Rank-and-File Bargaining Advisory Committee Convenes

Members of the union’s Rank-and-File Bargaining Advisory Committee held their first meeting in Washington, DC, on Dec. 8 and 9, where they heard presentations from union officers about negotiations, and engaged in lively give-and-take.

The 14-member committee selected Bob Johnson, president of the Greater Connecticut Area Local, to serve as chair. Annette August-Taylor, president of the Virginia Postal Workers Union, will act as co-chair, and David Yao, Executive Vice President of the Great Seattle Area Local, will serve as secretary.

The committee’s deliberations began with a presentation of a strategic overview by President Mark Dimondstein. Members of the panel also heard from Director of Industrial Relations Tony D. McKinnon Sr., and from each of the craft directors: Clerk Director Clint Burelson, Maintenance Director Steve Raymer, Motor Vehicle Director Michael O. Foster, and Support Services Director Steve Brooks.

“The committee listened intently and questioned officers closely,” Johnson said. “We asked about the officers’ goals for negotiations and gave feedback based on our knowledge of what’s happening in the field,” he said. “It’s a lively committee. I think members felt comfortable with the responses they received.

In accordance with the APWU Constitution, each member of the National Executive Board names one person to the committee; a 14th member, appointed by the president, is a member of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Task Force. The Rank-and-File Committee advises the union’s National Negotiating Team on bargaining demands, and must approve any tentative agreement reached by the Negotiating Team before it can be sent to APWU members for a ratification vote.