Western Michigan Area Local

General Membership Meeting Minutes

WMAL - APWU
MARCH GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
MARCH 7, 1998
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Meeting was called to order at 7:09 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
Jim Smith, Maintenance Craft Director
Catherine Beemblossom, Executive Vice-President
Absent:
Karen Hodges, Treasurer
Vacant:
MVS Craft Director

The February General Membership Meeting minutes were read and accepted as corrected. The corrections are: Under new business the spelling of “Dourassa” should be “Bourrasa”; Under new business, motion by Glombowski to be paid approx. $400 for LWOP should also include parking. Under new business, Constitutional change proposed for Article 6, Section 7d will have the words “was read” added to the end of the sentence.

Applications for Membership:

Clerks, Grand Rapids:

Ken Chandler --Thomas Borrello --Diane Frey Jeanne Davenport --Diana Bohm --Debra Medina Tyrone Williams-- Andrea Malski --Phil Becker David Shuitema --Betty Stokes --Betty Davis Joe Cadera --Doug Karas --Carla Jean Lozon Karen Ann Rauser-- --Chad Cripentrog --Faron Brewster Michelle Bastien --Betsy Nguyen --Robin Thompson Karen Goosen

Maintenance, Grand Rapids

Ron Kotowski Special Delivery, Grand Rapids

Richard Velasquez

Bills Accepted by Majority Vote:

$10.90 -- Mark Juszynski, Postage

63.58 -- Mike Long, Printer Cartridges

2.80 -- John Hansma, Lock for P-1 office

15.97 -- Orv Glombowski, Postage and Parking--NLRB

26.01 -- Ronda Payne, Postage

3.00 -- Bill Scutt, Postage
$122.26

Treasurer’s Report: Read and accepted as written.

Associate Office Report: Glombowski -- Sustained grievances due to non-participation by management. FAA audits at AOs...employees are told they could be disciplined for failure to answer questions correctly.

Special Delivery Report: Sweeney -- Mike Szubinski is the new supervisor in special delivery. Drivers now have a place to have their vehicles washed. Special delivery position still vacant.

Clerk Craft Report: Scutt -- Nine of the 27 jobs promised at the annex have already been posted. Nine more will be posted this month with the last nine to come in April. Trying to get new jobs posted on LIPS machine. Twenty-five conversions this month resulting in FTRs and FTFs. A steward recently suspended has won his grievance and will be paid. A large workspace has been acquired at the annex to use as a union office.

Executive Vice-President Report: Beemblossom -- Dale Hinckley recently taught a class on clock rings and reading time reports. Stewards benefited from his experience. The union is grateful to Dale for giving this class on his own time. Orv Glombowski to give a class on Article 28 in the future.

Maintenance Report: Smith -- It’s been a struggle because of lack of staffing...not enough custodians.

President Report: Austin -- An agreement for on-the-clock steward time for Orville Glombowski has not been honored. Should have non-profit status within the month for the Solidarity Statue. Would like to establish retirees chapter to aid members before and after retiring. Would like to have a resolution writing class. Parliamentary Procedure class was beneficial to all who attended...and fun, as well. Catherine Beemblossom, executive vice-president, is doing a great job training stewards. Next meeting will be April 11, 1998.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

POWER Committee -- Catherine Beemblossom for Karen Hodges: Parliamentary Procedure class was a success. There will be a discussion about the Power Conference March 24, 1997 at 7:00 pm. Thanks to Larry Niece for all his help and the use of his vehicle.

Convention Committee -- Catherine Beemblossom for Karen Hodges:There will be a meeting at 9:00 am on March 23, 1998. Raffle tickets are still on sale. Sign up sheets will be posted this week on bulletin boards asking for volunteers for the state convention.

Cans for COPA -- Catherine Beemblossom: No report

Old Business:

Constitutional change for Article 6, Section 7 proposed at February General Membership Meeting. Discussion. Carried. The Local Constitution will reflect the change.

The chair rules that the motion by Glombowski, made during the February General Membership Meeting, to be paid approx. $400 for LWOP and parking, will be paid at the actual amount of $501.66. The chair believes this is close enough to Glombowski’s approximation.

New Business:

Motion by Ray Novakoski to send a notice to Pat Stillson requesting him to pay dues owed to the local. 2nd-Glombowski. Carried.

Motion by Novakoski to allow nominated members not elected as delegates the opportunity to attend the National Convention as delegates at their own expense within the quota, as certified by the president. 2nd-Niece. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by Payne to authorize 40 additional hours of LWOP in 1998 for Orville Glombowski to conduct union business. 2nd-Glombowski. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by Novakoski to vote the “unit rule” at State and National Conventions. 2nd-Glombowski. President yielded chair to vice-president. Discussion. Defeated.

Motion by Austin to support retirees chapter with constitution and by-laws. 2nd-Scutt. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by Austin to hire an outside auditor to review the financial records for 1996-97. 2nd-Scutt. Discussion. Carried.

Executive vice-president yielded chair to president.

Proposed constitutional change read for article 16, section 1-7. Proposed constitutional addition read. This addition would add an article to the existing constitution.

Motion by Beemblossom to extend meeting until the end of business. 2nd-Sweeney. Carried.

Motion by Beemblossom to include into the policies of the local that all stewards whether they are executive board members or not, that attend WMAL union steward training only, will receive $10 dollars per hour if not receiving lost time. 2nd-Sweeney. Discussion.

Motion by Ed Cunningham to amend above question to say stewards will get paid for this lost time after six months of service. 2nd-Niece. Discussion. Defeated.

Main motion by Beemblossom carried.

Motion by Scutt to reconsider motion made by Beemblossom. 2nd-Beemblossom. Carried.

Motion by Scutt to add the sentence “this policy will include initial certification training” to the motion made by Beemblossom. 2nd-Amos. Carried.

Labor Management -- Scutt would like to see a glass display case at the Main Office. Sweeney would like to know the status of the vacancy in special delivery. Beemblossom would like to know why supervisors are allowed to deny or approve leave for an employee they claim is not their responsibility.

Drawings:

$19.00 to COPA, $19.00 to Bill Scutt.

$10 door prizes: Faith Boylan, Steve Austin, Jim Sweeney, Marion Maksymowski, Linda Yarnott, Catherine Beemblossom, Sally Murphy.

Meeting adjourned at 9:27 PM.

Respectfully Submitted

Jennifer Amos
Recording Secretary

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