I have known Mike Gallagher for well over three decades. In the interests of full disclosure I consider him not just a union brother and a friend, but family. Though I have done arbitrations since the late 1970’s, Mike and I were sent to the National APWU’s first intensive Arbitration training in 1989 at Leesburg, Virginia, shortly after Mike was elected NBA. Mike and I would work together on involved contract cases from that point until the early 1990’s meeting with USPS management, and often national officers for the Mailhandlers, at USPS Eastern Region offices on Chestnut St in Philly.
Over the years I have also worked with Mike, including at APWU HQ and in national contract negotiations, to improve Clerk Craft contract language. These collective efforts included APWU legends like Larry Gervais and Bob Tunstall as well as others well respected in the history of our Union. Mike was and is as valuable as any, but never full of himself and could hang with a street person of my background and know when to laugh and when to fight.
We worked on at least one HQ case together and testified as well. Those familiar with his arbitration record know it is amazing. In many Article 12 meetings where people were getting excessed all over, he was always able to improve, by a lot, what I could get out of management.
Most of the cases of excessing we could not stop, with his help we won in arbitration.
Even today, with a Western NY District where management tries to micro-manage everything from Local discipline to contract cases, he has helped the Local straighten out the District.
To say I support Mike for Regional Coordinator is an understatement. I would support him for any position including the top spot, period.
In Solidarity,
Jim Bertolone, President, Rochester, NY Area Local 215
American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO
President Emeritus, Rochester & Genesee Valley Labor Federation, AFL-CIO
(Represented eleven counties, over 200 Labor Unions, and 100,000 workers from all unions)
See Mike’s Webpage at: MikeGallagher2016ERC.com
First Name: Mike
Last Name: Gallagher
Email: MIKEGALLAGHER2016ER@gmail.com
Union/Local: PHILLY BMC LOCAL #7048
Office held if any: Philly BMC Local President 1985-1989, National Business Agent 1989-2007, Eastern Region Coordinator 2007-To Current Day