Send us Your Organizing Success Stories

March 1, 2021

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(This article first appeared in the March/April 2021 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine)

The COVID-19 pandemic affects every person in this country, and every organization. From the local to the national level, union work best done face-to-face was shifted to virtual for everyone’s safety. However, postal workers proved this year that we are essential and can meet any challenge, including continuing our successful union campaigns and efforts.

This last year APWU members have:

  • Conducted virtual trainings and webinars, local meetings, and state conferences.
  • Organized caravans, socially distanced pickets, and virtual press conferences to protest and inform the public.
  • Implemented a workroom floor to national headquarters structure to report COVID-19 safety issues.
  • Sounded the alarm on how new policies were causing mail delays across the country and then delivered democracy in the fall when those delays put a spotlight on every postal worker during the election.

Now it is time to adapt another crucial part of our union structure: Collective Action Teams (CATs). CATs – formerly Contract Action Teams – were a crucial part of our success in the last two contract negotiations and have expanded their role to be a key part of any campaign work the union does. CATs educate, agitate, organize and mobilize members and allies to build a culture of collective action and assist members to become a stronger part of all the union’s campaigns.

The APWU National Campaign Committee (NCC) is collecting stories from CATs across the country for what actions effectively organized and excited members.

Did you organize:

  • Virtual meetings?
  • Socially distant rallies?
  • A car caravan?
  • A ‘gear day,’ or another workplace action?
  • A petition signature push for either Congress or President Biden to Save the Post Office?

Please email ncc@apwu.org and let us know what you all found to be successful. We would also like to hear what resources or training the NCC could provide that would assist in your future efforts.

The union is us, the members. All of our participation is key to make any effort, from contract negotiations, to expanded services, to legislative action successful. We want to highlight your stories, so other CATs can build off your success.

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