From Community and Postal Workers United (the group that held a hunger strike in DC in June)

We are bringing at least 56 people to Sacramento CA to rally and march from the State Capitol to the Air Resources Board because over a thousand postal driver jobs are being cut on a flimsy environmental pretext on November 17, 2012. We are leaving on a bus from the SWCAL office at 1251 N Tustin Ave, Anaheim, CA 92807 at 11 p.m on November 16th. We will return to our union office at 7 p.m. on November 17th. We will bring enough lunches,refreshments, signs, banners, bullhorn, chant sheets, informational flyers and other materials for over 100 participants to protest postal privatization. California State President Mike Evans and the State Legislative Director will be on the bus. We expect many APWU National officers to attend. We will have a number of local presidents Anaheim APWU Pres Rich Cantu, (Retiree pres) Bobby Donnelson, (Retiree VP) Frank Townsend, VP Dave Dodero, City of Industry, Pres Terry Stoller, San Diego APWU Pres Tom Wood, LA APWU Pres Roy Dumas, LA NALC Pres Larry Brown, LA NPMHU Pres Eddie Cowen and various craft officers including myself in attendance. Some media will travel with us and we have contacted other media to be on site. SAC will van pool there. – Kevin Cole

Here is more information on the event on November 17th and another protest planned for December 8th:

On November 17^th Pacific Area Postal Vehicle Service to Privatize

Congress is Giving the Bird to Private Industry

California Postal truck fleet operations shifted to corporations

Community and Postal Workers to Protest Postal Privatization

When: November 17, 2012 at 8 a.m.

Where: West Steps State Capitol, 1315 10th Street Sacramento, CA 95814

Over a thousand postal jobs throughout California will be eliminated, effective November 17^th, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

In June 2012 USPS sent the postal unions a notice of intent to subcontract their Pacific Area Postal Vehicle Service, citing equipment availability. This, despite the fact that their own documents show the equipment is in compliance with the California Air Resources Board C.A.R.B. until 2014.

On December 12, 2008, the C.A.R.B. approved the Truck and Bus regulation to significantly reduce particulate matter, or PM, and oxides of oxygen emissions from existing diesel vehicles operating in California. The C.A.R.B. has found that the U.S. Government had voluntarily subjected itself to state pollution laws.

The U.S. Postal Service is the largest civilian fleet in the world with over 213,000 vehicles. There are approximately 400 vehicles requiring retrofitting in California at an average cost of between $11,000 -$ 12,000. The postal union offered to pay for the cost of retrofitting the vehicles involved with Particulate Matter (PM) filters, as required by the C.A.R.B. law. Therefore, bringing the vehicles involved into compliance until 2022. The postal service declined their offer.

“The postal service is not broke.  The financial crisis is phony.   The USPS is now destroying good, family wage jobs,” said Kevin Cole, a local postal union officer.

Congress is giving the bird (the postal eagle) to private industry. Current plans to close half the distribution plants and thousands of post offices, eliminate six-day and door-to-door delivery, and abolish 200,000 jobs will send the postal service into a death spiral. To justify these cutbacks, the Postal Service cites its financial crisis. Since 2006 the USPS has been forced to spend nearly 10 percent of its budget prefunding retiree health benefits 75 years in advance. No other U.S. agency or private business faces such a crushing financial burden.  Without the unjust Congressional requirement, the USPS would have been profitable. HR 3591 and S 1853 would fix postal finances and protect the service.

Sacramento Trip

 Bus Departs November 16, 2012 11:00 p.m. 1251 N Tustin Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92807

Bus Arrives November 17, 2012 7 a.m.:1315 10th Street Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 324-0333

Located outdoors on the Western side of the California State Capitol, many events are hosted here. The Capitol sits on the west end of Capitol Park and the grounds are framed by L Street to the north, N Street to the south, 10th Street to the west, and 15th Street to the east.

We will march to the Air Resources Board three blocks away 8 a.m.:

Air Resources Board
Attn: Clerk of the Board
1001 I Street, 23rd Floor
Sacramento, California 95814

We will march back to the West Steps of the Capital Building 9 a.m.

We will picket until 11 a.m.

We will have a picnic at the Capital Park until 1:00 p.m.

Bus Depart Sacramento November 17, 2012: 1:00 p.m. 1315 10th Street Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 324-0333

Bus Arrives Anaheim November 17, 2012: 8:00 p.m. 1251 N Tustin Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92807

 San Francisco Trip

 Bus departs December 7, 2012 11:00 p.m. 1251 N Tustin Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92807

Bus Arrives December 8, 2012 6:00 a.m. Office of Richard Blum

Blum Capital Partners
909 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94133

Tel 415 434 1111
Fax 415 434 3130

March to Dianne Feinstein’s office: 7 a.m. and picket

One Post Street, Suite 2450
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 393-0707
Fax: (415) 393-0710

March back to Richard Blum’s office 9:00 a.m. and picket

Picket at Blum’s office until 11:00 a.m.

Eat lunch from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30

Bus Departs December 8, 2012 San Francisco 1:00 p.m. 909 Montgomery Street San Francisco, CA 94133

Bus Arrives Anaheim December 8 at 8 p.m.1251 N Tustin Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92807