MHV02-02

Over the past several weeks, he has shown his true colors. While we didn’t want to prejudge him and since we knew little about him our Union took the wait and see approach. Our initial impression was that he wasn’t that bad. However, we judge a person by their actions, not by their words He cleaned up the place, talked a good game of wanting to cooperate and work with the Unions. Well, it’s now apparent that he is all about reducing staffing and running operations short handed, while at the same time demanding increased production. During his short time here we have seen more change then we did in the past twenty years. It appears that he is systematically dismantling our facility piece by piece. He’s bringing in managers from first class facilities, who have no idea how the Bulk operates.

For almost twenty years our facility has been the premier Bulk facility in the country. We have always been extremely efficient in moving the mail. We have always done our jobs well. Sure there is always room for improvement and we understand that the increase in mechanization and automated machines would eliminate some jobs. But if things continue at the pace that they have been since he got here and if he continues to bring in people who know nothing about how a Bulk facility operates, service and production will suffer. Big Time! Customers will be lost and out good reputation will be destroyed. Morale amongst the workers is already plummeting to all time lows. Most of us have been here long enough to know that, what looks good on paper doesn’t always pan out the way it’s supposed to. We’ve seen it happen too many times here at the bulk. The expensive automated machinery never achieves the numbers that the machines sales people say it will.

We have a good dedicated workforce here, most of whom have given this facility the best years of their lives. Many have over twenty years of service. Automation was supposed to make our jobs easier. It seems that it has had the exact opposite effect.

Just the other day our Union received a letter from Mr. Tulino, which stated that more changes are coming. He also stated that he was unilaterally changing the procedures concerning light duty. He wants to completely change the way it’s handled. Well, we fought a long and hard battle to get those protections into our Local Agreement and we have no intention of letting him unilaterally change them.

We plan to fight him every step of the way. Our workforce here, consist of workers, many of whom are in our forties and fifties. The need for light duty protection is greater now then it was twenty years ago when we fought the battle for these rights. He’s treading in some dangerous waters when he talks about threatening these hard fought for protections.

When this came up at our Union meeting the other day the workers there were outraged. Both our members and our Local leaders, decided that it was time to draw a line in the sand on this issue. The members called for a battle plan. Enough is enough! At any time any one of us might need to go on light duty. It’s a protection that we have had since it was negotiated into our Local Agreement back in 1987. We all united around this issue then and we are prepared to unite around it again. There will be no more infighting amongst us. This is a time for worker unity. The threats to our jobs are real. It’s time to fight management on every front. Together we can win. We did it before and we can do it again. Plant Managers come and go, the workers stay. We may lose some battles but we’ll win the war. We are veterans of past struggles, like the wildcat strike in “78”. This time we’ll fight smarter. You know what has to be done and how to do it and we can have some fun doing it. But the first thing we have to do is stop the petty squabbling amongst ourselves. Let’s stand together, united and strong. Both Local 300 and the APWU shoulder to shoulder! It won’t be easy. But nothing worth fighting for is ever easy. If we sit back and do nothing we’re going to lose anyway. So lets give them a run for the money. It’s the ill and injured today and the rest of us tomorrow.

To paraphrase a quote from one of my favorite politicians; The difference between us and them is that when the wagon gets hard to push, they toss out the old, the sick and the injured to lighten the wagons load. When our wagon gets to hard to push, we leave the old, the sick and the injured in the wagon and the rest of us get out and push the wagon so we may all get to retirement. That’s what decent people do.

TULINO REVERTS MAIL HANDLER VACANCIES

We have recently been informed that our Plant Manager Frank Tulino has instructed that all recently vacated Mail Handler jobs be reverted. The reason we were given is that management wants to review all jobs to evaluate which ones are necessary and which ones can be eliminated. So far a total of 26 Mail Handler jobs have been reverted and that’s just the vacancies on the Bulk side. The same is being done on the International side. What kind of B.S. is that? Why not review the jobs then abolish the ones you want to move or do away with? Many of us depend on contractual right to bid. Childcare problems arise, family members get sick. Apparently Mr. Tulino has little regard for the contract.

Lets look at some of the things that he recently did.

The SPBS 5 is gone

The SPBS 1 is on its way out.

The APO/FPO newspapers are going.

All of the recently vacated bids have been reverted

The flexi hours have been cut.

Light Duty workers are now under attack.

The APWU Local President has been banned from the facility

There is such a shortage of workers that people are regularly moved off their bid jobs,

to staff other operations.

On holidays 100% drafts now seem to be the norm, for craft employees. While the administration and medical unit personnel are home with their families. Then to add insult to injury after your drafted and they run out of work they want you to go home.

In addition he has told us that more changes are coming that will result in the loss of even more jobs.

We have also been told that our flexi Mail Handlers will have their hours cut even more.

He also told me to tell our members to get used to an 80 hour check. So apparently eliminating the overtime in also on his agenda.

So if we are to judge him on his actions thus far, he’s bad news for the workers here.

Management is also conducting a time-work study, on our MEO positions. The probable goal is to see how many they can eliminate. Our position is that more MEO positions are needed not fewer!

We all know that the whole facility is running under staffed. They want more work with fewer workers. This of course makes the big bosses look more efficient and undoubtedly fattens their bonuses at our expense. Another case where, the bosses get the gold and the workers get the shaft. Have you had enough yet? Getting a little frustrated?

Then there’s the new attendance program that was recently implemented here at the Bulk. Workers with hundreds and in some cases thousands of hours of sick leave, who call in sick are being told that they have to document their absence. All your attendance is fed into the computer and the computer makes the determination as to when you have to document. Even, if you’re not, on restricted sick leave and despite the fact that the contact calls for everything to be done on an individual basis. Another slap in the face to the workers!

So you can expect disciplinary actions to increase, I guess that’s the plan. It’s time to fight Brothers and Sisters, it’s time to unite behind your Unions. If you see a Supervisor working, have your Steward file a grievance. If you come across an unsafe condition fill out a 1767 and have your Steward file a grievance.

If you feel you’re being discriminated against file an EEO complaint. This is a battle for our survival. The new management team are out to make themselves look more effective, at both our and our customers expense.

March is Women’s History month. International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8. Internationally, the day is an opportunity to highlight the movements for woman suffrage and peace. The Mailhandler’s Women Steering Committee would like to honor a mailhandler co-worker who has exemplified great strides within her family, community and/or workplace. Submit a name and short biography about the woman of your choice. One outstanding member will be chosen. All entries must be submitted by March 18, 2002 to the Mailhandler’s Union office. There will be a special luncheon held on March 29, celebrating International Women’s Day with all our union member co-workers.