South Carolina State Association of Letter Carriers

COSMO BACCOMO, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
74 Marion Street North
Lugoff, SC 29078
Cell: 803-513-3753
E-mail: cbaccomo@aol.com

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January 6th 2011

Dear Brothers and Sisters of SCSALC,

   I'm sorry that I have not written sooner but I have been pretty busy with union business lately.  I've had a backlog of grievances.  But now that I'm all caught up I'll

try and keep up my part of my job as Director of Education. It is hard to be a director of education because Judy's office handles all the training

but I can talk about the most important part of career and that is your Job.  The post office is constantly telling the public that they are going broke

and now that it is contract year they are going to tell congress and the public that they are even more broke due to the fact that they have to give

us a raise.  We all know that is not true and the real reason why they are going down is because of "MISMANAGEMENT".  The post office costs themselves

more money than they can afford by violating the contract and paying out needless and unearned monies because of stupidity on their part when it comes to

running the post office effectively.  If they would just listen and learn from the craft employees instead of trying to be bullies and thugs they would get the job done

with little or no extra cost to them.  You think by now that management would have learned that you can get more done with honey then vinegar as the saying goes,

but they still think that if they harass and intiminadate you , you will run and do the things they want you to do, boy are they in for a rude awakening.

    Over the last few years the union has talked to us about COLCPE and what it means to us.  Most of us feel like they are trying to jam COLCPE down our throats

but after reading and understanding the true meaning of COLCPE, I now know what they are trying to tell us.  You as carriers can ignore the fact that it

cost you a measley $5.00 per month to join COLCPE and you can ignore the fact that it can help keep your job.  But you can not ignore the fact that the post

office is trying very hard to get rid of the UNION, your health benifits, and your right to make a decent living.  COLCPE helps your leaders and your fellow carriers to

secure your rights by giving them the right to give monies to those who can help you keep your job, your health benefits, and the right to earn a decent living.

every day.  Most of you go to McDonalds or some other fast food place to eat and you see people working for minium wage and no benefits but yet they are 

working.  I bet you they would give it all up to work for the post office and the benefits that we have, and i would bet you again that they would love to pay

$5.00 a month to have the benefits that we have. Most craft employees think that they pay union dues so why should they have to pay for COLCPE.  Well it is like this,

your union dues can not be used to do the job that COLCPE does.  That monies has to come from some where else.  That is the reason why we have COLCPE

to help you keep your job, your union, your benefits, and allow you to eat at that fast food place every day and allow you to keep the things that most people take

for granted.  In the 70's the letter carriers went on strike to get better wages and benefits and they struggled before they got what you have today.  So get on the band wagon.

Without your help not only will you suffer but so will your family.  Because if you lose your job due to privatilization and your benefits due to the fact that the post office states

to Congress that they can not pay us anymore and you allow them to cut your health benefits and your pay, then you are the blame and not this union.  So come on and do

your part and be a hero to your family and help to keep what you have earned and others who have fought so hard for.  Join COLCPE today and you will be able to eat that

fast food longer and help your family in the long run.  SO JOIN TODAY!

    Well I hope I have got my point across because this subject is meant to be for you and others like you so if you are a member of COLCPE get out and talk to

those who are not and get them on the band wagon now and lets keep our benefits and jobs so every one can enjoy retirement like I do.

Your education director

Cosmo

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May 24, 2010

     When I was an active letter carrier, there was times when I overlooked or took for granted the figures on my PS Form 1223 - B.

I don't want you to make the same mistakes.  The following information will assist you in reading your paystub.

How to Read Your Pay Stub
"Form 1223"

The information we've prepared for you is reliable, but not fail-safe or guaranteed. This page is meant to be a quick reference/guideline

for most of the more common codes. No attempt has been made to explain ALL the codes, just the ones most members will see.

Keep in mind that the USPS makes periodic changes to the Form 1223, as you might have noticed with the arrival of the new employee

ID number as of PP14-03.  For absolute and guaranteed information about your paystub, or if you find a code on your stub that is not

mentioned here, please call Human Resources for an exact explanation.

Going from left to right, and from the top of your stub to the bottom of it:

PAYLOC
Your pay location code indicates where you are assigned to work, sometimes the last two digits of your work location ZIP Code.

FINANCE NO
Finance number for the facility that you work in.

EMPLOYEE NAME
Your name.

EMPLOYEE ID
Your 8-digit employee ID number, instituted in pay period 14 of 2003, replaces the employee Social Security number previously used, to help

strengthen privacy concerns.

PAY PERIOD
This is the pay period and year in which you receive the payments (PP-YR or 01-00). Each calendar year is separated by twenty six (26) pay-

periods of two (2) weeks each.

SERIAL NUMBER
This is either the serial number of the check issued to the employee or the sequence number of the "Form 1223" earnings issued when the

employee's net pay has been directly deposited to the financial institution of their choice.


DETAIL EARNINGS
This is the general heading for all of the columns which identify the type and number of hours you are being compensated for, the week in

which those hours occurred, the rate schedule and level, the designation/activity code, and the gross payment amount for the period.

WK --This specifies the week, either 1 or 2, of the pay period in which the hours were worked. If an adjustment is being made, the

week that the adjustment is made for will be printed on that line. 

RSC --This is the Rate Schedule Code for the hours stated. This code will be the same as on your time card.

LEV --This is the Grade Level for the hours stated.

RATE --This the Base rate (annual or hourly), including the cost-of-living allowance (COLA) for the hours stated.

CODE --This is the employee's Designation/Activity code. For clerks, the code would be 110.

TYP --This is the Type of Hours code. Codes include:

• G -- Guaranteed time or guaranteed overtime hours
• H -- Holiday work hours
• L -- Leave hours (either paid leave or leave without pay)
• N -- Night differential hours (for hours worked between 6:00 PM & 6:00 AM)
• O -- Overtime hours
• V -- Penalty overtime hours
• P -- Out-of-Schedule Premium
• S -- Sunday Premium
• W -- Straight work hours

• HOURS --This space will show the actual hours and hundredths worked for every hours type listed.
• PAY --This space will show the total gross pay for each type of hours worked.

GROSS TO NET
This is the general heading for the two columns which show the total gross pay, all deductions, and the resulting net pay for the

current pay period and the pay year-to-date.

GROSS PAY --This is the gross pay for this pay period and the year-to-date, including COLA.

FED TAX --This is the amount deducted for federal tax this period and year-to-date. Your claimed marital status and number of

exemptions will appear next to FED TAX. M2 would mean married with two exemptions. S0 would mean single with no exemptions.

ST TAX --This is the amount deducted for state tax this period and year-to-date. Again, your claimed marital status and number of

exemptions for the state will appear next to ST TAX. PAO1 would indicate the taxes were withheld to the State of Pennsylvania for

a person married claiming one exemption.

RETIRE --This is the amount deducted toward your retirement account for the pay period and the year-to-date.

FICA/MED --This is the amount of FICA or Medicare deductions for this period and year-to date. If you were hired after 1984, your

retirement contribution will be smaller and FICA/MED will be higher.

UN W --Union Dues.

IN --Indicates your life insurance choice.

ALOT --Indicates an authorized payroll deduction from your salary that is deducted each pay period for deposit to a financial institution--

for example, a set amount directed toward a savings account.

C SUP or CS/SS --This indicates child support or alimony payments.

GARN --This appears if you have a commercial garnishment levied against you.

HP --Followed by three (3) letters or numbers would show your health benefit plan enrollment code.

LEVY --Show a deduction has been made for some sort of outstanding taxes.

TSP --This indicates a withholding for the Thrift Savings Plan. If you participate in the plan, you will see either the percentage of withholdings

or the dollar amount after the letter code.

NET PAY --This is what is left when all is said and done. Enjoy it!

LEAVE STATUS

This is the general heading identifying your usage and balance of Annual and Sick leave, and Leave Without Pay for the pay period and year.
ANNUAL LEAVE

• FROM PREV YR --This is the number of hours carried over from the previous year.
• EARNED-THIS YR --This is the number of hours earned to date this leave year.
• EARNED-BAL --This is the number of hours carried over from last year plus the hours earned this year.
• USED THIS YR --This is the total hours of annual leave used this year to date.
• USED THIS PP --This is the total hours of annual leave used in this pay period (including adjustments).
• BALANCE --This is the total annual leave available to you now.

SICK LEAVE

• FROM PREV YR --This is the number of hours carried over from last year.
• EARNED THIS YR --This is the number of hours of sick leave accumulated this year.
• USED THIS YR --This is the total sick leave used to date this year.
• USED THIS PP --This is the total sick leave used this pay period (including adjustments).
• BALANCE --This is the total sick leave available to you now.

LEAVE WITHOUT PAY

• THIS PP --This is the total hours of LWOP used this pay period.
• CUMULATIVE --This is the total LWOP hours accumulated this year. If you accumulate eighty (80) hours of LWOP within a year,

                                       your leave credits will be reduced by the amount of leave earned in one (1) pay period.

USPS RETIREMENT

This is the total amount contributed to the retirement fund as of the close of the prior calendar year.

Other important codes are:

FLSA
The Fair Labor Standards Act is a Federal Statute of general application that establishes requirements for child labor, minimum wages,

equal pay, and overtime pay. FLSA work hours and FLSA overtime pay is printed on the Form 1223 whenever work hours for one or both

weeks of the pay period exceeds forty (40) hours for nonexempt employees.

ADJ FOR PP-YR PROCESSED
Shows that an adjustment for a specific pay period and year was processed.

GARNISHMENT PAYMENTS COMPL
Shows the garnishment balance as zero (0).

GRIEVANCE OR EEO SETTLEMENT
Self Explanatory

INCLUDES BOND REFUND
Self Explanatory

MULTI PP ADJS PROCESSED
Shows that adjustments for multiple pay periods were processed.

PERIODIC STEP INCREASE
Self Explanatory

RETROACTIVE PAYMENT
Shows this is a special check and Form 1223 for retroactive payment.

RETRO PAY IN YTD AMTS
Shows that retroactive payment amounts have been added to the year-to-date totals.

SCHEDULED COLA INCREASE
Shows that a cost-of-living increase has been added to the base salary effective with the pay period shown at the top of your stub.

SCHEDULED CONTRACTUAL INCREASE
Shows that it is now reflected in the base salary.

UPDT YTD BAL CANCEL CHK
An adjustment for a cancelled check was processed that updated the year-to-date earnings balance, affecting only the year-to-date fields.

UPDT YTD BK PAY AWD
An adjustment for a back pay award was processed, affecting only the year-to-date fields.

Cosmo Baccomo, Director of Education

SCSALC

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November 11, 2009

Happy Veteran's Day Holiday!

Cosmo Baccomo, Director of Education

Army Veteran

SCSALC

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October 18, 2009

     Hello Union Brothers and Sisters,

    The following language comes straight from the new JCAM.  The memorandum includes langauge that addresses Mother-In-Law

and Father-In-Law. 

    Make sure to indicate on your PS Form 3971 that you are using Bereavement Leave and identify which leave type (Annual, LWOP,

or Sick) you are requesting.  Good documentation of your absence will enable your union representative to defend unwarranted corrective

action by management for unrelated attendance issues down the road.

    I commend our National Officers for their success in negotiating Bereavement Leave.  Remember, without unionism, work conditions

at the USPS would be a third world environment if it was up to some managers and supervisors.

Fraternally Yours,

Cosmo Baccomo, Director of Education

SCSALC 

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September 2, 2009

     Hello Everyone,

    I hope everyone is in good health and spirits for the upcoming year.  As everyone

knows the post office is stating that we are in a financial crisis.  They say the mail

volume has dropped considerably.  This may be true for First Class Mail but Bulk

Mail has increased.  I know that we need the First Class Mail to survive and the

Bulk Mail to keep us going as long as possible.  So, the post office and the union

has come with a way to help save some money and time for route inspections.

It is called the "MIARAP".  Under this new system a member from management

and one from the union sit down and go over your clock rings and your demonstrated

ability.  Adjustments are made based on this evaluation.  Every day I receive phone

calls about what was added to carrier's routes.  You must remember that the

evaluation is based upon what you demonstated during the selected month(s).

During consultations that I participated in, the carriers often say "do what you

want because you always do" or "it doesn't matter to me" or some other less

than positive remark.  Only a few times I've heard a carrier tell the joint teams

intricate details about their routes or ask questions.

    The whole idea of MIARAP is to get the carriers involved in the route check and to

have their input on what data is accurate or not.  If you have a bad attitude and do

not want to participate, then later, should have no reason to gripe.  I receive

hundreds of phone calls every week about descrepancies.  However, when I check

the paperwork, it clearly shows that this carrier never took a swing, break, or lunch

break.  This time loss equates to about 50 minutes per day.  It is usually about

50 minutes that is being added to the caller.  I know it is hard to understand the

reason for two route exams per year, but if we want to stay in business we must

start from somewhere.  We've complained for years about management has

been hiding the mail, incorrectly counting the mail, or not giving us the right amount

of time to our routes.  Times have changed.  We now have a communication channel

to express our concerns pertaining to our routes.  If we do not express our concerns

we are no better now than we were before.  The teams that I have followed have done

excellent work in fighting for us and I know they will do the right thing for letter

carriers.  If we as letter carriers don't do the right thing, then all our efforts become

a losing battle.

    So remember, when the joint teams talk to you during consultations about your

route and the figures at hand, tell them your concerns and be prepared to back it up.

The joint teams will note your concerns and correct data that can be substantiated.

You do have control of your future and only you can protect your job.  Be trustworthy

and explain to the joint teams your concerns.  You might be surprised how well

your results will be.  It's up to you!

Sincerely,

Cosmo Baccom, Director of Education

South Carolina State Association of Letter Carriers 

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May 24, 2009

Hello Brothers and Sisters,

  
   As you all know this is a new year and there is a lot of new changes in

effect this year. One of the changes is the Modified Interim Alternate Route

Adjustment Process (MIARAP). Management is now using different months to

evaluate your routes. The best change they have done is to include the carrier’s

input. This enables the joint teams to compare your input with their data to

verify data accuracy. The only thing is that we have to be truthful and honest

during the consultation, because if we are not then it will come back to bite you.

If you are one of those carriers that skip your breaks including lunch breaks, you

may be one of the first carriers to have territory added to. The union has warned

you about running and skipping lunches and breaks for years. But some carriers never

listened because management looked out for you in return.

  Let’s look as some figures. If you are a runner and skip breaks and lunches, you

are giving the post office back $3,133.00 for lunches and $626.86 for breaks for a total

of $3,759.86 dollars per year. If you can give the post office this kind of money then

you sure can give $5.00 per pay period to the union for COLCPE. COLCPE is the Committee

On Letter Carriers Political Education. COLCPE will help you save your job and build

revenue for the post office.  The most important thing about the route check is the

accuracy of your data. You now have the opportunity to give any detail that will assist

adjusters in identifying any disqualifying figures.  Tell the adjusters about your absences,

waiting time or anything that effect your route on a daily basis. By the way, talking about

waiting time, make sure that it is correct because some managers have been known to put

you on waiting time while you are casing mail just to make their numbers look good. So make

sure you check that out. Also those who stick mail while on waiting time you will find out

that it will hurt you on the street and in the office.  Most of all don't slow down or try

to falsify your numbers now because it’s too late and the route adjuster and the route teams

will know what you are trying to do and they will adjust your time accordingly, so be

truthful and honest with them and it will help you in the long run.
    Also for those who attended the state convention and went to the dinner we had a great

time and raised a great deal of money for the carrier that lost his home because of the wild

fire at the beach. At the auction we raised $678.00 and from the drawing we raised $167.00

dollars and when we passed the hat around we collected another $255.00 for a total of $1,100.00. 

On the last day of the convention I collected another $175.00 and gave it to the delegate from

his branch to give to him. He has called me and thanked you all for the help.  It really helped

him and his family. Again, I would like to thank those who participated at the auction and the

passing of the hat and the raffle because you assisted a fellow union brother.  This is what our

union is for, to watch out for our brothers and sisters.  If hadn't heard by now our State

Secretary Donna Jackson Bennett is going to have a little one. I want to be the first to

congratulate her on this and wish her and the baby good health and a long life.
     Last but not least I want to thank all of you that had voted for me in the last election

and for having the trust in me that I will do a good job. I want everyone to know that I will

do everything in my power to help any carrier, steward, or other member to get the job done and

done right. I'm not the best but I can help with grievances and give classes to new stewards.

I will also contact our Congressman and Senators on all subjects pertaining to our best interest

and the USPS. As Director of Education, I will be available for anyone that would like my

assistances or needs any paperwork or help in the grievance procedure.  No matter where you are

in South Carolina I will be available. Just call me at 803-731-9132 (office) or 803-513-3753

(cell) and I will be there for you.

Thank you,
Cosmo Baccomo, Director of Education

South Carolina State Association of Letter Carriers

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