On Thursday, April 6, 2017, officers and representatives from nearly every NPMHU Local Union gathered in Hollywood, Florida to participate in the latest Semi-Annual Meeting of the Local Unions (SAMLU). During his welcoming remarks, Hogrogian introduced two newly installed Local Presidents and twelve re-elected Local Presidents, resulting from elections or appointments occurring since the last SAMLU in December 2016.
The new Local Presidents include Chris Bentley (Local 297- Western MO & KS), Jason Adachi (Local 299- HI), Dan St. Marie (Local 301- New England region including MA, NH, VT, RI, MA, & most of CT.), Tony Coleman (Local 302- Northern CA & Reno, NV), William “Bip” McLemore (Local 304-OH, IN & KY), June Harris (Local 306-IL & WI), John Gibson (Local 308-Central and Southeastern PA, Southern NJ, & DE, Andy Badilishamwalimu (Local 310-GA), Nick Mosezar (Local 318-FL), Philip Derby (Local 319-WY), Larry Burk (Local 327-MT), Todd Larson (Local 328-SD), Randy Krueger (Local 333-IA), and Sheldon Adams (Local 334-SC).
During introductions, President Hogrogian also took time to recognize the newly appointed National Secretary-Treasurer Tim Dwyer, the retiring Contract Administration Department Manager Thomas J. Branch, and the newly appointed CAD Manager Teresa Harmon.
Brother Dwyer was appointed National Secretary-Treasurer effective April 1, 2017. Brother Dwyer previously served as both Treasurer and President of Local 301 in New England before transitioning to the National Office in 2012. Tim has served in various roles in Washington D.C. including National Trainer, Article 12 Task Force Representative, National CAD representative, and now National Secretary-Treasurer.
President Hogrogian recognized that this was T.J. Branch’s final SAMLU meeting, noting his retirement is effective April 14, 2017. During a separate retirement recognition event, attendees took time to honor T.J.’s 30 years of service to the NPMHU membership. T.J. served 23 years in the National Office, and most notably was an active participant in the last seven rounds of collective bargaining with the Postal Service. T.J. was presented with the NPMHU gold membership card and a congressional flag that was flown in his honor over the U.S. Capitol. The SAMLU attendees’ celebrated T.J.’s career.
The National President spoke about the new CAD Manager Teresa Harmon; her appointment is effective April 15, 2017. Teresa joined the CAD team in March 2012 as Director of the Eastern Region. Teresa transitioned to the National CAD in 2013, culminating with her recent appointment to CAD Manager. Please join us on wishing T.J. the very best in his retirement, and welcoming Teresa as the new Manager of the Contract Administration Department.
As is customary, Paul Hogrogian’s semi-annual report to the attendees was a comprehensive account of the activities of the National Union since the previous meeting of the Local Presidents. A comprehensive review of this report will be included in the summer edition of the Mail Handler magazine. President Hogrogian addressed a wide array of topics beginning with ratification of the 2016 National Agreement. After a lengthy informational mailing that fully complied with the requirements of the National Constitution, the vote established overwhelming support for the proposed agreement, with 93% of the mail handlers voting in favor of ratification. Hogrogian spoke briefly about the major contractual changes, deferring bargaining discussions to day 3 of the SAMLU during which a comprehensive training session was conducted. The national bargaining team – consisting of Paul Hogrogian, Tim Dwyer, T.J. Branch, Teresa Harmon, Kevin Fletcher, and Bobby Blum, was joined by Regional Vice Presidents and National Trainers Lawrence Sapp and John Gibson who collectively led training and discussions on the new 2016 National Agreement.
During his report, Hogrogian went on to discuss the USPS financial situation, mail volume, and the Postal Regulatory Commission’s (PRC) ongoing proceedings to review the postal ratemaking system. Hogrogian noted that the Postal Service is aggressively seeking to eliminate the PRC imposed rate cap and to authorize price increases when necessary to pay for all of its expenses, with only an annual review by the PRC. Major mailers and various charities and nonprofits have objected to the USPS rate cap proposal. Conversely, the NPMHU has intervened in support of the Postal Service. “We will be actively engaged in the proceedings, and will keep all of the locals informed about developments,” said President Hogrogian.
When speaking about postal reform, Hogrogian noted that the four major Postal Unions, USPS management represented by the PMG, and many of the major mailers have agreed on a stakeholders’ consensus bill on postal reform, which has now found its way into actual legislation that has been passed, on a bipartisan vote out of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. After briefing the attendees on the major components of the legislation as currently proposed, Hogrogian noted that the NPMHU will continue to remain engaged as H.R. 756 winds its way through the legislative process. Additionally, postal reform will be a featured item of discussion and lobbying during the NPMHU Legislative Conference in May 2017.
Following the President’s report, National Secretary-Treasurer Timothy Dwyer provided a detailed presentation and entertained questions and comments on a variety of topics, including the NPMHU Unaudited Q4 2016 Financial Statements; an updated presentation and analysis related to Mail Handler complement, with particular emphasis placed on the importance of organizing our new MHAs; membership trends and revenue allocation among our Union’s affiliated organizations; and analysis and review of Associate Dues, Service Charge, and Revenue Sharing programs.
The attendees also heard a report from NPMHU Legislative and Political Director Bob Losi on various legislative and political efforts. Aetna’s Director of National Accounts Brad Corban gave a comprehensive report on the status of the Mail Handlers Benefit Plan (MHBP). This was followed by Mike Hora, MHBP Executive Director, who gave a detailed presentation on matters related to MHBP accreditation, Open Season recruitment, and related finance matters.
Contract Administration Department Manager T.J. Branch then provided a full report on the activities of that department since the last meeting of the Local Unions. Several matters received extra attention, including the schedule for implementation of the 2016 National Agreement and the rules and regulations governing searches of USPS employees, vehicles in postal parking lots, and employee belongings on postal property. This latter topic caused a lively and informative debate among various National and Local representatives, all aimed at protecting the privacy and safety of all mail handlers.
The next meeting of the Local Unions will be held in Washington, DC in August of this year.
