As you are aware, I have expressed my opinion that the tentative agreement is not fair to employees who will be hired in the future because it dramatically reduces their income and they are denied an opportunity to make a decision if the contractual changes are of equal value to the more than $200,000 in wage and retirement losses that they will each experience. Notwithstanding my reservations, I expect the agreement to be ratified and I choose not to express an opinion of the reasons. Each member casting a ballot is entitled to apply his/her individual decision and I do not pass judgment on their reasons. As a retiree, I will not personally be affected by the new agreement and those that will follow but it is my firm opinion that this contract will begin a new era of postal employment in the crafts represented by APWU.
The agreement will permanently reduce the wages of APWU represented employees to a level in existence prior to the 1971 Postal Reorganization Act when collective bargaining was afforded postal employees. The standard for the work performed by clerks, lower level maintenance and motor vehicle employees will be reduced to the new levels established in this agreement. As current employees leave postal employment, the compensation level for work performed will be set at the lowest level applicable. Postal management will refuse to pay $28.00 per hour for work that the union has agreed can be performed by the 2nd tier work force at $16.00 for new hires and at $12.00 per hour by casuals who have been integrated into the regular work force.
In addition, the 40 hour guaranteed work week will not automatically apply to all full time employees and over time, fewer and fewer employees will enjoy the standard work week that has been integral to postal employment.
Keep Our Standards
Over my entire career as a union representative, I have not experienced a union converting employment from middle class to working poor with the objective of expanding the bargaining unit. The cry of “we want our work” is consistent with APWU goals, only if the work can be returned at APWU standards as opposed to reducing our standards to the level of the outsourced work.
Organizing the unorganized is a continuing objective of the labor movement but it is contrary to the basic principle of union collective bargaining for a union to exchange full time, good paying opportunities for wages and careers resembling retail and fast food employers.
40 Years of Progress
There are examples in the food and banking industries where jobs have been transformed from modest income and benefits when unionized, to transitional employment for new entrants in the labor market. But postal employment, through aggressive union representation broke through the barriers of “service” employment and set new standards. This agreement will erase 40 years of progress.
Race to The Bottom
Optimistic projections that this bad agreement will be used as a springboard for future corrections is optimistic at best and a foolish promise. Militant statements of future corrections will meet the reality of the marketplace. The entire trend in workplace justice is downward pressure on non professional employment as being played out in Wisconsin, Ohio and several other states where collective bargaining rights are under attack. To believe that a conservative Congress or the Board of Governors will permit contractual improvements equal to the losses embedded in this contract is a pipe dream and will never happen. These major concessions will serve as a springboard in a race to the bottom.
APWU members can expect a series of future national conventions attended by a mixture of members governed by three distinct wage scales where delegates demand the unification of all rights and benefits at the higher level. Resolutions will be overwhelmingly adopted directing the negotiators to achieve that which will not be possible at the bargaining table leading to a series of interest arbitration decisions. No relief will be forthcoming. Postal management having achieved their 40 year priority to reduce wages will not relent to an agreement that restores lost ground. Arbitration will become the norm.
In the five (5) prior contracts decided by arbitrators, each decided that APWU represented employees compensation exceeded the legal standard of comparability and awarded the Postal Service moderate restraint. The union has now agreed to voluntary restraint and future arbitrators will not serve as vehicles to return to previous conditions that had been consistently found to be excessive.
This For That
This agreement is in fact “out of the box” and will usher in a new day for postal employees. The strategy applied was to exchange the wages of future employees for immediate contractual improvements, “this for that.” In addition to the unfairness of denying the affected employees a voice in the debate over the changes, this strategy has limited continuing applicability for future gains. What is to be traded in future negotiations, COLA – No Lay Off – Health Benefits? And how does the union make improvements if every step forward is balanced against a step backward?
Change
We have been provided a preview of tomorrow and it has no semblance to yesterday. The security of full time employment, middle class wages and the satisfaction of knowing that you are compensated for the work performed will cycle with history to be recalled in interesting discussions. Change is inevitable, but this change is self-induced and it will be negative.
In solidarity,
Bill Burrus
source: Burrus Journal
zack aint been gettin any!
Wow Zack. Settle down brother. You are so angry. It will all be ok 🙂
Zack, learn to spell, dude. You’re embarrasing yourself. (and yes, that’s “you’re’ not “your’ an idiot)
I was just wondering how much excessing the APWU has stopped. My faith in the local and the national are slowly dwindling. Alot of the members I talked to are worn out and indifferent. They are tired of hearing when they will be excessed, some do not even know where they are going, As the APWU and USPS have beaten the dead horse to the ground-they just don’t care anymore. And i really can’t say i blame them.
Well since many of you have bought on to Cliff Guffy’s philosophy –
“What is good for the USPS is good for us”, then we should stop filing grievances, and get rid of the Unions. We should let the USPS decide for us, what our pay and benefits should be. After all, the Union’s cost the USPS a lot of money with their grievances. Arbitration is no good for us anyway, with the anti-union climate being what it is and all. Besides, when we all get out of the Union, we will get back the $600.00 we were paying in Union dues. Damn, what was I thinking this whole time? You guys were right. Vote Yes. It’s up to us to save the USPS! Maybe they will let me volunteer to work for free one day a week as well. After all, I should be thankful I’m not working at Wallmart. STUBBORN FOOLS! OR MAYBE YOURE JUST IN DENIAL ABOUT THE CRAP YOUR SHOVELING. You can’t win the debate, cause you got nothing but selfish feelings to argue in defense of your baseless logic. The core of your argument is centered on pessimistic series of “What if?” Questions. We lost and didn’t even get in the ring yet. I’m glad I didn’t serve in the military next to any of you quitters. We never would have fought a single battle, cause we could have gotten killed.
All I can say , if vote for this agreement and your hours get cut and management bonus’ increase don’t whine and complain. One thing I’ve learned in life is that the people in power will always try and make the rules and agreements completely in their favor.
One more thing Zack. You say I don’t care about others just me me me. Well when I was a young adult no one care that I was making min wage about 3 something an hour. These new hires at the po will actually be doing quite well
IMO since most will be younger folk or those just entering or returning to the workforce. Largely unskilled. The wages look pretty durn good to me. Better than walmart. My nephew started here in so cal at walmart making $8.50 hr. No guarantee of hours. No benefits. He was a hard worker. Kept asking for more hours. Walmart jerked him around do bad he got upset & ounces the fridge & of course got fired. Somedays he was working 4 hrs day. Mcdonalds doesn’t pay like the USPS will either. There will be a lot of people who will knock each other over for the newer lower wage postal jobs. Burris is saying people will make $200k less during their career. Yeah maybe if you maxes out at every wage & benefit & time duration. People can also now buy a house for 1/2 what they used to. A lot of jobs are lowering wages & benefits.
I hate it when I phone tries to correct my spelling. My fault though I should have proof read before submitting. Hope you all can make out my post:)
Thank you Postal Joe. I do feel a bit bullied but I can handle Zack nuts Zack indid pull my $ out if the stock market & paid off my house at 50 years old. Two newer cars. No car payments. Inonly owe my monthly living expenses. Not a bad position to be in during all this uncertainty. I may not make any money in the kit but I won’t lose a penny of my hard earned money any longer. They say the stock market has lost almost half of our money -twice- in the last decade. Sure it has recovered nicely but for how long. You can’t count on the ciscos or the gee’s anymore. Have a good day zack. Good kick tonus all no matter what happens. I just chose the bird in the hand rather than gosh knows what could happen. Played it sFe all my life & I am nit doing too bad IMO.
I know Postal, the truth hurts. Im just trying to figure out who ordered the “Code Red”
Those who resort to criticism of another’s views, thinking theirs is the only correct one are by definition, bigots.
We are entitled to free and open discussion of the issues at hand concerning the tentative agreement, thereby forming an opinion.
We also have the right to voice those opinions whether one is retired or active, member or officer.
My hope is that everyone do just that and please stop attacking each other.
Weigh the pros and cons, and each of us form a conclusion. Then vote. Let the chips fall where they may.
Management loves ‘dissension in the ranks’, at least agree to avoid that.
In Solidarity
As the great Winston Churchill stated when Great Britan seemed all but doomed: The only thing to fear is fear itself! YOU’VE ALREADY SUCUMMED
You have yet to give me one solid reason to vote Yes. Your postings infer you do not like the contract either. Thus why do you persist. You follow your gut feeling, or are you a fortune teller? Life is full of risks. No one ever got anywhere playing it “safe”. The odds are great that if you drive a car, you could have a bad accident; so do you not drive? Your reason for voting yes is based solely on your instincts, and not fact. No one knows what Arbitration could bring, but that doesn’t mean it would be worse than this T/A. You don’t stop investing your $$$ just because the stock market crashed, or you are afraid of the corrupt likes of Bernie Madoff . You can’t guarantee Arbitration will be bad for us no more than I can guarantee it will be good. So what are you afraid of? Life is full of risks. I survived before the P.O., and I’ll survive when it is gone. Don’t be boring, live life with dignity and respect. Stand for something other than yourself. All I hear is me, me, me.
If I must go down I pray that I will not go down on my knees, but rise with my flag flying. (Randall Wallace-Braveheart).
Vote NO on the Tentative Giveback.
Good night.
Zack what guarantee will voting no keep us off the breadline? I feel voting yes at least gives us a chance. Voting no I feel us what USPS & congress want. Then they can say they tried & we are just being unreasonable. Public opinion is nit really on the side of the unions right now. With so many people hurting they feel we have it too good.
I feel sorry for you, for you know not what you may have just been apart of. Like the old addage goes “what goes around, comes around”. Maybe we will meet in the bread line some day. Nevertheless, I’m going down fighting. I will not betray myself, nor future generations, for those before me, did not betray me.
Lemmings
Still voting yes.
Oh, Love ya Zackie!!
Do we roll the dice with congress and the arbitrators and vote “NO”?
Probably will get a worse contract in binding arbitration. But at least we would be voting our minds on this pos.
Is anybody prepared to actually strike in this political climate? Would that be exactly what congress and the USPS want? A chance to fire everybody and hire an all new and cheap workforce.
I think this is the best contract we can get. This is the toughest vote I have seen in my 40 years with the USPS.
GO GRIZ
Your baggin on my intelligence, and your voting Yes. YOUR THE IDIOT
I work for the post office and went to a 2 window clerks to send a package and the clerks refused to accept my package unless I sent it priority. From that point on, I have sent my packages through stamps.com or the automated postal unit. I have found out the vast number of window clerks are not needed and probably should be at the $16.00 hr the non-bargaining employees would be paid. It is equivalent to the clerks of UPS and higher than the $13.00 for FedEx clerk.
rephrase, the good out weighs alot of not so good, yes there is good, then alot, if see alot of more picture, bad on what is going on with unions ( locally & nationally ) this is why people do not want unions anymore in american, people are being sold out undercut, thrown down the river, unions taking people money, what for? so they can continue to work and for what? what good is a union if they can not stand up more for people, are more about themselves (if that is the case), are bs liars and cower in like little kitties.
Mr. Burrus is right. NALC (carrier union) didn’t sell their people out, throw their people down the river and have a lot better, stronger union than APWU. They will not be paying alot, tons of health care, more money out of their pockets like APWU clerks are going to. APWU local union says take what you can while you can. They are full of crap. Anything that comes out of your local union (if yours is like mine) don’t believe what they say. My local only cares about themselves, are arrogant, bs’rs, brother hood club of who they enjoy being in the company of others who all of them are nonexperienced and just friends with them, APWU union (if yours is like mine) will stab you in the back and still want your money so they can take trips, have fun, been entitledment a word bastards.. They especially don’t care about injured employees. They refer you out to get help if you are injured and you have to pay them lots of money. I say no to the tentative agreement because what Mr. Burrus says makes sense. We are being sold down the river once again, and at the expense of future employees being screwed more and us who are currently employed, working, getting more of a bum rap of a deal. We settle for less, we screw ourselves more. Standing up to what is right, is what we should do. Not cave in. The reason our contract sucks so much is because the people in charge on negotiating on our side maybe working both sides also. Who knows. Actions speak louder than words, kind of or alot seems like it.
Those who had the chance to take the $15000 in Oct ’09 sure look stupid now for sticking around for a better offer to retire!!!!
All yes voters, who think “I got mine”, and think they will get any future benefit of the doubt, think again. You will get your austerity measure when the time comes. Good luck making your bed right now, you will be in for an uncomfortable retirement, and you can blame yourselves.
Hope your saving some money for the future “gold-en” years, LOL
Can anyone tell me the procedure on how to withdraw from the union? My anniversary date is about a month away.
Why did Burrus retire if he was so concerned about our contract. Shouldn’t he have stayed on as President until the toughest negotiations in the history of the APWU were completed.
We love it when you idiots are at each others throats. You do all our dirty work for us! We have all the money and power, we control the US government, and we OWN YOU!!! But keep throwing your sh*t at each other!!!
Zac honey you keep showing your intelligence. Keep posting xoxoxo
The question is how we want to go down. I do not want to vote yes because that would be the equivilant of tying a noose around your own neck. May as well let it go to arbitration and let the chips fall where they may.
You do not have a position. Your just voting no because your scared of arbitration. That doesn’t win a debate. Your fear is based on a premise, not a fact(s). You are willing to screw yourself and everyone else based on your selfish feeling. Your a dirt bag.
Wimps!
Don, You”re an IDIOT!!!!!!! how dare you talk shit about injured co-workers? some of us are truly getting SCREWED for being injured AT WORK doing OUR JOB for the USPS. true some are LIARS very FEW, but don’t lump everyone in as whiners and cry babies.. Maybe you should try to do some work, instead of minding everyone’s business! it only takes a split second to get injured, so until you walk in our shoes, shut the hell up!!!! better yet I hope you get hurt at work and your stupid A$$ is out of a JOB! then you’ll see who’s a whiner and a cry baby JERK!!!
Zack – wouldn’t thinking if it dude. Very mature calling others nasty names just because their opinions differ from yours.
Pussies afraid of Arbitration. And you call yourselves Unionist’. Don’t jump in my fox hole.
Also we can’t worry about new hires. I know that sounds unkind. But let them fight thru the years as we have to make things better. I am not willing to die on that mountain fir them. I have worked hard & have been promised a very modest retirement. I am too old to start over. Newbies can decide if they want what the po is willing to pay in wages & benefits. As the economy gets better hopefully in years to come the market will determine wages. If they are too low & benefits are not good no one will apply. The po will have to raise the wages. It will all be ok for the younger newbiesntrust me. It is us that have been here for a career or close to it that are in danger if we go to arbitration
I still think we gota support this ta. Like the comment about Mcdonalds. Same goes for walmart. Most of us are a layoff away from those jobs IF we could even get them in this economy & given a lot if our ages. Those jobs like to hire the 20 somethings. One can always pick apart a contract
As the other commented stated, good union people signed their names to this contract. I’m taking my chances with them rather than an arbitrator.
Recent history lesson. Burrus bullied the 2008 APWU convention into supporting Obama. After all that has transpired since that time, how can Burrus ask us now to believe he has the judgment to know, for a fact, that the TA is bad for the rank and file?
You fooled us once sir…..but don’t come back here and try that stuff again. You are not credible.
Many, many great union people have signed off on this TA. Read their names in your packet. Email them and ask your questions. But do not buy into this drum beat of despair from Burrus. He is wrong… and he will pay no price at all it we end up before an arbitrator who believes the APWU got too much from the USPS.
The first thing the arbitrator cuts out of the agreement is the “no layoff” guarantee.
If this contract passes, I’m going to give myself a raise in the amount of $595. annually by QUITING THE UNION!
Bill Burrass did a TERRIBLE JOB during negotiations
for our last TWO CONTRACTS.
We could have had much better results…even if we had
gone through the Arbitration Process…BUT NO, HE DECIDES
TO SETTLE WITH NOTHING BUT SINGLE DIGIT WAGE
IMPROVEMENT.
Looking at his past performance and the fact that WE ALL
could be enjoying a substantially higher wage now if he had
not settled for PEANUTS when the USPS was making money
during NEGOTIATIONS FOR OUR LAST TWO CONTRACTS,
i THINK IT HIGHLY HYPOCRITICAL THAT OUR “RETIRED”,
“PAST” PRESIDENT is so “BOTHERED” by our tentative
agreement.
If you think the no layoff is a bad idea go to McDonald i herd they are hiring 50,000. Its probly at minimum wage no medical, leave, or security.
When was the last time the USPS hired anyone other Casuals?
Aloha APWU:
Simple – members vote – members decide outcome.
UG
Don’t quit the union. If there is no union who will the career light duty go whine to every day because someone wanted them to do some work? OMG that would be GREAT!
Mr. Retired Burrus needs to keep his oppinions to him self and stop underminding the APWU.
Do not forget just before he left office he gave away the rights of Motor Vehicle Service with the pilot program.
SPLIT DAYS OFF
8 HRS WITHIN 12 HRS
SPLIT DAYS
If MVS rejected th pilot program they were contracted out and excessed.
Who sold out the members.
yea im out also
If this contract is ratified, I’m going to vote with my $$, quit the APWU.
Since Burress quit right before negotiations he has no right to complain.
The future is here. All the power and money is ours. You will only have what we want you to have. (nothing)