PAUL KIDUFF, DIRECTOR INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2008 BOSTONIAN
WHO IS TO BLAME ?
The first part of my article I would like to comment on some problems around our local concerning pointing the finger at someone. It seems no matter what problem exists regarding issues that involves our contract, workroom rules, excessing, overtime, and many other items that would take all day to mention, the wrong people take the blame.
Currently, the National Reassessment Process has up to 40 APWU members told by the Postal Service they do not have work for all 40 APWU members and will be sent home as early as October of this year. Many of these employees have called me very upset with our union because they feel we let them down and did not represent them as we should. I want to make this very clear. Any one that is in the No Work Available category is there because their Manager stated they are not needed. Months ago your manager received a work necessary form about you and was asked if you were doing productive work. His or her answer was a resounding NO, you are not doing productive work. Therefore your manager, not the APWU ( whether it be on tour 1 primary, tour 3 primary, and customer service ) is to blame for your name on the NO WORK AVAILABLE LIST. That is a fact and I would challenge any manager to call me and say this is not true.
Long lines at the windows at every station with so few window clerks to work the windows. Again, our office has received many calls from angry window clerks asking for help with the long lines. Many window clerks are stressed out from working 7 hours without a lunch or even asking for time just to run for a personal needs break. We hear complaints of boxline mail never getting up for days. What kind of service is the Postal Service giving our customers who are paying for their trust in us? It has gotten to the point where the service we are now getting is lip service from anyone in management. You are doing the best you can, and I promise you your complaints are heard loud and clear by the full time officers. It is not your fault you work for a supervisor at the IMC Satellites that does not have a clue how to do her job. How in the world did she get her job? She is not capable of supervising an Island of one let alone the IMC Satellites.
It’s not your fault you have a supervisor on tour 2 at Fort Point Station that harasses only the employees she doesn’t like while at the same time taking care of her pets with overtime and special events. Management at the higher level is to blame for letting these incompetent idiots have any control in any Postal Business. These same incompetent supervisors continue to tell customers the reason for the long lines are due to attendance problems. Yes, that’s right, because you call in sick that is the reason for the long lines – not because window jobs were eliminated by these same incompetent supervisors. Therefore, you are not the blame for the long lines and I promise you in due time we will deal with each situation one at a time.
Lastly, I want to approach a subject that no one likes to talk about. The problem of co-workers against co-workers. At many stations we all know there are favorites that are taken care of by their supervisors. This is happening all over our local and it has to stop. We are all in this together. Your supervisor is not your friend. If you think he or she is your friend, ask them if they can save you when and if there is an excessing. They will use you until they can’t use you anymore. If that means doing their dirty work for them and using you against your co-workers, then they will. Now your supervisor is using overtime as a weapon when pitting co-worker against co-worker. They offer 5 to 6 hours on an N/S day instead of the guaranteed 8 hours under our contract. You are guaranteed 8 hours on an N/S day and if you work your N/S day for less than 8 hours, you should immediately ask for a steward.
Our local is now 94 % organized and that is great but we can do better. We have life long scabs that will never join but also have some non-members that may join one day in the future. I would ask if you are working with a life long scab or a non-member to ask this person why he or she is not in the union. These non-members will give you a variety of reasons such as, my steward screwed me, the union lost my grievance, I can’t afford the dues, they help only bad people, and the best of all – " I have never needed the union for anything". All the stated reasons are nothing but bull and they know it. They are all free loaders and should be ashamed of themselves. I recently approached a woman on tour 2 in the GMF and asked her to join the union. She wanted nothing to do with the conversation and had this to say, " I don’t need the union, I gave myself a raise and an upgrade because I deserved it". Do you believe that?.She gave herself a raise? This is the kind of scab that has been freeloading off all of our backs. Every benefit she receives has been negotiated by the APWU. How does this free loader look in the mirror, or should I say look at all her hard working co-workers who are union members? If I had my way, all these scabs should have to negotiate their own contracts and suffer making a lot less money than we are making now. We all have to pay for some type of insurance such as car, health, home, flood, and even cell phones. If you look at paying union dues as insurance for job security, isn’t it worth it?
Grievances are on a record pace and currently are up to 1500 cases. We have exceeded the grievance total for the entire 2007. Management is completely ignoring our contract and having to pay thousands of dollars for the violations. I am amazed there are so many managers and supervisors that have absolutely no knowledge of our contract. I am even more amazed that the Plant Manager and Postmaster allow these people to throw money out the window with the countless violations. I want to thank all the stewards for all their hard work and dedication to this thankless job. It is not easy being a steward and I would ask all members to remember to treat their steward with dignity and respect the way they would want to be treated.
Finally, I would urge every member to please vote in this upcoming election. I would ask you to vote for Barack Obama for President of the United States. I would ask everyone to please ask yourself if your life has improved in the last 8 years. The current President has destroyed our economy and left us in a war with no end. I am a veteran who is as patriotic as anyone but enough is enough. It’s time to end this war and stop having our brave sons and daughters killed. The war has become an afterthought to most and if you notice you have to go 8 pages into the newspaper to even read about it. John McCain is a war hero and I will never question that, but a war hero does not make a good president. He will only keep the republican way of doing things such as taking care of the rich, high unemployment, higher taxes, no affordable health care for all, and last but not least, try to privatize the Postal Service.
In John McCain’s acceptance speech he gloated at how he goes up against head labor bosses. Brothers and Sisters, we do not want this man as our next President . We need to tell our family and friends we can’t have another 4 years of torture. He has chosen a woman for his running mate with absolutely no experience. Her claim to fame is as a hockey mom which I applaud but not within a breath of running this country. A recent poll has 16% of women that were going to support Hillary Clinton are now supporting Sara Palini. We must not look at the color of skin or the sex of the person. Please look at what’s best for you and your family for the next 4 years. I respectfully ask you to support Barack Obama as our next President.
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