Texas AFL-CIO Passes Resolution to Support the Public Postal Service

On July 26, the Texas AFL-CIO adopted the resolution Fight to Save the Postal Service at their 60th Constitutional Convention. The resolution was introduced by Texas Postal Worker Union President Carlton Williams and two NALC delegates. APWU President Mark Dimondstein discussed as keynote speaker at the convention the struggles facing postal and other federal workers across the country and the path forward: Where our members work and proudly serve in the public sector, the public good is being […]

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APWU National Executive Board to USPS Board of Governors – ‘Not So Fast!’

The Postmaster General’s (PMG) 10-year “business plan” was leaked to the press on Tuesday, June 18. It is clear management wants the burden of balancing their books on the backs of postal workers and the public. The PMG and the Postal Board of Governors want to impose $18 billion of cuts to workers’ rights and benefits by slashing postal workers’ sick and vacation leave, as well as raising current workers retirement contributions, eliminating federal retirement […]

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Anti-Privatization Resolution Gains Majority Support in Senate

Members of the United States Senate have joined members of the House of Representatives in saying, “Don’t Sell Our Public Postal Service”. On June 4, S. Res 99, introduced by Gary Peters (D-MI), gained its 51st cosponsor. The resolution expresses the sense that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and is not subject to privatization. H. Res 33, the companion […]

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The Federal Retirement Fairness Act

RETIREMENT BUY BACK – FROM PSE TO FULL-TIME CAREER   Up until January 1, 1989, postal and federal workers who began their postal job as temporary employees were able to make additional contributions to their retirement benefits, to obtain credit for their years of service when they were not eligible for these benefits. These contributions included a deposit of 1.3 percent of the base pay for each year as a temporary employee, corresponding interest, and […]

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Legislation Calls to Repeal Prefunding Mandate

On Monday, Apr. 29, members of Congress introduced H.R. 2382, the USPS Fairness Act. This legislation would repeal, in full, the onerous prefunding of retiree health care benefits mandate Congress put in place in 2006. The mandate requires the Postal Service to prefund its retiree health care benefits 75 years in advance, paying for retirement health care for individuals who haven’t been born yet, let alone enter the workforce. The mandate is accountable for 92 percent […]

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Paycheck Fairness Act

Despite the fact that most American women contribute or are solely responsible for the fiscal stability of their households, they only make on average 80 percent of what their male counterparts earn in the workforce. This number significantly drops among minority women. Not only does this impact women’s financial security, but also their families’. The wage gap contributes to families’ inability to save for retirement, invest in their children’s education, and overcome living paycheck to […]

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Postal Employees and Retirees See Threats to Pay and Benefits in White House Budget

March 29, 2019 The White House released its plans for the fiscal year 2020 budget this month. It once again attacks workers, calling for deep cuts to salaries, retirement and health benefits. It also echoes parts of the Postal Task Force December 2018 report that calls for the elimination of union negotiated collective bargaining rights over pay, creating a postal employee pay system similar to what is seen in the federal workforce. Further mirroring the Postal Task […]

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APWU Supports Fair Benefits for America’s Seniors

America’s seniors have earned their benefits. The sad truth remains that, despite their contributions, over the years legislation has been signed into law that have placed an undue financial burden on older Americans and people with disabilities. APWU supports expanding Medicare to  guarantee  the  right  of  healthcare   for   all   Americans.   Further,  America’s   seniors   should   see   their  benefits expanded with fair increases to  Social Security benefits, Cost of […]

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New Social Security Legislation Introduced | APWU

On Feb. 13, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced S. 478, the “Expand Social Security Act,” legislation that would expand benefits and add almost 50 years of solvency to the program. Social Security, in its current form, is paying out more money to recipients than it takes in, and will no longer be able to pay out full benefits by 2034. A companion bill, H.R. 1170 was introduced in the House on the same day by Rep. Peter […]

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White House Targets Postal Workers

On Dec. 4, 2018, the U.S. Treasury Department released the long-awaited report by the White House’s Task Force on the United States Postal System. The Task Force was created by an executive order issued on April 12, 2018. It was chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) also serving on the committee. […]

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Statement by Mark Dimondstein President, American Postal Workers Union on White House Postal Task Force on the Postal Service Report

12/04/2018 – If the White House Task Force on the Postal Service’s report was assigned a ZIP Code it would be 00000. This poorly conceived report makes many of its recommendations based on myth and misinformation that instead of improving mail services, would deliver higher prices and less service for the public. The facts are: The public Postal Service serves each and every person. According to recent surveys by Gallup and the Pew Research Center, it enjoys […]

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Eagle or Vulture?

(This article first appeared in the November/December 2018 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine)  By President Mark Dimondstein  “We won’t let the postal eagle be replaced by the vulture.” What a great response by Legislative Grassroots Coordinator Janice Kelble to the White House of Office Management and Budget (OMB) proposal to sell-off the Postal Service to corporations for private profit. The eagle symbolizes that the public Postal Service belongs to, and serves, all the people. The […]

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White House Plan to Privatize the Postal Service

The White House proposal on restructuring the federal government released today, “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century,” delivered nothing but misinformation and, if implemented, would end regular mail and package services at an affordable cost to 157 million addresses every day. Furthermore, the White House plan is an attack on many federal agencies and the public services they provide. The White House’s plan states, “Like many European nations the United States could privatize its […]

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When Workers Turn Out, We Win!

By Legislative & Political Director Judy Beard  We know that when workers are actively engaged in the political process, we win. We witnessed it in Virginia’s governor’s race in November, when a corporate lobbyist was soundly defeated by the now Governor-elect who opposes Right-to-Work (for less) legislation and helped prevent the law from being enshrined in the state’s constitution in 2016. We witnessed it in New Jersey, where labor ran up the score by voting […]

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‘Fighting Today for a Better Tomorrow’

10/27/2017 – After the 2018 Contract Campaign Slogan Contest was announced in the middle of August, slogans came pouring into headquarters with over 1,500 members taking action. Concern for the future, unity, respect and support for the union’s general bargaining goals were recurring themes. At deadline, more than 2,500 entries were received, with some members entering multiple suggestions. Around 1,300 All-Craft Conference (ACC) attendees got a chance to cast a ballot for their favorite pick […]

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Join the APWU in a Day of Action on July 18th to Fight the White House’s Budget Proposal

Speak Up to Protect Your Job and Your Retirement! 07/13/2017 – The House Budget Committee is currently weighing a budget handed to them from the White house, which includes deep cuts to your pay and benefits. The final federal budget bill is slated to be released from committee to the full House next week. Get ready to make some noise. APWU is leading the charge against these cuts as part of the Federal-Postal Coalition in […]

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APWU and Mail Handlers Union Send a United Message to PMG Brennan Denouncing “Wholesale and Massive Job Cuts”

06/22/2017 – On June 21, the APWU and National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) sent a joint letter to Postmaster General Megan Brennan chastising her administration’s “wholesale and massive job cuts.” APWU President Mark Dimondstein and NPMHU President Paul Hogrogian explained, “The cutting of an already skeletal workforce will not only cause massive disruption to the workforce but will cause further degradation of postal services for the American people throughout the country.” The postal unions […]

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Postal Reform Scored by Congressional Budget Office

Reports a Positive Financial Impact of H.R. 756 on Federal Budget 06/02/2017 – Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published its report on Postal Service Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 756). It is standard practice for the CBO to “score” pending legislation introduced into Congress in order to report its impact on the federal budget. They estimate that H.R. 756 would result in a savings of $6.2 billion over the next ten years. These savings […]

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White House 2018 Budget Proposal Targets Postal Workers and Postal Services

05/26/2017 – This week the White House released their budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, as they do every fiscal year. There are a number of disturbing provisions which will directly affect postal workers and postal services for the American people. The White House’s budget proposes $46 billion in “savings” to the Postal Service by a reduction in the methods of delivery. This could include cutting the number of delivery days and a further […]

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Postal Reform Questions & Answers

Web News Article #: 34-2017 04/10/2017 – In order to have a healthy, sustainable, public Postal Service, legislation is necessary to protect postal customers and postal workers from USPS’s current financial crisis. The bi-partisan Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) of 2006 largely caused this crisis, sending the Postal Service on a severe downward spiral. The PAEA mandated the Postal Service “pre-fund” 100 percent of its retiree health benefit liabilities, 75 years into the future. This […]

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Postal Regulatory Rate System Review Underway

APWU Weighs In, Calling for an End to CPI Price CapThe American Postal Workers Union (APWU) submitted comments before the March 20 deadline to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) for their ongoing “10 Year Rate System Review,” required by Congress in the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA). The Commission is reviewing the effects of the current rate system, capped by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), to see how it impacts the Postal Service’s […]

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Postal Reform Act of 2017 Moves Forward

On March 16, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee “marked-up” and approved the Postal Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 756). A mark-up is a formal process where a congressional committee can consider and amend a bill before advancing it to the full House of Representatives or Senate. Recognizing the need to set the Postal Service on sound financial footing, the APWU supported H.R. 756 advancing through committee. The favorable vote to move the bill […]

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NPC Members Take it to Capitol Hill

The National President Conference of APWU State and Local presidents, gathered in Washington DC for one of its periodic meetings. This time for their conference the State and Local Presidents and other APWU officers, members and their families descended on Capitol Hill, meeting with elected officials to discuss the Postal Reform Act of 2017 and other issues of importance to postal workers.“We need to let them know that the post office must remain viable, that […]

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The Stop Staples Fight: Unity and Activism – Key to Victory!

By President Mark Dimondstein After a dynamic three-year campaign, we have won the Stop Staples fight! Postal management informed the APWU in writing that the “Approved Shipper” program in Staples stores would be shut down by the end of February 2017. The boycott against Staples is now over. The Staples struggle and victory shows what we can accomplish when we stand up and fight back. Within weeks after I assumed office in November 2013, my administration […]

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Washington Post Gets It Wrong

A Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service In a Feb. 13, 2017 opinion piece,  “The Postal Service needs more than a Band-Aid,” The Washington Post editorial board issued a troubling public stance on postal reform. The Post created a false dilemma for its readers: that we must curtail postal services (including Saturday delivery) and eliminate jobs to save the USPS from certain deterioration and failure. They claim the Postal Service “can’t pay their bills” and is sluggish to […]

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Stop Delaying America’s Mail!

Postal workers and customers across the country have a message for the Postmaster General and the USPS Board of Governors: Stop Delaying America’s Mail!  Please join us! Whether you are postal employee, a small business owner, an individual customer, or someone who simply wants the U.S. Postal Service to survive and thrive, please get involved! The Postal Service has made devastating cuts in service to the American people – cuts so severe that they will forever […]

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The Postal Service Reform Act of 2017

A Positive Step Forward Web News Article #: 14-2017 02/07/2017 – On Feb. 7, a hearing was held before the full House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on the Postal Service Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 756). The legislation, introduced on Jan. 31, is sponsored by the Oversight Committee’s Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD) as well as Representatives Mark Meadows (R-NC), Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Dennis Ross (R-FL) and Stephen Lynch […]

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Update: No exception for USPS in Trump hiring freeze order

Update: On January 31 2017, the Trump regime excluded the USPS from the hiring freeze. NBC News has posted a copy of the Trump hiring freeze executive order. The order, as reported earlier, excludes only military personnel. The order is to apply “across the board in the executive branch”. The US Postal Service, by law, is defined as an “independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States”. (As we’ve noted […]

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The USPS and Staples Deal is Over!

APWU NSB 01-2017 (845.75 KB) 01/05/2017 – Postal management informed the APWU in writing that the “Approved Shipper” program in Staples stores will be shut down by the end of February 2017. This victory concludes the APWU’s three-year struggle. The boycott against Staples is over! “I salute and commend every member and supporter who made this victory possible,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “I never doubted that if we stayed the course, stuck together and […]

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Ask Me About A Grand Alliance!

(This article first appeared in the November-December 2016 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.) Courtney Jenkins and Sherry McKnight (Baltimore Local), Nora Taggart and Kevin Walsh (New York Local). President Mark Dimondstein reported to delegates in his State of the Union speech at the union’s National Convention in August that A Grand Alliance “is now a reality and consists of more than 140 organizations, including 80 national labor, faith-based, community, environmental and civil rights […]

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