Postal Workers Endorse Obama, Forge Ties With Letter Carriers
By Barb Kucera, Workday Minnesota editor
and Press Associates
LAS VEGAS (PAI)--The Postal Workers, meeting in their national convention in Las
Vegas just days before the Democratic National Convention, unanimously endorsed
Sen. Barack Obama for the presidency, and took a major step toward improving
relations with their sister union, the Letter Carriers.
Chanting Obama's slogan, "Yes We Can!" the more than 3,200 APWU delegates from
across the U.S. backed the Illinoisan, who addressed them live by satellite.
"It's time to bring about the real change that working families need" and elect
an administration "that doesn't choke on the word 'union,'" Obama said, drawing
loud applause.
“Change is a president who stands up for working families by strengthening the
Family and Medical Leave Act. Who doesn’t denigrate public service by
privatizing good public jobs every chance he gets. A president who protects your
wages and the quality public service that Americans all across this country depend on. Change is a president who’s
walked on picket lines. Who lets unions do what they do best, and organize our
workers--and who will finally make the Employee Free Choice Act the law of the
land,” he declared.
"It's time to turn the page. It's time to bring about the real change America's
working families need. That change is building an economy that rewards not just
wealth, but work--and the workers who create it," Obama stated. APWU responded
not just with ovations but by promising to launch its largest-ever effort to
mobilize members to get out the vote for Obama and other labor-endorsed
candidates in November.
Obama was not the only speaker referring to turning pages. So did NALC President
William Young, whom APWU delegates warmly welcomed on the conclave’s first day,
Aug. 18. At Young’s invitation, APWU President William Burrus had previously
spoken to the NALC convention in Boston. The union presidents’ appearances at
each other’s conventions were firsts for both NALC and APWU.
"Whatever divided us in the past doesn't mean diddly-squat," Young said. "We
will work together and we will succeed." Burrus noted the joint appearances do
not mean the two postal unions are talking merger, just closer cooperation.
Both postal unions, which represent the vast majority of workers at the U.S.
Postal Service, face challenges including loss of jobs due to privatization,
outsourcing and technology, plus postal "reform" proposals that could undermine
the quality, universal service that has been a hallmark of the Postal Service
since its inception during the American Revolution. Obama told the delegates
privatization and deregulation of the Postal Service were not on his agenda.
Young and Burrus both said the need to change the direction of the country is
also bringing the two unions together. "Something's got to change, and we've got
make it happen. The men and women of the NALC are ready to stand
shoulder-to-shoulder with the men and women of the APWU to make sure that it does," Young declared.
In other business, Postal Workers convention delegates:
* Set bargaining priorities for the next round of contract talks with USPS. The
top goal is to “develop and negotiate clear and concise contractual language to
eliminate and reverse” elimination of USPS jobs, delegates decided. The old pact
ends in 2010.
“All our hard-fought benefits become useless if our members no longer have their
jobs. We cannot allow postal management to commit blunder after blunder and
attempt to balance its budget on the backs and through the wallets of our
members,” the APWU resolution said. Top priority was given to protecting work in
the clerk, maintenance, motor vehicle, and support services crafts.
Delegates also said another bargaining priority should be elimination of
“casual” employees and converting “part-time flexible” workers to full-time
work. Under pressure from the anti-worker GOP Bush regime, USPS management has
frequently turned to such non-full-time not-organizable workers.
* Heard Burrus warn that USPS, facing a $1.5 billion deficit, would try to cut it
via buyouts and service cuts. He said APWU would launch a campaign to keep
universal, nationwide postal service alive. The new postal law requires periodic
agency review of all USPS services, including nationwide coverage and
6-days-per-week delivery.
“Our advice is: Don’t Go....Early-outs are not new, having been offered in many
industries. But they are called ‘buyouts,’ and employees have been offered
healthy cash incentives. Every APWU-represented employee who leaves early will
save the USPS hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Burrus said.
“With the economy nearing a recession, the opportunity to replace postal
employment with another job after retirement has diminished. APWU demands
employees eligible for the early-out be offered a cash incentive to cushion the
shock. Postal management refuses to discuss our proposal, so I have asked
eligible employees to reject early retirement. Make them pay.”