Join the APWU’s Women’s Committee

(This article first appeared in the May/June 2021 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine)

APWU POWER (Post Office Women for Equal Rights), the women’s committee within the American Postal Workers Union, was founded in St. Louis, Missouri on April 28, 1979 and incorporated in APWU’s National Constitution in Detroit, Michigan in August of 1980. APWU POWER’s Steering Committee consists of five APWU POWER Coordinators, one from each region, who assist local and state POWER Committees.

Why is APWU POWER Still Necessary?

Nearly 57 percent of the workforce in the U.S. and approximately 46 percent in the Postal Service are women.

In the APWU, women pay a large percentage of dues but hold fewer elected offices at the local, state, and national levels. APWU POWER assists women in obtaining the knowledge and skills needed to level the playing field and has opened doors of opportunities for women from across the country through educational seminars, workshops, and regional conferences.

Realizing the importance of electing candidates who support “Saving Postal Jobs and Benefits,” APWU POWER sisters have donated over $225,000 to COPA, the union’s Political Action Fund, making it one of APWU’s largest contributors. What about Community Involvement?

APWU POWER’s involvement extends to the community. Activities include:

• Adopting postal union families left homeless due to natural disasters;
• Making yearly monetary contributions to domestic violence agencies;
• Providing coats and clothing to the homeless;
• Donating books, toiletries, etc. to schools, homeless shelters, and senior citizens’ homes, and
• Giving money to the Postal Relief Fund to aid postal families who are victims of natural disasters.

What is APWU POWER’S “Sisters Helping Sisters” Fund?

The “Sisters Helping Sisters Fund” was established following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to help women and children left homeless due to the disaster. It was expanded in 2006 to give hope and encouragement to women and children in homeless shelters, fleeing domestic violence. The program is funded from donations received from postal workers. Since its inception, the fund has donated over $61,000 to families, charities, and domestic violence agencies, and $20,000 to the Postal Relief Fund. Donations to this worthy cause can be sent to Joyce B. Robinson, Director Research and Education, 1300 L. St., NW, Washington, DC 20005.

Make checks payable to “Sisters Helping Sisters.”

Special Note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, APWU POWER’s 20th Biennial National Convention will not be held this year. The convention will be rescheduled in 2022. For additional information or to be added to APWU POWER’s Mailing List, contact Joyce B. Robinson, Director of the Research and Education Department and National Liaison to APWU POWER at jrobinson@apwu.org.

Regional APWU POWER Coordinators

There are five APWU POWER Coordinators, one from each region, who are elected at a Biennial National Convention. They are:

• Darcy A. Wood, Central Region, Dwood@gkcmal.org (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin)

• Sherry McKnight, Eastern Region, mcknight_sherry@yahoo.com (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia)

• Tanya D. Jackson, Northeast Region, tanyaapwu251@gmail.com (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virgin Islands)

• Bernadette Baker, Southern Region, bbdett44@aol.com (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas)

• Erica Cole, Western Region, ecole@apwuslc6.org (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming)