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APACHE JUNCTION CHANDLER GILBERT GLENDALE MESA PEORIA PHOENIX SCOTTSDALE SUN CITY/SURPRISE TEMPE WICKENBURG AVONDALE/GOODYEAR QUEEN CREEK INSIDE THIS ISSUE . . . W A V E H E A T Vol. 47, No. 4 September, 2020 Vice President’s Report .......................... 2 40 Things All APWU Members Should Know .................................... 3 Promotion Pending Qualifications .......... 4 Your Voice Is Being Heard ..................... 5 Destroying The Postal Service Is The Most Republican Thing Trump Has Ever Done....................... 6 Boycott The Postal Pulse ........................ 7 President’s Report by Joe Cuccinotto, President [email protected] Presidents Report: Voter Registration: Perhaps one of the most impor- tant Presidential elections in modern history takes place on November 3, 2020. Are you registered to Vote in 2020? Deadline to register online to vote is Monday October 5th. Dead- line to register by mail to vote must be postmarked by October 5th. Visit: servicearizona.com for more details. Hatch Act Social Media Guidelines For Federal Employees: Shared from osc.gov In general, all federal employees may use social media to engage in political activity and comply with the Hatch Act if they remember the guidelines below. Political activity refers to any activity directed at the success or failure of a political party or partisan political group, or candidate for partisan office. In the social media context political activity includes shar- ing, liking, or retweeting a post from a partisan group or candidate for parti- san office, or posting and/or tweeting a comment about a partisan group or candidate for partisan office. All federal employees may not: 1. Use a social media account in your official capacity to engage in political activity at any time (but in- cluding your official title/position on social media profile is allowed) 2. Tweet, retweet, share, or like a post or content that solicits political contributions at any time 3. Like or follow the social media page of a candidate for partisan office or partisan group while on duty or in the workplace 4. Engage in political activity via social media while on duty or in the workplace AFL-CIO The Heroes Act H.R.6800: Day of Action with AZ State AFL- CIO on 7/23/20: We reached out to Senator McSally to gain support for H.R.6800. Senator Sinema already supports H.R.6800 This Bill responds to the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on the econ- omy, public health, state and local governments, individuals and busi- nesses. Provides FY 2020 emergency supplemental appropriations to federal agencies including funding for USPS. Postmaster General Louis Dejoy: In the July edition of The Heatwave, I reported that we had a new PMG ap- pointed by the POTUS effective June 15th, 2020. Within weeks the newly appointed PMG leaked out a memo to the field that outlined expectations and plans. Among those were, 1)All overtime will be eliminated, 2)The USPS will no longer use excessive costs to get the basic job done. If letter mail, flat mail or parcels at the plants are running late and do not make dispatch time, trucks are ordered to leave as scheduled; no more waiting for the mail whether it be 5 minutes, 10 minutes or longer. Trucks are to leave on time with or without mail. The mail will remain in the building for the next day. If you get mail late at the stations and branches and the car- riers are already on the street, the mail will remain for the next day, resulting in more delayed mail. Nothing to hide here as the mail will be reported as delayed at every location. Eventually, delayed mail at the plants, stations and branches will result in gridlock as there will be no more room to store the delayed mail. Throughout our careers, we have been trained to work every piece every day. Unfortunately, the PMG has never worked in the USPS and really has no clue as to what the results of continually delaying mail will be on the public, us, or businesses. Letter sorting machines were ordered to be shut down, tarped or taken out of the buildings throughout the country. With a national election on the hori- zon, mail in ballots have become a hot topic in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The public outcry to save the USPS is only getting started. Stay informed by visiting phoenixapwu.org or apwu.org for more details. COVID-19: The Pandemic is still with us. For daily COVID-19 numbers within the AZ/NM District visit: phoenixapwu.org . Please remain vigilant, wear a mask or a face shield, wear gloves when necessary, wash your hands and sanitize your work areas as much as possible. This applies not only to work but should also apply in our lives away from work. We continue to have daily telecoms with AZ/NM District Manager and the other Union Leaders within the District. We have fought hard to maintain a clean and safe work environment. USPS has committed a lot of resources in order to keep everyone as safe as is possible. There are to be daily COVID-19 in- spections within every building with a representative from each Union that works within said building and a Man- ager. These inspections are mandated by USPS and Union Headquarters. If these inspections are not taking place on each tour, please send me an e- mail: [email protected] It is not a stretch to say – the life you save may be someone you love. Postal Pulse Survey 2020: PMAL 0093 is again asking our Members to boycott the Postal Pulse Surveys for 2020. Just say no and give your survey to your Steward or drop off at The Union Hall 3741 E Atlanta Ave in Phoenix. We will be picking three winners at our November Gen- eral meeting Thursday November 19th at 7:00pm from the surveys submitted. 3rd Place - 40” TV, 2nd Place - 55” TV and 1st Place - 65” TV. We have seen in the past how the USPS will use these surveys against us in upcoming contract negotiations. UNION YES! Clerk Craft Pre-Arbitration: Rep-at-Large, Davyd Collie, and Phoe- nix Station Chief Steward, LaMont Green, who are both arbitration ad- vocates met with Local Labor Rela- tions Specialist, Luther Sutton, and settled over 200 cases. The backlog was mainly due to there not being any ar- bitrations scheduled due to COVID-19 Pandemic. We were able to get several employees back to work as well as set- tling numerous outstanding grievances for payment. Great experience and job well done in these unprecedented times! Steward Council Chairperson: After several months’ delay due to COVID-19 Pandemic, we were finally able to hold an election for Steward Council Chairperson via Zoom. City of Mesa Chief Steward, Shawn Ball, was elected by our Stewards to be the next Chairperson. Due to meeting re- strictions this position is facing many new challenges as we attempt to do our training via Zoom each month. Best of Luck to Brother Ball. Jude Neff Passed Away On July 2020: When I first became a Steward in 1985, one of my mentors was T-2 Chief Steward Jude Neff. I had a chance to talk to her almost every morning. Jude was our Local Busi- ness Agent for 6 years representing the Associate offices. Jude then became Vice-President and served in that ca- pacity for 12 years. During Jude’s last three years as VP I was Clerk Craft Director and spent many mornings at The Union Hall talking over situations and learning from her experience. Jude retired in 2010 after 30 years. I will be forever grateful for the knowledge and Are You Registered To Vote? continued on page 3

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  • A P A C H E J U N C T I O N C H A N D L E R G I L B E R T G L E N D A L E M E S A P E O R I A P H O E N I XSCOTT SDALE SUN CITY/SURPRISE TEMPE WICKENBURG AVONDALE/GOODYEAR QUEEN CREEK

    INSIDE THIS ISSUE . . .

    WAVEHEATVol. 47, No. 4 September, 2020Vice President’s Report .......................... 2

    40 Things All APWU Members Should Know .................................... 3

    Promotion Pending Qualifications .......... 4

    Your Voice Is Being Heard ..................... 5

    Destroying The Postal Service Is The Most Republican Thing Trump Has Ever Done....................... 6

    Boycott The Postal Pulse ........................ 7

    President’s Report

    by Joe Cuccinotto, [email protected] Presidents Report:

    Voter Registration: Perhaps one of the most impor-tant Presidential elections in modern history takes place on November 3, 2020. Are you registered to Vote in 2020? Deadline to register online to vote is Monday October 5th. Dead-line to register by mail to vote must be postmarked by October 5th. Visit: servicearizona.com for more details.

    Hatch Act Social Media Guidelines For Federal Employees:Shared from osc.gov In general, all federal employees may use social media to engage in political activity and comply with the Hatch Act if they remember the guidelines below. Political activity refers to any activity directed at the success or failure of a political party or partisan political group, or candidate for partisan office. In the social media context political activity includes shar-ing, liking, or retweeting a post from a partisan group or candidate for parti-san office, or posting and/or tweeting a comment about a partisan group or candidate for partisan office.

    All federal employees may not: 1. Use a social media account in your official capacity to engage in political activity at any time (but in-cluding your official title/position on social media profile is allowed) 2. Tweet, retweet, share, or like a

    post or content that solicits political contributions at any time 3. Like or follow the social media page of a candidate for partisan office or partisan group while on duty or in the workplace 4. Engage in political activity via social media while on duty or in the workplace

    AFL-CIO The Heroes Act H.R.6800: Day of Action with AZ State AFL-CIO on 7/23/20: We reached out to Senator McSally to gain support for H.R.6800. Senator Sinema already supports H.R.6800 This Bill responds to the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on the econ-omy, public health, state and local governments, individuals and busi-nesses. Provides FY 2020 emergency supplemental appropriations to federal agencies including funding for USPS.

    Postmaster General Louis Dejoy: In the July edition of The Heatwave, I reported that we had a new PMG ap-pointed by the POTUS effective June 15th, 2020. Within weeks the newly appointed PMG leaked out a memo to the field that outlined expectations and plans. Among those were, 1)All overtime will be eliminated, 2)The USPS will no longer use excessive costs to get the basic job done. If letter mail, flat mail or parcels at the plants are running late and do not make dispatch time, trucks are ordered to leave as scheduled; no more waiting for the mail whether it be 5 minutes, 10 minutes or longer. Trucks are to leave on time with or without mail. The mail will remain in the building for the next day. If you get mail late at the stations and branches and the car-riers are already on the street, the mail will remain for the next day, resulting in more delayed mail. Nothing to hide here as the mail will be reported as delayed at every location. Eventually, delayed mail at the plants, stations and branches will result in gridlock as there will be no more room to store the delayed mail. Throughout our careers, we have been trained to work every

    piece every day. Unfortunately, the PMG has never worked in the USPS and really has no clue as to what the results of continually delaying mail will be on the public, us, or businesses. Letter sorting machines were ordered to be shut down, tarped or taken out of the buildings throughout the country. With a national election on the hori-zon, mail in ballots have become a hot topic in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The public outcry to save the USPS is only getting started. Stay informed by visiting phoenixapwu.org or apwu.org for more details.

    COVID-19: The Pandemic is still with us. For dai ly COVID-19 numbers within the AZ/NM District visit: phoenixapwu.org. Please remain vigilant, wear a mask or a face shield, wear gloves when necessary, wash your hands and sanitize your work areas as much as possible. This applies not only to work but should also apply in our lives away from work. We continue to have daily telecoms with AZ/NM District Manager and the other Union Leaders within the District. We have fought hard to maintain a clean and safe work environment. USPS has committed a lot of resources in order to keep everyone as safe as is possible. There are to be daily COVID-19 in-spections within every building with a representative from each Union that works within said building and a Man-ager. These inspections are mandated by USPS and Union Headquarters. If these inspections are not taking place on each tour, please send me an e-mail: [email protected] It is not a stretch to say – the life you save may be someone you love.

    Postal Pulse Survey 2020: PMAL 0093 is again asking our Members to boycott the Postal Pulse Surveys for 2020. Just say no and give your survey to your Steward or drop off at The Union Hall 3741 E Atlanta Ave in Phoenix. We will be picking three winners at our November Gen-eral meeting Thursday November 19th

    at 7:00pm from the surveys submitted. 3rd Place - 40” TV, 2nd Place - 55” TV and 1st Place - 65” TV. We have seen in the past how the USPS will use these surveys against us in upcoming contract negotiations. UNION YES!

    Clerk Craft Pre-Arbitration:Rep-at-Large, Davyd Collie, and Phoe-nix Station Chief Steward, LaMont Green, who are both arbitration ad-vocates met with Local Labor Rela-tions Specialist, Luther Sutton, and settled over 200 cases. The backlog was mainly due to there not being any ar-bitrations scheduled due to COVID-19 Pandemic. We were able to get several employees back to work as well as set-tling numerous outstanding grievances for payment. Great experience and job well done in these unprecedented times!

    Steward Council Chairperson: After several months’ delay due to COVID-19 Pandemic, we were finally able to hold an election for Steward Council Chairperson via Zoom. City of Mesa Chief Steward, Shawn Ball, was elected by our Stewards to be the next Chairperson. Due to meeting re-strictions this position is facing many new challenges as we attempt to do our training via Zoom each month. Best of Luck to Brother Ball.

    Jude Neff Passed Away On July 2020:

    When I first became a Steward in 1985, one of my mentors was T-2 Chief Steward Jude Neff. I had a chance to talk to her almost every morning. Jude was our Local Busi-ness Agent for 6 years representing the Associate offices. Jude then became Vice-President and served in that ca-pacity for 12 years. During Jude’s last three years as VP I was Clerk Craft Director and spent many mornings at The Union Hall talking over situations and learning from her experience. Jude retired in 2010 after 30 years. I will be forever grateful for the knowledge and

    Are You Registered To Vote?

    continued on page 3

  • Page 2 HEATWAVE September, 2020

    In affiliation with the APWU National Postal Press Association.

    H E AT WAV E

    A 100% Union Firm for over 40 years.

    by Joseph Zamenick, Vice [email protected]

    HEATWAVE is the official publication of:American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO

    Phoenix Metro Area Local3741 E. Atlanta Ave.

    Phoenix, Arizona 85040(602) 437-8173

    and is published up to 12 times per year.

    Web Site: www.phoenixapwu.org

    PHOENIX METRO AREA LOCAL APWUOFFICERS

    Joe Cuccinotto ................ General [email protected]

    Joseph Zamenick ........ Exec. Vice [email protected]

    Monica Chavez [email protected]

    Rick Bloomquist. ...................... Director of Industrial Relations

    [email protected]

    Davyd Collie [email protected]

    CRAFT DIRECTORS

    Johnny Abril [email protected]

    James Agnew ......................... [email protected]

    Collin Bews ............. Motor Vehicle [email protected]

    STEWARDS COUNCIL

    Shawn Ball ...............................Chairperson

    APPOINTEES

    Vacant ..............................Retirees Director

    Amy Ivery [email protected]

    Roy Braunstein .............Legislative [email protected]

    Terrie M. Davis .. Human Relations [email protected]

    Gabrielle LaDue .........Health Plan [email protected]

    Greta Garrett .....Communications & Media

    Terry Mattioli .................. Sergeant-at-Arms

    Freeman Stuart ................ Sergeant-at-Arms

    VACANT ...........................Heatwave Intern This publication is for the express purpose of educating and informing members of Phoenix Metro Local APWU. Any member in good standing is permitted to submit articles for publication. Articles are included on a space available basis. Submissions must include your name, signature and address or pay location for verification. The Local reserves the right to edit all submissions. Material containing slander or libel will not be accepted. Copyrighted material must be accompanied by permission to reprint by the publisher. The deadline for all articles is the 15th of the month. Opinions expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Phoenix Metro Area Local, its officers or the editor. All articles should be submitted to:

    [email protected] orHEATWAVE

    3741 E. Atlanta Ave.Phoenix, AZ 85040

    Vice President’s Report

    Interview With Arizona Secretary Of State – Katie Hobbs

    For this issue’s article I reached out to the Arizona Secretary of State, Katie Hobbs to see if I could interview her about the upcoming election. Secretary Hobbs agreed to the interview. I hope you find this informative. JZ: Does Arizona support voting by mail? SECRETARY HOBBS: Arizona has a robust vote-by-mail system, and the majority of voters choose to vote this way. We saw historic ballot-by-mail participation during the August 4, 2020 Primary Election, with close to 88 percent of voters casting their ballots early. We anticipate similar turnout for the General Election. JZ: What are the requirements for someone who wants to vote by mail? SECRETARY HOBBS: Every registered voter can sign up for the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL). Voters on the PEVL will automatically be mailed a ballot for every election in which they are eligible to vote. Voters can also request a one-time ballot-by-mail for an election, without joining the PEVL. JZ: Has voting by mail in Arizona created issues with voter fraud? SECRETARY HOBBS: Not at all. Voter fraud is rare here in Arizona. Ballots-by-mail are handled with the same integrity as ballots cast on Election Day. Every single ballot is tracked and audited before and after every election. Ballots are stored in a secure area with limited access and tracked in a secure database. They are tabulated with machines that must pass a logic and accuracy test by the counties before and after each election. A sample of those machines are also tested by the Secretary of State’s Office before each election. Additionally, a hand count audit may be performed with the cooperation of both political parties after the election. More information about the security

    steps we take is available at Arizona.Vote. JZ: Of all the election fraud cases you know of, are the majority committed by mail in voting? How many cases of voter fraud are successfully prosecuted each year on average? SECRETARY HOBBS: The At-torney General’s Office established the Elections Integrity Unit last year. They have a list of prosecuted voter fraud cases on their website. (https://tinyurl.com/y5ogtf8f) JZ: Has voting by mail in Arizona caused delays in tabulating who has been elected? SECRETARY HOBBS: No. Ari-zona is in a great position to handle in-creased ballots-by-mail. The vast major-ity of Arizonans already vote by mail, so election officials were well-prepared to scale up the increase in participation we saw in the Primary Election. That continues to be the case for the General Election. It is important to note that it is normal for election results to take days to finalize. We do anticipate even more voters opting to vote by mail given the current public health circumstances, but that should not create a delay. JZ: How are ballot collection boxes (not U.S. Mail Boxes) secured? SECRETARY HOBBS: This in-formation is outlined in the Election Procedures Manual. You can find it here: https://tinyurl.com/y39fbbeh, the information is on pages 60-62. JZ: Is there anything our members should know in advance regarding COVID-19 prevention measures should they choose to vote in person? SECRETARY HOBBS: We have been working with election officials across the state non-stop to make sure voters will not have to choose between protecting their health and exercising their right to vote. If voting by mail is not an option, voters are encouraged to vote early in-person, when crowds tend to be smaller and exposure to other people is reduced. We recommend that voters come prepared, review and mark a sample ballot, and bring their own pen, and that they follow the CDC guidance to wear a face covering, main-tain a safe distance from others at the polling location, and wash their hands thoroughly or use hand sanitizer before and after voting. We’ve provided a guide for voters that outlines all these options and more. It’s available here at Arizona.Vote. JZ: Has there been any additional coordination with the United States Postal Service due to COVID-1? SECRETARY HOBBS: A ballot-by-

    mail system requires constant commu-nication between the USPS and local Election Officials. Counties continue to work with their local post offices to ensure timely delivery of ballots to voters and efficient delivery of returned ballots back to the county. Our Office is also taking steps to ensure that lines of communication remain open with USPS, so that Arizona’s Election Of-ficials receive timely information and can share updates. JZ: When is the last day I can register to vote? SECRETARY HOBBS: The last day to register to vote to participate in the 2020 General Election is October 5, 2020. JZ: Can I register and vote on the same day? SECRETARY HOBBS: No. Vot-ers must register to vote by October 5, 2020 in order to participate in the 2020 General Election. JZ: I want to vote in person. If I requested an early ballot, can I still do that? SECRETARY HOBBS: Voters who request a ballot-by-mail but wish to vote in person can still do so as long as they don’t mail their ballot back to county election officials. Voters may have to cast a provisional ballot so the county can confirm that the ballot-by-mail was not returned. JZ: Can I vote before election day? SECRETARY HOBBS: Yes. Ari-zona has a generous early voting period that starts 27 days before the election. Voters can request a ballot-by-mail or vote early in person. JZ: Do I need identification to vote? SECRETARY HOBBS: Yes. Valid identification is needed to receive a ballot at any in-person voting location. Signature verification is required for voters returning ballots in the mail. JZ: On election day, what are the hours for voting? SECRETARY HOBBS: Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. JZ: Can I check if I have an active registration? SECRETARY HOBBS: Yes, voters can check their voter registration online at Arizona.Vote. JZ: If I have changed addresses since I registered to vote, can I still vote? SECRETARY HOBBS: In some circumstances, yes. If you have moved within the same county, you can up-date your voter registration on site when you vote in-person. However, we recommend updating your voter registration any time you move to

    continued on page 5

  • September, 2020 HEATWAVE Page 3

    40 Things All APWU Members Should Know

    continued from page 1

    Adeline Ramirez from west valley lost her Mother

    Pam Johnson from West Valley lost her Brother

    Jerry Jasmin from West Valley lost his Mother

    Judy Neff (former Sec Treasurer of Phoenix Metro) passed away

    Mark Blanco from GMF lost his Father

    friendship that I had with Jude. Rest In Peace, Sister!

    Vicki Bennett passed away 8/17/20: I first met Vicki on T-1 at The GMF when she worked on the LSM’s. Vicki joined the Stewards force and was in-stantly a great fit. Vicki may have been small in stature, but she was relentless when it came to representation. We had a supervisor that just loved to patronize Vicki and one day patted her on the head telling her, “It’s okay, Vicki”. Well, let me tell you, it was not, and Vicki told him in no uncertain terms that it was not okay to condescend to her! It was something

    I’ll never forget. Vicki then bid to the FSM’s where she finished her career as a Steward on T-3 at The West Valley. Vicki was a mainstay and active in the Union until she retired several years ago. I did have the opportunity to speak with Vicki recently after she was released from the hospital. Vicki wanted me to tell our Members that she was a proud member of the APWU Health Plan throughout her 27-year career. Her stay in the Hos-pital cost her nothing, between Medicare and APWU High Option, she paid zero dollars out of pocket. Vicki said, “Joe, tell the membership how lucky we are to have such a great health plan”. I already miss you Vicki. Rest In Peace, Sister!

    Are You Registered To Vote?

    1. You have the right to Union rep-resentation when or if you have a rea-sonable belief that Managements line of questioning can lead to disciplin-ary action. Once you request a Stew-ard you do not have to answer any questions until one is provided to you. 2. Management is not required to offer you Union representation. Em-ployees must request a Union Rep be present. 3. You have the right to refuse to put your signature on anything, in-cluding 3971s 4. It is your right and responsibil-ity to fill out 3971s requesting both scheduled and unscheduled leave. Once you sign management’s gener-ated slip you are agreeing to whatever they have written on the slip. 5. If you need to see a Steward al-ways inform your supervisors. If they inquire as to why let them know it is a contractual issue related to wages, hours, or working conditions. Exam-ple: Overtime issue, pay issue, ETC. 6. You have the right to see your Steward on the clock. You are not re-quired to use your own time, breaks, or lunches. Management may not deny your request for representation. Should there be a delay in representa-tion it is management’s responsibility to inform you of the reason for the de-lay and when you will be able to meet with your representative. 7. If you are ever on vacation (an-nual leave) and you become ill you may call your Supervisor and ask that your leave be changed to Sick Leave. 8. When calling in for unsched-uled leave, always call in before your scheduled start time. Management has been known to count time before your start time as AWOL. 9. Always get a confirmation num-ber when calling in (via 1877-477-3273 or on liteblue). If you call the office make sure you get the name of who is recording your absence and have phone records to prove you called in. 10. Throughputs, letters thrown, parcels thrown, ETC., are goals of management. Employees are required to give a “fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay” (Article 34). Do not rush. Always work in a safe manner, going as quickly as you can without causing injury to yourself, without putting co-workers in danger, without damaging the mail, and without damaging post-al equipment or property. 11. Report all safety hazards in-cluding hostile work environment in-cidents on PS form 1767. 12. When you work your non-scheduled day, you are not guaran-teed to work your normal hours. 13. When you work your non-scheduled day, you may not be guaranteed to work in your bid job

    (LMOUs and sectional OT come into play). 14. When you work your Holi-day, you are not guaranteed to work your normal hours. 15. When you work your Holi-day, you may not be guaranteed to work in your bid job (LMOUs come into play. Example Mandates vs Vol-unteers). 16. If you have work restrictions it is advisable to always have a copy with you in the event that manage-ment asks you to do something out-side of your restrictions 17. Never work outside of your medical restrictions. 18. Report on the job injuries as soon as they happen, or as soon as you realize you have an injury. 19. Make sure to always be clock-ing into the correct operation. Keep track of your four basic clock rings BT, OL, IL, and ET. 20. Take your breaks and lunches on time. Never take your lunch after 6 hours, at the end of your shift or not at all. Management will use the delay-ing and the forgoing of lunch in there scheduling, ultimately allowing them to reduce jobs and/or to change bid jobs. 21. All APWU represented em-ployees have the right to FMLA pro-tections once they have worked 1 year and have 1250 work hours in the last 12 months worked. 22. It is harassment for manage-ment to question you about your FMLA. It is also harassment for man-agement to constantly request docu-mentation for using less than 4 days of leave if an employee is not on re-stricted sick leave. If you are deemed to bring in documentation for 3 days or less, request a Union Steward. 23. Non OTDL Employees and PSE can not be required to work over 60 hours in a work week (including December) 24. Non-OTDL Employees can-not be forced to work over 10 hours on a normally Scheduled day. 25. Non-OTDL Employees can-not be forced to work more than 4 of their 5 normally Scheduled days 26. Non-OTDL Employees can-not be forced to work over 8 hours on a 6th day (NS day). 27. Non-OTDL Employees can-not be forced to work 7 days. 28. PSEs cannot be forced to work over a 12-hour period in a day (including lunch). Note: PSEs are not required/guaranteed to be in a pay status during the whole 12-hour pe-riod if Management chooses to work them. 29. PSEs are not guaranteed set schedules or days off. 30. You are not required to sit by the phone or to answer phone calls or

    text messages from Management. 31. It is an Employees responsi-bility to have their phone number and address updated with the USPS. 32. All Employees are respon-sible to check the Holiday Schedule (3-Day Block, which includes all days that could be observed as an employ-ees Holiday). 33. PSEs and PTFs are required to check the schedule each day prior to leaving the building. 34. FTRs are not required to check the schedule. FTRs have set hours and days off and it is manage-ment’s responsibility to inform them of all changes to their schedule. The only exception is during a Holiday where it is All the employee’s respon-sibility to check the schedule. 35. Employees and the Union have 14 days to file a grievance. Do not wait until day 14 to request a steward to file a grievance. Doing this will give your representative no time to fully investigate your issue. This could result in delay of adjudication of your grievance. If there are issues with a date because you could not remember your grievance could be untimely, whereas if you got to the Steward early they could investigate and let you know you have your dates wrong. 36. Always report to the Union

    when Management is observed do-ing bargaining unit work. If employ-ees allow management to do their job there is no need for more bid jobs, no need for conversions. Management can prove the work is getting done with less craft employees doing the work. This can leave to jobs being reverted, delay of jobs to transfer to, and PSEs not being converted. They are our jobs and we have to fight for all hours. 37. All employees at every level have the right to a safe and amicable work environment. If you feel you are working in a hostile work environ-ment inform management and your Union rep. 38. Always follow the last in-struction that management gives you (unless it is an instruction that will put your safety at risk). Many times, you will have multiple supervisors instruct you to do different tasks dur-ing your workday. The best practice is to do what you were last instructed to do. 39. Management is not allowed to take out your time working. If you notice your time is being deleted or disallowed without a proper explana-tion request a Union Rep. 40. USPS Employees are prohib-ited from wearing political attire on postal property (Hatch Act of 1939).

  • Page 4 HEATWAVE September, 2020

    Maintenance Craft Report

    Promotion Pending Qualifications

    by James E AgnewMaintenance Craft [email protected]

    Per the MOU, the time frame between March 18th and October 25th does not count towards pending qualification 1-year period. On July 27th NCED opened up and per the MOU October 26th will restart the

    pending qualification time for those promoted/detailed in a pending quali-fication status for the 1 year period or they have met the requirements of attending the required qualification courses. The 2015 Line H settlement for the GMF and WV office has been submitted to management and the GMF has been paid out while the WV office is still pending payment. I will continue to make getting those Line H grievances that are awaiting arbitration a priority however I can-not guarantee what will happen dur-ing this pandemic we are currently facing. Arbitrations have been on hold for some time and I am told that they are working on ways to meet via web-based technologies. AKA Zoom

  • September, 2020 HEATWAVE Page 5

    Your Voice Is Being Heardby Phil Davis,MVS TTO This is a letter received by Phil Davis, MVS TTO, after he wrote to Congressman Raul Grijalva (AZ). There are many like this. Maybe this and others like it, are some of the reasons the OIG is now investi-gating the on-goings of the USPS. Don’t stop writing!!

    Dear Mr. Phil Davis: Thank you for contacting my of-fice with your concerns regarding the impacts of COVID-19 on the United States Postal Service (USPS). During these uncertain times, I empathize with the unique situation faced by our coun-try. Currently, I am fighting for policies to ensure the safety of our loved ones and economic aid to support the recov-ery of our local communities. Since its inception, the USPS has played a critical role and provided us essential services that keep our country functioning. Now more than ever, amid this pandemic, we owe a great deal of gratitude to the postal employees who continue with that long-standing tradition. The USPS employs over 650,000 workers, many of whom are veterans. Our entire country relies on the USPS to meet our needs whether it is delivering life-saving medicine, sending mail-

    in ballots, or ensuring we have an accurate count for the 2020 Census. The USPS also serves as a lifeline for small businesses, seniors and rural communities. That is why we must provide adequate funding to the USPS during this public health crisis. COVID-19 has wreaked economic damage on nearly all sectors of our country and the Postal Service has been hit particularly hard. Even be-fore this crisis, the Post Office had been dealing with a drastic decrease in mail volume and a financial out-look that was on the verge of collapse. Many of the financial woes the USPS has experienced over the years can be directly traced to a 2006 law passed by a Republican-led majority that requires it to set aside $5.5 billion per year in prepaid health benefits for retired employees. As the economy grinds to a standstill, our country has also seen an unprecedented drop in mail, by almost a third compared to last year. Postmaster General, Megan Brennan, told the House Oversight and Reform Committee on April 9th that the postal service could run out of money by September, “threatening our ability to operate.” Congress must take action now to save the Postal Service and ensure the safety of postal employees and the general public. The USPS needs

    direct funding and assistance, not just the $10 billion in additional loans the CARES Act granted. Below is a list of the actions I have taken in this regard. Please rest assured that I will continue fighting to save our Postal Service: I, along other colleagues, sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi and Mi-nority Leader McCarthy requesting strong support for the United States Postal Service in the next package developed to respond to the harms of COVID-19. As the letter mentions, “despite bipartisan discussions and agreement for the need to solve this problem, the first three Coronavirus relief packages have provided no direct funding to support the U.S. Postal Service. The recent package included language for a $10 billion loan, but it is far too little to keep our post offices solvent.” I co-sponsored the Protect Our Post Offices Act (H.R. 6425), this bill would allocate $25 billion in emer-gency appropriations to the United States Postal Service. These funds can be used by USPS to make up lost revenue, purchase and provide PPE for front-line postal workers, and other purposes that are neces-sary to support continuing services for USPS. I joined with Rep. Kirkpatrick

    in an effort to provide additional funding and assistance to help USPS maintain its critical services in the short-term and ensure long-term success by ensuring key area mail processing (AMP) facilities like Cherrybell in Tucson, remain open to protect service standards perfor-mance. I led 41 Members of Congress in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy supporting haz-ard pay and required workplace protections for essential front line blue-collar workers, including postal workers. I will continue to work with my colleagues to appropriate additional funding for these programs to meet the severe need as this situation con-tinues to evolve. Please continue to stay safe, fol-low CDC guidelines, and continue practicing social distancing to sup-port our health care community and keep you and your loved ones safe. Sincerely,

    Raúl M. Grijalva Member of Congress

    Broughton, ScottGutierrez, EduardoAcosta, ArialWarren, KyairaCordero, BaddenJuniel, MatthewMennet, JasonNieto, NikolasCooper, EboneeLivingston, RamonaLancaster, Paul DiBenedetto, JosephSmith, EbonyTripp, Alyssa Godinez, KeyriTrias, JocelynArtea, EdgarWhite, YolandaGarcia Jr., Jose USchubert, GilbertAlben, TylerHernandez, Andrea

    Lukay, Juana Sims, AsiaFultz, CherylLaVoie, JayBarr, JoshuaTryals, MichaelGonzales, KaylaIdowu, MariaJohnson, CarrieDrake, MarkTorrez, CameronLoomis, AlyssaAzad, MDSainz, SusanClements, CaraRussel, DarrenMontez, SarahGomez, AlbertKocik, PrzemyslawCruz, VictorDelligatti, Michele

    French-Cobb, TavienGarcia, RobertFigueroa, RosalindaGaines, LeslieMadaras, GaryAnderson, JamesLeach, KevinBaumgard, DaveRuiz, KarlaVesty, ShaunRios, OmarDorien, WesleyAntol III, JohnBeaudry, CraigFoucaul-Corrales, SaigeOjwang, IsaacHale, PamelaJalbert, JanetChristian, MichaelHill, EricaKosik, Thomas

    ensure a smooth voting experience. If you move to a new county, you will need to update your voter registration before the deadline on October 5. JZ: How do I know where to vote? SECRETARY HOBBS: County election officials will post voting loca-tions as we get closer to the election. Early voting starts on October 7, so voters can expect to find that infor-mation before then, and voters will be able to access this information at Arizona.Vote JZ: How early would you recom-mend mailing in my ballot? SECRETARY HOBBS: We are recommending that voters mail back their ballots as soon as possible. The last recommended day to mail ballots back is on October 27. After that, you can still drop your ballot off at any voting location or secure ballot drop-box in your county. JZ: Can I track my mail-in ballot so I know my vote was counted? SECRETARY HOBBS: Yes, the Secretary of State’s Office will provide a link for voters to check on the status of their ballot as we get closer to the

    election at Arizona.Vote. JZ: Can I check to see if my vote was counted if I voted in person? SECRETARY HOBBS: Voters who vote early in person can check on the status of their ballot. Voters who vote on Election Day will have their ballots tabulated on the spot. JZ: Anything you’d like to share with the members of the Phoenix Metro Area Local? SECRETARY HOBBS: I want to thank all USPS employees. We know how hard you work, and that is vital to the success of our elections. Also, vote early if you can. Voters who request a ballot-by-mail can either mail it back or drop it off at a designated drop off location. If that is not an option, be sure you are prepared before heading to your voting location. Please stay safe and if you don’t feel well, STAY HOME! Please, as always, remember to stand persistently and professionally in the face of supervisors, managers or post-masters who feel the need to dismiss your negotiated benefits. Feel free to contact me with questions or concerns at [email protected]

    continued from page 2

    Interview With Arizona Secretary Of State – Katie Hobbs

  • Page 6 HEATWAVE September, 2020

    Who ya got? The continued assault on on old Ben’s brainchild, the United States Postal Ser-vice which, for all the cheap stand-up humor directed at it over the decades, has a 91 percent approval rating--- would be a dastardly business even if there were not a pandemic, and even if there were not an incumbent president running for re-election who is a compulsive grifter and ratf*cker. But Louis DeJoy, the fat-cat donor whom the president installed in order to destroy as much of the USPS as he can, is in there now, and there is a compulsive ratf*cker in the White House, and he’s doing everything he can to live down to the president’s expecta-tions. And folks are noticing. From CNN: “The Democrats write that they are concerned about “modifi-cations” to USPS “staffing and policies”

    By Roy Braunstein, Legislative Director via Charles Pierce, Esquire Was it Louis DeJoy or Ben Franklin, who once said.... He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.

    Legislatively Speaking

    Destroying the Postal Service Is The Most Republican Thing Trump Has Ever Done

    recently put into place by new Postmas-ter General Louis DeJoy. Appointed by President Donald Trump, DeJoy is a Trump fundraiser and ally. The group includes Sens. Gary Peters of Michigan, Tom Carper of Delaware, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Tina Smith of Minnesota, and House Oversight Committee Chair-woman Carolyn Maloney of New York, ask the inspector general to specifically look into the rationale for the operational changes, their potential impact on vote-by-mail in the 2020 election and poten-tial financial conflicts of interest. The letter claims the changes at USPS have led to “slower and less reliable” mail delivery which “threatens the well-being of millions of Americans who rely on the Postal Service for delivery of Social Security checks, prescriptions, and everyday mail of all kinds.” Not that it matters to him, nor to the president who is running him, but DeJoy continues to make friends everywhere he goes on Capitol Hill. He met with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. It did not go well. From NBC News: “The leadership shake-up came two days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Demo-cratic Leader Chuck Schumer had a closed- door meeting with DeJoy that Schumer described as “heated.” And from the AP: “In their letter, Pelosi and Schumer acknowledged that the Postal Service continues to face financial challenges, but said “enacting these policies as cost-cutting or efficiency measures as the COVID-19 public health emergency continues is counterproduc-tive and unacceptable.” “During the pandemic, “Americans have turned to the Postal Service and de-pend on it for timely delivery of critical goods and a safe alternative to in-person interactions. As a result, we believe these changes must be reversed,” the Demo-crats said. The flurry of letters came as the top Democrat on a Senate panel that oversees the Postal Service launched

    an investigation into the operational changes that he said “are preventing Americans from receiving critical mail on time, including prescription drugs, business mail and mail-in ballots.” Destroying the USPS is the most Republican thing this administration has done, except for trying to gut Social Security and Medicare. These always have been in the game plans. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), who chairs the Government Operations panel within Maloney’s committee, called the reorganization “deliberate sabotage.” A letter signed by Sen. Elizabeth War-ren (D-MA), House Oversight Commit-tee Chair Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), and seven other Democrats, including Connolly, urged Postal Service Inspec-tor General Tammy L. Whitcomb to examine how DeJoy came to implement policies that prohibit postal workers from taking overtime or making extra trips to deliver mail on time, and how such delays specifically affect election mail. “Given the ongoing concerns about the adverse impacts of Trump Administration policies on the quality and efficiency of the Postal Service, we ask that you conduct an audit on all operational changes put in place by Mr. DeJoy and other Trump Administration officials in 2020,” the letter states. It also asks Whitcomb to review the finances of DeJoy and his wife, Aldona Wos, the nominee for Ambassador to Canada. The couple’s holdings include between $30.1 million and $75.3 million in assets in USPS competitors or contrac-tors, according to a financial disclosure Wos filed with the Office of Government Ethics when she was nominated. Postal Service mail processing contractor XPO Logistics-- which acquired DeJoy’s com-pany New Breed Logistics in 2014--repre-sents the vast amount of those holdings. Their combined stake in competitors UPS and trucking company J.B. Hunt is roughly $265,000.

    Welcome to Our 2020 APWU Health Plan Virtual Open Season Health Fairs! As the coronavirus continues to impact families nationwide, the Health Plan wants to be sensitive to the COVID-19 risks related to work, travel, and social distancing. While in person health fairs are being can-celed, we wanted to give your employees an opportunity to meet with APWU Health Plan staff virtually. Postal, Federal, and Retirees who are eligible for the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program can access and attend our virtual health fairs safely online. During Open Season, every Tuesday and Thursday, from 12-2pm EST a Health Plan staff employee will be online to answer questions and dis-cuss plan features. Please forward this email to your employees so that they can participate. Once registered you will get an email confirmation with a GoTo-Meeting link and dial-in information. On the Monday before the vir-tual health fair date you selected, we will email you a reminder and include the dial-in information with instructions. Registration for any of our Virtual Health Fairs will be available in October at www.apwuhp.com click on Open Season.

    Tuesday, November 10 - 12pm-2pm ESTTuesday, November 17 - 12pm-2pm ESTTuesday, November 24 - 12pm-2pm ESTTuesday, December 1 - 12pm-2pm ESTTuesday, December 8 - 12pm-2pm ESTThursday, November 12 - 12pm-2pm ESTThursday, November 19 - 12pm-2pm ESTThursday, December 3 - 12pm-2pm ESTThursday, December 10 - 12pm-2pm EST

    Registration for any of our Virtual Health Fairs will be available in October at www.apwuhp.com click on Open Season.

    Please make sure you are dis-posing your used PPE (ie: gloves and masks) in the proper recep-tacle. There has been an increased amount of PPE being tossed on the ground in the parking lot. STOP doing this. There are plenty of garbage cans available.

  • September, 2020 HEATWAVE Page 7

  • Page 8 HEATWAVE September, 2020

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    2020 General Membership MeetingsPMAL-APWU Hall

    3741 E. Atlanta Ave. • Phoenix, AZ 85040(602) 437-8173

    September 16th Wednesday 7:00 PMOctober 22nd Thursday 7:00 PMNovember 19th Thursday 7:00 PM

    FOOD WILL BE SERVED Attendance Raffle is held at each meeting - starts at $25. If member isn’t present, the prize will roll over and is added to next month’s prize! Consolation prize awarded if jackpot isn’t won.

    Certified Interpreters Provided

    When is the time frame? By law, the dates for postal and federal employee health benefits enrollment Open Season are November 9th through December 14th.. There are usually 3 health fairs that take place between GMF and West Valley. Dates for the open en-rollment and the health fairs have not yet been secured but will be posted ASAP. Please try to not wait until the last min-ute to make any changes to your healthcare.

    What is open enrollment? Open Enrollment is the annual period to enroll in, or make changes to, your benefits! Unless you have a qualifying life event (QLE), this is your once-a year opportunity to make changes to your benefits.

    Why is it important to me? Most plans change their coverage options, service areas, or premiums each year. It is important to evaluate all of your op-tions to help you decide if you need to make any changes for the upcoming year. You can also consider the changes you may need to make to your health coverage so that it better aligns with your current health care needs. This ensures that you have the coverage you need without paying for services you don’t need. You may even end up saving money!!

    What if I don’t want to change my benefits? Several things can happen, depending on your health plan. Contracts with healthcare insurers are negotiated yearly; some plans are dropping out of the program and others are chang-

    ing their service areas or coverage options. Unless your current health insurance plan is dropping out of FEHB, you will contin-ue to be covered by the plan. However, your benefits, premiums, or coverage options may change. If you currently have a Flex-ible Spending Account (FSA), it will NOT continue automati-cally.

    Where can I find more information? If you would like more information about open enrollment, FSA or TSP, additional resources are available on the LiteBlue Open Sea-son page. Or you may contact your steward for assistance. Or get in touch with our Health Plan Director, Gabrielle LaDue at the GMF.