We Are Our Own Worst Enemies
By Fredric Jacobs, Oakland Local APWU President
Many years ago, in a now-defunct comic strip, one of the characters announced, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” In several significant ways that is true for us as postal workers and Union members, as well as the rest of the working class: Time and again we fail to act for the greater good or in our best interests.
Here’s one example: an increasing number of working people are voting Republican − the anti-labor party. It used to be that you could go to a labor conference or a national APWU event and assume that everyone in attendance would have voted the Democratic ticket. You can’t take that for granted anymore. Moreover, now it is considered “politically incorrect” to even discuss a person’s political party affiliation at union functions. All the ranting and raving that took place in the House of Representatives and the Senate led to the currently enforced Postal Accountability & Enhancement Act of 2006, which was passed by a Republican House, a Republican Senate and Republican President George W. Bush. This is the legislation that is crippling the USPS right now by way of nearly $6 billion annually of operating costs called prefunding of retiree health care benefits. Consequently, this has led to the substantial number of job losses occurring within the USPS and the reduced and substandard services that are being provided to the American public.
Many postal employees delude themselves about their economic status. A Postal Service couple can buy a house (probably at an enormous sacrifice, and in many instances a two hour commute to work), own two cars, and send their children to private school. And if overtime work is available, they become enthrall to the concept of “keepin’ up with the Joneses.” In their view, they’ve arrived, and they may not want to associate themselves with a political party that has been identified as catering mostly to the proletariat and welfare recipients.
Certainly, not all employees feel this way; but far too many do. Those who do ought to take a closer look at their real expenses. Even setting aside the question of whether or not a $750,000.00 house financed with an interest only loan is really affordable, the basics − food, fuel, medical expenses − have increased much more rapidly than their salaries. The level of debt, both individually and collectively, that most people carry has also risen considerably; and thanks to the GOP − the “party of small government” − getting out of catastrophic debt is going to be much harder because of the passage of the new bankruptcy laws. So-called middle-class status has never been so precarious. The George W. Bush administration had a very small true constituency: large corporations and the very rich, whose influences have given rise to our current dire situation.
Some of the wealthy have always has been very generous. During the Hurricane Katrina fiasco, among the first to respond were some sports superstars. Magnates Michael Dell and T. Boone Pickens contributed right away: Pickens even drove a flat-bed truck loaded with rescued pets to a plane he chartered. Even Wal-Mart, our perennial whipping-boy, performed better than FEMA − they had 45 trucks loaded with essentials and ready to go several days before the storm landed. These were wonderful gestures, but private entities are still not obligated to rescue people. We shouldn’t have to keep the nearest billionaire on speed-dial.
I imagine the terrorist attacks frightened some voters into supporting an administration that often used that fear to silence opposition. You only have to look again at the mishandling of Katrina − an occasion where we had several days’ warning − to question President Bush’s appointees’ qualifications and abilities to protect the public. One wonders if they would have the knowhow to find their way out of a de-fenced playground.
The 2008 presidential election did draw out voters who usually abstain: “hope” and “change” are hard to resist during a severe recession. The Tea Party backlash of 2010 included not only the flat-earthers distracted by lies about Obama’s birthplace, but also people like the secessionist ranchers of far-northern California, who pressed for a new state called “Jefferson”, while they resented the subsides they needed to stay afloat.
As an organization, we contribute to our downfall by failing to support the Union and our co-workers. To gain favor with management, employees needlessly divulge confidential information to their supervisors about co-workers. They accept stories spread by management about co-workers getting fired for medical fraud without bothering to confirm the claims. It is surprisingly common for employees to trash injured co-workers with no proof at all that the person is faking or exaggerating an injury. On-the-job injuries, like hurricanes, are democratic − everyone who works is at risk. Fortunately, our local has had considerable success advocating for the rights of injured employees. Sometimes it seems that no one but us is there for those injured employees. We had better learn to “have each other’s back” and get off of the fast track to our destruction or prepare to suffer. No one can say we weren’t warned.
This article first appeared in the January 2006 Oakland Postal Worker newsletter and also on the Postal Reporter website in 2006. It has been updated and edited for perspective by: Susan Robison, Senior Assistant Editor of The Oakland Postal Worker newsletter and Theodore Houben, Chief Steward, Oakland Local APWU and Derrick Lee, Records Secretary, Oakland Local APWU.
to question,
I have stated the same thing a few times if they were to just restructure the prefunding using the current staffing in the USPS then the 75 yrs would already have been paid in full. As to everyone that is looking back at history now and saying who caused the crisis, no one could have predicted what was going to happen but we all should be trying to work at fixing the problems of today instead of blaming someone for what happened yesterday. For almost two yrs now the postal service has been showing an operational profit minus the prefunding and yet they are still screaming doom and gloom well even if we continue to pay the prefunding it is only two more years left then what are you going to say PMG that we have cut down the amount of mail processing plants so much that now we can not properly process the mail and now must buy building from your friends in real estate to cause more financial problems? What we need now is a new PMG who cares about the people both workers and customers more then themselves. What we need is to work together and trust each other to move forward for our future and our kids future.
Sorry Sucka but most of what you said is nothing but partisan politics: (1)The Unions lobbied all for the 2006 PAEA and was passed by a bi-partisan vote. (2) Thanks to stock market the divide between rich and poor is greater than almost any time with the top 10% owning 80% of the stock market. (3)George W. Bush proved the Republicans are not the party of small government by spending more than any other President except Barrack Obama. (4) Tea Party stands for limited/small government. Sucka, what postal workers need is the truth and not more partisan propaganda.
If we have cut jobs in half since 2006 why aren’t our future retirement payments been cut in half.
No worries…they took care of themselves with that APWU officer only retirement fund no one wants to talk about.
In the future, try to preface any refernece or mention of the PEAA with “the slush fund known as”, otherwise the nature and consequences will escape, and not resonate with the average and even above average from time to time. It is of no actual benefit to future workers since the the money as earmarked wont be there under any conceivable scenario.
to be fair NALC couldn’t have forseen drop in mail volume/ mail revenue at the time PAEA was passed in 2006. Remember we were making billions in profits when this was passed. Proper historical context is easy to forget but important to acknowledge
You want to know why no one cares for the union,the union deserted us.The NALC here in Richmond Va. is a joke.We have 7 rtes.4 CCA’S and one unassigned REG.,huh?Apparently management can use as many cca’s that they need,the union doesn’t care.They even call cca’s from other stations when they need to,oh did I mention we’re an associate station,what bull.
Come on? Don’t you people have any memory at all????? In 2008 we were losing 700,000 jobs a month for a total of over 8 millions jobs lost by 2009. My TSP took a big hit before I could move it. In 2009 things were horrible. A near depression and the housing bubble burst. Stocks went from 1500 on the S&P to about 765.
Fast forward to 2014. A positive jobs report. My tsp gained 24% last year and at least 10% every year for the preceding five years. Housing in my area is up 13% since last year and over 30 in the last five years. No vacancies or foreclosures in my area anymore.
When 2009 started this country was having huge major problems and was slipping fast. Right now? Things are a hell of alot better. Everyone I know is working and doing alot better. If you want to recreate 1991 or 2008 go ahead and vote republican. I really don’t care. I’m flush getting ready to retire to Costa Rica or Belize. Tear up the Good Ol USA by voting republican and I’ll be offshore laughing my arse at you.
As stated above, THE NALC SUPPORTED THE 2006 FIASCO, so much for good leadership from anywhere. Our nalc national leaders are done, retired, so nothing effects them, especially the crappy contract and those poor cca’s taking a 40% pay cut with no benefits.
A bad Democrat is better than a good Ratpublican! The Ratpublicans are not your friend! They will try to take every thing away. Just notice how they can’t seem to give enough to big business.
We will never forget that it was you,the APWU “leaders” who put a Donahoe stooge (Cliff Guffey)into your presidency and helped him push a management dictated and worst CBA in labor history through lies and fear mongering on the un-intelligent members who voted for that disaster of a CBA that that says 30 hours a week is full- time,no pay raises and 20% low paid non-career. And you wonder why thousands and thousands had no faith in your union and quit their membership? Good luck to brother Dimondstein as he tries to fix the mess you created.
While the GOP may have been in charge when the PAEA was Dems voted for it to. More important was that NALC and the Mailhanders Unions asked for this legislation. While the intent was for the good of future workers, the time frame to make the payments is crippling to the service.
Barack Obama voted for the PAEA (Postal Reform Act) of 2006. So did Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and John Kerry. In, fact, it passed the Senate with 100% consent, not a single senator objected to the language in the bill. And the co sponsors of the bill in the house were two Democrats, Danny Davis and Henry Waxman. – Both the NALC and NPMHU endorsed the bill.
The party responsible for enormous increases in food and fuel is the democrat party. The price of oil is directly related to increases in every other product and the price of oil is directly the caused by democrats. As for the
postal accountability & enhancement act there is plenty of blame on democrats also. Tom Carper from Delaware now a senator was instrumental in it’s passing and is still trying to pass bad legislation for the Postal Service today. Stop supporting anyone with a D after their name and make our representatives earn our support.
So true, I am a retired clerk. While I was still working, MANY of my co-workers were uneducated in politics. They didn’t know, and didn’t want to know. When someone tried to help them understand, they just paid no attention. In many cases, they were raised republican and got they’re political news only from fox news.