A Note from the Branch President
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Recently, election ballots were sent to Branch 908 members eligible to vote in the upcoming Branch elections. Depending on your office there were up to 3 contested positions on your ballot. It is very important that you take your vote seriously and vote for who you believe will best serve the Branch. These sisters and brothers who have decided to run are dedicated people who will be asked to sacrifice a great deal of time to serve the Branch and its members, so please take your time and vote so that your voice will be heard.
At the last Executive Board meeting I passed out a District sheet outlining time wasting practices. By now, your office should have posted that ridiculous document at your case. This is management’s latest attempt to prove that DOIS is accurate. Their convoluted logic is that if an office is not making their DOIS goals it must be that their carriers are wasting time. By not pushing a letter up with thumb and forefinger I have single handily sabotaged DOIS. By not holding caseable letter size mail at eye level I have caused serious operational problems. By rocking back and forth I have……well you got the idea. When are they going to realize that it’s not by pushing numbers into a machine that gets results, it’s the letter carriers busting their humps on the street. Management would be better served relying on the people who know the job and who do the job, and not on some mechanical crutch!
Steve Lipski
Next Meeting November 16
The next regular monthly meeting of the Branch will be held on Wednesday, November 16, 8 PM, at the American Legion Hall, 502 Colonial Ave., North Woodbury. The regular monthly meetings of the Branch are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 8 pm, except during the months of July and August.
Branch Officer & Shop Stewards Meetings – Wednesday, November 9
The Branch Board of Officers and Executive Board meetings are Held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. The Board of Officers at 7:30 p.m., and the Executive Board at 8 p.m. The next meeting of the Board of Officers and Executive Board will be on Wednesday, November 9, 7:30 and 8 p.m. respectively.
Attendance Prize Now At $25
Bud Dermond, a Branch retiree out of the Runnemede office, was the winner of the $25 attendance prize drawn at the October 19 regular monthly meeting. The prize now stands at $25 and will accumulate at $25 per meeting up to a maximum of $250 until a Branch member’s name that is in attendance at a regular meeting of the Branch is drawn.
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Health Benefits Plan Open Season: |
It All Comes Down To This:
“Without a Post Office, we don’t have a job, and without a Union, our jobs are not worth having.”
Gary H. Mullins, NALC Vice President
November, 2005 Postal Record
NALC Health Benefit Plan Rates For 2006
| Self Only | Self & Family | |
| Active Carriers (biweekly) | $37.97 | $ 59.07 |
| Annuitants (monthly) | $136.71 | $251.64 |
Welcome New Branch Members
Christine T. Biernacki (Swedesboro)
Richard C. Rahmel (Riverton)
Heather L. Harrow (Stratford)
Nominated Without Opposition & Declared Elected
The following Branch Officers and Shop Stewards were nominated without opposition and declared elected to their respective positions for the 2006-2007 year term of office:
| Branch Officers | |
| Steve Lipski | Branch President |
| Gary DiGiacomo | Vice President |
| Norm Spence | Recording Secretary |
| Tom Barnett | Treasurer |
| Paul Poniatowski | Financial Secretary |
| Ed Friel | Assistant Recording Secretary |
| Jack Bittner | Chairman, Trustees |
| Fred Mendel | Health Benefits Representative |
| Joe Walder | Housing Chairperson |
| Jim Livingston | Sgt at Arms |
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Shop Stewards |
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| George Greenwood | Atco |
| Mike DiGiacomo | Bellmawr |
| Gary DiGiacomo | Blackwood |
| Don Connelly | Bridgeton |
| Bill Dougherty | Glassboro |
| Steve Lipski | Gloucester |
| Bob Foltz | Haddon Heights |
| Al DiSipio | Magnolia |
| Bill Gore | Mantua |
| Jim Comuso | National Park |
| Norm Spence | Penns Grove |
| Clinton Proffitt | Pennsville |
| Steve Rutkowski | Pitman |
| Paul Poniatowski | Runnemede |
| Tom Robinson | Sewell |
| Fred Simpkins | Somerdale |
| Jim Barlow | Stratford |
| Mike Porter | Voorhees |
| Carl Schluth | Wenonah |
| Tom Carey | West Berlin |
| Ted Allen | Westville |
| Joe Walder | Woodbury/Deptford |
| Chris Price | Woodbury/Deptford |
Secret Mail Ballot Elections Will Be Held For the Following Positions
Trustees (Four to Be Elected)
| Mike DiGiacomo | Donna Villec | Jim Comuso |
| Bill Gore | Bill Dougherty | Jim Barlow |
| Mary Hackett | George Greenwood | Steve Rutkowski |
| Fred Simpkins |
Convention Delegates (vote for 21 to be compensated)
| Dave Singleton | Mary Hackett | Bill Dougherty |
| Jim Barlow | Tom Walsh | Steve Rutkowski |
| Jim Serock | Bill Gore | Fred Simpkins |
| Paul Poniatowski | Fred Mendel | Jim Comuso |
| Frank Potts | Ed Friel | Tom Barnett |
| Jim Livingston | Mike Louden | Chris Price |
| Joe Walder | Donna Villec | Norm Task |
| Fred Jurimas | Wayne Sheltman | George Greenwood |
| Steve Lipski | Gary DiGiacomo | Norm Spence |
| Bud Dermond | Jack Bittner | Mike DiGiacomo |
| Bob Foltz |
Marlton Shop Steward (vote for 2)
| Mike Boston | April Gibbons | Val Apartin | Ken Rieger |
Riverton Shop Steward (vote for 1)
| Fred Jurimas | Jim Livingston |
Write In Choice for Shop Steward for the Following Offices
| Clayton | Gibbstown | Hammonton | Glendora |
| Lawnside | Maple Shade | Mt Ephraim | Paulsboro |
| Salem | Williamstown | Woodstown |
Bill Revak Decides To Steps Aside
After forty-five years of representing NALC members in the South Jersey area as a Shop Steward, Branch President, Recording Secretary and Local Business Agent , Bill Revak decided to step aside and declined the nomination to continue on as Branch Recording Secretary, to allow some of the younger activists in the Branch to move up. Bill wants to thank all those who have faithfully supported him throughout the years, particularly his wife of 51 years, Marie, his daughters, Marie and Geri, and his son Billy.
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Thanks and Good Luck Bill!! |
Election Ballots Mailed Out
As promised, the election ballots were mailed out on November 2, 2005 for execution and return to the Branch Election Committee no later than December 14. Any eligible member who has not received an election ballot, or received the wrong ballot, should contact Bill Revak, Chairman, Branch Election Committee, at 468-4746. The Election Committee will start counting the ballots on Thursday, December 15, commencing at 7:30 p.m. at the hall. Candidates and/or their representatives may observe the tabulations.
Branch Election Committee
| Bill Revak | John Hall | Mike Porter |
| Jim Boyle | Joe Foreman | Barbara Ricci |
Dates to Remember
| Election Ballots mailed out: | Wednesday November 2 |
| Election Ballots Return date: | Wednesday December 14 |
| Branch Children’s Xmas Party | Sunday December 11 |
| Counting Of Election Ballots | Thursday December 15 |
| Branch Meeting | Wednesday December 21 |
| Election Results Announced: | Wednesday December 21 |
| National Convention | Mon – Fri August 14-18 |
OWCP Officer
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Ed Friel is our injury compensation Officer. If you have any questions or need forms regarding an injury on the job, call Ed at 856-468-7339 |
Branch Expense Report for September
| Printing Branch Newsletter | $90.10 |
| Postage | $1343.60 |
| Phone | $220.44 |
| Office Supplies | $874.98 |
| Hall Rental | $330.00 |
| Meeting Refreshments | $500.00 |
| Grievances | $104.47 |
| Branch sick & welfare fund | $500.00 |
| Scholarship Fund | $2000.00 |
| Branch Optical Fund | $500.00 |
| Officers Salaries-Net | $7791.37 |
| Shop Steward Salaries – Net | $10260.00 |
| Branch Dues Retirees | $20.00 |
| N/P Corp. & State Assessments | $25.00 |
| Meeting Attendance Drawing | $100.00 |
| Total Expenses | $24,659.96 |
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
EAP reps will be on hand at the health fair this year, November 17, 7am-7pm, 501 Benigno Blvd. Attendance is strictly off the clock. Insurance carriers will be present. FREE: eye exams, blood pressure screening, blood sugar, info on spinal care and cancer. Carriers watch that SKIN! Stop by the EAP table and meet your representatives. Hope to see you there. EAP Branch 908 Rep., Paul Poniatowski. EAP Hotline: 1-800-EAP-4-YOU (1-800-27-4968).
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2005 Branch Picnic Report
The Annual Branch Picnic held at the Clementon Lake Amusement Park was a great success. 243 members and their families showed up on a hot and humid day to spend the day in the sun and enjoy the park. I would like to thank all those who came out and who brought food to share. I would like to thank those who helped set-up and cooked, and the women who helped serve the food out in the sun all day. Hope to see you all next year. The picnic came in at $484.33 under budget. Thank you, Jim Livingston, Picnic Chairman and Branch Sgt. at Arms.
Branch Children’s Christmas Party – Sunday, December 11, 1 to 3 pm
Children’s Christmas Party. Come see Santa. Sunday, December 11, 1-3 pm at Union hall. For further info call Donna Villec at 856-772-9164.
Retirees Cost Of Living Adjustment For 2006
Retirees under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) will receive a cost of living adjustment of 4.1 percent in 2006.
Retirees under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) will receive a COLA adjustment of 3.1 percent.
Thank You Branch 908
“Being remembered in such a nice way meant so very much. Thank you for your generous donation to the Thoracic Surgery Research Fund in Kenny’s memory. Your thoughtfulness is deeply appreciated! Joan Villanova & family.”
Non-Member Listing As Of 9/26/2005
| D. R. Sanders (Glassboro) | D. E. King (Hammonton) |
| D. G. Earling (Voorhees) | F. Doncheva (National Park) |
| B. J. Samuels (Pennsville) | W. T. McAllister (Pennsville) |
| T. S. Ohara (Pitman) | W. A. Breitenstine (Runnemede) |
| T. P. Butler-Gaines (Stratford) | M. M. Bailey (Wood/Dept) |
Les Styron: Newest Gold Card Member
Les Styron, an 89-year old Branch retiree who religiously attends our Branch meetings, was the latest recipient of an NALC Life Membership Gold Card, which is issued by the NALC to those who have been members for 50 years. The Life Membership Card of Gold entitles the bearer to all of the privileges of NALC membership without the payment of dues, per capita tax or special assessments from the date of issuance. Congratulations! Les Styron.
Current Branch Gold Card Members
Pasquale Cavallaro
John Dondero
Jack Geisler
Milt Grundlock
Marion Howell
Leonard Kienzel
Sam Rosenberg
Norm Task
Les Styron
Any Branch member who believes he or she is eligible for a Life Membership Gold Card should contact Membership Chairman Norm Spence.