July 2024 Update
My initial thoughts for this month’s column involved considering a theme of the “turmoil has begun.” But does the turmoil ever stop? Day after day in the facilities throughout both States there is no shortage of turmoil. When did it begin, who can say. Maybe it began with Benjamin Franklin.
There are, however, certain times when the turmoil reaches a crescendo before it subsides for a bit. But it never completely goes away. We expect that there will be contract violations. There always has been and there always will be. That’s why we have a grievance procedure and there’s no shortage of grievances being filed in Local 323. Still, there is a difference between the day-to-day turmoil we’re used to and the turmoil which leads to a crescendo. That difference depends on the disruption caused to people’s lives.
Management in St. Paul announced that they would be abolishing duty assignments at the airport sometime in October. They detailed people back to the plant, and then turned around a week ago, and abolished duty assignments in July. What changed? It appears that management got their marching orders from above and snapped to attention. This only goes to show how little control facility management has over the operation of an installation. Does management care that they’re disrupting people’s lives? No, they don’t. They’re doing, and will continue doing, what they’re told. We’ve seen this before, and I guess my initial thought of the turmoil beginning may only be a harbinger of what’s going to come.
The Postmaster General has a 10-Year Plan to reconfigure the Postal Service. And, despite telling the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that he would put implementation on hold until after the first of the year, things still appear to be moving forward.
The Local Union remains committed to ensuring that every Mail Handler and MHA receives every right to which they are entitled under the contract. Still, management may callously make decisions that will disrupt our lives. Everyone needs to be prepared for the implementation of the Postmaster General’s a 10-Year Plan. This is particularly true if you work in one of the buildings in Eagan. Management has plans and we may be in for a bumpy ride.
JL