05/12/2015 – WASHINGTON – Members of the American Postal Workers Union will rally in more than 85 cities in 36 states across the country during a National Day of Action on May 14 to demand improved postal services and to protect good, living-wage jobs.
“U.S. Postal Service executives and the agency’s Board of Governors are using a manufactured financial crisis to justify their strategy of reducing service, delaying mail delivery, and dismantling a great national treasure,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein.
“Postal workers are fighting for a vibrant, public Postal Service that expands hours, offers new services, and gives quality service to people across the country – no matter who they are, where they live or how much money they have,” Dimondstein said.
The nationwide protests will take place one week before the APWU contract with the U.S. Postal Service expires (on May 20) – and amid new reports of severe delays in mail delivery. Postal workers will urge customers to sign postcards to the Postmaster General declaring, “I Stand with Postal Workers,” and in support of improved postal services.
During contract negotiations, the APWU has made the unprecedented move of bringing consumer issues to the bargaining table, insisting that quality service is crucial to maintaining a strong public Postal Service.
In addition to proposals that would protect good, stable jobs, postal workers are demanding extended hours at post offices to shorten customers’ wait time in line, an end to the closure of mail sorting centers, restoration of prompt mail delivery, and the addition of postal banking.
According to an April 27 Washington Post article titled, “It’s not just you: Letters really are taking longer to get delivered:”
- A decision by the Postal Service this past January to abandon overnight mail delivery is causing severe delays in mail delivery.
- “Preliminary internal data shows that the Postal Service did not meet even its lower targets for first-class mail during the first seven weeks of 2015, with letters that are supposed to take three days … arriving on time just 54 percent to 63 percent of the time.”
The Washington Post today (May 11) also reported on outrageous delays for rural residents in an article entitled, “Senators Press New Postmaster General on Troubled Rural Mail Service.”
The Postal Service, which isn’t funded by taxpayers, earned an operating profit in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 and is on track to earn a substantial operating profit again in 2015. Although revenue from first-class mail has been declining, package volume – largely due to the growth of e-commerce – has been rapidly expanding.
For a list of protests at U.S. Post Offices on May 14, visit www.apwu.org/may-14-national-day-action.
For additional background on the threats to a strong, public Postal Service, visit www.apwu.org/sites/apwu/files/resource-files/In-Depth%20BrochureV2.pdf.
Clerks are good at standing around, talking, and doing nothing. Even though they are experts, today was a failure again. It made them look silly and the APWU look a bigger joke than what it is. Clerks ~~ you really pay dues and when asked to look silly you do,,,
Very well said Letta Carria….. Freddy only wants union members numbers up so he has more union dues to work with …. I.e. the CCA’s. Why do you think this union is pushing so hard to get them to join? They need to be focussing on our contract coming up
I promise the union will give up the 50 mile excess limit if they are allowed all the ccas in
how many “days of action” are we going to have? it kinda seems that every couple of months the APWU comes out with another one, and nothing ever changes
If we all look back when this started , 2006 prefund .. This move by a lame duck congress and postal service created an ongoing spiral to a business failure … Very well done by the powers that be (and I’m talking about both sides here)
1) with a continual loss each year because of the prefund the postal service could sell 5 day delivery , closures increases in stamps , priority mailing and the advent of the CCA Carrier
2) postal service sold the grim picture of huge net losses so well to congress and the American people that they came up with the CCA carrier ,a seperate non bargaining employee who could b terminated at any time for any reason , at a much cheaper wage and yet still able to join Union ..
3) the CCA percentage is now well over 20% and growing a clear violation of the contract , but our NALC has done nothing to argue this violation , but on the other hand dismissed countless inquirees by locals and regional reps pressured by letter carriers all over America looking for an answer to this grievous violation ..
Freddy and company if u r reading this the number of carriers are increasingly pushing towards a solution of the CCA % and the overtime they continually take from the ODL carriers .
With Freddy and his staff of Monday theough Friday union officials making a 6 % increase yearly in their salaries I urge the carriers of the nalc to stand up and voice your displeasure of the lack of increase in our pay .. While the people who have our back at national have gone from an average salary of $71000 in 2007 and now they average $89,000+ in 8 years time ..
This next contract the carriers should reap the benifits of higher volume ,Amazon parcels and pickups a 7.5% increases hold be the least we should accept , don’t u think so Freddy and crew?? Tell everyone of the two faced Union heads who r sleeping with beltway boys of the USPS … This is our time to be compincated !!
I don’t have any revelation , but do know This Congress and other money grubbers such as FEDEX and UPS , “Smart Post” along with other leeches are messing up a real mail service !
its under attack from democrat sen diane feinstein and her husband richard blum…….no bid postal real estate contract given to them by former PMG Donehoe. made over a billion dollars so far selling over 85 properties. Diamondstein says its pirates and staples…….another lying POS! where is Postal OIG?