General Membership Meeting Minutes

Meeting was called to order at 7:05 PM at 918 Benjamin NE; meeting was opened with US Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation.

Roll Call of Officers:
Present:
Ray Novakoski, President
Jennifer Amos, Executive Vice President
Barbara Tubbs, Recording Secretary
Sandy Henkel, Treasurer
Bill Scutt, Clerk Craft Director
Orv Glombowski, AO Director
Mike Long, Sergeant at Arms
Jim Myszka, Maintenance Craft Director
Absent:
Larry Niece, Mail Handler Craft Director
Mark Juczynski, MVS Director

Mike Johnson of the Labor Heritage Society spoke on the Labor monument to be built downtown.

The minutes from the June General Membership Meeting were accepted as written.

Applications for Membership:
Dawn MacDonald, Steve Zolnierek, Dorothy Johnson, Paul harp III:
Clerks, Grand Rapids
Corrine Cousineau, Clerk, Big Rapids
Vaega Schmidt, Clerk, Comstock Park
Elaine Schipper, Maintenance, Grand Rapids

Officer’s Reports:

Treasurer’s Report: Henkel - Report accepted as read.

Maintenance Report: Myszka - Casual hired at P-1, filing casual in lieu of grievance. Pam Krueger is monitoring custodial hours not being worked, and filing grievances. Steve Lang and Steve Karbotowski are going over staffing package on automation and have found glaring errors, Maintenance work on move from Kentwood to Patterson office was contracted out, grievance has been filed.

AO Report: Glombowski - Orv was going to get a disability retirement, but now that has been revoked. He wants a sit down job. He will be doing more of the AO work.

Clerk Craft Report: Scutt - Reached agreement about past holiday scheduling problems. They will be accepting volunteers instead of requiring people to avoid penalty overtime. Recognized stewards Dan Quillan for his work on tracking 1723s on 204Bs, and Michelle Gregory for all her help. Went to Midland for district meeting in August. Jennifer Amos was recognized for her web site work. Two arbitration cases won. Three more cases scheduled for September. Filed two labor charges. National elections coming up. Be sure to vote. If you don’t know who to vote for, ask your stewards for their input or ask someone else you feel is knowledgeable in this area.

Legislative Report: Tubbs - Contact your representatives and urge them to support HR 848 HR 1073, and HR 144. Urge them to vote down S 489.

President’s Report: Novakoski - Thanked everyone who came out to picket. Thanked Tina Myers and Catherine Beemblossom for their work on the Labor Day parade/picnic. Solidarity for Charity is this Saturday. There have been lots of changes downtown as well as in stations and AOs. Management is unwilling to meet with Union. We have requested to be involved in meetings and been denied. Postmaster has her own focus, and the Union has to clean up messes because management won’t address changes before implementation. Many grievances being filed in P&D and customer service. Long lines, the service window is closed at times, and Business reply area work is backed up due to jobs being eliminated. Vote in national elections. Labor board rep wants to meet with the election committee members to avoid any irregularities in local elections. Retiree chapter local president George Hendricks has been reinstated by the National as a full dues paying member effective 5/31/01.

Retiree Chapter: Hendricks - Thanked Ray and executive board for their support in his struggle to be full dues paying member. Norb Balcer has resigned as secretary-treasurer. George is having trouble getting addresses and phone numbers of potential members from the National. Needs guidance for election regulations for the Retiree chapter. Retiree-Legislative conference will be held in Washington DC on 9/22-25/01. The National is moving in the direction of elected position in retiree department.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Cans for COPA: Beemblossom - $52.00, Bill Scutt - $26.00.

Solidarity for Charity: Beemblossom - Softball game will be held 9/8 from 12-4 PM at Dutton Park to raise money for the McCauley Health Center at St Mary’s Hospital. Also selling raffle tickets and tee shirts. The no-tap bowling tournament is 9/22 at 12:30. Lunch is included for $20.00.

Dental: Long - Dental Care Network plan will end 12/31/01. Mike is looking for another plan, or you can enroll in Blue Cross Blue Shield plan.

Correspondence: None.

Unfinished Business: Proposed Constitution change on Article 13, adding section 3: Discussion. Carried.

New Business:
Board Recommendations:

Motion to accept the Big Check committee’s recommendation to buy all clerk, MVS, and maintenance employees as of May 1, 2001 Meijer gift certificates to be picked up at the union hall on Benjamin on one of three days in three separate weeks. Discussion. Amendment by Tubbs, Orv that anyone who chooses to, may notify the Local in writing that they want their share donated to the Labor Heritage Monument committee in lieu of a gift certificate. Discussion. Call for question by Myszka, Jim Sweeney. Carried.

Amendment defeated. Call for question by Scutt, Orv. Carried. Yes: 10 No: 27. Defeated.

Motion to continue to advertise in Freeman Magazine at a cost of $1000.00 - $100.00 each for 10 issues from Nov 2001 thru Oct 2002. Discussion. Carried.

Motion to appoint to the local election committee: Paula Schied, Mike Fuller, Marty VanWingen, Pam Krueger, Gordy Meredith, Mindy Moore, and Jim Hansma. Carried.

Motion to have a drawing with a total of $400.00 in prizes for members who vote in the National election. Discussion. Call for question by Long, Myszka. Carried. Main motion: Yes:11, No: 29. Defeated.

Motion to endorse the entire "Membership Team" in the National election. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by Ted McKalip, Dick Page to sponsor a Lions trip with the Big check. Discussion. Amendment by Barb Wilson, Hendricks to have something else too for non-football fans. Discussion. Motion to table by Steve Austin, Scutt. Carried.

Motion by Austin, Sweeney to extend meeting until business is concluded. Carried.

Motion by Austin, Beemblossom to donate $30,000.00 to Labor Monument to buy portal from the big check. Discussion. Amendment by Doug Warren, Hendricks to put the remainder of the check in 6 mo CD. Discussion. Yes:15, No: 22. Amendment defeated. Amendment by Meredith, Lang to put remainder of check in a "Building contingency fund". Discussion. Withdrawn. Call for question by Long, Austin. Carried. Main motion - Yes: 15, No: 20. Defeated.

Motion by Jim Stoddard, Karbotowski to put money from big check into a 6 mo CD. Discussion. Amendment by Lang, Karbotowski to poll membership and take the top 10 ideas and vote on them. Discussion. Call for question by Amos, Orv. Carried. Motion to table and refer back to committee by Amos, Scutt. Carried.

Motion by Beemblossom, Austin to donate $100.00 to the McCauley Health Center for Solidarity for Charity events. Discussion. Carried.

Motion by Tubbs, Austin to give George Hendricks $400.00 to attend Retiree-Legislative conference in DC 9/22-25/01. Amendment by Austin, Beemblossom to change amount to $550.00. Discussion. Carried. Main motion carried.

Motion by Sweeney, Tubbs to purchase 1/2 page ad in GR Press to inform the public of problems with the Postmaster to be written by the President. Discussion. Motion to table until cost is found out by Myszka, Karbotowski. Carried.

Labor Management: Fred Quillan was supposed to look into central breakdown automation jobs. P-1 spabs area needs equipment brought over. PTF 204Bs giving safety evaluations and telling employees to sign them.

Motion to adjourn by Lang, Warren. Carried.

Meeting adjourned at 9:38 PM.

COPA Drawing: COPA $29.00, $29.00 to Tina Myers.

Respectfully Submitted,

Barbara Tubbs
Recording Secretary

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