The proposed changes are in BOLD print and will be voted on at April 8, 2006 General Membership Meeting
Article 3, Section 3—add the following after “Federal classified employees”—and any postal non-bargaining unit employee.
Article 3, Section 3 would then read: Federal classified employees and any postal non-bargaining unit employee may be accepted as associate members for Health Plan participation only. Article 3, Section 5 of the National Constitution shall apply.
Article 3, Section 7—delete the entire section.
ARTICLE 8 Duties of Officers (replaced with following)
SEC. 1. The President shall preside at all stated and special meetings of the general membership and all meetings of the Board. He shall appoint all committees, and shall be a member of all committees. He shall appoint all members to fill elective offices with the approval of the Executive Board until time as an election can be held in accordance with Article 11 of this constitution. He shall appoint all members to the position of steward in member installations after consultation and approval of the Chief Steward of respective installation.
He shall be responsible for all work of the Area Local, and all officers of the Area Local shall work under his supervision. The President, subject to review by the Executive Board, shall have the authority to request members of this local to perform duties for the Local in a pay status payable in accordance with the provision of Article 13 of this constitution with all other benefits being compensated the same as the President. He may hire and separate office help when needed by this Area Local. He shall have the authority to authorize all necessary and reasonable expenses needed for the administration of the local, subject to review by the Executive Board and General Membership.
He or his designee shall be responsible for all submissions of grievances to Step 2, Step 3 and arbitration appeals of the grievance procedure.
The President of this Area Local shall work full time and be compensated at a rate of pay equal to the top bargaining unit pay of US Postal Service pay scale plus 17%. In addition, the President shall be compensated for the employers and employees share of benefits, including cost of living as now paid to postal employees, and any increase which may be granted later and including annual and sick leave benefits at a rate equal to that which would have been provided had he been in a normal duty status.
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Full-time officers of the Southwest Coastal Area Local enrolled in FERS who participate in the Thrift Savings Plan as Postal employees, may continue to do so as union officers. The responsibility of the employer (USPS) is shifted to the Southwest Coastal Area Local, therefore, the Local will contribute one per¬cent of the salary that each full-time FERS-enrolled officer would be earning if he or she was still working for the Postal Service. The Southwest Coastal Area Local will also pay TSP a one hundred percent matching contribution of up to three percent of the officer’s postal salary (not the salary being paid to the officer by the APWU Local). The Local will pay into TSP an additional fifty percent matching contribution of up to an additional two percent of his or her salary. When a full-time union officer wishes to change the amount deducted from his or her paycheck, and have the Local make the employer’s corre¬sponding matching contribution, the officer must himself or herself make these changes through the Postal Service. (Required by NEB Resolution of November 2003)
On the anniversary date of the President’s installation, the maximum amount of annual leave and sick leave that may be carried over to the next year shall be Four Hundred Forty (440) hours each. Any annual and sick leave in excess of Four Hundred Forty (440) shall be paid at the current rate of pay. Any future contractual increases in leave carry over will be automatically included in this Constitution.
SEC. 2. The Vice President of this Area Local shall work full time and be compensated at a rate of pay equal to the top bargaining unit pay of US Postal Service pay scale plus 10%. In addition, the Vice President shall be compensated for the employers and employees share of benefits, including cost of living as now paid to postal employees, and any increase which may be granted later and including annual and sick leave benefits at a rate equal to that which would have been provided had he been in a normal duty status.
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Full-time officers of the Southwest Coastal Area Local enrolled in FERS who participate in the Thrift Savings Plan as Postal employees, may continue to do so as union officers. The responsibility of the employer (USPS) is shifted to the Southwest Coastal Area Local, therefore, the Local will contribute one per¬cent of the salary that each full-time FERS-enrolled officer would be earning if he or she was still working for the Postal Service. The Southwest Coastal Area Local will also pay TSP a one hundred percent matching contribution of up to three percent of the officer’s postal salary (not the salary being paid to the officer by the APWU Local). The Local will pay into TSP an additional fifty percent matching contribution of up to an additional two percent of his or her salary. When a full-time union officer wishes to change the amount deducted from his or her paycheck, and have the Local make the employer’s corre¬sponding matching contribution, the officer must himself or herself make these changes through the Postal Service. (Required by NEB Resolution of November 2003)
On the anniversary date of the Vice President’s installation, the maximum amount of annual leave and sick leave that may be carried over to the next year shall be Four Hundred Forty (440) hours each. Any annual and sick leave in excess of Four Hundred Forty (440) shall be paid at the current rate of pay. Any future contractual increases in leave carry over will be automatically included in this Constitution.
The Vice President shall work full time under the direction of the President. The Vice President will preside over Special Meetings, General Meetings, and Executive Board Meetings if the President is absent.
SEC. 3. The Secretary-Treasurer of this Area Local shall work full time and be compensated at a rate of pay equal to the top bargaining unit pay of US Postal Service pay scale plus 10%. In addition, the Secretary-Treasurer shall be compensated for the employers and employees share of benefits, including cost of living as now paid to postal employees, and any increase which may be granted later and including annual and sick leave benefits at a rate equal to that which would have been provided had he been in a normal duty status.
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Full-time officers of the Southwest Coastal Area Local enrolled in FERS who participate in the Thrift Savings Plan as Postal employees, may continue to do so as union officers. The responsibility of the employer (USPS) is shifted to the Southwest Coastal Area Local, therefore, the Local will contribute one per¬cent of the salary that each full-time FERS-enrolled officer would be earning if he or she was still working for the Postal Service. The Southwest Coastal Area Local will also pay TSP a one hundred percent matching contribution of up to three percent of the officer’s postal salary (not the salary being paid to the officer by the APWU Local). The Local will pay into TSP an additional fifty percent matching contribution of up to an additional two percent of his or her salary. When a full-time union officer wishes to change the amount deducted from his or her paycheck, and have the Local make the employer’s corre¬sponding matching contribution, the officer must himself or herself make these changes through the Postal Service. (Required by NEB Resolution of November 2003)
On the anniversary date of the Secretary-Treasurer’s installation, the maximum amount of annual leave and sick leave that may be carried over to the next year shall be Four Hundred Forty (440) hours each. Any annual and sick leave in excess of Four Hundred Forty (440) shall be paid at the current rate of pay. Any future contractual increases in leave carry over will be automatically included in this Constitution.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a complete and correct record of the proceedings of this Area Local. He shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the President. He shall be required to produce at all meetings the minutes of past meetings for the purpose of ready reference, and an up-to-date copy of the Constitution and By-Laws. The Secretary-Treasurer shall call a meeting of the Executive Board within ten (10) days after notification that the absence of the President will be of a permanent nature: the purpose of the meeting being to take necessary action to elect a new President: this election will be conducted in the fol¬lowing manner:
(A) Nomination and election at this Special Executive Board Meeting.
(B) A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the Executive Board present shall prevail in the selection. Where there are more than two candidates for the position of President, the candidate receiving the lowest vote will not be eligible for the next bal¬lot. The new President will assume the duties of the office at the close of this meeting.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall establish and maintain a proper accounting system that will reflect the financial standing of the Area Local, and will furnish a statement of income and expenditures for the month just past at each meeting. The Secretary-Treasurer will collect all monies due this Area Local, and is responsible for all disbursements. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare such forms and make such reports to the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, at the National and State levels as may be requested and will prepare such forms and reports for the United States Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service or any other governmental agency or department as may be required by law. The Secretary-Treasurer will perform such other duties consistent with the offices as may be directed by the President.
SEC. 4. The Division Directors shall assist in processing all grievances within their crafts. They shall be certified as a steward or alternate steward in every facility represented by this Area Local.
The Division Directors shall be responsible for organizing the membership within their craft. They shall also perform such other duties as may be assigned them by the President.
SEC. 5. The Chief Stewards shall:
(A) Recommend to the President, members from their respective installations to be appointed to the position of steward and alternate steward, according to the apportionment specified in the National Agreement.
(B) Recommend to the President, members to be appointed to fill any vacancies in the steward positions.
(C) Represent the Area Local in their respective installations in the absence of the President.
(D) Enforce the National and Local Agreements in their respective installations.
SEC. 6. The Executive Board, of which the President shall be Chairperson, shall determine the place and time of Executive Board meetings. The Executive Board shall make or authorize to be made all contracts, or expenditures of this Area Local, subject to review of the general membership. The Executive Board shall receive all petitions not otherwise provided for in this constitution, and will conduct all business for the proper management of the Area Local.
Article 11, Section 4(E)—add new last sentence to read:
Any member submitting last minute form 1187’s in order to meet the one (1) year membership requirement must be able to show that American Postal Workers Union Headquarters in Washington, DC received the 1187 prior to the passing of the one (1) year requirement period.
Article 11, Section 4(E) would then read: “(E) In order to be nominated for office in this Area Local, a candidate must have been a member in good standing in the American Postal Workers Union for a period of at least one (1) year immediately prior to nomination. Any member submitting last minute form 1187’s in order to meet the one (1) year membership requirement must be able to show that American Postal Workers Union Headquarters in Washington, DC received the 1187 prior to the passing of the one (1) year requirement period.”
Article 11, new Section 8 to read as follows:
Notice of nominations must be sent to the last known address of each member and also be posted on all Southwest Coastal Area Local bulletin boards. Such notice to be a minimum of 30 days in advance of nominations. After nomination, candidates for each contested position will be listed on the ballot with the incumbent being listed first and the rest being listed in the order of their nomination from the floor.
Article 11, Section 8 would then read: “Notice of nominations must be sent to the last known address of each member and also be posted on all Southwest Coastal Area Local bulletin boards. Such notice to be a minimum of 30 days in advance of nominations. After nomination, candidates for each contested position will be listed on the ballot with the incumbent being listed first and the rest being listed in the order of their nomination from the floor.”
ARTICLE 13 – Disbursements (replaced with following)
SEC. 1. (A) The Editor is authorized necessary expenses incurred in the publication of the Area Local paper with the approval of the President.
(B) The Executive Board is authorized to rent or lease and maintain appropriate offices, the rental or lease fee to be consistent with the fees of the other office space in the immediate area.
SEC. 2. Members of this Area Local not on a full time status with the Local, when requested by the President to perform duties for this Local, shall be compensated at a rate equal to that of his current pay status on the US Postal Service pay scale.
SEC. 3. Retired Members of this Area Local not on a full-time status with the Local, when requested by the President to perform duties for this Local, shall be compensated at a rate equal to that of his craft, step, and level he held prior to retirement and paid at the current US Postal Service pay scale.
SEC. 4. Necessary travel will be reimbursed at the rate allowed by the Internal Revenue Service, or conveyance in kind may be furnished when deemed necessary.
SEC. 5. (A) Any fully paid delegate of this Area Local to conventions and other union assemblies shall be paid for cost of travel to be reimbursed at the rate allowed by the Internal Revenue Service for private conveyance, or all cost of commercial conveyance whichever is cheaper, all lodging, and all registration fees. The amount for meals shall be determined by the general membership, not to exceed the amount allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. He shall be paid that money which he would have received had he been in a normal duty status.
(B) Partially paid delegates to conventions and to other union assemblies shall be permitted under this constitution. The amount of such funding is to be decided upon by the general membership at a regular or special meeting.
(C) Non-paid delegates shall be permitted under this constitution. Any member nominated and receiving a vote shall be a delegate to the state, national or special conventions.
SEC 6. Volunteers: The Area Local shall allow volunteers. Volunteers will sign a sheet stating they are volunteers and were not asked to perform Area Local work by the Local President.
SEC 7. The Area Local shall pay full state per capita.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bobby Donelson,
