We Must Continue to Stand Up and Fight Back!

(This article appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine)

Following countless executive orders and the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” working people across the country have stayed energized to stand up for what is right and fight back against injustice.

When news broke in February that the Postal Service was going to be privatized and “absorbed” into the federal government, APWU members and our union siblings took to the streets. When Congress tried to cut our earned retirement benefits, we made thousands of phone calls and APWU members even flew to DC to meet with their members of Congress. While our collective action against these cuts was successful, our fight must continue since the threat of postal privatization and attacks on our retirement benefits are still on the table.

Keeping Up the Fight Against Privatization

Make your voice heard today by calling the APWU Legislative Hotline at 844-402-1001 and urging both of your senators to cosponsor Senate Resolution 147, which expresses the strong sense of the Senate that Congress should ensure the USPS remains independent and not subject to privatization. Privatization means selling the Postal Service to the highest bidder, which would drive up prices and lead to reduced service – especially to rural areas. While resolutions are not binding like laws, they help us to gain congressional support for the issues that matter most to us.

Every Year is an Election Year

Although the U.S. president and members of Congress will not appear on the Nov. 4 ballot this year, state and local elections continue. In Virginia and New Jersey, there are races for governor and state house seats, in addition to numerous local races.

Around the country, city councils, school boards, local judges, police chiefs, and more all shape the policies that govern your life. Some states and localities have various ballot initiatives, which allow constituents to have a direct say in local policies. Decisions at the state and local level may affect you and your family’s lives in a more direct way than federal elections, so it is important to see which state-wide and local races may be on your November ballot.

What Can I Do Now?

The most important action we can do is exercise our right to vote and encourage others to do the same. This starts by checking your voter registration status, even if you believe you are actively registered. Voter roll purges are becoming increasingly common, so it is important to verify your registration status well before Election Day. To do so, please visit www.vote.org.

In addition to checking your voter registration status and calling the APWU Legislative Hotline to urge your members of Congress to support our current fight, you can also participate in events with the AFL-CIO. Events range from protests to voter registration drives and are both in person and virtual, so there are opportunities for everyone to get involved. Please visit www.mobilize.us/aflcio/ for a full list of events.

The APWU would like to thank all of you for your dedication to serving the public each and every day. We would also like to extend a special thank you to everyone who has gotten involved in legislative activities this year. I hope to see you all in the streets fighting for justice! ■