The NPMHU has announced several staffing changes within its Contract Administration Department.  Over the next year, as previously announced, the National Office is centralizing the union’s Step 3 grievance processing (and the other functions of the Regional Offices) into Denver, Colorado and Washington, DC.  In addition, the National Office has been notified of several upcoming retirements, about which all Mail Handlers should be aware.

Dallas Jones

     First, Dallas Jones has announced his retirement from the National Union, effective April 1, 2012, after a long and distinguished career as an NPMHU representative.  Dallas entered the Postal Service in 1981 and served as a shop steward in both the Corpus Christi and Austin, TX facilities.  During that time, he served as an arbitration advocate, and gained extensive experience with matters related to the Merit System Protection Board.  In 1994, Dallas was appointed as a representative with the National Contract Administration Department and moved to the Washington, DC area with his wife Judy.  His duties have included assistance with national contract negotiations, handling Step 4 grievances, and meeting with USPS headquarters personnel on a variety of committees and projects.  Our heartfelt thanks go out to Dallas for his tireless efforts on behalf of Mail Handlers nationwide.

     Also, three of our Regional Directors have announced their upcoming retirements:  Dianne Williams, Central Regional Director, and Charles Reynolds, Southern Regional Director, will be retiring effective March 31, 2012, and Ed Gallagher, Eastern Regional Director, will be retiring sometime before March 31. 

 
Dianne Williams

     Dianne Williams has been a Mail Handler and Union member since 1969.  She first served as a steward in 1979, and later served as both the Branch President of the Indianapolis P&DC and the Recording Secretary for Local 304, which represents Mail Handlers throughout Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.  Over her years with that Local, she was responsible for rolling out the CIM training throughout the State of Indiana, she successfully handled arbitrations and negotiated LMOUs, she served on the RI-399 Local Dispute Resolution Committee, and she served on various Convention Committees.  Since her appointment as Regional Director in 2007, Dianne has ably represented Mail Handlers not only in Indiana, but throughout the Central Region.

Charles Reynolds

      Charles Reynolds became a Mail Handler in 1976 at the Memphis Bulk Mail Center.  He quickly became a shop steward, and then served as chief steward for three years and as the elected Administrative Vice President for nine years.  He served as co-chair for one of the first Quality of Working Life sites in the country, was editor of the Local 329 (Tennessee and Arkansas) newsletter, and served on the Constitution Committee for the 1996 NPMHU National Convention.  Charles then served as his Local’s President from 1994 through 1997, and in early 2002 began his work in the Southern Region, first as a Regional Representative and then as Regional Director.

Ed Gallagher

        Ed Gallagher began his postal career over thirty years ago at the Philadelphia General Post Office.  In 1979, he became a Mail Handler at the Philadelphia Bulk Mail Center.  During the 1980s, Ed served as chief shop steward and Administrative Vice President at the BMC.  Over fifteen years ago, he was elected as the Pennsylvania State Executive Board Member for Local 308, a position that he held until recently.  Ed was appointed to his first CAD position as Regional Representative in early 1993, and has served as Regional Director for the past several years.

       In conjunction with these retirements, National President John Hegarty has appointed Teresa Harmon and Charles Manago, both currently serving as Local Union Officers in Local 305, to positions that will handle Step 3 grievance appeals at the NPMHU’s National Headquarters in Washington, DC.

 
Teresa Harmon

     Teresa Harmon has been a Mail Handler since 1987, and first became a steward in 1989 at the Dulles, VA postal facility.  Since then, she has served as Chief Shop Steward, Branch President, and Virginia State Executive Board Member for her home Local 305.  As an advocate, Teresa has arbitrated several hundred cases and negotiated hundreds of pre-arbitration settlements, not only in contract and discipline matters, but also jurisdictional disputes under RI-399 and local impasse cases under Article 30.  On more than one occasion, Teresa has been recognized as Local 305 Arbitration Advocate of the Year.

 
Charles Manago

     Charles Manago entered the Postal Service in 1986, and has served as a shop steward, Chief Steward, and Branch President of the Merrifield, VA postal facility for more than ten years.  For the past two years, he also has served as the Vice President of Local 305, which represents Mail Handlers in four states and the District of Columbia.  Throughout this time, he has served as an arbitration advocate for the Mail Handlers in Local 305, as well as a legislative and political activist, most recently serving as site leader during the September 2011 rally to Save the Postal Service.

Tim Dwyer

       In addition to Teresa and Charles, President Hegarty has appointed Tim Dwyer, the current President of Local 301, as a National CAD Representative to fill the vacancy created by Dallas’s retirement.  Tim started as a Mail Handler in Manchester, NH in 1984.  He served as a shop steward from 1985 through 2002, and as the New Hampshire State Executive Board Member from 1997 through 2002.  He later held the position of Local 301 Treasurer from 2002 to 2006, and since 2006 has served as the President of Local 301, representing thousands of Mail Handlers throughout the six states of New England.  During this period, Tim has represented Mail Handlers in thousands of grievances, and has served as the lead advocate in scores of arbitration hearings.  In conjunction with these duties, he was first appointed to the Local 301 Arbitration Task Force in 1998, has served on the National Task Force on Discipline, and in recent years has been an active member of the National Training Committee, covering various topics such as arbitration advocacy, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and LMOU negotiations.  Tim will be starting at the National Office effective April 1, 2012.

     Our thanks go to all retiring representatives for their long careers serving Mail Handlers, both in their respective Local Unions and in the NPMHU National and Regional Offices.  It is always difficult to say farewell, and it is especially difficult when the persons departing have long and stellar careers as NPMHU advocates.  While Dallas, Dianne, Charles, and Ed enjoy their well-deserved retirements, the NPMHU also welcomes its new representatives to the CAD.