APWU Says, ‘Talk is Cheap: Safety Matters’ This Workers’ Memorial Day

Each year on April 28, the labor movement observes Workers’ Memorial Day to commemorate workers who have been killed or injured on the job, and to renew the fight for safer workplaces. This year, APWU members across the country will double down on our shared commitment to protecting the health and safety of postal workers by standing up to management to say, “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.

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 by creating an unsafe, hostile work environment.

This Workers’ Memorial Day, APWU is encouraging members to visibly stand up for our collective safety by participating in coordinated actions at postal facilities, such as holding a moment of silence, a candlelight vigil, or joining an AFL-CIO organized event, and documenting those efforts — whether that means wearing safety campaign gear, posting safety messages on social media, or speaking with coworkers about workplace hazards — and sending them to communications@apwu.org or tagging us at @APWUnational on social media.

For more information on how you can get involved, visit: apwu.org/safety