CORTE MADERA DALY CITYspenceburton.com/NALC214/VoiceMay03.pdfGuide me home to the forest Where I can...

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May/June 2003 Award-winning newspaper Vol. XXXIII, No. 3 NALC FOOD DRIVE SNAPSHOTS NALC FOOD DRIVE SNAPSHOTS NOTE: Due to space taken up to print the by-laws, a number of articles by our regular contributors are postponed to the next issue. CORTE MADERA 180 NAPOLEON WEST PORTAL DALY CITY All photos by Ace Photographers http://SpenceBurton.com

Transcript of CORTE MADERA DALY CITYspenceburton.com/NALC214/VoiceMay03.pdfGuide me home to the forest Where I can...

Page 1: CORTE MADERA DALY CITYspenceburton.com/NALC214/VoiceMay03.pdfGuide me home to the forest Where I can find myself again hidden in the leaves. Poem reprinted with permission ©2003 River

May/June 2003 Award-winning newspaper Vol. XXXIII, No. 3

NALC FOOD DRIVE SNAPSHOTSNALC FOOD DRIVE SNAPSHOTS

NOTE: Due to space taken up to print the by-laws, a

number of articles by our regular contributorsare postponed to the next issue.

CORTE MADERA

180 NAPOLEONWEST PORTAL

DALY CITY

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Page 2 THE VOICE May/June 2003

B R A N C H N O T E S

T.V. 214 ScheduleSAN FRANCISCO, AT&T Cable Channel 29:Every third Sunday of the month at 7:00 p.m.June 15, 2003; July 20, 2003; August 17, 2003

RETURNBy Celia LaLuz

Bring me home by moonlit pathWhere the pale moon stains the ochre earth Tell me where to goAway from the place where the yellow lanterns glowWhere the insects gather for heat in the lonely nightSurround me with treesWhere the stubborn houses refuse to standWhere the rain breaks delicately against green leavesTake me to the place Where the stars do not hide timidly, ashamed of their

beautyWhere the smells that rise from the earth guide meGuide me home to the forestWhere I can find myself again hidden in the leaves.

Poem reprinted with permission© 2003 River of Words

Branch 214 notesLa Canada, CA carrier desires a mutual exchange to

the Bay Area. Seniority date: 7/91. Great location nearGlendale/Pasadena. Please contact: Joe Luna, PO Box555, La Canada, CA 91612-0555. Phone (323) 667-3270.

Congratulations to Jabali Sawicki, son of proud mom,Station E Shop Steward Vicki Sawicki, on his accep-tance to Harvard and Columbia for graduate studies ineducation. (What a choice!)

The following poem was submitted by retired memberPedro LaLuz-Nunez. It is a poem by his daughter, CeliaLaLuz, age 15, who was a national grand prize winnerin category III in the “River of Words” EnvironmentalPoetry and Art Contest. Her prize was a trip for two toWashington, D.C. The awards ceremony was held at theSan Francisco Public Library’s Koret Auditorium onApril 13, 2003. The US Poet Laureate, Robert Haas, pre-sented the awards.

Branch OfficersTony Gallardo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PresidentLili Buencamino . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Vice-PresidentBill Thornton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice-PresidentJohn Beaumont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Secretary-TreasurerRay Fong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Field DirectorCarol Maggio . . . . . . . . . Assistant Secretary–TreasurerHerb Mitchell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sergeant-at-ArmsFranklin Woo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NALC Health BenefitsJuan Dominguez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Safety and HealthCarmen Jimenez . . . . . Equal Employment OpportunityMike Callahan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MBA representativeLeonard Cruz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director of OrganizationJune Buccat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TrusteeKathleen McConnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TrusteeMartha Raup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trustee

Voice StaffIvars Lauersons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EditorPhil Vosburg, Juliette Chen . . . . . . . . Associate EditorsGerry Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cartoons and GraphicsPermission is given to trade union and labor publications to copy orreproduce any article contained in this publication, providing appro-priate credit is given. Permission to others must be granted in writingby the Voice Editor or Branch President. Opinions expressed by con-tributors are their own, and not necessarily those of Branch 214. Ifpossible, all articles and letters to the editor should be submitted ondisk in a standard word processing program (i.e. Word, Word Perfect),with a hard copy included. Articles typewritten or written may also besubmitted.

GOLDEN GATE BRANCH2310 Mason St., 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94133

Phone: (415) 362-0214WEB page: http://www.nalc214.org

Office hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday

CCOMMUNICATIONS

Food drive coordinators Leonard Cruz (speaking) andRay Fong address volunteers from stations.

FOOD DRIVE PREPARATIONS

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May/June 2003 THE VOICE Page 3

P R E S I D E N T

NALC national food drivecomes through again

By Tony Gallardo, President

As I write this, the carriers are gearing up for the 11thAnnual NALC Food Drive. I am confident that you, theletter carriers of Branch 214, will once again comethrough for the hungry people in our community. Sinceyou are reading this after the fact, I want to take thismoment to sincerely thank each and every one of you forputting out your usual Herculean effort in hauling all thatfood. As you know, the food will keep many people fedall the way to Thanksgiving.

The NALC National Food Drive is by far the largestand most successful one-day fooddrive in the nation. In these times offear, and desperation, budget cutsand an ever-growing gap betweenthe needy and the greedy, this one-day event continues to show whatthe NALC stands for as a union. Thisis the day when hard working lettercarriers get to publicly demonstratetheir commitment and their compas-sion for the community. The com-

mitment that quietly drives us every day is so vividlydemonstrated on this day.

The organizers of detailsSincerest thanks also go out to Ray Fong who tireless-

ly oversaw the many almost overwhelming details of thisevent branch-wide, including the distribution of the beau-tiful T-shirts. Thanks also to Leonard Cruz our Directorof Organization, Dan SooHoo and Lupe Perez who coor-dinated San Francisco wide and Nancy Tuller our NorthBay coordinator.

In preparation for this event, we asked for one or twopeople from each station and each city to step forwardand commit to coordinate their station or city. This year,like every year, the call has been answered. My personalthanks and gratitude goes out to the following people fortheir hard work and dedication as coordinators of theirstations and cities:

Associated Offices - City Food Drive Coordinator(s) North Bay Coordinator Nancy Tuller Novato Joan Powers-Hindmon,

Andi Di Lello, Sandra TerrySan Rafael Main Sheila Gardner, Josie ClarkSan Rafael Civic Rosemary SchumacherSan Rafael Mission Patricia LickleyCorte Madera Jeanette SampleSan Anselmo Bill Marksbury

Mill Valley Val Palattao, Primo AnabezaBel-Tib Julia Nichols, Juan DominguezSausalito Kian McCarthyDaly City Duane ColvinRedwood City Roberta Bojo, Wesley Dela MercedSan Leandro (M) Joey Rivera-Smith, Marisela CastroSan Leandro (S) Danny Bejarano

San Francisco - Station Coordinator(s)Leonard Cruz, Lupe Perez, Dan SooHooBayview Valerie Swanson, Yadira LevesqueDiamond Heights Tony Olvera180 NSCC Regina GillespieStation F Jose NacorraStation J Juan PadillaWest Portal Kim TruongStonestown Jian ZhongVisitacion Jesse Miranda, Wendy AmortParcel Post Mark MindrupEPC North Jose FloresEPC South Art UbungenRincon West Leonard CruzStation E Ron GoodmanPine Street Jing Lostica, Donald GriggsSteiner Carmen Gonzales, Edna GarciaGolden Gate Angie Finnigan, Maria ChipleyMarina Diana Soto-Wilberg, Edwina WuNorth Beach Danny Tacdol, Jerry OlveraStation P Marilyn Green, Ker-Mei Yu,

Edsel Rivera, Dora MendezSunset (PCA) Rosa Valderama, Arturo Ortiz

Audrey Davis, Adine GomezSunset Finance Cessy Villaruz, Felipe LomeliParkside Kathy YeeStation C Dede CesenaStation G Sandra Ramos, Lupe PerezCollections Mike Callahan

2003 Food Drive Results(Tentative numbers)

San Francisco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46,321 lbs.Daly City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,043 lbs.Redwood City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15,918 lbs.San Leandro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,000 lbs.Sausalito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 951 lbs.Bel-Tib. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3776 lbs.Mill Valley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6420 lbs.Corte Madera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3045 lbs.San Rafael (Main) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9850 lbs.San Rafael (Mission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2782 lbs.San Rafael (Civic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4992 lbs.San Anselmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5495 lbs.Novato . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,359 lbs.

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142,952 lbs.

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Page 4 THE VOICE May/June 2003

O P I N I O N

Disaster in Novato

At what cost?By Ken Schneider, Shop Steward, Novato

First let me apologize for using one of President Bush’sterms, “Evil Doers,” and one of mine, “Arrogance ofmass destruction” when referring to my latest tenure asone of three shop stewards in Novato. In February of2002, Karen Schuler and I returned from steward retire-ment, joining with Ed Gaffney to fight the “Evil Doers”and their “Arrogance of mass destruction” who werethreatening our contractual rights, our morale, and theservice we provide the Novato residents.

Let me tell you, I enjoyed being Ken Schneider, lettercarrier, from 1992 until 2002. It was easy, sitting on thesidelines during that time, not getting caught up with theoffice politics. It was not with a light heart that I decidedto jump back in and fight the “Evil Doers” and their“Arrogance of mass destruction” along with Karen andEd to secure our rights as letter carriers.

Unrealistic expectationsHaving known Barry, our postmaster, prior to his cur-

rent position in Novato, I was in denial, confused and didnot understand his current behavior towards our workforce and the unrealistic expectations he placed on us. Iactually felt our postmaster was quite sincere with hisinteractions with people prior to coming to Novato.

I remember his first day as OIC. He said to me reach-ing out for my hand, “Ken, you’re going to see a differ-

ent kind of Post Office now that I’m here. Trust me.” I didtrust him. I trusted him to a fault until his promises werejust empty words. It is hard to trust someone when theirwords don’t mean anything. I trusted him until the liesstarted to stack up on themselves. I trusted our postmasteruntil I saw firsthand how he treated people, especiallywhen it didn’t fit with his agenda. And you know what, Iam sorry his vision of what he perceived Novato to behasn’t gone according to plan.

Overtime on other routesEight months of unilateral off assignment carrier over-

time work coupled with not providing the stewards thetime of day were normal. Article 8 and Article 17 of theNational Agreement are not negotiable. The NationalAgreement has granted overtime rights to carriers just as

Article 17.3 has granted rights to stewards to investigateand file grievances, when necessary. And I thought Icould make a difference. What was I thinking? I apolo-gize to the carriers in Novato for not making much of adifference. I even thought it was our chief steward’s faultgrievances were not being pursued in our office. SorryEd, I was wrong with that too.

We tried to convey our fears and frustration to ourbranch leaders. They kept telling us over and over, “Youneed to get GATS numbers so we have a record.” You

know how hard it is to get GATS numbers for grievanceswhen you are not getting time to work on grievances andmanagement is blowing you off, stonewalling theprocess? Vice-president Bill Thornton came to our officeand tried to help at least three times. Bill wasn’t evenassigned to our office. Thanks for your help, Bill. It real-ly did make a difference. Karen spent time involving theNational Labor Relations Board, trying to get it to forcemanagement to give us the time to work on the griev-ances through its attorneys.

February agreementFinally in February of this year, President Tony Gallar-

do made it to Novato and came to a verbal agreementwith Tony Carveli and Barry to stop violating Article 8and make whole all of the violations and agree to pay thecarriers for violating the contract. Barry even admitted hewas violating Article 8 to avoid paying penalty pay. Andguess what? We are still trying to process the backlog ofgrievances. Talk about stonewalling. Hundreds and hun-dreds of 2240’s (pay adjustment forms) are floatingaround the country, waiting to land back in Novato carri-ers’ pay checks, to show some kind of justice for what thecarriers in Novato have been through during the last 13months. What has transpired over the past 13 months hasbeen downright criminal.

Most of us have made mistakes that we have regretted.Most of us apologize when we are wrong and we moveon. My heart tells me this is not the way our postmasterwanted things to turn out. Carriers are a forgiving bunch.If Barry would have apologized to us for feeling he wasjustified in being above the contract and our rights, wewould have been receptive. A bilateral approach withmanagement to correcting the problems sooner ratherthan later would be the correct choice, addressing the realissues affecting the carriers in Novato like route adjust-ments and overtime.

I trusted the postmaster untilhis promises became emptywords.

Off-assignment overtimework was coupled with nogrievance time with stewards.

(continued on page 5)

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May/June 2003 THE VOICE Page 5

O P I N I O N

Working with the backlogThe last week of April, Field Director Ray Fong came

to Novato to try and help us finish the backlog of griev-

ances and make sense of why, again, we are not gettingany steward time and why we are still getting the run-around. Talk about being frustrated and stressed. Evenmy kids are telling me I’ve been really grumpy lately. Nota good thing. Today is May 5 and I think Ray’s latestefforts have helped. I actually received 20 hours of stew-ard time this past week and I’m almost current. Time willonly tell if again, their promises are sincere and truthful.

So, if and when we finally get current with the backlogof grievances, where is the culpability with what tran-spired over the last 13 months? Who is ultimately respon-sible for this disaster in Novato? Is this the cost of doingbusiness in today’s postal service? Morale is so low, I’msurprised anyone shows up for work. One of our super-visors talking to us after the results of the latest “Voice ofthe Employee Survey,” volunteered to carry bumps if wefelt stressed. I haven’t taken her up on that yet! OOPS,another Article 8 grievance and article 7, crossing craftsgrievance.

At least you can count on the Novato carriers making

the best of a horrible situation. And what about the routeadjustments? What about the hundreds of thousands ofdollars in grievance settlement pay and finally what aboutthe steward time hours put in, writing and filing the griev-ances, let alone the auxiliary hours taken to carry thestewards’ routes while they were on steward time.

Wasting moneyI read that “What we don’t understand, we turn to

assuming.” So I’m assuming we haven’t reached that postoffice bar yet, where the amount of money the post officespends on an office does matter. Of course, that’s assum-ing the post office has a bar for wasting money. What isthe amount of money this district is willing to spend ondoing business in Novato? I have eight years left to findout. Scott, Tony C. and Barry, keep up the good work.Who freaking cares anyway if you run the Novato carri-ers into the ground, as well as the service we provide toour customers in Novato? And you know what Barry, I dosee a different post office now that you’re here.

Branch President Tony Gallardo responds:

I am sorry too, Ken. Despite all our best efforts, it didtake 13 months to resolve this issue in Novato. Manage-ment is not allowed to work carriers in overtime off oftheir assignments who are not on the ODL unless every-one on the ODL is maximized to 12 hours on that day, or60 hours in that week.

Management did not want to pay V-time, so they vio-lated the contract. They refused to give stewards time toinvestigate, refused the stewards access to the documentsneeded to prove that the violations occurred, and thenrefused to meet at Step A informal.

In San Leandro, the identical pattern of abuse took 18months to clear up. In Novato, it took 13 months. In Sta-tion “A” (Steiner Station) in San Francisco, it is still hap-pening. If these violations are occurring in your station, itis important that the grievances be filed. If you are thesteward and are not getting time or documents or meet-ings, it is important that the grievance be sent up to thenext level immediately, so that it is recorded in the sys-tem, and the problem is officially recognized. If we per-severe, we will prevail. The contract is on our side.

Who is ultimately responsiblefor this disaster in Novato?

UNION MADE

HAVERT HILLRetired Member Greater East Bay Branch 1111Weinbrenner–Rocky Shoes

Brookfield’s Newest RepresentativeServing Branch 214

(510) 799-55331646 PARTRIDGE DR. (510) 799-5440HERCULES, CA 94547-1520 1-800-200-8616

Management admittedviolating Article 8 to avoidpenalty pay.

Schneider (continued from page 4)

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Page 6 THE VOICE May/June 2003

O P I N I O N

Power in Washington, D.C.

Legislative and political action– how you can help

By Carol Ann Maggio, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer

Having just returned from the Western States NALCWashington DC Lobby Trip, I can tell you that your jobdepends on your legislative participation. Read thePostal Record, the President’s and the LegislativeDepartment’s articles. Log on to the NALC website,www.NALC.org and keep up with the latest legislativeinformation. Make an appointment to visit your congres-sional representative’s office when legislative issuesarise. Write and send letters immediately when

asked. Donate to COLCPE (Com-mittee on Letter Carriers PoliticalEducation). We are under seriousattack from this administration andyour participation is absolutely es-sential. We need to elect a House andSenate that will be favorable to Let-ter Carriers’ interests – MaintainingCollective Bargaining and Maintain-ing Universal Service (a Postal Ser-

vice that will deliver to every address in the US). In Santa Rosa, California State Association District 3

Officer and former Legislative Liaison, Bill Barrett, whorepresents our area, has found an effective grass-roots

way for letter carriers to help their local Congresswoman,Lynn Woolsey, with something familiar to letter carriers.Bill organizes envelope stuffing for the Congresswoman,now more familiarly called Mailing Parties.

Usually 3 to 4 weeks before the mailing party, one ofthe Congresswoman’s campaign managers contacts theLegislative Liaison. There are 53 Legislative Liaisons,one for each member of Congress in California. The stafflets the Legislative Liaison know the number of pieces ofmail that need to go out for a political fundraiser andgives the Legislative Liaison a few dates to choose from.Letter carriers know which dates will be better based onwhen we have heavy mailings to deliver. The LegislativeLiaison arranges for a union hall where the mailing partywill take place. If there is enough lead-time, the date is

announced at the union meetings where members in theCongressional District live.

Setting up the mailing partyAbout one and a half weeks before the event, the Leg-

islative Liaisons and helpers call volunteers who havevolunteered before. They are asked to pass on the mes-sage to others in their offices. Flyers are sent to the

offices and posted on the union bulletin board, exits andentrances. Most importantly the word is spread and per-sonal contact is made, asking people one on one to givethe volunteers a hand. You can ask for one hour of theirtime and more if they can give it. Bill tells me that youknow you are successful in getting the word out wheneveryone starts heading in the other direction when theysee you coming.

On the day of the event, the Legislative Liaison getsthere early and a few others come to help set up. TheCongresswoman’s staff shows up with the mailing andthe initial work is laid out. Everything is in place whenthe carriers show up. There are refreshments supplied bythe Congresswoman’s staff. The event is usually sched-uled right after work, so you can participate on your wayhome.

Bill says that envelope stuffing is the most time con-suming part of the work. Then you take a glue stick andseal the envelope. Next comes putting on the labels fol-lowed by placing stamps on the envelopes. Approximate-ly 30-40 carriers and their kids help with the mailing donelast month – 6500 pieces, 28 trays of letters. Carriersfrom five Branch 183 stations were at the last mailingparty and while working compared offices and workingconditions. The carriers even compared supervisors whocome and go in the different stations. Two people are kept

busy just keeping everyone in supplies and refreshments.At this mailing party, one of the Congresswoman’s staffand her husband BBQ’d for the group.

Congresswoman Lynne Woolsey presentFor the second time since Bill’s branch has been doing

this (6 years or so), Congresswoman Woolsey was able

Now called “mailing parties,”the work is familiar to lettercarriers.

Envelope stuffing for Con-gresswoman Lynn Woolsey ispolitical help.

(continued on page 7)

The mailing party isscheduled right after awork day.

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May/June 2003 THE VOICE Page 7

O P I N I O N

to attend. She thanked everyone for coming and doing allthis work for her. As Congresswoman Woolsey wasspeaking, carriers who worked 10 hours that day arrivedand she was amazed that letter carriers would be doingthis for her after working all day. The Legislative Liaisonintroduced her to every carrier in attendance. Thecarriers introduced their children and families to heralso.

Congresswoman Woolsey took Bill aside and told himthat she has learned so much about the Postal Servicefrom letter carriers helping her this way and told Bill how

much she appreciates all the help. It only took the mem-bers of Branch 183, 4 hours and 20 minutes to prepare the6,500 pieces for mailing. This also included cleanup timefor the area in which we worked.

Why do this work? Bill tells me that it has given accessto their Congresswoman that money couldn’t buy. Itincludes many of their members in the political process.Everyone who helped is invited to the fundraiser at nocost. When the National asks for letters to be written sup-porting important legislation, these volunteers are morethan willing to write because they know who they are

writing to and that the Congresswoman will listen tothem.

Bill stated, “I don’t expect other branches to adopt ourmethods but as individuals you should consider it. Callyour Congresspersons office and ask for the name andnumber of their campaign manager. Call them and volun-teer to help at least once to see if this seems like some-thing you would like to do. Tell the campaign manageryou have X amount of time you can help. Repeat thatwhen you get to the event. I’m sorry to say that somecampaign managers take advantage of the volunteers.Sound familiar? Limit yourself in the beginning so youdon’t get burned out. We ask for an hour and if that is allsomeone can do that is fine. If they want to stay, weappreciate it also.”

By attending these fundraisers Bill’s branch gets to seetheir Congresswoman more often and also can usuallytalk to her for a longer time than during a visit to heroffice where her schedule is crowded.

“When the Presidential Postal Commission makes itsreport we know of at least one member of Congress whowill take the time to listen to our side of the debate,” saysBill.

On a personal note – Bill Barrett will be retiring fromthe Postal Service at the end of June and the CaliforniaState Association of Letter Carriers will be losing one ofthe very best District Officers they have. Bill’s innovativeideas as shown above have helped many people under-stand and get involved in the legislative and politicalprocess. I wish Bill the very best in retirement and willmiss him dearly.

Maggio (continued from page 6)

Benefits are access to theCongresswoman and activeparticipation by the lettercarriers.

While in D.C. – House Democratic minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) meets with Branch 214 officers.(Fromleft) Carol Maggio, Juan Dominguez, Martha Raup, Nancy Pelosi, John Beaumont, and Branch 183 Santa Rosamembers Linda James and Jeff Parr.

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Page 8 THE VOICE May/June 2003

U N I O N A C T I V I T I E S

WELCOME NEW MEMBERSDomingo Carcache

Lauri BowserAnnee DrechselCynthia Haines

Jeannette HelweeHui Huang

Luisa MingaracalFlorence Tedja

Jose Velez

Branch 214 MeetingsBranch meetings, 7:00 P.M.

June 2, 2003 Knights of Columbus Hall38th & Taraval, S.F.

July 2, 2003* ILWU Hall, 400 North Point, SFAugust 6, 2003* ILWU Hall, 400 North Point, SF

Steward meetings, 5:30 P.M.June 2, 2003 K of C Hall, 38th & Taraval, S.F.July 2, 2003* ILWU Hall, 400 North Point, SFAugust 6, 2003* ILWU Hall, 400 North Point, SF

Retiree social meeting, 12:30 P.M.June 2, 2003 Kof C Hall, 38th and Taraval, S.F.August 4, 2003* ILWU Hall, 400 North Point, SFOctober 6, 2003* ILWU Hall, 400 North Point, SF

*NOTE: New meeting day and place

SAN RAFAEL CIVIC WEST PORTAL

STATION P VISITACION VALLEY

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May/June 2003 THE VOICE Page 9

O P I N I O N

IN MEMORIAMHarlan L. Averill

West Portal Shop Steward Effrel (Tony ) LopezPeter D. Croak

Mark Mindrup’s Father

Bill PeaveyLawyer, Peavey Law Firm

Specializing in plaintiff’spersonal injury.

Representing letter carriers since 1973. Leadcounsel for the COP class action that returned$25 million to federal employees nationwide.

• Do you have enough car insurance?

• Do you have a legal problem or question?

Call me for a free telephone consultation.

160 Spear Street, Suite 214San Francisco, CA 94105

Tel: (415) 543-8800Fax: (415) 543-8459

LETTERDear Editor:

Do not doubt that truth is stranger than fiction. Takeyesterday morning, for example. I jumped on the bath-room scale and had two simultaneous experiences as theneedle stopped at 214 (Idon’t make this stuff up).First, I had the horrifyingrealization that I am 14 lbsover my target weight.However, that was balancedoff by the realization thatthe 214 lbs was also anobvious sign from God.After all, I had just finishedreading The Voice, and (bythe way) I was heading tomy office (in suite 214). Themessage was clear; I was todrop everything and sendcongratulations to Branch214 for a job well done. Sohere goes:

What a combination ofevents. First, we (perhapsfortunately) had a horriblelandlord. What if he hadbeen great and we decidedto stay? Second, prices forcommercial buildings were substantially depressed whenthe Branch negotiated the building purchase. Third,interest rates were at a 40-year low. Fourth, a hugecommercial development is going in across the streetfrom 2310 Mason Street that will undoubtedly sky-rock-et adjacent land values. Voila! A fabulous transaction forthe Branch. Look to see the building double in valueevery five years. Home Sweet Home.

We often take for granted the collective power wieldedby purposeful people. Voters are a good example. Imag-ine what will be accomplished when someone figures outhow to really effectively register voters, then coax themto vote. Look what the Branch was able to accomplishwith just $3.00 per pay period per member. Kinda makesyou want to tap into the incredible wealth of talent wehave in this Branch and do something else!

So, Sisters and Brothers, give yourselves a final pat onthe back as you move ahead with the never-ending chal-lenges faced by Letter Carriers. Be proud of your legacy.You deserve it.

Bill Peavey, Attorney, Branch 214

MISSION ANNEX

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Page 10 THE VOICE May/June 2003

B U D G E T

Approved Budget—April 1, 2003–September 30, 2003

Spent ProjectedOct. ’02 Apr. ’03Mar. ’03 Sept. ’03

Expense1. Salaries, Lost Time:

President’s Salary (CSRS) 25,645.00 26,885.00Executive Vice President’s Salary (FERS) 25,145.00 25,360.00Vice President’s Salary (CSRS) 26,155.00 26,405.00Secretary-Treasurer’s Salary (CSRS) 23,353.08 26.405.00Field Director Salary (CSRS) 26,155.00 26,405.00Asst. Secretary-Treasurer’s Salary

(CSRS) 11,780.00 11,905.00Health Benefits Representative Salary 985.00 1,020.00Lost Time and Services (excl. Voice,

Education) 11,784.00 12,000.00Leave Reimbursement 482.00 500.00Office Secretary Salary & Benefits 25,000.00 24,055.00Officer’s Leave Fund (30% of

potential liability) — —TOTAL 176,484.00 179,940.00

2. Part Time Officers & Stewards Salary/ExpensesShop Steward Salary 27,703.00 28,580.00Sgt/Arms, MBA, EEO,

Safety/Health, Trustees, Dir of Organization 4,545.00 4,575.00

President’s Expenses 1,087.00 1,200.00Executive Vice President’s Expenses 974.00 1,200.00Vice President’s Expenses 1,173.00 1,200.00Secretary-Treasurer’s Expenses 1,134.00 1,200.00Field Director 1,019.00 1,200.00Asst. S/T Expenses 600.00 600.00Misc. Expenses (Other

Officer & Stewards) 469.00 500.00TOTAL 38,704.00 40,255.00

3. Taxes & Officer’s BenefitsOfficer’s Benefits 17,181.00 25,000.00Payroll Taxes/City Taxes 20,191.00 20,500.00Property Taxes — 6,100.00

TOTAL 37,372.00 51,600.00

4. Building/Office ExpenseBuilding Maintenance & Repair 16,200.00 18,000.00Hall Rental/RWC Office 1,500.00 1,500.00Janitorial Service/Garbage/Elevator 2,824.00 3,200.00Secretary-Treasurer’s Office

Expense Acct. 8,400.00 8,400.00Office Utilities (PG&E/Phone/Water) 10,901.00 12,000.00Printing 4,917.00 2,000.00Insurance (OWCP/Business

Liability/Bonding) 11,424.00 400.00Insurance (Representational Liability) — 6,800.00Maintenance (Security/

Service Contracts/Repair) 4,593.00 5,000.00Computer Expenses 2,485.00 5,000.00Office Supplies & Equipment 2,149.00 2,500.00Payroll Services 2,374.00 2,400.00Moving Expenses 5,000.00 5,000.00

TOTAL 72,767.00 72,200.00

5. Fee & DuesProfessional Fees 300.00 300.00Affiliate Dues 3,918.00 4,000.00

TOTAL 4,218.00 4,300.00

6. Convention & ConferencesConvention Fund 12,600.00 12,600.00Seminars & Conferences (HBR/

DC Lobby Trip) 3,500.00 3,500.00Committee of President’s Meeting/

National Rap Session 1,069.00 950.00TOTAL 17,169.00 17,050.00

7. EducationTraining, Seminars, Stewards Breakfast 9,865.00 10,000.00Other: Books, Materials,

NALC Supplies 932.00 1,000.00TOTAL 10,797.00 11,00.00

8. CommunicationsVoice: Lost Time 2,634.00 2,700.00

Expenses 11,438.00 11,500.00TV214 1,200.00 1,200.00

TOTAL 15,272.00 15,400.00

9. Entertainment & SportsGood of the Order/Other Refreshments 2,257.00 2,300.00Annual Dinner 250.00 2,500.00Recreation/Picnic — —Holiday Party — —

TOTAL 2,507.00 4,800.00

10. Representational ExpensesRepresentational Expenses 105.00 550.00Contract Action — 200.00

TOTAL 105.00 750.00

11. OtherRetirement and Other Gifts 1,750.00 1,800.00New Member Services 250.00 500.00Elections — —Food Drive — 1,000.00100% Union Celebration

($3.00 per person) — 200.00Miscellaneous 453.00 500.00

TOTAL 2,453.00 4,000.00

TOTALS 377,848.00 401,295.00

Projected Income# of Per Projected)

Members Member Income)Active Members

(13 pay periods @ 14.54) 2,100 $189.02 $396,942)Retired Members 322 2.25 725)Interest Income 700)Miscellaneous 3,000)

Projected Income Total 401,367)

TOTAL PROJECTED INCOME: $401,367)Total Projected Expenses $(401,295)________

Projected Surplus $ 72)

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May/June 2003 THE VOICE Page 11

F O R T H E R E C O R D

the Postal Service going rate, not to exceed Twenty-five(25) centsa mile.

B. The average total hotel costs: which shall be based upon the aver-age price of a single room in the convention cities.

C. The cost of any non-refundable delegate registration fees for bothconventions.

D. The Budget Committee will also take into consideration the costof the following National Convention breakfasts: HBP; MBA;Legislative; and EI and such funds shall be set aside in the Con-vention Fund for the HB Representative; MBA Representative;Legislative Liaison; EI Facilitators and LJSC Members to attendsuch breakfasts, if they are delegates.

After having arrived at the total projected cost figures, the BudgetCommittee will then ascertain how many compensatory delegates wewill then send to the upcoming conventions.

At the November Branch meeting, the Budget Committee shallreport their findings to the membership. The members then in accor-dance shall have the opportunity to overrule or amend the recommen-dation of the Budget Committee. This shall require a two-thirds (2/3)vote.

If the number of members who are willing and eligible to be com-pensatory delegates exceeds the number arrived at by the BudgetCommittee, a secret ballot vote shall be held at the December Branchmeeting, in order to determine which members shall be compensatorydelegates to the State and/or National Convention.

In the event of any emergency, the members at the regular meetingmay allocate any remaining Convention Fund money for Conventionpurposes ONLY. This shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote.

SECTION 5. Nominations for delegates and alternates to the Stateand/or National Conventions, shall be made at the regular meeting inNovember prior to the Conventions. Election of delegates and alter-nates to the Conventions shall be held at the December Meeting priorto same.

SECTION 6. Nominations of candidates for elective Branch officesshall be made at the regular meeting in October.

SECTION 7. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare a list of eligiblevoters, to be turned over to the Election Committee as soon as practi-cable after nominations.

SECTION 8. At the October Branch Meeting, and prior to nomina-tions, the President shall appoint an Election Committee, consisting ofa Chairperson and four other members, who are not candidates for anyelective Branch Office. The Election Committee shall be in charge ofall Election Procedures for the Branch Election of Officers and Dele-gates, subject to our Local By-Laws, the National Constitution andapplicable laws and regulations.

SECTION 9. Branch officers shall be elected by mail referendumvote. Ballots will be mailed, by the Election Committee, to all eligiblevoters on the first Monday of November. The election period shallencompass no less than 21 days from the date of mailing.

SECTION 10. The election Committee shall be responsible for thearrangement of, or providing for the following:A. Shall have the necessary number of ballots printed showing the

name of the candidate, and the office for which said candidate isrunning.

B. Names of candidates shall be arranged in alphabetical order underthe title of office for which said candidate is running.

SECTION 11. Ballots shall be accompanied by a copy of printed vot-ing instructions and two envelopes. The larger envelope shall be

PROPOSED BY-LAWCHANGES

There have been ten (10) proposed changes to the by-laws submitted by the Executive Board.

The following proposed by-laws will be read at theJuly 2, 2003 Branch meeting and voted on at theAugust 6, 2003 branch meeting:Article V – ElectionsArticle VI – Duties of Officers – Section 8 – Sergeant-At-ArmsArticle VI – Duties of Officers – Section 9 – MBA Represen-

tative Article VI – Duties of Officers – Section 10 – Safety & Health

OfficerArticle VI – Duties of Officers – Section 11 – Health Benefits

RepresentativeArticle VI – Duties of Officers – Section 12 – TrusteesArticle VI – Duties of Officers – Section 13 – EEO OfficerArticle VI – Duties of Officers – Section 14 – Director of Orga-

nizationArticle VI – Duties of Officers – Section 15 – PT Officer

Salaries and Other DutiesArticle VI – Duties of Officers – Section 20 – The Executive

Board

CURRENTLY READS

ARTICLE V

ELECTIONSSECTION 1. Elections shall be conducted in accordance with ArticleV of the National Constitution.

SECTION 2. All Candidates for office must be present at the time oftheir nomination or signify in writing their willingness to serve ifelected.

SECTION 3. No candidate for election as a compensatory delegatefor any convention shall have been absent from more than six (6) ofthe twenty-four (24) regular meeting prior to the election meeting. Thepresence of any member at a meeting of this branch shall be deter-mined by a check-off by the Sergeant-at-Arms and Secretary-Treasur-er. All candidates for compensatory delegate must be present at thetime of nomination or signify in writing their willingness to attend ifelected.

Members who have transferred into the branch from other NALCbranches in the two (2) years prior to the election meeting, may usemeetings attended at their former branch to help qualify as a compen-satory delegate — provided that attendance at specific branch meet-ings is verified in writing, on branch stationary, by the Recording Sec-retary of their former NALC branch.

SECTION 4. Prior to the November Branch Meeting, the BudgetCommittee shall meet. They shall be responsible for determining areasonable amount of money to be allowed each compensatory dele-gate to the upcoming State and/or National Convention. THE COM-MITTEE MUST TAKE THE FOLLOWING INTO CONSIDERA-TION:A. The cost of round trip coach airfare to both the State and Nation-

al Convention. If the convention city is not served by regular airservice, then a reasonable travel allowance can be used, based on (continued on page 12)

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postage prepaid and have printed upon it, for the purposes of identifi-cation, spaces for the voter’s name and address, and shall be pre-addressed to a Post Office Box established by the Election Committee.The smaller envelope shall be used for securing the ballot within thereturn envelope, and shall have no marking other than the word BAL-LOT printed on it.

SECTION 12. The voter shall indicate a choice for each of the offi-cers by making a CROSS [X] or a check [/] opposite the name of thecandidate chosen. The voter shall then seal the ballot in the smallerenvelope, enclose this envelope within the larger one, fill in the infor-mation indicated on the latter, and mail it to the Post Office Box print-ed on the larger envelope. Write-in votes shall not be valid. No mark-ings shall be made on the ballot or smaller envelope other than as indi-cated in this article.

SECTION 13. All mailed ballots shall be removed from the PostOffice Box, on the 22nd day after mailing at 9:00AM, brought to aplace previously designated by the Election Committee for the tally,and tallied immediately after the following preliminaries:A. They check the name on each reply envelope against the list of eli-

gible voters.B. The reply envelopes have been opened and segregated, and the

Secret Ballot envelopes have been mixed thoroughly, to preventand possibility of identification (excluding challenged ballots).

SECTION 14. All erased or mutilated ballots shall be deemed nulland void.

SECTION 15. The Chairperson of the Election Committee shall pro-vide a sufficient number of tally sheets to properly tabulate the vote.

SECTION 16. All voted ballots shall be placed in an envelope andsecurely sealed by the Election Committee. This envelope shall beturned over to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Branch, who shall retainsame for a period of one year after which the ballots shall bedestroyed, unless in such a case the vote becomes contested, suchenvelope may be opened by the vote of this branch.

SECTION 17. All stations, including Collection and Parcel Post, shallhold elections for Shop Stewards Biennially in January. All ShopStewards shall be elected for two (2) year terms, by a majority of themembers in good standing in the respective stations. If a Shop Stew-ard is unable to fulfill the term of office for any reason, the Presidentshall appoint a Shop Steward until elections can be held.

SECTION 18. In an election where there is no contest, the Secretary-Treasurer shall cast the ballot.

PROPOSED CHANGES:

ARTICLE V

ELECTIONS

A. BRANCH OFFICERS

SECTION 1. Elections shall be conducted in accordance with Arti-cle V of the Constitution for the Government of Subordinate andFederal Branches in the National Constitution booklet.

SECTION 2. All Candidates for office must be present at the time oftheir nomination or signify in writing their willingness to serve ifelected. All candidates must use the official nomination form indi-cating that they have not served in a supervisory capacity within theprevious two years before the nomination date. Nomination form isdue to the Secretary-Treasurer prior to the close of nominations.

By-laws (continued from page 11) SECTION 6. SECTION 3. Nominations of candidates for electiveBranch offices shall be made at the regular meeting in October.

SECTION 7. SECTION 4. The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare alist of eligible voters, to be turned over to the Election Committee assoon as practicable after nominations.

SECTION 8. SECTION 5. At the October Branch Meeting, and priorto nominations, the President shall appoint an Election Committee,consisting of a Chairperson and four other members, who are not can-didates for any elective Branch Office. The Election Committee shallbe in charge of all Election Procedures for the Branch Election of Offi-cers and Delegates, subject to our Local By-Laws, the National Con-stitution and applicable laws and regulations.

SECTION 9. SECTION 6. Branch officers shall be elected by mailreferendum vote. Ballots will be mailed, by the Election Committee,to all eligible voters on the first Monday of November. The electionperiod shall encompass no less than 21 days from the date of mailing.

SECTION 10. SECTION 7. The election Committee shall be respon-sible for the arrangement of, or providing for the following:A. Shall have the necessary number of ballots printed showing the

name of the candidate, and the office for which said candidate isrunning.

B. Names of candidates shall be arranged in alphabetical order underthe title of office for which said candidate is running.

SECTION 11. SECTION 8. Ballots shall be accompanied by a copyof printed voting instructions and two envelopes. The larger envelopeshall be postage prepaid and have printed upon it, for the purposes ofidentification, spaces for the voter’s name and address, and shall bepre-addressed to a Post Office Box established by the Election Com-mittee. The smaller envelope shall be used for securing the ballotwithin the return envelope, and shall have no marking other than theword BALLOT printed on it.

SECTION 12. SECTION 9. The voter shall indicate a choice for eachof the officers by making a CROSS [X] or a check [/] opposite thename of the candidate chosen. The voter shall then seal the ballot inthe smaller envelope, enclose this envelope within the larger one, fillin the information indicated on the latter, and mail it to the Post OfficeBox printed on the larger envelope. Write-in votes shall not be valid.No markings shall be made on the ballot or smaller envelope otherthan as indicated in this article.

SECTION 13. SECTION 10. All mailed ballots shall be removedfrom the Post Office Box, on the 22nd day after mailing at 9:00AM,brought to a place previously designated by the Election Committeefor the tally, and tallied immediately after the following preliminaries:A. They check the name on each reply envelope against the list of

eligible voters.B. The reply envelopes have been opened and segregated, and the

Secret Ballot envelopes have been mixed thoroughly, to preventany possibility of identification (excluding challenged ballots).

SECTION 14. SECTION 11. All erased or mutilated ballots shall bedeemed null and void.

SECTION 15. SECTION 12. The Chairperson of the Election Com-mittee shall provide a sufficient number of tally sheets to properly tab-ulate the vote.

SECTION 16. SECTION 13. All voted ballots shall be placed in anenvelope box(es) and securely sealed by the Election Committee. Thisenvelope The box(es) shall be turned over to the Secretary-Treasurerof the Branch, who shall retain same for a period of one year after

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which the ballots shall be destroyed, unless in such a case the votebecomes contested, such box(es) may be opened by the vote of thisbranch.

SECTION 18. SECTION 14. In an election where there is no con-test, the Secretary-Treasurer shall cast the ballot.

B. CONVENTION DELEGATES

SECTION 1. NO CHANGE

SECTION 2. The election committee appointed by the President atthe October Branch meeting for Branch Officer Elections shall alsoserve as the Election Committee for Convention Delegates. TheElection Committee shall be in charge of all Election Procedures forthe Convention Delegates, subject to our Local By-Laws, the Nation-al Constitution and applicable laws and regulations.

SECTION 3. All candidates for office must be present at the time oftheir nomination or signify in writing their willingness to serve ifelected. All candidates must use the official nomination form indi-cating that they have not served in a supervisory capacity within theprevious two years before the nomination date. Nomination form isdue to the Secretary-Treasurer prior to the close of nominations.

SECTION 4. No candidate for election as a compensatory delegate forany convention shall have been absent from more than six (6) of thetwenty-four (24) regular meeting prior to the election meeting, exceptwhere the member is absent due to an assignment on official NALCbusiness by the branch, state or national organization. When theabsence is due to such official NALC business, and for no other rea-son, the absent candidate shall be counted as present for the solepurpose of eligibility for compensatory delegate candidacy. The pres-ence of any member at a meeting of this branch shall be determinedby a check-off by the Sergeant-at-Arms and Secretary-Treasurer. Allcandidates for compensatory delegate must be present at the time ofnomination or signify in writing their willingness to attend if elected.

Members who have transferred into the branch from other NALCbranches in the two (2) years prior to the election meeting, may usemeetings attended at their former branch to help qualify as a compen-satory delegate — provided that attendance at specific branch meet-ings is verified in writing, on branch stationary, by the Recording Sec-retary of their former NALC branch.

SECTION 5. By virtue of their office and the duties they mustencompass at the conventions, the full time officers and AssistantSecretary-Treasurer shall automatically be compensable delegatesat all conventions, provided they have attended the required numberof meetings set forth in Section A.4 of this article. (This section willbe effective for the 2006 conventions and this sentence shall beremoved if approved).

SECTION 4. SECTION 6. Prior to the November Branch Meeting,the Budget Committee shall meet. They shall be responsible for deter-mining a reasonable amount of money to be allowed each compen-satory delegate to the upcoming State and/or National Convention.THE COMMITTEE MUST TAKE THE FOLLOWING INTO CON-SIDERATION:A. The cost of round trip coach lowest economy airfare to both the

State and National Convention. If the convention city is not servedby regular air service or the cost to drive is lower than flying, thena reasonable travel allowance can be used, based on the PostalService IRS going rate, not to exceed Twenty-five(25) cents amile.

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By-laws (continued from page 12) B. The average total union hotel costs: which shall be based upon theaverage price of a shared double room by the delegates in theconvention cities. Deadline for indicating roommates for con-vention purposes is December 20th. If a delegate chooses not tohave a roommate or chooses to stay in another NALC approvedunion hotel, the delegate will only receive one half of the singleroom cost. If a delegate chooses to stay in a non-union hotel orother facility, the delegate will forfeit all the hotel costs.

C. Daily Per Diem at the IRS Rate for the city and state of the con-vention.

D. The cost of any non-refundable delegate registration fees for bothconventions.

E. The Budget Committee will also take into consideration The costof the following National Convention breakfasts: HBP; MBA;Legislative; and EI Retirement and such funds shall be set asidein the Convention Fund for the HB Representative; MBA Repre-sentative; Legislative Liaison(s); EI Facilitators and LJSC Mem-bers and Retirees to attend such breakfasts, if they are delegates.The president may assign other delegate(s) to attend any NALCbreakfast.

After having arrived at the total projected cost figures, the BudgetCommittee will then ascertain how many compensatory delegates wewill then send to the upcoming conventions.

At the November Branch meeting, the Budget Committee shallreport their findings to the membership. The members then in accor-dance shall have the opportunity to overrule or amend the recommen-dation of the Budget Committee. This shall require a two-thirds (2/3)vote.

If the number of members who are willing and eligible to be com-pensatory delegates exceeds the number arrived at by the BudgetCommittee, a secret ballot vote shall be held at the December Branchmeeting, in order to determine which members shall be compensatorydelegates to the State and/or National Convention.

In the event of any emergency, the members at the regular meetingmay allocate any remaining Convention Fund money for Conventionpurposes ONLY. This shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote.

SECTION 7. All voted ballots shall be placed in an envelope andsecurely sealed by the Election Committee. This envelope shall beturned over to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Branch, who shallretain same for a period of one year after which the ballots shall bedestroyed, unless in such a case the vote becomes contested, suchenvelope may be opened by the vote of this branch.

SECTION 5. SECTION 8. Nominations for delegates and alternatesto the State and/or National Conventions, shall be made at the regularmeeting in November prior to the Conventions. Election of delegatesand alternates to the Conventions shall be held at the December Meet-ing prior to same.

SECTION 9. In an election where there is no contest, the Secretary-Treasurer shall cast the ballot.

C. SHOP STEWARDS

SECTION 17. SECTION 1. All stations, including Collection andParcel Post, shall hold elections for Shop Stewards Biennially in Jan-uary. All Shop Stewards shall be elected for two (2) year terms, by amajority of the members in good standing in the respective stations. Ifa Shop Steward is unable to fulfill the term of office for any reason,the President shall appoint a Shop Steward until elections can be held.Candidates seeking election as Shop Steward must fill out an officialnomination form made available by the Union Office prior toDecember 31st in odd numbered years. All candidates must use the

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official nomination form indicating that they have not served in asupervisory capacity within the previous two years. Nomination form isdue to the Secretary-Treasurer prior to the close of business on Decem-ber 31st in odd numbered years. Shop Steward election(s) will takeplace in the station(s) where there are vacancies or contested positions.Full time officers will conduct the station elections, and tabulation willbe with candidates or another branch member in attendance.

SECTION 18. SECTION 2. In an election where there is no contest,the Secretary-Treasurer shall cast the ballot.

SECTION 3. All voted ballots shall be placed in an envelope andsecurely sealed. This envelope shall be turned over to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Branch, who shall retain same for a period of oneyear after which the ballots shall be destroyed, unless in such a casethe vote becomes contested, such envelope may be opened by the voteof this branch.

ARTICLE VI

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

CURRENTLY READS

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

SECTION 8. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall preserve order in the meet-ings under the instruction of the President. It shall be the duty of thisoffice to see that members only are present at the meeting unlessdirected by the President or a vote of the Branch. The Sergeant-At-Arms shall be paid the sum equal to 4.5 hours pay at level 5 Step Oper month, adjusted annually on January 1, payable quarterly.

PROPOSED TO READ

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

SECTION 8. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall preserve order in the meet-ings under the instruction of the President. It shall be the duty of thisoffice to see that members only are present at the meeting unlessdirected by the President or a vote of the Branch. The Sergeant-At-Arms shall be paid the sum equal to 4.5 hours pay at level 5 City Car-rier Grade 1 Step O per month, adjusted annually on January 1,payable quarterly.

CURRENTLY READS

MBA REPRESENTATIVE

SECTION 9. The MBA Representative, who shall be a member of theMBA, shall perform such duties as the Constitution and the laws of theU.S. Letter Carriers Mutual Benefit Association may require. TheMBA Representative shall be paid the sum equal to 4.5 hours pay atlevel 5 Step O per month, adjusted annually on January 1, payablequarterly.

PROPOSED TO READ

MBA REPRESENTATIVE

SECTION 9. The MBA Representative, who shall be a member of theMBA, shall perform such duties as the Constitution and the laws of theU.S. Letter Carriers Mutual Benefit Association may require. TheMBA Representative shall be paid the sum equal to 4.5 hours pay atlevel 5 City Carrier Grade 1 Step O per month, adjusted annually onJanuary 1, payable quarterly.

CURRENTLY READS

SAFETY & HEALTH OFFICER

SECTION 10. The Safety and Health Officer will, under the directionof the President, be responsible for monitoring and processing of safe-ty and health grievances. This officer will attend or ensure attendanceat all established safety and health committees in the Branch 214 area,and be generally responsible for improving safety and health condi-tions on the job. The Safety & Health Officer shall be paid the sumequal to 4.5 hours pay at level 5 Step O per month, adjusted annuallyon January 1, payable quarterly.

PROPOSED TO READ

SAFETY & HEALTH OFFICER

SECTION 10. The Safety and Health Officer will, under the directionof the President, be responsible for monitoring and processing of safe-ty and health grievances. This officer will attend or ensure attendanceat all established safety and health committees in the Branch 214 area,and be generally responsible for improving safety and health condi-tions on the job. The Safety & Health Officer shall be paid the sumequal to 4.5 hours pay at level 5 City Carrier Grade 1 Step O permonth, adjusted annually on January 1, payable quarterly.

CURRENTLY READS

HEALTH BENEFITS REPRESENTATIVE

SECTION 11. The Health Benefits Representative, who shall beenrolled in the NALC Health Benefits Plan, shall perform such dutiesas the Constitution and the Laws of the National Association of LetterCarriers’ Health Benefits Plan require. The HBR shall, wheneverrequested by the President, and at the end of the term of office, makea report showing all receipts, disbursements and amount of money onhand, deliver all books, papers, and money to the successor in office,when installed; and to insure the faithful performance of these dutiesthe HBR shall be required to furnish a bond in such sum as the Branchmay direct. The Health Benefits Representative shall be paid the sumequal to 8 hours pay at level 5 Step O per month, adjusted annually onJanuary 1, payable quarterly.

PROPOSED TO READ

HEALTH BENEFITS REPRESENTATIVE

SECTION 11. The Health Benefits Representative, who shall beenrolled in the NALC Health Benefits Plan, shall perform such dutiesas the Constitution and the Laws of the National Association of LetterCarriers’ Health Benefits Plan require. The HBR shall, wheneverrequested by the President, and at the end of the term of office, makea report, showing all receipts, disbursements and amount of money onhand, deliver all books, and papers, and money to the successor inoffice, when installed. ; and to insure the faithful performance of theseduties the HBR shall be required to furnish a bond in such sum as theBranch may direct. The Health Benefits Representative shall be paidthe sum equal to 8 hours pay at level 5 City Carrier Grade 1 Step Oper month, adjusted annually on January 1, payable quarterly.

CURRENTLY READS

TRUSTEES

SECTION 12. The Trustees shall examine and report to the Branch thecondition of the books of the officers at least once every six months,compare the vouchers and records and see that they correspond withthe collections and disbursements. They shall have custody of allBranch property and shall perform such other duties as the Branch By-

By-laws (continued from page 13)

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May/June 2003 THE VOICE Page 15

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Laws may require of them. The Board of Trustees shall be known asthe Trustees of Golden Gate Branch 214 of the National Associationof Letter Carriers of the United States of America. The Board ofTrustees shall be paid the sum equal to 4.5 hours pay at level 5 Step Oper month, adjusted annually on January 1, payable quarterly.

PROPOSED TO READ

TRUSTEES

SECTION 12. The Trustees shall examine and report to the Branch thecondition of the books of the officers at least once every six months,compare the vouchers and records and see that they correspond withthe collections and disbursements. They shall have custody of allBranch property and shall perform such other duties as the Branch By-Laws may require of them. The Board of Trustees shall be known asthe Trustees of Golden Gate Branch 214 of the National Associationof Letter Carriers of the United States of America. The Board ofTrustees shall be paid the sum equal to 4.5 hours pay at level 5 CityCarrier Grade 1 Step O per month, adjusted annually on January 1,payable quarterly.

CURRENTLY READS

EEO OFFICER

SECTION 13. The EEO Officer will supervise the filing and pro-cessing of Equal Employment Opportunity discrimination complaintsby the carriers we represent; and to organize the fight against discrim-ination in the Postal Service. The EEO Officer shall be paid the sumequal to 4.5 hours pay at level 5 Step O per month, adjusted annuallyon January 1, payable quarterly.

PROPOSED TO READ

EEO OFFICER

SECTION 13. The EEO Officer will supervise the filing and pro-cessing of Equal Employment Opportunity discrimination complaintsby the carriers we represent; and to organize the fight against discrim-ination in the Postal Service. The EEO Officer shall be paid the sumequal to 4.5 hours pay at level 5 City Carrier Grade 1 Step Oper month, adjusted annually on January 1, payable quarterly.

CURRENTLY READS

DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATION

SECTION 14. The Director of Organization will be responsible forassisting the full time officers in the internal organization of thebranch, as well as ensuring the branch’s active participation in thelabor movement, in community affairs, and in the struggles of work-ing people for a better life, as directed by the president or the branch.In carrying out the internal organizing duties, the Director of Organi-zation will initiate and encourage the development of a spirit of soli-darity, mutual support and mutual defense among the letter carriers.Internal organizing is understood to mean fostering the organization ofany of a wide variety of union activities which serve to bring the mem-bership together, including social and recreational activities. TheDirector of Organization shall be paid the sum equal to 4.5 hours payat level 5 step O per month, adjusted annually on January 1, payablequarterly.

CURRENTLY READS

DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATION

SECTION 14. The Director of Organization will be responsible for

assisting the full time officers in the internal organization of thebranch, as well as ensuring the branch’s active participation in thelabor movement, in community affairs, and in the struggles of work-ing people for a better life, as directed by the president or the branch.In carrying out the internal organizing duties, the Director of Organi-zation will initiate and encourage the development of a spirit of soli-darity, mutual support and mutual defense among the letter carriers.Internal organizing is understood to mean fostering the organization ofany of a wide variety of union activities which serve to bring the mem-bership together, including social and recreational activities. TheDirector of Organization shall be paid the sum equal to 4.5 hours payat level 5 City Carrier Grade 1 step O per month, adjusted annuallyon January 1, payable quarterly.

CURRENTLY READS

PART TIME OFFICER SALARIES AND OTHER DUTIES

SECTION 15. The salaries of officers paid quarterly shall be paid inthe months of January, April, July and October of each year.

SECTION 16. NO CHANGE

PROPOSED TO READ

PART TIME OFFICER SALARIES AND OTHER DUTIES

SECTION 15. The salaries of officers paid quarterly shall be paid inthe months of January, April, July and October March, June, Sep-tember and December of each year.

SECTION 16. NO CHANGE

CURRENTLY READS

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECTION 20. The Executive Board shall consist of the following:President, Executive Vice President, Vice President, Secretary-Trea-surer, Field Director, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer, Safety & HealthOfficer, EEO Officer, Health Benefits Representative, MBA Repre-sentative, Sergeant-at-Arms, Director of Organization, Trustees, allShop Stewards, all Committee Chairpersons. All Executive Boardmembers shall be required to attend all meetings unless excused inadvance by the President or any other presiding officer. The ExecutiveBoard shall meet at least once each month. The Secretary shall submitto the Editor of the Voice a summary of the business transacted at theExecutive Board meeting. Any member of the Executive Board whomisses two (2) consecutive meetings without prior authorization shallbe responsible to the President or presiding officer for necessary action.

PROPOSED TO READ

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECTION 20. The Executive Board shall consist of the following:President, Executive Vice President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasur-er, Field Director, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer, Safety & Health Offi-cer, EEO Officer, Health Benefits Representative, MBA Representa-tive, Sergeant-at-Arms, Director of Organization, and Trustees, allShop Stewards, all Committee Chairpersons. All Executive Boardmembers shall be required to attend all meetings unless excused inadvance by the President or any other presiding officer. The ExecutiveBoard shall meet at least once each month. The Secretary shall submitto the Editor of the Voice a summary of the business transacted at theExecutive Board meeting. Any member of the Executive Board whomisses two (2) consecutive meetings without prior authorization shallbe responsible to the President or presiding officer for necessary action.

By-laws (continued from page 14)

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Page 16: CORTE MADERA DALY CITYspenceburton.com/NALC214/VoiceMay03.pdfGuide me home to the forest Where I can find myself again hidden in the leaves. Poem reprinted with permission ©2003 River

MILL VALLEY

A Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE

P A I DSan Francisco, Calif.

Permit No. 10302

GOLDEN GATE BRANCH NO. 214NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS, AFL-CIO

2310 MASON ST., THIRD FLOOR

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94133

Address service requested

583

BRANCH 214 LETTER CARRIERS AND THE FOOD DRIVE

BRANCH 214 LETTER CARRIERS AND THE FOOD DRIVE

SAN LEANDRO MAIN

STATION F

SAN LEANDRO SOUTHhttp:/

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