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Avoid the Crisis of Foreclosure: Millions of American homeowners are facing financial difficulties because of the way their mortgages are structured. Some borrowers did not understand the risks of a mortgage tied to fluctuating interest rates. Others borrowed more than they could afford, in anticipation of ever-soaring real estate values.

Post Convention Workshops: The Research & Education Department is proud to announce that the APWU will sponsor its 11th Educational Conference, a 2008 National Convention event that provides union members with a wealth of information to take home to their locals and state organizations.

Ensuring Financial Stability: A sufficient amount of money in savings accounts can protect you from unexpected financial hardships, such as those associated with illness or divorce.

Recognizing, Avoiding Burnout: Burnout is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It can occur when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands.

‘Sister Study’ Update: The nation’s largest ongoing research project on the causes of breast cancer is still searching for sisters. Known as “The Sister Study,” the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) project needs 11,000 more women to volunteer a little time to help it reach its goal of 50,000 enrollees with sisters who had breast cancer. Nearly three years old, the Sister Study must meet its enrollment goal by the end of 2007.

Pregnancy Discrimination: In 2005, approximately 4,500 charges of pregnancy-based discrimination were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC resolved nearly all of them, and recovered an average of $2,700 per complaint. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (1978) is an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act,which first became law in 1964.

Building Self-Esteem: Of all the judgment calls we make, none are as important as the ones we make about ourselves. Low self-esteem can lead to a wide range of personal problems, often masking what is truly wrong, and resulting in underachievement, fear of commitment, alcohol or drug abuse, anxiety, and depression. How we feel about ourselves affects virtually every aspect of our lives.

An Opportunity to Earn a Degree: Because so much of the work can be done online, union members, officers, retirees, and staff can earn Bachelor of Arts degrees (B.A.), from the National Labor College (NLC) while continuing to hold full-time jobs, virtually anywhere.

Training Programs for 2007: To help APWU activists enhance their skills, the Research and Education Department will be providing several training programs in 2007.

A Preventable Cancer: September is “Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month,” and women are strongly urged to get screened for the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is the cause of virtually all cervical cancer, and which can be prevented.

Identity Theft: A Growing Problem: When someone uses your name, address, Social Security number, bank or credit card account number, or other identifying information without your knowledge, it is called identity theft and incidences of fraud and other crimes related to it are on the rise.

2006 Post-Convention Workshops: The March/April 2006 Issue of The American Postal Worker magazine decribes the wide array of training sessions to be offered in Philadelphia on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006.

Financial Aid for Students: As the cost of college continues to escalate, many parents find that they do not have the funds or resources needed to assure that their children can pursue a higher education. They fail to take advantage of the numerous student aid programs available at the state and federal levels because they simply do not know what’s out there.

What to Do When Disaster Strikes: As I write this, we are still “recovering” from this year’s devastating hurricane season. My prayers continue to go out to my APWU sisters and brothers and their families who were adversely affected. Disasters can strike quickly and without warning. With preparation, you can have what you need and a plan in place that will serve you well in almost any emergency.

Developing Union Leaders: In Detroit this summer, the union, in partnership with Wayne State University, offered a week of “Leadership Training for APWU Presidents.” We consider these sessions significant to our goal to help local and state leaders run more effective unions. The training is designed to help participants acquire the knowledge and skills needed to meet the challenges of the future.

Cancer Research Project Deserves Union Support: We’ve all been touched by breast cancer. Whether we’ve personally experienced the disease or have a relative, friend, or co-worker who has had to deal with the challenge head on — we know the devastating effects of breast cancer.

Know Your Rights on the Job: Some USPS supervisors seem to enjoy issuing discipline. In many post offices, it appears that the more discipline supervisors issue, the higher they are promoted. It also seems that many employees accept unwarranted discipline simply because they are unaware of their rights under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Hypertension Awareness: Blood pressure is the force exerted by the bloodstream as it flows through the arteries. The pressure on the arterial walls varies throughout the day, and several factors can cause blood pressure to be dangerously high relative to an individual's size and hereditary background. When blood pressure stays high over an extended period of time it causes a condition known as hypertension.

Dealing With Domestic Violence: Domestic violence is on the rise in the United States. In all cultures the perpetrators of domestic violence are usually men and the victims are almost always women.

Are You at Risk for Diabetes? Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into the basic fuel for the cells in the body. The cause of diabetes is unknown, although genetic and environmental factors appear to play roles. Other factors include high blood pressure, weight gain, or giving birth to a baby weighing more than nine pounds.