potter & Co. are scheduled to appear before The House Subcommittee on Postal Service Finances, 3/25/09. What A Coincidence!

As usual the Detroit BMC finds new ways to screw up. Management is running this place into the ground. The time change will not help anything because the same stupid people will be running the place. The tour one mdo does nothing but yell at people and most of the time she is wrong. We use at least three different color codes every night because nobody knows what right. We I told my supervisor we were using the wrong color code and was told we were following the order of the mdo. We need a plant manager who does something other than being rude to people and promotes her friends.

Phila BMC: We went to two Mail Processing tours years ago, eliminating T1. Maintenance remained on three tours. What management failed to anticipate was that Mail processing OT on T3 went through the roof. I know forklift drivers who made over $100K last year and the year before. They're still running end of tour OT inducting mail here, which makes it almost impossible to do PM on the equipment. Casual and clerk staffing cuts came later.

It's aout time the trimming was somewhere else besides the craft workers. I guess while management was passing aout the excessing letters they forgot that the excessing would have an impact on them. Less staff=less need for so many supervisors. Same thing for the administrative side too. Next they should go after the excessive "VPs" holding down jobs. Oh to be a fly on the wall when these folks get their packages. Did anybody notice a lot of them are eligible to retire? Go figure.

No comments about the big news story today?

The biggest USPS hatchet man works in Charlotte, his name is Dave Fields and he don't play golf. This is the turkey who came up with the idea of making the Mid Atlantic Area part of Eastern Area then making Eastern Area part of CAPMetro.

This turkey, is the one who is pushing the Super Center theory and ever since he was head knocker in Greensboro before his move to Charlotte.

Last I heard he wanted to have one Super Center in SC, one in NC (and it ain't Chalotte) Greensboro, since FedX will have its new facility fully operational this fall.

Mail in parts of WV, VA, Lower MD, all of NC will be presorted in Greensboro and trucked to "distribution facilities". Charlotte will no longer be anybody's ADC. Not sure which will be the Super Center in SC.

In this so called Super Center, FC Letters will be Carrier Routed then forwarded to "distribution facilities" to be WSS. FC flats will be processed on FSS where available and will be dock transfers to the AOs; or/if, carrier routed only, then forwarded to a distribution facility where the AI-FSM-100 will walk sequence them.

All priority and bulk parcels will be pre sorted and dock transfers at the distribution facility for the AOs.

Dave Fields could very well be the next PMG. If I heard correctly, he did not come from the postal ranks, he is retired out of the military, the USCG as a Captain, with a MA is something. He is not the typical postal management puke. Met him one time several years ago, when he was traveling around in the up state working in what was called "End to End Priority Connect" or something like that. He was the one responsible for having priority mail trucked from the PPMC in Orlando FL into GA, SC and NC because it was cheaper and much faster than trying to fly it.

He's no dummy and owes nothing to the good ole boy postal network. In his short tenure, he has gotten rid of more managers, caused more retirements of managers, or transfers of managers than anyone I have ever heard of. And I will have over 30 years service this year.

He was preaching the Super Center idea, well over 7 years ago, and now it looks like part, if not all of it is in the making.

Just my Opinion

When getting info from stuporvisors remember this simple truth: "Stuporvisors can only repeat the last lie they heard". - You can quote me. Ain't none of us knows nuttin' yet! Rumors abound. Words of wisdom from retired #1 Mail Handler Booker T. Washington at Cinci Bulk, "Most people expect the worst that can happen and have to settle for less." Thanx BT!

Sammy u are just trying to scare us i have not heard anything yet

What happens between 7:30 and 8:00?

PHILA BMC OPERATIONS NEW HOURS WILL BE 11:AM TO 7:30 PM AND 8 PM TO 4:30 AM NOTHING ON MAINTENANCE HOURS YET

Cincity your days at the CBMC are numbered. Once they start getting rid of management you are NEXT! How does Dayton, or Columbus sound to you?
Columbus is going to open the old building for the fss machines and need more mailhandlers there. I hear Columbus is a nice town? At least you got more sport there.

Edited by author 03-16-2009 11:07 AM
Memphis BMC has been working 2 tours for 5 years now. 0700-1550 for Tour 2, 1750-0200 for Tour 3. Maintenance schedules were left unchanged. We have some clerks and mailhandlers in the excessing process right now, but the numbers are being reduced because of a new "mini-crew" that is being implemented. That schedule is 1950-0400, I think. Why they couldn't put a skeleton crew back on Tour I is beyond me...

just learned today that all our casuals last day will be this friday and ptf hours will be reduced also. I work at Cin bulk mail center and on sundays and mondays we just stand around for most of the day, there is like no mail in any unit and they ask us every sunday and monday if we want to leave early. We have 373 mail handlers and 153 clerks and no mail to process.

Dallas BMC been running two tours for almost two months now. No mail processing on tour 1. Maintenance hours unchanged, tour 1 is now a PM tour.

Hey everyone, Phila BMC going to two tours, no hours told just rumors. Can anyone at a BMC with two mail processing tours tell me what they did with maint. Are they also running two tours like mail processing or 3 tours using the off tour for PMs. Thanks

I agree with you Union Member. I work in MD and a friend of mine from So. Md. said their mail has dried up. He said they will be going through some changes the end of March. Supposedly, T2 on both sides (BMC and GMF) will close. His hours were 7:30am to 4:00pm. New hours are noon to 8:30pm. I see Ed on a weekly basis. Handling the Step 3 grievances at my facility. Our steward has been filing on a weekly basis on our PM that refuses to follow the contract. I'm outta here in a few months buth I do appreciate the "GUSTO" of Local 305.

It going to be interesting in watching what happens at Southern MD, Local 305 is one of the most agressive Locals that the NPMHU has. Local Pres Kenny Hayes along with Ed Evans from Southern MD, who is a nut case and totally agressive in dealing with management, along with the rest of Local 305s CAD, should provide some very interesting comments and positive actions againist management.

You folks from 305 should keep the rest of us informed as to what is happening at Southern MD.

 
Detroit APWU Sues Postal Service Over Improper Excessing, Involuntary Reassignment

  

  

On March 6, 2009, the American Postal Workers Union, Detroit District Area Local, AFL-CIO filed a complaint against the U.S. Postal Service in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. After reading the complaint it appears that local management did not get the PMG Potter memo on honoring the contract. --Excerpts from the complaint filed:

STATEMENT OF THE CLAIM

The Postal Service’s November 2008 Actions

Plaintiff APWU-DDAL represents bargaining unit employees, including Clerk Craft employees, employed at numerous postal facilities located in the Detroit area.

By letters dated November 17, 2008, Defendant Postal Service notified approximately 200 Clerk Craft employees represented by the APWU-DDAL that they were being involuntarily re-assigned. These Clerk Craft employees work at about 22 different postal facilities. Affected Clerk Craft employees would be re-assigned to different hours and/or off days and could be transferred to different postal facilities. The Postal Service may even attempt to re-assign some of the affected Clerk Craft employees to different Crafts, including the Letter Carrier Craft.

The APWU-DDAL first received notice of the Postal Service’s actions from Clerk Craft employees who called about the letters they had received. On November 24, 2008, the APWU-DDAL finally received copies of the letters sent by the Postal Service to the affected employees.

There are currently many non-unit Letter Carriers represented by a different union who are performing Clerk Craft work within the APWU-DDAL bargaining unit in a limited or light duty capacity. These limited and light duty Letter Carriers are performing Clerk Craft work at the same postal facilities where the affected Clerk Craft employees work. Defendant Postal Service is seeking to abolish bargaining unit Clerk Craft work and involuntarily re-assign Clerk Craft employees without first returning these limited and light duty Letter Carriers to their own Craft.

Defendant Postal Service’s conduct is a violation of its National Agreement (NA) with the American Postal Workers Union and Local Memorandum (LM) with the APWU-DDAL. Defendant Postal Service has violated the NA prohibition against using light and/or limited duty Letter Carriers to perform Clerk Craft work, especially when Clerk Craft employees are being excessed and involuntarily reassigned. And, the Postal Service failed to give the APWU-DDAL advance notice of its intended action (up to six months notice whenever possible) as required by the NA.

The Postal Service’s December 2008 Actions

On December 12 and 15, 2008, the Postal Service sent letters to about an additional 150 APWU-DDAL-represented Clerk Craft employees announcing that they would be involuntarily re-assigned. All or nearly all of these Clerk Craft employees are employed at the George W. Young postal facility in Detroit.

When the Postal Service sent its letters to Clerk Craft employees, it also sent a letter to the APWU-DDAL notifying the Union of the involuntary re-assignments.

Defendant Postal Service’s conduct is a violation of its NA and LM. Under the NA, the Postal Service was required to give the APWU-DDAL advance notice of its intended action (up to six months notice of possible). And, the Postal Service, although justifying its actions on the basis that the affected Clerks are excess to the needs of their section, has provided no support for this justification and has refused to provide information requested by the APWU-DDAL. In December 2008, the APWU-DDAL filed another class action grievance protesting the actions announced by the Postal Service in its December 12 and 15 letters.

COUNT I - ENFORCEMENT OF ARBITRATION AWARD

Plaintiff incorporates by reference the allegations of the preceding paragraphs by reference.

On February 1, 2008, arbitrator Joseph Cannavo issued an Award in a class action grievance protesting the use of Letter Carriers to perform Clerk Craft work. In granting the class action grievance, Arbitrator Cannavo concluded, among other things, that the Postal Service violated the NA “[i]n 2005 when Clerk Craft employees were excessed [and] Limited Duty Carriers were performing Clerk Craft work and were permitted to continue performing such work after the excessing.” Emphasis added.In addition to a monetary remedy, Arbitrator Cannavo ordered the Postal Service to “cease and desist from using Carrier Craft employees on a daily basis” to perform Clerk Craft work. Emphasis added.

The Postal Service and APWU-DDAL agreed upon the monetary remedy to be paid under the Cannavo Award.

The Postal Service has never sued to vacate the Cannavo Award. The Postal Service’s actions taken in November 2008 are contrary to and in flagrant disregard of the Cannavo Award’s cease and desist remedy.

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff seeks an order which enforces the Award and prevents Defendant Postal Service from excessing and/or involuntarily re-assigning Clerk Craft employees without first returning the limited and light duty Letter Carriers to their own Craft, and grants such other relief, including but not limited to entry of a preliminary and permanent injunction and an award of attorney’s fees and costs, as is deemed appropriate.

COUNT II - INJUNCTION IN AID OF ARBITRATION

Plaintiff incorporates the allegations of the preceding paragraphs by reference.

Plaintiff APWU-DDAL’s December 2008 class action grievances protesting Defendant Postal Service’s planned elimination of Clerk Craft work and involuntary reassignment of Clerk Craft employees are subject to the mandatory grievance and arbitration procedures of the NA and LM.

Plaintiff APWU-DDAL’s December 1, 2008 class action grievance has merit because the NA precludes the use of Letter Carriers to perform Clerk Craft work on a regular basis, particularly at a time when Clerk Craft employees are being excessed and involuntarily re-assigned.

Specifically, under the NA:

Before involuntarily reassigning full-time employees from a section, the following must be completed: …


Return any limited or light duty employees to other Crafts who are temporarily assigned to the affected sections to their respective Crafts. Joint Contract Interpretation Manual, p. 88. Emphasis added.

The APWU-DDAL will prevail on both of its class action grievances because, among other things, the APWU-DDAL was not provided with proper advance notice of the Postal Service’s actions. Under the NA:

When it is proposed to reassign within an installation employees excess to the needs of a section, union notification shall be at the local level (as much as six months in advance when possible) pursuant to Article 12.B.4. Joint Contract Interpretation Manual, p. 88, emphasis added.

Unless an injunction in aid of arbitration is granted, irreparable injury will occur. Even prior to the Postal Service’s actions, unsorted mail sometimes sat for a week or more in overflowing bins on plant floors. In some cases, such mail has been destroyed. The excessing and involuntary re-assignment of hundreds of Clerk Craft employees will exacerbate the problem with mail delays. The delay in delivering time sensitive materials such as legal documents, sales circulars, resumes, bills and medication can cause irreparable injury which cannot later be redressed through a monetary award.Also, absent preliminary injunctive relief, the contractual rights of the APWU-DDAL and its members will be destroyed or seriously impaired while the class action grievances are processed to arbitration. The APWU-DDAL’s role as bargaining agent is undermined by the Postal Service’s large-scale contractual violations less than a year after the Cannavo Award was issued. And, affected Clerk Craft employees will suffer major disruptions in their personal lives (child care, etc.) caused by involuntary reassignments.

Unless an injunction in aid of arbitration is granted, arbitration will be unable to undo these effects.

If an injunction in aid of arbitration is granted, Defendant Postal Service will merely be required to comply with the NA and LM and will not suffer legally cognizable harm. And, because Clerk Craft employees provide mail processing and other important functions needed by members of the public, a preliminary injunction will serve the public interest.

Edited by author 03-12-2009 08:41 PM
Everyone check out the APWU national website has the whole NDC plan on it. There is 20 pages to scan through. APWU.org

Southern MD was just given letters stating that were going to 12-8:30 pm in the next couple of weeks. There is also a rumor of excessing 62 mail processing clerks and 62 mailhandlers. Also they are considering elimanting Tour 2 on the WBMC.

Well we found out yesterday that our current T2 hours of 0800 - 1650 would not be starting any eariler. Seem they are serious about pushing our hours back, how far no one yet knows. Seems our general manager is just a puppet for headquarters. She can't sneeze without getting their ok. She said she submitted two different plans for tour 2 and 3 hours and both were shot down. This tells me that she is just waiting for them to tell her what our hours will be. We have been hearing this for several months now and still we can't get an answer. Everyone is on edge, rumors are all over the place. Just what our (high school graduate) managers like.

LATEST POSTAL NEWS
 
 APWU Detroit Local Sues Postal Service Over Improper Excessing, Involuntary Reassignment - Detroit APWU seeks to prevent the Postal Service from excessing and/or involuntarily re-assigning Clerk Craft employees without first returning the limited and light duty Letter Carriers to their own Craft. Even prior to the Postal Service’s actions, unsorted mail sometimes sat for a week or more in overflowing bins on plant floors. In some cases, such mail has been destroyed. The excessing and involuntary re-assignment of hundreds of Clerk Craft employees will exacerbate the problem with mail delays

Yeah Archie, Where did you see that?

Archie, where did you see that?

I see Detroit is suing the USPS and saying mail has been delayed and destroyed............

Cincinnati BMC tour 2 0600- 1450 tour 3 1900-0350. some bids come in at 1700 only a few and 3 or 4 come in at 0800. And a lot of rumors?

KC BMC informed that we will become a tier 1 facility with DSM acting as the hub for our area. No timetable, of course. Mail processing would not change that much except in MH hours. 2 tours currently but PM wants to change T-2 to a 5 day op w/ S/M off (done before and didn't work) and create a mini tour for MH's between T-2 and 3. We have been working Dest Priority and #'s really improved for District. Mostly MH work on APPS but some 5 digit sort in Secondary and IPP's.
PHILLY: Looking forward to BMC conference in July!!!!!!!!!!

bada-bing DSMbmc hours mail processing t2 0730-1600,t3 1900-0350.A few clerks come in at 0930 and 1600 to work pro activ priority mail but we recently lost this major account to fed ex.MDO last week told us future plans of us being a hub possible third tour take in excessed employees.Ill keep you updated.Saw mailhandler memo from Heggarty saying other hubs would be Pitt,Denver and tenessee.

Fellow BMC employees. Philadelphia BMC management (haha.. if you want to call her that), is about to eliminate our Tour 1 operations and go to only 2 tours. We have been hearing some very crazy hours for the remaining two tours. Some have said T2 would start at 12pm to 9pm with a 1 hour lunch! There have been other hours mentioned also.

I would love to know what YOUR BMC tours and hours are and try to make sense of all this bull. Seems to me they are really trying to screw the senior employees since they did not get enough of them to leave with that so called (early out offer).. LOL.. really. Who came up with that? ELMO?

Buttercup, one person who was fired was stealing the mail so don’t feel sorry for him. The steward was fired protecting your rights and because of personal things between him and the mdo. The union did not even defend their own steward and he just had to take whatever management gave him to save his job.

buttercup we need details!

what the hack is going on at the detroit bmc they have lost there minds trying to fire e1

Sprigfield BMC when are the going to tear out the sack sorters and primaries in the near future, because I heard all construction is on hold

i believe you may be right PaleWriter. i am anxiously awaiting the day!

Larry-

re: Spfld BMC

Volume is down. NJ BMC is largest. NJ's excess capacity can easily absorb Spfld's "overflow" when they become a Tier 1 facility. Spfld is removing their 3 sack sorters and 2 primary parcel sorters, leaving in place 2 "seconday" parcel sorters. That leaves them enough floorspace for them to move 2 APPS machines in from a nearby facility, which is a rented space.

Greetings fellow Postal Lackeys. Rough times ahead. No sense whinning and finger pointing or minimizing. It's gonna get to dog eat dog shortly. Enjoy the flowers while you can. No one knows what the heck is going on. I doubt seriously if the scum at HQ even have a clue. Have a hunch Potter & Pals are about to get their hats handed to them when Obama gets around to naming their successors after Potter's up-coming little chit-chat with the Senators in a few weeks.

"It's a Wonderful Life" Welcome to Potterville. Sometimes I wonder what they are thinking. Did I say thinking? Excuse me, wrong word. Jerks in charge.

Can someone explain the logic of taking mail that arrives at the Springfield and Philly BMC and trucking it 100 miles to NJI BMC ???

The economy may be the reason for decline in mail. However, this decline has been going on for years. Measures were not taken when this started. Management is responsible for making decisions that will keep the company afloat. A lot of the decisions are not thought out (excessing, consolidations and the BMCs plans). Once Potter's salary made the headlines, the public had a different opinion of the USPS. Now the OIG has gotten in on it. Management is not untouchable as they thought they were. The coach has failed, we are a losing team and it's time for a trade.

Joe my brother you asked "where is the mail" ---- you certainly see the cause and effect of the worst economic conditions in our lifetime and a huge drop in mail volume..... If Potter and his top 10 or 20 idiot VPs all made a million bucks each with the bonuses - you have 10-20 mil - a drop in the proverbial bucket of our multi billion dollar debt - Are they grossly overpaid - sure - but the economy is the reason you don't have any mail my friend

Bman WTF? Are you serious? Hell yes the economy is a mess, but you don't think our problems are from Potter and Co.'s decisions? Did our financial mess - preached for at least a year - convince him not to keep taking an excessive salary AND bonuses? How many VPs do we have?

GET REAL!

Joe - Not that I have a soft spot in my heart for mgt. ... but "what a mess Potter and his team have created" and "where is the mail"???? Can you say recession or depression??? Ask the UAW guys why people aren't buying cars - ask the LIUNA guys why construction is down - go to a local mall and look around - check the DOW - NASDQ - your TSP Excuse me - but WAKE UP! Its not all Potter's fault.

Where is all the mail? Everything about the postal service is scary. Where we're gonna work. IF we're still gonna have a job. Now it looks like another reason to worry, there is just no mail. You guys having the same thing? What a mess potter and his team have created......

Just curious. Will any of these changes at the BMCs affect the P&DCs? I work in a small one (5 DBCS machines) and I was wondering what might happen? There has been talk about sending the letter mail up to the BMC for processing. Any comments would be nice. Any guesses would be good too. LOL

way to go Larry keep the info coming so we know what to get ready for!!!!!
You should work for the union!!!!

Thanks Larry. Thats the kind of information that needs to be on this blog.

CHANGES IN STORE
FOR BULK MAIL CENTERS --SUBCONTRACTING
IS OFF THE TABLE
The USPS has informed the NPMHU of changes that they intend to make to the existing BMC network. According to USPS Headquarters, they intend to move forward with a new network which will utilize the existing BMCs as “Network Distribution Centers” (NDCs) to more efficiently process and transport the mail. The plans shared with the Union thus far call for three tiers of BMCs (NDCs), with each tier having different responsibilities. This new initiative eliminates the earlier USPS plan to subcontract much of the BMC work.

According to the USPS plan, Tier 1 BMCs (NDCs) will lose some volume because some of the mail that is currently being processed there will be rerouted to Tier 2 facilities.

The concept will be tested first, most likely in the Northeast Area, and involves three Bulk Mail Centers (Springfield, Philadelphia, and New Jersey). Springfield and Philadelphia are expected to be “Tier 1 NDCs,” and New Jersey is expected to be a “Tier 2 NDC.”

Further details regarding mail processing, transportation, staffing and other issues will be circulated to the Local Unions shortly. Discussions are ongoing with USPS Headquarters, and we will update you as further details become available.

Atlanta BMC color are changing to brown and beige, what happen to USPS color which is blue. We all know who's has that color. Look out co-worker they on their way with the new color. Let's see if the General going to come forward and talk to the employees or have a town hall meeting with us. Have all the questions with you and see if he can answer or shy away from the questions.

I have heard about the Network Distribution Centers. Go to Postal Reporter archives July 25,2008, Postal Service seeks flexibility in closing facilities, "Testimony from USPS Network Realignment,"and archives July 27, 2008, APWU testimony assaults latest"USPS Network Plan,"

Edited by author 02-22-2009 12:53 AM
Has anyone heard anything more about this Network Dist Centers?? What are they trying to do and which BMC is the northeast are they starting at??

Changes to BMC network coming soon?
From Postcom.org:

Bill Galligan, USPS senior vice president of operations, told a Mailers Technical Advisory Committee group the Postal Service will be moving forward on its network re-engineering effort to transform its existing Bulk Mail Center network into one with Network Distribution Centers. The Postal Service plans to begin implementing the NDC concept in the Northeast Area as early as April.

And from the Postal Affairs Blog:

More details on this Network Reengineering, from Mr. Galligan’s presentation at MTAC-

Transformation of Bulk Mail Centers (BMC) to Network Distribution Centers (NDC)
>Consolidate originating volumes to achieve end to end efficiencies
>Combine BMC & Surface Transfer Center (STC) containerization and dispatch plans to eliminate redundant networks and improve transportation utilization
>Leverage multiple trailer loading and dispatching techniques (tandems/triples) to further improve trailer utilization
>Aligns induction of originating products into one ground network
>Three tiers of NDCs will exist
>Phase I implementation begins in the Northeast

looks like the cat is out of the bag!!!! lol

Hogrogian finally did something good for his home base!!!!!
To all of those who thought Hoagie was out for himself, feel comforted that he did something for his old buddies. I'm as surprised as you are! I thought cashing paychecks was the order of the day! Thank you Hoagie, to hell with Springfield!

the NJI-BMC will be the new hub in the Northeast. Mail from Springfield and Philly will be done in jersey.

Pittsburgh BMC's mgr has just left for Columbus.

It seems that KC is the testing facility for changes. Currently processing priority mail on APPS t-3 only. Told that after only 2 days, scores for district improved dramatically. But Mid-Am has one of the worse priority delivery scores in Western area anyway. One of the 1st facilities to take out primary and sack sorters; replaced w/ universal (sacks and NMO's) and LTS (letter tray). Spent big money on new roof last year and expanded facility by 24 docks 6-8 years ago. Talk of another expansion but not w/ economy right now. Plant mgrs. don't stay around too long either. We had the infamous Clem Felchle and just saw Anthony Vaughan leave. We also sent MN BMC current plant mgr and Des Moines lead mgr in recent yrs. Any other BMC have turnover like that; plant mgrs only stay for 2 yrs?

Go to message 1647 talks about Springfield,NJ and Philly merging.One bmc will serve as the hub.They are gonna try to fill trucks fuller,send less trips with more mail to save $$.

Jarhead:Where did you hear about a hub? Management? Reliable source? I have heard more innuendo from Management lately you wonder if this is a new motivational tool.

I bet the hub will be KCBMC

What is a hub? Is Des Moines slated to become the hub?

Hans that was a memo from Hawkeye district PM D. Morrow.Telling all clerks to take charge of our future career.Looks like a stupid attempt to get rid of some clerks.At DSM BMC this week they issued statement they will be handling sick leave directly in house.Gonna try to clean out some craft that way.Anyone heard which midwest bmc might become a hub?At union meeting Tuesday they said July 18 RIF would hit management at our plant.Best wishes to all BMC brothers and sisters.

sounds just like the detroit bmc

Edited by author 02-19-2009 07:49 AM
CBMC IS RUN BY A JERK AND NUT CASE HE ONLY CARES ABOUT BONUSES AND DOING EVERYTHING HIS WAY WRITE OR WRONG NOT ABOUT WORKING THE MAIL OR THE WORKERS

Jarhead,why would any clerk switch to carrier. You would be a PTF. They are holding FTR carrier jobs for excess carriers. They say the FSS are on they way.

kc clerk Don't know too much about him more than he's definitely his betters lackey. Does whatever he is told without a whimper then lauds it over anyone below him. A real jerk that get intimidated by a forceful person.

Tom sawyer, What can you tell us about this Kelly guy (forgot last name)? Supposedly closed St Louis AMC and is now closing KCK GMF. He's bragged about that's his speciality. He's been named acting plant mgr @ KCBMC. Everybody worried especially SDO's since we are the smallest BMC in the system.

Edited by author 02-14-2009 12:54 PM
kc clerk, you are right on. especially about showing up at odd hours of the day.

Tom, It's all about the numbers!!! Likes to play Texas Hold'em and then come into plant at any time. "I have no wife, therfore I have no life." At BMC last for 1 1/2 and @ office 6 days/wk @ all hours. Seems to be fair to your face and likes inexperienced supervisors so he can micro-manage. Complained about MH's making more than he does but also states that he is not in it for the money, just the challenge. Have fun!!!

All the muckity mucks had a meeting today informing them That Anthony Vaughan was taking the place of some other mulyock that had ran everything in STL into the ground. Anyone from KC that can give us here in St. Louis a heads up on this Vaughan it will come in handy when I get to meet this yahoo.

Excessing is full speed ahead at the Memphis BMC. It was announced today that 34 clerks and 30 mailhandlers will be excessed.

Edited by author 02-13-2009 04:36 AM
John64, that's the way it happened here last year right before our first round of excessing began. They let the custodial casuals go as well.

nkc girl, Anthony Vaughan informed us that he will be leaving to become the St Louis lead plant mgr. immediately. Good luck St Louis. APPS must process 4 million pieces per month or we'll lose it. We have 30 days until the end of March to prove the volume can be handled by our machine. KCMO doesn't want to lose Priority to us and will send over stuff that is not pre washed like they did during Xmas season. The guy from KCKS P&DC will be acting plant mgr over here and he has already closed 2 facilities. Everybody worried here but as long as we process parcels through Secondary, we should be OK.

At the Phila BMC all the clerk casuals were let go last week and this week rumor has it the mailhandler casuals are going. Got to think excessing is the next thing to happen, ain't looking good

ABMC mailhandlers are having a meeting this morning. The ones who don't already know will be told that 75 more of them are being excessed.

Edited by author 02-12-2009 04:34 AM
a couple of years ago before Vaughn went to the BMC, he got really pissed off because of the gross salaries of the employees... he tried to cut OT but it didn't work. some of the employees were grossing over $100,000.00 a year. but that will soon end for these employees once the BMC takes our MO-KAN. oh well...

and yes, i feel for all the excessed clerks being sent over here. i'm hoping they don't excess them again to other areas after they arrive. i can see that happening.

nkc, Vaughan already complaining that some mailhnadlers make more than he does. I'm sure this is just another little test for the BMC and it probably won't last long. 101 clerks from KCK P&DC unassigned w/out jobs is a big concern.

Edited by author 02-11-2009 09:56 AM
hey kcbmc clerk. i work at the KCMO P&DC... i guess your Mailhandlers will be getting more OT come 2/14. KCBMC is taking our MO/KAN Priority and leaving us with only the 640 and 641 zones and more abolished positions within the Clerk Craft. and i know for a fact that Anthony Vaughn has been eyeing our MO/KAN Priority for over a year... and now he's got it! well your Clerks & Mailhandlers over there will have a bit more job security now come 2/14 and ours will not, that work in that area.

and yes, KCKS P&DC will be coming to our plant... but i wonder where they plan on putting all those extra bodies...

our Mailhandlers have been getting 3 to 4 hours OT a day for years and years. come 2/14... i've been told, no more OT for the Mailhandlers here. now some of them won't be able to afford to pay for their Cadillac Escalades i see parked in the parking lot (boo-hoo).

KCbmc clerk that is funny we were told today our bmc has the highest sick leave usage.They also recomend clerks to find a carrier slot.So I got on ereassign tonight punch in Hawkeye district and it came up no search results.They wanna excess clerks yet they tell us our secondary area is what is our best performance area.This is nuts.

No one has said anything about combining KC or DSM BMC's . We only have 2 tours at kcbmc and have less than 80 clerks in the whole building. We were told by the plany manager that we have the worst sick leave record of all the BMC's in the western area but we think that is the mailhandler craft not APWU. Mailhandlers are getting overtime hand over fist here. The Kansas City Kansas P&DC will be closing by March 30, 2009. The mail from there is going to KCMO P&DC. Oh yeah KCBMC is rank #2 nationwide for service for BMC's.

jarhead,
Excessed personnel from Atlanta mostly went into custodial, window clerk and carrier jobs, IF THEY PASSED THE EXAM, and they were given one and only one opportunity to take and pass the exam. People who can't pass the exam for the slot they want are out the door. Just like that. My assumption is that it will pretty much be that way nationwide. Be aware!
Also, our Mail Processing people were warned a long time ago that if they had mechanical experience and wanted any job security at all they should get into the Maintenance Dept. pronto. Our mechanics (NOT BEMs) have been warned to work towards ET as quickly as possible.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that ETs will probably pretty much run the place eventually.

Where are they gonna send clerks from spgfield?Any KC clerks been told anything about excess to DSM?Anything happening out west or are they just dismantling from east to west?

Flat sorter 1000 (keying) has been removed in the GMF. 7 clerk jobs on tour 2 abolished, 4 on tour 3, 2 on tour one. Local APWU President said that the BMC in Springfield will be merging with NJ & Philly and it could affect 25-30% of workers when we no longer process the mail here. He said maybe by April. I guess it's a pilot program. Not looking good.

Edited by author 02-09-2009 02:57 PM
The Memphis BMC is getting closer to Sunday closing, bids have been posted and assumed for the first bid cycle, the second cycle of bids should go into effect Feb, 28. Everyone has Sat/Sun or Sun/Mon off days. They have already cancelled some of our Sunday dispatches and some of our scheduled incoming trucks for Sundays. Several Clerks and Mailhandlers have excessing letters with no effective date or destination.

jarhead; our letters said 30 days from the receipt of the letter that our bids would be abolished,

atlanta and springfield how much notice do they give when someone gets excess or bid abolished.At DSM BMC we only have 108 clerks between two tours.They revert every sat/sun bid they can.Thanks for the info.

Glasshouse

I agree with Ding Dong, you need file grievances for every job that was posted with split days off in lieu of consecutive days off. There are numerous regional arbitrations both in the mail handlers data base as well as the clerks data base to support your grievance.

Glasshouse, has your local filed a grievance under 8.2C concerning the split days off?

Jarhead; The SPFLD. B.M.C. is going to two tours at the start of March, the old NMO sorter is still standing, but is not being used. Mailhandlers were given letters abolishing their bids on same NMO sorter, but some were awarded new bids on the new LCUS,( low cost universal sorter )new bids have been posted with new hours and days off, some with split start times and split days off. Some days here we seem more like a warehouse than a processing plant, some tours we don't process a single NMO just keep unloading trucks and storing the mail. I don't know where all this is heading, but in my 29 years these are the strangest times that I have been through.

jarhead,
We have had two mailprocessing tours here for years now, but they "eliminated" T1 and just keep working T3 mailhandlers and clerks massive overtime hours until time for T2 to come in. I know T3 mailhandlers that made over $100K last year. In 2008, approximately 75 clerks were excessed and 50 or so mailhandlers. With the new staffing package and our FSS installation upcoming, we will lose many more clerks. An MDO told me that they expect to lose at least 200 more mailprocessing people before the dust settles.

dsm bmc has just two tours for clerks.does any other bmc have just two tours?Anyone had any excessing at any bmc?

Need to have Mailers wrap bulk mail better not with string or rubber bands.
All this mail need to be redone and the mailer still gets a discount? Fedex and UPS would not accept this mail in the first place, why do we? Mailers should re wrap the mail or be charged for it.

With all the economic crap we here about in mind, this is a ploy to allow mgt. to allign, swap, turn, cut, poke, prod, abolish jobs then put casuals on the same job while your an unassigned regular in a different unit watching the ptfs drive your mail around. I believe and know we should stay focused on our customers, but that doesn't mean the union should allow mgt. to get away with sooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!! If the USPS was so worried about the revinue don't you think they would really try to take back all the mail they have practically given to our compeditors. I did't hear Potter make mention to Congress about giving sweeter deals, contracts, etc. to the mailers to drum up biz. If the times are as bad as Mgt. says, and the administrators cannot preform the way the buisness conditions need them to, then those position need filled by other people willing to get this buisness back in order and on track!

Split off days, you think they are going to give you Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as off days. 10 Holidays 80 hours now you think management is going to pay you 100 hours for the same holidays? Any thing that is Federal Law can not me changed by the post office or the union. 1 day of sick leave or annual leave will be 10 hours of leave. And much more.

Any more word on the ststus of the BMCs?

why rethink the 10 hr. days?

You better rethink the 10 hour days!

Holy Moly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 4 ten hour days sounds good to me. :)

GMF MDO Robles has just said that after the dust settles on the new shift changes, he will be combing through the Opening Unit to see how many jobs he can eliminate from there. Beware after tax time. The new buzz term is "Tour Compression"

Posting by M.H.U. after Labor / Management Meeting Jan. 16,09 Tour One Robotics- Going to a 5-Day work schedule,*Sun./Mon Non-Scheduled Days,*If you have non-scheduled Days other than S/M, your job will be abolished and reposted for Bid with S/M as the N/S Day,*Letters to go out in a week./Tour One BMC-Will be shut down,......guessing on # M.H.jobs(50-60?)not sure on # of clerks losing jobs..... *Target date for this is Feb/28/09.Letters to go out in a week.*Additonal BMC jobs will be posted at the end of FEBRUARY:Tour 3 will be adding 15 to 20 new jobs S/M Non/Sched. with later start time than present T-3 Hrs 1730 to 0200.New jobs on T-3 will be 19:30 to 0400.Tour 2 will be adding 15 to 20 new jobs S/M and M/T N/S,.....with earlier start than present T-2 Hrs 0700 to 1530.New jobs on Tour 2 will be 0500 to 1330...../*BMC newly installed LOW COST UNIVERSAL SORTER-Staffing for T-2 and T-3: 18 L4's and 3 L5's per tour(daily Sorter will need staffing of 12 L4's and 2 L5's per shift)*......Roller table 20, Details ending ,Mgt. not sure why.*...../BMC Realignment of Days off T-2 and T-3:Based on their their staffing needs on a day by day basis this may impact jobs in the BMC depending on the N/S Days of the job.*.....P&DC(GMF for us old timers):Automation (p.l.204)will not be running on Tour 2.Jobs will be abolished and reposted....Realignment of overlap on Flat Sorters:T-1 2130-0600,T-2 0430-1300 AND T-3 1300-2130.*...Timeline for above -end of FEB.*....../010 Operation-6 PTFs from L&DC and 2 PTFs from Annex will be sent here to work in the Opening Unit.*

The reason is good old dwight could care less about the BMC, and our reps are to busy doing lunch with dunlap to care.

I have been wondering why the M/H's union has been able to delay the tour elimination here and yet we just go along with the program. Shouldn't we be fighting this like the M/H's ? I never see any info from our union and yet the M/H's have stuff posted all of the time.

john64, As far as I know, the sacks will be sent to the Atlanta L&DC (formerly known as the Air Mail Facility or Air Mail Center). They are already processing sack mail there now, likely on one of those universal sorters that BMC clerk mentioned. I've not heard anything about plans to install a universal sorter here.

They can process the sacks on a universal sorter. They can also sort NMO's on it.
The KC BMC has one.

Atlanta BMC how do they plan on processing sack without the sack sorters or have they not figured out that yet

john64, yes, we are losing both sack sorters as well as PSM1 and PSM2. We are keeping PSM3, PSM4, and both Singulators. Secondary will pretty much remain intact as far as I know.

atlanta BMC are you losing your sack sorters to

  THANKS !

Smudge, just found your 12/11/08 request for excessing numbers at the ABMC. We lost around 75 clerks and over 50 mail handlers last year. I'm fairly certain that was nothing compared to what will have happened when the FSS installation is totally in place here. I hear many faint and distant cries of woe and dismay coming over the horizon, especially since we likely won't get our full complement of the expected 4 machines that were promised in the initial plan.

momo - Mail Processing Equipment removal is about to begin in earnest at the ABMC, including primary sorters. The SMO and MMO offices are in the midst of relocation and some of the least used overhead conveyors have been removed already. The mail flow controllers new digs are being prepared as well. I heard that mail processing personnel will eventually be cut back from over 600 to around 400 total when the dust has settled here.

   That's a great attitude awesome dude. Everyone's situation is infinitely different than the next persons. You sound young.

ALL YOU GUYS ARE FULL OF SHIT !!! NO ONE REALY KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF NOT DAYS, MAYBE WEAKS AFTER OBAMA GETS IN OFFICE. One thing i have learned about dealing with the government, it's that the big brass will only get a slap on the hand and a million dollar fine. While everyone else gets forgotten about. If this job is the only one you can do or want to do, then you have some kind of problem. Working for the post office hasn't been the best job I've ever had, but it was the easiest money I ever made. There have been times when I slaved, and there have been times when I slept. What am I going to take from this place and my experiences = not much. At least I won't have cameras over my head all the time anymore. I have done too many things for a living to want to stop trying new ways now. This might be the end for the post office as we used to remember it, but it's not the end of my future. You guys aught to start thinking about building a new way of making money and buiseness because we will be the fastest growing new marketers in the world. If you can't make that break and move on and get through tough times and even a lay-off, than our country is fucked.

smudgey you is back!

Has Atlanta BMC removed their Primary section. The rumor going around is that they have. Any information wold be appreciated.

I thought you broke it John64!!!!!

  Test

Defending the BMCs

(This article first appeared in the January/February 2009 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)

First off, I want to wish everyone the happiest and healthiest New Year…

On a more somber note, however, we see that the Postal Service has begun to act on its strategic plan to contract out our parcel-post business to private companies. They have asked mailing companies to describe how they would handle the distribution and transportation of parcel mail, and to bid on the work, which is currently performed by union members at Bulk Mail Centers.

This giveaway of our work could eliminate thousands of postal jobs. The APWU is, of course, committed to fighting against any such action.

Once the USPS gets out of the parcel business and reduces or converts its current capacity for processing parcels, the Postal Service will be unable to process and transport that volume in the future, unless there were an enormous ramp-up in equipment and employees, which is what would be necessary to take back the product line.

Déjà Vu Again and Again

We have seen this blunder before: Do you remember the subcontracting to Emery Worldwide in the late 1990s when the USPS outsourced all Priority Mail distribution and transportation on the Eastern seaboard? The venture culminated in huge losses, with Emery and the USPS arguing in court about which organization was to blame for the failure to meet service standards.

The entire contract was a disaster. The USPS had to get out of that contract, and then negotiate with the APWU to bring back (“in source”) the work we previously performed.

Or how about the subcontracting of the Remote Encoding Centers? The Postal Service had to give monetary subsidies to some subcontractors — above the price they contracted for — to get them to do the work. It was another disaster.

If the USPS subcontracts BMC jobs in the clerk, maintenance, motor vehicle, and mailhandler crafts to a private company, the competitor would soon be able to control pricing for the distribution and transportation of the parcel product line. After a substantial amount of subcontracting, when the USPS no longer has the capacity for processing and transportation of parcels, consumers nationwide would be at the mercy of our competitors, not just for pricing, but for service standards.

Under the mailers’ subcontracting dream scheme, the USPS accepts the parcels and then the contractor picks them up, processes them, and transports them to the appropriate post office for delivery. All the subcontractors would have to do is increase their rates for distribution and transportation, which would require the USPS to raise the price to consumers.

In other words, the private mailers could run the Postal Service out of the parcel business merely by raising the cost of the service to the USPS product above their own product’s cost. Why would any consumer continue to use the Postal Service?

And what if the subcontractors’ employees go on strike, as UPS workers have on several occasions? Those work stoppages caused a crippling overload to the USPS.

We need each APWU local and its members to contact their senators and representatives to object to this misguided scheme. We insist that the Postal Service’s ill-advised practices be stopped.

There is no doubt in my mind that if the bulk of the work at the BMCs is subcontracted, the Postal Service will use that subcontracting model and then begin to “study” outsourcing the work currently being performed at the P&DCs.

The loss of these decent-paying postal jobs would further reduce employment opportunities for our American veterans at a time when many who have suffered debilitating injuries cannot find work.

any truth too the rumour being spread that the labmc is being sold and will close in 2010?

Has anyone heard any more about the outsourcing of parcels from the BMCs. Any word on shutting them down? So many rumors but nothing in print. A friend of mine in MD said she heard that there will be some movement mid January. Who knows. I guess no news is good news. NOT!!!!!

Other facilities are going through in-section bidding as well. Unfortunately, Shared Services wants to have a say in how these bids are handled. I think that's ridiculous since they are a contracted company and are not party to the contract. Many facilities have had expedited in-section bidding as outlined in the contract and it goes smoothly and quickly, but my understanding is that Shared Services doesn't want it done that way because it's "too much work" for them to manually enter the results.

New generationer - You are absolutely correct, the bids are confusing and they are screwed up beyond recognition. I heard the local pres. is going to be there today to get copies of the bids and try to unscrew this whole mess. I exercised my retreat rights back to tour 3 and have not heard a word from management. Unfortunately this is going to be a long drawn out process. There will not be any overnight fixes. We all know managements mantra, " Grieve it". Sad but true.

Are there any other BMC's that are going through this process of in-section bidding?

SECTION BIDDING MEANS THAT ONLY PEOPLE IN THAT SECTION CAN BID ON THEM. IF THERE IS 10 BIDS AND 15 PEOPLE IN THAT SECTION, 5 OF YOU ARE GOING TO BECOME UNASSISSGNED REGULARS

Can anyone out there give me and other employees at the DETROIT BULK CENTER any information on the bids that have been posted? They are so confusing. The mailhandler union can't tell us a damn thing. In-section bidding? What's going on with that? In my opinion this whole thing is some bullshit. Help!!! Any suggestions, help or comments are welcome.

Article from Greensboro NC News & Record, Dec 27, 2009

FedEx Corp said Friday, its new Hub at Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI) will not open till next fall and will start with fewer workers.

FedEx plans to move 160 workers in June 09 into the new $500 Million dollar Terminal from is current airport terminal.

The new terminal will begin sorting operations by fall 2009 with an additional 200 workers.

My opinion on this is, that it should effect the distribution of Priority and Express Mail for Southern VA, all of NC and Upper SC since FedEx has a contract till 2013 to fly all of it. Not to mention hauling it by road via FedEx Ground out of the this new terminal.

Be willing to bet a paycheck that this new terminal will effect clerks, and mail handlers alike at the GSO BMC/P&DC, especially the CLT AMC/P&DC, the RDU P&DC and possibly some centers in SC.

I see more excessing of jobs by the end of next year.

Here again, my opinion.

Edited by author 12-27-2008 11:06 AM
that sucks kcbmc... the only people who were drafted on Christmas, at the P&DC, were the ones who signed up.

edit to add: Anthony Vaughn is a piece of work, isn't he?

We had a draft of clerks for designated Christmas holiday of 100%. We were closed Christmas Day as usual but this was the 1st time in our 30+ history that management forced people to work on their holiday and knew that it was going to cost extra to do so. We were also told due to current financial crisis, there would not be a Christmas dinner and we couldn't even plan one to do ourselves. They did give us an extra 15 minutes for lunch on Christmas Eve!!!
What did the other BMC's experience this year as compared to year's past?

Keep the faith.THe BMAU and the BMC are our last revenue makers.When they go,it is over.

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Steve (the NAZI) Yeast.

/m1599 Merry Christmas to you, too!

OK, what about the AtlBMC?

The 5 minute lee-way rule and the 5 minute rounding off rule . A real postal employee would know the difference between them.
and know what an Arbitrator has ruled about them?
Let's talk about the Alanta BMC not bull shit.

How about "I suffer from CRS and/or DKS".
  
Being a postal worker either should apply.

CRS-Can't remember shit.

DKS-Don't know shit.

CRS and DKS disease is brought on by to day to day stess of working for piss poor postal management that turns normal hard working people into uncaring, unconcerned employees, passed on by the trickle down effect.

Just my opinion.

How do you know that he wasn't confused at the clock? I'd claim that I was and there was a crowd and file.

Ref to the 8 click rule.

You need to read what is said about the 8 click rule and what the Arbitrators have ruled.

It is not an automatic 8 clicks. There are reasons for being allowed the 8 click rule, but the "just because you want to" is not one of them.

If your reason is not one of the prescribed reasons, then there is no violation of the contact. However, if you want to file a grievance that is not supported by regional abitrations, then by all means do it. I do suggest you prepare yourself to loose the grievance.

There is no EEO violation unless you are being discriminated against, for race, sex, creed, national orgin, religious belief, veteran status or disparate treatment. Using the 8 click rule for personal reasons, is not discrimination unless everyone else is being allowed to do it for the same reasons you are and you are not allowed to.

There is another EL manual, Supervisors guide for scheduling and premiums, that covers clocking in late and it covers up to less than 29 minutes late and 30 minutes or more late.

There maybe 4 automatic hours of COP, but there are still 4 "scheduled" hours with a set starting and a set ending time. Therefore the 8 click rule and the reasons allowing the 8 click rules still applies. The "just because I want to rule" isn't one of those rules.

The past practice rule would be the only argument, but once management correct the situation in accordance with the national agreement, the past pratice argument goes out the window.

The basic rule in determining if in fact there is a violation of the national agreement, is that an employee or the craft as a whole must be "harmed". Steward training 101.

If there is no harm then there is no violation.

The "they don't do me right grievances" just don't work when management is enforcing the rules, the national agreement as supported by arbitrations.

Again, My Opinion.

Union Dismembered. If you are working 4 hours a day and Cop is paying you 4 hours a day then you are on the lock 8 hours a day and yes you are covered by the 8 minute lee way rule. File a EEO, and a Grievance.

My best guess is that since you are on limited duty with set hours, 4 hrs per work day, with set starting and ending times, yes he can.

I have never heard of the 8 click rule applying in this case. The 8 click rule is there to avoid confusion at the clock, which should not apply to you.

And as MARKMYWORD stated, there is a very strong possibility of a LOW, since you are clocking in late and leaving late or failing to follow an assigned schedule.

Just my opinion.

Yes they can disallow time that was not worked. You have a schedule and you are expected to work that schedule. The supervisor will most probably start working on your letter of warning, if you continue to come in late. If you have been doing this for 3 years, you have been lucky. The post office is looking at every cent they can find to save. You may think a few 1/100 of pay is small, until you multiply it by hundred of thousands of times a day postal wide.

i got a question... i am a handler, with an acceted work injury... med restriction is work 4 hrs a day.. i have a limited duty job offer.. with set hours.. example work 2:00pm - 6:00pm.. whenever i clock in late i have always clocked out late.. example 2:04-6:04 to equal 4hrs... i got my pay-stub and noticed i was short 4units of pay... i found out PM, deleted the 4 units of pay from my tac rings.. he claimed he felt he should not have to pay me nite differential, refused to pay me and told me to file a greivance... i have been doing this practice as long as i have been injured (3yrs ago) Can pm do this??? Am i allowed to do this???

Fact,not onion!

Here again, post 1587 is not my post, just the "wantabie Union Member"

vaustin79
The smartest thing anyone in Maintenance can do right now is get on the ET roster and get that ET slot ASAP. You're making the right move!
Purely opinion follows from here on...
The union website says they'll add more MPE's, and I suspect we might move that way for a while. However, I do believe that eventually, we will have more ET's with fewer MPE's and even fewer supervisors as well. I believe that one day the ET's will be running the place and will be pretty much doing everything. What will change will be their job descriptions.
They already schedule their own EAWs here. If I'm not mistaken, anyone can also work down in levels below their bid job. It's working "up" that management doesn't care for, because it costs them in grievances. If they can get an ET to relieve an MSC and do MSC work, why not pay them craft wages to do management work as well? And in this day and age the union as well as employees will go along with this in order to keep existing jobs intact. It's like the frog in the pot of water. Turn the heat up gradually, and we'll never know what hit us until most of us have been excessed into oblivion.
Are you familiar with ECBM? Do some research on it. It's a real eye opener.

What happens when management calls you a criminal and gives you no evidence to support this claim.Then they say they never said that,but you get put out on emergency placement 14 days later with a phone call that says you're on medical restriction and can't work but don't tell you what the restriction is.Then you're ordered to take a psych exam which takes 3 weeks to schedule and 4 weeks later you get told by the dr that mgmt doesn't have any of the information in your favor& needs your permission to give it to them so he can include it in the evaluation.5 weeks later you're still waiting for results.You get told that you're being pawned of on another therapist who knows you better but isn't qualified to give an evaluation.I guess this is the dr's way of keeping his contract and his license.No one gives you, the union or labor relations any medical reports that you signed over authorization for and no one gives you the evidence against you either.I guess you need a subpoena to get that.Meanwhile it's xmas time and you haven't been paid in 5 weeks.Should you treat this as a free vacation and chill.What should you do?

Can you hear me now? Fact,not onion!

Union member. I, at least can tell the difference.

Here again, post 1584 is not my post. Seems like this piece of crap is at it again, posting under a name that is already in use.

Fact, not opinion.

If you did something that warranted your removal, but it’s written fact that a supervisor did the same thing and all he received was a 30-day suspension and allowed to retire, does that mean that you should get a break of some sort if you’re not eligible to retire? if a close member of your church family had died the night before, you were going through EAP, and management denied your request to attend the viewing, are these mitigating circumstances? If you can prove that you tried to phone your psych doctor during the day in question, is that too a mitigating circumstance?
Those Concerned,
It is very important in the Baptist Community for those members of a Church to attend funeral services for a fellow church member. I am very involved in our church family.
Furthermore, I know that EAS employees play under different rules but, when one of them commits an offense and they receive some sort of break, an element of past practice is established. If not an element of practice, then an act of Disparate Treatment exists if two employees of the same employer, commit the same exact offense, and one mgets treated in a negative fashion compared to the other.
With response to the medical treatment, I have been receiving psychiatric treatments on roughly a bi-weekly basis since the incident. This is entirely too easy to prove. I have a written letter on my psych doctor’s letterhead, signed by her, dated the day of the incident, that states that I have been seeing her in a psychological role through EAP of the USPS and the exact things that I have been suffering from. My wife and I were going through EAP counseling for about 1.5 years, on and off, and earlier this year my problems began to focus more on my job. I have a good relationship with my psychologist as she has shown me through some difficult times. My cell phone records show that her personal office line was called by me on the day of the incident and vice versa. They also show me calling my medical doctor on that same day and vice versa there as well.
I was seeing a psychologist prior to the incident and the incident caused me to begin seeing a psychiatrist at the request of my medical doctor, as well as continue seeing my psychologist for any relationship troubles.
I’m not trying to justify my behavior. Through counseling, I have seen the error of my ways but I feel, as well as the National Business Agent, that I should not be removed. We feel as though i should receive punishment to the tune of something between a Letter of Warning and a Fourteen-Day Suspension.

Fact,not Onion.

post 1582 is not the real Union Member, but just some no load postal puss nutt, who steals "names".

But then again, the puss nut, is the typical back stabbing postal employee that has a need to cause trouble and start infighting between other employees and crafts, must be a management wantabie who failed the 204B "knee" exam.

Not opinion, Fact.

Bambina

You don't know me,I can be an @ss if I'm out of med.I can write in many styles depends on my mood.OK?

Sammy - from what i have been told by someone i know in Lost Vegas, everyone is waiting on the Jan 9th letter to come out...

Union Member,I'm watching my back and I know who I can trust.Believe me.
Anyone over here from Las Vegas?I'm too far from.

Bambina

This is the postal serivce. The game masters of the world. That's the reason, you watch your back, you have no friends in the postal service.

We are our own worst enemies or enemas, which ever word you want to use. The both apply equally.

My Opinion.

What is going on in Las Vegas, the President meeting what is that all about?

Is not your style Union Member to write that,like is not my style to write in Spanish.Someone is playing here.

Bambina

Post 1574 is not my post. Some piece of shit bottom feeding scum bag name stealer made that post, not me.

Hopefully you realize that since you have read my post, 1574 just ain't my style.

Fact not opinion.

tom sawer,

Vous êtes un trou du cul.

Bambina

You see,without you lowlife casuals we can force Management to pay us overtimes so we can fulfill our dreams of middle class Americans.I was a casual before I became a carreer handler,I busted my ass just like you do now,I bought Chrismas presents to every boss on my tour and none to my kids just to earn some cookie points.Now that I became a regular,I resent that.I need to get OTs to make up for my initial investments.

I won't make comment on that one what did you wrote tom sawyer.
For Proud Postal Slug:I'm not Spanish.
Maybe you're right once again Union Member.I will see..

Someone from Philadelphia BMC tell us what is going on there. I am at the Springfield BMC and we have similar things going on here that were reported in the press. Vans going to other facilities, kinowing that they would only be sent back here to be processed. Changing of color codes were going on for years, when we just put the information on the containers chalkboard they would just erase the times and dates and change them so it would appear that they weren't late. Taking mail out of one van and then loading it into another van to make it look like new mail. Here at Spfld. BMC they have Quality Control people putting bright orange signs on the containers if it is old mail, with the caption; HOT MAIL WORK IMMEDIATELY, what a joke that is. I've seen them sit for 24 hours before being worked.

Bamber I would believe that English might be your attempted 2nd language but as far as stating it is your 2nd language you should go back to your first cause the 2nd "ain't workin".

Bambina

"Someone watching your back"

Famous last words for a postal employee.

You have no friends in the postal service. No one does. You're too much of a rookie to understand that.

Wish you good luck. But you need to have a plan B to fall back on.

My opinion.

Yes,yes,I'm reading what you have posted.I have someone who is watching my back.No hard feeling Union Member.
For Tom Sawyer:English is my Second Language,and if you can read write and speak other Language than English then you can address me.

Atlanta Support Clk,

All casuals have been gone from the Memphis BMC for almost a year, if I remember correctly. That includes custodial, too. They did hire a bunch of new full time custodians - about 8, since then.
I think the ET staffing is the same here and there. I'll have to check into the BEM and Custodial.

I saw on the APWU site yesterday that the locations receiving FSS machines would need MORE ET's and MPE's, not less. That's encouraging, but I'll believe it when I see it. I'm working on 2 KSA's to get on the ET Roster.

Bambina, do you read? Possible layoffs, excessing and possible carrier reductions. Don't count on being hired any time soon. This company is in the red.

You are right on again Union Member. We had 4 casuals that worked their butts to the bone. They were excellent workers. Management told them (after they took an in-house, casuals only, battery test) that they may become PTRs. Three months later, they were let go and never called anywhere to be casuals again. I am in touch with one of them. She was so dissapointed. However, she listened to us when we told her she would not be hired with all the stuff that is currently going on. She left 2 weeks before the others were let go because she found a "real' job. All I can say is casuals be on guard for this. If the flexes have reduced hours, so will the casuals.

  Atlanta Support Clerk, do you know how many in each craft were excessed? I'm just curious. It will be comming our way in St. Louis. I suspect the numbers are heavily weighted toward the clerk craft. Ball park estimate would be greatly appreciated...Thanx

Bambina,

I have nothing against you personally, but I do have a gripe with management on their use of Casuals.

Management has extremely long term histroy on the usage of casuals as a "career workforce".

But casuals are not a "career workforce".

If management works casuals as a career workforce then by God, you should be a "real full time career employee with benefits" not a lacky management casual.

Passing the test and being a casual, does not get you a full time job and if you believe the management bull shit on that one, then I have ocean front property in AZ to sell you.

I am also against TEs because of the way that management has begun to use them. Thank heaven that the NPMHU does not allow TEs. The usage of TEs is sucking the life out of the Clerks and Carriers. But yet their respective Unions are not fighting the use of TEs as I feel they should. The term "TE" dictates their use, and management has stretched that usage so far, that in my opinion the rubber band brust years ago.

My take on their Unions position on TEs is, that we'll let them work, so maybe they'll get conveted to full time and we will gain more Union members since we, the Union, got them converted to full time career employees.

That attitude SUCKS. Especially since you are screwing you own people out of jobs by being a shit heads. The FSS is a great example of the use of TEs. Full time career carriers are being bent over and F**ked because of the use of TEs.

Over the years, I've seen this same crap with the LSM, first OCS, the DBCS, 881s, LIPS, SPBS, 1000s, 100s, and now the FSS.

The use of TEs in mail processing is going to, by the time its all over, bend the mail processing clerks over and F**k them also.

Its not the mail handlers that are taking jobs away, as many clerks will lead you to believe, its their damn union, and management.

Automation, TEs, Causuals, Lack of Union response, and management have cost the Carriers and Clerks more jobs that the mail handlers could ever conceive.

Bambina, now do you understand why no one likes casuals. You are management's whipping boy, who comes full of piss and vinager in believing all the hype management feeds you, busting your balls and for what, NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING, except a short time pay check. This battle has been going on since 1978 and so far, thank God, only the NPMHU has stuck to its principles on "casuals in lieu of".

So wake up smell the shit, and realize that you are only a frigging management PAWN. The only thing going for you is, that you are only 1/2 step above a SCAB.

Enough Said.

Again, My Opinion.

VA,

Thank God she has the good sense to go outside of her people to get information.

One very good way to find new ideas and good informaion is to go to the APWU.ORG (arb data base), NALC.ORG(arb data base, MRS), the NPHU.ORG(data base) and looking for links to their respective Locals. Read the train manuals, new and old, Steward training workshops are nothing but a bitch session for weak stewards and waste the time of their trainers and others that want to learn.

Some Locals have Steward corners that are not password protected and other areas that have a wealth of information.

Also, if she sees something good, she needs not to be afraid to contact the APWU Local Pres or someone and ask questions. Over the years Jim Burke, APWU, who retired, shared with me, tons of information. Burke retired after nearly 40 years of outstanding stewardship and is a big loss to the APWU and to me. All Unions share a common bond in discipline, FMLA, and attendence related problems; and, many will share their experiences with her.

Bobby Donelson, an APWU Local President in CA, is another good source.

I urge her to know the people in Locals 300 and 305. These folks will assist her if she addresses specific areas correctly.

On FMLA, I got this web site from a 305 steward a few years back and it is the best and most up to date on all areas of FMLA and rulings. http://federalfmla.typepad.com/federal_fmla_blog/

A good steward will have a hard road to travel to do the job right, and I offer her 5 simple rules I have learned over my nearly 30 years. (1) In making a decision if there is in fact a grievance, first learn who was "HARMED", how they were "HARMED", if there was no "HARM" then there is no grievance, (2) No not be afraid to request tons of information, what you receive from management will help create the paper trail, (3) When preparing the Step 1, make a rough draft(or outline) of the Step 2 at the same time keeping it on the same track with the ability to add new information to combat managements denial of the Step 1, (4) Learn who is one her arbitration board, go in the data base, research Arbitrations they have made rulings on, so she can solid, winable grievance, and finally(5) Be Professional, correct word usage, strong key phrase usage that Arbitrators themselves use, clear concise sentences that flow, write in the third person (like telling a story)and spell better than I do.

Management will find it hard to pick apart a grievance if you follow these 5 suggestions.

I wish her the best of Luck.

Just my opinions.

Bambina, why would they ever make you a career employee when they can pay you lower wages and not give you benefits? Do you think your "hard work" as a casual will give you some kind of special shot at being a career employee. If so, I'm sure one of your supervisors or MDO's filled you with that to get you to work harder.

Maybe bambina if you learned how to talk and write you would have become "Ptf aready" This is why we need to get rid of all these low life casuals and file for real career positions.

I'm just watching you Union Member.What a hell do you have something against Casual?I'm my self Casual and no one can come even close to me.I'm working for two people at least,and see Regulars at PO doing absolutely nothing.What do you think that working so many years in Post office give you right to judge people.
It's about 80% here start as Casual and went to craft Emloyee.
I took Battery exam and have high score,nad now I'm working on to become Ptf.So that make me qualilified Casual,and I'm worth every penny my Dear.

Thanks Union Member. You gave me a different take on not getting any casuals. We have a rookie steward but she is doing a good job. If she doesn't know something, the more experienced folks in another facility have really helped her. We think they might try to "sneak" some in though. I will inform her of what you posted. We have had jobs excessed, abolished and reverted. Again, thanks.

Edited by author 12-10-2008 02:59 PM
Management got rid of our casuals in November 2007, we did not have casuals last year during Christmas and we will not have any this year. The rumor is that about 107 craft employees will be excessed next year. We are currently going through NRP(National Reassesment Program) in our district. It appears things are not looking so good here in Memphis. No word of any new automation as of yet. We are scheduled to close on Sundays starting in Feburary.

Know Your Rights is very correct about casuals.

Every casual, including Christmas casuals should be grieved the day they walk in the building. Especially if there has been mail handlers job excessed, reverted or abolished.

The "just because attitude" of management for hiring casuals is not just "because we can", there has to be a justification.

Use of casuals to cover for limited/light duty people is illegal as hell, Arbitrator Parkinson, ruled on that years ago and to date, his ruling has been referenced and up held by other Arbitrators.

I work in a medium size P&DC. Our dispatches are late everyday. Today at a meeting, the manager said we will not get any casuals this season. It is going rough. No more OT is what the super said. I don't want to work any but I had 18 hours last week. HUH????

Correction on that last post: mailprocessing is apparently now working at least 9 casuals again for the Christmas season.

vaustin79
All casuals at the ABMC have been eliminated because of massive excessing of clerks and mailhandlers (over 150 total). We don't even have casual custodians anymore. Maintenance staffing levels here are approximately as follows: Custodians (all levels)- 41ea; Maintenance Support Clerk 7 - 3ea, Maintenance Support Clerk 6 - 9 ea [not including a Mechanic injured on the job who was awarded a permanent slot as an MSC. The Maintenance Mgr is trying every dirty trick in the book to get rid of him as well.] We have 3 ea Painter/Blacksmith/Welders, 9ea BEMs, 61ea Mechanics, and 13ea ETs.
I firmly expect our Maint Mgr to excess MSCs, based on his steadfast refusal to work more than 1 ea MSC at a time whenever someone is out on SL or AL. I also expect that we'll lose mechanics when they've brought the FSSs in here. I believe the chronic understaffing of mechanics coupled with forced falsification of PM completion records will be used to justify the reduction of mechanics before we're finished. ET's are pretty much sitting in the most highly favored spot right now and will likely stay that way. BEMs will likely stay safe as well.

every BP should ask for a casual justification form for every casual that enters the building. many arb awards are now being won because management has screwed up these justification forms or triggers. hold management accountable for every casual that enters your facility. they should also being asking management why a casual is still employed if the reason stated on their justification form no longe rexists, such as covering for a MH out on removal.

Regarding Maintenance support clerks, We haven't heard that for our facility. (Memphis BMC) We have 4 each on tours 1 and 2, and I think there are 5 on tour 2.

What is the maintenance staffing overall in Atlanta, or any other BMC, for that matter? I'm talking Et's, MPE's, and MM's. I counted 64-66 in Memphis, pretty much split evenly among the 3 tours. We are at about 50% staffing from what I understand.

Although staffing reductions have been talked about at the facility, maintenance, so far, has been excluded from the discussion of cuts. When asked about maintenance cuts in a Town Hall meeting, our facility manager answered that the cuts now being discussed were for clerks and mail handlers. So far, so good for Maintenance.

Damn Right management will bring in casuals. They always have and when ever possible.

It's all about money and labor cost. Management knows it cheaper to bring in casual working 8 or less hours per day and 40 hours or less in a work week.

Which will eliminate a lot of V-Time for clerks and OT for mail handlers.

Casuals fall under LDC 17 as allied labor. So using casuals in lieu of V-Time or OT will save between $16 to $72.00 per hour.

Its all about money not quality or service.

Management figures that unskilled, unqualifed labor even if they have to work 3 casuals per career employee is still cheaper that V-Time or OT.

Seen this crap for far too many years and Christmas casuals are not craft specific, unless the Unions force management to designate a craft assignment for each casual.

If you Local President or PB is a pussy, then craft workers are screwed.

And after Jan 6th, 2009, every casual should be grieved, making management explain their use and purpose, or than because we can, especially during non choice vacation period.

Management would be hard pressed to justify casual during non choice vacation period, with downsizing, low volume, excessing, and the dumping of Tour 1 or of T2, depending on your facility.

Just my opinion. But grieve every casual that works, not necessarly as a class action but on an individual basis, it will drive management crazy, forcing them to justify their individual use.

Have any of you guys been told that management is getting rid of casuals? We have staff shortage now and will not get any casuals for christmas. Now they tell us that our casuals will be leaving in January.

Beg your pardon, that he did campaign for the office, that's how I heard about him and got one his band wagon. I was in a different state.

My Local President at the time found out that I as a chief steward was pushing Ray for Office gave me the third degree over Ray.

Did he get caught up in his own ego? I don't think so.

If you go back to his platform, it was all about change and going toe to toe with postal management. Change is not what the good ole boys at National like to hear. I have been in their meeting and have been asked to leave because of my stand on certain issues like (1) making SCABS pay a reasonable fee for Union services in filing greivances on their behalf, (2) not allowing Local Presidents or National Officers to recieve pay raises greater that the per centages that the Union members get from the Contract on a yearly basis and (3)if you were not an employed by the Postal Service, or retired, you could not hold a Union Office at the Local or National Level.

This is what Ray was all about and I agreed with him then, I agree with it now and I will always agree with it.

Maybe if some of you bitchers and non voters, not necessary you, would get in the game and go after these same ideas, our Union would be the Strongest and the Best of the bunch.

This was the type of change that Ray wanted, Change, CHANGE, and more CHANGE. In Las Vegas, he was pledged the support of many Local Presidents. In other National Meeting also. I was there, and after everyone when home, the ass holes backed out, spreading tall shit about Ray by changing what he had said because it would cost most of them their damn jobs. Do you have any idea back then just how many Local Presidents were Retired postal employee, who could continue to run for office and servie until they either retired or got beat. You should see what it does for their retirement money. They have better retirement than we do because of the Union Positions they held and the longer they held it the more the retirement is.

Unless you were acutally there, and heard the lying ass holes, you wouldn't know what really happened.

Most of those who stabbed Ray in the back are no longer in the Postal Service, thank God they have finally retired.

From what I heard for my dear friend, long time Union Member and Officer at one time, in West palm Beach, Ray didn't have to thrash 318, the new officers took care of that themselves in stabbing each other in the back and jocking for position.

My Opinion based on my personal knowledge. There is much you don't know about the National Level unless you have been a part of it. Nor do you know the added retirement benefits because of being in the Local or National Level position.

To have a better Union members need to GET INVOLVED!

does being voted out of office, followed by trashing the office, then being banned from running for office for a period of time constitute "stepping down"?? Ray Walls was at one time a decent guy who got caught up in his own ego trip. By the time the convention rolled around and he was nominated, he didn't have time or the interest in talking to people to let them know what he was all about. That's why he lost. Locals were interested, but he didn't campaign from what I saw and heard.

I just talked to a Jax MSC today who says they may be excessing Maint Support Clerks at their facility, down to 3 clerks per tour (1ea level 7 and 2ea level 6s per tour). Has anyone heard about this happening elsewhere? I assume our Maintenance Manager will be eagerly attempting the same thing here, in spite of what the staffing package says we should have.

I heard an interview on the radio with a guy from Ford and he said the exact same thing! It is almost as if the union is in mgmts pocket.

Hey echo i feel your pain I too work at the dbmc and i dont know what is wrong with the union. they are always to busy to talk to you or my favorite I'll get back to you and never do. It is almost as if the union is in mgmts pocket. My question is how mgmt can violate the contract on a daily basis and the union doesnt do anything about it. Even I can pick up a book and understand it. How can mgmt take my bid and offer it to someone else? My letter quoted Article 37.3A4 about reposting duty assignments,but my research has turned up No duty assignment will be reposted when the change in starting time is one hour or less.(Article 37.3.A.4.c.1)At which case why not take ALL the bids and let our seniority take care of the rest. I really hate the thought that what seniority i do have doesnt count for anything. sometime around the 14th of Dec we are to have a meeting with who i dont know but it is the latest rumor. Has anyone contacted the labor board?

Personally, I feel that Locals 300 and 305 lead the nation as far as the NPMHU goes. 318 under the leadership of Ray Walls years ago, in my opinion was very, very good, but after the good ole boys networks took over Ray's position, I think 318 went to hell and is still there.

But then this is my opinion, and there are many that will disagee with me about 300. All I can say is that over the past 15 years, 300 done one hell of a job with their regional arbs and have even had go some to the national level. I have personally meet Paul and believe he has good head on his shoulders and has the best interest of the mail handlers at hand.

When Ray Walls stepped down, 318 had a lot of in fighting that cost that local a lot of respect.

Ray was another "radical" leader that went toe to toe with management and never backed down from a fight. He made an unsucessful bid for National President before our current President came about, reason he lost, many of the other Local Presidents, told him face to face that they would support him, but cut his throat when his back was turned and he lost the election.

I felt he would have made a very good national leader, but his problem was he was not in the good ole boy network at National. Ray was for change, and the Network was against change. I still have a Ray Walls for President of the NPMHU tee shirt tacked up on the Union Office Wall above my desk.

If you think that Network is bad now, you should have seen it in the late 80s and all through the 90s, it was worse and hopefully as some of the old die hard farts retire or get voted out, the Network will die an ugly death. Kenny in 305 and Paul in 300 will hopefully help kill the Network and get the ball rolling. I do support our current National President, he's a really good man, in tough spot, and he is and has been doing a good job in keeping mail handler jobs. Keeping jobs is what it all about.

Please note that I have never been a member of either 318 or 300, was in 305 when working at Southern MD years ago. Now, I'm in a weak sister Local and my BP is as useless as tits on a hog, but like I mentioned before, I think he is more afraid of me than management, and he leaves me alone to do my work as I see it not as he sees it.

For what it is worth, all mail handlers should make damn sure to get hold of a copy of your LMOU, reason being, if there is excessing of a tour in your facility orthe elimination of tour 2 or in some cases tour 1.

How that is done should be effected by the way your LMOU is written. Also the BP and the Chief Steward will be the last ones moved, regardless of seniority, unless they bid off. So when it happens, don't bitch, that right goes with the job, no matter how good or how sorry they are, they were elected by the mail handlers they represent.

And again, my opinion.

I think we should have stewards that know the contract and can answer questions. I think we should have stewards and a facility director that have some type of agenda other than "working with mgmt". But that is too much to ask for I guess, we got what we got. Any organization will always have those that claim they are interested in the greater good of all but are secretly only out for themselves. Is mail volume down as much as mgmt claims? Read the article about Philly....

hey union member you seem to know alot of the union leaders around the locals. i recently became a mail handler in local 300, new york. i recieved little or no representation as a clerk. can you advise me on the local 300 leadership?

Bulker, Kenny has always done a fine job and now that he is at the steering end, there is a great ray of hope for 305.

Radical is a great word for Ed, he can go off the deep end sometimes, but I would rather have him on my side than against me anytime.

Kenny and Company have the heart of 305 at their best interest, not like the Jones Boys did. These guys are not afraid of a fight and will rise to the cause of all the mail handlers under 305.

My facility is across the state line from 305, only wish my guys were as good as 305s.

I met most of them, as a steward, when I worked a SMD when they were just lowly stewards and AVPs. Then I moved South some years ago.

Hey Union Member, I would love to see "Kenny" run things. He is very smart and on top of things. I worked at the BMC in the 70's and late 80's along side some of these folks. Having become a steward and gone to training, I was very impressed by ALL of those guys. And the word radical is a great definition. I will keep you guys posted with whatever else is going on. And I think it is good that folks are letting us know what is going on thru out the other facilities.

Echo, what kind of representation should we get? The Postal Service has to do something. The mail volume is down, will continue to go down and cannot continue to do business as they always have. We are fortunate to still have jobs. There is going to be alot of moving around in the next couple of months. I also don't think that this is only Ms. Dunlap. Mr Ramos has done most of the actual planning of the REALIGNMENT. Most of us have worked along side of him on the floor. This is a real slap in the face. I hope tensions don't flair and something really bad happens. This is going to be a very difficult time for all of us. We need to stay prayed up!!! Good luck to everyone at the Detroit BMC!!

Echo .... I could'nt agree with you more. It seems as though Dwight has forgotten us here. Some of the MH's have said that this realignment was initially screwed up for them to. At least there union didn't bow down to Dunlaps wishes and get screwed over like us.

Memphis BMC update:
Sunday closing has been moved to the middle of Feb, so rebid letters won't have to go out right before Christmas. Those letters will be mailed on 12/26. There are 2 rounds to the process. We've had 5 or 6 to retire already, not wanting to be part of the circus anymore.

The limited duty people are being reevaluated, and those unable to work a regular duty job will be sent to the program they've set up for that. I'm glad they finally are doing that. Miraculously, several people are now healed of their 10 year "ailments", and back to regular duty!

Rumors abound, but there is no solid news to report other than that. We're still running 2 tours, and they've began to run the NMO again, as well as 1 primary sorter and both sack sorters. Mail volume is creeping up for the holidays, and mail processing is running a little overtime. Not much yet. More as I hear it.

At Detroit Bulk what is happening is that they are going to only two tours. Tour 2 will be from 7:30am-4pm(same as currently). Tour 3 will be changed to 7:30pm-4am and Tour 1 eliminated except for a " very few employees" mgmt says. All clerks on Tour 1 & 3 got letters stating their jobs were abolished as of Jan 31, 2009. The letter stated they would remain unassigned until such time as In-Section bidding can be accomplished. Tour 2 clerks got letters stating their jobs were being re-posted and they would have in-section bidding. One section on tour 2 that consists of parcel keyers from 3 keying units that have been combined and secondary floor as well contains 10 clerks that did not have their jobs abolished or reposted. These 10 clerks are the top seniority on their tour in those former keying units and sec floor. There are clerks higher than these 10 in seniority on the other shifts that have all received letters of abolishment. We are being told that although the time of the night shift is changed and midnights eliminated, none of these clerks will be able to bid on day shift until after the in-section bidding is done and some jobs are posted for open bidding. APWU facility director says this is what the contract states. Rumor has it the APWU stewards did not have jobs abolished and will not have to bid, but this is unconfirmed. Might be the ones currently on midnights will be part of the "very few employees" allowed to remain on that shift. These stewards also volunteer their holidays and come in and sit in the union office for their entire tour and never work their bids. I am not sure what letters said that were received by the mail handlers.....it was stated by the plant manager at a town hall meeting that some mail handlers would have retreat rights to tour 3 before bidding begins. A handful of the junior clerks got letters prior to everyone else stating they might be involuntarily reassigned....I think approx. 13 got those letters. Mgmt has told these clerks maybe only 5 would have to actually be reassigned because some are retiring and they are "working on firing some others" so its a great atmosphere because you have coworkers hoping you get a removal so they won't be excessed. Clerk stewards are saying they don't know anything about the reassigment letters or pretty much anything else they are asked either and are basically hiding in the union office all night to avoid people and only sharing info with their close friends. I hope if this is happening at other BMCs that you have better representation than we do.

I have known the MD State Rep for years and he is one of the most radical Union Advocate in the nation.

In fact I have known most of the New Top people in Local 305 for most of their Union lives from when I worked at Southern MD.

You can rest assured that once management commits itself, these folks will pounce on management with both feet. They are not like the old guard, the "Jones gang", that once ran 305 for too many years. They are far, far better than the Jones gang could have ever been.

These guys are aggressive, proactive, and are basically go getters who have whipped managements butt on many issues throughout 305 . So much to the point, when the last arbitration panel was put together, Eastern Area Management did its best to bring in new and no experience arbitrators to combat 305s arbitration success for the last 4 contracts.
The Union Advocates who made that success are the ones who are now running 305.

There is no doubt in my mind that one day the National President will come from the ranks of Local 305 top officers.

What they do, will done quietly, efficiently and will the effect our National Level Agenda in handling these issues.

My very strong OPINION.

A buddy of mine from the BMC in MD said that if they are excessed (as rumor has it) is crazy. There is the BMC and the GMF. One building but 2 different sides. Everybody can bid back and forth. However, when they excess, anybody with a bid job in the GMF can stay regardless of their seniority.

The folks on T2 will go to T3 sometime in February. They are not sure if they have to bid again or not. Those that are limited/light duty were sent home and told there was no work for them. They were given a letter stating that they have 6 months to to be able to do their bid job. He is not sure what will happen after the 6 months as far as their jobs go. Can they do that to the injured on the job people? Just asking because we have quite a few in my facility.

Bulker, you and I are alike, except, just before I leave, say a week or two, before my last day. I plan to clock in, then go sit in the break room until some management puke tells me to go to work.

Then I may go, with the plan to return to the break room later, or then again, I may not and just sit there.

If the puke shows their ass, and threatens to have me escorted out of the building, I'll wait till the escorst show up and tell the puke I'm sick and hand the puke a 3971.

What the hell can they do, put me out on 16.7, admin leave till my last day.

We have one stupidbitchvisor, a graduate of the first ASP program in my area two years ago, and talk about walking on water. If you ask her, she'll use the ELM to try to prove her sh** don't stink.

For the last 9 years, when she was a 204B and when she made SDO after her graduations from ASP, I have made her life hell because of the stupidity she has for a brain. I have 4 pre printed grievances forms I use because of her, all I do in fill in the names of the mail handler harmed, the dates, and who harmed them and check the block in the resolution for either money or overtime at a later date. After more than a 100 sustained OT grievances, she still screws up. She has lost every discipline she has given in the last 18 months and is going to loose at least 3 more before I leave.

I tend to have fun on my way out the door.

Well said Union Member. I agree that Obama has other issues that are far more relevant to our nation than the postal service. If the unions "together" tackle the current issues then others will take notice and things might be different. It makes me wonder that when the contract negotiations time comes, the biggest issue will be job security and raises.

Looks like it may be a bumpy ride for some. I have over 30 years and I can retire in 6 months. I'm taking my smock, postal sweater and hauling ass. Leaving the gloves pinned to the bulletin board. LOL

This being the tip of the ice berg, is going to test the resolve of our Unions, and unless the APWU and the NPMHU join together as one in this fight we're screwed.

Now is not the time for grand standing by APWU national president as he so smartly does, nor is it time for the NPMHU national president to stay in the back ground as he so smartly does.

The APWU and the NPMHU need to bury the hatchet and not in each others back on this one, this affects to damn many jobs, lives and families.

By the time the Obamaites believe Obama will do anything about it, it will be too damn late. Obama has more national pressing matters to contend with, then to deal with the postal service and he will be right in taking care of serious national matters first and us last.

Potter and company know this and they will press hard and fast to damage us, the Unions and make themselves look good in the process. After all the PRC gave him and his a bonus because of the hard work they have done during pressing times.

I fear that once the damage is done, there will be no reversal by Obama or the Congress. I see the hard times language in our National Agreements in the near future going into play and only the courts will make the final decision as to who is right and who is wrong. No telling how many jobs will be eliminated by then.

I have more than enough time into retire (pushing 30 years) and in June my yougest will be out of college. So I am reading the handwriting on the wall.

Just My Opinion

Is any other BMCs going through this crap? Chime in and keep us informed. If something happens to one, it's bound to happen to us all. Thanks to the jerks running things (and us into the ground).

Mike Mendez is the Branch Presidentfor the DBMC, Not Berrien.

Wait a minute, isn't Glenn Berrien the local president at the DBMC? Why doesn't he get on here and tell us what is relly happening their?

I heard that the 200 people were clerks in Detroit being excessed into the MH craft

BMC, sorry I guess I did word that crudely. We were told this from our supervisor last week. She said 234 people got the word that they were done and that no decision has been made where most of them are going. ? Sounded to us like bs, especially the part about not having a new position for everybody. She said that Detroit is totally closing as of today and that everything will now be coming out of Pontiac.

Again I am sorry for the way that sounded. No offense or insults intended. You have to be in management to be of a mindset to put other Postal workers down, and that sure ain't my goal.

CR34 - Pink slipped ? Not sure where you heard that from, obviously not from anyone here at the DBMC. Explain the who, what, and where or keep your sorry remarks to yourself.

Detroit - heard you all got pink slipped - is this true? All going to Pontiac - or where??????????????

no, it was physical address as required, not a po box, but 2 days from the the main PO to the Un of AZ, not the student mail room at the university, but to the main mail room for the university.......................

whats the distance, a few miles, 2 days, across town, 6 days priority, instead of 3 or 4 days..............................................

what outstanding service, and potter made nearly $900,000.00 in Fy 2008 including an incentive plan compensation that was just over $135,000.00 for such oustanding service and hard work in hard times...................

what utter f**king bullshit........................................

guess those route adjustments are really paying off................

now you see why i use FedX overnight if its really important to send something to my daugher..................................

my experience over the lsat 2 years with using our express mail has been as bad, and have gotten my money back for late delivery or non delivery of express mail most of the time.....

had express mail delayed by the city carrier from the Rincon station even though "signature" was waived and marked to leave in box......

and had the customer service rep at the rincon station tell me that the carrier had the option to do so, thus delaying the express mail......

more utter bullshit..............

complained to the rincon PM and got a bull shit answer and my money back.....

complained to the IG and got no answer.............

i surely pitty the general public in Tucson and in AZ if mail processing and delivery is as typical as i have experienced for nearly 2 and a half years..................

thankfully my daughter will completely finish up next month at the Un of AZ...........

when i retire in 2009, i will have 29 years and 5 months in and i have never seen times like this, i've seen hard tough years in the past, and what i thought was sorry ass manageement, but nothing like the stupid know nothing sorry ass managment we have now...................................................

and the ASP program is giving us another generation of the greatest and most stupid members of management i have ever seen....................

unions will not be the death of the postal service, the new generation postal management will be the death of it............................

Unless it was a P O box?

you missed the best part, it was left today, thanksgiving day, a holiday...

do we have carriers that deliver priiority mail on holidays?????????????

And that "notice left" at 4 in the morning kind of looks like a lie too.

this is what the hell is wrong with our service...

below is a delivery confirmation notification...

i can't about try to understand the 6 days it took to go from greensboro, nc to tucson, az...unless it was miss sorted and went by truck instead of being flown by FedX...

but once it got there, why the hell did it take 2 days to go from one side of tucson to the other side of the same damn town...

it kind of says it all...

it was priority mail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!........

Notice Left TUCSON AZ 85721 11/27/08 4:07am

Arrival at Unit TUCSON AZ 85726 11/27/08 4:07am

Processed TUCSON AZ 85726 11/25/08 2:26pm

Processed DENVER CO 80217 11/23/08 4:01am

Processed GREENSBORO NC 27495 11/19/08 11:58pm

New generationer, what is happening is management is trying to find a new excuse for why they can’t move the mail. Bend over and take it with a smile on your face because this will not work and two years from now or sooner we will do another reorganization of the tours as management tries to cover their asses. The problem is the mdos and most of the supervisors don’t know what they are doing and are just too stupid to figure it out. They had us changing color codes last week just to cover up the delayed mail.

I have no opinion. I have been through this too many times to care anymore. They will always do what they want.

Opinions about ?

Detroit BMC mailhandler realignment letters are in mailboxes today. Opinions? Please post!!!

A friend from southern MD was told that the bmc will close and fedex will work the parcels in a new building in Frederick MD. Also some bmc operations will move to the new building too. Frederick is about 50 miles from the bmc. If any of this is true, this will be hard on those that get excessed. This is a mess. Folks have already been screwed by the trim down of T-2. We'll see what happens but it does not look good.