Hot News!
Updated 2/3/2012
February 1, 2012, Indiana became the 23rd state in the nation, and the first in the midwest "rust belt" manufacturing state to pass the "right to work" law. This law bars Union contracts from requiring non-union members to pay fees for representation.
I read an article recently about a teacher who wanted to show his students the ramifications of the "equal distribution of wealth" concept, which mandates everyone should receive the same benefits as everyone else, regardless of position. What he taught and what the students learned could be applied here, as well as our internal Union laws regarding the "right to work" concept.
The teacher conducted an experiment, where the students test scores were based on the average score of all the students combined. For example, in a class of 10 students where 5 received an A anf the other 5 an F, all students would receive a C for the test.
After the first test, all the students in this class received a B. This of course made the students that usually received a D very happy; they received a better than normal grade without having to put forth any added effort. The usually A grade students on the other hand, felt the opposite effect; their efforts were not being rewarded based on their own personal performance. The next test, everyone received a D. Why? Because less effort was put in to the completion of the test by all the students. For the A students, why strive for an A grade when your rewards is based on someone else's lack of effort? For the D students, why strive for a better grade when your lack of effort is rewarded by the accomplishments of someone else?
This same concept can be applied to our union; dues paying members are keeping the non-members "grades" up. The same benefits that are paid for by dues paying members are realized by non -union members. The current contract negotiations, wages, leave earnings, steward representation; or "equal distribution of wealth".
So, get hold of a Form 1187, and share it with a non-union member. Let them know if we all put forth effort, we can all keep getting A's.
Julia
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The Postal Service is eliminating the RCA/PSE dual appointment position effecitve January 13, 2012. Employees in this position were sent an election form and were required to make a decision by January 6, 2012, which job they prefered. This decision goes in to effect January 13, 2012.
If any time after this date you learn a PSE has worked in the rural craft doing work that would otherwise be done by a regular or relief rural carrier, please contact your assigned steward.
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Article 11.1 Holidays
For Regular Rural Carriers, 10 days through the year are observed Holidays;
New Year's Day
Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday
Presidents' Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans' Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
This year, Christmas and New Year's Day will fall on a Sunday.
Article 11.2.A
When a Holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be
observed as the Holiday.
Article 11.2.B
When a Holiday falls on the relief day of an evaluated carrier, the carrier shall be granted the preceeding work day as the designated Holiday.
A Regular Rural Carrier required to work on a designated Holiday shall receive the daily rate of pay for such day in addition to the Holiday leave pay.
Article 11.2.C
If a Regular Rural Carrier is required to work on the designated Christmas Holiday, that carrier will receive 1&1/2 times the daily rate of pay in addition to the Holiday leave pay.
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FYI
There are 27 pay periods this year, one more than usual.
The new payroll year will begin on January 14, 2012, which is the
first day of the first full pay period of the new year.
Carriers in a leave earning status will earn one pay period more of
leave, but there is no change to the allowed annual leave carry over amount.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FMLA Announcement - Please share
OPM issued a new regulation which will go in to effect October 31, 2011 that expands the FMLA which allows a Federal employee up to 12 weeks of leave to help a family member (spouse, son, daughter or parent) who is in the Military and deployed overseas.
The leave taken could be for arrangement of child care, attendance at official ceremonies, counseling, school and child care activities; check FMLA requirements for full list of authorized leave request activities.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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From Your State Steward - something to think about...
HOW VESTED ARE YOU IN YOUR JOB? How do you pay your bills? How do you send happy birthday wishes, invite friends to a party or thank them for attending? How do you send Christmas Blessings, Happy Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day wishes? Remember "Pen Pals"?
Too often, I learn of fellow Postal Employees who pay their bills on line and send greetings the same way. Doesn't this sound like "shooting yourself in the foot?" or "cutting off your nose to spite your face" or some such euphenism?
Currently, the Postmaster General is pleading to Congress to give the USPS the power to make sweeping changes that will alter the future of the Postal Service as we know it today. These changes would allow for layoffs of career employees, the elimination of saturday delivery, handing over control of both sectors of retirement to the USPS as well as our current health care services. These changes also call for closing 300 of the 500 mail processing plants, shuting over 3500 post offices across the country and reducing the work force by 220,000 employees by the year 2015. In short order, just between the first 2 proposals listed; elimination of Saturday delivery and the allowanace to lay off workers; they would be able to cut the work force by 220,000 in a blink.
Think about it.
In unified solidarity against these proposed changes, there is a grass roots effort brought forth by the Union to counteract these proposed changes through getting word out to the senators and legislators on how these changes will not only affect postal employees, but our country as a whole. Give a board member of one of your stewards a call to find out more.
In rural America, in many towns repeated beyond the dusty back roads, the Post Office is the last gathering place. I am not trying to wax poetic, but there is a truth to this fact; closing Post Offices, will change the face of America. Eliminating Saturday delivery will change the condition of the United States Postal worker. If you don't want to be part of the coordinated grass roots effort, there is something you can do easily, right from home.
At last count at the end of June 2011, the Postal Service employed 563,402 full time career employees. This number does not include RCAs, TRCs, TEs; those considered part time, which is where most all full time employees began their postal career. If each and every full time career employee mailed 1 (one) first class letter each day, 6 days a week, that would generate $1,487,381.20 in revenue per week for the USPS. It is disheartening to know Postal employees do not shop in their own store; but if we do not rely on our own product, how can we expect the general public to do the same? We have the capability to help ourselves; it's as simple as sending a birthday cared, a bill, a thank you through THE MAIL. Hey, it couldn't hurt.
Julia
ATTENTION ALL RURAL CARRIERS! IF EVER THERE WAS A TIME TO JOIN FORCES AND STAND WITH YOUR FELLOW CARRIERS' NOW IS THAT TIME!!!!!!
Current events, set in motion by the Postmaster General may have an advserse effect on all Rural Carriers' past, present and future.
Instead of continuing in good faith bargaining in an attempt to come to a contract agreement, the PMG has gone to Congress to rip away much of what has been previously and historically bargained for in prior contract years. Most notably, the no-layoff clause, Article 6 of the NRLCA/USPS, bargained for through good faith and concession of other provisions afforded to other crafts, is on the chopping block agenda as presented to Congress by PMG Donohoe. Other requests made to Congress are outlined on the NRLCA.ORG website, (you have to be a member to view.)
If you wish to retain benefits your job currenty provides; (affordable health insurance premiums, retirement funds, TSP, no layoff clausese, etc.) NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT.
If you are not a member of this union, join your Brothers and Sisters, it is time to take up the cause to protect our way of life.
Julia Doggett, State Steward
ILRLCA - 217-622-3820
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Attention Rural Carriers!!!!!
Delivery Unit Optimization (DUO)
We are seeing more and more of these; please take note,
When a DUO is processed, there is a timeline of events
that is followed.
Notification to the carriers 30 days prior to the move, updating PS4003s 10 days prior, notifying Eagan of finance number changes and shared services of the carriers' relocation.
Casing equipment is moved the afternoon the day prior, after carriers have left for the street, with new labels installed if there is a line of travel change. (Don't forget 8127 supplemental pay for setting up your equipment)
There are new parking assignments, time keeping and 4003 program changes; and the day to day issues relative to carriers' involved;
The route numbers for the office moving in may be re-numbered if necessary, but the carrier will remain assigned to their route.
Seniorities of all regular carriers merge
Seniorities of all PTFs merge
Seniorities of all RCAs merge
Any carrier on a 960 routes is transferred with the officeThe relief day work lists and matrixes merge, and if the receiving office is a formula office, so will be the office that has moved in. If the receiving office has withdrawal, so will the office moving in. If the receiving office does not, the office moving in will no longer have withdrawal, and that credit will be removed from the route evaluation. If there is a vacant auxiliary route in either office, it should be offered by seniority to RCAs once the move is complete.
Route mileage, assignment of LLVs, mileage changes, withdrawal allowance are all considered base hour changes, if the resulting base hour change creates a high/low option classification, the carrier is not given the opportunity to elect high option at this time. If you are involved in a DUO and you notice something that just doesn't seem right or if you have any questions or concerns, please call your assigned steward immediately.Irregularities are other crafts shuttling mail back to the office which you route used to be located or rural carriers providing that service without proper compensation.
DPS or FSS mail out of order, PS4003s, mileage or PS-50 not updated.
Julia----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attention All Rural Carriers:
We have received step 4 settlements on the following issues;
The issue: using leave replacement carriers on auxilary assistance to deliver express mail during the mail count period and requiring regular carriers to deliver the mail pieces after the mail count ended.
The settlement agreement reached states that management shall not circumvent paying additional compensation for deviation or inclusion of express mail items in the route evaluation during a mail count, if during the rest of the year the regular carrier will deliver the express mail piece.
The issue: Change of equipment used to transport mail for loading during a mail count.The settlement agreement reached states there will be no change in work methods, casing equipment or office procedures between the precount conference and the count, unless the change was discussed at the precount conference. Equipment used during loading is considered an operational change and should be discussed at the precount conference.
The issue: Union access to a contract postal facility which consolidates mail that has been entered in to the postal network.
The settlement agreement reached states that in accordance with Article 23, the Union shall be permitted access to these facilities if the USPS has authority to grant such access. The USPS does have that authority to the facility which was the reason for this grievance.
The issue: Use of PS Form 3883 on non-L routes;
The settlement states the PS Form 3883 (firm sheet) is specifically designated for high density L-routes only.
Julia-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
USPS Employee National Emergency Hotline number is 1-888-363-7462-----------------------------------------------------------STATE STEWARD ASSIGNMENTSThe following persons represent specific offices and/or zip codes throughout the State of Illinois. Please feel free to contact your representative when you have a question or need assistance.JULIA DOGGETT, STATE STEWARD
PO Box 503, West Chicago, IL 60186
(217) 622-3820 Julia.Doggett@nrlca.org
JULIA: STEP 2 DESIGNEE FOR LAKELAND- Zip Code 601 (also responsible for All Zip Codes)
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Full Time Assistant State Stewards
and STEP 2 DESIGNEES
Aileen Aldred
Assistant State Steward ILRLCA
14930 Fairview Road, Waynesville, IL 61778-9792(309) 533-9526 - Aileen.Aldred@nrlca.orgSTEP 2 APPEALS FOR ALL OF CENTRAL ILLINOISllinois
Also Assigned Zip Codes:614, 615,616 & 617
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Emmet Bennett, Jr.
Assistant State Steward ILRLCA
15511 Macoupin Lane, Medora, IL 62063(618) 806-9786 - Emmet.Bennett@nrlca.org
STEP 2 DESIGNEE FOR GATEWAY
Also Assigned Zip Codes: 622, 620, 623, 625, 626, 627
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Karen Brown
Assistant State Steward ILRLCA
PO Box 777, Yorkville IL 60560(630) 273-2490 - Karen.Brown@nrlca.org
STEP 2 DESIGNEE FOR HAWKEYE
Also Assigned Zip Codes: 605, 610, 612
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Other Full Time Assistants
JANICE JEREMIAH Janice.Jeremiah@nrlca.org - 7994 Greens Market Road, DuQuoin IL 62832-4237 (618) 357-0430
Assigned Zip Codes: 619, 624, 628, 629TRACY PANEPINTO - Tracy.Panepinto@nrlca.org (217) 622-1798
Assigned Zip Codes: 604, 609, 613, 618
Part Time Assistant Steward
APRIL SUNDBERG - april.sundberg@nrlca.org - (815) 520-2139) P.O. Box 6505, Rockford IL 61125
Assigned Zip Code: 600, 611
OFFICES FOR AREA STEWARD ASSIGNMENTSAREA STEWARDSMARVIN HARTZ - nmhartz@gmail.com - (309) 714-9706 - 5624 Backbone Rd, Tampico IL 61283 - Assignments: Fulton, Geneseo (Prophetstown), Coal Valley, Orion, Sherrard, Aledo, Colona, Morrison
GLORIA LOVELACE -glorialovelace13@gmail.com - 309-229-7285 - Dunlap, Elmwood, Trivoli, Mapleton, Peoria, Lewiston, Astoria, Monmouth, Lincoln and Springfield..
NOREEN RIBBS --ribbs24@sbcglobal.net - 847-812-9539 - Barrington, Cary, Grayslake, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Waukegan, Zion
DIANE ROGERS - dsrogers59@yahoo.com - (815) 351-1249 - Assignments: Braidwood, Coal City, Colfax, Gridley, DUO to 60540, Montgomery, Ottawa, Pontiac, Pontiac, Streator and Yorkville
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DIRECTOR OF WORKERS COMPENSATION ON DUTY! Devin Cassidy for Workers Compensation inquiries: He can be reached during regular business hours, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST, at 703-684-5545.
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