Month: August 2018

Delegation Hits the Streets Proclaiming the ‘U.S. Mail Is Not For Sale!’

(This news was originated from the National Website, on August 21, 2018,  Convention News Bulletin 3-2018)

On Tuesday afternoon, the highest governing body of the American Postal Workers Union hit the streets to protest against the possible sale of the U.S. Postal Service.

“This White House, the Heritage Foundation, and their billionaire backers, the Wall Street investors, they want their greedy hands on the public till and the public good – but they’ve started something that they’re not going to be able to stop,” said President Dimondstein. “They think this is their time…We’re going to show them this is truly our time.”

Vance Zimmerman, Director of Industrial Relations, rallied the crowd stating, “They picked on the wrong family, the APWU Family!… And after we save the Post Office, we are taking this country back for working people!”

Legislative & Political Director Judy Beard led a chant of Whose Post Office? / The People’s Post Office. “That’s the message we are going to send across the United States of America and the U.S. territories,” she continued. “They will not sell our Post Office!”

“The Postal Service is the most popular agency of the United States government, by far. I can tell you, people love you guys,” said Congressman Conor Lamb (D-PA-18).  “The seniors in my district, they need you to get their medication on time. The young people who are trying to start businesses [across my district], they need you.”

“This is one of the most electrifying crowds I’ve ever been a part of,” remarked Summer Lee, candidate for Pennsylvania State Assembly from Pittsburgh.

“We must oppose a corporate takeover of the Postal Service,” said Nina Turner, Our Revolution President. “It’s not just selling you out…but they are selling out our grandmothers and our grandfathers and our children.”

True union solidarity was at the forefront, with leaders and members from several unions, both public and private sector.

Bobby McAuliffe, United Steelworkers District 10 Director said to the crowd, “I’m here to tell you that our union is proud to stand with the American Postal Workers…so you can continue to deliver those efficient and reliable services to the American people.”

Philip Glover, National Vice-President, AFGE District 3, thanked APWU for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the AFGE. “318,000 members of American Federation of Government Employees stand with you against privatization!”

United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America General President Peter Knowlton livened up the crowd with a new chant, “Who are we? UE! Who are You? APWU!”

Paul Rizzo, from the Pennsylvania State Association of Letter Carriers, NALC affirmed that the  “union works best when union stands together and the letter carriers stand with APWU!”

Guillermo Perez, President of the Pittsburgh Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) said, “Your fight is all of organized labor’s fight.”
Union leaders who previously addressed the delegation during the convention – Sara Nelson (AFA-CWA), Paul Hogrogian (NPMHU), Cornelia Broos (UNI), and Mike Palecek (CUPW) – also spoke in the rally. 

 

PDIs 101

(This is brought to you from the Director of Associate Offices, Mike Wright)

We’ve been having issues with some of the newer employees not being aware of their rights, below are some basic rights you are entitled to under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA):

  • ALWAYS ask for a Steward for a Pre-Disciplinary Interview (PDI) and make sure their a member of your Union, we’ve had two incidents recently where management, in a rush to discipline an employee, have used Stewards from other Unions to sit in on our members’ Day in Court.
  • ALWAYS  contact the Union if you receive any discipline within 14 days of the employee receiving the discipline. After Day 14, it become more difficult to get the discipline reduced or thrown out.
  • ALWAYS make sure you’re on the clock, this isn’t the Red Cross and we don’t work for free.

These are just some of the rights you are entitled to, coming to the meetings will help educate you, and knowledge of the  CBA is your biggest weapon in fighting those who willingly break the contract.

Resolution Opposing Privatization of the Postal Service Introduced in Congress

(This article was first reported on the National Website on July 26, 2018)

On July 16, a leading group of Congressional representatives took action to help combat a proposal to privatize the Postal Service. The proposal, put forward by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget in their report Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century, would “restructure the U.S. Postal Service” and “prepare it for future conversion from a government agency into a privately-held corporation.”  ​

APWU thanks the bipartisan group of representatives for introducing House Resolution 993 in response to this attack. The resolution calls on Congress to take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and not be subject to privatization.

The resolution was introduced by Rodney Davis (R-IL) and Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and co-sponsored by Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Paul Cook (R-CA), Brian Mast (R-FL), Don Young (R-AK), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and Marcia Fudge (D-OH).

“We will fight back against any attempt to privatize the Postal Service,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “This is yet another attempt by corporate interests to pad their pockets and rob the public of affordable and universal mail delivery.”

CALL TODAY!!!
1-844-402-1001
To tell your member of Congress to oppose privatizating – selling – the USPS, and support House Resolution 993 by becoming a co-sponsor.

Members of Congress will be starting their summer recess in August.  “We urge all APWU members to meet with your representative and express the urgency of them becoming a co-sponsor of this resolution and oppose the privatization of the Postal Service,” said Legislative and Political Director Judy Beard.