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President's Viewpoint
Thank You, APWU Members
(This article was first published in the November/December 2004 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The APWU national election of officers is now complete, with those members who had an interest casting their ballots and deciding who would fill the leadership positions of the union. Each of the top-level officers who had opposition was re-elected by a sizeable margin. I am extremely grateful for the overwhelming support that we received from all sections of the country. This is my eighth election as a national officer, six having been for the position of executive vice president and this for a second term as president of the union. I humbly acknowledge the continued confidence of our members in our commitment to represent the union. We pledge to provide the very best representation of which we are capable.
The membership participation in the most recent election was disappointing. Less than one-third of the eligible members cast ballots. In the election process required by our constitution, the members are required only to mark the ballot and return it in the pre-paid, self-addressed envelope, and deposit it at their place of work. This process removes all of the obvious excuses for not voting, reducing the failure to vote to a conscious decision on the part of each member who fails to take part. It is difficult to understand this rejection of the right of self-government that is the foundation of our union. While the right to vote includes the right to refrain from voting, this fundamental right of democracy cannot be sustained if the majority of “voters” refuse to participate. We must find new ways of involving the members in the affairs of their union.
I am well aware that many members do not associate the value of union membership with the positive aspects of employment, the common perception being that one’s presence at work – and work performance – are responsible for the conditions of employment. The union does not receive recognition for those conditions of employment that are positive and that justify continued employment. Instead, the union is associated with work-related problems that are unresolved. The residual perception is that nothing is required of the membership to maintain and improve on the rights they currently enjoy.
One would expect that in today’s economic climate, the APWU would be held in the highest esteem for achieving good pay and benefits, and secure employment at a time when all around us we see workers who have none of these advantages. If we were employed anywhere else in our communities, our situation would be dramatically different. Yet we do not attribute these accomplishments to an effective union, and find little justification for personal involvement. Thus we have low turnout in our local meetings and in our elections, and, too often, our requests for contributions to the union political action fund fall on deaf ears. We can do better: The true test of leadership is to involve the membership for their benefit.
Despite all of the shortcomings mentioned above, I appreciate the involvement of those members who did take the time to vote, with a special thank you for those who voted for my candidacy and that of my colleagues. I am honored to serve again as the highest-ranking officer of the APWU, and pledge our very best in your behalf for the coming term.
Reform on Hold – For Now
Efforts to reform the Postal Service appear to be of no avail in the current session of Congress. After committee votes in the House and the Senate, the leadership failed to bring the bills forward for a vote in each chamber. The Bush Administration has made it known that it does not favor the legislation because of its budgetary impact.
I am not terribly disappointed in the failure to pass this version of postal reform. There are several positives in the legislation, including flexible rate setting, limitations on rate discounts, and the resolution of military pension costs and the escrow account. But these positives are attached to the erosion of Workers’ Compensation benefits, exposure of parcel post to competitive disaster, and the creation of a Postal Regulatory Board that over time is intended to dramatically reduce employee salary and benefits. The question is whether a new and different approach to postal reform will result in more erosion of employee wages and benefits.
Reform is typically presented as the solution for a postal service suffering from a decline in first-class mail. In 2002, when postal reform efforts gained renewed momentum, total mail volume was showing a serious decrease, but it is now clear that this was a consequence of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the anthrax attacks, and a recession. And even though first-class mail appears to continue to be on the descent, total mail volume is at an all-time high and the distinction between first class and standard mail no longer has any practical justification. As standard mail grows disproportionately, it should bear a greater share of postal costs. The real motive for reform has never been about saving the Postal Service, but rather about preserving low, subsidized rates for advertising mail.
Setting Rates, Setting the Future
Direct mail is a very profitable business. Despite predictions of the demise of the Postal Service, direct-mail businesses project robust growth far into the future. The companies that use standard mail as the means for transmitting their commercial messages are attempting to control their future costs and they have a postal administration that is extremely receptive to their input. They seek to expand their influence via postal reform. This involvement in business decisions by an outside interest is unprecedented. Their counterparts – the companies that advertise on television, radio, and in the newspapers – have far less influence over production and the setting of rates. It is difficult to imagine mailers having the same input into the decisions of United Parcel Service or Federal Express.
Concerns about rate setting among major mailers are the driving force behind postal reform. There is strong support in the mailing community for scrapping reform if the military retirement and escrow cost problems can be resolved. Mailers can defer their goal of “saving” the Postal Service if they can keep postage increases moderate in the next round of rate setting. Meanwhile, the postal administration has been strangely silent on their support or opposition to the current version of reform.
The American Postal Workers Union will consider all of these factors in deciding the course of action we will take if legislation is introduced in the next session of Congress. Our interest is the interest of the employees, and we do not confuse the interest of mailers with “saving” the Postal Service.
Final Note
By the time you read this, the selection of the next president of the United States will have been made. Given the closeness of the race in a number of states, it will not be surprising if we once again have to enter the murky world of the judicial system to determine the winner.
If that has occurred, once again it will not be the people who decide, but the Supreme Court. The Executive Board and I supported Senator John Kerry because we believed that he is the best choice for postal employees, and best for all working people.
APWU President William Burrus
Telephone: 202-842-4250
ABOUT THE
APWU PRESIDENT
The American Postal Workers Union’s top officer is its president, William Burrus. The president has overall responsibility for the operations of the APWU, as directed by the Constitution and Bylaws.
