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FAQ
Please Direct Any Other Questions or Concerns to info@charlotteapwu.com
The APWU -- American Postal Workers Union -- is a
national organization of employees of the US Postal Service
dedicated to advancing the interests of its members and their
families. Representing 362,000 postal employees in every state and
territory in the United States, the APWU is the largest union of
postal workers in the world. It is recognized as the collective
bargaining agent for USPS employees in the clerk, motor vehicle
service, and maintenance crafts. In addition, the APWU represents
workers employed in support services: Materiel Distribution Centers,
Information Service Centers, Mail Equipment Shops, and Operating
Services Facilities. Many workers in the mail handler craft also
belong to the APWU.
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The primary job of the union is to negotiate a
National Agreement with the US Postal Service. This is a contract
which establishes wages, working conditions and other benefits for
all workers under its jurisdiction. The union also protects workers'
rights by representing them with regard to day-to-day problems on
the job such as discipline, violations of seniority, harassment,
discrimination, or other management abuse. Additionally, the APWU
addresses other workplace concerns such as safety and health and the
impact of technological change.
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Membership in the APWU gives you a voice in
determining your future. Members have the right to participate in
local meetings, to vote for local and national officers, to vote on
the contract, to run for office and to petition for change in the
union.
Other membership benefits include: The American
Postal Worker, plain monthly newspaper about issues and programs
affecting postal workers.
A safety and health program which educates workers
about workplace hazards and provides technical assistance. Plus,
eligibility for: The plain APWU Health Plan, which provides
comprehensive coverage at a very reasonable cost. Benefits through
the Voluntary Benefits Plan, including: APWU MasterCard; Group Legal
Services; Term Life Insurance; Short- and Long-term Disability
Plans; Supplemental Hospital Cash; Accidental Death &
Dismemberment; Basic Care Hospital Plan; and the APWU Home Mortgage
Program. Scholarships -- college and vocational scholarships awarded
to outstanding children of APWU members.
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APWU membership is open to any employee of the
USPS regardless of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation,
nationality, handicap, political affiliation, age or religion. Those
in supervisory or management positions can join only to receive
APWU's Health Plan.
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You, the members do. Every level of the APWU
operates democratically on the principle of majority rule. Members
have a free voice and vote to express their views in the union. All
local, regional, and national officers are elected by the members,
as are the officers and business agents in each craft division.
Members also ratify the National Agreement and elect delegates to
the National Convention.
The convention, which convenes every two years, is
the highest governing body in the union. Between conventions, the
National Executive Board directs union policy and programs.
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APWU operates on several levels.
Most members belong to a local union with
jurisdiction in their city, town or area. Locals elect their own
officers and conduct their own day-to-day business. They may
establish local dues and may negotiate a local contract to
supplement the National Agreement on certain local concerns.
Nationally, the APWU maintains a headquarters in
Washington, DC to administer the union and to implement programs and
policies mandated by the convention and the National Executive
Board. The national resident officers include the president, the
executive vice president, the secretary-treasurer, the national
division officers, and department directors and officers, all of
whom work under the general supervision of the president.
We have a separate division for each craft --
Clerk, Maintenance, Motor Vehicle Service, and Support Services --
concerned with the special problems of the workers in the craft. In
addition to national officers, each division has representatives in
the field called national business agents. We also have departments
responsible for handling specific administrative functions and
providing special services to the membership -- Legislative,
Industrial Relations, Organization, Research and Education, Human
Relations, and Health Plan. Regional coordinators maintain an office
in each of five regions: Central, Eastern, Northeast, Southern, and
Western.
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National union officers are elected by mail ballot
of the membership every three years. The officers and national
business agents for each craft division are elected by the members
in that division. Additionally, regional coordinators are elected by
the members in each region. Any member may become a candidate for
national office by filing a petition in accordance with the
requirements spelled out in the APWU Constitution.
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Dues are very reasonable and vary from local to
local. They include national dues established by the National
Convention and local dues determined by your local union. After
you've joined APWU by completing Form 1187, dues are automatically
deducted from your pay check. Your steward or local officer can tell
you the cost of dues; or, if you are a member, you can check your
pay stub.
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National dues pay for all the operating expenses
of the union, including contract negotiations, grievance handling
above the local level, and the cost for arbitration at the regional
and national levels. Members' dues also cover the cost of
publications, legal fees, legislative activities, education and
training, and community service programs.
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The APWU has a National Negotiating Team composed
of the president, the executive vice president, the director of
Industrial Relations, and the directors of the crafts we represent.
This team meets with Postal Service management several months before
a current contract expires. The team proposes contract language, the
Postal Service responds, and through the give and take of
negotiation they try to reach agreement.
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Yes. A negotiated National Agreement becomes valid
only on approval by the membership through a mail ballot. After the
National Negotiating Team reaches agreement with the Postal Service,
a Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee reviews the proposed
contract. If they approve it, the contract is sent to the entire
APWU membership for ratification. If the committee is not satisfied,
it can return the contract to the National Negotiating Team to
reopen negotiations.
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The APWU believes that the right to strike is an
inalienable right of all American workers. However, federal law
prohibits strikes by postal and federal employees and requires that
if contract negotiations do not result in agreement, unresolved
disputes are to be submitted to arbitration -- to an impartial third
party -- for resolution. While our position is 'no contract, no
work,' the 1982 APWU National Convention authorized our national
leadership to continue negotiations past the contract deadline if
they feel this is necessary to reach agreement, as long as postal
workers continue to be covered under the previous contract. Thus,
the APWU views the strike as a weapon of last resort to be used only
when all other means of reaching agreement have been exhausted.
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If you have a grievance -- you believe that
management has violated your rights or subjected you to harassment
or discrimination -- you should immediately talk to your steward
about the problem. The steward, who is your union representative on
the work floor, will determine whether a violation has occurred and
will try to reach a settlement with your immediate supervisor. If
this effort fails, the union can appeal management's action to a
higher level. If all these efforts fail to result in a satisfactory
solution, the union may request that an impartial arbitrator be
called in to settle the grievance.
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Each employee who is employed in the regular work
force as of Nov. 20, 2000, and who has not acquired the protection
provided under article 6 shall be protedcted henceforth against any
involuntary layoff or force reduction during the term of this
agreement. It is the intent of this memorandum of
understanding to provide job security to each such employee during
the term of this agreement; however, in the event congress repeals
or significantly relaxes the private express statutes this
memorandum shall expire upon the enactment of such
legislation. In addition, nothing in this memorandum of
understanding shall diminish the rights of any bargaining unith
employees under article 6.
Since this memorandum of understanding is being
entered into on a nonprecedential basis, it shall terminate for all
purposes at midnight November 20, 2005 and may not be cited or used
in any subsequent dispute resolution proceedings.
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Privatization is the Postal Service's attempt to
contract out postal work -- your work -- to private companies that
hire low-wage, nonunion workers. The APWU has been successfully
fighting efforts to privatize postal services for years. The APWU
monitors all management attempts to contract out work that belongs
to our bargaining unit and makes sure that the National Agreement is
upheld.
In May 1993, APWU won an important privatization
dispute at the national level when an arbitrator ruled that Remote
Bar Code Sorting (RBCS) work should have been offered to
bargaining-unit workers. The Postal Service had contracted the work
out to several companies that hired nonunion workers at sub-postal
wages. As a result of subsequent negotiations between the APWU and
the USPS, Remote Encoding Centers are now staffed by APWU-represented
postal employees.
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Yes. The APWU is affiliated with the American
Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO),
a federation of 78 national unions with a combined membership of 13
million workers. APWU also belongs to the AFL-CIO's Public Employee
Department and Industrial Union Department. The APWU also is
affiliated with the Postal, Telegraph and Telephone International (PTTI),
an organization of labor unions representing workers in the field of
communications in nations throughout the world.
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Because legislation has an important impact on our
members, the union is definitely involved in legislative matters.
The APWU maintains a very effective legislative program which
monitors legislation being considered by Congress that will have an
impact on postal workers and their families. APWU COPA -- the
Committee On Political Action -- raises voluntary contributions to
assist the campaigns of friendly legislators and to defeat those who
consistently oppose us. COPA also has a Voices in Politics
(VIP) publication which advises postal workers and their families on
legal grassroots political action.
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You can stay informed by going to union meetings
and participating in the activities of your local. Remember that as
a member you have an equal voice and vote with all other members.
Your steward and local officers can answer questions you may have
about specific union programs and policies. Additionally, reading
local and national union publications such as The American Postal
Worker monthly newspaper and the APWU News Service
bulletin will keep you informed about your union.
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Ask your steward or a local officer for a Form
1187 and fill it out. Part must be completed by you, and part by the
local. Your union dues will automatically be deducted from your pay
check. You can get more information from your steward or other union
officer. If you work in a very small office where you have
difficulty getting information, contact Frank A. Romero, Director of
Organization, at APWU headquarters, 1300 L Street, NW, Washington,
DC 20005, 202-842-4227.
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It's important to keep in mind that you
are the union; members are the lifeblood of the APWU. The best way
to improve the union is to get involved. In addition to attending
union meetings, consider joining a committee, working to organize
nonmembers, becoming a steward, and volunteering to help in union
activities. Your union brothers and sisters will appreciate your
participation.
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Now that's a good question!
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Charlotte Area Local 375, APWU
3521 Mulberry Church Rd.
Charlotte , NC 28208
Phone: (704) 394-5104
Toll Free:1-800-798-9895
Fax:
(704) 394-5404 |
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