What our goal is over the next few months is to work closely with our National Officers and Business Agents on all of the excessing in our state. Along with the excessing is the use of PSE's being used on the window in the offices without the appropriate amount of career clerk craft employees with window credits. There has to be 3 career employees before a PSE can work the window. We are looking into the offices that were level 13, 15 and 16 that are now level 18. We are filing grievances on all these issues as we find them. Do we know of every one that is a violation? Of course not. We need your help to let us know where and who. Another issue is 90 days for an OIC, that either they fill the position permanently with a postmaster or what we really want, a level 7 clerk.

As you can see we have many issues and I haven't named them all, there are more. Many contract issues are being violated and not many resolved as management denies everything and we go to arbitration with most. Our NBA's are seeing more and more grievances than they have in a long time, which backs things up. Any union member can see and read the contract and new JCIM on the APWU.Org website, even download to your computer.

Our area vice Presidents are out there and working hard to get these issues resolved as quickly as they can and without any co-operation from management. They either don't know or have no direction from upper management on how to handle the situation.

Last but certainly not least we have a huge election year for President of the United States and a new U.S. Senator here in Maine, so a lot of big decisions have to be made. I will not tell you how to vote, but I will tell you I believe the Democrats are the better choice. They are more Union and for the middle class compared to the Republicans. I strongly believe the Republicans would be a step backwards and in the wrong direction.

As always we at the state union are here to do the best we can for you.

Yours in Solidarity

Paul Brawn

Maine State APWU AFL-CIO