 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Messages from the Union Office
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted 6/28/04
National Day of Mourning: Ronald Reagan
The USPS has agreed to honor President Bush's June 6, 2004 Executive Order closing all government departments and agencies on Friday, June 11, 2004 in observance of and to commemorate the passing of former President Ronald Reagan. The USPS will curtail mail delivery; many facilities will be closed or on limited operations. In 1998 the NPMHU secured a National arbitration award over the Nixon day of observance that granted all mail handlers administrative leave for the day of mourning. Subsequently, an MOU on the issue was signed by the parties. In short, the Postal Service has the right to direct you to work on the day of mourning, but you will then be credited with a day of administrative leave to be used within 6 months. If you are n/s on the Day of Morning, you also receive 8 hours admin leave credit. When taking this administrative leave in the future, make it very clear on your 3971 that the request is administrative leave for the Reagan National Day of Observance. This leave must be utilized by December 11, 2004, and is subject to normal leave request and approval procedures. If you have any questions about your entitlement to or use of this administrative leave, please see a Union steward.
Mail Handlers Named as Primary Craft for APPS Machine
On June 7, 2004 the NPMHU learned that the Postal Service has identified mail handlers as the primary craft to perform work associated with the Automated Package Processing System (APPS). The mail handler Union has been working hard to obtain this jurisdictional determination for some time. The Postal Service has determined the appropriate level to perform activities associated with the APPS to be Level 4. The Postal Service has contracted to install 104 APPS machines in the country. The BMC and MPA will each receive one. There have been many adjustments to the installation schedule, but as it stands today, the BMC is now scheduled to get the first District APPS machine in late 2004 and the MPA will receive an APPS machine in early to mid-2005. It is anticipated that the BMC APPS machine will be up and running by December 10, 2004; additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
Interactive Voice Response (IRV)
In the very near future, most Colorado employees will be calling in for sick leave, emergency annual, (emergency LWOP) or community disasters to a voice activated system; we will be communicating with a computer via voice and/ or button commands. There are many problems with the system; this is made obvious by the repeated delays in start-up, but you should expect informational stand-up talks on IVR in each pay location very soon. One immediate concern with the IVR system: management will be able to flag an employee (or group of employees) for documentation for a wide-gamut of (unlimited) time. IVR will provide management with the means to flag a person, pay loc, tour or facility for a single day, week, month or eternal window of time without said employee(s) actually being on sick leave restriction. Excluding those on sick leave restriction (per ELM513.39), requesting documentation from an employee in advance for a predetermined window of time is a violation of the Contract Interpretation Manual and National Agreement. In the Union's opinion, the only way management can request documentation in
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
advance is when the mail handler is on sick leave restrictions, and/ or has specifically agreed to this stipulation in a Last Chance Agreement (LCA). When requesting leave through the IVR system, if documentation is requested, please see a Union steward when you return to work, it may be appropriate to file a grievance immediately. If you have any concerns or questions about the IVR system, please request a Union steward.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PostalMag.com
Hello, my name is Tom Wakefield, owner/operator of PostalMag.com. I just wanted to let you know about PostalMag.com and our new Labor Links page. PostalMag.com has become the most popular site on the Internet for postal employees. We receive over 2 million hits a month! Link: http://www.postalmag.com
We've recently developed a Labor Links page and have included your site in our listings. Please check your site's link for accuracy.
Link: http://www.postalworkersonline.com/laborlinks.htm
In conjunction with our Labor Links page, we have developed a state-of-the-art discussion forum with a category for your postal labor union. These aren't just your ordinary discussion forums. Our forums (by Infopop) are among the most powerful you'll find anywhere on the Net. (They are the next generation forums to those used by such sites as www.military.com and www.sportingnews.com.) Our Infopop forums have powerful features such as image posting, private topics, and more that will let you communicate and discuss union issues in new and exciting ways. Link: http://postalmag.infopop.cc/6/ubb.x
As we have provided a link to your union's site, we respectfully ask that you include a link to PostalMag.com at your site. And if you would like, and you don't already have a discussion forum at your site, please feel free to include a link to our Infopop discussion forums as well.
PostalMag.com is an independent site that is not affiliated with the U.S. Postal Service. Personally, I am a proud member of the NALC Lone Star Branch 132 in Dallas, Texas.
Keep up the good work, Tom Wakefield www.postalmag.com www.postalworkersonline.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Union Member Rights and Officer Responsibilities Under the LMRDA
The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) guarantees certain rights to union members and imposes certain responsibilities on union officers. The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) enforces many LMRDA provisions while other provisions, such as the bill of rights, may only be enforced by union members through private suit in Federal court. For more information contact the nearest OLMS field office listed on the reverse.
Union Member Rights
Bill of Rights - Union members have:
Equal rights to participate in union activities
Freedom of speech and assembly
Voice in setting rates of dues, fees, and assessments
Protection of the right to sue
Safeguards against improper discipline
Copies of Collective Bargaining Agreements - Union members and nonunion employees have the right to receive or inspect copies of collective bargaining agreements.
Reports - Unions are required to file an initial information report (Form LM-1), copies of constitutions and bylaws, and an annual financial report (Form LM-2/3/4) with OLMS. Union must make the reports available to members and permit members to examine supporting records for just cause. The reports are public information and copies are available from OLMS.
Officer Elections - Union members have the right to:
Nominate candidates for office
Run for office
Cast a secret ballot
Protest the conduct of an election
Officer Removal - Local union members have the right to an adequate procedure for the removal of an elected officer guilty of serious misconduct.
Trusteeships - Unions may only be placed in trusteeship by a parent body for the reasons specified in the LMRDA.
Prohibition Against Certain Discipline - A union or any of its officials may not fine, expel, or otherwise discipline a member for exercising any LMRDA right.
Prohibition Against Violence - No one may use or threaten to use force or violence to interfere with a union member in the exercise of LMRDA rights.
Union Officer Responsibilities
Financial Safeguards - Union officers have a duty to manage the funds and property of the union solely for the benefit of the union and its members in accordance with the union's constitution and bylaws. Union officers or employees who embezzle or steal union funds or other assets commit a Federal crime punishable by a fine and/or imprisonment.
Bonding - Union officers or employees who handle union funds or property must be bonded to provide protection against losses if their union has property and annual financial receipts which exceed $5,000.
Labor Organization Reports - Union officers must:
File an initial information report (Form LM-1) and annual financial reports (Form LM-2/3/4) with OLMS
Retain the records necessary to verify the reports for at least five years.
Officer Reports - Union officers and employees must file reports concerning any loans and benefits received from, or certain financial interests in, employers whose employees their unions represent and businesses that deal with their unions.
Officer Elections - Unions must:
Hold elections of officers of local unions by secret ballot at least every three years.
Conduct regular elections in accordance with their constitution and bylaws and preserve all records for one year.
Mail a notice of election to every member at least 15 days prior to the election
Comply with a candidate's request to distribute campaign material.
Not use union funds or resources to promote any candidate (nor may employer funds or resources be used)
Permit candidates to have election observers
Allow candidates to inspect the union's membership list once within 30 days prior to the election.
Restrictions on Holding Office - A person convicted of certain crimes may not serve as a union officer, employee, or other representative of a union for up to 13 years.
Loans - A union may not have outstanding loans to any one officer or employee that in total exceed $2000 at any time.
Fines - A union may not pay the fine of any officer or employee convicted of any willful violation of the LMRDA.
Information about OLMS, including key personnel and telephone numbers, how to obtain LM reports, compliance assistance materials, the text of the LMRDA, and related Federal Register and Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) documents, is also available on the Internet at: http://www.dol.gov/dol/esa/public/olms_org.htm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best Date to Retire
According to OPM, most federal and postal service employees retire at, or near, the end of the calendar year. In FY1999, January was the most popular month to retire (9,792). September had 7,919 retirements and July had the third most at 5,216. The least number of retirements occurred in November, 1999 (1,953).
Statistics over a longer period of time, FY1990-1999, show the most popular months to retire:
January...76,817
September...63,722
December...50,726
The least popular month to retire always seems to be February, which came in at 24,356 for the period from 1990 to 1999.
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM (CSRS)
JANUARY 3 (CSRS). Yes, of course you can use your "crystal ball" but all other things being equal, for most federal employees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) the best date to retire may just be January 3, 2003. Here's why:
CSRS employees can retire by the 3rd day of the month and still receive payment in February for the month of January; (FERS employees do not enjoy this option).
For most CSRS employees (GS-types) the January 3rd date maximizes any general increase they got back in January 2002; by January 3rd the 2002 pay increase will have been in effect for almost a full year and will have eliminated the 1999 pay rate from the high-3 computation. (Continued on next page) Click here
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|