July 23, 2014 – Thousands of convention delegates and postal supporters, including leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union, protested the privatization of the USPS at a Staples store in the Chicago Loop on Tuesday.
The delegates traveled by bus from the McCormick Convention Center, after a spirited speech by American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President J. David Cox, in which he reiterated AFGE’s support for postal workers and the boycott of Staples.
“We will never shop at Staples until they stop what they’re doing to the post office,” he shouted to thunderous applause.
APWU members have protested at Staples stores and postal facilities at dozens of locations across the country since January. Last fall, the USPS announced a no-bid sweetheart deal for a “pilot project” to open postal counters in more than 80 Staples stores.
“About a week ago, the USPS and Staples attempted to derail the boycott,” APWU President Mark Dimondstein said. “They announced the pilot was over, but admitted that Staples clerks would continue to do the work of uniformed postal workers under a program with a different name.
“We’ve got news for them: Our campaign to stand up for living-wage jobs and quality service for our customers isn’t over until we say it’s over.”
Staples’ announcement followed a July 12 vote by delegates to the American Federation of Teachers national convention to join the ‘Don’t Buy Staples’ campaign, which has been endorsed by the AFL-CIO, the SEIU, AFSCME, the International Association of Firefighters and many other labor and community organizations.
“We’re not falling for that ruse, and neither are the labor and community allies who have joined with us in this fight,” said President Dimondstein. “This campaign will continue so long as the USPS tries to replace experienced, uniformed postal workers who are accountable to the American people with low-wage, high-turnover employees who have little training and who are not qualified to handle the U.S. Mail.”
The campaign to Stop Staples has been a centerpiece of this year’s Convention and has attracted support from high-profile activists. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka pledged that he and his 13.5 million members were not waning in their support for the Staples boycott. In fact, the support is, “getting stronger every day,” he said.
The Reverend Jesse Jackson also spoke to the crowd in front of the Chicago Staples store, urging onlookers to fight the privatization of public services. “Don’t sell the post office. Don’t sell the police department. Don’t sell the fire department,” he said before leading the protesters in a chant of “The U.S. Mail is Not for Sale!”
Convention News Bulletin #02-14 (4.56 MB)
Instead of taking it to the streets, how about taking it to the White House? President Obama is getting sued and possibly impeached by congressional Republicans, so what does he do? He willingly gives Republicans control of the Board of Governors of the USPS; an act that will undermine all of your protests, and ultimately lead to complete privatization of the USPS. He has single handedly stabbed postal workers in the back. Hopefully, Senate Democrats will torpedo his plan, and reject the last selection of Barrett, a Republican, and Miller, a long time advocate of postal privatization, and also, coincidentally, a Republican. WTF Barry ?????
Chicago TU has ties to Socialist Workers Party.
Personal, I agree with you. All your TSP belongs to us never has anything intelligent to offer. Watch what they (he/she) must do with this. I bet it will be intelligent, insightful, and down right good thinking all around.
“YOU CHOSE THE POST OFFICE….THE POST OFFICE DIDN’T CHOOSE YOU!!! ”
WRONG! People submit employment applications, employer chooses who they hire.
Come on guys? This ain’t rocket science, planet of the apes stuff here.
101.
To all of you who think that Staples is taking your jobs, look again!! You are NOT being laid off! You still have a job. It might not be what you were doing, but you are still employeed. You are so quick to bash your employer as you continue to cash your paychecks! Remember, YOU CHOSE THE POST OFFICE….THE POST OFFICE DIDN’T CHOOSE YOU!!!
I must admit I do like going Hog Wild!
“The company offered 1-cent bargains to win a NY state contract, but pulled back as orders flooded in. ‘People were going hog wild,”
So how’s it going at Staples? PENNY SALE!
BOYCOTT STAPLES!!!
greatest thing since pony express ~~ PO @ Staples. No need to ever see the nasty people at the PO again!