APWU Ramps Up for National Convention

As the start of the APWU 20th Biennial Convention nears, preparation for the event has moved into high gear at the union’s national headquarters in Washington, DC.

At the end of July, 2,405 delegates representing 331 locals had registered for convention credentials.

The convention will take place on Aug. 23-27 in Detroit, and this year’s theme event is Change! An updated schedule of events can be found on the Convention pages at www.apwu.org.

Seating

As in the past, seating on the convention floor will be determined by the progress that states — based on their size — have made toward their COPA goals [PDF - Members Only]. The seating plan is designed to reward states who have worked hard to reach their goals, and to encourage those who have lagged behind. The measuring period was July 1, 2008, through June 30, 2010.

The top-ranking COPA-contributing states are: North Dakota, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nebraska, Iowa, Idaho, Mississippi, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Their delegations will be seated right up front!

COPA Night

Fundraising for COPA will be a recurring theme at the convention: Raffle tickets will be sold for $20 apiece, and will be sold at the COPA booth. There will be three raffle drawings during the convention week: One on Wednesday, one on Thursday, and one on Friday.

Delegates who have contributed at least $100 between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2010, will receive two tickets to the always-popular “COPA Night,” which will be held on Thursday, August 26. The children of ticket-holders can also attend. The theme for COPA Night will be MOTOWN, so dress accordingly and get ready for food, games, music, and a night of fun.

40th Anniversary Pins

Lapel pins honoring the 200,000 postal workers who participated in the Great Postal Strike of 1970, will be sold at the convention, with proceeds benefitting COPA. The pins will be available at the APWU Store in the convention Exhibit Hall for $15 apiece. Members can also order pins online at www.apwustore.org. (Because sales of the pin will benefit COPA, payment cannot be made from the funds of local or state organizations. Only cash, personal checks, personal credit cards, or money orders will be accepted.)

Resolutions

To help delegates prepare for the convention, resolutions that will be debated and voted upon in Detroit were posted online last month [PDF- Members only]. These resolutions address labor-management issues, craft-specific items, legislative topics, and proposals to change the union’s constitution.

“By posting the resolutions online, we are giving delegates the opportunity to discuss issues before the convention begins,” APWU President William Burrus said. “Upon arrival in Detroit, each delegate will receive copies of the resolutions in booklet form, which they will be able to review as issues are debated.”