General Membership Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 7:00 Pm at 918 Benjamin NE, Grand Rapids.
Meeting was opened with the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation.

Roll Call of Officers:

Dick Page, Executive Vice President
Barbara Tubbs, Recording Secretary
Jim Birman, Treasurer
Bill Scutt, Clerk Craft Director
Jim Myszka, Maintenance Craft Director
Mike Long, Sergeant At Arms
Linda Norman, AO Director
Absent
Ray Novakoski, President
Scott Larabel, MVS Craft Director

September General Membership Meeting minutes were accepted with the following correction: Steve Austin was the maker of the motion to donate $1000.00 to the striking Wolverine World Wide workers and Birman 2nd.

Applications for Membership:

Clerks: Thuy Vo, Tim Mullen, Michael Parker, Thi Ngo
TE: Charlotte Mance-Spencer
Maintenance: Jane Symko

Point of Inquiry: Myszka - Can a non-member attend a membership meeting as a guest? Dick Page says Yes.

Officers' Reports:

Treasurer's Report: Birman: Treasurer's report was accepted as written. George Hendricks inquired on the retirees' deposit for the 2nd quarter and requested the report copies be centered with the month printed at top.

Clerk Craft Report: Scutt: Casuals taking KDE training are not being converted to TEs as reported in September. They will continue as casuals and will be tracked for possible casual in lieu of grievance. The September casual in lieu of settlement for $1,000,000.00 was not what we had hoped for.

Management rep Barb Kiehborth denied having agreed on the time frame involved, and the arbitrator was insistent on going back only 14 days from Step 2 appeal. We got a fair settlement for the time frame the arbitrator ruled on, but were screwed on the time frame issue. The list of cash recipients is almost completed and awards range from approximately $62.00 to $1700.00.

AO Report: Norman: Working on a couple of grievances in Holland and one in Spring Lake. Thanked Scutt for resolving some grievances in Big Rapids.

Maintenance Craft Report: Myszka: Got several settlements from pre-arb shakeout, including a casual in lieu of grievance for $13,500.00 and one on contracting out work. Problem now is getting the pay adjustments done. New supervisor from California across river. Grievances slowing down a bit.

Legislative Report: Tubbs: First Senate hearing on President's Commission on the Postal Service was held September 17th. Our jobs, wages, benefits, and retirements are all on the line. Contribute to COPA and contact your Senators and Representatives. It's more important than ever!

Executive Vice President: Page: The President is excused from tonight's meeting because he is attending the Presidents' Conference. Steward's training was held September 24th and was well attended. Trained 3 new stewards last month, including 2 much needed in MVS craft. New Postmaster Nancy Rittenhouse on October 31st. Time will tell. Fred Quillan now in charge of main office and AMF. Rocco in charge of P-1. Settled a grievance from AMF, involving person working out of craft. AMF clerks will share @ $12,000.00, and awards will range from @ $808.00 to $3500.00.

Committee Reports:

A & E Committee: Jennifer Amos: Report on bus trip to Chicago. Bus was late; driver had never driven a bus that large and had never driven to Chicago, didn't know how to get out of GR. Arrived late in Chicago and back in GR over 2 hours later than planned. Amos is attempting to get a refund from the bus company.

Correspondence:

Thank you from COPA, Wally Corvine and Barb Kirkpatrick.

Unfinished Business:

Proposed Constitutional Amendments to be voted on.

Point of Personal Privilege: Steve Austin: Proposals were not posted at P-1 for 15 days required by Constitution.

Chair ruled that because they were properly posted at the other facilities and the Constitution is silent on specifically saying every facility that they will be voted on. Chair challenged by Austin. Discussion. Call for Question by Scutt, Birman. Carried. Challenge vote: 10 yes, 10 no. Tie. Chair ruled against challenge.

Proposed Constitutional Change to add a table of contents and page numbers. Carried.

Proposed Constitutional Change to add new Article 23, 401K plan, with matching contributions. Discussion. Defeated. Yes-7. No-9.

Proposed Constitutional Change to add new Article 23, 401K Plan, without matching contributions. Carried.

Proposed Constitutional Change to delete Section 11 from Article 9. Carried.

Proposed Constitutional Change to Change term of office for Executive Board from 3 years to 2 years. Discussion. Call for question by Scutt, Tubbs. Carried. Proposed change defeated.

New Business:

Board Recommendations:

MSC to spend $750.00 for refreshments for hospitality room at District meeting to be held in Grand Rapids in February 2004.

MSC to establish policy for Board members who have cell phones paid for by WMAL to pay the per minute charges for personal calls only when the plan minutes are exceeded. Discussion. Chair yielded to Tubbs so Page could speak on motion. Chair yielded back to Page. Call for question by Rose Jerrills, Scutt. Carried.

Motion by Don Kramer 2nd Tubbs to send Amos to RI-399 conference in Las Vegas in October to include per diem, registration, lodging, lost time, ground transportation to and from airport, and applicable taxes. Carried.

Motion by Amos 2nd Austin to extend meeting until close of business. Carried.

Motion by Austin to give all members in good standing at tonight's meeting cell phones paid for by the Local. No second.

Motion by Amos 2nd Norman to reimburse everyone on the Chicago bus trip their $15.00 by the Local if unsuccessful in getting money refunded by the bus company. Amendment by Austin to include Lions bus trip from ten years ago because the beer was warm and the Lions lost. No second. Discussion. Motion to table until response is received from bus company by Birman 2nd Austin. Carried.

Point of Personal Privilege: Hendricks: Catherine Beemblossom is recovering and is back to work.

Labor Management:

Meeting not scheduled yet. Items include status of Linda Jones returning, whether nepotism rules apply to Quillans? FMLA issues, pool clerk denied annual leave more than two weeks in advance because manager cannot predict needs of the service(?)

Drawings:

COPA $27.00, Don Kramer $27.00. Kramer donated $14.00 back to COPA.

$10.00 Door Prizes: Jennifer Amos, Steve Austin, George Hendricks, Tina Myers

Meeting adjourned at 9:02 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

Barb Tubbs
Recording Secretary

Back

Home
Prez Report •  Membership Meetings
Officers & Stewards •  Events •  About WMAL •  Cool Links

Top

Webmeister Jennifer Amos. © Western Michigan Area Local
E-mail Jennia1957@aol.com with comments or suggestions