(This article appeared in the November/December 2025 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine)
We successfully completed the 2025 APWU All-Craft Conference, held in Las Vegas, NV. The Saturday before the conference, we attended the Maintenance Council meetings. The conference itself took place on Monday, with Maintenance Regional Breakouts on Tuesday, and Maintenance Division workshops on Wednesday. During the conference, guest speakers addressed members and held a meaningful, lively debate about all of the Maintenance Craft issues among the body, ending in solidarity and with an agreement to return home and continue to conduct the business of the union. Below is a summary of events:
Director Balogun acknowledged all the local and state Maintenance Craft directors under the age of 30, and celebrated Abby Moyer of the Des Moines Area Local as the youngest Maintenance director at just 22 years old.
Assistant Director Terry Martinez opened the conference, welcoming delegates, before being led in prayer by NBA Carlos Paz. Martinez introduced the Division National Business Agents (NBAs). Director Balogun introduced Assistant Directors Terry Martinez (A) and Jason Treier (B) and acknowledged staffing assistants and arbitration advocates in attendance.
NBA Jeff Beaton introduced a motion to rename the Maintenance All-Craft Conference to the “Craig Fisher Maintenance Conference” in honor of NBA Craig Fisher’s years of service.
Maintenance Division Officer Reports
Director Balogun discussed notable Step-4 national arbitrations from the past year, including the part-time regular (PTR) cap violation, maintenance capable vs. non-maintenance capable, promotion cancellation, the pending small delivery unit sorter (SDUS) jurisdiction, proposed new maintenance exams, and EL-304 handbook cases. Director Balogun acknowledged the Maintenance Craft National Negotiating Team before turning it over to NBA Dave Sarnacki, who discussed the gains won in the new contract.
Terry Martinez addressed USPS notifications on the SDUS jurisdiction, Jason Treier discussed the new Field Maintenance (FMO) application and revised MS-47 Handbook, and Director Balogun reported on newly proposed maintenance exams. Martinez provided a history of the National Center for Employee Development (NCED) and MOUs achieved by the APWU, improving members’ experiences, like purchasing food with per diem and guaranteed amenities. Martinez also discussed national subcontracting cases pending arbitration. Director Balogun concluded with the following parting remarks, “If you can be anything, be kind.”
APWU Wins National Arbitration Protecting Pending Qualification, Saved Grade, and Retreat Rights!
On Aug. 13, Arbitrator Newman ruled that positions awarded to promoted employees who are in “pending qualification” (PQ) status to receive training are not ongoing vacant duty assignments and cannot be reverted if subsequent staffing changes cause a reduction in staffing. “This decision is a major victory for the Maintenance Division and the APWU crafts as a whole. Arbitrator Newman’s award finally resolves this issue and affirms that our members’ rights must be respected,” said Maintenance Division Director, Idowu Balogun. For more information, visit apwu.org/maintenance.
Arbitrator Newman ultimately remanded the issue of remedies to the parties, retaining jurisdiction should further hearings be necessary to identify affected employees and determine appropriate relief. Potentially harmed employees include those who were promoted pending qualification and were forced to return to their former occupational group (without saved grade and retreat rights) solely because a new staffing package was generated after the promotion that identified a reduction in the number of authorized positions in the occupational group(s) that the employee was promoted pending qualification to. If you believe you may have been affected, please email Maint-HQ-Update@apwu.org ■
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