May 2023 Update
As we head towards summer, grievance activity remains high in most Branches. This is particularly true in the North Dakota Branches. The bulk of our grievances involve the same old issues, discipline, management doing Mail Handler work, and cross craft violations. Surprisingly, the implementation of the 2022 National Agreement is progressing smoothly, or at least more smoothly than I was expecting. Still, we’ll be watching for any dips in the road as not all provisions of the 2022 National Agreement have been fully implemented.
The National Union recently released a document containing a series of Questions and Answers related to the implementation of 2022 National Agreement. I’ve provided a link to the document should anyone be interested in looking (Questions and Answers 2022 National Agreement). It is always worthwhile to become more familiar with the work rules which govern our relationship with management. A copy of the 2022 National Agreement will be mailed to all Members as soon as it becomes available.
I strongly encourage each Member to become familiar with the basics of our National Agreement. This is the source of our rights as a group, your rights as an individual, and it forms the foundation of our efforts in the filing of grievances. Participate, ask questions, your Local Officers and Branch Representatives are always willing to help you better understand our contract. Become involved by bringing contractual violations of the attention of your Steward, write statements to support our grievance efforts, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Even though I’ve said it many times it’s worth repeating, the most important person in Local 323 is the Member. And that’s you. With your help, we will continue down the road to a better future.
JL