By-Laws and Resolution Convention Report

The branch and their delegates recently attended the 71st biennial convention of The National Association of Letter Carriers from Monday July 16 to Friday July 20, 2018 in Detroit Michigan.  I was honored to be the chairperson of the Branches By-Laws and Resolution Committee.  In addition to myself the other Members of the Branches By-Laws and Resolution Committee consisted of President Walter Barton, Financial Secretary Vincent Calvanese, Area Rep/OWCP Rep Charlie Smith, Editor Joe Morelli and Trustee Michael Donohue. I would like to use this opportunity to report on the outcome of the resolutions passed at the Branch 6000 May Membership Meeting and submitted to the National for consideration by the delegates assembled in Detroit.       

The following Resolutions that were submitted by the Branch to the 71st biennial convention of The National Association of Letter Carriers in Detroit Michigan was passed in Full.

1)         Resolution that the Union Control Committee as detailed in Article 26 of the National Contract recommend and negotiate new uniforms that consist of darker color shirts and pants, including a cargo style pants that contain a large pocket that is large enough to safety secure the Carrier’s scanner.

2)         Resolution to add “new” language that over the course of a service week, the Employer will make every effort to ensure that qualified and available CCA Employees assigned to the employing office are utilized at the straight time rate up to (8) hours a day and forty (40) hours a week , prior to assigning such work to CCAs who are temporarily reassigned from outside the employing office.    

3)         Resolution that DPS data not be used for discipline. Note: This resolution was passed at the May 2017 membership meeting and then passed and adopted at the New York State NALC convention June of 2017.

The Branch also submitted a Resolution at the 71st biennial convention of The National Association of Letter Carriers in Detroit Michigan that was passed in part.

1)      The Resolution called for clarifying the term occasionally in regards loaning out of CCAs from one installation to another.

2)      No CCAs to be loaned out occasionally to another installation until they have completed their 120 day probation period unless the Installation they are assigned to does not have a local On-the-job-Instructor. 

3)       No CCA may be occasionally reassigned to another office unless the OTDL in the reassigned office has been exhausted up to the maximum hours of those who are on the OTDL.

4)      Any CCA who is occasionally assigned to another installation shall be provided a completed form 1723 and a copy of that 1723 shall be provided to the union representative at both the losing and gaining installation.

5)      The Resolution called for improvements to the reimbursement to CCA’s who drive their private vehicle additional mileage including language that would quicken  the payments to those CCA’s who drive their private vehicle additional mileage and also require management to keep a daily log on mileage and provide a copy to the CCA at the end of each pay period for greater transparency.

After the Resolution was recommended for disapproval by the Executive Council an Amendment was offered and the Resolution was bifurcated and accepted that allowed passage of numbers 1, 2 4 and 5 of the resolution.  However, after a lively debate where President Barton and myself spoke in favor of keeping the language in number 3 as written in the original resolution and voted on at the May 2018 membership meeting the NALC delegates in attendance from the Country voted down the language in #3 of the resolution by majority.

The Branches other resolution called for the additionally cost of purchasing of an encrypted flash drives to be bore by the National Union instead of the local branches.  After debate on this issue which included Area Rep/OWCP Charles Smith and Editor Joe Morelli addressing the delegates in favor of the proposed resolution it was voted down by the NALC delegates in attendance by majority.      

In addition to these Resolutions that were submitted by are Branch many other Resolutions and Amendments were debated and voted on from other branches throughout the country as well. Two notable others of Included.

1)      Hybrid Locality Pay. This resolution was submitted by Branch 34, Boston Massachusetts and supported by Branch 6000 delegates at the convention was voted down by the NALC delegates in attendance by majority. The goal of the resolution was to address the disparities between low cost of  living arears and high cost of living areas throughout the country.

2)      Lastly of note was a resolution submitted from another branch and supported by Branch 6000 delegates at the convention that suggested that letter carriers who are at least 55 years of age with 20 years of service or have 30 years of service at any age, should not be forced to work overtime off their bid assignment. After a lively debate the delegates ultimately voted down the resolution via a teller vote of 2,197 to 2075.   

I would like to thank the above fore mention members of the Branches By-Laws and Resolution Committee and also thank past chairperson of Branch 6000 By-Laws and Resolution Committee Kathy Friedman for all her technically support and assistance to this years committee.