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Princella Vogel
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It’s Time to Make Your Move
Princella Vogel
Southern Region Coordinator
(This article by first appeared in the May/June 2012 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The Postal Service has made its move — announcing plans to begin the consoli dation of 223 mail processing facilities as soon as the moratorium is lifted on May 15.
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Management also plans to eliminate 100,000 workers, beginning in May. Almost all postal workers will be affected in some way, and you are one of them. The closure of post offices and the consolidation of more than half of all mail processing facilities will affect you no matter what craft or facility you work in.
Make your move. Your participation helped bring about the current moratorium on the consolidation of mail processing facilities and the closure of post offices. Continue to contact your congressional representatives and senators and encourage your co-workers to do the same. You have power; exercise it.
Make your move. Invest in your future. Help ensure that we elect public officials that serve our interests, our communities and the Postal Service. That includes the president, Congress and even state houses.
We can’t afford to get sidetracked by divisive issues. We must work to support legislators that support us and replace those that do not represent us. We have to hit the streets, walk the precincts, work on phone banks, and get out the vote.
Ignore the political rhetoric and pay attention to what is occurring in your office and community. This is real. This affects your livelihood and your family’s well-being. This affects your neighborhood and the economy of the country. This is not a Republican vs. Democrat issue. This is an issue of survival.
We all know by now that the fate of the Postal Service will be determined by Congress. We have witnessed the assault on the working class, and the power of those who are willing to pass laws that set back years of hard work and sacrifice by those who carried the banner for working people. We must vigorously support our friends in elected office and work to replace those who oppose the rights of workers to organize and bargain in good faith.
The ills of this economy were not created by working people. Yet there are some in Congress who feel that we must bear the burden of this economic crisis by having our wages cut and benefits reduced.
If you don’t have the time to invest in your future, then at least make a contribution to the Committee on Political Action (COPA) so that others can work on your behalf.
Think of this as a business deal you are making for your future. Support those who support you!
Contract Enforcement
Despite the actions of the Postmaster General, we still have a union contract (but some in Congress would like to invalidate it). All too often postal management openly violates the Collective Bargaining Agreement and then cries when they end up paying for the violations.
My fellow coordinators, Sharyn Stone, Omar Gonzalez, Mike Gallagher, John Dirzius, and I have major challenges getting Area managers to comply with their obligation to withhold sufficient residual assignments to place excessed employees. We are relying on our local unions to help enforce the contract on violations of Article 12, which governs the Principles of Reassignment and Seniority.
Of course, filing grievances does not stop the arrogance of management. But a properly executed, developed and processed appeal will go a long way to ensure that an arbitrator or judge forces the employer to abide by the law and our contract.
You play a role. You must be witnesses, provide documentation, make timely appeals and ensure the locals follow through. But more than anything, support your local union. You need them; they need you and we need each other!
