Full Speed Ahead

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

We have so much work ahead of us. Joining together, with the common goal of organizing, is the only way we can strengthen our union.

In 2015, we signed up 17,687 new members! That was a 61 percent increase over the previous year. Great strides were made at every level of the union to make organizing a priority.

But we can’t lose momentum. We can’t afford to be complacent about the size of our organization.

Being complacent means having the mindset that all we need to do is go to work, keep our heads down, put in our hours, and go home. When we become complacent, we forget where it all began, and the battles people fought so that we could enjoy the benefits we have today.

I Got In

More than 20 years ago, I walked into the post office for the first time, feeling on top of the world because I “got in.” I had been told it would take years to get a postal job, if I got one at all. But when I got hired, I knew my life was about to change.

No longer would I be earning minimum wage, trying to raise two children. My new job with the post office was going to change my life. I thought about the things I could never afford before, the health insurance I never had, and the paid leave I never had. I would soon be able to take time off to spend with my kids!

No longer was I going to have to try to raise my kids working multiple minimum-wage jobs, and never having time for them. I felt as though I had been given a golden ticket.

Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves of the day we walked into the post office for the first time. As people retire and the new workforce comes in, each one of us has an obligation to organize them, help them, and teach them.

I challenge you to reach out to a non-member, talk to them one-on-one, and ask them to join us.

Your Experience

In order to reach our goals, we have to have a solid foundation at every level of our union: local, state and national. By working together, we get some great grievance settlements and benefits that help our families. Things might seem rosy, but like any family tree, if we don’t have solid roots we will never be strong.

We have a busy year ahead, with our contract in arbitration and the National Convention just around the corner. I encourage local and state leaders to continue making organizing a top priority, setting realistic, measurable goals.

If your local or state organization has used methods that are working for you, or if you have tried a new idea that just didn’t work out, I want to hear from you. We will pass on the lessons from your experiences.

This year, the Organization Department will continue to conduct training for one-on-one communication with our non-members. We are reviewing organizing materials and updating them. While the current Welcome Book includes benefits and information for both career and Postal Support Employees (PSEs), some are struggling to understand where Part Time Flexible (PTF) employees fit in.

PTFs are career employees. However, there is a flyer that outlines PTF’s rights and benefits that are different from the rights of Full Time Regulars (FTRs), which can be found at www.apwu.org, under the Organization Department. As always, any comments and suggestions are welcome.

Attention APWU locals! Please share with us photos showing your organizing efforts. Send pictures to: organization@apwu.org.