COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -April 28 is International Workers’ Memorial Day, and the American Postal Workers Union is rallying together for change when it comes to working conditions. They say they are pushing to have management see their worth as people, not profits, starting with accountability at all levels.

Postal workers including Ibrahim Pedrinan, President of the APWU Local 390, say they are standing up for themselves at the risk of losing their own jobs. “We’ve had supervisors get zero discipline. Where someone who’s a late father is facing potential discipline for just being 15, 20 minutes late. It’s bullying, it’s intimidation. Retaliation against people who are just trying to make sure that everyone has a safe work environment,” stated Pedrinan.

Workers are also asking for management to hire more employees to lessen their stress. Vice President of the Troy Area Labor Council, Kaleb Winters, says the issues he has seen in the post office is having a negative impact everywhere. “This does not only effect the postal workers, this effects state workers, this effects workers everywhere. We are seeing this across industries. Increase the speed of our mail by hiring more workers, which is desperately needed,” explained Winters.

The 200,000 employers represented by the APWU are holding protests like this across the country. They total almost a third of the United State Postal Service’s employees. Strategic Communications Specialist of the USPS, Mark Lawrence, responded to NEWS10 on the protest with the following statement:

“Regarding today’s APWU organized pickets which were held at many locations across the country, as a point of information, the Postal Service certainly respects the right of our employees to participate in off-the-clock informational picketing on issues of concern to their membership.”