The changes made in the 2010 contract will forever change postal employment and future historians will record this as the darkest day. We did much more than negotiate a contract that changes this job from a pathway to the middle class to transient employment, we changed people’s lives. Ordinary people like you and I who have ambition and settled on postal employment as a lifetime occupation will be forced to look elsewhere and in this changing economy there are few jobs not requiring higher education or skills that promise adequate income, health insurance and a decent retirement. But for the Postal Service, our lives would have been different and while many would have landed on their feet many others would have traveled from job to job with little security and less income. If you can imagine if your wages were reduced by up to $500 per week and the adverse impact it would have had on your life.
I know these officers who did this and I know them as decent and good people who wanted the best for the union membership but they erred in the extreme. With faulty judgment they turned back the clock to a period that we had escaped over a 40 year struggle. Postal veterans remember how it was when we could not afford a house or two cars, or when doctors or dentists’ appointments were deferred and every major expense was accompanied by an equal sacrifice. Millions of future employees will experience circumstances that we thought we had put behind us. The shallow promise for future corrections is no more than a cruel dream. You simply cannot advance selective groups of employees who are 20% behind while fulfilling your obligation to others. You cannot negotiate 20% pay increases for those left behind while holding senior employees to 1% raises and in the future when the entire work force is under the new contract it will not be possible to increase wages multiples times the rate of inflation. These changes are permanent.
There is simply no justification or excuse for what has been done. Time passes and a handful of affected employees today will grow to a majority tomorrow and over time all of the represented employees will be affected by the new provisions. Retail jobs will be converted to part time; the supplemental work force will equal over 40% of the employees; the starting pay is reduced by 20% and top pay is reached 20 years before retirement so there will be no annual step increases over the last 20 years of employment and retirement annuities will be 25% less.
To compound the tragedy this agreement has dragged the Rural Carriers to the abyss and the APWU officers are holding their breath hoping that arbitrator Das is likewise “impressed by the APWU agreement” and he ignores the comparability obligation. If Das follows the Starke lead the APWU agreement will have been the catalyst to turn back postal employment to the pre-strike period, and deny 450,000 employees and their families per generation the progress we had achieved over the past 40 years.
Within this abandonment of all labor principles, even though we had waged continuous battle to insure that custodial maintenance jobs were reserved for military veterans and took pride in securing employment for our heroes, we should now be ashamed that these jobs are paid at $12.00 per hour.
And to compound this tragedy the officers diligently protected themselves. With claims of impending doomsday requiring major sacrifices they rallied and designed protections that their jobs are secured and their salaries will multiply many times those of the represented employees.
The mistake made was a focus on today as though time stands still when in reality time passes and tomorrow becomes yesterday. The sacrifice of tomorrow’s employees faces the hard reality of a new standard for workers whose names and faces change but the contract written today is for them and those who will follow. In time, we will know their names and learn that they are no different than the employees that we know so well. They will have the same aspirations and dreams that will have been shattered. The negotiators should have known better and because they didn’t they can never be forgiven for the damage done.
Jim
I have reported continuously that postal salaries are set by law as being comparable to employees in the private sector performing similar work. The law makes no mention of adjusting for inflation and certainly does not compare postal employees to teachers. This was the challenge during my service and never once did I use the USPS’ financial position as an excuse for not achieving comparability. I never considered myself a legend, just a guy doing the best he could with no excuses. I never considered reducing wages by 25% for any employee or eliminating overtime, not because I was a better negotiator but because I believed I represented future employees as well as those presently working. I represented you before you were hired.
Bill, let’s just say that our last contract remained similar to past contracts. Do you think there would be any future employees to worry about? The next contract will no doubt lose the no-layoff clause, then things get really bad. We were lucky to have the no-layoff all these years (who else has that) and if I remember correctly, the reason we got it was that we agreed never to strike. A strike now would solve all their problems as people would be fired on the spot. I do feel for the new guys coming in (especially the no health benefits for one year) I’m now seeing some of these people getting fired just before their 1 year anniversary date, no doubt to avoid paying the benefits.
As a 22 year military veteran and a 19 years postal veteran, I can say that it is a tale of two different careers. One you are rewarded for accomplishments, hard work, expertise, and years of service. The other you are only as “good” as the worst worker and the APWU will protect you as that worst worker. What a deal – think about it – as good as the worst worker. Thanks APWU for allowing and making this happen.
My biggest complaint is that Mr Guffy was so outspoken against President Bush and the military’s role in Afganistan. WE are still is Afganistan and Mr Guffy has never uttered a word against President Obama. I guess you have to be a Democrat president and you will not receive any criticism from Mr Guffy – regardless of the issue.
Jim and other postal employees who believe that they are a special generation
To postal employees who believe that the next generation is not deserving of building on our foundation: That is the most childish and selfish response to reducing postal wages to $16 per hour. You benefitted from the efforts of every generation before you and your response is they will have the option of not accepting postal employment. Our progress as postal employees did not begin the date you were hired. From the day that the Post Office was established in the new colonies, each generation struggled to improve conditions and the following generation picked up where they ended. You inherited the long struggle for collective bargaining, the upgrade of all employees by congressional act, the strike, COLA and its protection and more. All of these were gifts from the prior generation that you had nothing to do with their enactment. You seem to believe that of the multiple generations involved in this continuous struggle the results were intended for you and all future employees would have to start over from a time long past. We expect children to have a greater appreciation for the efforts of those who struggled before them and to hear from adults that each generation should not benefit from the past is the height of selfishness.
Bill, back in 1991 my ex, a teacher, had a salary of 25,000 a year while I was making 32,000 a year. She retired two years ago with a salary of 95,000 a year while I’m making 53,000 now. So if you want to continue to pat yourself on the back for all those 1% pay raises you got us over the years,good for you. Now a new book coming out? You should change the title to ”LEGEND IN MY OWN MIND”
Mr. Burrus, I do enjoy reading your perspective about issues facing the Postal Service, its my employer, and my family of 6 main source of income. You have years more experince dealing with the USPS then my 8 years of service. I have always believe that the USPS is pseudo-militaristic in nature…aka…they model everything, like the the US Military. That being the basis of my premise, as an APWU member, I am extremely interrested in how the Mail Handlers contract turns out. I believe that will be the telling sign if the current APWU leadership did right. I did vote in the affrimative for the current contract. The reason for my vote was to maintain till the date of Nov. 2015, I still don’t believe that all of us having a job till that time was a bad idea. To further support my idea of the “USPS is pseudo-militaristic” anyone remember the “rounds of base” closures in the late 1980′s? Seems awfully similar to whats occuring now with the consoildations. Personally, Mr. Burrus, President Guffy and his team did right for the membership and I have a very strong feeling that the Mail Handlers are going to get the short end of the stick here very soon.
With much respect, Mr. Burrus
Joe the Independant from Idaho
Mr . Burrus – I concur with your comments on the current contract . I found it very difficult to believe that 16 people out of 16 people at our local (Mpls) advisory board recommended we adopt the contract. I can’t even get 2 people out of any group to agree on anything. Do these people only blindly lead/advise on what the national or the local president dictates? Apparently so. I see the new workers coming into our unit – doing the same job – and only making $12.00 an hour. Shame on the APWU.
We must recognize the paradigm of out-sourcing euphemistically called “globalism” has the labor movement on its back heels. Our third-world proletarian brothers and sisters largely ignored in the past have arisen from insignificance and have turned the tables with the limbo like tactic of how “low can you go” wage commoditization. American workers are now faced with the reality that 40-years of labor achievement is being undone with the purported argument of competition.
It doesn’t matter if it an unfair apple to orange comparison. Labor is losing the battle of messaging and the high ground of influence in a movement of popular belief that opine collective bargaining is an anachronism of cronyism and socialistic entitlement. The labor movement in America desperately needs an image overhaul.
There can be no denying that the public perception of Postal Service worker is far from positive. While America trusts the Postal Service to deliver the mail, it views the employees as over-paid, lazy, and emotionally unstable.
The Excel spreadsheets might tell another story on how productive Postal workers really are in performance, but there is no dispute FEDEX and UPS have a better public image and financially are more successful. Somehow while the APWU was achieving labor contract successes, it became out-flanked and became viewed not as the under-dog seeking wage fairness, but rather the primary source of USPS problems.
Mistakes in the 2010 APWU collective bargaining agreement should not be “spill the milk regret and remorse;” mistakes have been made in the past, and most assuredly mistakes will be made in the future. Rather than accusatory finger-pointing we are obligated to learn from our experiences and strive not to make the same mistakes twice.
Like in the private sector where the high ground for wage earnings is determine by education and vocational skill, so too must the APWU be part of the effort of motivating members to be assertively engaged in personal development and individual achievement. Knowledge and skill is how labor adds substantive value and avoids the entrapment of commoditization.
The real value of an APWU membership is the contribution of the national executive leadership. Locals often suffer from poor leadership and disengaged membership. The process of recruitment and labor advocacy development is crucial for the organizational success of the APWU. Instead of relying on grass-roots popularity and the crucible of waterfront Chicago style politics to produce future leaders, the APWU would be better serve to implement an academy of learning to provide the cadre of executive leadership. Just as the Postal Service is confronting the challenges of technology, so too must the APWU similarly adept and organizationally improve.
Interesting use of language, but if you’re trying to get the masses to understand you have to speak on their level. I agree with you for the most part. I have a college education and find it rather hard to take orders from a supervisor that is making a bad decision and won’t take an alternate plan of action. But having a degree doesn’t put one on top, knowledge itself is power. I work with quite a few people that went from high school right into working for the USPS. I have great respect for these people and know that they know the job better than anybody else. It’s their opinions and suggestions I value more, and will follow rather than from a supervisor who knows little about the section he or she is working.
” The negotiators should have known better and because they didn’t they can never be forgiven for the damage done.”
Your last line of lethargic sense making. You could have been a part those negotiations then retired but instead decided to bail and now bloviate ad nauseam about what should have been done and what others negotiated.
As you have shown to the MVS craft many times over, you are utterly irrelevant.
Jim
The conclusion that “something had to give” is easier to swallow if that something affects someone else. Would you feel the same if your salary had been reduced by 20%? Your connection betweeen mail volume and employees wages creates a nexus where none exists. The legal standard is comprability, no more, no less. You impose an ability to pay and acccept it because its impact was on others. The same is true for the officers who did not voluntarily accept a pay cut because things are bad. It is easy to recognize reality with someone else’s money.
Bill, Really? Exactly what APWU members received a 20% salary cut? You are speaking of people who are choosing to get in the USPS now. If they don’t want to come in at $15 an hour ,they don’t have to. Should they get the same as us ? The job has changed drastically with all the automation, who is going to pay 26 an hour to do the this kind of job now? We paid our dues over the years to get where we are, let them do the same. Do you think we would have done better in arbitration? Come on. You speak of me not being concerned because it’s affecting someone else and not me, tell me, who doesn’t worry about themselves and family first?
The purpose of a labor union is to bargain for the group in the improvement of working conditions and compensation of the represented members.
The unending extreme right wing propaganda spewed forth on many talk radio programs and television talk programs has distorted public perception of actual economic forces into nonsensical sound bites.
The Postal Service cannot now generate enough revenue to fund the costs levied upon it because the basic postal rates, the revenue platform, has been rigged to not produce enough revenue to cover the costs of mail processing, transportation, delivery and the maintenance of the system to do so. No matter how much the cost of employees, or the cost of the labor force is lowered, the postal rate structure will still subsidize the mass mailers at the cost of the system. This is what the right wing wants, a collapse of government services provided for the benefit of the community because they confuse civic obligation to the community with communism and for whatever reason, they have the goal of controlling the choices of those not their equals.
When Bush in 2008 nationalized the Banks, Congress was outmanuevered to not attach any strings to the use of the Public’s money, the first time in history that a legislative body failed to do so. Do the Banks act like they were nationalized.??
We are in dangerous times, the community that the middle class of America produced and the access to that community is being ended right before our eyes.
Thank you Mr. Burrus for the long holding action.
And now, what about the resolution of RI 399?
I do believe the Post Office can get in the black. If a $5.90 piece of Priority mail is delivered as promised our customers will use our services. We need to get back into the business of being a business.
William Lasalle What Did We Do
I wish that you knew me better that you would already know the answer to your question. There is no second act. I know that I preach to the choir but collectively we must learn that it not be repeated. As humans we have the tendancy to isolate events in our response to the present with little appreciation that time passes and tomorrow will be equally as challenging. 2010 was not the first contract over the 40 year span when bargaining was difficult and it will not be the last. 2014 will be even more difficult and if we do not learn from past responses we will make the same mistakes. This for that bargaining is never a proper response and it is necessary that the personal psychology driving the strategy be purged from the union. This will involve a modification of objectives and basic commitments. This can only occur through the total evaluation of what went wrong. It was not the words inserted in the new contract, but the mental process of how we got there. It is intended that my words may add to the internal dialogue that must occur to properly represent the aspirations of workers whose lives are influenced by our decisions.
All of the reasons cited for the 2010 agreement will be present again in 2014 and applying the same reasoninng will result in the same results. We must begin the conversation of change or the remaining pillars of postal employment constructed over a 40 year period will be dismantled applying the same rationale. The difference between postal employment and WalMart is not the work performed but the commitment that the rewards should be greater and if the union negotiators do not believe that, the activities will merge. Those union members who engage in the dialogue regarding the alternative models will decide the future. I hope to influence the outcome of those discussions.
Dogspray and MVSprix What Did We Do
Enough about why did I retire. This is my life and after 53 years I decided what I would do with the rest. That decision is beyond your jurisdiction.
I am not the Messiah and whatever I may have negotiated was required to be sent to the members for ratification and it is unlikely I could have achieved anything better than the 77% received. You got the contract that you wanted.
Bill, the new contract was bad, but realisticly, something had to give, either a salary cut or an end to the no layoff protection. It’s just not feasible to think the PO could continue as is with all the new machinery and all the excess people around as a result of it. We probably should have tried to keep the salary and ditched the no layoff in return.What I could’nt understand was why all the $ was spent on new machines when it was obvious that mail volume was steadily going down. I started in 73 so I’m outta here with the incentive and it’s mind boggling to think that I’ll be making considerably more in retirement than the new people will make working.
I really like your comment Jim. I had read a comment in another article awhile ago, and I paraphrase, “How is it when we had more mail and less machines the mail got out, but now that we have less mail and more machines we can’t get the mail out?” Makes you think. If the Post Office is going broke or is broke why are we upgrading and getting more machines? I see the waste everyday at work and it doesn’t seem to be bothering any one in management. Interesting don’t you think?
Bill Burrus: The purpose of a labor union is to negotiate conditions of employment that will govern over its term. The mistake of the union negotiators was they were looking backwards with attention to yesterdays’ problems and thought that they hit a home run. Since the contract, a whole new set of problems have arisen and nothing in the new agreement governs these changes. When a union relies on language that would not be used by a 5th grader you are in trouble. Each time I hear a reference to “desirable duty assignment” I wonder are these guys smoking something. Do you really want to arbitrate such childish terms?
APWU Member: Bill, I agree. Just one question. Why did you not warn us about Cliff? With all the years you worked with him, you should have known he would be a bad replacement.
Bill Burrus: I was concerned but thought that he would accept my offer to share my experience. It is evident that Mike Morris prevailed; thinking that he knew everything even though he had never negotiated a contract and the rest is history.
Brother Burrus, I appreciate you, but this is the first time I have witnessed you call the real culprit by name. BRAVO!!!!!!
First I would like to say that for shame on all of you that won’t use your real names. Mr. Burrus puts his name on the top of each article he writes; so should you if you comment. That said, I will always be a Union man but not this “union”. Our local Keystone is currupt to the core. I trust one, yes that’s “1″ steward for doing a dutiful job supporting fellow members. This year being an election year sure showed how this union operates. I don’t think any political point of view should be taken when dealing with Union issues. If I’m not mistaken the Inspector General that Obama placed into position favors 5 day delivery; that would surely hurt but vote Democrate so spoke the union. I say get the Government and Politics out of the Post Office. Reform should be done within the office not by Congress. Why does my office have at least 7 if not more MDOs or acting MDOs? Why are we mixing classes of mail when the money that we make for profit is from how our product is delivered? Clean house!!!!!!! Fellow employees YOU have a JOB to do so do it correctly. WE work for the CUSTOMER. I know of only one clerk that voted yes for the 2010 contract and I work at a fairly large office. The union should stop protecting the dead beat workers, and stop following ridiculous Postal procedures. Question your supervisor!!! THINK!!!
I will leave with a thought: I started on an 881FSM; then since workers weren’t really working an OCR was added making the job even easier; but workers worked sometimes slower for the over time or because they would hide behind the union; now I work on a 100FSM and I love my job and a lot of the people I work with; but then there once again is the prescense of the NON-worker. Well my friends you lived large and the stupid ones voted yes on the contract, most likely not even reading it. I’m hanging in there for the fight and will question what I feel is wrong and will do my job to the utmost as the Founding Fathers wished having set aside in the Constitution the Post Office.
Please respond Joe or redneck or any of you, but please let me know if the same ass kissing/union dead beat sheep reside in your office; and then weed them out.
Thank you as always Mr. Burrus for a fine article.
Jeff, I see you are still ranting and raving about your personal conditions without stepping up to the plate and doing something about them. You aver that there is no place in the USPS for government/politics, yet you say “I’m hanging in there for the fight and will question what I feel is wrong and will do my job to the utmost as the Founding Fathers wished having set aside in the Constitution the Post Office.” Be for real and stop rambling or better yet why don’t you become an answer to some of the problems you are envisioning instead of downing other Union Members for your timidness??? PS. WHAT UNION ARE YOU A MEMBER OF SINCE NOT THIS ONE???
Well RuRu thank you for replying; it’s about time. Actually I have been a dues paying clerk for 15 years. I was a PTF for 4 years on Tour 1; so I’ve paid my dues, so to speak. I am not bringing up issues that are “personal” yet hoping to find out if my office functions as poorly as it does how do other offices measure up. What about your’s RuRu? When a supervisor tells me to run Monday standard ADC mail in with Out going 1st class/Priority/periodicals mixed mail on a Thursday I say, “No.” We, as Postal Workers, need to give the customer what they paid for. Perhaps your office doesn’t care. As far as the Union, as I have stated many times, and have discussed with Mr. Burrus, who I hold in high regard, the union is corrupt. Why did Mr. Burrus write this article and other articles like “Us and Them” if he is not pointing out that the present contract, and the people that turned that contract into policy by agreeing to it are out for themselves. Did you read the 2010 contract RuRu? If anyone from a smaller office read it they would have seen what is happening now with downsizing and closures; so why would they have voted yes? As I mentioned, the Harrisburg office is fairly large and in fact we are picking up a lot of mail from near by closing facilities. So my job is secure RuRu. There is no “personal” cry coming from my comments. But, as Mr. Burrus has said, “What have we done???????” I am saying that we take back the Post Office and run it as it should be; if so would surely turn a profit. I have no intentions of quitting the Union. Quite the opposite. I want to become more involved and push out the people that sit on their asses and bring down the Post Office which I believe is a proud institution. Perhaps RuRu you are a senior postal worker that just wants to ride out the waves and attempt to retire soon. I can’t do that since I am only 52 years old and, as I said, only have 15 years in. RuRu didn’t you read any of what Mr. Burrus wrote or has written in recent articles?
RuRu you need to wake up; learn to read and act upon what you comprehend, and take off the blinders and rosy colored glasses you are wearing.
Jef, I will not engage into a running conversation with you although if I recall correctly from our previous talks you had worked for the USPS better than thirty (30+) years and were at least 57 years of age, the reason I told you to go ahead and retire to relieve yourself of the burden of carrying your lazy co-workers. If you think back, you may recall that I am retired, you confessed to not being a Union member, you did vote for the new contract, are still ranting/raving and complaining about your personal situation, and are still a “SCAB”
RuRu I don’t wish to have a running conversation with you either. If you look back I was origianally Jeff Anderson but one time when I replied I was told that that name was being used; so, once again, I used my real name but put Harrisburg PA where I work. You sir are confused: I am a Clerk Union member and have been since my start time 15 years ago, and now am at the age of 52. Since you are retired “RuRu” why not use your real name? What do you have to lose? I have a son I intend to go to university and will continue to keep working for a proper Union and proper Post Office. Get YOUR facts straight. Good day to you sir, and I use that term loosely.
joe shevilin president of red bank tried to give his reasoning to vote down the contract, but shot down from having his voice heard.
Where did the 8 dollar payroll apwu union surcharge go as it was never used for the newspaper ads and where did the anthrax death fund money go that did not go to the two dead clerks families.
Union mgmt, postal mgmt. Same thing, different name.
I’ve been saying for a long time now that they’ve abandoned the veteran by not filling custodian jobs reserved for them.
At my office they are hiring TE’s at $11.99 w/health benefits which equal the $19.99 they were previously paid, thanks ObamaCare(still it’s half of what Carriers make with benefits). You see, all the signs are pointing to privatization by 2017 but first they have eliminate half of the work force; supplement 20-30% with PSE/TE’s, eliminate FEHP, and eliminate pre-funding of retiree’s health care(thanks Unions for being so enthusiastic about the 2006 PAEA, yes you supported it). Unless the postal service can capture the small parcel market we will see the decline of the post office with the decline of first class mail.
What did you do Mr. Burrus?? You left your Union high and dry in the middle of negotiations. Just like a rat on a sinking ship you are to blame sir I respectfully say.
What did you do?? You made your lives just like the majority of Americans lives under Obama. Welcome to the real world.
I tend to agree with others here in that yes, why did Mr. Burrus retire just before a new contract? He seems to think he has all the answers in all of his well written scribes-in retirement.
I’ve been to a few conventions also and have thought the same as the above poster that union executives came across as elitist and self serving like the now retired (thank goodness) Mr. Bailey in California. He represented, in my opinion, what national always has thought of the MVS craft in general, the bastard child of the APWU and of course thoroughly sold out the Phx MVS. And after seeing Mr. Burrus and his disdain for the craft in Las Vegas a few years back I was convinced. “Get in the pilot program or you’ll be gone” he in effect says.
Amusing now, the very existence of the APWU now hinges on the survival of MVS. If they cannot save California they (APWU) have virtually zero reason for anyone to remain, nothing to offer. Had Mr. Burrus had all the foresight he seems to now have in retirement he could have could have fought for changes in article 32 long ago… when MVS was just another little division that now has the APWU looking squarely at desertification.
The end of an era. As a retired postal employee I can say that few of these posts surprise me today. I realized 4 years ago that things would radically change across the country. Most of our city, state, and Federal retirement programs are substantially unfunded. Unions spent the last 40 years negotiating pay increases regardless of the long-term debts implied. We also have no cost controls on Medicare, Medicade, or Social Security… so we’re going broke.
While some of our postal issues are different, we are part of a tidal-wave that will sweep America… we don’t have enough money to pay most of our future obligations and we won’t in my lifetime. Consequently, unions are on their way down. So, I’d get used to contracts like this. What’s coming for this country as a whole is far worse than most of you can imagine. Here’s to another 16 trillion in debt gentlemen.
You have really drunk the kool aid, haven’t you my friend. More likely tea. Please tell us what happened 4 years ago that has you soooo pessimistic? Many of us are experiencing huge schadenfreude thanks to people like you. Please keep whining, Karl. We cant thank you enough
Mr. Burrus,
I was put out in 2007 and appeal to you for help personally. You and your office disregarded my request for help … and I was on my own for years without any income. I had to beg for food money while you Mr. Burrus could have helped me.
The union threw my grievance(s) away and when I did get a grievance settlement to be made whole the national business agent would not enforce the settlement. I personally ask you Mr. Burrus for help. You and your office did nothing to help me.
Since then on my own I made money from the unemployment office a postal retirement and a ¼ million from an EEO settlement. In 2011, I received an approved OWCP injury claim.
Yet, I still have the harm in me caused by the postal service which you and your office allow to occur. I agree, Burrus is a hypocrite he was the president, and he ignored the interests of the dues paying union members while making friendship with Potter.
Good points in a thought-provoking article! Sadly, what has happened in the postal system, is only reflective of the larger picture in our country, with the “every man for himself” attitude now so prevalent. It would seem the entitlement mentality has affected all of congress and corporate America. Both our political parties have declared war on the middle class, and we are left to choose our demise: (1.) being a serf in the developing corporate feudalism, or (2.)poverty and sub-standard living in ever-growing and invasive socialism. Pick your poison…
It’s a shame I am a veteran and a custodian.i have been in the post office for 17 yrs and I have been treated like crap. Our union has sold us out and they are giving in to management and the big wigs.custodian jobs are given to any body now,and that really sucks. So here we are they are excessing clerks so what do they do ???they give custodian jobs to clerks . I am also being excessed but they are so busy giving the jobs to the dam clerks they don’t even care about the veterans who fought for the freedom of our country.the union has nothing to say every time I ask about being excessed. Burrus you should be ashamed and disgusted with yourself not for selling out your members but the veterans who fought and died for our freedom. The union never puts out nothing in the bulletin about custodian.we are forgotten just like the vets. Shame on you apwu. I have been a faithful union member for 17 yrs but the union is buisy throwing people under the bus.
My wife was a damn clerk up until last Saturday, when she was excessed to be a custodian. She did NOT want to go there. She has 14 years in as a clerk AND they forced her to go there.
She has been on light duty, due to a permanent work place injury and has postal given restrictions that will make her unable to do the job, yet there she is! She was working 8 hours a day and doing all that she was told to do, as a clerk.
NOW, it looks as if ALL she will be doing is policing the restrooms and dusting! What a waste!
They put her in the custodian position, knowing fuu well that she could NOT do the job.
NOW the PSE’s are doing clerk work and her a 3 others are now custodians.
Weak union…always has been & always will be!
Shame on you Bill. Your the one who left our membership in time of need.
All I can say is my job is still safe for another four years, hopefully. Beyond that, probably not!
I often tell coworkers who think they have the nicest supervisor, “When it comes to choices betweet your job and his job, he will choose his.”
Now, for union officials, they only choose their “Golden parachute” over the salaries of the people they haven’t met yet, much less represent them. When things get tough, everyone, especially union officials, is even more for himself
And that is why I got out with half my sanity left and before they could turn the tables on me. And take your incentive and cram it!
Bill, I have been on the front line for my local as a steward an officer for 25+ years. I have also been fortunate to have had you serve us as a truly dedicated V.P. and then President of our National APWU. It is hard to fathom why you 1) retired when you did, with contract negotiations staring us in the face, and 2) take blame on those who got stuck negotiating with the evil forces repeatedly. It is disheartening to keep reading your threads which shoot at those who have picked up the pieces you left behind. Whether you personally feel they did right or wrong by the contract, this is dirty laundry someone like you should not be publishing on the internet. This is shameful.
steward, what is sad is that the officers WE ELECTED could not do their jobs properly. Bill Burris, had his reasons to retire just like any of us. He offered his assistance and was turned away, of course it seems you forgot that. But it is typical of some to believe the lies told to us by the national officers who were shameful. WE ELECTED the fools, and now we MUST get rid of them all. What is shameful is that cliff guffey and hos ship of fools fooled us, and then the USPS fooled them. This is the true shame.
Joe, you dick-sucking shill, get off your knees and stop fellating that self-serving douche bag. We haven’t had a real APWU president since Moe Biller.
this for the 31 year vet,just for the record it wasn’t moe biller who wanted to strike ,it was the carriers who forced that strike to occur they had the balls to strike,moe biller had no choice but to join them!get your facts straight before you say something!
Eddy Douchebag,
1) No one was talking about the 1970 strike.
2) If you want to fantasize about the carrier’s balls, do it on the NALC site.
Steward, I hope the sensibility or sanity remain with you until you determine when to retire for it truly is a personal matter. As far as blaming those who as you say “got stuck negotiating” I personally feel that when a man decides to retire he should, and furthermore it takes a real man to offer his experience and guidance to a group of inexperienced air-heads who flatly refuse to accept.
Very well written. I’m a supervisor and I couldn’t agree with you more. Huge blow to the middle class. Carriers contract will go the same route I bet. APWU lost a good fighter when you retired.
Why did you choose retirement at such a crucial time and not see the contract through first? You deserted the troops when they needed you most, shame on you!!
Once again another fool led by guffey, he offered his help, he was turned away, but you people forget this. the stupidity, to say someone shouldn’t retire when they are ready because the ones left behind are stupid. It wasn’t Burris who deserted us, it was guffey and bell and raymer and strunk, and all the rest. Yes they screwed the vets and everyone else too.
I couldn’t agree more with this posting. The men and women in union leadership have done a great injustice to it’s current and future members. I can’t believe people are that scared to stand up for what’s right or deserved. It basically boils down to this. The reason why this was compromised to was; the union leadership don’t believe in the membership and the membership didn’t believe in it’s leadership. Both parts as a whole believed they had no bargaining power. Thus the buckle and agreement. Thanks to all who agreed to the new contract and your fear of a brighter future. If you didn’t see much strength in our position; Then you saw weak leadership in the union. Why would you continue to put these people back into their leadership roles? Vote them out! Replace them and start a new. If you agree with this post as I do, were going to have to do so anyways. Replace your fear. New leadership can’t do much worse than the current.
Two years into the Contract, your disappointment (and attendant criticism) can’t possibly surprise anyone any longer. Everybody knows Bill Burrus think the Contract is lousy.
So, the question becomes, to what end? When will we get to see the next card turned? Or, is the criticism simply an end to its own?
I think the contract is lousy as well, and you lasalle a business agent should have spoken against it. Instead you fell in line with the rest of them to screw the vets as custodians. You bill lasalle said nothing, at least burrus was outspoken and informative. I hope the end will be with you and all those who supported this crap to be FIRED!. It should be more than criticism, we should be able to recall all elected officers who supported this, from guffey to the local presidents and the officers and stewards.
At least Zelznick does not allow anonymous postings. I’m not going to argue with nameless morons. I’ll let my record of protecting Custodial jobs speak for itself.
Sounds like our Congress & other goverment leaders look out for # 1 by selling out everyone else out.
It is easy to sit on the sidelines and criticize. The Postal Service is indeed in dire straits and who knows what kind of contract we would have gotten in arbitration! Mr. Burrus is full of criticism but not so full of answers.
Let’s see the USPS is in dire straits??? Then why are holidays routinely cancelled? Why is overtime called every day?? They are not in dire straits they are projecting this so as to extract givebacks. The stupidity of some people who cannot see through the usps lies. Mr Burrus, keep us informed and keep up the good writing. Thanks
Mr. Burrus
As I retired in 2011 after serving in the maintenance craft and as Union member, steward, and local officer, I shared in the opportunities to meet and interact with you and a number of the national officers. I must confess that I did not find those officers to be decent nor honorable as you describe them; but arrogant snobs who looked down their noses at the ordinary members, that is until theywere campaigning g for re-election. That scenario does not apply to all of the National Officers I encountered but to the majority of them, therefore to you and a very few other incumbents of the APWU I salute and offer my respect. ps. If the accusations you make are not accurate why want at least one of these decent people openly offer a rebuttal????