‘Stand with Postal Workers’

(This article first appeared in the July-August 2015 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)

Representatives from 17 member organizations of A Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service answered the APWU’s call for support on the union’s National Day of Action on May 14.

The leaders joined actor-activist Danny Glover at the APWU’s press conference in Washington, DC, which advocated Good Postal Service! Good Jobs! Good Contract! Speakers from Alliance organizations included Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America; Clayola Brown, president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute; Steven D. Martin of the National Council of Churches, and Richard Fiesta, executive director of Alliance of Retired Americans.

Additional Alliance supporters sent emails and tweets to their members and posted calls to “Stand with Postal Workers” on blogs and websites.

Campaign for America’s Future wrote, “The American public has consistently shown their support for a public, non-privatized, postal service. It is crucial that we stand by the American Postal Workers Union and urge Congress to support the same.”

Activist and author Jim Hightower issued a call to the May 14 National Day of Action, writing, “You can buy rolls of ‘Forever’ stamps from your local post office, protecting you from future price increases. But We the People, now need to put a ‘Forever’ stamp on the post office itself,” he said. “Join me in standing with postal workers – for the benefit of all the people. Each of us can be a symbolic ‘Forever’ stamp to protect our public post offices from the privatizers.”

Preserving a Public Postal Service

In addition to supporting the National Day of Action, Grand Alliance supporters are asking their members to urge Congress to preserve and protect the Postal Service. Calls to Congress focus on support for House Resolution 54, which would reverse the reduction in mail service standards, and House Resolution 12, which would protect six-day mail delivery.

Alliance members are also calling U.S. senators to demand that Postmaster General Megan Brennan declare a moratorium on plant closings and consolidations.

The Grand Alliance continues to spread the word about the threats facing the Postal Service, most recently to the National Active and Retired Federal Employees legislative conference, the Populism 2015 conference and People Demanding Action’s roundtable.

In that same vein, Jim Hightower hosted a “Post Office Lowdown!” teleconference featuring President Mark Dimondstein.

“Writing to Congress is not enough. Lobbying is not enough. History shows that only movements move Congress,” Dimondstein said. “If you haven’t yet pledged your support for the fight to protect and enhance vibrant public postal services now – and for many generations to come, sign up on A Grand Alliance website today.”

The latest national organizations to join A Grand Alliance are: People Demanding Action, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, and Popular Resistance.

You can find more info and future activities on the organization’s website, www.AGrandAlliance.org; on Facebook, www.facebook.com/AGrandAlliance and on Twitter @AGrandAlliance.