Postal Workers Have the Right To Speak Out Against Facility Closures

Posted on by postal

Recent notices posted by management have generated questions about APWU members’ right to participate in activities opposing the closure of postal facilities. Postal employees have the right to:

  • Circulate petitions;
  • Participate in public meetings;
  • Encourage others to attend public meetings;
  • Encourage local merchants and business organizations to speak out against postal closings;
  • Contact elected officials to urge them to oppose postal closings.
“I urge our members to circulate petitions, attend meetings, and call and write legislators. Do these things on your own time, but do them!”
— Cliff Guffey, President

Postal workers may engage in all of the activities listed above, provided they are off-the-clock.

“It is essential that all union members speak out to the maximum extent possible to prevent the unnecessary closure of postal facilities,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “We will not allow USPS management to discourage our members from exercising their First Amendment rights.”

Anti-Lobbying Act Doesn’t Apply

The Anti-Lobbying Act, which the USPS cited in a Jan. 13 LiteBlue posting, prohibits the use of government funds — or postal funds — to urge private citizens to communicate with Congress about issues of concern to the Postal Service. As long as postal workers are acting on their own time and are not using postal funds, however, they can speak against and actively oppose facility closures without violating the Anti-Lobbying Act.

A one-page list linked to the LiteBlue posting outlines permissible and prohibited activities under the Anti-Lobbying Act, but neglects to mention that activities listed as “impermissible” are impermissible only if they are done on postal time or using postal funds or facilities. They do not apply to  activities conducted off-the-clock and outside postal facilities.

The LiteBlue posting also mentions a prohibition on the disclosure of non-public postal information.  Postal employees who have access to non-public information may not reveal it to unauthorized individuals.

Once again, however, this restriction is irrelevant to opposition to postal closures. Our activities rely on non-restricted public information.  If the union believes that restricted or non-public information is relevant and necessary, the APWU can officially request access to such information.

Campaigns About Mail Service

Another management document that causes confusion about employees’ rights is Section 667.12 of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM), which states that postal workers must not “engage in campaigns for or against changes in mail service.” However, the same provision also states that it “must not be construed to infringe upon the rights to participate in labor organizations.”

More than 15 years ago, on June 11, 1996, the Postal Service Vice President for Labor Relations issued instructions to the field confirming the right of postal workers to participate in peaceful informational picketing directed to the public, notwithstanding the language of ELM. Those instructions remain in effect.

There is no question that postal employees have a constitutional right, protected by the First Amendment, to participate in public meetings, make public statements opposing the closure or consolidation of postal facilities, and speak out against the reduction of postal services — because those actions by the Postal Service are matters of public concern.

“I urge our members to circulate petitions, attend meetings, and call and write legislators,” Guffey said. “Do these things on your own time, but do them!”

Postal managers on official time, or using their official authority, may not work for or against our efforts on behalf of the Postal Service. If any postal manager uses his or her official position to attempt to influence your work on these issues, please contact the APWU national office

Postal Workers Have the Right To Speak Out Against Facility Closures

11 thoughts on “Postal Workers Have the Right To Speak Out Against Facility Closures”

  1. Hey Rocky (Balboa), I beg to differ with you and as someone once sang:

    “The Party’s over…..”

  2. Politicans playing politics as levell 11,15 offices within a 5-7 mile radius and some with no delivery near large 20,21,22 offices that provide delivery surrounding these offices which have a PM and a clerk. This a real political game as declining revenue and increasing cost mean nothing. Congress and PRC will insure that wasted cost that if eliminated would not negatively affect anyone will not be consolidated, closed,or service provided by a near by large office.
    POLITICS INHOUSE AND FROM ELECTED POLITICANS GOVERN. tHE PLAYING POST OFFICE GAME WILL BE GOING ON 10 YEARS FROM NOW WITH SAME ISSUES THAT ARE BEING VOICED TODAY.

  3. I’m happy for you little lemming, I really am. Now…get back to work and keep paying dem dues and…by the way…include that little extra voluntary dues money next pay period since you love em so much and since they do so much for you!

    And:

    OCCUPY APWU at the 2012 Convention in Los Angeles (August 20-24) at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel (404 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA)

  4. Managment at our Facility wanted to bring in the New Year and up the ante as they have done so many times in the past with bringing in people who have called in their second instance in 90 days for a little freindly talk (so they say) instead of on the third instance. Had it not been for the union stepping on it

    Letters of Warning on your 3rd instance? For us all?

    Sometimes the local union representation helps us little lemmings in our day to day toil beat the Beasts in management with some of the small things that management keeps trying to take away.

    SO FUCK-OFF

  5. so cliff “no balls” goofey and his no balls staff and his no balls locals will be partying while the USPS burns, out in LA and and at state conventions, they are really worried about the members, we need to drop this waste and his flunkies, I will also drop out if nothing else works.so cliff “no balls” goofey and his no balls staff and his no balls locals will be partying while the USPS burns, out in LA and and at state conventions, they are really worried about the members, we need to drop this waste and his flunkies, I will also drop out if nothing else works.

  6. Unhappy with APWU? Unhappy with the contract? Unhappy with the level of representation you’re getting? Unhappy with loss of 40 hour jobs?

    OCCUPY APWU at the 2012 Convention in Los Angeles (August 20-24) at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel (404 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA)

    OTHERWISE:

    Shut up and keeping paying dem dues! And, by the way…stay in line all you lemmings!

  7. And the APWU negotiators were afraid of these idiots and sold out the membership? Hopefully MH and NALC will force those buffoons to arbitration.

  8. The U.S.P.S. likes to take citations out of context. What does the Anti-lobbying Act have to do with free speech? Certainly, information gathered through various internal methods are protected by Privacy act. It’s interesting that divulging internal information to the Department of Justice under the Whistleblower Act is prohibited, meanwhile the DoJ should be investigating what the OIG fails to investigate. Another Catch-22. What is it that the U.S.P.S. does not want the public to see? How about the fraudulent numbers giving rise to the Facility closures for starters.

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