Resolution Sets Goals for Contract Negotiations

On July 25, the last day of the APWU’s 22nd Biennial National Convention, delegates adopted a resolution that spells out the priorities for the upcoming contract negotiations with the USPS.

After voting to adopt over 125 other labor-management resolutions earlier in the week, delegates passed Standing Up and Fighting Back. The resolution   encouraged the union’s national leadership to “mobilize our members and galvanize postal workers, friends of labor and concerned citizens to oppose and change the priorities of the Postal Service.”

Acting as a stamp of approval for this year’s national convention theme, it declared that the union will approach contract negotiations by standing up and fighting back against USPS attempts to cut service and privatize jobs:

• STAND UP for conversion of Postal Support Employees (PSEs) to career status and for reliance on a career workforce and FIGHT BACK against any Postal Service attempt to maintain a low-paid, low-benefit, mistreated non-career workforce;
• STAND UP for decent wages and benefits from hiring to retirement and FIGHT BACK against any Postal Service attempt to maintain or increase multi-tiered and substandard pay and benefit schemes;
• STAND UP for the competency, dedication and hard work of our members and FIGHT BACK against any Postal Service attempt to continue contracting, expand contracting or continue to have supervisory personnel do any work that postal employees can perform;
• STAND UP for full-time work and FIGHT BACK against any Postal Service attempt to define full-time work as anything less than 40 hours;
• STAND UP for first-rate service and a vibrant, healthy and growing Postal Service and FIGHT BACK against any Postal Service attempts to continue to reduce service standards, close plants and post offices, and reduce days of delivery and hours of retail operations and door deliveries.

Other Business

In other convention business, delegates approved resolutions adopted at conferences immediately preceding the convention that focused on topics of specific interest to each craft.

Delegates also adopted the recommendations of the Legislative, Human Relations  and Safety and Health committees.