With confidence in their capabilities and their dedication to the membership, I endorse the candidates of the APWU Members’ First Team led by Mark Dimondstein for President. I have served in executive union positions and I am familiar with the challenges of change so my endorsement is based on experience and trust.
I make these endorsements not out of animosity towards the incumbents but knowledge that if the 2010 national agreement represents their best effort, your future as postal employees will be seriously imperiled if they are returned to office. The selection of officers to decide your future should not be made on the basis of personal relations or familiarity, if you need brain surgery you do not want a friend. The incumbents negotiated and lent their support to contractual changes that will turn back the clock on postal employment. If they are returned to office, it can be expected that you will suffer.
Having spent over 40 years as a representative of postal employees, I care about your employment and your lives, and I am unable to separate between former employees (retirees), current employees or those in the future. Each grouping is entitled to good faith representation and the APWU Members’ First Team has pledged to not sacrifice one group for the other.
It is your future, your job and the decision is yours. I respect your choice, but it is my considered opinion that your interest will be best served with the election of a new administration, the APWU Members’ First Team.
Vote for:
Mark Dimondstein President
Debby Szeredy Executive Vice President
Violetta “Vi” Ward Secretary-Treasurer
Tony D. McKinnon Industrial Relations Director
Clint Burelson Clerk Craft Director
John L. Marcotte Legislative Political Director
Anna Smith Organization Director
Richard Furbush Health Plan Director
Kennith Beasley Coordinator, Southern Region
William Burrus
Former President
American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO
via Facebook
VOTE!!!
Eany meany miney moe. Who to choose. Flip a coin,vote and then regret no matter who wins.
Were in trouble. Mike Morris might be hand in hand in with Goofy,but Tony D. McKinnon is just as bad or worse. Fayetteville,NC local is sold out to management as well as it’s president Tony D. McKinnon. So there is no choice. Were in trouble either way. Also Tony D. McKinnon is very corrupt.
How much “ROYALTY” came from your list of endorsement? What’s the going rate?
To those of you talking about re-electing some of the executive’s and and voting for some of the opponents, all of them are Guffey lackeys who sold you down the river and don’t care about the best interests of the members, so all of them must be voted out! And Union Thug…how could you be for re-electing Mike Moron Morris when he goes hand in hand with Goofy and helped negotiate that debacle of a giveaway CBA and pushed it on the members before the language in the bad new articles was written?
How a thug is planning on voting!
Mark Dimondstein President
Debby Szeredy Executive Vice President
Paul Hern Secretary-Treasurer
Mike Morris Industrial Relations Director
Clint Burelson Clerk Craft Director
John L. Marcotte Legislative Political Director
Anna Smith Organization Director
William Kaczor Health Plan Director
Gregory See Assistant Director (B)
Mr. Burrus, I respect your opinion and endorsement of the Members First ticket, but as stated by Local Shop Steward earlier, we need to not opt for a complete ticket of candidates, but weed out the self servants. I worked with/for the APWU locally for better than 20 years and can attest to the fact that some members of the MF team are not worth the powder it would take to blow their a***s away. They believe in “loyalty” not to the membership, but to them and their ideals. They practice all the “isms” and enforce their will to censor the outspoken. The current administration, with the exception of WHO, has been in one position or another for those entire 20 plus years and truthfully have not impressed me very much with their ideals also, therefore my VOTE will more than likely be A SPLIT TICKET. This election more than any other in the past demand that everyone exercise their privilege and cast a ballot for who they feel will be supportive of our causes.
Vote for:
Omar Gonzales!
Mark Dimondstein President
Debby Szeredy Executive Vice President
Violetta “Vi” Ward Secretary-Treasurer
Tony D. McKinnon Industrial Relations Director
Clint Burelson Clerk Craft Director
John L. Marcotte Legislative Political Director
Anna Smith Organization Director
Richard Furbush Health Plan Director
Kennith Beasley Coordinator, Southern Region
Mr. Burrus is right! Ever since I worked for the USPS in Utah, Mr. Burris kept our bargaining position strong and our wages and COLA were very good! When the new admini came into being headed by Mr. Guffey, they gave away a lot of what our Union has fought for!! Even the local APWU here in Utah endorsed what Mr. Guffey pushed for. I was against it from the beginning because of the lower wages that the PSE were given. I felt sorry for them given the same work as we did, side by side!! I figured a majority of the Union members are just followers and don’t really question the leadership even if something is wrong with them!!! I am getting out of the this Union and will save my $50 a month dues until I retire. I figured I will be saving about $9,000 by the time I retire and will spend this on myself instead of those officers spending my money on their trips, dinners, golf, beer, wine, etc.!!!! This Union deserves to fail with the current type of leaders we have!!!
i totally agree with you…my plant is closeing and the union here doesn’t give a damn…they fed us to the wolves..they of course have gotten themselves nice jobs for themselves..us on the other hand are looking at nothing..they are closing the top plant in the connecticut valley and no one gives a damn..they are all backstabbers…they fight for no one but themselves..the union is not a union anymore…time to clean house…big time..time to picket the union..i go to meetings and i am told we are not taking questions..why..why when my job is on the line…why…time to get rid of the crap….i can’t believe these people anymore….i just can’t
Somebody has to step up and get us fired up. That’s what Mr. Burrus is doing. Come on guys you just can’t keep on jumping down this man’s throat he was not the one who made deals with the devil! Seems like to me he truly cares about this Union if he didn’t we would not be hearing anything from him. You guys can keep on being smart asses if you want. I say you better focus on the real threat and lets try to restore a better foundation. Everyday we are losing jobs and our future pay levels are being pushed way back have anyone noticed? Soon we will have a reduced membership with a pay level that will no longer stand out from the rest of the outside work force, now that is ridiculous! Get fighting MAD about that! Everybody our dues should be put to better use.
As a shop steward and board member of one of the Members First locals, I highly recommend that the members look to see how the challengers are regarded by their home locals. Keep in mind, voting for the entire ticket may not be the best course of action. Our local has suffered greatly under the “leadership” of this candidate for national office.
I quite frankly am a little sick and tired of Mr.Burris bieng an armchair Quarterback.Put up or shut up .Either run for office or but out.Oh and dont tell me what to do,unless I ask for your opinion!
It is well known rumor that national APWU officers spend most of the six months leading up to the two year election cycle as unpaid workers in Democrat Party Campaigns. Wonder why your grievance is taking so long? Not saying they are not working hard. Working hard on the APWU payroll for a political party. Who is going to clearly assure me that has not and is not happening?
In the last couple years the Department of Labor has started to charge union members if they want to see union filings with the Labor Department. Things like local salary and total compensation of officers. Things like cash on hand and total membership. Why would a membership friendly administration change things to make it harder to find facts about our local unions? That information has been free on line for years! To be able to vote for local officers using real information is important! Who would be against that?
Mr. Burris, I am all for cleaning house. In fact, lets scrub ‘er down to the cement slab and build a solid structure.
I will vote for any candidate that honestly swears an allegiance to the dues paying members they represent over any political party or pet political cause. The number one purpose of the APWU over the last 20 years (and they do an excellent job of it)is to funnel money to the Democrat party. They also demonize any opposition to their party’s position.
The coverage of the President’s push for 5 day delivery and the congress’ insistence of six day delivery is one of many examples. Even though the Republican controlled house actually supports the union’s position and the president does not, the APWU does not try to build bridges. The APWU immediately demonized the congress and praised the president who opposed our position. This shows who they serve.
It is not the purpose of APWU leadership to support us. They use us and the assets we provide to support their political party.
As I point out the obvious the standard reply will be to demonize me. I am some kind of right wing extremist. I am not. I also understand that when I stand in the center with most of the APWU membership, I will appear to you to be on your extreme right.
http://blogs.rollcall.com/moneyline/unusual-route-for-postal-workers-union-money/
I think that all people have a right to voice their feelings, with that being said,with rights come responsibilities that we each must take to heart. Just as with the political race, you may not agree with the ones in position but we are free to make changes if we see fit to do so. Not voting is the same as not using your right to make those changes. Just get out and VOTE!!!
You have to be kidding. Tony D. McKinnon is a joke. He as national Industrial Relations Director is putting a sold out individual for management in power. Ask any local APWU union member in Fayetteville,NC. He is terrible. He belongs on the other team in power or possibly even worse. Check it out William Burrus. There is no choice with him selected.
Hey Burrus, nobody cares anymore. We just keep our dues money. You act as if you didn’t jump ship, have $200,000 xmas parties at HQ and gave Holbrooke
a Lincoln Town car as a retirement gift. You “legendary” union leaders are the reason for the death of the unions.
burrASS you dishonest creep……what did you do with the 8 dollar union payroll deduction surcharge money(no ads in USA Today?) and what did you do with the anthrax death benefit fund monies(only a small amount went to the two dead clerks families)……..we all are aware that you put the money in your pocket, but what did you really spend it on? hookers in Vegas? you phony rat bastard!
Thank you so much Mr. Burris for your recommendations. I have already copied/pasted them, will be making copies to post on all of our employee bulletin boards, and keeping enough copies on hand for anyone that wants one. We need strong leaders, especially now, to put an end to the incessant abolishing of bids and daily contract violations for starters. In my opinion, the bullies that call themselves USPS management are psychologically abusive–sadistic really–seldom attain their goals, and are beyond family unfriendly. Thanks for letting me vent and wish us luck!
I can think of no one I have greater respect than you, Bill and there is no doubt that the current administration has been a total bust. Remembering back, however, you, Bill, endorsed the idiots in office now. I have known Mark Dimondstein for many years and I don’t see him as the next Bill Burris. Certainly, his administration couldn’t possibly be worse than the current one, but can he lead the APWU back to any semblance of its former self. I think not, but it appears choices are extremely limited. Woe to the APWU!
Mr. Burrus, Thank you some very much for stepping up to the plate. As a union member, I agree with you 100%! Our union is a total mess! So much was given away in 2010. They was not fight for our jobs, and management has been taking job, money, and uion support for the last three years. I know that an all new national board wii be seat!
Thank you for your many years service, and yes I stand behind your recommendation for next election. As a “recently retired” BMEU Tech and represented APWU member, I was dumb founded at our national elected officials this last contract. The weakness felt in the trenches by members, “myself included” was a sad way to finish my career with the Postal Service. I feel as though as a represented APWU member, we ate our own young on a silver platter supplied by the Postal management and it was served up by our national union leadership. It’s time to get some fight back into the national union again and allow the weak to retreat. Fight on…..