PRESIDENTS REPORT
I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season. As we head into the New Year, we will be facing many challenges as a branch and a union. I find it hard to believe that my first year as your President is winding down. I want to express my sincere thanks to everyone for their patience and help in making this first year a smooth one. There a few things I want to mention, as we get ready for the holidays. Please remember to help with our Branch’s first annual “Volunteer’s for Veterans Program.” You should all have boxes in your office with a list of all items our troops need while overseas fighting in the Middle East. These items are very important and hopefully everyone will pitch in and help make this program a success. The next issue is the budget for the running of the Branch. We handed out the proposed budget for 2011 at the November meeting, and it will be discussed and voted on at the December meeting. Please make sure to attend to voice your questions and concerns. Remember, these are your monies, and you are entitled to see where your money is being spent. I will keep with the holiday spirit and try to be as positive as possible, even though we still have some issues with offices in our Branch that we are working to resolve as I write this month’s column. I hope that by next month we will have some better news to report as some things just will not go away. As a footnote, I have received a lot of feedback from last month’s article when I published the name of a manager who was not doing the right thing. I promise to continue posting this type of information when it needs to be addressed. No manager will be exempt from this newsletter if they continue to mistreat and abuse our members. Once again, enjoy the Holidays, and come out to the Christmas meeting and enjoy great food and good company as we all take a deep breath before we begin the fight next year!
Gary DiGiacomo – President
Next Meeting – December 15
The next regular monthly meeting of the Branch will be held on Wednesday, December 15, 8 p.m., at the American Legion Hall, 502 Colonial Ave., North Woodbury. The regular monthly meetings of the Branch are held on the Third Wednesday of each month at 8 p.m., The Branch Board of Officers and Executive Board meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. The Board of Officers at 7:30 p.m., and the Executive Board at 8 p.m. The next meeting of the Board of Officers and Executive Board will be on Wednesday, December 8, 7:30 and 8 p.m. respectively.
Attendance Prize Now Stands At $250
Guaranteed Winner December 15
Had he been in attendance at the regular monthly meeting of the Branch on Wednesday, November 17th, Charles Reynolds, a member out of the Westville office would have been the recipient of the $225 attendance prize. The prize now increases to $250 and will increase $25 per meeting, up to a maximum of $250, until a member in attendance has their name drawn.
Annual Christmas Meeting – December 15
As is our tradition we will have shrimp in addition to our usual spread. Come out and enjoy!
Trustee Report
These are tough times. As letter carriers, we must now pull together and support our Stewards and Branch Officers now more than ever. What makes us strong as carriers and as a Union is our diversity and strong will. It takes a very special person to be a Letter Carrier. Remember, your Branch Officers are just a phone call away, even during the Holiday Season. On that note, my family and my Trustee family would like to wish everyone a very safe and Happy Holiday Season. Thank you for all your support this past year.
James Comuso – Trustee Chairman
NALC HEALTH BENEFITS
HEALTH OPEN SEASON runs Monday, November 8, 2010 through Monday, December 13, 2010 (Postal employees – December 14, 2010, 5:00 p.m. Central time).
| Type of
Enrollment
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Enrollment
Code
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Non-Postal Premium | Postal Premium | |||||
| Biweekly
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Monthly | Biweekly
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| Gov’t
Share
|
Your
Share
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Gov’t
Share
|
Your
Share
|
USPS
Share
|
Your
Share
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| high Option Self Only | 321 | $180.66 | $74.14 | $391.43 | $160.64 | $203.24 | $51.56 | |
| High Option Self and Family
|
322 | $403.98 | $151.07 | $875.29 | $327.32 | $454.48 | $100.57 | |
HBR – Fred Mendel
Turkey Drawing Winner
At the regular monthly meeting of the Branch on Wednesday, November 17, Wayne Sheltman, a carrier out of the Riverton Office was the winner of the Annual Jack Bittner Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway. Thanks to Branch Trustee Chairman Jim Comuso for donating this year’s turkey.
Dates to Remember 2011
January 9 – January 11 – NJ Merged Annual Training Seminar
February 27 – March 1 – Region 12 Annual Training Seminar
March 22 – March 24 – NJ State Congressional Breakfast
April 9 – Branch Retiree Banquet
June 26 – June 28 – NJ State Convention
Proposed 2011 Branch Budget
The proposed 2011 Branch Budget, which has been approved by the Executive Board, was presented for the review and consideration of the membership in attendance at the regular monthly meeting on November 17. The proposed budget will be open for review, discussion, consideration and vote at the regular monthly Branch meeting on December 15. The budget estimates the receipt and expenditures of $300,647.10 for 2011.
4th Annual Branch Banquet- April 9, 2011
The 4th Annual Branch 908 Banquet will be held on April 9, 2011 from 7:00 – 11:00pm at Nicolosi’s Catering, 1 Hessian Ave. Woodbury, NJ. This is a great night to eat, drink, dance, and socialize with good friends and especially to honor those carriers who have retired in the past year as well as those who have been selected to receive Branch awards. If you have retired since the last banquet or you will retire before April 9, 2011 contact Branch Recording Secretary, Mike Powell at 908Recordingsec@comcast.net. Those being honored will receive one free ticket to the banquet. All other Branch members, family and friends are encouraged to attend at a cost of $20pp. Current Branch retires will receive one ticket at half price ($10). Tickets may be picked up from Branch Recording Secretary Mike Powell at any Branch meeting, or by mailing the form below with checks made out to NALC Branch 908, to PO Box 375, Gloucester City, NJ 08030.
| Name:____________________________________ (Please print) Check One: Honoree ( ) Retiree ( ) Other ( ) Total Number Attending: Amount of remittance enclosed: |
Send to PO Box 375, Gloucester City, NJ 08030 by March 31, 2011. Members of the Branch who have retired since our last Banquet will be honored and presented with tokens of our appreciation. If you have retired since the last Banquet or you will retire before April 9 please contact the Branch Recording Secretary, Mike Powell at 856-287-8768 or 908Recordingsec@comcast.net.
Nominations for 2011 Shop Steward of the Year
The Shop Steward of the Year Award will be awarded at the Branch retiree’s banquet. Please use the form below and return by March 31, 2011. The winner will be selected by the awards committee and kept confidential until the presentation at the banquet.
| Branch 908 Steward Of The Year Nomination Form |
| Name of Steward being Nominated:_____________________ |
| Office:______________________ Person Making Nomination:________________________________ |
| Please write a brief statement as to why you feel this person should be the Branch 908 Steward of the Year for 2011, |
| including accomplishments, knowledge of the contract, ability to deal with co-workers, management, communication skills, and dedication to the NALC and 908. In other words, what makes this person special? (Use additional pages if necessary.) |
| I believe ___________________________ should be the 2011 NALC Branch 908 Steward of the Year because __________ |
| ___________________________________________________ |
| ___________________________________________________ |
| ___________________________________________________ |
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___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Branch 908 Steward of the Year |
Branch President and Vice President Cell Phone Numbers
President- Gary DiGiacomo – 856-906-2838
Vice- President- Steve Rutkowski- 856-906-2026
Will Carper Help Save USPS?
Sen. Tom Carper, a Democrat from Delaware, knows the U.S. Postal Service is in trouble and he wants to fix it. Earlier this fall, Carper introduced the Postal Operations Sustainment and Transformation (POST) Act (S.3831), which addresses the current budget issues plaguing the USPS by implementing a series of reforms including: easing postal employee pension and retiree health costs, addressing postal employee wages and benefits, allowing partnerships with state and local governments as well as giving the Postal Service more leeway to close underutilized post offices, offer certain non-postal items, and eliminate Saturday delivery. Carper, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security has scheduled a hearing titled, “Finding Solutions to the Challenges Facing the U.S. Postal Service”, for Thursday, Dec. 2, at 10:00 a.m. The hearing will examine postal management’s plans to address ongoing budget issues, and discuss the provisions in Carper’s comprehensive postal reform legislation. The subcommittee will hear testimony from Deputy Postmaster General Pat Donahoe, who is set to replace Postmaster General John Potter on Dec. 3, 2010.“ Sen. Carper is hopeful that his colleagues will agree with him that the Postal Service’s dire financial state necessitates quick action by Congress to address its systemic problems,” Carper spokesperson Emily Spain says. “If Congress is unable to address this matter in the lame duck session of Congress he will certainly be pursuing it early in the 112th Congress.” In Carper’s op-ed piece that appeared in Politico, he says: “The combination of a slow economic recovery, rapid technological and cultural changes, and congressional inaction could derail the agency in a way that bad weather, natural disaster or terrorist attacks never could. This recession hit the Postal Service and its customers earlier and harder than most businesses. Large mailers, such as magazine publishers and financial services companies, have gone out of business, reduced advertising budgets, or shifted to electronic communication. The result: catastrophic losses and budget deficits for the Postal Service.” Despite heroic efforts to cut costs, Carper adds in the piece, the USPS lost about $8.5 billion in the past fiscal year. “If nothing changes, the service estimates it could run a $230 billion deficit within 10 years.” To preserve key postal services — without resorting to massive price increases — Carper says three things need to occur: Fix the broken retiree benefits system, streamline operations, and allow the Postal Service to offer additional products and services that can make money.
JIM TIERNEY 11/30/2010
From Your Recording Secretary
I would like to take this time to thank all our members for their support during my first year as your Recording Secretary. I look forward to serving our members in the coming New Year. I can be reached at 856-287-8768 or 908recordingsec@comcast.net. I would like to wish all our members a Happy Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.
Mike Powell – Recording Secretary