General Membership Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 7:00 Pm at 918 Benjamin NE, Grand Rapids.
Meeting was opened with the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation.

Roll Call of Officers:

Present:
Ray Novakoski, President
Jim Myszka, Maintenance Craft Director
Barbara Tubbs, Recording Secretary
Jennifer Amos, Treasurer
Linda Norman, AO Director
Mike Long, Sergeant At Arms

Absent:
Bill Scutt, Clerk Craft Director
Scott Larabel, MVS Craft Director
Dick Page, Executive Vice President

January membership meeting minutes were accepted as written.

Applications for Membership:

TE Clerk: Linda Galloway

Officers’ Reports:

Treasurer’s Report: Novakoski for Amos: Amended December and January treasurer’s reports were accepted as written.

Executive Vice President’s Report: Novakoski for Page: APPs information and timeline notices have been posted in the break rooms. If you have any questions, ask Dick or give them to your steward to give to him. He has sent letter to national organizing officer Frank Romero requesting reimbursement for our organizing expenses.

Clerk Craft Report: Scutt: Had Labor Management meeting on January 30th; has an optimistic opinion of new postmaster and new plant manager. Has a meeting scheduled for Monday with the postmaster on Step 2s and possible changes coming to stations. Has sent request for payment to Greg Bell for our legal fees. Please do not answer mail handlers questions. They are taking our jobs left and right. Every job that is being taken is being grieved. Feels confident that we will be successful in getting the low cost tray sorter jobs.

Maintenance Craft Report: Myszka: Shakeup in management. Bob Martin and Ralph Bowles are new managers. Meetings on casuals in lieu of grievance. Did not reach a resolution, and was sent up. Fighting within the department going on. We need to stop arguing and stand together against management. Doing oldest arbitrations first. At the Labor management meeting, the postmaster sounded like she would allow clerks to transfer to vacant custodial positions.

AO Report: Norman: Was sick for a week and was told by Doug Warner that she was ineligible for FMLA because she only went to the doctor once. She fought that misinformation and was approved for FMLA. Grievance filed in Lowell because PTF not getting 8 hours, and dual appointee clerk/ RCA was working in office as well as full time route. Saved full time position in Scottville. Reverted window position in Big Rapids grieved as improper reversion. Found copy of Byron Center local memo and now clerks that had been required to use 7-8 hours annual only have to use 4 to take day off. Helped make training video for window clerks. Hopefully a positive thing. Got makeup pay for Holland grievant. Welcomed our new member from Nunica, our newest AO.

President’s Report: Novakoski: Labor Management meeting in January: P-2 facility lease has been extended until September 2004. AMF lease has been extended through the end of the year. Union will be more involved in holiday scheduling. Leaning towards keeping SPBS until APPS is fully functional. We will be getting some more mail from Kalamazoo. PTF MVS drivers were converted but have not yet been replaced. They are in the process of hiring 2. Asked for Tour 2 red room back up job. Postal Ease problem not printing confirmation numbers is being checked on. Asking for another full time review job. Incident at main office when white powder was found. Did not appear dangerous, but area was cordoned off until situation could be assessed. APWU is outraged by handing of ricin incident in Senate. In November, ricin was mailed to the President, but public was not notified. Burrus calling for investigation. He went before House subcommittee hearing on Postal commission report on February 5th, in Chicago. Commission feels we are fools. Criticized suggestion that postal employees be removed from federal retirement and health plans. He is continuing to speak for us and our best interests as well as the American people’s. At National Executive Board meeting on February 4th, Secretary Treasurer Bob Tunstall announced his retirement. Terry Stapleton was named his successor. Continuing same programs.

Meeting recessed for voting for delegates for State and National conventions at 8:00 PM. Per Constitution, President and craft directors are automatic delegates. Also required are one additional delegate from each craft, and 2 AO delegates. Only 2 AO members eligible who accepted nomination were Cheryl Boeskool and David Janes, therefore automatic delegates.

Meeting reconvened at 8:30 PM.

Committee Reports:

Retiree: George Hendricks: Chapter doing well. Up to @ 120 members.

Point of Information; Hendricks: Program to sell bricks for nature walk at Veteran’s Home is on hold so Don Kramer wishes to withdraw his motion to purchase 8 bricks.

A & E: Amos: Provided pizza to membership in December. No longer has time to chair committee so Amy Puhalski will be the chairperson. Need new committee members and ideas. Meeting tomorrow at 6 PM.

COPA: $97.00 from P-1 cans.

Correspondence: None.

New treasurer Jennifer Amos sworn into office.

Unfinished Business: Still no response from the National on the casuals in lieu of grievance settlement claims.

Budget for 2004: MSC that the Western Michigan Area Local accept, as an authorization for the expenditure of funds from the local treasury, the report and budget, and also that the Executive Board of the WMAL local has the authorization to shift monies, if needed, between categories as long as the overall disbursement amount is not exceeded. Also if the overall disbursement amount will be exceeded, the Board will have to go back to the membership with a resolution to address the specific problem and get authorization for that expenditure. Also in the event of a dues increase or decrease, either local or national, the President will reconvene the Budget committee to review any changes that need to be made in the budget and those changes will be brought before the Executive board for review and recommendations, and then before the membership for their approval, modifications, or disapproval.

New Business:

Board Recommendations:

To send one deaf or hard of hearing member to the APWU deaf and hard of hearing Educational conference in Colorado Springs CO April 22-25, to include hotel, ground transportation, per diem, lost time, airfare, and registration. Discussion. Amended by Kramer, Janes to have the membership vote if more than one person wants to go. Carried. Main motion carried as amended.

Motion by Catherine Beemblossom 2nd Kramer to extend the meeting until close of business, including vote tally. Carried.

Proposed Constitution changes read and will be posted and voted on at the March meeting: Article 6 Meetings, Article 17 Committees, Article 21 Budget, Article 22 Dental Program.

Labor Management:
Meeting is not scheduled yet, but it appears that the postmaster and plant manager are receptive to meeting and discussing issues.

Results of delegate election:

National: Mike Long, Cat Beemblossom, Jennifer Amos, Amy Puhalski, Steve Lang. Alternates: Jackie Pike, Tina Myers, CJ Lozon.

State: Amos, Beemblossom, Page, Dan Quillan, Pike, Hendricks, Lozon, Boeskool, Janes, Jim Ruark. Four way tie for last delegate: Scott Axterhoff, Mike Hill, Pam Krueger, Linda Yarnott. Ruark and Yarnott declined. Tie breaker: Krueger and Axterhoff delegates, Hill 1st alternate.

Drawings:

COPA $39.00 Jane Symko $39.00

$10.00 Door Prizes: Ruark, Long, Novakoski, Diane Sanders, Tubbs, Tim Burke, Lang.

March meeting will be Wednesday, March 10th at 11:00 AM.

Meeting Adjourned at 9:25 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Barb Tubbs
Recording Secretary

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