Comments on: Burrus Says The Process is Completed

By: Roger turner

Roger turner — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 23:23:21 +0000

What is going on with VER?, is it a deal?, why is USPS silent, can you say what you think is happening with VER?

By: Will

Will — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:58:24 +0000

Wish Burrus would have been in office until the last contract was done. It is great to hear his feelings and I agree with him, the APWU sold members out without caring enough to fight more, and hold onto what they could. Seems like APWU negotiating reps were either only out for themselves and or working both sides of the fence. Who better to have on USPS side, than union reps working together on their side. Things can never be put back and will only get worse from here. What is USPS really saving, more money for other crafts, more money for higher management? Makes me mad how stupid people are voting for things they didn’t understand more about and only taking what certain APWU union reps say at face value. When APWU showed “they settle for less” whether it got passed or not, we were royally screwed no matter what because APWU showed their loyalty was taking less. No matter what we gave them, which was way too much in this case, Issa and his henchman say it was too lenient. No matter what, they would say it was too lenient.. They don’t care and do not have to have their wages cut, lowered, reduced

By: john

john — Mon, 23 May 2011 16:52:44 +0000

On January 19th 1985 a new 2 tier wage system went into effect.
I was hired on this date at I believe a starting salary of $12.00 an
hour.
After a week of orientation we were told that the salary stated on
our employment offer letter was wrong and that the salary was $11.00
an hour because a new 2 tier wage system had gone into effect.
I believe that an additional step was also added. I don’t exactly recall
the amounts but I think I’m pretty close.
We were told that if we didn’t like it we could go back to our previous
jobs. (Yeah right).We were told to bring our employment offer letter to
the work the next. day. (I didn’t return mine)
A few months later when we figured out how the union worked we filed
a grievance.
The Union asked management for a copy of those letters.
Guess what? They had lost all of them.
The point is that this is not the first time that this has happened.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 19 May 2011 18:37:42 +0000

We have been under a 2-tier system for years now…ever heard of “casuals”? PSEs will make more, receive benefits and have Union representation….What casual or TE would not love this deal? Plus they are put on a hiring roster..
40 hour work week….give me a 12 hour shift on Mon. thru Wen. and watch me raise a family on 36 hours a week.

By: Donna

Donna — Sun, 15 May 2011 14:27:33 +0000

Bill,
Thanks for all your hard work that has led me to 27 years of employment with the USPS. I too would agree with you. So much for service, there will no longer be any!
I for one will feel guilty working beside someone doing the same job as myself but getting paid half the wage. SO long good ole days!!

By: Don

Don — Sat, 14 May 2011 03:42:13 +0000

Mr Burrus has every right to his opinion and the fact is he was right. Thanks Bill for your MANY YEARS of service to the members of the APWU , and in fact to the non-members as well!

By: Tom Foster

Tom Foster — Fri, 13 May 2011 22:32:10 +0000

Bill,

I raise my glass to your efforts during this charade. Most of us who actually are UNION and not just hangers-on respect your fortitude and courage to stand up for all members. The poison pill that made me vote no was the two tiered wage attack on the middle class (us). I spoke against it at my local’s meeting and argued with many who said it was “better than nothing.” My reply was that it would not have my finger prints on the knife handle that would be in the backs of my future bothers and sisters. Our local officers kept up the false spectre of the arbitrator to scare everyone into voting yes. The arbitrator would not have given us anything any worse than what we got.

By: Marie

Marie — Fri, 13 May 2011 15:26:19 +0000

Most of the clerks I’ve talked to had one thing to say about the TA. “It won’t affect me, just the new hires. Besides, I’m retiring in x amount of years.” Solidarity?

By: J Jameson

J Jameson — Fri, 13 May 2011 12:27:37 +0000

Thanks Bill, for the years of service and the fundamental sense of personal obligation and loyalty you have shown to the APWU.
My opinion as a letter carrier is similar to yours, this is the biggest contract giveaway in, perhaps the history of any union. How the AFL-CIO could appoint Mr Guffey as the Vice-President of national is telling of the state of labor affairs.
Union people do not seem to feel the sense of obligation to their fellow members as they have in the past. Allowing the contract to have anything less than a 40 hour work week is an abomination to all that unions were created for. How does anyone support a family on 30 hours a week? How do you go to work and arrange daycare when you have no schedule, just an arrangement where you work anywhere from 4 to 12 hours a day? How can you support a family, or for that matter yourself, if you are earning $12 dollars an hour under these conditions.
It seems like the post office will become a revolving door employer, as people will take the job temporarily while looking for a better career job. Maybe management doesn’t care about providing good service to the public, but we as employees always have. It would appear that by providing such a poor contract and subsequently apoor work environment, that management is counting on people never staying to retirement, so they will pay little for retirement benefits.
As a letter carrier and an admirer of Bill Burress, I applaude his efforts and his engagement, in a democratic union way, the constructive criticism he provided to try to show the membership BOTH sides of the contract and the fallout in the future.
Bill, once again you did your job and your best and no one can ask anymore of others or themselves.
Thank you,
Mark Comerford