‘There’s a Storm a’Comin…’

(This article first appeared in the March-April 2016 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)

“There’s a storm a’comin, and it’s called Hurricane Sanders,” declared Jonathan Smith, president of the New York Metro Area Postal Union at a New York City rally for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Feb. 3. His comments garnered headlines across the country.

The local, along with members of the Communications Workers of America, the Working Families Party and other progressive organizations, delivered 85,000 petitions to put Sanders on the presidential primary ballot in New York State, far more than needed.

New York Metro was just one of the APWU locals across the country that stumped for Sanders early this year.

Excitement in Iowa

In Des Moines, the APWU hosted a rally with National Nurses United (NNU), who made it a stop on their bus tour of the state. Executive Vice President Debby Szeredy spoke at the rally and encouraged union members to get involved in the campaign – and the movement. Afterwards, APWU and NNU members made phone calls to union members to encourage them to caucus for Sanders

“We wanted to make sure the people understood that Bernie has stood with postal workers throughout his career,” said Local President Mike Bates. “We wanted to educate the membership and also challenge them to find out how other candidates are on postal issues.”

High Hopes in New Hampshire 

“It’s on fire,” Janice Kelble said of the Sanders campaign in New Hampshire. Kelble, a member of the Manchester Area Local, said APWU members in New Hampshire knocked on doors and made phone calls for Sanders throughout much of January and February. At a fundraising event attended by more than 6,000 people, Sanders publically thanked the APWU, Communications Workers of America and National Nurses United, Kelble reported.

Danny Glover!

Shortly after the Iowa caucuses, actor-activist Danny Glover, an honorary APWU member, penned a blog in The Huffington Post, calling Sanders’ campaign a “genuine progressive social movement for democracy.”

“Bernie Sanders’ campaign has already accomplished what most observers – including many of his supporters – thought was impossible,” Glover wrote. “Coming from 40 points behind in the polls when the campaign began, he achieved a virtual tie with Hillary Clinton in Iowa and enjoy[ed] a huge lead in the second Democratic contest in New Hampshire.

Addressing claims that Sanders is unelectable, Glover said, “there are a number of reasons why he can win the majority of Democratic Party and Independent voters, including moderate Republicans.”

As The American Postal Worker went to press, action was about to move to Nevada and South Carolina.