Mike -

As we started the New Year with the delivery of more than 400,000 petition signatures to the Postmaster General, President Dimondstein had a message for all members.

"Let’s enter this year with renewed optimism and energy. I look forward to working with all of you as we continue to advance the cause of postal - and all - workers."

Watch the video here.

In Solidarity,

American Postal Workers Union

1300 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 | www.apwu.org

Happy New Year!!! Here's to hoping that everyone had a fantastic, fun filled, and safe holiday season. All of our members toiled hard during this holiday season, working long hours, often starting at midnight to accept Amazon drops. You all deserve a round of applause.

2019 was a challenging year, and 2020 will be no less challenging. Attacks on our jobs continue, coming from many directions. Outside the Postal Service, attacks from the right wing privatizers continue, emboldened by an administration that is set on selling off profitable parts of the Postal Service, enacting rules and regulations harmful to workers, and stacking a National Labor Relations Board as anti-union as any I have seen in 39 years.  Internally, we have managers from Washington DC down to the Areas, to the Districts, and into the offices, set on harming our jobs, taking away duty assignments, and preventing conversions to full time and conversions to career.  In 2020, it is imperative that we all work together to stem the bleeding.

Locally, your Local officers have worked tirelessly and effectively to protect jobs and continue conversions. The Local has stopped numerous reversions with diligent work and an excellent National Business Agent. We must continue these efforts and combine those efforts with the assistance of the membership.  All of our members must chip in and help the Local officers protect jobs. This can be done as simply as doing your job correctly, whether it is on the window or the workroom floor.  On the window, process transactions properly, carefully, making sure that when you assist a customer, it is properly documented. A sale is documented by the transaction itself, but answering questions, getting hold mail, certified pick ups, etc must be documented. Use the buttons on your computer and show that you are working. 

On the workfloor, perform the proper scans, make sure that you sort correctly, and most importantly, do not allow management to perform your work. In level 18 offices, document when your postmaster performs clerk work- sorting mail, accepting mail, performing certain functions on the computer, working the window. Work with your Area Representatives in understanding how and what to document. We have found numerous times that managers are not correctly reporting the hours they actually work, and this hurts all of us, PTFs and FTRs.  We have had numerous clerks get paid for managers exceeding their allowed hours. You are the eyes and ears for these violations.

Incorrectly issued discipline continues to be an issue, with management using certain metrics not allowed under the contract. If you are disciplined, make sure you speak with a Union official as soon as possible. Not doing so can result in discipline remaining on your record for two years, and can be relied upon for additional discipline. Most of the time, management does things incorrectly, and discipline can be overturned when it is timely grieved. 

We should be getting the arbitrators decision on a Contract soon. We will then know what we will be working under for the next couple of years. We have to accept the terms and conditions of the arbitrators decision, whether we like them or not. What ever results from the decision, let's make sure that we maintain our focus in protecting our jobs.

Make a resolution for 2020. Attend Union meetings, even if it is one a year. The members are the controlling group of the Union, and your voice should be heard. The Union meeting is the place to have it heard. Make 2020 the best year of meeting attendance ever.

Have a great new year!!!!

Show your Union Support and the fight for a fair contract. Wear your contract now stickers, have your kids, family, friends wear the stickers. Support your Union. Fight for a fair contract.

The American Postal Workers Union continually fights for safe jobs. The Postal Service, as we all know, is not the safest place to work. Learn what we can do to keep ourselves safe, and what the Union is doing to help keep us safe. For more information, click here.