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Message from the APWU Health Plan Director

John L. Marcotte

In our constant efforts to improve our members’ customer service, the APWU Health Plan is issuing new identification cards for High Option Members. The APWU Health Plan has mailed new identification cards to its High Option members. Members of the High Option should have these new cards in their possession already. The cards go into effect on January 01, 2018.

These cards have new ID numbers that will help us better serve our members. The Health Plan recommends that members destroy their old cards. In 2018, members should present their new High Option ID card at the doctor, pharmacy, hospital, or other medical provider when they receive health care, even if the member has visited the medical provider or pharmacy before. This will allow the medical provider to bill the APWU Health plan directly for services without any delay.

These cards are part of an extensive effort to update our software system and improve our service to Health Plan Members. Questions about the cards or the APWU Health Plan can be directed to our Membership Services staff at 1-800-222-APWU (2798).

We at the APWUHP Health Plan wish all of you have a wonderful holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year. Together Better Health.

LMOU Training and New Contract Orientation

LMOU Training and New Contract Orientation Seminar

 Radisson Paper Valley Hotel  

333 W College Ave

Appleton WI

September 8-9 2016

Single Room:   $92

Double Room:  $109

Registration: $55

Training will be a half day on Thursday September 8, 2016 beginning at 1:00 pm and continue Friday September 9, 2016 from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Hotel Registration call---- 920-733-8000 reference APWU

Deadline for hotel registration is August 11, 2016

Training registration send to: 

Steve Kendall

N85W15650 Ridge Rd # 207
Menomonee Falls, WI. 53051

Clerks in Small Offices to Receive Payout

By: Steve Lord

Back in December of 2014 a settlement was reached between the APWU and the USPS regarding Postmasters doing bargaining unit work in small offices. The settlement had two parts.

The first part dealt with Postmasters doing bargaining unit work in small offices from December 5, 2014 forward. Postmasters in Level 18 offices are now required to report their bargaining unit hours worked on an electronic 1260 form. Many clerks from Level 18 offices began receiving payouts this summer due to their Postmasters doing more than the allowed 15 hours of bargaining unit work.

The APWU at a national level gets the 1260 reports and disseminates them to the state and local organization so that they can contact the designated management person to begin the process of payment to the appropriate clerks. To date over $200,000 of payments have been scheduled in Wisconsin alone. If you work in a Level 18 office and think your Postmaster is doing more than 15 hours of bargaining unit work per week you should be getting a payout from the settlement. If you have not gotten a settlement payout you should contact the appropriate APWU representative.

The second part of the aforementioned settlement deals with the time before December 5, 2014. An award of 56 million dollars was achieved for that time period. The award time period goes from May 7, 2011 through December 5, 2014. If you were a PTF or NTFT employee at a small office (Level 18 and below) you should be in line for a payout. The payout works like this. The time period mentioned consists of 187 weeks. Each week that a NTFT or PTF employee worked will entitle that employee to one share which is worth $26.23. If an employee worked the entire time period it would amount to approximately $4900.

To those APWU members in these offices, thank you for being a member. You have contributed union dues which has helped the union financially and enabled the APWU to continue these long dragged out and expensive struggles. If you are a non-member reading this an 1187 form will be sent to you asking you to help contribute to these struggles. If you know a non-member encourage them to join. The APWU will continue to fight for the small office employee, but it is not cheap.

President Obama’s New Overtime Rule will Benefit 80,000 Wisconsin workers

Today the Wisconsin AFL-CIO released the following statement on President Obama’s new overtime rule, which will benefit 80,000 Wisconsin workers.

Wisconsin AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt said today: “The Wisconsin AFL-CIO applauds President Obama for proposing new overtime rules that will help 80,000 Wisconsinites and their families by closing the white collar loophole. Front-line managers of gas stations, convenience stores, and others who work long hours without additional pay will now be paid fairly. This is a step in the right direction to protect the middle class.”

“President Obama’s new overtime rules are a win for workers,” said Stephanie Bloomingdale, Wisconsin AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer. “Too many ‘salaried’ workers have been taken advantage of by greedy employers who have twisted the intent of overtime protections. The new rules will extend overtime pay to workers making up to $50,440 a year. Together, we will keep fighting to make sure that every Wisconsinite is paid fairly for the work that they do.”

APWU of Wisconsin Delegation Meets with Senator Tammy Baldwin

A Wisconsin APWU delegation met today with Senator Tammy Baldwin in her office in Washington D.C. to discuss the future of the Postal Service.

(L-R) APWU of WI President, Steve Lord; Wausau Area Local President, Tom Tomczyk; Milwaukee Area Local President, Paul McKenna; Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin; Madison Area Local President, Bret Wersland; and Milwaukee Area Local Rep., Chris Czubakowski.

APWU of Wisconsin Spring Seminar is Right Around the Corner

The APWU of Wisconsin Spring Seminar is one week away.

See you at the:

Chula Vista Resort

March 9-10 2015

New Postal Amendment to Pipeline Bill

Whether or not to approve construction of the Keystone tar sands pipeline is one of the first pieces of legislation that the Senate has taken up since the 114th Congress came into session this month.  For this bill, newly minted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised an open-amendment process.  Said McConnell, “nobody is blocking any amendments,” and Senate Democrats are taking him up on his offer. A wide range of amendments on a variety of topics have been offered, including amendments to subsidize heating bills for low-income families and require companies using the pipeline to pay into an oil spill cleanup fund.  This week, the Senate voted 98-1 in favor of an amendment to affirm that climate change is indeed real and "not a hoax."

Senate postal champion Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is now leading a new charge to undo the Postmaster General’s disastrous decision to slow down the mail and close 82 mail processing facilities.  Sanders introduced an amendment to the Keystone bill that would restore service standards to July 2012 levels and would block the closure of any processing facilities for two years.  The amendment already has secured the support of a dozen co-sponsors: Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT), Edward Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Al Franken (D-MN), Tom Udall (D-NM), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Murphy (D-CT.), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

While APWU opposes passage of the underlying bill, and President Obama has vowed to veto the bill, we are calling upon APWU activists to reach out to their senators and ask them to support this important amendment.  This bill’s open-amendment process could be a unique opportunity to force senators to say where they stand on the future of America’s public postal service.

Please call your senators and ask them to support the Sanders postal amendment.  To find the phone numbers for your two senators’ DC offices, please click here.