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POWER Celebrates 32 Years
Of Empowering Women
(This article was first published in the November/December 2011 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
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Post Office Women for Equal Rights (POWER) gathered in San Juan, Puerto Rico last summer to celebrate 32 years of Educating and Empowering Working Women of the APWU.
Sisters and brothers from across the country took part in workshops on Women’s Health Issues, Improving Credit Scores, the National Reassessment Process (NRP), Leadership, Building POWER, and Coping with Stress.
Participants received an abundance of information to share with their locals and state organizations and to put into action: Great thanks are due to the instructors who made the workshops such a success.
Highlights
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Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Labor, Miguel Romero, welcomed the delegates on the convention’s opening day and expressed his support for the causes that unite women. “I understand issues pertaining to the members of the unions in their search for equal rights, justice, security and progress in the place of employment opportunities,” he said. “Women make up about 50 percent of the workforce and deserve equal treatment, equal consideration, and especially equal pay, for the same work performed,” Romero said.
The convention’s keynote speaker, Secretary-Treasurer Elizabeth Powell, spoke on the history of APWU POWER and the struggles that women had to overcome. Powell also acknowledged the sisters who paved the way for POWER to succeed. She received the “Glass Ceiling Award” for becoming the first woman elected to one of the top three positions in the APWU.
APWU President Cliff Guffey spoke about the obstacles facing postal employees and asked the sisters and brothers to become involved in the political process to support the union’s efforts to protect postal jobs and benefits. At the ceremony where new POWER officers were installed, five sisters were formally recognized: President Guffey presented the Elizabeth “Liz” Powell Executive Award to Judy Beard, National Retiree Director; the Joyce B. Robinson Leadership Award to Thomasine Derricks, president, Baltimore Francis “Stu” Filbey Area Local; the Nilda Chock Pioneer Award to Shirley Taylor, National Business Agent, and the POWER Coordinator’s Award to Rachel Walthall, former Eastern Region POWER Coordinator and National Business Agent. In addition, POWER paid tribute to National Director of Research and Education Joyce B. Robinson for her outstanding work and dedication to the organization. All outgoing POWER Coordinators received awards as well.
The newly elected APWU POWER Coordinators are: Carolyn J. Watson, (Central Region); Alice Lee (Eastern Region); Joann Flagler (Northeast Region); Gayle J. Vincent (Southern Region); and Darlene Bell (Western Region).
The convention’s traditional challenge to raise money for COPA, the union’s Committee on Political Action, was on again. The Eastern Region POWER sisters stepped up with a contribution of $5,585, winning the “COPA Award” for the third consecutive POWER Convention. The region gave special recognition to members of the Northern Virginia Area Local for their large donation. Other region totals were: Northeast $3,165; Southern $2,791; Central $2,675; and Western $1,659. Contributions from the sale of T-shirts and Stress CDs of $4,845.00 brought POWER’s donation to a grand total of $20, 293.
