Rising Up in West Virginia & Beyond!
05/01/2018 - (This article first appeared in the May-June 2018 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine)
By President Mark Dimondstein
In late February, 37,000 West Virginia teachers and school employees went on an inspiring nine-day strike – and won! As we go to press, similar strikes are going on in Oklahoma and Kentucky.
The strike was fueled by low pay (WV teachers’ salaries were ranked 48th out of the 50 states), no pay raises in four years and rising health insurance premiums. These conditions were, in part, created by 2006 bipartisan (Democratic and Republican) supported corporate tax cuts that drained needed money out of the state treasury.
Brother Steven G. Raymer, who served as the union’s Maintenance Division Director for the past 17 years and was on the union’s National Executive Board and a lifetime trade unionist died suddenly from a heart attack on June 16, 2018. Steve was 61 at the time of his death.
June 26 is a big day for hundreds of thousands of postal workers and our families. It’s the opening day of contract negotiations for our new collective bargaining agreement. June 26 is a day to stand up, speak out and show pride in our union and solidarity with our bargaining team. 
