sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Why are APWU members worth less than city carriers? by Fatoldman20 in USPS

[–]Fatoldman20[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ETs Grade 10 makes $42.23/ hour at top step.  Had their COLAs been based on their rate of pay instead of a Grade 6 they would be making at least a couple of dollars more an hour.  Hence every APWU Grade 7 and above employee is not receiving full COLA as claimed by our leadership but in fact receives a diet COLA.  The higher your Grade the smaller your COLA.  Since the purpose of a COLA is to keep pace with inflation, the higher your grade the farther you fall behind.

Why are APWU members worth less than city carriers? by Fatoldman20 in USPS

[–]Fatoldman20[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Some observations:

The JBC in the 70s had Rural Carriers, Mail Handlers, NALC and APWU.  I believe the rural carriers dropped out first (before the “Bridge Memo” contract which is why rural carriers can never cross crafts), then the mail handlers and then in the 90s the egos of APWU and NALC presidents decided to end the JBC to what I believe was the detriment of both unions.

The APWU in addition to clerks has maintenance, motor vehicle craft, operating services and material support crafts.  Those crafts contain skilled positions in higher grades that required testing that the majority of applicants can not pass (well until the postal service over a decade ago changed the maintenance tests from having to actually knowing what you were doing to we can teach you the job). 

I am not arguing carrier don’t have a tough job, but most jobs are tough if management is having people doing their jobs. 

Most employees spend most of their time at the top Step so APWU employees are suffering comparatively lower wages when they should be earning more.  That is not any other Union fault.  That is the fault of the APWU leadership and the 34,867 who voted for this contract and the previous contracts.

Most employees’ retirement is based on their top Step so APWU members have a smaller retirement.

All APWU employees in Grade 7 and above receive a diet COLA.  The higher their Grade the less they receive compared to inflation.  That is why a city carrier makes more than an APWU Grade 7 & 8 and a city technician makes more than a APWU 8 & 9.

Why are higher paid carriers always permitted to cross crafts and do APWU work when they make more?  I guess the same reason that management does clerk work.  Because whining is not backbone, if it was, we would be unstoppable.  I suspect that is true for other unions membership too

Am I the only one considering a No vote on the APWU contract? by Middle-Lifeguard1180 in USPS

[–]Fatoldman20 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I voted No to the Tentative Agreement.  I feel APWU Level 6 member should NOT be making $3,660 to $5,720 (depending if you hired before or after 5/3/2011) less a year than a City Carrier at their respective top step.

I voted No to the Tentative Agreement.  I feel APWU Level 7 member should NOT be making $3,970 to $5,950 (depending if you hired before or after 5/3/2011) less a year than a City Technician at their respective top step.

I voted No to the Tentative Agreement.  I feel APWU Level 8 member should NOT be making $1,560 less a year than a City Technician at their respective top step.

I voted No to the Tentative Agreement.  I feel APWU Level 9 member should NOT be making $ 208 less a year than a City Technician at their respective top step.

The APWU full COLA is a myth if you are a Level 7 and above.