In case anyone’s forgotten, tomorrow will be a big day for the American Postal Workers Union and the U.S. Postal Service. That’s when they find out whether APWU members have approved a tentative contract that would run to May 2015.
Ballots were due back this morning at designated post office boxes; once they’re counted tomorrow at a Washington, D.C.-area hotel, the results will be posted on the APWU’s web site, according to the union. The tentative deal, which would establish a two-tier wage system, has been strongly endorsed by the leaders of both the Postal Service and the APWU. But it’s come under fire from congressional Republicans for being overly generous while former APWU President William Burrus is opposed on the grounds that it would cost future postal workers too much.
To encourage turnout, the union is offering cash prizes to the union locals that do the best job of mobilizing members to vote. That tactic produced this angry exchange at a hearing last month between current APWU President Cliff Guffey and Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., the chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the Postal Service. (To get the full flavor of the dialogue, start around the 1:37 point on the webcast.)
4 Comments
Learn how to spell. “Prizes” is not spelled “prices.”
I am anticipating the arrival our new child, the CBA. I have been a union steward and even chief steward. I have been a union member for 32 years. I believe in power in numbers and no matter what anyone says, we need to stick together. For those of you who say “what have they ever done for me, I haven’t needed them for grievences. Well, those raises and no layoff clauses which has allowed you to keep your jobs for as long as we want them. I think that we got a fair deal on both sides of it. We are creating over 800 more jobs created from work management has been performing. We will be getting cost of living raises when other are taking pay cuts, or told to take a hike.We will be having lead clerk positions that are at level 7. During these tough economical times, I say good job APWU. I voted YES!!!!!!
Sirs, this contract is a disgrace! The current leadership under Pres. Guffey has betrayed the current workforce and undermined the future of the entire union. How does having a job that might require you to split-shift, work anyplace between 4 and twelve hours in a single day, and pay you half what your co-workers earn a “good” contract?
I don’t believe that “theartrical act between Congressman Ross and Pres. Guffey for a minute. That was just a sales act to get the membership to believe that this is good for them.
Any job that schedules you to work part time and charges you full premiums for health care is a bad job.
I would be verrry careful about who and how the votes are counted.
The sheeple have voted with almost 80% in favor. “Now is not a good time to fight”. Well, when are we going to fight? This is a disgrace of a contract that even Burris was against.