Standing for postal workers

MEMBERS OF the four postal workers unions and their supporters turned out in large numbers in hundreds of cities September 27 to take a stand against budget-cutting measures that could mean massive layoffs and reductions in service at the post office.

Management claims that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) in danger of going bankrupt, so it's asking Congress for the go-ahead to break union contracts and allow them to carry out drastic cuts, including laying off 120,000 workers, eliminating Saturday delivery, closing 3,500 post offices and 200 processing plants, cutting benefits, and contracting out work. To this end, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has sponsored legislation he calls the "Postal Reform Bill."

Save America's Postal Service rallies took place in 492 locations, with the aim of hitting every congressional district with events in support of federal legislation, House Bill 1351, that is supposed to reverse a current requirement for that decades' worth of retirees' benefits be pre-funded. The unions say this would eliminate the need for cutbacks and layoffs.

But for many, this coordinated action by postal unions demonstrated the first important steps in challenging vicious attack on their jobs--and it provided inspiration for other public-sector workers who are facing similar assaults and community members who will also be affected by the cuts.

In Chicago, more than 500 postal workers descended on the State of Illinois building downtown, chanting, "Save our service! Save our service!"

When one postal sorter represented by the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) spoke, her anger poured out:

They're trying to cut out us working on Saturdays in order to eliminate our overtime. That's only five days. Some are even talking about making us work a four-day week, 10 hours a day. They say we are overpaid public-sector workers--that's a joke...

They're trying to shut down the services in the poorest neighborhoods, like the West Side. I work at the Main Post Office now, but I use to work on the West Side for years, and I still live there. People in those neighborhoods rely on those jobs and the postal services.

The energetic crowd was more than 90 percent African American, reflecting the fact that all but one of the planned 14 branch closures in Chicago will be in minority neighborhoods. Workers chanted "Fight, fight, fight!" and "Rain, sleet, and snow!" showing that their legendary determination to get the job done despite inclement weather will extend to the fight to save their jobs from budget cuts and privatization.

School busloads of postal workers arrived at the rally after their shifts, coming from as far away as the Illinois-Indiana border. A member of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) who was on one of the buses, said, "This protest isn't just about passing HR 1351. For me, this is about much more. They have laid off 30 mail clerks at my post office, and now we have to do both the sorting and delivering of the mail. We need to fight for those jobs."

When asked how workers were fighting back against these job cuts, he said, "We are only doing what is minimal required of us according to the our union contract to send a message [to management], and many workers are doing this at my post office."

In a promising sign of solidarity, the workers were joined by a contingent of about 20 marchers from the nearby Occupy Chicago demonstration.

In Madison, Wis., more than 200 people gathered in Capitol Square for an energetic demonstration to defend postal jobs, with many attendees recalling the February and March protests in support of Wisconsin's public workers.

"It's the same thing, they basically want to destroy the unions, that's what it's all about," said postal worker Mike Brabender.

"There are people who think public institutions should be destroyed, and I view them as vandals," said Keith Stefan, a retired letter carrier and NALC member who organized the Madison rally.

After the rally, a contingent of demonstrators lead an impromptu march around the Capitol chanting "Save our postal service!"

In Columbia, Mo., more than 100 people gathered for the Save America's Postal Service rally. Support from the community was evident from those who turned out for the rally and the constant honks from horns from people in passing cars.

The rally was held in front of the office of Republican Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri's 9th district. While Luetkemeyer has yet to co-sponsor Issa's Postal Reform Bill, his 95 percent voting record with the GOP suggests he will. The "reform" bill is nothing more than a cover for a two-pronged attack aimed at both defunding the Postal Service and smashing its unions.

Kevin Boyer, a 22-year union member and president of the Missouri State Association of Letter Carriers, which represents 6,200 carriers in the state, expressed his anger regarding the manufactured crisis. "We don't even have enough carriers to fill our routes now," Boyer said. "We've had letter carrier openings for five positions for six years. Instead, we've got folks that are splitting up the routes, after they've finished theirs."

Boyer added, "This attack of public-sector workers is part of how they want us to pay for their mess. I'm fed up with both parties. I think we need a labor party in this country, to tell you the truth."

Jim Marsden, an ex-Marine and an APWU union steward in Columbia, said, "It's the rich versus the poor. Plain and simple. Why does the USPS have to be a business? It's a service that should be provided for free."

In Philadelphia, more than 75 postal workers and supporters gathered on Walnut Street in the heart of West Philadelphia, one of 12 rallies in the city. APWU members wore "Solidarity" T-shirts and chanted "We don't want a bailout. We want to get the mail out!" as rush-hour commuters honked and cheered their support.

Regina Fuller, the legislative director for the local, explained that the event was a rally, not a protest, since local Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) supports HR 1351, which would protect APWU's contract, according to the unions.

The goal of the union-busting USPS management, Fuller explained, is to "frustrate the customers." She asked, "Do you ever notice how your mail has been coming at different times every day? Or how you have to stand in line for 20 minutes at the post office and there are only one or two clerks? That's on purpose. They want people to get frustrated and say, well, they're inefficient, they could do that better in the private sector."

Postal workers, whose contract also includes a no-strike clause, are fed up, added Gwen Ivey, a mail-processing clerk and union representative who served as president of the local from 2008 to 2011. "We serve the public," Ivey said. "It's not just about the clerks and the letter carriers and the mail handlers; it's about the community."

Seventeen percent of Black men over the age of 20 are unemployed, and in West Philadelphia, that number is even higher. Mass layoffs of the Postal Service's largely Black workforce in Philadelphia would mean thousands of good union jobs with living wages and benefits would disappear from the community.

"If that bill goes through," Ivey said, "it would pretty much break the union."

In New York City, postal workers turned out for pickets and protests across the five boroughs. In Manhattan, activists from the Occupy Wall Street protest brought a spirited contingent to support the postal workers. In Brooklyn, about 50 postal service workers demonstrated, focusing particularly on the proposed elimination of Saturday mail service.

In Seattle, 75 people turned out for the day of protest. Several postal workers who spoke at the rally talked about how the government was "raiding our retirement system." One union member said, "The postal service is part of our commons," noting that polls say that USPS enjoys an 80 percent approval rating by Americans while the Congress garners just 20 percent.

Showing solidarity were picketers from the Communication Workers of America, affiliates of the Alliance of Retired Americans (many of whom were retired postal workers), and King County Labor Council Executive Secretary David Freiboth, who gave a rousing speech, promising, "We're going to fight this all the way."

In San Francisco, some 200 postal workers rallied at the Federal Building on September 27. Long-time employee Ted Castro told reporters, "A lot are scared about their jobs. Right now, you don't know what will happen to you when you come to work tomorrow."

In Sacramento, Calif., about 100 people rallied in front of Republican state Rep. Dan Lundgren's district office, gathering signatures and chanting. APWU Local 66 President Rick Orr said postal workers were there to send Lundgren a message to stop the attacks on public-sector workers and support HR 1351. Union members were quick to point out that they have one of the most diverse workforces in the public sector. No other actions have been planned yet, but the postal workers aware of the challenge ahead.

In Palo Alto, Calif., 25 people protested at the post office. "If they can go after the second-largest employer in the country, the largest employer of veterans, then it opens the door to attacking all unions," said Robert Madrid, president of NALC Branch 1427 and a letter carrier in Los Altos. "It's an attack on rural America--Issa wants to cut service down to five days, and even fewer days for rural areas. It's an attack that would close thousands of offices."

In Burlington, Vt., Sen. Bernie Sanders joined about 100 protesters in City Hall Park. Sanders got loud support when he said, "We aren't going to cut thousands of jobs in the middle of a recession."

One postal worker connected the dots, saying, "We're the second largest workforce in America after Wal-Mart, and we're unionized. That's what this is all about, another attack to drive down wages and benefits for all Americans."

In Rochester, N.Y., 45 local postal workers and supporters rallied outside Rep. Louise Slaughter's office downtown. Protesters chanted, "They say cut back, we say fight back!" and "Save our service. Save union jobs" while holding placards and passing out informational flyers to passersby.