Successful Maintenance Craft Conference in 2023

We successfully completed the 2023 APWU All-Craft Conference in Las Vegas, NV. The Maintenance Craft Conference started on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, and lasted for three days. The Saturday before the conference, we attended the Maintenance Council meetings. The conference started with a general session on Monday, Oct. 2, and continued with regional breakouts and workshops on Article 32 Subcontracting, and Line H in small offices following on Tuesday and Wednesday. During the craft conference, we were addressed by several guest speakers, held a lively debate about Maintenance craft issues, and ended in solidarity to return home and continue to conduct the business of the Union. Assistant Maintenance Craft Director (A) Terry Martinez welcomed delegates and the Division leadership, including Assistant Maintenance Craft Director (B) Jason Treier and NBAs: John Gearhard, Jeffrey S. Beaton, Louis M. Kingsley Jr., Curtis Walker, Carlos Paz, Craig Fisher, Dave Sarnacki, Hector Baez, and Kenneth Lester to the session. Western Regional Coordinator Omar Gonzalez took to the podium and welcomed members to his region and spoke about the impacts of Article 12 excessing on Maintenance Craft employees because of management’s 10-year "Delivering for America" plan.

National Executive Council Addressed Members

Maintenance Division Director Idowu Balogun introduced APWU National President Mark Dimondstein, who attended with Executive Vice President Debby Szeredy, Secretary-Treasurer Liz Powell, Industrial Relations Director Charlie Cash, Southern Regional Coordinator Yared Wonde, Northeast Regional Coordinator Tiffany Foster, Eastern Regional Coordinator AJ Jones, and Central Region Coordinator Amy Puhalski. Dimondstein spoke about the ongoing labor disputes of allied labor unions, including the United Auto Workers and the Culinary Workers Union Local 226. He concluded by saluting the leadership and hard work of Director Balogun and all Maintenance Division representatives in the current issues facing Maintenance employees.

Maintenance Division Officer Report

Director Balogun began his report and discussed the current priorities of the Maintenance Division. The number one priority, he said, was finalizing a settlement on the Maintenance Capable vs. Non-Maintenance Capable dispute, which he hopes is near. Other notable issues and disputes the officers are working on include:

The Part-time Regular Cap violations, the Small Delivery Unit Sorter (SDUS) Clerk Maintenance Operator dispute, Promotion Cancellation, Maintenance Management Orders (MMOs), APWU concerns regarding the Shared Community Toolbox initiative, MS-47 Handbook revisions (including the new e4776 pilot and Self-Laundering MMO), FMO Work Ticketing Program, Mail Processing Equipment Relocation Teams, and the In-Service National Questions & Answers.

Maintenance officers also discussed pending national level subcontracting cases, Article 19 notifications, and a Resolution submitted by the Albuquerque Local (380) regarding the payment of grievances to separated or retired employees.

The general session concluded with a presentation by Northeast Regional Maintenance NBA Dave Sarnacki, on Article 38 updates to the Joint Contract Interpretation Manual (JCIM) and new Maintenance Division Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) in the 2021 National Agreement.

Director Balogun’s Concluding Remarks

“Thank you for attending, it was a great conference with over 400 people in attendance from the Maintenance Division,” said Balogun. “We were glad to have an almost 30 percent [increase in] new attendees. It was a very successful deliberation, and after the conference we had regional breakouts for all the five regions. So, I am very proud and energized that the future of the Maintenance Division looks so bright.” ■