Hello all and welcome to the Fall. Sorry I haven’t written as much as I would like to in an attempt to keep everyone as much up to date as possible. FYI, the Maintenance Craft Director for our Local only gets 8 hours per pay period, that’s 4 hours a week to perform all of his or her duties. I know you would agree that’s not a lot of time to do much of anything. Well enough about my lavish lifestyle lets get on to the nitty gritty.

Again, there has been a lot of things happening in the maintenance craft and I’m happy to say jobs have been created, posted and some have even been filled. Of course all are not what I would like, such as the creation of part time regular duty assignments. Remember, in the Maintenance Craft there are full time regular and part time regular duty assignments, but there are no part time flexible assignments. Also, please remember that custodial duties must be performed and the buildings and grounds must be maintained in a clean, safe, and healthy manner. I have been in so many installations that are nowhere near clean enough for me to work in, and I’m nobody special. I don’t deserve anything more then any of you.

Actually, what I’ve been finding is there is no custodial training. What the Postal Service calls custodial training is actually OSHA training, mandatory HAZMAT, and safety training; but there is no actual, how to mop the floor, disinfect the phones, clean the toilets, nothing on performing the duties of the job itself, and although it may not be rocket science, it is my opinion that you do need to know the job and what is expected of the custodial workforce. It is my responsibility to maintain the facility in a clean, safe and healthy manner for all of my co-workers. I’ll be damned if I let my bosses get away with not giving me the equipment and training I need to accomplish my job.

There are people depending on me, and there are peoples kids depending on me. I don’t want to have anyone going home carrying any germs, being sick or getting hurt because I didn’t do the best I could in my job and that’s important to me. I hope it is to you also.

Moving on, first to all the qualified custodians, I do get calls from offices looking for custodians to cover other custodians out sick, or wanting to use annual or whatever. If you want to offer your services for overtime, I suggest you contact all the offices in your area and give those management officials (Postmaster, Supervisor) your contact information so they have someone to call to cover custodial absences. You should also let me know, this way when the Postmaster tells me they couldn’t get anyone to cover the absence, I have your name on file for when I file the grievance for failing to perform the duties.

OK, lets touch on the In-Service Register and e-reassign. First, to my brothers and sisters in the maintenance craft, I suggest you do both, get on e-reassign as well as apply to the register when it is open. After In-Craft in installation you will be offered the position before anyone else. This is listed in the JCIM pages 280 and 281. Then anyone else who might ever think about transferring into the maintenance craft, you must be on the in-service register. Therefore if your'e not on it yet, during the next opening you must apply. As they say, if your'e not in it, you can’t win it. If your'e not on the register you can’t (shouldn’t) get the position. And as I said earlier the USPS is creating jobs, some of them are desirable. Spent more time then I expected and still wrote nothing. I will be trying to get a seminar lined up, but I’m always available on line at steve.mohring@longislandarealocal.org to answer any questions. Thanks for your time and happy holidays, not that I’m thinking of the holidays already but…………