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Preparing for 2008

(This article first appeared in the November/December 2007 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)

With efforts underway to establish field operations that will engage all segments of the union in the political process, the Legislative Department is laying the groundwork for the APWU to play a strong role in the 2008 presidential and congressional elections.

One area we are researching is the delegate-selection process, which varies from state to state. Our goal is to get APWU members in many of those spots so that we can more fully participate. The major parties have not yet finalized their rules for the upcoming election season. Some information is available on their Web sites and, as it becomes more complete, we will post those guidelines on these pages.

Technical improvements that have been made here at headquarters will allow us to analyze congressional districts and develop a profile of APWU households in each area. This will be an important tool as we mobilize our membership for the election process. As in the past, we will be working closely with the AFL-CIO local and central bodies to ensure that the interests of working families are properly addressed.

Battling Against ‘Do Not Mail’

We have been successful thus far in preventing any state bodies from adopting “Do Not Mail List ” legislation.

Because our understanding is that this effort by our adversaries will be stepped up in the coming months, the Legislative Department will be intensifying its surveillance around the country. It would be extremely helpful if local and state APWU officials were to do the same.

We encourage you to work with your AFL-CIO central and state labor bodies to track any bills on this subject and to get such information back to us. We also invite you to contact us for guidance and answers to any questions you may have.

It is clearly in our interest to stop this initiative whenever and wherever it pops up. If any state were to successfully implement the results of “Do Not Mail List” legislation, it obviously would mean a decrease in mail volume and a loss of jobs, so please give this issue your attention.

Testimony on Behalf of Vets

On Sept. 6, Executive Vice President Cliff Guffey testified on Capitol Hill about the Postal Service’s responsibility to accommodate the needs of veterans returning from military service. (See his recent article, USPS Must Do More For Veterans.)

Six decades ago, a statutory obligation was established to ensure that veterans would have a preference in job opportunities in the federal sector. We know it as the Veterans’ Preference Act, and it applies not only to veterans but to surviving spouses and other eligible family members when a veteran is totally disabled or has died as a result of time spent in the military.

Guffey told a House veterans’ affairs subcommittee that the number of veterans is on the decline in the Postal Service and he attributed some of that decline to the fact that many returning servicemen and women not being made aware of their rights. But another reason cited in the APWU testimony was that the Postal Service is systematically reducing or outsourcing positions previously set aside for returning veterans.

While the USPS portrays itself as an employer that welcomes the opportunity to accommodate the needs of veterans, that portrayal is misleading — and will become more misleading — unless some adjustments are made. Clearly the outsourcing of jobs is wrong when we have veterans in need of employment.

Members of the subcommittee expressed surprise that the USPS had eliminated jobs reserved for veterans. In response to questions from Chairwoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA), and John Hall (D-NY), Guffey said that while the Postal Service had not targeted veterans’ jobs per se, the elimination or outsourcing of certain custodial and maintenance jobs has had a disproportionate impact on veterans.

“These jobs provide good entry-level positions for many people making the transition from military to civilian life,” he said, noting that they provide decent wages, benefits and job security for those who have risked their lives for our country.

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