African American Delegation Arriving Now in Alabama
Brenda Loya in AFL-CIO Media Affairs sends us this from Alabama, where she will report on the delegation of African American labor and civil rights leaders as they investigate Alabama’s recently passed anti-immigrant law. Follow the delegation here.
With the passage of H.B. 56, Alabama has taken a huge step backward, into the 1950s. Today, an African American delegation of labor and civil rights leaders traveled to Birmingham, Ala., to help shed a light on what is seen as one of the harshest immigration laws in the country and how it invokes inhumanity reminiscent of the Jim Crow South.
The delegation will investigate first-hand the impact of Alabama’s H.B. 56 on the lives of Latino working families. National, state and local leaders will hear from the families directly impacted by the law, document the impact of the law on Latino communities, acquire a better understanding of the civil rights implications of the legislation and assess the impact of the law on workers and businesses.
APWU Says Honor Vets with Jobs
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On Veterans Day today, lawmakers will make a lot of speeches honoring the service of the nation’s military veterans. But many of these same lawmakers are backing legislation that could cost the jobs of 26,000 veterans who work for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
The bill (H.R. 2309), sponsored by Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Dennis Ross (R-Fla.), was approved by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Oct. 13. It would force the Postal Service to lay off as many as 120,000 workers, including veterans who served our nation.
The Postal Workers (APWU) and Mail Handlers, an affiliate of the Laborers (LIUNA), have launched a new TV ad (see above) that salutes the nation’s “real life heroes” and urges viewers to tell their representatives in Congress to vote ”No” on H.R. 2309 when it comes to the House floor for a vote.
Our nation’s veterans are real-life heroes. But when they come home, they don’t want a parade, they want a job.
Join the Fight to Save America’s Postal Service
The nation’s postal unions and allies are fighting back against proposals to close post offices and mail processing centers, and change USPS regulations to eliminate overnight delivery of first class mail, and change two-day delivery to three days. You can join by signing a petition to your senators and representatives to preserve the nation’s mail service. Click here or here to sign the petition.
The petition is part of the Save America’s Postal Service campaign, a joint effort of the Postal Workers (APWU), Letter Carriers (NALC), Mail Handlers, an affiliate of the Laborers (LIUNA), and the Rural Letter Carriers.
Over the next several weeks, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, the “super committee,” is supposed to produce a plan to reduce the federal deficit. It may include a Read the rest of this entry »
Join the Fight to Keep Six-Day Mail Delivery
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The nation’s postal unions and allies are fighting back against proposals to eliminate Saturday mail deliveries—and you can join by signing a petition to your senators and representatives to preserve six-day mail service. Click here to sign the petition.
The Save America’s Postal service campaign is a joint effort of the Letter Carriers (NALC), Postal Workers (APWU), Mail Handlers, an affiliate of the Laborers (LIUNA), and the Rural Letter Carriers.
Over the next several weeks, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, the “super committee,” will produce a plan to reduce the federal deficit. It may include a package of proposals to fix the financial difficulties facing the USPS that could include an end to Saturday deliveries. Read the rest of this entry »
Thousands Rallied to Support Postal Workers, Save 120,000 Jobs
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Thousands of postal workers and their supporters held rallies in 492 locations across the country yesterday to protect the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and save 120,000 jobs.
Members of the four USPS employee unions—the Postal Workers (APWU), Letter Carriers (NALC), Mail Handlers, an affiliate of the Laborers (LIUNA), and the Rural Letter Carriers—and our allies held events in every congressional district as part of a national “Save America’s Post Office” day of action.
Under the guise of a “budgetary crisis,” some in Congress are going after the USPS, proposing massive cuts and job cuts—including laying off 120,000 workers, closing thousands of post offices, eliminating Saturday mail service and closing mail processing facilities. The rallies yesterday urged lawmakers to save the USPS by supporting H.R. 1351. Introduced by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), the bill would restore financial stability to the Postal Service.
Support Postal Workers: Join Sept. 27 Rallies to Save 120,000 Jobs
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In every state across the country, members of the postal unions and community supporters will rally tomorrow, Sept. 27, in a national day of action to protect the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and save 120,000 jobs. Most rallies will take place from 4–5:30 p.m. local time.
Click here to find the Sept. 27 rallies near you.
Under the guise of a “budgetary crisis,” some in Congress are going after the USPS, proposing massive cuts and layoffs—including laying off 120,000 workers, closing thousands of post offices, eliminating Saturday mail service and closing mail processing facilities.
APWU: Crushing Workers Will Not Solve Postal Service’s Financial Woes
Crushing postal workers and slashing service will not solve the U.S. Postal Service’s financial crisis, Postal Workers (APWU) President Cliff Guffey said in response to the announcement today that the Postal Service will seek congressional support to cut 120,000 jobs, break its labor contract signed earlier this year and withdraw from the federal health and retirement plans.
“Congress created this mess and Congress can fix it,” Guffey said.
The USPS economic crisis is the result of a provision of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 that requires the Postal Service to pre-fund the health care benefits of future retirees — a burden no other government agency or private company bears.
The legislation requires the USPS to fund a 75-year liability over a 10-year period, and that requirement costs the USPS more than $5.5 billion per year.
Guffey also pointed out that “the federal government is holding billions of dollars in postal overpayments to its pension accounts.” Read the rest of this entry »
Postal Workers Ratify New Contract
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By a margin of more than three-to-one, members of the Postal Workers (APWU) ratified a new four-and-one-half-year contract with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) that calls for increasing wages by 3.5 percent over term, creates new positions and provides job security.
APWU President Cliff Guffey said that as a result of the new contract, the Postal Service will begin hiring again for the first time in many years. In addition, he said, the union was “able to retain protection against layoffs, bring back thousands of jobs in each craft, and limit excessing.”
Hanley and Guffey Named to AFL-CIO Executive Council
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The AFL-CIO Executive Council welcomed Larry Hanley and Cliff Guffey as new members today.
Hanley was elected Sept. 30 as president of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), succeeding Warren George, who retired and also resigned from the Executive Council.
Hanley began his union career in 1978 as a 21-year-old bus driver in Brooklyn. He served as president of ATU Local 726 from 1987 until 2002. He then joined the staff of the international union and most recently served as an ATU vice president.
Guffey was elected last October as president of the Postal Workers (APWU). He began his postal career in 1971 as a letter carrier in Oklahoma City. He served as APWU vice president since 2001. Before joining the APWU on the national level, Guffey was president of APWU’s Oklahoma City local. He succeeded William Burrus, who retired and resigned from the Executive Council.
The Council approved a statement saying, George “has demonstrated that a commitment to organizing can change a union.” Under his leadership, ATU created an organizing department, hired an organizing director and extended the benefits of union membership to transit workers the union had not reached before.
The Council praised Burrus for his “hallmarks of fairness, flexibility and safety.” In a statement, the Council credited Burrus and former APWU President Moe Biller with transforming the union into a progressive political force. Burrus led APWU to become one of the first to endorse Barack Obama.
Postal Workers, USPS Prove Public Employee Bargaining Works
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While governors and state lawmakers across the country are attacking the right of public employees to bargain, the Postal Workers (APWU) and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) today showed that public employees and government can work together to solve financial problems and provide good service. The two sides have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, which APWU President Cliff Guffey says is “a win-win proposition” for both parties.
In a video to members, Guffey said:
When workers across the country are fighting to protect their right to collective bargaining, our tentative agreement is a testament to a great American freedom: The right of workers to have a voice at work and to negotiate for a better life.
