Getting More Involved

Brothers and sisters, during the fall season we fi nd ourselves looking forward to celebrating the holidays that come this time of year, and the opportunity to reflect and enjoy time with family and friends.

While reflecting, I ask each of us to consider being more involved with the APWU. Reach out to your local and offer to get involved. Not everyone has the time to be a steward or officer. Some folks have limited time to be involved. If that is you, consider helping a committee or participating in a day of action, like we did on Oct. 1, 2024, when we rallied for a better contract, better staffing, better service, Vote-by-Mail, and public comments. Help with organizing drives to increase membership, keeping the union movement strong. Everyone has something to offer; the job of a leader is to find that special skill in a person and let them excel. We must enhance our bench, ensuring the transition of officers is as smooth as possible.

Local Memorandum of Understanding Negotiations

Opening Day for contract negotiations began on June 25, 2024. The APWU and management entered a lockdown period starting Sept. 14 through Sept. 20, 2024, when our contract was set to expire. In a final attempt to secure an agreement, the parties agreed to “stop the clock” at midnight on Sept. 20 to allow for continuing discussions. Whether we achieve a voluntary agreement, or an arbitrator awards a contract through interest arbitration, it will lead to an opportunity to open local negotiations. Both the union and management have the equal right to open negotiations, so don’t get caught off guard!

Begin preparations now by reviewing your Local Memorandum of Understanding (LMOU). Make notations of items that present issues in a current copy of your LMOU, and how you would like to address them. Perhaps you may find items that are in conflict or inconsistent with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Give members an opportunity to provide input for proposals by engaging them in the process. Use this as an opportunity to get your members involved.

Education, Training, Communication, and Networking

Education, training, good communication, and networking all create a solid foundation to provide the best representation and leadership. We can learn from each other, but it takes everyone getting involved to make a better union. We must embrace this methodology to achieve the best results.

Effective communication is key to being a good leader. Quick, easy, and least-effective communication leads to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Communicating well means to understand and to be understood. Listening and hearing are more important than speaking. Engage your members and get more involved in our union and the labor movement.

Life as a Postal Worker Under ‘Delivering for America’

Life is not easy these days, especially for postal workers, as we navigate the many challenges in the workplace: Understaffed facilities, dealing with the ‘Delivering for America’ (DFA) plan that management is shoving down our customers’ throats, all while asking us to do just a little bit more.

Changes resulting from the DFA plan have failed to demonstrate that they are in the best interest of our customers, and have already negatively impacted our communities, especially rural America. The DFA plan can only be successful if it delivers reduction in productivity goals, degradation of service, and increases costs related to expanding transportation. Continue reaching out to your representatives to join us and stand up for the people’s Postal Service.

Be kind to each other, you never know what a person is dealing with in their life.

I, along with my colleagues: Central Region Coordinator Amy Puhalski, Northeast Region Coordinator Tiffany Foster, Western Region Coordinator Omar Gonzalez, and Southern Region Coordinator Yared Wonde, wish you the best, and are here to help in any way we can. In Solidarity, AJ Jones ■