Branch News August 4, 2024
Fellow Members- First off, we have two new Mail Handlers that transferred into the building that we should welcome. Robin Mendez and Rusty Sanders both transferred to Lehigh within the past month. They are both on Tour 1; please make them feel welcome. So far this year, we have had nine (9) MHAs converted to full-time regular status. Congratulations to all of them!! At the very least, three (3) more will be converted by the end of the year due to being here for two (2) years. We will see if people can get converted sooner; there are currently eleven (11) bids open and up for automated bid until 8/11/24. This will be a very busy month for me, and I won’t be in as much as usual. My son has birthday this month, I play in a hockey tournament, there’s a holiday at the end of the month, and the NPMHU Convention takes place from August 19-23. I am once again honored to be representing not only the Lehigh Valley Branch but also all of Local 308. This is the third Convention that I have been elected to and the second one that I will be attending; as always, I thank everyone who voted for me for their support, and I will proudly and diligently represent you. I once again attended a retirement seminar just to check and see what the info was that was being disseminated and to make sure that the company that I post about and endorse is still worthy of that support. The seminar on July 14th once again did not disappoint, nor did the individual counseling sessions from what I understand. Patricia does an excellent job laying things out for potential retirees and does a superior job assisting people in filling out their forms and getting their retirements on track. If you are considering retirement, then I highly suggest attending her seminar and if you are retiring before her next seminar then ask me for her information. You won’t regret it. Grievance activity has really picked up this year versus last year. There are two reasons for this: 1) management is cracking down on attendance and thusly issuing more discipline which needs to be grieved and 2) more people are finally writing statements about clerks and supervisors doing our work. There are two very important points that I need to stress here. The first is that if you are issued discipline then you must get it to a Union rep so that they can grieve it. We have fourteen (14) days from the date that you received it to grieve it otherwise that discipline stays on your record for two (2) years and can be cited as a step of progression in future disciplinary actions against you. Secondly, we must protect our jobs and our work, especially during what may quickly become trying times once again. Why not make some extra money while protecting the very jobs that may prevent you from being excessed from this building if DeDummy’s plan ever comes to fruition? While we are on the subject about jobs…show up and do yours; those are the most important things in order to keep management off of your back. Firstly. Just come to work. Some days it may be the hardest part of your job, but if you’re here then that takes away the possibility of any attendance discipline (unless of course unless you are habitually late). As I’ve said before, there is no gray area with attendance; it is black and white. You are either here or you’re not. Attendance discipline is the easiest violation for management to prove but it’s even easier for you to prevent. Showing up is about 90% of the battle here. Now the second part or about the other 10% is to do your job. Too many people in here want to do jobs or work that isn’t theirs; stay in your lane. The main problem we have is that if you are doing other people’s work then it makes it look like your job is not needed. Scans need to be done, trucks need to be loaded, machines need to be swept, trays need to be tossed, and mail needs to be broken down, but it seems like somehow people aren’t doing their work because they are busier minding what other people are doing or doing what somebody else is supposed to be doing. Let other people do their jobs and if they don’t then it is up to management to address it. The only problem in the equation is that management barely knows anybody’s jobs and they are sometimes the biggest culprits of not allowing people to do their bids. A reminder that the Picnic is September 7th. Check out the posting. The sign-up sheet is now in the office. The new age limit for children being free has been raised to 10 years of age; so now, members, retired members, and children 10 and under are all free. Guests 11 years old and over are $25. Finally, Diane Burkhardt abruptly decided to call it a career at the end of July without much warning for fanfare or congratulations. Diane was a dedicated and conscientious worker for her entire career, and management probably took advantage of her efforts and took her for granted. She showed up and always tried to get the mail finished and out whether it was during her tenure as a clerk or her time as a Mail Handler. We wish Diane good luck and good health as she enters retirement. Congratulations!!! Stay United, Stay Strong - Sean Lehigh Valley-Scranton 2022 Picnic
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Branch President Sean Craig Your Union RepresentativesLocal Memorandum of UnderstandingUpdated 2023
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