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Guild Service Award Nomination Letter for Tim Fitzgerald March 17, 2009 This letter is to nominate Tim Fitzgerald for Unit Chair of the Year. Tim has served as co-chair of the Guild staff unit at the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) since the negotiation of its recognition agreement in May 2000. Tim’s outstanding leadership and exceptional negotiating skills since then have made him an extremely valuable leader. He has made many key contributions to our 15-member unit, including the negotiation of our first contract in November 2001 and an early retirement-package for the only employee in the unit’s history to be “offered” a reduction in salary. In 2008, Tim was directly responsible for the following achievements: • Successfully negotiated a Memorandum of Agreement wherein the parties agreed to permit Guild staff to participate in a modified work-week consisting of one day per week of telecommuting. This benefit had been a goal for years, and more than half of the unit members are participating in this program on a regular basis. • Artfully negotiated a pre-arbitration settlement in resolution of a dispute over the APWU’s failure to pay the full amount due for our January 2008 cost-of-living adjustment. The amount in dispute was approximately $4 per week; per the settlement, each Guild member was paid a lump sum-amount of $400. • Negotiated a grievance settlement that reduced a unit member’s 14-day suspension to a letter of warning. • Negotiated a significant pay raise for an employee who had new duties added to her position. • Encouraged unit participation and involvement in various labor events, including Obama campaign activities and rallies in support of the Employee Free Choice Act. Almost all of us have been in the unit since it was created; we all have marveled at Tim Fitzgerald’s contributions. In view of his long and distinguished service, we feel it would be most appropriate to award him the WBNG Unit Chair of the Year Award. [Note: Fitzgerald was awarded WBNG's Shop Steward of the Year] – KG Barnes
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