THE BULLETIN BOARD
March 2007
[March 29th]APWU Contract Officially Signed
In a ceremony March 29, APWU President William Burrus and Postmaster General John E. Potter signed the 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Their signatures formalized the agreement, which was ratified by union members in January. The specific provisions of the agreement have been agreed to, and a permanent printed version is currently being proofread and finalized for printing. The union will post a notice when copies are available.
[March 3rd]Clerk Craft Involuntary Reassignment Meetings
Newly converted, potentially impacted, and concerned Members of the Clerk Craft are invited and encouraged to Attend a Meeting at PMAPWU Headquarters for discussions and information regarding involuntary reassignments and related matters.
At this time, 2 such Meetings are scheduled for Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 7:30 am and 1:00 pm at 1414 Brighton Road, 15212
More dates and times will be announced when confirmed.
[March 2nd]Union, Management Sign Off On Contract Questions & Answers
(excerpted from APWU Web News Article #17-07)
The APWU and USPS signed off on a set of Questions and Answers [PDF] regarding the 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which outline the specific application of provisions involving the conversion of part-time flexibles and the supplemental workforce. "These joint interpretations clarify the parties' intent about how to implement the new contract," said APWU President William Burrus.
The responses to 47 questions were agreed to in a document signed by Burrus and the USPS Vice President for Labor Relations on March 2. Additional questions and answers may be developed as necessary.
Question 27, which addresses when casuals are placed in an overtime status, remains under discussion and may be subject to change, Burrus said. "Until a final decision is reached, the answer in the Q & A should be applied."
» Read the entire article at the APWU News Articles page.
[March 1st]PRC Decision a Big Win For Postal Customers, APWU
(excerpted from APWU News Bulletin #04-2007)
The APWU— along with individual customers and small businesses— achieved a significant victory Feb. 26, when the Postal Regulatory Commission announced its recommended decision on a USPS request to increase rates: The PRC rejected the Postal Service's proposed rate structure, and instead endorsed an APWU suggestion to increase postage for individual first-class letters to only 41 cents, instead of 42 cents as the Postal Service requested.
The commission also echoed the APWU assertion that discounts for presorted mail should not exceed the costs that the Postal Service avoids when large mailers engage in "worksharing."
Rejecting a USPS proposal to disconnect rates for single pieces from rates for presorted mail, the panel concluded, "de-linking" would abandon "the principle that worksharing discounts should be based on the costs avoided by worksharing activities." The USPS proposal would have expanded discounts beyond that, and would have unfairly shifted the burden of this rate increase on to single-piece mailers, the panel found.
For more than a decade, the APWU has argued that excessive worksharing discounts rob the Postal Service of needed revenue, and undermine the fundamental mission of the USPS— to provide universal service at uniform rates.
» Read the entire article at the APWU News Bulletins page.
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