General Membership Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM at 918 Benjamin NE, Grand Rapids.
Meeting was opened with the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation.

Roll Call of Officers:

Present:

Steve Austin, President
Jennifer Amos, Recording Secretary
Orv Glombowski, AO Director
Bill Scutt, Clerk Craft Director
Jim Sweeney, Special Delivery Craft Director
Larry Niece, Mailhandler Craft Director
Ronda Payne, Sergeant at Arms
Catherine Beemblossom, Executive Vice-President
Karen Hodges, Treasurer
Absent:
Jim Smith, Maintenance Craft Director
Vacant:
MVS Craft Director

The May General Membership Meeting minutes were accepted as written and posted.

Applications for Membership:

Clerks, Grand Rapids:

Douglas Karas --Jack Fryling --Ken Skonecki

MVS, Grand Rapids:

Martin Hiemstra

Bills Accepted by Majority Vote:

$4.28 --Barb Wilson, Postage for grievances

$16.32 --Orville Glombowski, Postage for grievances
$20.60

Treasurers Report: Hodges -- Financial report accepted as read.

Special Delivery Report: Sweeney -- Message from George McKeithen pulled off the internet gives some insight about the future of the special delivery messenger. The standard description of the messenger will change, along with the LDC code used for PSDS. Merger is finally moving along, but is not complete. New messenger in the unit wants to be a union member, but also wants to be assured dues are not paid to two different unions.

Associate Office Report: Glombowski -- Am very pleased with the results of the State Convention. Many associate office issues surfaced during the conventions with positive responses. Associate offices concerns should be well represented at the National Convention in July.

Clerk Craft Report: Scutt -- Thanks to all the stewards and members who helped each other while I was on administrative leave for 21 days last month. My availability was severely limited by management’s decision to prohibit me from entering the facility, including the union office. I tried to conduct business as usual by meeting with managers--away from the postal facility--to negotiate step two and three grievances. Many grievances were settled, in spite of the situation. There were 14 recent conversions, with more to come.

Executive Vice-President Report: Beemblossom -- There will be a Basic Stewards Training class from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. , Thursday, June 25. New stewards certified in the last six months are encouraged to attend. John Clark will teach a class on Article 37 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, June 27. The State Convention was a success. It was a difficult endeavor, but rewarding. Union jackets are on order.

President Report: Austin -- Kudos to Karen Hodges and the Convention Committee for all their effort at the State Convention. They made it a huge success. Also, a big thanks to all the fine speakers who helped us kick off the convention. State Officers were elected at the convention. State Clerk Craft Director – William Scutt, State Mail Handler Craft Director – Larry Niece, State Human Relations/Injury Comp Director – Jennifer Gilbert, State POWER Advisor – Karen Hodges, State Special Delivery Craft Director – Jim Sweeney, and State Area 9 Director – Ronda Payne. Results of the National arbitration award to upgrade automation clerks to level 5 will soon be released. The decision is rumored to be in the unions favor. The award will be shared with the members as soon as we receive it. A retirement chapter of the WMAL is in the making. Officers will be appointed by the President of the WMAL in the interim. Big Rapids -- a vote on the merger of Big Rapids and the WMAL will take place this evening. Karen Hodges and I reviewed their financial records last week, they appear to be in order. The informational picket was a resounding success. Thanks to all our brothers and sisters who joined us on the picket line. Thanks to other unions, as well, for helping us carry our message to the public.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

POWER Committee -- Karen Hodges: A retirement seminar will be held soon. This seminar will be beneficial to everyone, no matter when you plan to retire. “Babes n Banners” video to be shown sometime soon. Toiletries still needed for the homeless.

Convention Committee -- Karen Hodges: Thanks to all the committee members [Catherine Beemblossom, Jennifer Gilbert, Bill Scutt, Mike Long, Jim Sweeney] for the great job done on the convention. Exit meeting for the convention is planned.

Cans for COPA -- Catherine Beemblossom: $16.00 for COPA.

Solidarity For Charity -- Mike Long: Letter sent out to solicit donations – still too early to predict the numbers of responses or donation expectations. T-shirts will go to print by the end of this month. Event will take place September 13, 1998.

Correspondence: Thank you note from Gilbert Branagan for the retirement party and gift.

Old Business:

Constitutional Change [Article 7.5] submitted at the April general membership meeting was withdrawn.

Merger of WMAL and Big Rapids [Notices were posted more than 30 days before this meeting] Discussion. President yields chair to Vice-president. Vote by secret ballot. Carried. Yes – 18 , No – 7, No abstentions.

New Business:

Motion by Amos for the local to pay for lodging for her to attend the National Convention. 2nd-Gilbert. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by Hodges for the local to send delegates to the pre-convention craft conferences if they chose to attend. The local will pay for hotel for Friday and Saturday night and per diem. 2nd-Gilbert. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by Glombowski for local to pay for him to attend workshops prior to convention. The local will pay for 2 days of lost time, lodging, parking, per diem and applicable taxes. 2nd-Payne. Discussion. Motion carried as amended[see below].

Motion by Austin to amend above motion to includes all delegates. 2nd-Payne. Vice-President yields chair to Secretary. Discussion. {Call for the question, carried} Carried.

Secretary yields chair to Vice-president.

Motion by Mike Long for delegates to be reimbursed the cost of a blue denim shirt at a total cost of approx. $600. 2nd-Austin. Discussion. [Motion by Hodges to extend meeting until end of business. 2nd-Missy. Carried.] {Call for the question. Carried.} Defeated. Motion by Austin to transfer $10,000.00 from the contingency fund to the general fund (checking account), if needed, to cover the expenses of the National Convention workshops and craft conferences in July. 2nd-Payne. [Notice of motion and intent will be properly posted]

Motion by Sweeney for the president and the vice-president, in the interest of the local obtaining as much education as possible, oversee the delegates selection of pre-convention classes. Everyone attending classes must share information with the VP and assist in the training of stewards. Everyone attending classes must also write an article and submit it to the WMAL newspaper. 2nd-Scutt. Defeated.

Motion by Hodges for the local to pay the going rate for parking for those who are driving to the National Convention. Those who can car-pool should do so to save the local money. 2nd-Gilbert. Carried.

Motion by Sweeney for all delegates attending the pre-convention workshops at the National Convention write an article for the WMAL newspaper or help in training. 2nd-Scutt. Carried.

Motion by Ray Novakoski for the local to pay delegate Glenda Novakoski per diem for the National Convention. 2nd-Page. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by Austin for the local to pay for pager service for the president at an approx. cost of $40 quarterly. 2nd-Missy. Discussion. {Call for the question. Carried.} Defeated.

Motion by Novakoski for the local to purchase a pager and pager service from Ameritech for the president to use unless out of the area—then to be given to another officer for that period of time. 2nd-Karen. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by Niece for the president to have a delegate meeting July 13 at 7:00 p.m. 2nd-Missy. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by Long for those who did not attend the stewards appreciation dinner to be given a gift certificate for $40 to be used at a comparable restaurant. 2nd-Karen. Discussion. {Call for question. Carried} Defeated.

Retiree George Hendricks speaks to the membership on new Retirees Chapter.

Motion by Page to accept constitution and by-laws of retirees chapter. 2nd-Phil Stritzinger.

[Notice of motion and intent will be properly posted]

Motion by Hodges to spend up to $500 for Labor Day Parade including tent, table and chairs, main dish, refreshments and T-shirts for marchers. 2nd-Glombowski. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by Page to change order of business and adjourn after drawings. 2nd-Novakoski. Discussion. Defeated.

Labor Management -- Supervisors moving equipment and casing mail at the Kentwood station. Customer concerns at contract stations. Not enough training for clerks. Unendorsed priority mail is worked as first class even when sufficient postage is paid. Parking at annex—managers taking best parking spots without any concern for employees. Injury Compensation not cooperating at local level. Direct those concerns to Jennifer Gilbert. Health reports unavailable from the food poisoning incident. CA-1 forms submitted by affected employees at the annex have not been handled properly by management.

Drawings:

$29.00 to COPA, $29.00 to Orville Glombowski.

$10 door prizes: Ron Easley, Karen Hodges, Ronda Payne, Rose Jerrils, William Scutt, Phil Stritzinger, Jim Hansma,

Meeting adjourned at 10.25 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted

Jennifer Amos
Recording Secretary

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