Where is the Post Office going?

Looking around at the economy and then looking around at the Postal Facility I am working at I see that the mail volume in first class has declined a lot since I first started working for the Post Office. Even our bread and butter mail the BBM (also known by many at home as "junk mail") has fallen off some. So now USPS is offering the VERA to just about anyone who wants to take it. Well, I do not know about most of you who maybe looking at taking the early out. But, if your not ready for it I would look long and hard at it. Only thing the Postal Service is offering you is a chance to leave before you might be ready to do so. If you do leave are you going to be able to live in the style you are accustomed to be living. Or will you be looking for anohter job either part-time or full-time which does not have the medical, dental, or other benefits that some of us have taken for granted for many years.

Now about McCain and Obama.... In my opinion the jury is still out on which one would make the best person to lead this Nation for the next four years. Right, now neither individual is a "perfect" choice. So, that leaves it up to you and me to choose what is commonly called "the lesser of two evils" to lead this Nation. Who will it be? I will keep doing my research, listening to other individuals, and weigh this choice with care. In November, I will decide who I will vote for.

Postal Nepotism Link that did not work

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30327373@N07/sets/72157607181055970/show/with/2839829941/

Question for the Former Owner/Blogger of APWUDictatorship

To: Former Owner/Blogger of APWUDictatorship

I first would like to let you know that I am a former reader of yours. I believe that myself and others that were reading the blog during the time of Ricky Cornholie appreciated the dedication and work you put into the blog.

Something else that I enjoyed during your time with the blog was the story you told that appeared to be a parable that was very close to what was happening to our Local during that time.

I would like now to ask you if you would post the chapters that you had posted before on your blog of the APWUDictatorship here for all to read again. Plus, I also ask if you would complete the story and let all of us see how the story ends.

I look forward hearing from you

Thank you, MOM197

After the APWU Convention.. What happens?

Since our officers and representatives have returned back from the Convention at Las Vegas I would hope that they will impart some of what they have learned very soon to the general membership. Either thru our local's newsletter, our local's website at http://sandiegoapwu197.org , or even this minor website. I do not actually care how this information is given to the membership. I just hope that is it soon.

Thanks

PS.... Did that actually happen to Evonn and Noel? If so when is it effective?

APWU National Convention begins Saturday

Well beginning today and tomorrow a lot of our stewards and officers will be heading to Las Vegas for the APWU National Convention that will be starting on Saturday. I am asking that anyone who is going up there please take a few minutes during your time up there and enlighten all of us down here in the San Diego area what is going on up there.

Good luck to all of you and have a great time.

Bonita????????

Well.. I asked earlier how Tom Wood was doing. So now I would like to ask how mmmmmm so hard to say this... Our former(thank God) President Ricky Cornelius is doing?

Since this being the month of August with the convention in Las Vegas shortly. Soon he will get to hear his name being read up there in Vegas if he dares to show up to accept what the National will have to say about him about those charges that were denied at our local. Being found guilty and then having his cronies in the membership then vote to not uphold the findings of our own board.

What will the National have to say? Can anyone take video of that moment?

Simple question ... difficult answer?

I am happy to see that there are still a few people looking at this blog. I do apologize for not keeping it updated as much as I should have. I have been busy with some personal and work-related items that have kept me away from the blog.

Right now I would like to "Thank Roger" for bringing up our locals website and to anyone who has given Roger any assistance.

So.... just a simple question for everyone.....

How do you think Tom Wood is doing?

What does the "future" hold?

What does the future hold for all of us here in the post office? Would anyone care to take a "WAG" (Wild Assed Guess) at it?

Well I will try to take a shot at it. Do not know how accurate this prediction will be.

1. I will take a guess that the Tour Steward Program will "hopefully" come back in some form by the end of August.

2. USPS will not get enough volunteers(IE...idiots" on the "EOP" (Early Out Program) without out offering some form of financial incentive.

3. Supervisors maybe asked to step down back into craft by Bertolina if they continue to do craft work instead of supervising their craft workers.

4. More jobs within the Post Office will become PTR jobs both in the clerk and mailhander jobs due to decreasing mail volume within the postal service.

Anyone out there care to add to this or to debate the merits of my predictions?

Complaints?????

Yes, I have complaints... and also I believe that others have complaints either against our Union or Management. I admit I do not know everything about what is going on either at MLS, Midway or at any of the stations. But, if I hear of something that I believe is not correct or about something that is not being done I will try to bring it to your attention.

What I would like to do is hear from anyone out at the stations on how things are going out there in the "real world". Plus, I also like to hear from others at MLS or Midway from all the Tours since there are many changes either taking place or on the horizon. Since I have seen all the Tours at MLS losing all their casuals and MDO's and supervisors talking about changing that will be coming shortly.

So, for the next week or so I am going to turn this blog over to you. I am going to leave this completely unmoderated. I only ask your discretion on posting of personal information of other individuals.

Thanks,

MOM197

What has Tom Wood done?

It’s been almost two months since Tom Wood has been elected to the position of president.

What has he done?

1. Saved the ten-four program for maintenance.
2. Mmmmm what else??? Has Jim Roland doing some type of work for the Union.

What has Tom Wood not done?

1. NOT posted a new stewards roster- the one posted still shows Clark Moody as a Tour One steward and Francisco B. as a Tour Two steward (both of these individuals are in maintenance). Do you think this will cause problems with grievances????

2. NOT posted a station steward list. (while Tom has posted a notice on the Carmel Mountain Union office door naming some chief stewards he has failed to post anything on ANY other bulletin boards) THE MEMBERS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHO IS THEIR STEWARD!


3. NOT had Ricky’s name removed from the joint statement on safety posted on the bulletin board near the men’s locker room.

4. NOT had any new shop stewards classes to train all stewards.


5. NOT got the Tour Steward program returned.

6. NOT got the Union web site up and running. (Is the web master being paid?)

Attend your Union meetings and demand answers!

Tour One Meeting with Plant Manager

I heard that last night Tour One at MLS P&DC had it's "Town Hall Meeting" with the plant manager John P. Bertolina. Also, I heard that our own Vice President Tagart was in early walking around prior to the meeting. Unfortunately, I was not able to go there last night. So, I am asking anyone of you out there to give myself and anyone else unable to attend this meeting some feedback on what took place and your own thoughts on this matter. Plus over the course of the next few days Tour Two and Three will have their own "Town Hall Meetings". Then next week will be Midway's turn for having "Town Hall Meetings".

I look forward to hearing from all of you. Please let everyone know what you think and feel about these meetings with the Plant Manager John P. Bertolina.

Union Member asking for help?

I have a Union member from another local asking for help. I freely admit to not knowing everything there is about our own local and also what goes on at the national level of the APWU.

Here is the basics of what I have been told. I am withholding the names of individuals and also of the local involved. Please feel free to give constructive and meaningful answers.

I would sincerely appreciate any guidance or suggestions you can send my way. We have a shop steward in place that is constantly running to management turning in union employees for every small transgression. We need protection from our SHOP STEWARD!!

Several years ago, a number of clerks signed a letter to try and have this steward removed from office. The "then" president said he could not do it. We have recently approached the latest president to try again and he said he would look into it. This steward has made the comment "You will never remove me from office unless I resign" Once again, I appreciate any help.Any suggestions?

Now is there anyone out there who has a idea what this individual or individuasl can do or might be able to do?

the Potpourri

I just received my Potpourri on Wednesday. It was very nice to actually to have some relevant information being given out. I am in full agreement with our local officers and trustees that we now must work together to leave behind the legacy/disaster that Rick Cornelius left for our local to recover from.

So to all Union members talk to our officers and trustee's to let them know what you think our local needs.

Also remember, that management is trying to downsize right now. Look around you, take a look at the casuals that are working currently. Very soon, neither the clerks or mailhandlers are going to have anymore casuals working. Why is this? Look around you to the mail volume that our plants are processing. To many times our supervisors are asking who wants to take annual leave right away. Protect your jobs.... Do NOT let a supervisor or 204B do your work. Let them supervise you while you are doing your job. But, most of all do not let them do you work.

Contact your shop steward so something can be done about it. Remember, that if they are doing your job... how soon will it be before they try to eliminate your job or abolish it?

June 2008... One month has passed....

Like I have put for a title "June 2008... One month has passed...." it has just barely been one month since Tom Wood took over. I do not know about most of you but I have noticed a change in the way things are being done. Some of them I do not like and others are much better than when we had Cornelius.

One thing, I feel is that right now we need to get our steward program back up and running so that those individuals can help our members who are in need of our help. I mean the full Tour Steward program. Before Cornelius took over this program gave us stewards that were very well trained and also had earned the respect for management. Then over the course of the last 3 years the program was subverted and abused by many wannabe stewards. I look forward to hopefully having trained stewards back again on each of the tours to help out our members at all times and our scabs also

Yes, and I did use the word "scabs" differentiate between an Union member and a non-union member. Because I believe it is not fair that the Union members should have to pay extra dues just to support the non union members. But, as mandated by federal law we cannot discriminate towards non union members... But, it does not mean I have to like it.

Holding onto Memories

When I saw that this name "apwudictatorship" was available I decided to take over the name as a remembrance to what happened to our APWU Local 197 when our President was Ricky Cornelius. Since I was not ready to post I just decided to let it sit here on the net. Well, looks like I have upset some of our folks out there in the world.

Someone decided to try to shut me down accusing this blog to be a spam blog or something that needed to be restricted. Well... Because of this action I plan on adding to this blog at least once a week.

Anyone if they like can email me if they want to provide an article to post on this blog. I just ask that if be written to give information to all our locals postal employees.

I can be reached at mom197@live.com

PS.... To all who believe me to have been a part of the MOM Team. I was not ever a part of any team. I was just an individual that decided to cause confusion to the MOM Team.

Thanks