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Arbitration Summary

and a Commentary by Bobby Donelson

Comments from APWU WEB Page:

Arbitration Hearings Begin, As Management Attacks Burrus In Shocking Presentation to Panel!

Postal management used the Monday, August 27, opening session of the APWU-USPS Contract Arbitration hearings as an opportunity to attack APWU’s chief contract negotiator, Executive Vice President William Burrus, instead of focusing on our wages, hours and working conditions, plus the other important issues to be decided.

On the first day of hearings, held in Chicago, APWU made the opening presentation and repeated the union’s demand for a 30-month contract with a pay increase of 13.5 percent, plus continuation of existing cost-of-living provisions, improvements in holiday pay and night-differential pay, and an improved uniform and work-clothes program.

Postal management then regurgitated its proposal for a four-year contract with no wage increases (only lump-sum payments), no cost-of-living adjustments, and cuts in health benefits, night-shift differential and Sunday-premium pay. Management also demanded a contract award providing no retroactive pay increase to cover the period between the November 20, 2000, expiration of the last contract and the new contract, whenever the panel renders its decision.

Over the ensuing two days of the first round of contract hearings, APWU presented a comprehensive panel of witnesses, including Executive Vice President Burrus, Assistant Clerk Division Director Jim McCarthy, chief APWU economic consultant Joel Popkin, and additional expert witnesses––most importantly rank-and-file postal workers, who gave first-hand accounts of the working conditions they face on the job each and every day. 

The first round of arbitration hearings concluded on August 29. Hearings will resume on September 27 in Washington, DC. 

Comments from Bobby Donelson

The hearing opened on Monday, August 27, 2001 with opening statements from the APWU and USPS. This took approximately four hours. This was followed by a presentation from Phil Tabbita on the number of APWU represented workers and a brief video on the equipment and workers - Maintenance, MVS, and Clerks. This was followed by presentations from a four-member clerk panel (window clerks). August 28, 2001 we open with a four member MVS panel, followed by a four member Maintenance panel, followed by a four-member clerk panel (mail processors) and a DCO. These people all testified about a day in the USPS. They were very well prepared and all were excellent. This was followed by testimony from Executive Vice President Burrus and Assistant Clerk Craft Director Jim McCarthy.

August 29, 2001 we open with testimony from Dr. Letitia Chambers , followed by testimony from Dr. Joel Popkin, followed by a presentation from APWU Attorney Anton Hajjar.

The first three days of hearing have been completed. 

The APWU Attorneys Daryl Anderson, Art Luby, Lee Jackson, Anton, Hajjar, and Mindy Holmes were in Chicago as well as and at the table as well as President Moe Biller, Executive Vice President Bill Burrus, and Director of Organization Greg Bell. Special Assistants to the President Judy Beard, Randy Sutton, and Phil Tabbita were there to assist. 

The National Executive Board , President Moe Biller, Executive Vice President Bill Burrus, Director of Industrial Relations Greg Bell, Maintenance Director Jim Lingberg, Motor Vehicle Service Director Bob Pilchard, Clerk Director Cliff Guffey, Central Regional Coordinator Leo Persails, Eastern Regional Coordinator Jim Burke, Northeast Regional Coordinator Liz Powell, Southern Regional Coordinator Terry Stapleton, and Western Region Coordinator Raydell Moore were present.

In addition Maintenance Assistant Director A Bobby Donelson, Maintenance, National Representative at-Large Gary Kloepfer, Assistant Motor Vehicle Service Director Mike Foster, and Assistant Clerk Directors Tommy Thompson, Jim McCarthy, and Rob Strunk, Legislative Director Roy Braunstein, Director of Organization Frank Romero, and Clerk NBA's Steve Albanese, Bob Bloomer, Jerry Martin, Eric Davis, Mike Morris, and Pat Williams were also in Chicago.

Chicago , Northwest Illinois, Dallas, Boston, Indianapolis, Madison, and Norcross and some of their members were present. 

Thank you,

Yours in Union Solidarity,

Bobby Donelson, Assistant Maintenance Director "A"

 

Washington D.C. Maintenance Officers

Jim Lingberg, Maintenance Director

Bobby Donelson, Maintenance Assistant Director "A"

Jake Jackson, Maintenance Assistant Director "B"

Gary Klopefer, Maintenance National Representative at Large

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