MEETING W/ RICK McCOMBER & LEE THOMPSON
Monday, May 8, 2000  -  3:30 pm

Rick McComber (Customer Service Mngr) let me know that 4 new window 
clerk 
positions will be posted for new facility on Joyce Street ASAP.  He 
said 
first he needed to clear them with Quinton Tougaw (who is out with some 
kind 
of injury).

Scheme will not be required for sure on 3 of the 4; the 4th job may 
require 
scheme, but Rick said it may not.....hasn't been decided yet.

Here is the description of the 4:

WINDOW, 8:30 - 5:30, Sun/Thu off; 1 hr lunch

WINDOW, 8:30 - 5:30, Sat/Sun off; 1 hr lunch

WINDOW, 9:00 - 6:00, Sat/Sun off; 1 hr lunch; close-out

BOX CLERK / DIST. CLERK / WINDOW CLERK, 6:30 - 3:30, Sun/Wed off; 1 hr 
lunch; 
Scheme?  Maybe

Rick also announced they will not be abolishing MPO Window Relief job 
but 
will move it to new "Northeast Station."

The BMEU position they were hoping to transfer to Plant (begin time 10 
am) is 
on hold, orders from LR.  However, Rick said, PM has ordered Frank's 
old BMEU 
job on Dickson changed to just carrier check-in/out with other duties, 
minus 
the bulk clerk duties.  He said that position will be critical because 
72701 
& 04 will be combined on Dickson Street.  Lee injected that they will 
still 
try to get BMEU clerk job for plant to begin somewhere around 10 am as 
recommended, but in meantime job will have to be done by PTFs at plant.  
They 
let me know in no uncertain terms that they are trying to get 2 bulk 
mail 
clerks at plant, but higher-ups are the holdup.

Speaking of "holdups," Lee and Rick  both let me know today that Little 
Rock 
and Dallas are putting whole Southwest under tight budget constraints, 
and 
that, YES, this include paper towels, toilet paper, paper, supplies, 
gasoline, and other miscellaneous items.  Orders are coming from George 
Lopez 
in Dallas (Area VP).  Lee said she had to buy gas for equipment herself 
(meaning out of her own pocket).  I'm sure she'll be reimbursed in 
time, but 
she did acknowledge it.  So, there is method in their madness to not 
fill 
requisitions long overdue.  I don't know exactly what their (Dallas') 
motive 
is in holding back on basic purchases, but contract negotiations are 
coming 
up in the fall, right????

Lee & Rick also let me know (to back up their news about USPS 
belt-tightening) that there would be no Detail Assignments for some 
time.  
Lee said she had put in for one, and was told the news.  Also, it is 
not in 
their budget to hire anymore 204Bs; another budget cut.  The 
Withholding and 
Excessing come at an awkward time for Fayetteville as we try to get 
into the 
new building.  Local management claims they put in for 12 new positions 
for 
the Northeast Station but were only granted 4.  They said at a later 
date 
(maybe a month or so) they will submit for more after assessment has 
been 
made of business traffic.

Lee said Position #69 (Jennifer Brammer's old job) will be put up for 
bid 
right away; with hours 4:30 - 1:00, Sun/Mon off.  The job will include 
Express for Tour 1.

Lee also announced that 2 jobs (Thumper/Green Sacks) will be posted 
immediately; both beginning at 4 pm and ending 12:30 am; Sat/Sun off.  
One 
would be titled Thumper/Green Sacks and the other "Relief" 
Thumper/Green 
Sacks.  The "Relief" person would work Priority at beginning, then 
switch 
over at later time.

Rick let me know that instead of transferring carriers from Annex at 
later 
date, they're going to do it simultaneously with move to move to Joyce 
Street.  72701 and 72704 will be on Dickson Street; 72703 will be at 
new 
Northeast Station on Joyce Street near the Mall.    22 routes will be 
at 
Northeast Station (72703) and 36 routes will be at Dickson Street 
(72701 & 
04).  Rick had formerly announced at Labor-Management Meeting on April 
28th 
that they would only transfer Annex to Dickson gradually over period of 
months.  Now he believes it would be more logical to do so now.  He 
suggested 
to Lee that they check into their lease agreement for facility on S. 
School 
(Annex) to see if they have building for longer period (1 or 2 years).  
Rather than leave it vacant (if lease is for longer period), he 
suggested 
that it be used to store equipment from plant so we can have more 
space.  
Good idea.

Rick informed me that we have new POO over the 12 major offices in 
Arkansas.  
Darrell Lewis is his name; he was formerly over 726 and 728.

LETTER FROM JIM McCARTHY
In the past 3 years I've heard a lot of great speakers, union leaders 
who are 
at the helm of our organization.  One of the leaders who sticks out in 
my 
mind is JIM McCARTHY, Assistant Clerk Craft Director for the nation.  
He has 
a command of the language and knowledge of union affairs that will keep 
your 
attention.  At the State Convention in just a few days he will be the 
Banquet 
Keynote Speaker on Friday night.  Be sure to be there!

Today I received a letter from Jim giving a brief of his history.  He 
wrote:

"I became active as shop steward in 1980 with the Boston Metro Area 
Local.  
From 1980-86, I served in various positions:  Chief Steward, Step 2 
designee, 
Arbitration Advocate, Director of Mechanization / Automation, Acting 
Clerk 
Craft Director, Safety / Health Representative, etc.  In 1986, I was 
elected 
National Business Agent - Clerk Craft for the New England Region.  In 
1992, 
to present, I was elected an Assistant Director for the Clerk Craft in 
Washington, DC.  As Assistant Director, my duties/responsibilities 
include 
Article 37, Transitional employees, Automation / Mechanization, Remote 
Encoding Centers, etc."  James P. McCarthy

TERRY STAPLETON will be Keynote Speaker during General Session; JIM 
McCARTHY 
for Friday night Banquet.  TERRY is also an exceptionally good speaker.

MYRALOY SMITH, National President of the APWU Auxiliary, will also be 
in 
Fayetteville for convention.  She is landing at 6:10 pm Thursday, June 
1.  
Carolyn Kent has volunteered to pick her up at Airport.

We need volunteers for BEVERAGE COMMITTEE for state convention.  Some 
of us 
don't know a thing about such things.  Please contact Gini Hickman if 
you'd 
like to take on this responsibility.  BEVERAGE COMMITTEE will stock 
drinks 
for Hospitality Room for Thursday and Friday nights of convention.

We received Springfield Missouri's APWU newsletter today.  Good job, 
Brad 
Todd!

Thanks to all of you for sticking with me during these past 2 years.  
It's 
been one heck of a ride!  Maybe in a few months we can coast a little, 
ya 
think?

Loren Adams