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Cliff Guffey,
President |
Ask the President Archives
Below is a response by former APWU President William Burrus to a question posed online by a union member. Other questions cover a wide range of topics, from contract enforcement to union governance.
Question:
I recently read a summary of the NALC National Rap Session in Los Angeles on Jan. 28. Is it true, as the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers was quoted, that the APWU will not exist in 15 years, due to subcontracting? How vulnerable are we?
Greg, Cookeville (TN) Local
President Burrus:
Our union will be a viable force in the United States Postal Service as long as there is a United States Postal Service.
We are experienced in fighting subcontracting because we have fought this battle — often alone — for many years. We have honed our skills and presently we win many of the subcontracting issues we address. As a result of our efforts, Remote Encoding work and Priority Mail were returned to the Postal Service. In addition, we win a good number of Maintenance Craft subcontracting disputes.
In recent years we have fought for restrictions on excessive worksharing discounts because we believe they subsidize major mailers and encourage subcontracting. Language we supported was inserted in the postal reform law that President Bush signed in December 2006.
Despite these accomplishments, our union’s strength will always depend on the active participation of our membership.
April 5, 2007
