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Ask President Burrus

Question:

The Postal Service is closing Air Mail Facilities and Air Mail Centers throughout the country; in fact, recently, the AMF and AMC designation were removed from all Express Mail slide labels. What has the union done to stop these closings and the loss of higher-level Clerk Craft jobs? From the start, the Mail Handlers Union has battled the Postal Service on the closings, but I have not heard a word from APWU. I also find it interesting that in the 2005 contract extension, Ramp Clerks were upgraded, but AMF Transfer Clerks, who have a similar job description and responsibility, were not. Why was that?

John, Central Florida Area Local

President Burrus:

Thank you for communicating with my office.

The APWU has initiated a comprehensive program in opposition to unjustified closing and consolidation of postal facilities. Our efforts have been reported extensively in APWU News Bulletins, on the union’s Web site, in The American Postal Worker magazine, and in periodic Burrus Updates.

In this campaign, we have focused on the negative affect the proposed consolidations would have on service to the American public. Our efforts have been even more successful than we anticipated: Approximately 70 percent of the planned consolidations have been abandoned, and APWU members deserve much of the credit.

Unfortunately, in those instances where we were unable to make a convincing case that service would be downgraded, we have not met with success. In many of the AMC closings, the work has been transferred to nearby processing and distribution facilities, with no measurable effect on service.

I trust that you are aware that all APWU-represented employees will be upgraded in February 2008. The reason AMF Transfer Clerks were not upgraded in 2005 was that management would not agree to do so. Your question suggests that if the union made the demand, management would not have the discretion to reject our proposal. We have made every effort over the past 50 years to upgrade job classifications; we succeeded in the 2006 negotiations.

Oct. 4, 2007

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