The California State APWU had an LMOU Training on Friday, May 17, 2019 conducted by Regional Coordinator Omar Gonzalez.
The next two events were the California State Retiree Chapter Executive Board Meeting and the California State APWU Executive Board Meeting.
California State approved two $500 Mike Evans scholarships. One for state local members and one for Members at Large.
Saturday morning May 18, 2019 was a General Session. First order of business was a Mike Evans Memorial. Mike Evans passed away in February and he was our California State APWU President.
We heard comments from California 80th Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez. The California State Convention endorsed her for 2022 California Secretary of State.
We heard comments from California candidate for the 73rd Assembly District.
The APWU Auxiliary addressed the convention. My wife Pam and I have been Auxiliary members for approximately 40 years.
We heard from APWU Secretary Treasurer Liz Powell. She distributed the health plan checks based on last year’s convention action. We are in good financial shape. LM2 has been filed. The scholarship application period has been extended until May 31, 2019.
We also heard from President Mark Dimondstein and Executive Vice President Debbie Szeredy during opening sessions.
Dates for the 2020 National APWU Convention are August 15-20 in Los Angeles, Ca.
Dates for the 2022 National APWU Convention are August 13-18, 2022 at the Gaylord in National Harbor, MD 20745.
We heard from Sonia Canchola Clerk NBA and Legislative Director Judy Beard regarding USPS privatization.
We had numerous break outs. Clerk NBA’s Shirley Taylor, James Scoggins, Chuck Locke addressed Clerk Issues. Maintenance NBA’s Louis Kingsley and Hector Baez, Maintenance Director Idowu Balogun and Maintenance Assistant Director Jimmie Waldon addressed Maintenance Issue. MVS NBA Jerome Pittman, MVS Director Mike Foster, and MVS Assistant Director Javier Piñeres addressed MVS Issues.
POWER – Post Office Women for Equal Rights met.
Alain Gatignol addressed TSP Planning. Dr. Paul Kim, MD addressed pain management.
California State Legislative Director Phil Warlick had a legislative breakout.
Western Regional Coordinator Omar Gonzalez had a NLRB – Duty of Fair Representation break out.
In addition, we had representative from the APWU Health Plan, Voluntary Benefits, APIS Alain (Gatignol & representatives), and GPIS (Johnny Gottstein) present.
There were numerous candidates seeking office for National APWU, AFL-CIO. I will, not try to name them because I do not want to miss the name of anyone.
In conjunction with the California State APWU Convention the California State Retiree Chapter members met. All State Retiree Officers were present (Frank Townsend, Bobby Donelson, Larry DeNayer, Byron Denton, Yogie Riley, and Dave Renshaw).
The retirees heard from CARA Representative Susan Meyers on the issue of elder care – Hospital Stay Rights and Advance Directives.
We heard from a lot of National Officers.
- President Mark Dimondstein
- Executive Vice President Debbie Szeredy
- Secretary-Treasurer Liz Powell
- Industrial Relations Director Vance Zimmerman
- Apwu Health Plan Director John Marcotte
- Legislative & Political Director Judy Beard
- Retirees Director Nancy Olumekor
Major issue was to ask your Congressperson and Senator to support HR 1170 & HR 141 (House) and S 478 & S 521 (Senate). We had a lengthy discussion related to the USPS contacting retirees regarding Medicare. We also had a lengthy discussion related the Hospital Plan and associate membership vs retiree membership.
Having the above officers present for a Question and Answer Session was a very successful part of the Retiree’s Convention.
There was a motion to purchase “we are not the enemy” T-Shirts for all retirees attending the All Craft Conference in Las Vegas in October.
The retirees Endorsed Western Region Convention Delegate Dr. Pat Williams. Pat is doing an excellent job and we wanted to show her how much we appreciate the work she does.
Final Retiree Action was for us to concentrate on an APWU Constitution Resolution permitting retiree chapter members voice and vote on the convention floor at the 2020 National APWU Convention..
The Resolution defeated at the 2018 National APWU Convention was:
ARTICLE 6 REPRESENTATION
WHEREAS, as the mothers and fathers of the American Postal Workers Union, retired members are a storehouse of knowledge, battle-tested experience, and wisdom to be utilized as a valuable American Postal Workers Union asset, and
WHEREAS, a majority of American Postal Workers Union retired department members paid full dues for decades, and
WHEREAS, calculating some estimated 40,000 retiree department members, paying full dues an average of just twenty-five (25) years, equates to a million years of full dues-paying members in American Postal Workers Union history, and
WHEREAS, currently, five (5) elected national retiree delegates to the American Postal Workers Union national convention, one in each region, the average representative voting strength is 1 for 8,000, therefore be it
Resolved, to amend the American Postal Workers Union Constitution and Bylaws Article 6. SEC 6. to read: “Retiree delegates will be seated with a voice and a vote at the national convention pursuant to the formula in Article 6. Section 1.” In addition, renumber current Article 6 section 6 as section 7.
This report is based on my notes and I do apologize if I missed anyone.
The California State APWU Convention Report
Bobby Donelson
California State Retiree Chapter Vice Presdient
and
Southwest Coastal Area Local Retiree Chapter President