FROM THE PRESIDENT
Loren Adams
Razorback Scheme
January, 2000 issue

2000 and BEYOND

The future of the Postal Service is the future of your job [if you are 
committed to making this your lifetime career.  In that sense, we are 
inescapably tied together.  With all its quirks, micromanagement, 
mistreatment, and dysfunctions, the Postal Service is our living.

This said, it is our responsibility not to abuse the system.  Opportunists 
take advantage of the system and run it into the ground.  Responsible 
employees use benefits only when needed, do their best for the company, and 
desire to see the company succeed.  I recognize the unfairness and abuse on 
the other side, but this gives us little comfort when the entire ship starts 
to sink.  FMLA is a great program for those truly needing it.  (Why get 
disciplined for being pregnant or having a heart attack, for crying out 
loud?)  But when a benefit is constantly abused, eventually even those who 
deserve it most lose it.  Guard your benefits, protect your rights.  There 
will come a time when you need them.

First-Class mail is projected to grow in 2000 and 2001, but will begin to 
slow in 2002 and then decrease in 2005 according to the Government Accounting 
Office (GAO).  It used to seem "futuristic" to discuss dates like 2005, but 
now that we've just passed the 2000 mark.....  The decrease of First-Class 
mail will result in loss of revenue.  National APWU Executive Vice-President 
Bill Burrus warned local presidents recently that the greatest threat to 
postal workers is not a Republican Congress, privatization efforts, or even 
automation/robotics.  Burrus predicted that the burst of internet usage and 
commerce will revolutionize communications forever and refashion the Postal 
Service as we know it.  Do you see how we're tied to the Postal Service's 
fate?

To add to the dilemma, the Postal Service is wasting millions each year.  
Contracting out work is not always cheaper; Emery is a prime example.  
Management at times prefers control over efficiency.  So-called innovative 
automated systems like POS ONE, TMS, and other disfunctional systems cost 
more than $1 billion.  Management also spends $216 million per year fighting 
its own people in grievances and appeals, not to mention the millions lost on 
poor scheduling, OT, mandatoried holidays and absences due to stress from 
abuse.  A whopping $17 billion has been spent on automation/robotics in 
recent years, $1 billion in repairs to its new equipment, and billions more 
on new facilities to house new automation/robots.  If, as the GAO projects, 
First-Class mail is facing a sizable decrease, the USPS' automation efforts 
will have been in vain.

In the future, it will be expected of postal employees to improve services, 
especially in First-Class, Priority, parcel post, periodicals and 
international mail.  As time passes and the Postal Service reaches that 
critical moment, management may want to seem "inclusive" with workers, when 
in truth they want [and will want] what corporate America wants:  less people 
making less money for more work.

Postal workers must be more than union dues-payers, they must become active 
in the future.  Union members must police the contract, stop supervisors from 
doing craft work, witness for each other, and back each other up against 
abusive supervisors.  Unity in union will mean more than ever in the future.

AFSM-100

Fayetteville is scheduled to have AFSM-100 (next generation flats sorter) 
deployed beginning April 9, 2001 through April 23, 2001 (just in time for 
taxes!).  The new flats sorter is hailed [by management] as being a job 
eliminator.  But we've heard this before.

Y2K

As Millennium 2000 broke across the Pacific at 4:00 a.m. [our time], I got 
the sense that Y2K computer glitches were overblown.  New Zealand was the 
first developed country to see the dawn of the century.  The lights stayed 
on, ATMs worked, and nothing of importance happened.  China and the 
underdeveloped nations were next.  The lights stayed on and nothing ceased 
operation, though much software in that part of the world is pirated.

Like the good boy scout, however, I wanted to be prepared -- no matter which 
way the ball bounced.

CASUALS vs. CAREER ARBITRATION DECISION

Although Union won arbitration with financial remedy to be worked out between 
the parties, postal management is fighting decision tooth & nail.  They are 
attempting to [somehow] appeal the decision once more to higher authorities 
and hash over old material that's been gone over time & again.  It's a game 
with them -- nothing based on truth.

Many have asked: "When will it be resolved?"  I must say that when we're 
dealing with people who intentionally break the contract, try to cover it up 
for over a decade, then lie on several occasions to all parties (including 
the arbitrator), the final solution is indeterminable.

Nevertheless, we will be forming committee to recommend fair financial 
remedy.  Our NBA, Bob Kessler, will be dealing with other party directly.  He 
has done a tremendous job!  We are privileged to have BOB KESSLER & CARL 
CASILLAS as our National Business Agents.  Thanks also go to several others 
who worked on this grievance for almost a decade, first and foremost FRANK 
FICKLE, who initiated the whole process.  Thanks also to FRED CUSANELLI who 
worked tirelessly for several days gathering calculations and putting them in 
chart form.  Also to JIM WARFORD and EMMITT BISWELL who assisted.

CDs READY

Bill Cassidy prepared CDs for grievance research and writing.  The 2 CDs are 
now available for union stewards/alternates/officers.  We appreciate the work 
Bill has done for the Local.

SPRINGFIELD LABOR LAW SEMINAR

February 4 & 5, 2000, we're getting a couple of car loads of union folk 
together for trip to Springfield, Missouri, to attend LABOR LAW SEMINAR 
sponsored by Springfield Area Local.  Springfield is not only sponsoring it, 
but offering classes FREE!  Incredible!  Please see me if you'd like to attend.

STEWARD TRAINING LUNCH

Saturday, February 12, 2000, DENNIS TAFF (APWU State Prez) is teaching 
STEWARD TRAINING at the Clarion Inn from noon to 4 p.m.  Stewards, Alternates 
and Officers are urged to attend.  Those who would like to become active are 
encouraged to attend.  Lunch will be served from menu by the Clarion.  
EDUCATION will continue to be our Local's prime focus.  The more we know, the more we grow.

THANK YOU

A special THANKS to all who supported your union and local during 1999.  It's 
been quite a ride.  THANKS for the tremendous CHRISTMAS BANQUET at Clarion 
December 5th.  Although unable to attend, I heard glowing reports from every 
corner.  It went off like clockwork.

In Solidarity,
Loren Adams