Letter Carriers Refute Health Care Opponents’ Smear Campaign
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Here’s the latest example of how far opponents of health care reform will go to stop the real changes the nation needs.
An “issue brief” released by the House Republican Caucus this week attacks the United States Postal Service (USPS) and its 700,000 employees nationwide in what the Letter Carriers (NALC) union calls a “transparently partisan attack on the health insurance reform legislation now being considered by Congress.”
Workers across the country are fighting back against the lie-filled campaigns by extremist groups—some funded by corporate donations and backed by extremist Republican leaders who are vowing to kill health care reform.
The NALC is setting the record straight about the misinformation campaign being waged by the Republicans against health care reform. In a public memo, the union issued a point-by-point response to the House Republicans.
NALC President Fredric Rolando says:
This smear cannot go unanswered. This attack on America’s most-trusted agency is deliberately misleading and unjustifiably undermines public support for the Postal Service.
Take Action Today to Save Bargaining Rights for Postal Workers
An amendment to a short-term financial assistance bill for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) would destroy collective bargaining between the USPS and its unions. The Postal Workers (APWU) and the Letter Carriers (NALC) are mobilizing to defeat the amended bill (S. 1507) when it comes to a vote before the full Senate later this week.
APWU President William Burrus warns that if the bill passes as written,
it will destroy collective bargaining for postal workers.
Click here to visit APWU’s website and to send a message to your senators.
AFL-CIO Executive Council Calls for Round 2 of Economic Recovery
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The nation’s working families and the economy desperately need a second installment on the Obama administration’s economic recovery plan. That plan, says the AFL-CIO Executive Council,
must focus like a laser beam on job creation.
Along with approving an economic policy statement outlining the urgent need for more economic recovery initiatives, the council, convening for a one-day meeting yesterday in Washington, D.C., also welcomed two new members, Letter Carriers (NALC) President Fredric Rolando and AFGE Vice President Rogelio Flores.
The council honored former council members William Young, who recently retired as NALC president, and AFGE Vice President Andrea Brooks, who died in April. To help support the work of the Alliance for Retired Americans, the council proposed the creation of the Preserving Union Values Charitable Foundation.
Although the first round of economic stimulus has made huge strides is shoring up our economy, the council pointed out in its statement that the Bush administration’s economic legacy created such “economic devastation—in finance, housing and jobs,” that
The challenge of fixing this economic mess is enormous—and urgent. Creating good jobs that cannot be outsourced is central to the solution.
Unemployment is expected to hit 10 percent later this year and remain high in 2010. So far 6.6 million jobs have disappeared since the beginning of the recession in 2007, including 1.9 million manufacturing jobs and 1.3 million construction jobs. For those with jobs, wages are stagnant or shrinking and many workers face forced furloughs. As the council statement says:
It is crystal clear that urgent action from the federal government is needed to boost economic growth and jobs, and invest in America’s future.
Fredric Rolando, New Letter Carriers President
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Fredric Rolando, a former letter carrier in South Miami, Fla., took office July 3 as the new president of the Letter Carriers (NALC). He succeeds William Young, who announced his retirement last month.
Rolando has been NALC executive vice president since 2006. His first union post was shop steward at South Miami’s NALC Branch 1071, and he later became president of Sarasota Branch 2148. He was also director of education for the Florida State Association of Letter Carriers and served as a regional officer and national director of city delivery.
Young served six and a half years as NALC president after beginning his letter carrier career in San Luis Obispo, Calif., where he was elected shop steward in 1969. He held several regional and national positions before being elected NALC president in 2002.
In a farewell message in the July issue of the NALC magazine Postal Record, Young writes:
Although I am clearly biased, letter carriers represent what is best about America—our diversity, our commitment to hard work and community service, and our dedication to serving America.
Postal Unions Slam Saturday Mail Cut Plan
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Six days a week, 144 million U.S. homes and businesses count on the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to deliver the mail. Now, in a cost-cutting move, the USPS wants to slash Saturday mail delivery and the nation’s two largest postal unions say it is a disastrous proposal.
Letter Carriers (NALC) President Bill Young says stopping six-day delivery would have a profound impact on the Postal Service, its costumers and Letter Carriers across the country:
The NALC’s position on this issue should be crystal clear: We oppose the elimination of six-day delivery. Downsizing the Postal Service to meet the needs of a severely depressed economy is short-sighted and self-defeating—it will cost us tens of thousands of jobs and open the way to competitors to provide service on the sixth day.
The USPS is conducting a study of dropping Saturday delivery as part of an overall move to cut costs and is seeking comments from various stakeholders. Postal Workers (APWU) President William Burrus says his advice is simple: “Don’t do it!”
Pennsylvania Workers: Our Communities Need Employee Free Choice Act
Molly Theobald reports on the fight for Employee Free Choice in Pennsylvania.
Each and every day, firefighters, teachers and letter carriers serve our communities; caring for us and keeping us safe. Today, in Scranton, members of the Fire Fighters (IAFF), AFT, Letter Carriers (NALC), the Scranton Central Labor Council and the Northeast Area Labor Federation got together for a roundtable discussion on how our communities are strengthened by giving these men and women the tools they need to do their jobs effectively through the Employee Free Choice Act.
Fair wages, quality health benefits and the resources and tools to do their jobs are all secured through collectively bargaining—and those who serve our communities are testament to how protecting the freedom to form unions makes our communities stronger.
Letter Carriers Collect Record 73.4 Million Pounds of Food
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Despite an unemployment rate of 9.4 percent in May and tough economic times across the nation, working families responded with amazing generosity by donating a record 73.4 million pounds of non-perishable food in the 17th annual “Stamp Out Hunger” national food drive by the Letter Carriers (NALC) to restock community food banks and pantries.
In more than 10,000 cities and towns, letter carriers collected the food May 9 as they delivered mail along their postal routes. It is the nation’s largest one-day effort to address hunger.
NALC President William Young said:
This is an amazing testimony to the generosity of the American people, even as they themselves struggle to make ends meet in these hard times. Our members take pride in being able to serve their postal customers and help them assist millions of needy Americans, including many working families, children and the elderly.
Last year, letter carriers collected 73.1 million pounds of food. This is the sixth consecutive year that more than 70 million pounds was collected, which brings the total for the drive’s 17 years to more than 982 million pounds of food.
Stamp Out Hunger: Join Letter Carriers Food Drive Saturday
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With U.S. unemployment at 8.5 percent in March, the highest rate in 25 years—and expected to get even worse when April’s figures are released this week—the Letter Carriers (NALC) annual national food drive on Saturday comes at one of the most critical times in its 17-year history.
You can help “Stamp out Hunger” by collecting canned goods and dry food, such as tuna, canned meat, soups, pasta, rice and cereal, and leaving them in a bag or box by your mailbox. Your letter carrier will pick them up as they deliver your mail Saturday. NALC members will deliver the goods to local food banks, pantries and shelters to help needy families in 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states and U.S. jurisdictions.
Last year, carriers collected a record 73.1 million pounds of food. But, as NALC President William Young notes, the drive must be even more successful this year.
Millions and millions of families are suffering—struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table. There are countless families that are destitute—many where a job loss has hit for the first time—and with little or no income to feed, cloth and house themselves.
