The struggle is real! Our National Collective Bargaining Agreement expires September 20, 2018.  The APWU is preparing for these negotiations and over the next few months the St. Paul APWU will be working with other Local and State APWU organizations to provide direction for the upcoming negotiations.  The 4 State Caucus representing MN,WI, N. Dakota, and S. Dakota will be meeting to discuss and provide resolutions for consideration to provide direction in these negotiations.  Once these resolutions are developed they will presented over the next few months at each State convention and if passed by these bodies will be submitted to the National Convention held this summer.  We go through this process every other year and this is how change is made within your Union.  St. Paul APWU works hard to provide thoughtful input from the many hours we put in representing the members in all crafts, we also take any written idea submitted by members and spend time developing them in resolution format.

This process is extremely Democratic in nature and provides an opportunity for discussion and debate along with three representative bodies passing by a majority for it to move to the next step.  This vigorous debate allows a vetting of ideas and many times opens one’s eyes to struggles being experienced within one’s local area.  I want to thank the members for their continued support in sending your representatives to these gatherings and allowing us to advocate on behalf of our shared interests.  Pay attention as we move forward to the reports of what has been accomplished over the next several months.  This is an important negotiation for our future and the future of the USPS.

Locally, we are still working very hard to have the Article 12 Excessing from the St. Paul Installation cancelled.  In December, Management indicated they would reduce the impact due to overtime and PSE work hour reductions.  Seventy days from this commitment management has still not done what they committed to do.  This is frustrating to say the least.  We have met with management on a weekly basis concerning staffing at the St. Paul P&DC and as of February 28, 2018 they have still not been able to show us a completed staffing for the Plant.  The same is true for Customer Service. To date we still have not received management’s proposal for all the Stations and Branches within St. Paul.  While we gained significant ground in the most recent Arbitration award concerning job reversions, management has been slow to accept the ramifications of the award.  The St. Paul Area Local is standing its ground and asking the reverted jobs since last year be brought back to St. Paul Installation.  Over the next few weeks we should find out what management intends to do.  Watch for Flash Bulletins for any updates to this process.  Keep communicating with the Union so we can protect you full-time jobs.