The Postal Service made a National Level Decision to Subcontract work at the Boston AMC less than one week after notifying the Union that they were rescinding their proposal to subcontract Air Mail Center Work Nationwide and less than seventy-two (72) hours after assuring Local Union Leadership that they were not going to subcontract our work

                    AMC SUBCONTRACTING UPDATE

The Postal Service has placed a bid for subcontracting of "terminal handling" work to be performed at Logan Airport in Boston MA, essentially subcontracting Mail Handler work at the Air Mail Center (AMC) in Boston. 
 
The History of the plans to subcontract the Air Mail Center in Boston, as well as AMC's around the Country, was first proposed in late 2004, with a hard copy 'proposal' made in April 2005 at the National Level.
 
The proposal, initiated by National Postal Headquarters in Washington, DC, involved the plan to 'standardize' AMC functions throughout the country.  The proposal was made to the National Postal Mail Handlers Union in accordance with the tenets of Article 32 of the National Agreement, which allowed the Union, at a National Level, to respond to the Postal Service's proposals prior to them initiating their plans.  The Union took advantage of the language of Article 32 and responded in detail to the Postal Service's plan to subcontract Air Mail Center work, and ultimately, the Postal Service 'rescinded' their proposed, "outsourcing consideration" to subcontract our work on September 20, 2005 by way of a letter written to our National Headquarters.
 
On September 23, 2005, at a meeting in Boston, MA, the Lead Plant Manager of the Boston, MA District informed Local 301 Vice President David West and Branch # 9 (Boston) President Tony Wythe at a pre-scheduled meeting that the Postal Service was not going to subcontract the Mail Handler work in Boston and that plans were under way to temporarily move the work to a different location until the Postal Service procured a building for its use near Logan Airport.  At just about the same time the meeting between your Local Representatives and the Lead Plant Manager in Boston was taking place, our National Office was receiving a letter from National Postal Headquarters that reassured our National Office that any rumors regarding subcontracting in Boston were simply that, "Rumors".  The letter went on to state that the Postal Service had made no decision to subcontract work at the Boston AMC.
 
On Monday, September 25, 2005, it was discovered that the Postal Service at National Headquarters had placed a notice for bids for subcontracting "terminal handling" work at the AMC in Boston on the internet and that the intention to subcontract our work at the AMC was a Fact, not a 'Rumor'. 
 
The Union had the opportunity to express their displeasure regarding the situation at an Area meeting with Area Vice President Megan Brennan and her staff.  The Area Vice President stated that when the Lead Plant Manager of the Boston District informed the Union on September 23 that no subcontracting would take place, he was providing the Union with accurate information, 'based on what he knew at that time'.  The Union can only disern that Postal Service Representatives at National Headquarters made the decision to subcontract the AMC work sometime between Friday afternoon on September 23, 205 and Monday morning on September 26, 2005.  It's good to know that National Postal Headquarters spent the weekend figuring out ways to give away our jobs!
 
Union Representatives of Local 301, Branch # 9, have filed grievances on each Tour of the AMC regarding the decision to close the AMC.  Those grievances are being modified at Step-2 of the grievance/arbitration procedure to include not only the notice of closing the Air Mail Facility, but the decision to subcontract our work.  A National Level grievance will also be presented to the Postal Service in Washington DC.  The National Level grievance is appropriate since the Postal Service made an initial proposal to subcontract Air Mail Center work at that level (Nationally), then withdrew the proposal, then went ahead and subcontracted the work in AMC Boston anyway!  I am confidant that our interests will be well represented by our National Union Staff.
 
All members should be rightfully offended by the Postal Service's actions in this case.  As Local 301 President, I attended numerous meetings with the Postal Service and offered the assistance of the Union in working with Local and State Officials as well as with the Mass Port Authority to procure another building for the AMC in Boston.  The Postal Service simply ignored our offers of assistance and now is claiming that a decision to subcontract our work was declared due to the inability to find a suitable location for another Air Mail Facility.  This just simply isn't true.  I look forward to the opportunity for the Union to prevail in the grievance/arbitration process and the restoration of our work at the AMC Boston. 
 
I want to assure the membership at large that there have been no "deals" made with the USPS on this issue.  There's really no sense in making "deals" with the Postal Service because they simply cannot keep their word locally or nationally.

Fraternally,

Bob Losi, President                           Dave West, Vice President          Tim Dwyer, Treasurer      
    Local 301                                                  Local 301                                 Local 301