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About the Organization Department

The Organization Department helps APWU state and local unions increase our strength by recruiting new members.

To help increase membership, the department designs and implements recruitment programs; trains organizers and provides strategies and techniques to local and state offices; and develops tools for organizers, including special incentives for new recruits.

APWU organizing drives are intensive, pro-active campaigns that seek to inform non-members of the many benefits of union membership. Despite a shrinking postal workforce, membership has remained steady over the last 10 years, at approximately 77 percent of eligible postal employees. The percent organized for 2008 is 81 percent. This exemplifies the fine work of our APWU organizers who have signed up more than 37,000 new members in just the last three years (2005-2008).

In addition, APWU now has more than 13 victories in organizing workers from private-sector postal contractors. To date, close to 800 private-sector workers have voted for APWU representation through the NLRB and now belong to our union.

The APWU 2008 organizing campaign is expected to be a success. Running through Jan. 31, 2009, it emphasizes on-site, 24/7, one-on-one, personal contact with non-members.

The Organization Department also offers on-site organizing drive assistance at postal and private sector locations, including:

• Training workshops and financial assistance under the 50/50 program [PDF];
  
  
• Non-member listings, targeted mailings and phone banks; and
  
  
• Organizing kits, videos, CD/DVD’s and other customized recruitment tools

The department also responds to inquiries about member-only benefits, organizing techniques, campaign strategies, and special requests for:

• New employee orientations;
  
  
• Local and state convoy campaigns;
  
  
• Clarification of postal, NLRB, and civil rights regulations; and
  
  
• Development of community coalitions, APWU mobilization campaigns, and informational pickets and rallies.

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