Open Letter to the Southern Region

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

I am excited to share my vision for the Southern Region Coordinator position, and humbly. The primary responsibility of the APWU Southern Region Coordinator is to safeguard the interests of our members and uphold the collective bargaining agreement. From front-line stewards to local officers, National Business Agents (NBAs), and ultimately the Southern Region Coordinator, enforcing the contract is a shared commitment. I look forward to working with the locals and our hard-working NBAs on Article 12 notices to minimize any impact on our members. I pledge to work with our newly elected President Jonathan Smith and the entire APWU National Executive Board as one team.

Throughout my postal career, I have served as a full-time local president for 32 years and North Carolina State President for over 16 years, overseeing all crafts, including small associated offices. My tenure as a local union officer encompassed work in craft-specific offices (Clerk, MVS, Shared Services, and Maintenance) as well as general offices. Transitioning to the role of Industrial Relations Director (IRD), I became a staunch advocate for contract enforcement, securing tens of millions of dollars for our members.

I have participated in multiple national contract negotiations, from the Temporary Employee (TE) negotiations in the 1990s to leading the negotiations committee as chief spokesperson for the 2013 contract. With over 30 years of experience as an arbitration advocate, I have achieved significant victories, trained hundreds of union stewards, and resolved numerous grievances. As IRD from 2013 to 2016, I established the USPS noncompliance division to ensure that arbitration victories translated into tangible outcomes for our members.

Looking ahead, I will continue to combat plant consolidations across the 11 states in our region and work tirelessly to restore service standards. The looming threat of USPS privatization poses a grave risk to middle-class jobs, particularly in Southern states with so-called “Right-to-Work” laws. I pledge to lead the fight in the Southern Region to protect these jobs and our communities.

Safety is paramount. With Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training and experience on area and local safety committees, I will collaborate with the office of Industrial Relations and Southern region safety specialists to ensure a secure work environment.

I am committed to enhancing communication among national officers, local officers, stewards, and members. I will address management’s attempts to manipulate arbitration scheduling and ensure grievances are resolved promptly. By working with other national officers and NBAs, I aim to reduce grievance backlogs and restore fairness to the process.

I am not afraid to stand up for what is right, nor will I be absent when challenges arise. Serving the 40,000-plus members of the Southern Region to improve wages, benefits, safety, and working conditions is a responsibility that I embrace whole-heartedly.

I also served with the 82nd Airborne Division on behalf of our country, and I took the oath of office for our union with the same respect and honor I upheld to our country.

In Solidarity, I remain,

Tony D. McKinnon, Sr., Coordinator

Southern Region