Executive Board Endorses Bernie Sanders for President

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

The APWU national executive board voted on Nov. 5 to endorse Bernie Sanders for president. “Politics as usual has not worked,” said President Mark Dimondstein. “Enough is enough!”

“When we judge candidates by what they do – not by what they say and not by their labels – Bernie Sanders stands head and shoulders above any other current candidate as a true champion of postal workers and other workers throughout the country,” he said. 

“Sen. Sanders opposes the consolidation of mail processing facilities and fought successfully to keep the Vermont White River Junction center open,” Executive Vice President Debby Szeredy pointed out.

“He is a fierce advocate of postal reform to address the cause of the USPS financial crisis, an outspoken opponent of USPS policy that degrades mail service, and he spearheaded the effort to pass a ‘sense of the Senate’ resolution to restore service standards, which was approved by a vote of 85-11,” Dimondstein said.

“Bernie Sanders has blocked the slate of nominees to the postal Board of Governors that includes the ‘king of postal privatizers’ James Miller and payday lending industry lobbyist Mickey Barnett,” Dimondstein said. “He staunchly opposes postal privatization, and supports enhanced postal services, including postal banking.”

Under ‘Constant and Vicious Attack’ 

In a speech to APWU members at the union’s All-Craft Conference in October, Sanders said, “The beauty of the Postal Service is that it provides universal service six days a week to every corner of America, no matter how small or how remote. It supports millions of jobs in virtually every sector of our economy. It provides decent-paying union jobs to some 500,000 Americans, and it is the largest employer of veterans.

“Whether you are a low-income elderly woman living at the end of a dirt road in Nevada or Vermont or a wealthy CEO living on Park Avenue, you get your mail six days a week,” Sanders said. “And the American people pay for this service at a cost far less than anywhere else in the industrialized world.

“Yet, the Postal Service is under constant and vicious attack. As a matter of fact, the same billionaires who want to privatize Social Security, Medicare, and public education, also want to privatize the Postal Service,” he continued.

“Why is that?” Sanders asked. “The answer is simple. The wealthy and the powerful see an opportunity for Wall Street and corporate America to make billions in profits out of these services, and couldn’t care less how privatization or a degradation of services affects ordinary Americans. That is unacceptable and we cannot let them get away with that.”

Decrying Service Cuts

The Vermont senator called for an expansion of postal services, including by providing basic financial services as an alternative to the predatory lending industry. The Postal Service also should be permitted to set up Internet cafes, notarize documents, issue licenses and perform other duties, he said.

Sanders decried recent cuts in service, saying, “I have heard from people all over this country who have reported serious delays in receiving their mail. This delay means that some of the most vulnerable people in this country are going without the medication they need or are forced to travel long distances because they cannot rely on the timely delivery of mail. That is unacceptable and will change under my administration.”

He pointed out that the cuts were unnecessary. “Now, the good news is that despite what you have been hearing in the media, and despite what the Postmaster General has been saying, the Postal Service is not going broke!”

Sanders explained that the major reason the Postal Service is in bad financial shape today is because of a mandate signed into law in December 2006 that forces the Postal Service to pre-fund 75 years of future retiree health benefits over a 10-year period. 

More Than Postal Issues

Sanders’ commitment to working people extends far beyond postal employees, Dimondstein pointed out. “No other candidate has his record of standing with workers on picket lines, fighting for a $15 per hour minimum wage, for free public college tuition, and advocating for veterans’ benefits,” he said.

“No other candidate has his record of fighting to defend and expand Social Security, promoting ‘Medicare for all,’ and opposing ‘fast track trade authority’ and rotten deals like the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

“No other candidate has his record of exposing the rule of the billionaire class,” he said. “Sanders is refusing all corporate money. He doesn’t have a ‘super PAC,’ and he doesn’t hire polling firms to help draft election-time promises,” Dimondstein noted.

“Sen. Sanders was a champion of workers’ rights long before he became a candidate for president,” said Secretary-Treasurer Liz Powell. “Like the APWU, he is a firm believer in social and economic justice for all.”

Dimondstein said he recognizes that not everyone will agree with the endorsement. “Our union is made up of people from all walks of life, with many different political beliefs, and I fully respect that fact,” he said.

“Sanders’ message coincides with the APWU’s core principles, as expressed in our constitution and by delegates to our national conventions,” he added.

From Enthusiasm to Building a Movement 

“It’s little wonder that in a period of massive income inequality the Sanders campaign has generated so much excitement and drawn such huge crowds,” Dimondstein said.

“But Sen. Sanders is the first to point out that without a powerful mass movement, electing one individual – even the most righteous – will not defeat the corporate powers that exert so much control over our lives. Sanders’ campaign website says, “We’re building a movement with millions of Americans to take on a corrupt political system that holds in place a rigged economy.”

“I urge APWU members to join the ‘political revolution’ and get involved in the campaign – to volunteer, sign up for LaborForBernie, and help elect Sen. Bernie Sanders President,” Dimondstein said.