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Paula D. "Lala" Barker-Harless ( February 23, 2023 ) Paula D. “Lala” Barker-Harless, 60, of Cross Lanes, went Home to be with the Lord, on Thursday, February 23, 2023, after a short illness. Lala was born on February 3, 1963 in Charleston, WV to the late Barbara and Harold Barker. She was a 1981 graduate of Stonewall Jackson High School, she was a former employee of the Charleston Newspapers, and was retired from the US Postal Service, she was the former president of the American Postal Workers Union, Local 133 in Charleston. Lala was a member Community Chapel Church in Cross Lanes. Lala was also preceded in death by her sister Carol D. Tawney and her mother-in-law Ann G. “Nubby” Bonds. Left behind to cherish her memory are her husband of 28 years Tommy L. Harless, brother-in-law Jeff Tawney, sister-in-law Becky Harless, nephews Adam Tawney and Tommie “TA” Harless, niece Lusinda Harless, and her special canine companion Kylla Jaxx. A Memorial Celebration of Lala’s life will be held at 1:00 PM Friday, March 3, 2023 at Community Chapel Church, 5287 Big Tyler Road, Cross Lanes, WV 25313 with Pastor Jacob Burgess and Jeremy Mace officiating. Her cremated remains will be placed at Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens, Cross Lanes, WV. The family will receive friends from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on Friday at the church.

It is with great sadness the Charleston WV Area Local was made aware of the passing of former President Paula Barker-Harless. Paula passed away on Thursday February 23, 2023. Paula served the Local in various capacities during her time with the U. S. Postal Service. She will be greatly missed.

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Charleston WV Area Local Members Register on this webiste with your First and Last name and a current Email address and be entered in to a drawing to win up to $1000.00 You may be contacted to verify identity. You cannot use a usps email address.

In accordance with the 2021-2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), career employees represented by the APWU will receive a $0.10 per hour cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), effective March 11, 2023. The increase is the result of a rise in the January Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). It will appear in paychecks dated March 31, 2023 (Pay Period 07-2023). The value of the COLA for full-time employees in each step and grade will increase by $208.00 annually for full time, career employees. The COLAs are in addition to general wage increases. This is the third cost-of-living increase under the 2021 CBA. The first increase, effective in February 2022, amounted to $0.63 per hour or $1,310.00 annually. The second, effective in August 2022 was $1.18 per hour, or $2,455.00 annually. The COLAs received so far during the 2021-2024 CBA total $3,973.00. In light of the fact that Postal Support Employees (PSEs) do not receive cost-of-living increases, they have received several additional increases beyond the general wage increases for all employees in the APWU bargaining unit under the 2021 contract. Rising inflation underscores just how important the continuation of our negotiated COLA is in our outstanding new CBA. The COLA is our best protection against inflation. Postal Workers are some of the few U.S. workers who receive these increases. Even in the postal world, we are the only postal union that has maintained full COLA in our CBA.

Department of Labor Announces New FECA Procedures for COVID-19 Cases The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) expired on January 27. The APWU has opposed the expiration of those provisions of the act that protected federal workers who contracted COVID-19 (COVID). We are providing the following as information to members on the new procedures for COVID-related workers’ compensation (OWCP) claims through the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). The ARPA included presumptions for federal workers who were exposed to COVID in the course of their employment. Postal workers who tested positive for COVID and had been working in the Postal Service were presumed to have contracted their illness while at work. Workers’ compensation claims were to be processed through the Department of Labor (DOL) by submission of form CA-1, Notice of Traumatic Injury. Traumatic Injury claims allow for the benefit of Continuation of Pay (COP). The ARPA expired on Jan. 27, 2023. For workers who test positive for COVID after Jan. 27, 2023, the DOL has announced their procedures for processing workers’ compensation claims in FECA Bulletin 23-02, available online. In most instances, workers’ compensation claims for COVID should now be filed on form CA-2 Notice of Occupational Disease (unless the injured worker is capable of positively identifying their exposure to a single event or a single work shift). There is no entitlement to COP in an occupational disease claim. Any claim for wage loss benefits will need to be pursued through filing a CA-7 through the DOL. Any claims for COVID benefits based on testing after Jan. 27, 2023 and filed on a CA-1 will be administratively converted to a CA-2 by the DOL, and COP will be denied. The injured worker will receive written notice of any such change. There is also a three-day waiting period and the employee will initially need to use their own leave until the claim is approved. For claims based on positive testing after Jan. 27, 2023, the injured worker will have the burden of establishing all five (5) essential elements to workers’ compensation entitlement to include a causal relationship (there will be no more presumptions). A causal relationship is established by providing a physician’s reasoned medical opinion as to why he or she believes that a positively tested COVID diagnosis was attributable to work place exposure. The claims examiner will issue a developmental letter explaining in more detail the evidence needed to establish the claim. All COVID claims based on positive testing through Jan. 27, 2023 were assigned case number with a prefix of 19. COVID claims based on testing after Jan. 27, 2023 will be assigned a prefix 55, like most other claims received by the DOL.

The Debt Ceiling & Postal Workers No postal worker or federal retiree will see a gap or reduction in pension payments or healthcare coverage. January 20, 2023 The Treasury Department announced on Thursday that the United States government has hit its statutory “debt limit.” The next several months will be full of political drama, with serious risks at hand for working people and working-class retirees. While the debt limit was technically reached this week, the Treasury Department has begun certain accounting measures to extend its ability to pay the government’s bills. Among the “extraordinary measures” announced by Treasury are some that are of serious concern to postal workers. The Treasury Department has announced it will begin a “debt issuance suspension period” which will affect the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF), the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefit Fund (PSRHBF), and the G Fund of the Thrift Savings Plan These funds are normally invested in U.S. Treasury bonds. By suspending the debt issuance, Treasury temporarily saves the interest that would normally be paid into the funds. While the political brinksmanship around the debt ceiling is a shameful reflection of Congress’s disregard for working peoples’ interests, postal workers and other federal employees should rest assured that their retirement benefits are secure at this time. No postal worker or federal retiree will see a gap or reduction in pension payments or healthcare coverage. The law further requires that the Treasury Department make whole the effected funds once the debt ceiling has been either raised or suspended. Treasury has previously taken similar actions, and in each instance, benefits continued to be paid and the CSRDF, the PSRHBF and the G Funds were fully reimbursed for the temporary losses incurred by the funds. Today, the law makes that reimbursement automatic once the debt ceiling issue is resolved. The debt limit showdown is a manufactured crisis, the product of decades of tax cuts for the wealthy led by a political elite that is more comfortable debating cuts to already-starved social programs and hard-earned benefits than ensuring the federal government works for working people. The new Republican majority in the House is demanding the Biden Administration agree to steep cuts in federal spending in exchange for raising the debt ceiling. It’s projected that the Treasury Department will be unable to pay bills in a few months, putting the “full faith and credit” of the U.S. government in question and risking an unnecessary recession that would surely hit working people hardest. “Make no mistake working people and our unions won’t stand for benefit cuts in exchange for what should be a routine act of Congress,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “The debt limit has been increased on a bipartisan basis dozens of times before, including three times during the Trump presidency. The cynical hostage-taking is unnecessary and dangerous.” The APWU leadership is following the developments closely and will continue to demand our political leaders don’t sacrifice working people’s benefits in exchange for a debt limit increase and will keep members informed of any new developments.

APWU Position on Employees Who Have Had Direct Deposits Stolen in LiteBlue Fraud January 20, 2023 APWU national officers have filed a national dispute with postal management on behalf of members who have had their pay stolen by cyber-criminals and are unable to recover the money. Several hundred postal workers have had pay stolen by cyber-criminals who used fraudulent websites to obtain sensitive personal data that was used to divert and steal direct deposit payments. The thefts mainly occurred during Pay Period 26 of 2022 but continued into Pay Period 1 of 2023. The thefts led the Postal Service to shut down employee apps on LiteBlue and through PostalEase on any computer or device not connected to an internal Postal Service Intranet network. While many workers have been able to recover money that has been recovered from banks, Postal Service management has taken the position that any unrecovered loss of pay as a result of the fraud is the fault of postal workers. However, management was aware of the risk of cyber fraud but did not send warnings to employees. It is also known that the Postal Service was aware of security threats to the LiteBlue application because they had been working on the creation and implementation of a Multifactor Authentication (MFA) process since mid-2022, but did not inform the APWU of this until the last week of November 2022. The banking industry and secure websites have been utilizing MFA processes for years because of the everyday security threats on the internet. Yet the Postal Service chose not to implement these processes until just this week, when a Stand-Up Talk was issued on December 17. Although not every APWU represented employee has had their pay stolen, we understand that anyone who has lost money has been affected deeply, and these issues must be addressed by the Postal Service immediately. APWU President, Mark Dimondstein, said: “It appears that the number of affected people is not huge, but a paycheck is a family’s lifeline and not one single worker should be left without money as a result of this attack.” “The criminals behind this attack are to blame, but postal management must also take its share of the responsibility,” said Charlie Cash, APWU Industrial Relations Director. “It is clear that Postal management knew for a long time that LiteBlue had this security risk by they made no serious attempt to warn workers or upgrade security until it was too late for hundreds of workers.” TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS IF YOUR DIRECT DEPOSIT HAS BEEN STOLEN: Call the Accounting Service Center to report the fraud at 1-866-974-2733 Report the loss to the USPS Cybersafe unit at cybersafe@usps.gov Call the Human Resources Shared Service Center (HRSSC) at 1-877-477-3273 and either change the direct deposit information or cancel it entirely Request a pay advance, but note the advance will more than likely be denied as the Postal Service takes the position that due to employee negligence, no advance is owed. A grievance can be filed on the denial of the advance at this point The employee can file a PS Form 2146. The PS form 2146 is a claim for employees lost personal property while on duty or while on postal premises. An employee’s pay is personal property and is connected to employment. Once the claim has been submitted, the Postal Service must act on it. The Supervisor must complete their portion, send to the Area, and a decision must be rendered within 30-days of receipt at the Area Level. Employee and local officers and stewards need to make sure the form is submitted to Area ASAP. If a negative decision is rendered, the denial should be appealed directly to arbitration. There is no guarantee this will lead to the Postal Service paying the lost funds to the employee--this is only one possible action an employee can take on the issue and it is up to each employee whether or not to make such a claim. If the Postal Service recovers the funds lost and returns them to the employee, each employee and union official must then evaluate any grievances or claims currently active and make a determination on the continued processing of such grievances or claims.

Protecting LiteBlue from Cyber Criminals: Multifactor Authentication Required After January 15 January 20, 2023 APWU national officers are continuing to advocate for members who have had had their wages stolen in the recent online fraud attack on USPS systems. Below is an update on management’s introduction of multifactor authentication (MFA) for LiteBlue log ins. MFA is a tool that banks and other institutions use when dealing with sensitive personal information to prevent cyber-attacks. It is an identity verification method where users have to use two or more methods to gain access to an online account. Entering a password and then a text message confirmation code is an example of MFA. Management has provided an update about the implementation of MFA to log into LiteBlue after cyber criminals gained access to sensitive employee data using fake websites that closely resembled LiteBlue. The fraudsters used this information to make changes to net-to-bank and allotment accounts to divert and steal direct deposit funds. A Stand-Up Talk issued on January 17 announced that the Postal Service began requiring MFA in order to access LiteBlue on Jan. 15, 2023 as an additional layer of protection to strengthen online security measures for postal workers personal data. When employees log into LiteBlue, they will be required to set up their MFA preferences. Once an employee’s MFA setup is enabled, these ID confirmation factors will be required each time they log in. WHAT YOU NEED TO DO After Jan. 15, 2023, when you log in to LiteBlue: Reset your Self-Service Profile (SSP) Password. Verify the last four digits of you Social Security Number (SSN. Set up your multifactor authentication preferences. After set up, you will be required to confirm your credentials each time you log in. For more information or to view support materials, go to the LiteBlue login page and select “Multifactor Authentication.” Resource materials, including an Instructions to Enroll and Sign in to LiteBlue with Multifactor Authentications (MFA) user guide, are also available below. LiteBlue MFA Documents & Materials Stand-Up Talk: Multifactor Authentication Now Required for LiteBlue LiteBlue with MultiFactor Authentication Instructions (Jan 15 2023) LiteBlue MFA - Manager HERO Email (1-17-23) LiteBlue MFA - Employee HERO email (1-15-23) Manager Talking Points - LiteBlue MFA Multifactor Authentication for LiteBlue - LINK Article Multifactor Authentication Posters D4 USPS Officers Letter - Multifactor Authentication for LiteBlue

Direct Deposit Theft suggestion with 2146 example (2).pdf PS2146 fillable (2).pdf

JCIM is Available: Order Yours Today! January 5, 2023 The 2023 Joint Contract Interpretation Manual (JCIM), a resource for the administration of the 2021-2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), is now available for members! Members can order their JCIM for $10 from the APWU Store on the APWU website, or you can click here for an electronic copy. The JCIM is an APWU and USPS jointly prepared manual for interpreting issues related to the union contract and serves to address and resolve disputes as well as ensure contract compliance. The JCIM is a collection of agreed-upon interpretations that have been made over decades of collective bargaining. Whether those interpretations have been made by simple discussion and agreement, interpreted by a national arbitrator in arbitration proceedings, agreed upon in memoranda of understanding, or through dispute settlements, the JCIM is the final word on issues printed in the booklet for all levels of the grievance process. The purpose of the JCIM is also stated at the beginning of the manual: “When a dispute arises, the parties should first go to the JCIM to determine if the issue in disputes is addressed. If it is, the parties are required to resolve the dispute in accordance with this manual. If the parties effectively use and consult the JCIM, many disputes can be settled early on in the grievance/arbitration process.”

Update to APWU Members on LiteBlue Fraud January 5, 2023 APWU National Officers continue to warn postal workers to be on the lookout for a fraudulent online scheme that has resulted in stolen direct deposit payments from USPS employees. The scam involves either a phone call from someone claiming to be a Postal Inspector or a fraudulent website that looks like LiteBlue, but sends workers’ log in details to the fraudsters. Once workers have provided the scammers with their security information, such as passwords and EINs, the scammers can log into their victims’ LiteBlue accounts and change their net-to-bank payroll information. USPS management warned workers about the fake LiteBlue sites in a Stand-up Talk on Dec. 23. On Dec. 29 the USPS disabled access to change PostalEase on external sites. Employees can still login through external computers, but can only view their direct deposit and other information. Employees who need to change their information will have to either login to PostalEase through an ACE computer at a postal facility or call the Human Resource Shared Service Center (HRSSC) directly at 1-877-477-3273 to make any necessary direct deposit or benefit changes at this time. An updated Stand-up Talk was posted on the subject on Dec. 30. However, it has been reported from the field that the Stand-up Talks are not being done in many locations and that managers are denying workers access to postal devices in order to log into their accounts. If you have not received the Stand-up talks regarding LiteBlue fraud, or are denied access to PostalEase through a USPS issued device, please contact your steward or other local/state officer for resolution. If local management refuses to resolve the problems, local and state leaders can inform the Industrial Relations Department to address the problem with Postal HQ management. APWU national officers are monitoring the situation and demanding that the Postal Service provide full updates on what has happened, what is still happening, and what is being done to remedy the situation, including the reimbursement of stolen funds Postal Service management will implement a Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) system, which will add an extra layer of security by requiring a code sent via email or text to log in. It is recommended that everyone ensure the Postal Service has a good email or phone number that can receive a text on file. The email or phone number provided to the Postal Service for MFA will only be used for this purpose. It is important that you should never share your LiteBlue/PostalEase login information with anyone. The Postal Inspectors will not call or ask for this information over the phone. If you are concerned that you might have entered your LiteBlue information on a fraudulent website or have provided that information from a phone call, please attempt to log in and check your LiteBlue/PostalEase account immediately. If you can’t log in, see unauthorized changes, or if anything seems suspicious, contact HRSSC immediately at 1-877-477-3273. FRAUD ALERT STAND UP TALKS Fraud Alert - Fake LiteBlue Websites - Stand Up Talk Fraud Alert - Net to Bank and Allotment Disabled in Postal Ease - Stand Up Talk

Subject: Continual Issues with LiteBlue/PostalEase All, I just received the message below from the Postal Service which you may share with the field informing us the external link to PostalEase/Liteblue will be taken down today. This will require employees to make changes Postal Service devices within postal facilities. Colleagues, We continue to receive reports of employees clicking on fake LiteBlue websites, allowing cyber criminals to steal their usernames and passwords. A limited number of employees have reported changes to their net to bank or allotment changes due to this activity. The USPS has taken multiple steps to combat this activity through enhanced communications, stand-up talks, working with internet providers to identify the sites as fraudulent, and proactively identifying potential victims. Unfortunately, some employees continue to access the fake websites. The VP, CISO has recommended disabling the external link to PostalEase today, December 29, 2022. Taking this action will prevent any net to bank or allotment changes to occur unless employees log-in from a USPS issued device in a USPS facility to further protect employees against fraudulent websites. The Chief Information Office is working to expedite the deployment of a multi-factor solution which will prompt employees for a second identification factor, such as a one-time passcode through text or email or through an authenticator application that will be in addition to their usernames and passwords. In the interim, please inform employees to call the helpdesk at 877-477-3273 for assistance with their urgent LiteBlue needs. Headquarters is working diligently to resolve these security issues and enable LiteBlue to be available ASAP. Thank you! Tom  I have also made inquiries on what the Postal Service is doing to ensure all employees have access to a “postal device” in a postal facility. Thank you and remember—stay safe, wear your mask! Charlie Cash Industrial Relations Director American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO

REPORTS OF DIRECT DEPOSIT CHANGES: UPDATE Subject: Update on employee's Direct Deposit Union Family, I received an update on the issue with employee’s direct deposit. See below. However, I reiterate that everyone should go change their password and make sure they are using the appropriate website which is: LiteBlue (usps.gov) Do not share your information with anyone! Including members of your family, friends, etc. Here is the message received from Vice-President of Labor Relations Tom Blum: Colleagues, VP Heather Dyer and the Inspection Service have confirmed Postal Service employees are often unknowingly providing their usernames and passwords to criminal websites, while attempting to access PostalEase. Employees are using Google and attempting to access PostalEase; however, Google in-turn has been redirecting them to criminally run websites that mirror the look and access of PostalEase. VP Dyer and the Corporate Information Security Office (CISO) are working with the Postal Inspection Service and drafting letters to the impacted group of approximately 119 employees, while also preparing a second letter addressed to all postal employees. Both drafts are currently under review by the Privacy Office and Law Department. We have received reports representations have been made at the district level confirming Postal Inspectors are contacting impacted employees, as well as employees who may have unknowingly been compromised, and requesting their EINs and passwords. Please note . . . Postal Inspectors have not contacted postal employees and requested their EINs and/or passwords. (Emphasis added by Charlie Cash) If you know of any financially impacted employees, please have them immediately contact the Eagan ASC Helpdesk at 866-974-2733. Staff members are available to assist. If you become aware of any employee experiencing access issues to PostalEase, please recommend they immediately contact 877-477-3273 to request assistance. VP Dyer, the CISCO Team and the Postal Inspection Service continue working around-the-clock to enhance the security of PostalEase. We will provide you with any additional information ASAP. Tom Thank you and remember—stay safe, wear your mask! Charlie Cash Industrial Relations Director American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO

2023 Leave Calendar and Leave Chart Available November 9, 2022 The 2023 APWU Leave Calendar and Leave Chart are now available on the APWU website under Frequently Requested Resources. The Leave Calendar is a great resource identifying pay periods, pay days, and holidays. The Leave Chart can be used to track current balances of advanced annual, earned annual and sick leave, as well as what leave has been used. The files are in PDF for easy downloading and printing.

Extended MOU Now Includes Job Audits to Increase Clerk Craft Work November 7, 2022 On November 4, 2022, the parties agreed to extend the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Re: Bulk Mail Tech and Mailing Requirements Clerk Position Qualification. This MOU originated during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been extended on several occasions, leading to the latest agreement to continue it for one year from the signing of the agreement. The MOU establishes the required training for employees bidding to Bulk Mail Tech and Mailing Requirements Clerk duty assignments, including the number of hours for classroom training and on-the-job training. For the first time, this MOU adds an agreement to jointly review the following positions for the purpose of identifying the work performed by each position and if work currently being performed by Executive and Administrative Schedule (EAS) employees should instead be performed by clerk bargaining unit employees: Bulk Mail Technician Mailing Requirements Clerk Supervisor, Mail & Shipping Solutions Center Mailing Standards Specialist Supervisor, Mail Entry The joint review will be conducted by six (6) Bulk Mail Techs and six (6) Mailing Requirements Clerks, as chosen by the APWU, and EAS employees as determined by the Postal Service. The Bulk Mail Techs and Mailing Requirements Clerks who are selected will be released from their regular duties as necessary to “fully participate in the activities associated with the joint position review process”. In addition, any training and/or travel expenses will be paid if needed for the joint review. “The addition of the position review to this MOU is yet another reflection of the Clerk Craft’s commitment to capture as much work for our craft as possible,” explained APWU Clerk Craft Director Lamont Brooks. “We believe that many of the duties currently performed by EAS employees belong to the bargaining unit” Brooks added, “and the review will also hopefully help to more clearly identify the dividing line between Bulk Mail Tech duties and Mailing Requirements Clerk duties.” The position review will begin no later than January 27, 2023 and conclude no later than May 5, 2023. A copy of the MOU is linked to this article.

APWU-Represented Postal Workers Get Retro-Pay October 28, 2022 APWU-represented employees who fall under the 2021-2024 National Agreement received the retro-active payments owed on them in their paychecks dated October 28, 2022. Employees will see the retro-active payments listed on their paychecks as multiple “adjustments”. In order to fully understand the retro-active payments, each person should download their full paystub that is available to them through the USPS employee website. Pay stubs could be over 10 pages long. An explanation on how to read the pay stubs and understand the adjustment is found here (Retropay Explanation and Example Paystub). Each employee’s retro-active payment is based on the individual hours they were paid (work and/or paid leave). Thus, no retroactive payment will be the same. APWU-represented bargaining unit employees will receive retro-active pay adjustments as follows: Pay Period 21-2021 through Pay Period 12-2022 New rates for Grade 11 Employees Pay Period 25-2021 through Pay Period 12-2022 1.3% General Increase for all employees 1.0% additional increase for Postal Support Employees (PSEs) Pay Period 06-2022 through Pay Period 12-2022 $0.63 per hour COLA for Career Employees Pay Period 09-2022 through Pay Period 16-2022 Extra $0.50 per hour for PSEs The pay rates that required a retro-active payment (with the exception of the extra $0.50 per hour for PSEs) went into effect on June 4, 2022, the start of Pay Period 13-2022. If questions arise in regards to the retroactive payments, employees must take their full pay stub to their state or local union officials for review and discussion. If there are still questions or concerns after this review, State and Local Presidents may submit these questions to the Industrial Relations Department. These retro-active payments are another example of the importance of having a strong collective bargaining agreement. Under the 2021-2024 employees have received the following increases: 1.3% General Increase effective November 20, 2021 1.0% additional increase for PSEs effective November 20, 2021 $0.63 per hour Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) effective February 26, 2022, for career employees $0.50 per hour extra for PSEs effective April 9, 2022 $1.18 per hour COLA effective August 27, 2022 Employees will also receive two more general pay increases of 1.3% on November 19, 2022 and November 18, 2023, respectively, with PSEs receiving an additional 1.0% increase at the same time. Career employees will also receive four more COLA increases based on the movement of the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W (1967=100)) during the remaining term of the national agreement. Additionally, employees who have not reached top step of their respective pay grade, will continue to receive step increases. View Retro Pay Explanation & Example Paystub Retroactive PayPay Information

2022 Convention Transcript Now Available October 26, 2022 An official transcript of the proceedings from the APWU’s 26th Biennial National Convention is now available to union members on www.apwu.org. The convention is the highest governing body of the APWU. The 1,798-page document provides a full transcript of the business undertaken during the assembly, which took place Aug. 15-18 in National Harbor, MD. Union members can click here to log in and view or download the convention proceedings. The convention was attended by 2,047 delegates representing 297 locals from 43 states, Saipan, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; and by 69 national officers and four Retirees convention delegates.

PER DIEM UPDATE – EFFECTIVE DATE NOVEMBER 7, 2022 October 18, 2022 After meeting with the Postal Service again and scheduling an NCED site visit, we can announce that the implementation date of the per diem MOU is November 7, 2022 and will be piloted for three years for all Crafts. The current GSA rates control the per diem amount, currently at $59.00 per day. Students whose training starts prior to Nov. 7 and ends after Nov. 7 will receive per diem for all days beginning November 7, 2022 and beyond. If you have any related questions, please contact Maintenance Division Director Balogun; (202) 842 4213 or email maintwebinar@apwu.org.

And the Winners Are... October 17, 2022 Three locals and one retiree chapter will be rewarded for generating participation in the recent election of national union officers, Secretary-Treasurer Liz Powell has announced. To be eligible for rewards, locals and chapters must have achieved participation of at least 50 percent. The winnings are to be used at the discretion of the locals and retiree chapters on behalf of the membership. Three locals will receive $200.00 each for achieving at least 50 percent participation: Vincennes (IN) Local Lewistown (MT) Local Chatsworth (CA) Local No other locals qualified in any of the other categories. Retiree Chapters The Philadelphia BMC Local Retiree Chapter will receive $50. No other chapters qualified in any of the other categories. “Congratulations to the locals and retiree chapters that achieved a high level of participation,” Powell said. “Unfortunately, voter turnout overall was extremely low, so we must redouble our efforts to encourage members to participate in union activities.” The official results [PDF – Members Only] of the APWU Election of National Officers were certified by the American Arbitration Association on Oct. 7.

2022 APWU National Officer Election Results Certified October 11, 2022 The official results [PDF – Members Only] of the APWU Election of National Officers have been tabulated and were certified by the American Arbitration Association on Oct. 7. A summary will be published in the November-December issue of The American Postal Worker. The results will also be separated by local. These will be posted to the Members Only section in the coming days. Uncontested offices are not shown in the web posting, but will be listed in the magazine.

Mark Dimondstein overwhelmingly reelected APWU President Entire APWU Solidarity Team prevails October 6, 2022 APWU President Mark Dimondstein was elected to a fourth term as votes in the APWU National Officer Elections were tallied on Oct. 6. Also re-elected were Legislative and Political Director Judy Beard, and Retirees Department Director Nancy Olumekor. Human Relations Department Director Daleo Freeman was elected to a first full-term. Yared Wonde will become the new Southern Region Coordinator and Arrion Brown will become the new Support Services Division Director. Election results are not official until verified by the American Arbitration Association (AAA). Unofficial results for all races are printed below. Certified results are expected in the next several days and will be posted on apwu.org and in the next issue of The American Postal Worker. "I am honored by the strong vote of confidence from APWU members for my re-election and the election of every APWU Solidarity Team member,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “As candidates, we proudly ran a campaign focused on our collective accomplishments and our vision for the future of our great union.” “I congratulate all those officers who were re-elected and welcome those who are newly-elected,” Dimondstein added. “Now that the election is behind us, let us all unite in APWU solidarity to continue building union power as we face the many opportunities and challenges to come.” GENERAL AND DEPARTMENTS President Mark Dimondstein* 17,768 John L. Marcotte 8,258 Legislative/Political Director Judy Beard* 17,723 Thomas Benson 8,172 Human Relations Director Daleo Freeman* 17,942 Doris Simmons 7,824 REGIONAL COORDINATOR Southern Regional Coordinator Sam Wood 1,833 Yared Wonde* 2,081 CLERK CRAFT National Business Agents, Southern Region, Atlanta Region, (C) Keenan D. Anthony, Sr. 309 Sandra Munoz Hernandez* 773 William G. Flanagan, Jr. 310 National Business Agents, Southern Region, Dallas Region, (C) Diann Scurlark* 362 Alex Aleman 255 Ben Martinez 272 National Business Agents, Central Region, Cincinnati Region, (A) Michael D. Schmid* 479 Mark E. Graham 273 National Business Agents, Central Region, Minneapolis Region, (B) Gregory Becker* 346 Christopher Mark Hendrickson 223 National Business Agents, Northeast Region, New England Region, (A) Bill Mazurowski* 663 Thomas S. Smith 102 Scott Adams 334 National Business Agents, Western Region, San Francisco Region, (A) Sonia E. Canchola* 834 Charquita Rainey 490 National Business Agents, Western Region, San Francisco Region, (C) Eric A. Van Dyke 563 Fabiola Dominguez* 584 Terry L. Hood 173 MOTOR VEHICLE SERVICES DIVISION National Business Agents, Central Region Mark Krueger 202 Dave Cook* 212 National Business Agents, Eastern Region Garrett C. Langley* 193 Brian R. McLaurin 56 Raymond J. Scanlon 84 National Business Agents, Northeast Region Stephen D. Mohan 176 Rick White* 295 SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION Support Services Director Robin “Robbie” Robertson 74 Arrion Brown* 142 Aaron T. Young 43 RETIREES DEPARTMENT Retirees Department Director Nancy E. Olumekor* 6663 Robert L. Jeffrey, Jr. 2194 Southern Region RNC Delegate Patricia A. McGriff* 1139 Kim H. Guy 788 UNCONTESTED NATIONAL OFFICERS General and Administrative Officers Executive Vice President Debby Szeredy (I), Mid-Hudson New York Area Local (NY) Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth “Liz” Powell (I), Western Nassau New York Area Local (NY) Industrial Relations Director Charles “Charlie” Cash (I), Buffalo Local (NY) Organization Director Anna Smith (I), Portland Oregon Area Local (OR) Research and Education Director Joyce B. Robinson (I), Richmond Area Local (VA) Health Plan Director Sarah Jane Rodriguez (I), Phoenix Metro Area Local (AZ) Regional Coordinators Central Region Sharyn M. Stone (I), Indianapolis Area Local (IN) Eastern Region AJ Jones (I), Eastern Montgomery County PA Area Local (PA) Northeast Region Tiffany Foster (I), New York Metro Area Postal Union (NY) Western Region Omar M. Gonzalez (I), Greater Los Angeles Area Local (CA) Clerk Division Director Lamont A. Brooks (I), The Northern Virginia Area Local (VA) Assistant Director (A) Sam Lisenbe (I), Fort Worth Area Local (TX) Assistant Director, (B) Lynn Pallas-Barber (I), 498-499 Area Local (MI) National Business Agents, Central Region Chicago Region, (A) Linda Turney (I), Schaumburg Local (IL) Chicago Region, (B) Devendra Rathore “D” (I), Fox Valley Local (IL) Chicago Region, (C) James Stevenson (I), Detroit District Area Local (MI) Cincinnati Region, (B) Michael W. Funk, Jr. (I), Greater Cincinnati Ohio Area Local (OH) Minneapolis Region, (A) Todd M. Elkerton (I), Saint Paul Area Local (MN) St. Louis Region, (A) Robert D. Kessler (I), Greater Kansas City Metro Area Local (MO) St. Louis Region, (B) Daniel F. Skemp (I), Rapid Area Local (IA) Wichita Region, (A) Ashley D. Cargill (I), Norman Local (OK) National Business Agents, Eastern Region Philadelphia Region, (A) Robert Romanowski (I), New Jersey Shore Area Local (NJ) Philadelphia Region, (B) John Louis Jackson, Jr. (I), Philadelphia BMC Local (PA) Philadelphia Region, (C) Vincent A. Tarducci (I), Philadelphia BMC Local (PA) Washington DC Region, (A) Rachel A. Walthall (I), Baltimore Francis "Stu" Filbey Area Local (MD) Washington DC Region, (B) Pamela R. Richardson (I), Lynchburg Area Local (VA) National Business Agents, Northeast Region New England Region, (B) Scott M. Hoffman, Boston Metro Area Local (MA) New England Region, (C) Thomas “Tom” O'Brien (I), South Shore Area Local (MA) New York Region, (A) Peter “Pete” Coradi (I), Brooklyn Local (NY) New York Region, (B) Elizabeth “Liz” Swigert (I), Queens Area Local (NY) New York Region, (C) Bernard “Bernie” C. Timmerman (I), Central New York Area Local (NY) National Business Agents, Southern Region Atlanta Region, (A) James “Jim” DeMauro (I), Tampa Area Local (FL) Atlanta Region, (B) Doris Orr-Richardson, Northeast Florida Area Local (FL) Dallas Region, (A) Jack Crawford (I), Houston Area Local (TX) Dallas Region, (B) Charles Tillman (I), Dallas Area Local (TX) Memphis Region, (A) Joe H. Jolley, Jr. (I), Nashville Area Local (TN) Memphis Region, (B) Pamela Smith (I), Birmingham Area Local (AL) National Business Agents, Western Region Denver Region, (A) Lamont Green, Phoenix Metro Area Local (AZ) Denver Region, (B) Joseph M. Zamenick, Phoenix Metro Area Local (AZ) Northwest Region, (A) Brian Dunsmore (I), Portland Oregon Area Local (OR) Northwest Region, (B) Brian Dunn (I), Portland Oregon Area Local (OR) San Francisco Region, (B) Mike Hetticher, Eureka Local (CA) San Francisco Region, (D) Chuck Locke (I), Sacramento Area Local (CA) Maintenance Division Director Idowu Balogun (I), Greater Los Angeles Area Local (CA) Assistant Director, (A) Terry B. Martinez (I), Dallas Area Local (TX) Assistant Director, (B) Jason Treier (I), Lancaster Area Local (PA) National Business Agents, Maintenance Division Central Region, (A) Craig Fisher (I), Tri-County Ohio Area Local (OH) Central Region, (B) Jeffrey Scott Beaton (I), Greater Kansas City Area Local (MO) Central Region, (C) Curtis Walker (I), Flint Michigan Area Local (MI) Eastern Region Kenneth Lester (I), Philadelphia PA Local (PA) Northeast Region Dave Sarnacki (I), Springfield Mass Area Local (MA) Southern Region, (A) John Gearhard (I), Jacksonville BMC Local (FL) Southern Region, (B) Carlos Paz (I), Dallas Area Local (TX) Western Region, (A) Hector Baez (I), San Diego Area Local (CA) Western Region, (B) Louis M. Kingsley (I), California Area Local (CA) Motor Vehicle Service Division Director Michael O. Foster (I), Detroit District Area Local (MI) Assistant Director Kenneth (Ken) Prinz (I), Philadelphia PA Area Local (PA) National Business Agents, Motor Vehicle Service Division Southern Region, Southeast Sub-Region Bruce E. Amey (I), Atlanta Metro Area Local (GA) Southern Region, Southwest Sub-Region Dyrike Shaw (I), Dallas Area Local (TX) Western Region Jerome A. Pittman (I), San Francisco Local (CA) All-Craft National Business Agents Alaskan Area James M. Patarini (I), Midnight Sun Area Local (AK) Caribbean Area Samuel A. Hernandez Algarin, Puerto Rico Area Local (PR) Pacific Area Rufina J. Pagaduan (I), Honolulu Local (HI) Support Services Division Support Services Division, National Business Agent Orlando L. Anderson, St. Louis Gateway District Area Local (MO) Retiree National Convention Delegates Central Region Paul Browning (I), Michigan Postal Workers Union Retiree Chapter (MI) Eastern Region Cynthia Nesmith, Philadelphia Area Local Retiree Chapter (PA) Northeast Region Leona Draper (I), Moe Biller/Eleanor Bailey Retiree Chapter (NY) Western Region Patricia Ann Williams (I), Greater Los Angeles Area Local 64 Retiree Chapter (CA)

Ballots for the 2022 Election of APWU National Officers will be mailed to members’ homes, along with the election magazine, on Wednesday, Sept. 14. All members in good standing as of June 17, 2022, will receive a ballot. To be counted, ballots must be returned to and received in the designated post office box in Washington, DC, by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Union members are encouraged to follow the balloting instructions carefully. To protect the privacy of your vote, place your ballot in the secret ballot envelope, and insert it into the mailing envelope. Information on the mailing envelope must be completed to identify legitimate voters, but mailing envelopes will be separated from secret ballot envelopes before votes are counted. Members in good standing who have not received their ballots by Monday, Sept. 19, should notify their local or contact the American Arbitration Association between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m (Eastern Time) at 800-529-5218 to request a duplicate. Ballots may also be requested by visiting: www.electionsaaa.org/ballotrequest/apwu All requests for duplicate ballots must include the member’s name, address, email address, employee ID number (or retiree ID number), the last four digits of the Social Security number, division (craft), local, and the reasons for the request. The APWU National Election Committee will take custody of the ballots from the designated post office box at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Votes will be tallied at the Hyatt Regency Washington, 400 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001. Unofficial election results will be posted on the union’s website, www.apwu.org, as soon as they are available, and will be updated frequently. Official results will be posted as soon as they are available, as well. For more information, visit www.apwu.org.