March 7 2001

Concerning the Contract. We hear rumors about unofficial talks are continuing as we prepare for Arbitration. First of all the National Union hasn’t provided us with an update on the contract in some time. Therefore it’s not possible for me to update you, the dues paying members when I am not updated.

I will tell you that the Postal Service continues plead poverty, deny us, the hard working backbone of the Postal Service, what we are due. They offer us trinkets, encourage us to compete with each other to increase production and work harder with fewer workers. Then if we fall into that trap, they use those numbers to cut jobs.

Always remember their job is to reduce cost and when they talk about cost they mean man- hours or more simply said our jobs. So their interest and our interest are not the same. We fight for more jobs while they are looking to reduce jobs. They are constantly adding new machines and mechanization to reduce the number of workers.

As a matter of fact I recently received a letter informing me that Robotics are coming to the Foreign building. This will result in the loss of more craft jobs. The new FSM 100 machine will be arriving soon causing the loss of even more jobs. It is unfortunate that we know more about what the Postal Service is doing then what our National Union is doing.

Rumors are also rampant on at least a dozen different issues. One issue management is seriously looking at - - forming three tours in the Bulk building. This looks like a certainty but as to the specifics when will it happen I haven’t been informed as yet. When I get official word you’ll get it.

On the National level the Postal Service is crying big time poverty and has already asked for another increase in the price of stamps. All capitol projects are on hold. Overtime is being cut everywhere. In addition, other drastic measures are being taken. For the first time ever-3rd class letter mail surpassed first class letter mail. No Da!!!! When you give huge discounts for presorting your mailings and it gets delivered in about the same amount of time. Would you continue to pay first class postage???????? Waste is rampant, work that could and should be done in-house is contracted out. Management is top heavy in Area offices and in Washington DC. The funny thing is that all the waste and abuse is in the ranks of Senior Management Officials in Washington and the Area offices, but it’s always blamed on labor costs or in other words on Craft employees! Of course some of this is contract hype for sure. How much I have no idea. But it never fails, every contract year the Postal Service is in the red! The one year they were not, our Leaders in Washington D.C. decided to accept some crumbs and the uninformed members voted for it. This time history might repeat itself. To borrow a phrase that current National President Billy Quinn made in reference to the 1992 Agreement. “Management got the gold and the members, got the shaft!”

I sure hope I’m wrong but don’t get your hopes up for anything substantial and that Sisters and Brothers is a tragedy! We deserve a decent and fair wage and benefit increase. We bust our butts here at the Bulk, as I’m sure they do in every facility. If it weren’t for overtime we could not live on our paycheck and management is looking to cut that!

Management talks a good game yet issues that have been reported continue to go unabated. Everyone here is quick to point the finger but very reluctant to accept any responsibility. Admittedly maintaining this facility is a monumental task. But it’s not impossible. Management makes the same stupid mistakes over and over again. Case in point, the recent fire during Bulk Tour III. As reported to us, there was a fire on the PSM 1& 2 North end, maintenance promptly responded and quickly extinguishes two small fires. A decision was made not to sound the alarm. But a couple of minutes later another code 99 was reported on the South end of PSM 1&2. At this point, the Union believes the facility should have been evacuated. It was obvious the situation was not totally under control. However, the alarm was not sounded. A very smoky condition existed and other fires were possibly not located. The alarm should have been sounded and the employees evacuated. We were lucky again!

Our National Union Leaders and the Postal Service last year signed a Memorandum of Understanding calling for the establishment, at the facility level, of a Committee consisting of Union and Management Representatives. The purpose of the Committee is to resolve issues that ordinarily would warrant an OSHA complaint. That Committee in this facility has been disbanded.

The Plant Manager has sought our cooperation on safety issues. He pledged that a new philosophy toward safety by management would change the way things are done here. Well, we sure have seen a lot of change, new job cutting machines, loss of work, such as the Puerto Rico mail sent to other facilities. Microwave ovens, which employees have had in their pay locations for years and for which, we have never been cited in numerous inspections, are now banned in the name of safety! Management says the microwave ovens are attracting rodents. First of all, there is major construction going on less then a mile from the facility. The whole area, including the Jersey City Heights and Union City are being over-run with wild life that is being up-rooted, plus we are in the middle of the meadows. We have always had a rodent problem and always will. It has absolutely nothing to do with microwave ovens.

Yet reported safety violations continue to go unabated for months at a time. For over five years we have been complaining about the lack of adequate heat in the Middle high volume. It’s always one story after another. But the stories always have the same result, NO HEAT! Not the kind of change that we had in mind! Cooperation is a two way street. We hope that Management will get the message that the patience of the workers is wearing thin. Don’t make the mistake of taking us for fools.

We want safety issues addressed promptly and if the building needs to be evacuated

An equally important issue that we need to take a serious look at is the need for an increased approach to the political arena. We have a National Political Action Committee that was established at the National Level. Donations are voluntary and not a penny of Union dues money goes to the Committee. A strong presence in the Political arena cost money and is more important then ever before. Please make a donation and don’t be stingy. I cannot stress enough how important this issue is. The Committee can only be as effective as our donations allow it to be. In addition, if you aren’t a registered voter you can register on the Branch home page. We saw the importance of voting in the last presidential election. Every vote counts.

For those of you who are not already aware New Jersey State Representative and Local Executive Board Member and Tour III Steward Brother Wally Merwin has been diagnosed with cancer. I consider Wally, to be the heart and soul of this facility. He is a great friend and has served this Union with great pride and distinction. Everyone loves Wally. He has a heart of gold and nerves of steel.

This should be a wake up call for all of us, so go get a physical. Most of us are getting up in age and early detection is still your best chance you have. Please stop smoking!

Our facility is scheduled to receive one new FSM 100 machines in either May or June. This machine eats mail at a tremendous rate and reduces the number of jobs as well.

The Steward straw poll elections are still just around the corner, nominations have been closed and the actual voting will soon begin. Please have a little patience; they’re coming!

Congratulations to the 15 flexi Mail Handlers who were just converted! It was a long time coming but you made it!

INTERNATIONAL WORKING WOMEN’S MONTH

Our branch celebrates this acknowledgement of our female co-workers during the days of this month long event. It is our goal to extend this acknowledgement into a daily, yearly and on going responsible relationship between us workers. One built on solidarity and common interest.

March 08 is International Working Women’s Day. Please attend events that build our UNITY and solidify our goals. The branch will cover more about this month in our next issue.

It is scheduled for Friday night March 16, 2001 from 7:00pm until 12:00am at the Mackenzie Post in Bayonne. Located at 34st. and Ave E. Tickets are priced at $35.00 per-person. This includes a sit down dinner and five-hour open bar. A portion of the price of the ticket will be put toward a gift for Wally. For tickets see Grady Fitzgerald, Al Conyers, Matty McDonald or Roz Marino. Wally will be in attendance and looks forward to seeing many of his friends and co-workers. So please come out and join us for a night of fun and appreciation for a guy who has did so much for so many of us. No Union funds are being used for this event.