Western Michigan Area Local

General Membership Meeting Minutes

WMAL - APWU
JANUARY GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
January 5, 2002
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Meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM at 918 Benjamin NE; Meeting was opened with US Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation.

Roll Call of Officers:

Present:
Ray Novakoski, President
James Sweeney, Recording Secretary
Richard Page, Executive Vice President
Sandy Henkel, Treasurer
Bill Scutt, Clerk Craft Director
Mike Long, Sergeant at Arms
Jim Myszka, Maintenance Craft Director
Absent:
Orville Glombowski, AO Director
MVS Craft Director (vacant)
Mail Handler Craft Director (vacant)

With the approval to change the order of business:
Swearing in of officers by Michigan Postal Workers Union President, Gary Van Hoogstraten.

December General Membership Meeting Minutes were accepted as written and posted.

Applications for Membership:
Sandy Alger, Clerk, Grand Rapids

Bills: None.

Officers Reports:

Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer’s Report accepted as read.

Clerk Craft Report: Met with Plant Manager, Samuel G. Leone concerning holiday scheduling. He agreed to go back to using the previous method. Compensation for the previous holiday may be a battle but is being discussed. No arbitration in December due to Christmas. Filed on P1 Supervisor to keep hands off employees and is now off the work room floor. Questions concerning Article 11 will be answered ASAP, may be obtaining those answers at the upcoming Educational Conference in Troy. Saukas Award: management has not put her back in her job. Went to lawyer who will send a letter and if not complied to, will go to Federal Court. Continuing pursuing grievances on 7.2B and 10/4 work week.

Maintenance Craft Report: WMAL Member, Roger Stevens retired January 3, 2002. Management considering reposting P1 maintenance jobs while trying to establish same start times for each tour. Upgrading of positions. Still under withholding with vacancies. Planning on updates at the upcoming Troy Education Conference.

Executive Vice President Report: Good to be back on board. Any items for local negotiations, bring to Ray or Dick. WMAL Member, Judy Manning, GR Clerk at the Patterson Carrier Annex has retired. Steward training tentatively scheduled upon returning from the upcoming Education Conference in Troy if approved, sooner if not.

President Report: Contract: 4 to 5 upgrades. APWU Executive Vice President, Cliff Guffey said employees will stay in jobs as upgraded. Maintenance positions have been upgraded as well as MVS. There are 200 positions represented by the APWU and will pursue future upgrades for Window Clerks, CFS and others but will take time. Article 11and how it will pertain to employees currently being ironed out at APWU Head Quarters. The 10/4 modified work week needs to be agreed upon by both parties and is being pursued. More positive than negative from past trials. Sick Leave, no Layoff, A/L exchange all still remain. Definition of installation, Maintenance positions by seniority rejected. Many things asked for by the USPS has also been rejected. Retro pay 1.2 then 1.4 percent and COLA lump sum. Flat operations have been moved out of the MPO to the P1 and SPR’s to the stations. Due in February: voice activated scheme assistance for Scheme Operators and more scheme jobs being posted.

Committee sign-up sheets for the following committees: Audit, A&E, Solidarity for Charity, Budget, Building and Constitution.

Committee Reports:

Big Check Committee: Will make recommendations at the February meeting and will post info on bulletin boards.

Correspondence: Thank you from the American Lung Association for the $250.00 contribution.

Unfinished Business: None.

New Business:

Board Recommendations:
Motion to approve new business cards for the newly appointed Executive Board members. Discussion. Carried.

Motion to send President, Executive Vice President, Clerk Craft Director, Maintenance Craft Director and AO Director to the upcoming Troy Education Conference to include one night’s lodging, registration, mileage, no lost time, providing they contribute to an upcoming WMAL training within 30 days. Discussion. Motion to amend by S. Austin, J. Gilbert to allow lost time and include an MVS rep. Discussion. Amendment, carried. Main motion as amended, Carried.

Motion to send 15 paid delegates to the State Convention and 12 paid delegates to the National Convention with other nominated members being certified as delegates per the State and National quotas at their own expense. Discussion. Motion by S. Austin, J. Gilbert to amend the amount of paid delegates to the State Convention to 20 and the amount of paid delegates to the National to 15. Discussion. Amendment, carried. Main motion as amended, carried.

Motion to pay perdium, lodging, registration if applicable, lowest possible airfare to the National, mileage to the State and applicable taxes. Discussion. Carried.

Motion to use the 2001 budget until the 2002 Budget Committee can meet. Discussion. Carried.

Motion to send President, Executive Vice President and Treasurer to the Secretary/ Treasurer training in Seattle WA or Williamsburg, WV to include perdium, lodging, lowest possible airfare, ground transportation, registration, LWOP and applicable taxes. Discussion. Carried.

Motion to send President and Executive Vice President to the Presidents Conference in Miami to include perdium, lodging, lowest possible airfare, registration, ground transportation, LWOP and applicable taxes. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by B. Scutt, D. Page to automatic nomination and second of all qualified members to the State Convention. Discussion. Carried. (see attached list of automatic nominated members and additional nominated members.)

Motion by B. Scutt, J. Gilbert to automatic nomination and second of all qualified members to the National Convention. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by J. Gilbert, B. Scutt to make J. Gilbert a delegate to the National at her own expense. Discussion. Motion by D. Kramer, R. Roediger to table. Carried.

Motion by S. Austin, J. Gilbert to authorize $300.00 to the MPWU hospitality room at the State Convention. Motion to amend by B. Proctor, K. Jones to limit the $300.00 to food only. Discussion. Defeated. Main motion, carried.

Labor/Management: None. Meeting scheduled for January 09, 2002.

COPA Drawing: $71.00 total. $35.50 won by D. Long.

Door Prizes:

$10.00 prizes won by: E. Lesiewicz, D. Page, D. Bourassa, S. Henkel, R. Fletcher, M. Long and K. Jones.

McDonald’s gift certificates won by: J. Myszka, R. Novakoski, R. McMichaels and J. Sweeney.

Meeting ended at 8 :53 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

James Sweeney
Recording Secretary

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