Branch News
April 23, 2019
Brothers and Sisters- This Saturday will bring our last group of transfers into the Lehigh Valley P&DC. Please be sure to make all of our new fellow Mail Handlers feel welcome. Our first Branch Meeting of the year has been scheduled for June 11th. Details are posted on the purple papers on the bulletin boards, as well as on the Local 308 website and the Facebook page. A group of Mail Handlers from here in the Valley attended the Phillies/Mets game on April 15th. Local 308 had purchased a group of tickets that were offered to members. It was a cold night, but the Mets won so that raised the spirits of most (not all) of our group. Nobody wearing non-Philly gear got into any skirmishes and a good time was had by all, even in spite of the rumors about stipulations and the deafening sound of crickets. Next week I will be attending the SAMLU in Atlantic City (see the posting on the bulletin board). When I return, I will be placing the apparel order. If you wish to order any shirts or sweatshirts, please let a steward know before then. Joining our Facebook group is a good way to stay instantly connected with any breaking news, job bids, holiday posts, meeting and event announcements, and any of the usually tomfoolery revolving around Rob Young. If you are on Facebook, request to join the closed group “NPMHU 308 Lehigh Valley”. I will then have to approve your request to allow you into the group. I might even write some incendiary rhetoric about management that I’m not allowed to put on the bulletin board because of the curious eyes of EAS employees, although that hasn’t happened too much lately. I’m kidding; I’m not even on the page that often and the best way to get a hold of me is still through email. I do go on to monitor the site and to post updates as needed though and it is a useful outlet to get information out to the members quickly. Job bids will go up on May 3rd and be posted until closing on May 13th. There will be 48 jobs posted. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that all unassigned regulars bid positions that they are interested in. Remember, if a job goes without a bid then the junior unassigned person can (and will) be assigned that position. If you need help bidding or have a question, make sure to ask a steward. There will be many new positions that had been up previously in the posting that was canceled due to the F-1 discrepancies. The Union filed a grievance and now these jobs have returned, although some of them have been changed to match the Scheduler tool. The following paragraph is a quick rundown of the Labor-Management Meeting that was held on 4/11/19. Management is still not granting LWOP when you call in and ask for it. If they take you’re A/L and you requested LWOP, be sure to see a steward and file a grievance. The Union has not received official notice of a policy change, nor were any of you given service talks about the 8 unit leeway rule being changed. As such, clock-in policies remain status quo. The no-lunch policy is still in effect even though there has been a slipshod effort on collecting paperwork. The PM and the Union will continue to meet to revise the program so that it runs better. Management and the Union will also continue meeting to discuss other issues, i.e. holiday sign-ups, leeway, PIT policy, and delayed grievance payments. Management realizes that there are some of their personnel that do not act professionally; they are going to correct their behavior because the building has to start working more cohesively and efficiently. The Union listed plenty of examples of management misconduct and offered that there has never been any correction before and to hold the Mail Handlers to a higher standard is wrong. Management said that the workplace environment is going to be changing. They stated that in the coming months there will be town hall meetings, swing room renovations, and other opportunities to try and engage the workforce and create a better work atmosphere. The Union stated that they would like it if management just started by addressing the employees in a professional manner on a daily basis and that management should start its employee engagement crusade by simply performing Plan 5 and safety talks at least weekly and by welcoming feedback from the employees. Communication or the lack thereof, continues to be the biggest impediment to productivity and harmony. Most people want to just come to work and do their job, but some also like to feel like they are contributing and that they are appreciated; or at the very least that their supervisor takes their ideas and job seriously. The workforce is the most valuable resource that the USPS has, but yet they want to mistreat and/or disregard them. I want to be clear that my comments last post about treating people with dignity and respect did not only apply to the way management folks treat Mail Handlers. It also was in reference to the way the Mail Handlers treat each other. In our dealings with anyone in this building, let’s always be the bigger person. We are all humans and you never know what someone else is going through. That being said, if a supervisor is harassing or abusing you, by all means, let the Union know and we will address it. We don’t deserve to be yelled at, belittled, or talked down to. The Lehigh Valley/Scranton Picnic is scheduled for Saturday, September 14th. That is all that I’ve got for now. I think I made it through this letter without making any stipulations regarding Mail Handler conduct, overly-inflammatory remarks about management, or demeaning references to the Social and Recreation Committee Chairman. Stay United, Stay Strong- Sean |
Branch President Sean Craig
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