Western Michigan Area Local

General Membership Meeting Minutes

WMAL - APWU
MAY GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
May 5, 2007

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Meeting was called to order at 7:02 PM at 918 Benjamin NE, Grand Rapids. Meeting was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation.
Roll Call of Officers:
Present:
Jennifer Amos, President
Bill Scutt, Clerk Craft Director
Amy Marcus, Executive Vice-President
Steve Lang, Maintenance Director
Jackie Pike Sgt-at- Arms
Karen Hodges, Recording Secretary
David Janes, AO Director
Scott Larabel, MVS Director
Absent:
Linda Chandler, Treasurer
April General Membership Meeting Minutes were accepted as posted.
Applications for Membership:
Don Postema Clerk Belmont
Officer’s Report:
Treasurer was absent and will give the report next month.
Executive Vice President – Marcus: Causals are not supposed to work from 5 am until noon. New jobs on days at P-1. Six new jobs at the MPO will be posted next bid cycle. Golf outing is June 2 and we are still accepting teams.
Clerk Craft Director – Scutt: Local negotiations still going on. Should be wrapped up in a couple of weeks. Grievances being filed on the flat sorters. Once excessing is done in Holland, the PO will be hiring 18 clerks.
Maintenance Craft Director – Lang: Open position for P-3. May 8th deadline for in service test. August 1-7, the Vietnam Moving Wall will be at the airport in White Cloud, right off M-37.
MVS Craft Director – Larabel: Lots of issues with the LMOU negotiations. Last mechanic position was filled.
AO Director – Janes: clerk excessed at Holland, six more to come. Thank Pat from Newaygo for coming to meeting.
President – Amos: Thanked the membership for sending her to the President’s Conference. Visited with Stabenow and Levin’s staff. Please support the Employee Free Choice Act. Ehlers sent an email in regards to the questions we had, these will be in the newsletter. The Labor monument was dedicated on April 19th. Thanked those that were in attendance. Possible article in the National APWU newsletter in regards to the dedication. Local negotiations still going on, I will be going to some of the AO’s for there LMOU’s. Excessing in Holland is complete. Won’t be hiring until they lift the withholding. OWCP cases, doing 2-3 a week. Will be attending training in Washington DC. Downsizing of the flat sorter 1000. Tour 3 will be most affected. Educational Conference in June and planning on a retirement seminar in the fall.
Committee Reports:
Retiree’s – Hendricks - $2 a month annuity. After 16 years we finally dedicate Labor Monument. Postage rate increase next week
Point of Info – A 1 year free APWU membership for retiree’s.
A & E - Stoddard - Golf outing June 2 at the Rogue River Golf Course. Would like to have 20 to 25 foursomes. Approximately 3-5 thousand dollars worth of door prizes.
COPA - Marcus: Yearly goal for the local is $8000.
Veterans - Kramer: The governor has frozen the $90, 000 of private donations for the Veterans facility. We are drafting legislation to take away the power from the governor. We were successful in a letter campaign to get state vehicles, being used for personal use, that are now parked. I will personally sue the Governor for these funds. If you donate to the veterans make sure you put “Grand Rapids Home for Veterans/AMVETS” on the check.
Correspondence:
Flyer from Tarry Hall Roller Skating Rink
Unfinished Business:
Constitutional Changes - The committee met and these were the Constitutional Committee recommendations:
Article 21 (Dental Plan) Delete that article and make Article 22, 21. Concurrence. Carried
Article 11 (Delegates to the National & State Conventions) numerous changes to Section 1 thru 6; these were ruled out of order due to the election of officers at the State Convention.
Section 7 (new addition) regarding block voting at the State convention, committee voted Concurrence but membership voted NO Defeated.
Board Recommendations
To send 9 people (President, Executive Vice President, Directors and 1 additional person from each craft with registration, airfare, hotel, LWOP, per diem, ground transportation, to the Multi-Craft Conference in Las Vegas, NV, November 5- 8. Discussion Carried.
To donate $250 for the hospitality room at the Educational Conference in Sault Ste Marie. Discussion Carried.
To send Linda Chandler and Karen Hodges to the Secretary/Treasurer Training in San Francisco, CA with LWOP, airfare, hotel, registration, per diem, and ground transportation, June 28 thru July 1st. Discussion Carried
To purchase a laptop computer for the Clerk Craft Director at a cost of up to $1000. Discussion. Carried
New Business
Point of Information - Hendricks received a letter from Mike Saks “Operation Restore the Smiles” is an initiative to raise $50,000 for the Grand Rapids Veterans’ Summer Carnival for the 720 members of the Home. Separate account has been established, write your checks to “GRHV/Sons of AMVETS/Carnival” this will ensure that funds donated for the Carnival are used for their intended purpose.
Labor Management
Not scheduled at this time because of local negotiations.
Drawings
COPA - $43.00 Winner Shelley Smith $43.00 (gave $10 back to COPA)
$250 Door prize - Would have been won by David Bartosiewicz had he been at the meeting.
$10 door prizes winners: Keri Rose, Steve Lang, Karol Imanse, Amy Marcus, Al Matkovich, Ed Smith
Meeting adjourned at 8:26 PM.
Respectfully Submitted
Karen Hodges
Recording Secretary

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