Talk Is Cheap: Safety Matters
As postal workers, we provide a critical and necessary service in our community – no matter the weather or size of the community, we make sure essential mail is moved from coast to coast. However, the unseen work we do to move mail across the country can hide a dangerous truth: postal workers are working a dangerous, sometimes deadly job.
Postal workers work every day in a dangerous, highly industrialized environment filled with heavy machinery, vehicles, and repetitive tasks. The reality is sobering: the Postal Service consistently reports more workplace injuries than nearly all other federal agencies.
Historically, more deaths occur due to industrial accidents at the Postal Service than all other federal agencies combined. From extreme weather conditions and mechanical hazards to hostile work environments that take away our dignity and put our mental health on the line, we deserve more. That’s why we’re telling postal management – talk is cheap.
Our managers have a duty to provide a safe workplace. For too long, we have warned them about our unsafe workplaces. For too long, they have not done enough. Too many have even made things worse, with an unsafe, hostile work environment.
Our union contract says that we have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, but many times management fails to do their part to make this happen. Safety is our right, and we’re ready to do what it takes to make sure our right to safe and healthy workplaces is guaranteed. Postal injuries and deaths are not just a statistic, these are our coworkers, friends, and family members whose lives have been forever changed. If we don’t speak up, it could be you next.
This campaign starts with a safety checklist to start the work demanding a safe workplace. One checklist is for postal workers and one is for local and state unions to use. It outlines the fundamentals of safety for protecting yourself and your coworkers – and making sure management does their part too.
Our campaign will kick off on Workers’ Memorial Day where together we will say, “Talk is cheap – postal workers’ safety matters!”
Stay tuned for updates!
