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President's Desk
[Posted: 2-21-2006]
PTF Right to Opt on Temporary Vacancies
On August 3, 2005 we had our usual monthly Labor Management Meeting with Ms Green and Area Managers from the Houston Post Office. The four full-time officers of our union were also present.
At that meeting a discussion arose about PTFs being assigned temporarily to stations. In the discussion it was pointed out that a frequent problem was that the carriers assigned temporarily were not being allowed to opt on routes at either the temporary station or the original station where they were actually assigned. The result of that situation was that they were being denied the right to opt at all.
As a result of that discussion, the following agreement was reached.
In the future, PTFs will be allowed to opt wherever they are physically assigned, provided that the PTF works in that station for eight hours or more during the availability of the opt. Additionally, they will be allowed to opt in their 'home' station, the station where they are actually carried on the station complement.
Prissy Grace, President
NALC Br. 283
[Posted: 10-13-2005]
Memorandum
Holiday / Designated Holiday
Columbus Day, 2005
It is agreed that the ‘pecking order’ established by the local agreement will be used to schedule work on the holiday/designated holiday (Columbus Day, 2005) with the following exception.
Before non-volunteer regulars are required to work, any carriers displaced by hurricanes Katrina/Rita, working in lieu of leave will be allowed to volunteer. If there are more displaced carrier volunteers than needed the displaced carrier volunteers will be used according to the date they first entered the current station. If there is a tie, the tie breaker used will be the volunteers’ birthdates.
If there are insufficient volunteers, the scheduling will be done by following the ‘pecking order’ outline as written in the local agreement for non-volunteers.
No displaced carrier will be required to work a holiday or designated holiday that does not volunteer.
In those stations, where displaced carrier volunteers are working, the parties agree to extend time for posting of the weekly schedule for the week beginning October 8, 2005 until the close of business on Wednesday, October 5, 2005 in order to allow the application of this agreement.
The above agreement will apply to this holiday only, and only to offices represented by NALC 283.
Original on file signed by:
Mike Beauchamp, USPS Houston District
Prissy Grace, NALC 283
[Posted: 9-12-2005]
AFL-CIO: Historic Decisions
I have just returned from the AFL-CIO meeting in Chicago. Even before the delegates gathered, people said that this would be a historic, long-remembered convention. Certainly, that assessment is correct.
I have twice been an AFL-CIO delegate for the NALC. The first time was the historic convention when there was a contested election for the top two officers of the AFL-CIO. Now, at the second historic convention, there is a history-making split. I am a history buff. I was a part of what happened. I was also an interested observer of history in the making.
I have a heart that loves the labor movement. Working people are my people. I am third generation American in the Grace family. Each generation of Graces has included proud union members. I will always support the causes of labor; it is in my blood and my heart.
There is sadness within me to have witnessed this wound in labor solidarity. But I know that unity can only be achieved between groups of people if those people are willing to seek and strive for the common good.
In this situation, two things were obvious to me. There was lack of agreement. There was an abuse of power. As I see it, the different factions could not agree on how to achieve the common good. True enough, both sides agree that the common good can be achieved by change in the political climate in this country. But there was no agreement on how to change the political climate. Second, there was a refusal of the powerful majority to listen and respect the views of the minority.
We agree that:
As long as the Congress continues to pass laws that benefit big business at the expense of working people, such as CAFTA, working people will suffer.
As long as we do not have universal health care for everyone in the USA, working people will suffer.
As long as our education system is better for some and lacking for others, working people will suffer.
As long as minimum wage is not enough to provide basic necessities, working people will suffer.
As long as minimum wage is such that a family must choose between food and housing, working people will suffer.
In other words, America's workers need better benefits to produce a better life style.
The two sides could not agree on how to change the political climate. One side believes the way to change the political climate is to spend more money on political issues. They would educate our members on political issues. They would get more of our members to vote, get more of our members to become politically active. Certainly, there is merit in this argument.
The other side believes we do the above and fail to be as effective as we need to be. This side reasons that we are not organizing all the workers we need to succeed. Across the nation, about 90% of all workers have no union. If more members were represented by unions, more workers would have better working conditions. Better pay would produce a better life style.
This side also believes organizing is the answer to the problems of labor. Once organized, our members realize the benefits of union membership. It is at this point that they are more likely to support the political issues necessary to keep America working. Certainly, there is merit to this argument.
Why No Compromise? Why No Agreement? Why a Major Split?
As I see it, the answer to the above questions is poor leadership that left large numbers of members feeling disenfranchised. I believe that large numbers of union members felt their opinions were not valued enough to even have expression. If their needs were not important enough to be considered, their membership was not valued.
What I saw, under the leadership of President Sweeney, was a failure of the powerful majority to recognize the concerns of the minority. Always, there are two sides to every question.
I saw the majority adopt rules that limited the debate. Then, I saw the majority line up at the microphones and block the minority dissenters from expressing an opinion, stopping the minority from having a voice.
At NALC conventions and meetings, we witness letter carriers effectively express themselves on just about anything. We have heated debates. But never is the debate allowed to be a one-sided expression of opinions to the exclusion of other opinions. At NALC national conventions, one rises under for & against signs.
Presidents Sombrotto and Young have always alternated between the two sides in recognizing speakers. The same type of recognition occurs at state conventions and in our local meetings. Often I have witnessed our members lining themselves up at the microphone by alternating for & against.
Such actions ensure a fair debate. Whichever way the vote goes, people will know that their opinion was heard. Isnąt that the least we can do for a brother or a sister? After all, we all pay dues, we all have opinions; we should have the opportunity to be heard.
Where is the NALC in this?
I was proud to be at the convention as elected delegate of the NALC. I served there with President Young, President Emeritus Sombrotto, Secretary-Treasurer Jan Broendel, Anita Guzik (Branch 24), Ingrid Armada (Branch 15), Phillip Wilkes (Branch 11), and Linda Temple (Branch 47). I am happy to say that each of these good delegates sat through every session and attentively listened to everything. We all took this convention seriously. We are all people that love the labor movement and are concerned about the future of working people.
I cannot speak for anyone but myself. As the President of Branch 283, I feel an obligation to express to our membership my feelings about what happened this week.
I believe that President Sweeney missed an opportunity to heal the wounds that have developed in the AFL-CIO during his time as president.
I believe his failure will long be felt in the labor movement. President Sweeney made a statement at the convention that I believe was very telling. Regarding the unions that have left, he said, "There is no turning back." With that, the AFL-CIO began to pass constitutional amendments that disenfranchised many unions, including I believe, the NALC.
They reduced the size of the Executive Committee in a way that left the NALC out. Even after all the years that President Emeritus Sombrotto has supported and worked for the AFL-CIO, even after the continued support of President Young, they left us out!
When HR22 came before the House of Representatives on the second day of the convention, they did not mention it from the podium. The House passed it without amendments, thanks in large part to the dedication of NALC members. However, there was no announcement from the Chair. The AFL CIO leadership seemed not to care or notice. They left us out!
Change is here. Change can be good or it can be destructive. Only history will tell which it is. The unions that left have formed a coalition that is called the Change to Win Coalition. They have publicly stated that they would like to continue to work together wherever possible. They committed themselves to continue to work in partnership with the AFL-CIO leadership and all affiliates on areas of mutual concern, including political and legislative issues. They also committed to continue participation in central labor councils, state labor federations and constituency groups. They committed to help make local labor movements stronger and inclusive.
In answer to this offer, the AFL-CIO proceeded to adopt amendments to the constitution that would bar dis-affiliated unions from continuedparticipation in central labor councils, state labor federations and constituency groups.
After blocking the participation of these brothers and sisters, the AFL CIO then raised the dues to the AFL CIO and passed an amendment that would now require all AFL CIO unions to fully participate (pay dues) in the central labor councils and state labor federations. For our local this means an increase of about $3,000 a month, or $36,000 annually.
Like many other unions, we could do this only by cutting other expenses or raising dues. When dealing with budgets, once must ask the question "What is more important?" How important is continued participation in an organization that does not value us? How important is continuing our local's policy of education? How important is participation in NALC functions and full participation of our delegation at conventions?
The most important thing we do is represent our members on a daily basis. This means steward pay, full time and part time officers, special teams and representatives as needed. What is most important is a question we will be required to ask and answer as a result of the leadership decisions of the AFL-CIO. Political issues are important, but where do we get the most help? AFL-CIO or COLCPE?
According to news reports, several unions that stayed at the convention have now decided to leave the AFL-CIO. I guess they answered the questions for their unions.
Will we be among those that leave?
I must say that I have serious concerns about continuing to support the AFL-CIO. Its leadership appears to be determined to follow a course that is alienating its members. Current AFL-CIO leadership appears unable to establish unity of purpose in seeking and striving for the common good. Such a course is doomed to failure.
I am anxious to hear what President Young will say about this issue at the upcoming Rap Session in August. I believe that President Young is a great leader of the NALC. I know that he seeks the advice of other great leaders when he has such decisions to make. I know that President Emeritus Sombrotto is an excellent mentor to him. I trust that he will lead us in the right direction.
Of course, in the end, it is the members of the NALC across this country that will make this decision. You should remember that you, Brothers and Sisters, will have to make this decision.
Listen to the debate. Learn what you can. We will make this decision, just as letter carriers make other such decisions, after much debate and consideration. Finally, we will make the right decision for letter carriers. I have no doubt about that!
Prissy Grace, President, NALC 283
[Posted: 12-23-2003]
Part-Time Regular Collection Routes
- Management in the Houston Installation may create up to 25 Part-Time Regular (PTR) positions. These PTR positions will be created solely for the purpose of collecting mail along certain collection routes. All boxes collected and all places of depositing mail will be located within the Houston Installation with anticipated completion date of March 2004.
- Each position will have a regular reporting time. The reporting times will be established between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The routes will be designed and scheduled for four to six hours of collecting work. For the purpose of this Agreement, up to 25 collection routes may be established with stationary Saturday/Sunday off days.
- Management will convert existing collection routes within the Houston Installation, including but not limited to, the ten collection routes at Sam Houston to part-time regular assignments. These will be assigned to PTR Letter Carriers by seniority. The Sam Houston collections are currently being reconfigured and assigned to PTF carriers until PTRs can fill these positions. This will be completed by January 1, 2004.
- All PTR Letter Carrier collectors will be assigned to Sam Houston Station. They will be a part of that station (section) for all purposes such as pay, supervision, scheduling, leave, excessing etc.
- Management will designate a portion of the GPO, 401 Franklin, as an extension of the Sam Houston Carrier Annex. Letter Carriers will be permitted to use employee parking at the GPO. Said Annex will not be considered a separate section. All notices posted at Sam Houston concerning Letter Carriers will also be posted at the carrier annex. Normal safety meetings will be scheduled for PTR carriers. The union will be supplied a Union bulletin board at the carrier annex and union stewards elected for Sam Houston Station will be allowed travel time on the employer's time when it is necessary to travel between the carrier annex and Sam Houston to conduct investigations or represent Letter Carriers.
- It is understood part-time regular assignments will be evaluated at no more than six hours a day. Therefore, it is agreed that a thirty minute (30) lunch time will not normally be deducted from the PTR's daily time. However, in a case where management knows in advance a PTR is expected to work over six hours, the PTR will be notified as early as posible so that the carrier will be able to take lunch before the end of the six hours if desired.
- It is understood that PTR Letter Carriers cannot bid on full-time positions and full-time Letter Carriers cannot bid on part-time positions. However, for purposes of competing for leave, holiday work, etc. the date of entry into the Houston Installation Letter Carrier Craft shall be the seniority date used.
- If a letter carrier in the Houston Installation moves from full-time to part-time or vice versa, that letter carrier's seniority shall not be affected by said transfer.
- If management creates or abolishes any collection routes in the future, the local union will be included in the planning stages in order to ensure possible problems and issues are addressed and avoided, if possible.
- Before filling any part-time regular positions that are created, the positions will be advertised and offered to full-time regulars and part-time flexible scheduled Letter Carriers currently employed in the Houston Installation. The advertisement will clearly explain the positions and effect the change to part-time regular. Positions will be awarded on the basis of seniority of those that request to change positions and meet the requirements of the position.
Prissy Grace
President
NALC Branch 283
2414 Broadway St.
Houston, Texas 77012