APWU Web News Article 94-2012, Aug. 2, 2012
As we reported in June, the APWU has been engaged in informal conversations with management on financial incentives to encourage employees to leave the Postal Service.
Although no official offers have been made, discussions are continuing, APWU President Cliff Guffey has reported.
“I understand that there is great interest in this topic among some members, but it is simply not feasible or smart to conduct negotiations in public,” he said.
“As additional information becomes available, we will keep members informed. This process cannot be rushed. In the meantime, please rest assured that needs of APWU members are uppermost in our mind. We will not be pressured into accepting an offer that is not in the best interests of our members.”
25 years in the union, got my anniversary date last week and will be dropping out in Sep. It’s not up to the union to decide if a person should go or not. That is a personnel choice. Pull your head out Cliff
I finally got tired of waiting for the “incentive” I watched a few people ahead of me who were going to retire a year ago decide to stay and wit for the incentive. They are still there working.
I said screw it, Im outta here. I was a member of the Union for 35 years and this national administation is by far the worst I have seen. Guffey was is such a hurry to get a signed agreement, that he swallowed every little item that the P.O. fed him. Now he’s fighting to get most of the NEW language cleared up. 800 EAS positions were to be returned to craft. It will be another year or more before that one gets clarified by an arbitrator.
Look at the other Unions, did any of them ‘settle” on an agreement?
Attention Delegates to the APWU Convention in August! Hold “Goofy” respondsible
for VERS @early out incentives. Demand he and the rest of the boys agree to talks and come up with an acceptable resolution for current APWU members!
Goofey waited too long and is now begging his usps masters to pony up some dough…problem is, they had dough a while ago but it went to mailhandlers. Smart! Real smart Goofey. Ready for the pin trading convention? Get your drink orders in! WooHoo…luv dem all expense paid convention. Keep paying dem dues bruthas n sistas so I can enjoy myself and come back and report on it to y’all!!!
USPS has no money to pay its bills. APWU stalled and waited for that white knight and then…BOOYA…no VERA, no MONEY, sorry charlie, go ahead and take that mailhandler vacancy while we keep talking about this. You are screwed again! Oh well, you still have that watershed agreement that apwu & usps don’t agree about. But not to worry, those junior stewards will remain behind…protected from excessing while you are screwed! Seniority? What seniority? Junior stewards don’t need no stinkin seniority!
No Cola Guffey is now No incentive Guffey
And Mr. Baker from the Miami Local it is the Unions fault we lost our cola.
Goofy is a Dork! Pencil Pushing Freaggin Dork! It turns my stomach to see him represent the Postal Worker. Poor Example of a Leader. I’m sure all the people waiting in line for a Job OR Retirement are angry too!
Sounds like he doesn’t quite get it yet.
there are probably 50,000 or more people waiting to go with this offer and another equal amount waiting to slide in the jobs they are vacating.
people have been waiting for tour 2 jobs for a long time. Let’s get rid of some elder members holding these jobs and move on.
Why are the talks informal? Get with the program Guffey, cancel some of the Union picnics and take care of business
Guffey doesn’t know what employees want, he just knows what he wants. He is as bad as the politicians, which I guess he his one. He doesn’t care about retirement because he is afraid the more postal workers that retire will jeopardize his claim to fame as well as his massive paycheck.
L Mitchell
Long time no see…
Donna in FL
Mr Guffey, get this deal done, I refuse to get into name calling with the leadership but please lots of people want to retire and get an incentive as MH and POSTM have been offered. why should the incentive money be grounds for negotiating for other issues? DON’T CLAIM TO KNOW ALL THE ISSUES but it is time to move on from this and get it done.
Wish you and the leadership the best in the upcoming convention.
Who’s jerking who around?
USPS does not has to answer to APWU on whether to call a buyout. Buyout money does not come from the Union. If the APWU thinks that they are holding USPS hostage over some measly negotiation, they need to think twice. The official contract has already been settled and this holdup only delay the exit of eligible employees.
USPS now has reasons to declare a bankruptcy and have the court review the contract in having it void and reorganize.
Even though Guffey is saying he is not negotiating in public, what is the “accepting the best offer that is not in the best interests of our members”? What can be improve of this buyout other than more money?
Will Guffey reveal what was his best interest offer for employees if USPS decides to go ahead with the buyout without the union’s approval?
Congress is going home and won’t return until the end of the month but USPS will continue to lose $2 Billion a month.
This $2 Billion is more than enough to complete the 100,000 employees exit. So far only 4,000 postmaster and 3,000 mailhandlers are leaving. This 7,000+ number is far short of expectation of USPS.
Are people forgetting USPS plans of 30,000 a year for the next 5 years? They’ve been short for the last 2 years.
Get out of this corrupt union. Do they not understand that all union members are not democrat. I’m sick of the left constantly bashing the right. They are all a bunch of liars. They do not represent the members. All they want is our money for themselves. Selfish liars. Do you seek how Trumka is getting his democrat forces together against Romney. Not all of us are stupid liberals. The dems. are trying to destroy America. We have too many ignorant people not paying attention.
I hate to be the bearer of obvious news, lowly craft peeps, but us important people have our offer. I’ve put up with ‘da craft’ for long enough. Been pushed round by prez and her ‘followers’ long nuff. My bags are at the door and packed, how bout yours. See what your union can get you know.
Dear Sister Dawn Rizo, First let me thank you for being a 25+ year member of the MIAMI AREA LOCAL. Unfortunately you have created a BIG headache for my fellow Local Treasurers, as you have MISINFORMED the Nat’l APWU members concerning OUR Local’s Bylaws concerning our apprciation for longtime membership in OUR LOCAL regarding the $250 payment. AND to all the other blogs whining about the Union, its the typical me first attitude and throw the PSE’s under the Bus. I started in 1975 as an NTE – casual -PSE. Non-career clerks have been in the union forever, RIGHT BILL! The economy is in shambles, the USPS is going broke, as are many cities across the Nation, BUT IT IS THE UNIONS” FAULT! Too many republicans in our great organization….. In Union Solidarity, Kevin Baker/ Secretary/Treasurer Miami Area Local
Let some of us retire who are not eligible to retire with dignity. Things on the work floor are getting worst by the day. Let the junior people have job security with some of senior people gone
Guffey can’t transmopolate a particle of syllogistical unionism, nor can he fusmulticate the least fenso- cosnostiveness from the vulganatorial of his indiotic mind. I caution all transfulmanatorial memebers from having anything to do with him.
Management cannot be coerced into following the contract…the only thing this will do is force them to implement harsher alternatives for reducing payroll.Don’t gamble with our incentive money…..you should know better Guffey.We could have a lose lose situation like we wound up with our contract.We took a pay freeze for 2 years for what?So the p.o. could renege on its prepayment?We lost out 2 years of wage increases when the p.o. knew they could just not pay the 5.5 billion.We sacrificed for NOTHING!!! Now we re playing around with incentives.Get as much as you can and give us a chance to take it.
I think Guffy worries about losing union wages. If he steals my 15k buyout as well as many thousands of other members, then he is just another corporate thief. I will quit the union and encourage everyone else to do so. Guffy should be impeached.
He is not representing me or the other members, so why stay in the union.
Impeach the felonius thief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mitch at Merrifield P& DC
the union has a big bunch of assholes running it . the mailhandler got there buyout so should we. the post office is a sinking ship that some people want to get off of before it go”s to the bottom .
Mr. Guffey: I am one of those eligible for the retirement incentive. Keep stalling!! It will give me more time to encourage members to drop out of the union before I leave. You guys agreed to the PSE and contractually limited them to only the APWU health insurance option. You continue stick it to the members every chance you get now. No need to worry about Congressional attempts to break up the union. Under your leadership, the APWU is going to self-destruct.
Hey Cliff do us all a favor and resign and take your cronies like Liz Powell with you.When I saw a picture of you and her at the negotiating table I knew it was all over for the clerks. Let’s face it your decisions up to this point have been horribly inept. Just throw in the towel admit defeat and let some real union people take over.
This new line of bull from clif goofy just confirms what I said all along. he had to come up with that last statement, (that talks are continuing), He knows that a lie.
He also know that THOUSANDS of members are going to drop out. Any incentive these members get is from saving yourself about $650.00 in dues money. We don’t need them for anything.
Get Rid of PSEs, Your NOT cutting Payroll IF You have Fifty PSEs. Stop doing closed Door meetings. We ain`t broke Were just Broken, Get rid of STUPID Good for NOTHING STUPIDVISORS. The Post Office Promots Inept useless people who know nothing , CAN them. Twenty Five Years This is the Worst I have seen the Ole PO….greasynick USMC 1969-1973…..
Excessing for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of clerks who would not have been excessed had this incentive been offered is not in the best interest of the members ??? Are you serious ???!!!
Hey Cliff put the crack pipe down and start representing your members who have paids dues for over 25 years and stop worrying about the pse’s. You have already destroyed the APWU and the negotiation for the Mailhandler’s and Carrier’s by your agreeing to a ridiculous contract and making it the benchmark for management to throw in the other crafts faces.Now your preventing longtime members from leaving the job with some respect and dignity. WAKE UP AND LISTEN TO THE RANK AND FILE!
I QUIT the APWU after we didn’t recieve a Cola. I am going to sue the APWU for holding a non union member hostage to their weak GUFFEY – POWELL policy.
WHY SHOULD THEY BE ABLE TO STOP A NON-UNION MEMBER FROM THEIR RIGHTS OF A VERA. We will settle this in a court of law. I have contacted my lawyer, Sidney Fields,and he is filing the paper work as we speak.
I also feel misrepresented by the APWU, but if you are not aware of this let me share a little fact about the APWU that may interest you: *All members of the APWU with 25+ yrs of membership are eligible for the “25 YEAR LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP REWARD OF $250. In order to receive this reward you must obtain and provide a copy of your union anniversary date “SEGMENT E” form which must be printed directly from the “EMPLOYEE MASTER RECORD”, which you may request from the USPS/HR Shared Service Center, but my manager was very instrumental in promptly obtaining this document for me. Please do not rely on your steward, as I was given the wrong info. it only delayed the payment process, (and we know why employees get involved with the union, for the same reason employees sign up for mgmt positions, they don’t want to work). Once you obtain a copy of your union anniversary date “SEGMENT E” form – fax it to the Secretary – Treasurer of your Local Union. For the Miami Area Local fax it to the attn of: Kevin J. Baker, Secretary – Treasurer at 305-591-5975 **I received my check via US MAIL in approx 1 week. T.O.O.
Guffey is holding our incentive hostage! Everyone go to the APWU website get the address and phone # and write/call them and tell them to negotiate the early-out incentive NOW!- they can grieve or fill class action suits on those other issues
It is way past time for an incentive and I think there should be a class action lawsuit dated back to April of this year for all the people who gave up and retired. It was promised and delayed for no good reason. What a way to jerk people around.
I’m confused, Burus says he supports the decision to withhold a vote on incentive offers for clerks, and then goes on in his post about how it is hurting the many who want out, not just for themselves, but to help save the younger and remaining postal workers. Yes, he got that part right, we do want out, sooo many yesterdays ago. We see offers being made to everyone else, and we aren’t stupid, we know that ours was there for the taking, but you guys rejected it., and you are only telling us now because of the blogging pressures to do so. We are so desperately searching the net daily to see our good news, and you guys deny that for us. This is a case that a politician is put it when it comes time to vote on the important issues, do you vote with you own opinion and heart, or vote the way the majority of constituents elected you to do. I say you vote the way you have been elected to do, as you can see here, everyone one of us want out, yesterday, and we are hopping mad about it because it isn’t happening and you are addmitedly holding our out’s hostage. How dare you do that. As a steward and loyal union member, I’m disguste, and disappointed in you. National moving day of August 11th is fast approching, and we would be able to save many junior people if you had done this already, but I guess you don’t care about them, right. I’m sorry that I was not elected to attend this year’s upcoming convention because I’d be shouting from the roof tops if that’s what it would take to get you guys to act. When election time comes around again for your positions, I will not vote to re elect any of you.
I just love all the get out of the union dumbsh-ts! I’m sure every one of you could get what the union has worked so hard to get you over the years on your own. Your a bunch of mindless idiots. You’re right your owed that money and how dare the union actually try to make things better for the ones left behind. Let’s appease all the one’s who want out now and forget about making it better for the ones who are left. If you’r elgible to retire then retire and quit your damn whineing! Go get em Guffey.
Maybe a class action law suit by potential retirees being held hostage will snap their heads out of their asses.
$25K, many clerks are ready to leave.
Goofey has all the answers just like accepting the new contract were new employees got lower pay and existing employees do not get any increase for more than 1 year while them officers get paid 6 figures plus use of all union funds for their travel expenses, parties, so on, etc…
Again he says don’t rush while he sits in his nice office and a number of clerks want to get out with some monetary incentive!
Everyone get out of this union and save your $600+ a year! hehehehe
I AGREE, IF YOU ARE IN THE UNION GET OUT NOW. WHAT A JOKE. THE ONLY PEOPLE THEY HELP ARE THE ONES WHO NEED TO BE FIRED. IF YOU ACTUALLY DO YOUR JOB AND NEED HELP ALL YOU GET IS “YOU ARE LUCKY TO HAVE A JOB” GUFFY SUCKS! WHAT AN ASSHOLE.
WHEN WILL YOU UNION IDIOTS GET YOUR CRAP TOGETHER AND GET ON WITH IT!!!!! TIME IS RUNNING OUT YOU MORONS!!!!
It’s seems a little weird that right after Burris posted his report about the incentives that Guffy decided to continue the talks with Management. Thank God Mr. Burris is still keeping tabs on our Union. He at least is letting the Membership know what is
going on and why it was not good for us. The APWU will lose some members with an incentive offer but they will lose them through retirement anyway.
GOOD,I HOPE THE APWU GETS US AN EARLY -OUT OFFER.
APWU only posted the above information on their website because they have been reading Postalreporter.com the last few days and they are scared.
And they see everybody is going to get out of the Union.
So they hastily posted on their website they are working with management for buyout/early out for the crafts.
Take my advice, if you are still in the Union, get out.
The APWU is obsolete and serves no one except themselves.
The shop stewards never work their bids and are off the floor for months and never seen by the craft.
The local Presidents never visit the plants to see what is going on inside the plants.
Like I said, the APWU only serves themselves to their benefit and could care less about the ignorant and naive Union members
And the APWU knows it too!
So did Mr. Burris make that whole thing up? Really????? I doubt it MR Guffey stop using us to get back at those who you feel did you wrong. There are other avenues to address this.
“we will not be pressured “.
And you also won’t be reelected, so enjoy your remaining term!
Cliff:
We are not worried about the offer, that will be there from the
USPS since they have no choice but to make an offer of Incentive
for Clerks to retire if they ever hope to reduce the work force.
It is you we are worried about attaching all kinds of stipulations before
you accept the offer from the USPS with careless about what the
clerk craft members want. We care about the work but we do not
want to be used a Bargaining Chips to be player like we are part
of some poker game. We want the Incentive offer from the USPS
and the work can be regained through the Grievance Procedure
or the Labor Board. Do the right thing for your clerk craft members
and quickly negoatiate an acceptable Incentive for the good of
the Senior clerk craft members and the good of the Junior clerk
craft members who may not have to be excessed from their homes
and current places of employment within the USPS.
Yeah Your word is good Cliff…..
Cliff:
Have you read what Bill Burrus posted on the Postal Reporter?
Are you now saying that you actually care. We doubt it at this point.
Sounds like you are trying to sell us a line of bull. Prove everyone
wrong and do the right thing and negoatiate for real, an Incentive
for people to retire with a little bit of dignity.
Guffey and his crew just want to continue getting union dues from us they don’t want to negotiate an incentive the crooks!
So said the Captain of the Titantic as passengers began to complain of water in their rooms.
I feel better now!
The APWU should realize the time is slowly fading away for saving any jobs without making some room by getting older employees to go by negotiating an incentive.How can they be so ignorant of that fact?!