The Staples store in Shrewsbury MA.
Local, state and retiree chapter presidents across the country are preparing to send delegations to Staples stores in their communities to protest the establishment of postal retail units staffed by low-wage, non-union, non-postal employees.
The delegations will present letters of protest to store managers by Jan. 18. “I urge APWU members to participate,” said President Mark Dimondstein. “The meetings with Staples store managers are intended to put Staples on notice that we are about to embark on a serious campaign to win these jobs for postal employees,” he wrote to local and state presidents on Dec. 26.
The USPS notified the union in October that it was launching a pilot program to put retail units in more than 80 Staples stores. If Staples management and postal brass consider the pilot a success, the program could be extended to Staples’ 1,600 other stores. Agreements between the USPS and other big retailers could follow.“This is a direct assault on our jobs and on public postal services,” Dimondstein said when he learned of the deal. “The APWU supports the expansion of postal services. But we are adamantly opposed to USPS plans to replace good-paying union jobs with non-union low-wage jobs held by worker who have no accountability for the safety and security of the mail. Postal workers deserve better, and our customers deserve better.”
About 40 percent of all APWU members work in retail operations, Dimondstein points out, so the threat to postal jobs and to the public Postal Service is real.
“But postal employees live and work in every city and town in the country,” the union president noted. “That is our strength. We must impress upon Staples that we intend to let their customers across the country know about our fight to protect living-wage, union jobs.”
After the visits with store managers, the APWU plans to organize a day of action at Staples stores around the country, followed by sustained actions at a number of stores where postal retail units have opened
via APWU
All union members and officers attending staples protests will be compensated for attending such protests with union funds that come from lemmings dues otherwise no one would show up. There will also be other union members from other unions so that it looks like apwu members are really enraged at this. Question I have is this….so you stop staples and scare them away, is usps going to then create jobs for you? Will you then take photos and call it a “victory?” Give me a break. Its all a magic trick…distraction from the real issues. This will get you nothing other than maybe staples will decide its more problem than anything else. The days of marching, protests and boycotts are over. The baby-boomers that actually gave a crap have retired and the newbies on board right now are just happy to have a job. Face reality…you don’t have the clout and don’t pack a punch like you used to. The power right now lies with the nalc. They were smart and right in breaking ties to the apwu. You guys are toast!
if the unions are smart they will concentrate any ‘picket’ message to the fact that mail dropped off at a staples or other nonpostal outlet is not ‘secure’ and they run a much higher risk of their gift cards being stolen or their mail being lost, stolen, or tampered with. the post office used to maintain a closed loop with mail dropped off until that mail was delivered. however, under idiot donahoe the security of the mail and the service provided by the united states postal service has gone to hell.
With a extremely large gathering of postal clerks, families and friends not to mention other brother & sister unions active support Staples would be wise to consider the wide spread business impact if a boycott is imminent.
How about sending delegations to the LOCAL UNION HALL to protest lack of participation in voting for National Elections, Local Elections…or get this….the Collective Bargaining Agreement…you know…the book that ..ummm….saves postal jobs….you people are idiots….be sure to tell all the Staples shoppers that Mr. Dimondstein won with less than 30% membership participation…..where were the so called Union Organizers then…you know …the folks who get a pension from the USPS and the APWU?……or shall we not talk about that…..that’s right …I am now a SCAB….you know …like the 20% PSE scabs you just let in the front door to sell your APWU insurance to. This isn’t…never was or ever will be a UNION …you blew it long ago….and what about Conventions? Always need to be in Vegas or LA or Chicago?….how about trying some small town with a convention center about to close…put some people to work…like Toledo or Wheeling or Egypt. You are greedy ignorant clowns…I’ll gladly be a scab rather than a scumbag.
Demonstrate….hold up signs like we did at McDonalds and Wendys….and Walmart…..just be sure to show up Monday morning for $7.50 per hr. or get fired…..you see….the American people don’t give a rats a.. about you…..get it…its every man for himself…and if you ain’t rich already…it ain’t happening brother….now start flipping.
Jobs are outsourced, American need jobs!