NAPS 105 General Meeting Minutes
January 27, 2009
Kelley & Gazzero
Meeting began at 6:37
Attendance – 40
Announcements:
Branch 105 President Dean Ambrosino introduced and thanked
Carrie Damon for agreeing to be the guest speaker.
Carrie replaced Robert Koestner as guest speaker.
Dean announced that Area Vice President Cy Dumas sent his apologies
because he could not attend since he is attending NAPS Branch 120
meeting in Brockton.
The Pledge of Allegiance
was led by Alan Conca
Roll call: In attendance
President Dean Ambrosino, Vice President Michaela Saccoccio,
Treasurer Sue Evans, Secretary Rose Russo, Legislative Rep Pam
Monroe. Executive Board members Alan Conca, Al Poli, Brad Fish,
Norma Johnson, Dan Guenette, Joanne Keeling and Roberta Menard.
Late: Gail Gagne
Excused: Cy Dumas
Treasurer’s Report by Sue
Evans
–December expenses of $1,130.56 was spent mostly for the holiday
party, one health and welfare and the mailing. That left a NAPS
checking account ending balance of $407.01.
The total assets in the NAPS
account (statement checking $407.01, statement savings $191.34, and
Money Market $33,360.02) is $33,958.37.
The total Income YTD is
$37,127.66. Total Expenses
YTD $32,899.62 leaving the branch ahead by $4228.04.
Sue said that for a convention year we did very well since we
made more than we spent.
No questions.
Motion made to accept the report by Skip DelSesto, seconded by Santo
LoBono.
Secretary’s report by Rose
Russo
– Branch 105 has 41 tentative associate members plus 243 active
members giving us a potential total membership of 284.
Correspondences received include thank you notes for gift baskets
from Joe Ferreira, Mike Limoges and Cid Blanchette.
Thank you notes were received from Bob McCall and Joe Murdock
for their retirement gift certificates.
A thank you note was received from Mike Marrotte for his
mother’s enrolment into the perpetual membership of the Passionist
Benefactors Society. An
acknowledgement card was received from the family of Joseph Maiorano.
Five Associate membership renewals were received.
Rose thanked those who sent in their membership renewals and
then reminded retirees that renewal dues of $45.50 should be paid by
the end of January. No
questions.
Motion made to accept the report by Pat Bennett and seconded by
Victor Giorgio.
Legislative report Pam
Monroe –
Pam said that there are many rumors of big changes coming:
plant consolidations, area and district staff reductions and craft
work hour reductions and so on.
Clarity should come on Wednesday afternoon when the PMG appears
before a Senate Postal Oversight panel to testify on the
deteriorating financial health of the Postal Service and what can be
done to stabilize the ship. Sen.
Carper, Chairman of the Senate Federal Services Subcommittee called
the hearing to learn how badly the flagging economy is hurting the
Postal Service and whether the Postal Service should receive any
kind of relief and, if so, what kind and how.
She said that there is no doubt about it, the worsening
economy has thrown the Postal Service into a financial tailspin.
Mail volume has declined at a pace not seen since the early 1930’s.
Our biggest mailing customers are cutting back too – meaning
no mail. Current trends
indicate that the USPS this year could lose $4 billion or more.
The House version of the economic stimulus package, set for a vote
in the House on Wednesday, does not include relief for the Postal
Service. The Senate
stimulus measure is still in the works and it is unknown whether
appropriation for the Postal Service is the right move.
The best way to provide financial relief for the Postal
Service is reduction for one of the Postal Service’s largest costs –
its payments towards future health insurance premiums of its
retirees. This prefunding obligation was created by the 2006 postal
reform law. (No other department or agency is required to do this.)
Legislation - HR 22 has been introduced to address this.
The change would not affect the health insurance benefits of
any retiree nor is it a bailout.
It simply would revise the payment schedule.
She said that the Legislative Training Seminar is scheduled for
March 28 – 31st and Brad Fish, Dean Ambrosino, Michaela
Saccoccio, Al Poli and she will be attending.
Issues being brought to the hill include
Financial Relief for the
Postal Service, Voting by Mail, Locality Pay & FERS Sick Leave,
Social Security Fairness and Windfall Elimination Plan.
Pam said that Inauguration
Commemorative folios have been purchased as appreciation gifts for
the legislators.
Pam thanked
everyone for their SPAC donations.
No questions.
Motion made to accept the report by Brad Fish, seconded by Alan
Conca.
Dean Ambrosino
brought everyone’s attention to the handouts that were available and
provided by EAP Health Care professional Kathy McKenna.
He said that there is much going on that makes EAP more
necessary than ever, including all of the changes, financial stress
and the unknown, that causes much stress.
Changes in the working conditions can cause stress. EAP is
available to employees and their families.
Kathy will probably speak at the March NAPS Branch 105
general meeting.
Social Director Brad Fish
– Brad said that everyone he spoke to who attended the Holiday party
enjoyed themselves. He
has only heard good things.
Fifty-nine people attended from three branches.
Consideration is being given to schedule a Foxwoods bus trip in
April. People who
attended this outing last year had a good time. More information to
follow in mailings and at the next meeting.
After dinner Dean introduced Frank Halm who was representing NAPS
Branch 118 President Don Spirlet.
Guest Speaker Finance
Manager Carrie Damon
– Introduced by Dean Ambrosino as a 33 year Postal employee now
serving as the Manager of Financial Control and Support.
Carrie acknowledged Bob Koestner’s retirement announcement and said
that he will be missed.
She went on to talk about the budget, saying that we had some big
stretches and by stretches she means the hours we have to save in
the current year’s budget as compared to the actual hours used in
the previous year. In September our budget required a ten percent
reduction - aggressive.
We had some strategy meetings for FY ’09.
We did very well when we ended last fiscal year.
But as far as this fiscal year was concerned we knew we faced
challenges. Carrie said
that she knew we could carry the momentum going to new FY we reacted
well went into the first quarter with momentum and opportunity.
We ended quarter one being over plan by only 8400 hours.
Number two to plan and number two to SPLY (same period last year) in
the Northeast Area at the end of the first quarter.
Recently the weather has caused us to struggle.
Currently we are 11.6 percent under SPLY in this quarter.
Carrie said that it attests to the efforts of all supervisors and
managers. She suggested that we give ourselves a pat on the back.
She added that the real story is we need more.
She said that we actually saved a half million hours to SPLY.
But the new plan calls for
saving s of 1.6 million hours to SPLY.
The stretch went from -10 percent SPLY in total hours to -12
percent SPLY in total hours.
We know the economy is bad and getting worse.
It is effecting us and we
must find ways to save, save, save.
The Postal Service is reactive to the economy.
Carrie went on to discuss SOX compliance.
We do get scored once a month via a district manager score
card on things like late postage statements, negative and delinquent
accounts, employee items, banking and excess stamp stock. The reason
we are being ranked on them is that we are scored and there are
different goals by the end of the FY to be in SOX compliance.
One of the things we don’t need is to be sanctioned because
we do not meet SOX compliance.
We are going full speed ahead to make sure that does not
happen and some of the things we are doing such as cash counts
regularly still haven’t been able to do that.
Carrie went over end of year data from the Business Review.
The NEA originally cancelled the Business Review attesting to
the good job SENE is doing.
On a positive note Carrie added – “After hearing about all of
the layoffs I can say to myself, ‘Thank God I have a job in the
USPS. We have a good job
and good benefits we can retire from.’”
She said that now we’re in control of our own destiny – no
one can do it as well as we can.
President’s report Dean
Ambrosino:
Everyone is aware of the changes coming.
We have to stay focused on what our responsibilities are and
we can only control what our responsibilities are.
Focus on our responsibilities and hopefully from these we can
weather the storm. Look
out for the USPS. We
have to look out for each other.
The Postal Service has to push about T Time.
PMs and managers have to
manage the EAS side. We have to respect that, as long as the manager
is doing the right thing for the Postal Service.
We must manage the operations as best we can for the least
amount of money. Are we
paying craft to cover management? If
so, Dean said that he want to hear about that.
What’s best for the USPS?
There is much pressure to save T Time.
Manage the operation; get tasks done in the 8 hours.
Do all the work you can.
We are not guaranteed T Time.
Question came up about rumors – Why isn’t more information shared
with us? This is
counterproductive.
Dean said that here is a freeze on posted positions due to the
downsizing in administration.
As supervisors and managers we have to keep control of rumors
and work from there.
Keep it in check. No
information will be passed unless Dean knows it’s true.
District did a very good job in holding back positions.
Ann Mailloux
volunteered: There are
plenty of vacant positions and permission has been granted to post
11 jobs Tuesday or a week later.
But we may be restricted from filling them.
Administrative employees should look to your own future and
plan. Prepare for
another position.
Develop new skills – to find a place where you can be as comfortable
as possible.
Dean continued
- Providence and Brockton plants are experiencing tour compression.
In Providence they are going to limit tour II automation and
limited days of the week they would serve in operations.
At the plant on weekends they will not be running automation,
APPS, FSM 100, on tour II.
Quite a few supervisors are impacted at the plant. Who will
be impacted? He and Cy
have met with the plant manager and Lead Plant Manager Gary Fahey a
number of times concerning how it will be rolled out.
We still haven’t come to an agreement on how it is going to
be done such as what jobs will be available and matching them up
with people. We are
going to try to limit the impact on people as much as possible.
Questions came up -
Question:
Can we share this with our employees?
Answer:
Sure you could. I
think this should be shared with the employees.
Question:
How do I deal with employees when they read in their magazine
that the headquarters, VPs are getting generous bonuses?
Answer:
I can’t justify it.
Corporate America deals with this all the time.
It’s important to keep in mind that we are fortunate to be
working for this organization.
It’s hard to come to work and stay positive.
Mailloux:
People need to understand that in ‘08 we did an incredible
job with service and people.
We are in worse position in comparison to other clusters.
We have already done what needs to be done to save money.
As a result, we have to ask our operational people to do
things that they have never done before. We have to ask our
operational people to do things that they have avoided doing because
they have tried to do the right thing by their people who give their
discretionary effort every day.
Because that’s the position we are in.
Unfortunately, if the managers and supervisors don’t step up and do
those things, people will be out of jobs.
If folks don’t believe that we are looking a lay offs –
that’s what we are looking at.
We can’t get the mail processed and delivered now.
You can do as you have always done and have someone else make
the decisions. Or you
can rise to the occasion, be a leader, cut what you can cut, make
changes although unpleasant.
You have to sell this to your employees.
You have to talk the truth to your employees.
The truth is ugly.
I would rather have someone talk the truth to me and give me
an opportunity to make a difference, rather than lie to me and find
myself on the ranks of the unemployment line.
So that’s the position that this company is in now.
I think that if we don’t all understand this, we’re not going
to have an option to stand up and do the right thing.
Old Business:
Audit committee report:
Given by Donna Machala (enclosed)
On behalf of the committee she wished Sue Evans a happy and healthy
retirement.
Motion to accept made by Pat Bennett, seconded by Brad Fish.
Budget Committee report
given by Sue Evans. (enclosed)
She thanked the Betty DiSalvia and Andy Maynard for helping.
Motion to accept by Al Poli seconded by Steve Lallier
Dean extended his thanks to
Joe Murdock calling his the quiet voice of reason while serving as
an executive board member.
Then Dean thanked Bob McCall for serving on the executive
board as vice president and covering for Cy during his wife’s
illness.
Dean recognized retirees Cid Blanchette, Bill Panoni, Jim Falvey,
Tom Boland and Alan Conca. Alan
served as a NAPS Branch 105 executive board vice president and ran
social committee. Dean
thanked Alan for his many years of service.
Dean thanked Genie and Skip DelSesto and congratulated them on their
recent retirement.
Dean also recognized recent retiree Sue Evans and thanked her for
the eight years she has continuously served as NAPS Branch 105
Treasurer.
50-50 - SPAC drawing winner of
$102.00 is 3979848 Brady Sullivan.
Motion to adjourn made by Alan Conca and seconded by John Peters.
Meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Rose A. Russo
Secretary-NAPS Branch 105, Providence, RI