Union Launches Petition Drive to Protect
Post Offices, Mail Processing Centers, Service Standards
The battle over the future of the Postal Service — and our jobs — has reached a critical stage: Key senators are meeting behind closed doors in an effort to produce a compromise bill to address the USPS financial crisis. It is likely that any proposals they develop will be submitted to the congressional “super-committee” to be incorporated into the committee’s plan to reduce the nation’s deficit.
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“It is absolutely essential that we make our voices heard now — before any deal is cut that could adversely affect the future of the USPS and our members,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey.
The union has launched a petition drive with an important message: Slashing the postal network and service to customers will hurt, not help, the USPS.
Unfortunately, the Postal Service is proposing drastic reductions in both. On July 28 the USPS announced plans to close 3,700 post offices — with thousands more closures expected in the next several years — and on Sept. 14 the agency announced plans to eliminate 252 of approximately 460 mail processing facilities.
A week later, the USPS admitted something management has been denying for years: The proposed cutbacks in the postal network will lead to severe reductions in service to the American people. The Postal Service announced [PDF] in the Federal Register on Sept. 21 plans to change service standards — to eliminate overnight service for first-class mail and periodicals and to change two-day mail delivery to three days.
A Perfect Fit
The Postal Service’s slash-and-burn strategy fits perfectly with the provisions of H.R. 2309, the Postal “Destruction” Bill. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL), would destroy the Postal Service as we know it.
The Issa-Ross bill would require the USPS to make $3 billion worth of cuts in post offices and mail processing facilities within two years. In addition, it would prohibit postal unions and management from negotiating restrictions on layoffs, and would empower an appointed “solvency authority” to unilaterally cut wages and benefits.
The bill was approved by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Oct. 13 — and could come up for a vote in the full House at any time.
H.R. 1351, a bill postal unions enthusiastically support and which has more than 220 co-sponsors, hasn’t even been considered.
“We must show Congress that the American people stand with us,” said Executive Vice President Greg Bell. “If every APWU member can get 10 friends, neighbors or family members to sign a petition, we would have over 2 million signatures,” he said.
Petitions and flyers will be mailed to local and state presidents.
Completed petitions should be returned by Nov. 14 to:
Save America’s Postal Service
American Postal Workers Union
1300 L Street NW
Washington, DC 20005.
Dear Margaret……if the USPS is successful in cutting delivery to five days a week….i’m not sure it would saturday they would get rid of. Maybe it would be monday….how do you and your kids feel about that? oh and by the way….if the USPS us successful…….many craft employees will get 7 days a week for family time….because they won’t have a job anymore. they will be able to plan who gets to stand in line at the food bank. i can not believe people are so ignorant. it is astounding to me. the economic shock wave that would occur if they added 120,000 middle class americans to the list of jobless we already have is not fixing anything. get a clue.
Rotating days off was always difficult for my family, I personally would be happy to see the post office go to no Saturday delivery and weekends off, then family time would be time you could plan ahead, and count on, and children could count on seeing both their parents on the weekends. This I feel would help stabilize both conventional and single-parent families. However, I regret any job losses.
Eradicate your stupid Saturday junk mail delivery days and hold that garbage until Monday. Have yet to meet another humanbeing that does not work for the post office that even cares whether you deliver on Saturdays or not. Only way to save money in the long run and keep your lifestyles is to cut the ranks down. My company went through it and after 2 years were very happy with the decision and what has come of it. The excess staff accounted for 30% of our profits and 15.9% if our being in debt with loans. By cutting off the excess two years ago we’ve been able to keep our heads above water through this economic tidle wave. Two of my siblings work with your company and I am speechless at times by what they tell me. Hope you folks get decent contracts and that you are able to keep providing for your families in a time when the rich have gotten so greedy that they’ve become criminals. Keep supporting your unions your fortunate to have them. I hope to wake up one day and hear about all of you striking accompanied by all of the thousands of small businesses that can only exist if you do. I have a hunch