Posted October 17, 2002

There seems to be a growing concern at the GMF that Clerks on believe that they are doing “Mail-Handler Work”. When a mail-handler sees a Clerk doing certain work he tells his representative of it and the Steward files a grievance on it telling the Clerk that he / she is doing wrong. Then they tell the Clerk that they (the mail-handler) are going to get paid for the work that they did.

My response to this is that first the Clerks are not doing Mail-Handler work. The Clerks are doing “Clerk Work”. There are very few Clerks or Mail-Handlers on the floor that can define the difference of the work that both crafts are guaranteed. Of course there are the obvious things that we recognize as mail-handler work such as forklift driver and mule driver, etc. but the different jobs of handling mail is Clerk work. Some of the duties have been assigned and some are still in dispute. There has not been a settlement on these disputed functions, and do not let the Mail-Handler Craft tell you different.

As a matter of fact Clerks should be filing grievances on Mail-Handlers that are performing duties that the Clerk Craft has been doing for years. I have given the Chief Stewards a list of the duties that have been assigned, and that are in dispute. I have also talk to them and the Clerk Craft is going to aggressively file grievances on each and every instance we see the Mail-Handler Craft doing duties that are in dispute and that are assigned to the Clerk Craft.

Both the Clerk Craft and the Mail-Handler Craft have and are continuing to loose jobs from technology. This Union is not going to sit idly by and loose more jobs that we have done for years without a fight. If anyone other than your Union Representative tells you that you are doing Mail-Handlers work do not believe him or her, talk to your APWU Representative. If management instructs you to quit doing the work, request to see a Steward and file a grievance. The job you are saving might be the one your Brother or Sister might need next year.

RUMOR
There is also a rumor about Management reposting all the jobs in the GMF. That is all it is a Rumor !! The Union has not been informed of any intentions of this nor would we allow such an action to happen without grieving it.

E-RMS
I have heard from different clerks about the new 1-800 call in procedure. The procedure in itself is being grieved, but it seems that there is some of the Attendance Control Officers (ACO) that are harassing employees when they call. Remember do not get into a confrontation with these people. It is obvious that some of them do not have any telephone or people skills and to make things worse they do not know the ELM and the Contract. If you feel that you have been harassed in any way from one of these ACO’s file a grievance.

What is your question?