APWU Women’s Organizing Drive Hits the Road
August 1, 2008
The APWU Women’s Organizing Campaign is in the midst of a two-week California road trip, a multi-stop bus ride from San Diego almost all the way to the Oregon border and back south again, culminating across state lines in Las Vegas, the site of the APWU convention.
“In a special ‘APWU Recreational Vehicle,’ we’re taking to the highway, with stops at facilities large and small and everywhere in between,” said Northeast Regional Coordinator Liz Powell, the campaign’s chairperson. “We’ll be meeting with the locals and with members-at-large and we’re asking the locals to arrange for APWU retiree chapters and other retirees to take part.”
On board during the launch in Ontario, CA, in the wee hours of July 29 were Powell, California APWU President Isabelle Bailey, Motor Vehicle Service NBA Bruce Bailey, Assistant Clerk Craft Director Pat Williams, and Clerk NBA Shirley Taylor. Scheduled to join the tour along the way are Regional Coordinator Omar Gonzalez, Retirees Department Director Judy Beard, Clerk NBAs James Scoggins, Woodrow Williams, and Leonard Trujillo, and Maintenance NBAs Jimmie Waldon and Chuck Sundgaard.
The first week of the tour features stops throughout Southern California: Ontario, Riverside, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Clarita, and Goleta, and at a few Member-at-Large facilities, such as Bradley.
Heading to the northern part of the state, the tour will spend the week of Aug. 4-8 visiting postal facilities and APWU locals in Salinas, Pleasanton, Oakland, Mill Valley, Petaluma, Eureka, Redding, Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, and Fresno. There’s even a stop scheduled for tiny Selma, with other MAL locations also likely to be added to the run.
On Sunday, Aug. 10, the APWU bus will head toward Las Vegas, with stops in Bakersfield and Barstow, and a sprinkling of visits to prospective MALs in Lancaster, Little Rock, Pearblossom, and Apple Valley.
Among the California APWU locals hosting events are Area Local 960 (Redding), Bakersfield Area Local, California Area Local (Upland), East Bay Area Local (Walnut Creek), Eureka Local, Fresno Area Local, Greater Los Angeles Area Local, High Desert Area Local (Mojave), Long Beach Area Local, Modesto Area Local, Oakland Local, Redwood Empire Area Local (Petaluma), Sacramento Area Local, Salmont Area Local (Salinas), San Diego Area Local, San Fernando Valley Area Local, San Jose Area Local, Santa Barbara SCF Area Local, Stockton Local, and Tri-County Area Local (Palm Springs).
The final APWU local to take part in the event is the Las Vegas Area Local, which will greet the rolling contingent on Aug. 13 when it arrives for the 19th Biennial Convention set to begin five days later.