Non-Members to Receive Ballot Mailing

As part of an unprecedented organizing campaign, the APWU will send a “ratification packet” to workers represented by the union who are not members. The mailing will include a summary of new contractual provisions and invite the non-members to vote.

There’s a catch, of course. The vote will only be counted if the non-member completes a union sign-up card, which will also be enclosed.

In a letter accompanying the mailing, APWU President William Burrus wrote, “If you approve of these changes, the only way you can have a voice in whether or not they are enacted is if you become a union member.

“The stakes are too high for you to defer to others the decision on your future pay raises, Cost-of-Living Adjustments, and upgrade. The issues are too important to leave to others the decision on whether PTFs will be converted to full-time regular; whether you will be guaranteed bereavement leave, and whether you will receive many other benefits,” he continued.

A new contract is an ideal opportunity for the union to recruit new members, Burrus said. “Non-members may believe that their pay and conditions of employment are determined by their work performance, but the fact is that every aspect of the job is governed by the agreements between the APWU and postal management.

“If the contract is approved, these non-members will receive the benefits,” he said. “They have an obligation to themselves — and their co-workers — to join the fight for better working conditions for postal employees. The way to do that is to join the union.”

The mailing to non-members will be sent as soon as the ratification mailing to APWU members is complete. Union members will receive a ballot, a summary of the changes, a complete copy of the tentative agreement, a letter from the Rank-and-File Bargaining Advisory Committee, and a letter from Burrus.

The single-question ballot offers a choice of ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on a tentative agreement that would run from Nov. 21, 2006, to Nov. 20, 2010. Ballots will be mailed Dec. 18-20, 2006, and must be received by Jan. 9, 2007, at the offices of the American Arbitration Association, which will count the votes.