Via Sam Wood, President – Southwest Florida Area Local / APWU:
I have taken some time to create a two page spreadsheet with both Highlights and a Timeline of the New 2015-2018 APWU Collective Bargaining Agreement.
There were both positives and negatives in this contract.
POSITIVES:
1) PSE’s as there are:
A. Six wage Increases during life of the contract
B. Conversions(Especially in Maintenance and Motor Vehicle Crafts)
C. Conversion Language (Clerk Craft)
D. Modest Uniform Allowance
E. Six Paid Holidays (Can convert to Annual Leave if they work the Holiday)
F. Modest USPS contribution towards USPS sponsored Health Plan upon hire.2) CAREER EMPLOYEES as there are:
A. Three modest pay raises
B. Continued COLA’s
C. Three Increased Uniform Allowances
D. Elimination of NTFT’s in Function 1 and limitations (8%) in Function 4 Offices
E. No excessing beyond a 50 mile radius
F. More PTF conversion to Full Time opportunities
G. Elimination of PSE’s in the Maintenance and Motor Vehicle Crafts
H. No subcontracting out of Motor Vehicle Driving work.
G. USPS continued 95% payment towards APWU Consumer Driven Health Plan (APWU-CDHP)NEGATIVES:
1) PSE’s as there are:
A. Not conversions in the Clerk Craft as in both the Maintenance and Motor Vehicle Crafts
B. No Career Only Employees in the Clerk Craft as in both Maintenance and Motor Vehicle Crafts.2) CAREER EMPLOYEES, as there are:
A. A one percent increase per year in employees cost of Health Plans (3% overall)
B. PTF’s introduced back into the Motor Vehicle Craft (Up to 20%).
Overall, while I am not completely satisfied with this contract, I do sincerely believe that we could have done a whole lot worse. I applaud the work of President Dimondstein and especially APWU Arbitrator Phil Tabbita along with everyone else involved in the negotiation/arbitration process. I encourage John Marcotte and the APWU Health Plan Staff to improve the benefits in the APWU-CDHP for 2017 in order to give our membership the option to benefit from the pay raises during the life of this contract.
Sam Wood – SWoodFla@aol.com
President – Southwest Florida Area Local / APWU
Related: APWU: We Have a New Union Contract!