Aurora Local APWU. Reports. Retirees. Workers Rights. External Links. Our Local.

May 2006

Dan’s Tool Box

by Dan Van Minnen

 

I greatly appreciate the opportunity of serving as the Maintenance steward for the local.  It was a job that has been both challenging and never ending as management always gave me contractual violations to argue.  I have decided to take a break indefinitely as the Maintenance Union steward, I will still represent and respect the Collective bargaining agreement and be active in the Local as Editor of the Newsletter and help out the Local as its membership determines.  That opens a vacancy for all the craft employees in maintenance that might be interested in policing the contract.  Now is the time to get involved and make a difference.  There are still many issues that need to be resolved such as the two open vacancies, a FTR and PTR position in the custodial occupational code, the use of subcontracting labor and the many overtime and higher level issues.

 

Recently, we have witnessed a change in Management at the Postmaster and Station Manager levels at the Main.  Well welcome aboard and hopefully your respect and dignity for the hard working employees of Aurora and there respective contracts will be shown in your actions and managerial style.  Since the Maintenance Manager never bothered to let his employees know about the change I can’t address you since I don’t even know your names however, a few words of sincere advice to pass along; treat all of your employees fairly and with dignity and respect and you will succeed.  Leadership by example brings true e’spirit de corps and gets the job done.  It does matter how we do the job at the end of the day.  Just ask our last Post Master because nobody really wanted to hire him but in the end they had to, it was a PCES sort of thing.  Will he be back?  Possibly, in Aurora the Union’s door is always open and we mean that saying because we leave the light on so collective bargaining may continue to take shape.

 

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude on behalf of the entire Local to Custodian Craig Hill at the Tower station.  Craig recently donated a HP desk top computer to the Union for union use.  Way to go Craig!  Its members like you that make your Union representatives feel appreciated.  Also congratulations to all of the new members in the Local we are now at 106 members in strength.  Remember to talk to a non-member today and ask them to sign up.  Why should they get a free ride just because they are cheap and let the rest of us pay for the representation that they are receiving.  It is the same representation that you and I receive only we pay dues.  It’s funny how they have their hand out come settlement time and want to read our literature and tell the union about the CBA but yet they refuse to pay their fair share.  Why is it that non-members will accept $3,000 to $5,000 and even $10,000 in grievance settlements just the same as a member but refuse to pay monthly union dues?  We have non-members that will not fill out that form 1187 to join but they are willing to accept thousands and thousands of dollars in APWU grievance settlements, negotiated raises, Cost of living adjustments and work place improvements.  There is no other explanation that I can conclude other than to say that they are JUST CHEAP!  Brother and Sisters there is strength in unity and there’s Solidarity amongst us all even when we disagree because we are a part of a great union.  Don’t take my word for it just compare your pay stub with anyone that does similar type work as you.