Springfield Step B Decisions: Improper Mandates
Our area’s Dispute Resolution Team (Step B) is absolutely back-up with grievances. When I say backed-up, I mean they’ve got like 700 ready to be worked and Branch 203, specifically Springfield, has contributed a significant percentage of those. We are just now getting resolutions from the summer of last year! Without further ado, let’s get an initial sit-rep.
For a long while now we have had a lot of violations regarding Improper Mandates but haven’t seen many grievance settlements. This has really had a negative impact on all of us dues-paying members by lowering morale and trust in the Union, your stewards included. What I have right now is some good news though; things are turning around for us.
Towards the end of April we received an initial batch of Improper Mandates Decisions from the Step B team that Colby and Daryl worked out of JGS. The Union’s position has been there are provable improper mandates and we want them to stop. Management’s position has been that they agree there are improper mandates, but they don’t want to stop or pay what we’re requesting. These decisions are for the Springfield Installation, which means it applies to all three offices in town. These decisions awarded us the following:
-Cease and Desist of violations of Article 8.5.G of the National Agreement
-ODL being paid for hours they should have worked
-Carriers being Improperly Mandated will received 150% of their base pay
So if you work nine hours one day and one of those hours is improperly mandated you have been given an extra overtime rate for that hour as incentive for management to comply with the National Agreement and previous settlements.
This was the award for seven grievances at the Step B team that occurred from last summer, but there are many more from JGS and SWA since that time. We are not sure how the others will be ruled, but this sets precedent, so we will not be moving backward on our remedies and resolutions.
The Union’s goal is to make these repetitive Improper Mandates violations stop. It is hoped that this escalated monetary award will be enough to dissuade management from willful noncompliance with grievance settlements and the National Agreement. However, since receiving these decisions the improper mandates have continued at each office. We simply want compliance for you and all of our Union brothers and sisters, and we will continue to work for it.
When you are aggrieved, please request steward time to let a steward know and write a statement. Your statements have been instrumental in showing the effects noncompliance has on our workforce and your personal lives. Without your statements all we can show is numbers on a spreadsheet; your statement makes you more than a route number and an EIN.
As we get more resolutions in on these repetitive issues in our branch we will continue to update you.
Have a fantastic week out there, and stay cool!