Historic Postal Union Alliance Rallies APWU Convention Delegates
July 22, 2014
Evidence that the Postal Alliance formalized on March 10, 2014 is in full effect was clear to the delegates on Monday. In what was an APWU Convention first, the Presidents of the other three Postal Unions addressed the delegates.
National Postal Mail Handlers Union President John Hegarty and National Association of Rural Letter Carriers President Jeanette Dwyer joined President Dimondstein on stage. National Association of Letter Carriers President Fredric Rolando, sent a solidarity message by video because the NALC is in convention in Philadelphia.
The Presidents stressed how happy they were to be working with the APWU, made it clear that the USPS would not be able to divide us and that the unions are on the same page on the major issues. The fight against privatization, five-day delivery and plant consolidations are three of the issues and fights that bind us in solidarity.
In his message from Philadelphia Brother Rolando stressed “It’s up to the unions to fight the fight and to pave the way for the future. Through our leadership and through our alliances on the ground working together we will not be defeated.”
Brother Hegarty observed, “It’s a tough fight but a fight that we can win by working together. He said with conviction “we are not going to give in and we are certainly not going to give up.
Sister Dwyer underscored the need for unity when she said, “the assault on our livelihoods demonstrates why the unions need to stick together now more than ever before.
The leaders of our sister unions all reiterated their support for our campaign to Stop Staples. The delegates cheered when they learned that a thousand NALC delegates would be picketing Staples in Philadelphia this week.
In an unprecedented show of solidarity, the three union presidents in attendance, along with APWU Executive Vice President Debby Szeredy, raised their joined hands to the thunderous applause of the convention delegates.