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THE BULLETIN BOARD

December 2004

        [December 15th]

Christmas Cookies for PMAPWU Members

BMC, AMF & GMF: Beginning on Tour 1, Tuesday, December 21, 2004 following through Tour 2 and Tour 3, in the steward area for BMC and GMF and in the break room for the AMF.

L& DC: Beginning Tuesday night, December 21, 2004.

REC: Beginning Wednesday, December 22, 2004 in the lunch room.

        [December 15th]

Scholarships Available to PMAPWU Members

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Scholarship Essay Contest

1. Graduating high school seniors, all post secondary students, and affiliated Union members attending institutions, are eligible.
2. Academic Scholarship
3. First Prize- $2000.00, Second Prize- $1000.00, Third Prize- $500.00
4. Deadline to apply is January 31, 2005.
5. You can download an application at www.paaflcio.org.

Vocational Scholarship

1. Applicants must be a senior attending high school or other corresponding secondary school. Applicants must be a child or grandchild, including stepchild or legally adopted child of an active member, Retiree's Department member. Or deceased member of the American Postal Workers Union.
2. Vocational Scholarship
3. $1000.00 for three consecutive years or until completion of course, with total not exceeding $3000.00.
4. Application is to be post marked no later than March 1, 2005, and received no later than March 15, 2005.
5. You can download an application at www.apwu.org.

The E.C. Hailbeck Memorial Scholarship

1. Applicants must be a senior attending high school or other corresponding secondary school. Applicants must be a child or grandchild, including stepchild or legally adopted child of an active member, Retiree's Department member. Or deceased member of the American Postal Workers Union.
2. Academic Scholarship
3. $1000.00 for each of four consecutive years of college
4. Applications is to be post marked no later than March 1, 2005, and received no later than March 15, 2005.
5. You can download an application at www.apwu.org.

Patrick McShane Memorial Scholarship Program

1. Applicants must be a current graduating high school senior or a college undergraduate whose parent or legal guardian is a current active member in PMAPWU.
2. Academic Scholarship.
3. Application must be received by May 20, 2005.

If you are interested in obtaining further information, or would like an application for these scholarships, please contact the Union Hall, (412) 321-4700.

        [December 7th]

Health Benefits Open Season Extended

The deadline for changing health plans during Open Season has been extended to December 28, 2004.

Just a reminder: The APWU offers 2 great choices for 2005.

2005 Consumer Driven Option

• No upfront or hospital deductibles
• No co-pays
• 100% preventative care coverage
• Dental & Vision coverage (up $400/year for single and $800/year for family) Affordable premiums

High Option

• No deductibles, low co-pays for prescriptions
• Rated Tops in member satisfaction
• 100% coverage-children's immunizations
• 100% coverage-accidental injury
• Affordable premiums

The Health Plan will also provide a $25.00 rebate for all new enrollees.

Don't let this opportunity pass you by. Make the switch today. As always, it pays to belong to the APWU.

        [December 2nd]

ABB Lands $48M Deal With U.S. Postal Service
From the ABB website

ABB, a leading power and automation technology group, said Thursday it has won a $48 million robotics contract from the United States Postal Service (USPS) to help it increase the efficiency of the mail service. ABB in the United States is a technology-based provider of power and automation products, systems, solutions, and services.

ABB will supply robotics containerization systems to assist USPS mail processing facilities in handling several million items of mail each day. Each of the 67 systems that ABB is providing will contain two robots that automatically sort, move and stack mail trays based on zip code information embedded in bar codes on the containers. The new systems will support the next phase of the USPS mail processing automation program, which is designed to improve services. The contract follows a 2000-2001 project under which ABB supplied 100 similar containerization systems to 50 different USPS facilities.

"Substantial time and effort is associated with verifying, lifting, stacking, pushing, unloading and re-verifying trays of mail across our processing operations," said USPS Vice President of Engineering, Tom Day. "These systems will enhance our automation program by applying the flexibility and modular design of ABB's gantry solution to complete the automation of tray handling requirements."

        [December 1st]

Photos from RTC Strike, RCI Vote

We have photos posted of the striking RTC drivers from earlier this month, along with some information about why the strike was necessary.

Also, the members of the local RCI facility voted to have PMAPWU negotiate for them in early December. We have photos posted of the meeting and outcome of the voting.

Past Issues of the Bulletin Board

[November 2004]   [October 2004]   [September 2004]  

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