Our Health and Safety: Non-Negotiable Priorities in 2026

(This article appeared in the January/February 2026 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine)

Brothers and sisters, I want to use this column to talk about something that keeps me up at night: your safety and well-being on the job. As postal workers, we have proved time and again that we show up no matter what. We delivered through anthrax. We delivered through Hurricane Sandy. We delivered through COVID- 19. What a testament to the strength of our membership. Through it all, the mail always got through.

But here is what I need you to understand: your courage and dedication should never be taken for granted, and it should never come at the cost of your health, your safety, or your life.

I have heard from APWU leaders, representatives, and members throughout the country, and what I am hearing concerns me deeply. Management’s constant harassment and unreasonable expectations of the workforce, especially with the drastic cuts in our staffing levels, are creating dangerous conditions. When you are forced to work longer hours with fewer people, when you are pressured to cut corners to meet impossible standards, when you are doing jobs that should be handled by two people, that is when accidents happen. That is when injuries occur. That is when our health suffers.

Let me be clear, I do not condone management putting our members in harm’s way. Every postal worker deserves to go home safe at the end of their shift.

We should not have to work in extreme heat or cold without adequate breaks. We should not have to sort mail in facilities with poor ventilation or unsafe equipment.

The workplace is not just about getting the mail out; it is about getting our people home safely. Management needs to understand that cutting staff and pushing workers to the breaking point is not efficiency; it is recklessness.

I am inspired by God to do my job to the best of my ability, and I expect management to do the same when it comes to protecting our members. That means proper staffing levels. That means maintaining equipment. That means listening when workers report hazards. That means providing the resources we need to do our jobs without risking our lives.

I also want to remind everyone that we have resources available to us. As postal workers, we have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) guidelines, and other programs that can help us better deal with mental health issues and workplace concerns. These programs were negotiated as part of your contract—use them. Your mental health is just as important as your physical safety.

Having a positive attitude is important, and I have always believed that failure is not an option. But having a positive attitude does not mean accepting unsafe conditions. It means standing together, supporting each other, and demanding the safe workplace we deserve. It means refusing to let management’s failures become our injuries.

Every single one of you matters. Your safety matters. Your health matters. Your well-being matters. I cannot wait for the day when the Postal Service becomes proactive and not reactive to hazards on the job. When a postal worker dies, it is already too late to take action.

We can disagree without destroying each other. We can talk without tearing each other down. But we cannot— and will not—stay silent when our members are put at risk. We will continue to fight for safe working conditions, adequate staffing, and the respect that our members deserve. Because at the end of the day, we do not just move America’s mail—we are America’s postal workers, and we deserve to do our jobs safely. Stay safe out there, brothers and sisters. Look out for each other. And remember, we are APWU strong. Together, nothing is impossible. ■