DMI ocal 44 Update 4-6

April 6, 2020

ZOOM MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

• Covid-19 Response Facebook group holds weekly meetings on Sundays @ 6 p.m.  Asking for Admin pay, Hazard pay, pushing for USPS stimulus and safety in the workplace.  Looking for people to share what’s being done to make your workplace safe.
• Des Moines Plant - looking at placing barrier between expeditors and truck drivers to ensure social distancing
• Des Moines Plant - Manual letters will be moving back to where it was to accommodate social distancing
• Des Moines Plant – moving scanners and tables in Registry room to allow drivers to not have to enter building using the outside window for registries, looking into locked sanitizer wipes box to mount outside of caller cage to keep scanners disenfected
• Positive postal Covid-19 cases:  Western Area – 41, Nationally – 352, Deaths – 11
• Hawkeye District OHNA Sara Weller:  phone (515)251-2168, fax (515)251-2080
• SPBS management to utilize catwalk rather than crowd the keying station
• MDO and General Clerks are dispersing masks in the Plant.  If your office needs supplies, please contact your APWU representative
• APWU is working to clarify management misunderstandings of the FFCRA law that went into effect April 1^st for all federal employees.  If you have questions, please contact your APWU.
• Discussed social distancing concerns in mail processing areas
• USPS is hiring MPA (Mail Processing Assistants) to help fill in for those on leave
• Join Iowa Voices Event, Thursday April 9, to put additional pressure on Representative Ernst to help healthcare workers address hardships due to Covid-19.  This will be a Zoom meeting, so contact Mike Bates, if you’d like an invite. Mjbates2016@gmail.com
• Workers’ Memorial will also take place via Zoom, date TBD
• Safety concerns due to increase in local retail, in particular money orders, due to banks and credit unions having reduced services.  Maintains need for postal banking. 
• Disinfecting is everyone’s job.  Please take time to disinfect your own work stations
• Please report violations.  Des Moines is not allowing any station OT.  As a result, we’re seeing an increase in management and carriers doing clerk work, dumping of UBBMS, and neglect of Hot Mail, etc.  Since the OTDL is not being maximized, all violations should be grieved. Please report all violations to your steward or Clerk Craft Director @ jbatesapwu@gmail.com
• Safety Huddle to show how to make masks
• APWU is encouraging local management to do public service announcements on Covid-19 safety issues such as social distancing, essential mailings, etc.