(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. 
