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Branch 43 Bulletin

March 24, 2008 The next Branch 43 Membership Meeting will be April 10, 2008 at 7:30 PM at Branch 43 headquarters.  All members are invited and encouraged to attend.  A special invitation is extended to ALL new members. SNOW DAY GRIEVANCES: On March 18, 2008 Branch 43 and the Postal Service agreed to address the various issues as they relate to the Level 3 Snow Emergency which occurred on March 8, 2008, in class action grievances.  This agreement will encompass ALL city and associate offices under Branch 43 jurisdiction and the resolutions, either through the grievance process or arbitration will be final and binding.  The issues being addressed will involve employees who worked a partial day, a full day, or did not report to work at all.   In addition, we will be addressing safety issues relating to Level 3 Snow Emergencies as it relates to Postal policy and compliance with state and local laws.  If you attempted to get to work on March 8, 2008 and a local law enforcement officer ordered you to return home, we will need a written statement addressing what occurred.  If anyone else wishes to address their individual circumstances on this day, please provide a written statement to your steward immediately.  These statements along with personal testimonial accountants of what happened on March 8 will be critical information we will need as we prepare each case for possible arbitration hearings. Finally, many carriers have questioned why carriers received administrative leave in 2004 and not now?  The difference between the Level 3 Snow Emergency in 2004 and the present situation is the District Manager in 2004 elected to cancel all Postal operations due to safety concerns while the current District Manager elected to continue operations as normal.   As we proceed through the grievance process with these grievances, we will keep the membership informed through the monthly editions of the News and Views or the branch web site.  www.branch43.com    PART-TIME FLEXIBLES (P.T.F.’s): We will resume meeting with P.T.F.’s thirty (30) minutes prior to the monthly Branch meetings starting with the April 10th, 2008 meeting.  This meeting will begin promptly at 7:00.  If you have a specific issue which you need addressed, please contact the office prior to the meeting so we will be prepared to address your concerns. TRANSITIONAL EMPLOYEES (T.E.’S): We have decided to have a meeting with the T.E.’s thirty (30) minutes prior to the monthly Branch meeting on April 10, 2008 to discuss issues directly affecting their positions.  One critical issue is the new uniform program which has or will be starting in the very near future.  If you have a specific issue which you need addressed, please contact the office prior to the meeting so we will be prepared to address your concerns. Fraternally, Jerry Giesting, President Branch 43, NALC