The problem right now is, productivity in Philadelphia is down way below our normal standard, and considered unacceptable to some people in and outside of the Postal Service, and the Philadelphia Area. The bottom line is, there is a need for immediate improvement which I feel can only be done through a total group effort. We are all, union, employees and management, in this boat together and if the ship goes down, we all go down with it. You don’t need management if you get rid of the employees, and you don’t keep employees without management. What affects one of us, affects all of us.
I guess my concern is, why would national management be persuaded to utilize the Philadelphia area when we are not productively processing our own mail? Some of this may be wishful thinking on my part, but I think this is a legitimate concern. Even if the consolidation does not take place, the Philadelphia Installation is having some serious problems. These problems need to be resolved.
Once again, this will take a group effort by all. There has to be better communication. Employees need to feel that their concerns are being heard and, more importantly, addressed. Prior to moving out to the Lindbergh Facility, the Plant Manager at that time, Mr. Leonti, went over to the MVS section to listen and discuss their concerns. This boosted the morale of the drivers.
Who remembers being able to watch the Super Bowl on a big screen TV in the cafeteria at lunch time while at work? Employees appreciate when little gestures such as this are done. It can be a great motivator. When you have good communication, good motivation, and morale is high, problems such as we are experiencing normally disappear. Just telling someone that they did a great job can be one of the best motivational tools ever, and it doesn’t cost a dime.
I think there are some real concerns on all sides, more so on the employees side, which need some serious, open minded discussion. I also think that management needs to talk to the employees who work in the areas of concern for their input. Who would know better on how to address a problem other than the employees who work there everyday? For the past year we have been doing it management’s way and it’s not working. How long is the postal service going to try to force the round peg into the square hole?
I personally do not like hearing, as I’m sure the dedicated employees here don’t like hearing, that Philadelphia cannot handle their business when it comes to processing the mail. In the next couple of months we should have most of the positions that were posted for bid in the last 30 days filled. This should help some, but will not resolve the serious morale problem we have here. That will take time and work on the part of all of us. I will attempt to open up the lines of communication. We’ll have to wait and see what happens from there.
We should not have members leaving the meeting, going back to their work areas, undermining and finding fault with the decision of the membership. Once the decision is made, we need to unite for a solid front so management knows we’re all together.
Backbiting not only weakens the union but helps management; and that is something no true union member desires. What can make the situation worse is when the backbiting and false accusations are made from elected members of the union who are supposed to put their personal feelings aside and do what’s best for the union members. Neither the oath of office nor the constitution should ever be pushed aside or ignored in the name of political maneuvering and personal gain.
The bad part is that most of the accusations don’t even involve the officers that presently are leading the union, but are from past administrations. They are the same tired, recycled accusations that were made leading up to the last Local Election.
When these accusations were made before, they were proven to be unfounded. The books were checked by two different accounting firms, as well as agents from the Department of Labor. No wrong-doing was found. Perhaps the most financially prudent decisions weren’t being made, but nothing illegal had occurred.
All of this begs the question; why bring up the same accusations again? The answer is simple enough, just ask yourself this question. Who stands to profit from people believing these baseless accusations? The answer; the very people making the accusations will benefit, that’s who.
We train our stewards that they must document all violations so we can prove the union’s case before an arbitrator. We must provide hard evidence to prove our case, not just hearsay and accusations. You, as a dues paying member, should also apply this principle to anyone who is making an accusation against a fellow union member. Demand hard evidence, have them explain in detail what it is they allege is improper or illegal.
I say; if you have something that is truly wrong, bring it up in the correct manner. If you’re a member of the Executive Board, that is the place for differences to be discussed and voted on before being brought to the membership at a meeting. That is especially true with this Executive Board because it is made up of very strong individuals who are not afraid to speak their mind, and will do everything to correct a problem or situation that may hurt the membership.
So I say; put-up or shut-up. The false accusations have to end. If you’ve got proof, show it, or quit the backbiting. Help this union to move forward.
The day-to-day operating expenses of the Local are being paid through our general funds account. These expenses include paying our bills, taxes, payroll and other operating expenses for running our Local.
The contingency fund is a separate savings account held by the Local that is used for emergency situations. Expenditures from the contingency fund are governed by our Local Constitution.
I will once again explain, as I did in my article in the March/April 2006 edition of the Philadelphia Postal Worker, what the pension fund is, who is covered by it and how it was established.
The Local pension fund, simply put, is a retirement plan for employees of our Local. It was established in the 1970’s by our second Local President, Phil Fleming, with the approval of the membership, and it was modeled after the pension fund created by the National APWU.
Full-time officers, office staff, and any member who works in a pay status of the Local (code 84) in excess of 1,000 hours are eligible for the Local’s pension fund.
The full-time officers are, in essence, no longer working for the postal service, nor do they get paid from the postal service. They are now employees of the union instead. It is the union who pays their salary and benefits.
As I reported before, I reviewed all the accounts held by this Local, as well as all the deposits made by the Local, including the pension fund. I have found no wrong-doing. Furthermore, as was reported earlier, the accounts of the Local, including the pension fund, were reviewed by the accounting firms of Novak and Francella, hired by the new administration, and Liebowitz and Gold. Neither firm found any wrong-doing or theft. In addition, the Department of Labor sent an investigator to review our finances, prior to the last election, based on complaints and allegations made by some Executive Board members; they found no wrong-doing or theft had taken place.
The Local’s pension fund is managed by the law firm of Mand-Marblestone, and is in strict and total compliance with IRS Code and Department of Labor regulations.
Once again, I hope this clears up any questions or misconceptions about the Local’s pension fund. Rest assured that as Treasurer I will always do everything within my power to ensure our Local remains financially strong. Please feel free to contact me any time with questions about the Local’s finances.
We are confident that the renovations will be complete, with the exception of our elevator installation, in time to meet our targeted move-in date of the end of September.
There was a motion made at the June Meeting to support National APWU President Bill Burrus and the Leadership Team in the upcoming National Union Elections. The motion passed by unanimous vote.
There was discussion about the bidding procedure being shifted to Shared Services in Greensboro, North Carolina. President Elliott said that management will keep two employees here in Philadelphia as liaisons for now.
President Elliott also thanked Drew Stevenson and Stacy Franklin for spending countless hours working on the payment of the CILO settlement. Thanks must also go out to Labor Relations Specialist Karen Townes for all her assistance. Everyone, with the exception of a few of the estates, has received their full payment.
Often Postal Inspectors or OIG agents will attempt to coerce responses to questions when or if they allege that no union representation can be found. You must stand fast and firm and assure them that you will cooperate, but only after a union representative becomes available, regardless of whether the availability occurs within hours, days or weeks.
Once you have requested union representation, the Postal Inspector or OIG agent must do one of three things; grant the request and delay questioning until a union representative is present, discontinue the interview and act solely on the evidence on hand or advise the employee that the employer will not proceed with the interview unless the employee is willing to be interviewed without a representative.
The following are dos and don’ts of survival when approached by Postal Inspectors or OIG agents:
DO – Always insist on having a union representative or your attorney present during your interview.
DO – Remain calm.
DO – Correctly identify yourself if asked to do so.
DO – Read aloud the following: I request the presence of my Union Representative. If I am a suspect in a criminal matter, please so advise me. If so, I wish to contact my attorney.
DON’T – Consent to a search of your person or property.
DON’T – Physically resist an arrest or search of your person or property.
DON’T – Ever speak to an Inspector or OIG agent without a union representative or an attorney.
DON’T – Ever agree to take a polygraph test.
You, as a law abiding citizen, believe for the most part that law enforcement officials, like postal inspectors, are honest, fair servants of the public good. Contrary to this belief, they are not part of the symbolism and image portrayed by the picture of the helpful police officer we all remember from our childhood. In my opinion, the Inspection Service/OIG is in the business of causing resignations, removals, arrests and convictions. That is their function. They are not in the business of assisting workers or protecting their rights. They will use any and all means necessary to get what they need to do their job; if they have to misrepresent their intentions, threaten, promise or outright lie, then that’s what they’ll do to get a conviction.
Remember this, Postal Inspectors/OIG are not your friends, and in the event that they do come for you, strictly follow the dos and don’ts outlined in this article.
I have worked as a shop steward for many years, and have seen a number of different postal managers came and go. Some were so-so, some were bad, but none were good. Postal management is not on the worker’s side; non-union members are not on the worker’s side. When I say worker’s side, I am talking about those postal employees who come to work every day, do their jobs and fight for good pay, fair treatment, sick time, and annual leave. These employees understand that without a union fighting for their best interests they would have none of those hard-fought-for things. Non-members care only about having these things, not working for them. They whine about paying a small portion of their pay so these things can be fought for. Nothing is free, everything has a price.
I have more than twice the number of non-members asking the union’s help than members. This is because we have to help them. I am asking all union members to call, write or e-mail their representatives in Washington DC asking them to vote to change this. Non-members are the cancer that is eating the heart out of worker protection and killing us all.
I look forward to the day when the union no longer has to represent non-members; a day when, if management fires a non-member, we don’t have to spend our dues paying members’ money to fight for that freeloader. I hope I am there to see the look on that non-member’s face as they look around with nowhere to go and no recourse but the door. I am not asking non-members to sign up, you can’t beat a dead horse, just bury it.
The magnitude of what had just happened did not yet set in. I pictured a small private plane and its few unfortunate passengers plowing into the side of one of the towers. I had hoped that no one in the building was injured, and hoped that the passengers had somehow survived and would be ok as well.
Minutes after I returned to my desk, a newscaster exclaimed that a second plane hit the other tower of the World Trade Center. What was going on? Talk abounded around the office, as it became more apparent that someone purposely caused this tragedy. As more news aired, it soon became apparent that these acts of mayhem were somehow linked to terrorists.
Within minutes, my coworkers and I gathered in our manager’s office; our eyes were glued to the horrific scenes unfolding before us on the television that we’d normally use for training purposes. The images of the smoldering buildings, people plummeting to their deaths, and the footage of the second plane plowing into the second tower, were paralyzing. News of yet another attack on the Pentagon added to our disbelief. Some of us were brought to tears.
In the midst of this nightmare, another thought concerned my coworkers and me. We were sitting ducks. As we peered through our windows, facing the center-city Philadelphia skyline, we nervously searched for low flying aircraft. The view of the city suddenly appeared ominous. After all, Philadelphia is sandwiched midway between Washington DC and New York City. Most of us left early, fighting hoards of traffic. Apparently, most of the city had the same idea.
A few years have passed since the tragic events of September 11, but the country and the world remain forever changed. Up to that point, we had always been used to hearing about terrorism in the Middle East and other countries, but certainly not here. Heaven forbid. But heaven had little to do with the changes that would continue to rock our country and murder thousands of innocent civilians.
To make matters worse, during the months following September 11, anthrax letters through the mail maintained our sense of danger around us. More people died - this time from a disease that circulated through the mail. Again, my coworkers and I panicked. The Postal Service discovered anthrax at other facilities, killing two postal employees. Our facility was tested, and although we didn’t handle mail in our office, we were given the option of wearing gloves when opening the internal mail, another reminder of our increasingly dangerous world.
Despite the horrors of September 11 and the atrocities to follow, I noticed that the events occurring on and after this historic date led to a renewed solidarity of young and old. Patriotism returned to our nation. Flags became so popular that stores couldn’t keep up with the demand. Americans rallied against Bin Laden and his group of international thugs, and his Al-Qaida network became a symbol of evil.
More recently, America’s image has suffered. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq following our invasion of Afghanistan has not been looked upon favorably by many, especially those who have lost their loved ones. Although reasons for our involvement in Iraq are more than questionable, we should commend our troops for their show of patriotism and courage. Hopefully, they will come home soon.
As a 40 something baby-boomer, I remember how the Vietnam War ended just before I came of draft age. Throughout my life, many others in my age group and I viewed flag wavers and veterans as overly sentimental zealots. I believe much of our apathy came from the frustrations of the Vietnam War, a war that many of us felt we shouldn’t have been involved. Moreover, of course, we were not around when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, so we never had a sense of an invasion upon our homeland - until September 11. Like that famous December date that will forever live in infamy, a new historic date of September 11 imparted upon those of us who had never experienced a home invasion a lethal dose of reality.
Perhaps something positive arose from the ashes of the post-September 11 era. We have come to understand the veterans of our fathers’ generation better. Now we, too, know the terrors through which they lived within their home soil. We have gained an understanding of their valor, and their respect for the flag and all it stands for. I hope that we can instill our renewed sense of patriotism upon our children. Perhaps by passing our strengthened commitment toward our country to the next generation we might be able to keep the events of September 11 from ever happening again.