PSE Conversions May 25, 2019
PSE Members:
Effective May 25, 2019, the six senior PSEs will be converted to career status. Preference letters are being sent to the PSEs.
Fredric Jacobs
President
For a copy of this announcement, click here
PSE Conversions Scheduled For May 25, 2019
PSE Members:
I have been informed by management that the next round of PSE conversions to career status will be effective on May 25, 2019. Preference letters will be sent out this week. So far, I have not been told how many PSEs will be converted.
Fredric Jacobs
President
For a copy of this announcement, click here
Notes On Oakland Teachers Strike
Notes on Oakland Teachers Strike
By Peter Shapiro
1. The Oakland Education Association (OEA) demands: 12% pay hike over 3 years, more support staff (nurses, counselors, speech pathologists & resource specialists), smaller classes & no more school closures.
2. The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) teachers are so badly paid that many can’t afford to live here. Class size is also an issue. As a result, teacher turnover is extremely high — 500 out of 3000 left the district last year. This is a sore spot with students, who have several organized one-day sympathy strikes in recent weeks. They’re sick of seeing good teachers leave.
3. District has a lot of high needs kids — special ed, kids in foster care, immigrant kids who are still learning English (“newcomers”). Proliferation of charter schools (which enroll a far smaller proportion of these kids) has increased the burden on regular schools. More support staff badly needed, for the kids and their teachers.
For the remaining Notes (#4 through #10), click here for the complete document.
FYI – PSE Conversions to Career Status
PSE Members:
The APWU has been advised that the seven (7) senior PSEs will be converted to career status. Six (6) PSEs will be converted effective January 19, 2019, via Plant duty assignments and one (1) PSE will be converted after qualifying, if necessary, on the window requirements, via Laurel Station SSDA duty assignment.
Fredric Jacobs
President
For a copy of this announcement, click here.
Postal Worker West Newsletter
The latest January 2019 edition of the Postal Worker West Newsletter has been published.
The featured article provides an update on the collective bargaining process.
You’ll find the PWW Newsletter on the News >> Postal Worker West Newsletter page of this website:
PSE Career Opportunity Update
PSE Members:
I have been advised by In-Plant-Support that all previously unassigned regular clerks have been assigned to a duty assignment, and that there are 16 residual vacancies. Accordingly, the Oakland Local APWU will be working diligently to get PSEs converted to career status as soon as possible, and to have the conversions effectuated in compliance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with an accurate PSE seniority list.
Fredric Jacobs
President
For a PDF copy of this update, click here.
Prize For Final Website Contest is $400.00
FINAL “WORD IN THE WEBSITE CONTEST”
OCTOBER 2018
$400 PRIZE
October 2018 will be the final month of our website’s, “Word in the Website Contest”, due to low participation. The prize money has accumulated to $400.Contest rules are found on the website’s home page. Finalists who figure out the right word will be entered into a random drawing to determine the prize winner. We encourage APWU members to participate in this contest. Chances of winning the $400 prize money will be determined by the number of correct entries. One entry per APWU member. Good Luck!!!
Fredric Jacobs
President
Derrick Lee
Records Secretary
For the announcement flyer, click here.
Retirees Still in the Struggle
As the baby boomers face retirement, we are still riding that wave of activism as we age. Never assume it’s all over and time for the easy chair. Those who would take our jobs and retirement benefits do not rest and neither should we.
What to do? Join the APWU Retiree Department and become active in our local chapter. For $36 a year, you will be kept informed on issues facing retired postal workers. Best of all, you can get involved at the local level and help bring about needed changes. This is crucial – with the efforts being made to privatize the post office we must fight back to save it.
Come and check us out. We meet every third Tuesday of the month at 11:00 am. You’ll hear the latest postal gossip before we get down to business. We need you. We can win this battle and keep our local post offices open. All while making new friends.
Juanita Boles
Director Legislation, Oakland Local Retiree Chapter
For a PDF copy of this announcement, go to the Retirees Chapter News page.
PSEs Special Enrollment Period In USPS Health Benefits Plan
At the direction of APWU National Industrial Relations Director Vance Zimmerman, please see the information
below.
On July 30, 2018, the Postal Service notified the APWU that there will be a special enrollment period for PSEs to
enroll in the USPS Health Benefits Plan. The enrollment period will be open from August 20 2018, through October
4, 2018. Coverage will become effective on October 13, 2018.
This special enrollment is being conducted in accordance with the settlement agreement, RE: Workforce
Benefits Fund. The settlement calls for the Postal Service to make additional contributions to USPS Health Benefits
Plan for self plus one and family enrollments for PSEs. With these changes, it is necessary for the Service to offer
eligible PSEs the opportunity to enroll.
Each eligible PSE will be receiving a letter (attached) from the Postal Service giving enrollment deadlines,
enrollment methods, and plan premiums. The letter will instruct the employees to go the
https://liteblue.usps.gov/uspshbp to learn about the plan. Enrollment will be through PostalEASE via liteblue, self-service kiosks in some offices, or by calling the HRSSC at 1-877-477-3273.
This enrollment is for the USPS non-career health benefits plan and should not be confused with the APWU
Consumer Driven Option (CDO) plan. Enrollment will not be open for the APWU CDO plan during this special
enrollment.
PSEs are eligible for enrollment in the APWU CDO plan after completing their first 360-day
appointment. PSEs may enroll in the APWU CDO plan within 60-days of being appointed to a second term as a PSE
or during regular Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) open season held in November and December of each
year after meeting eligibility requirements.
Fredric Jacobs
President