First Meeting of Young Members Committee

(This article first appeared in the January-February 2017 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)

The newly formed National Young Members Committee had their first meeting on Nov. 5, 2016. Its creation is a result of the resolution passed at the 23rd National Convention. It called for a committee comprised of one young member and one alternate from each of the union’s five regions. President Dimondstein appointed ten members the Regional Coordinators recommended to serve a 14-month term from Nov. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2017.

The first serving committeemen and committeewomen are Joshua Gray from the Western Michigan Area Local, Courtney Jenkins from the Baltimore Area Local, Sabrina Larsen from the Salt Lake City Area Local, Quanisha Mcneal from the New York Metro Area Local, and Ephrem De Hoyos from the San Antonio Alamo Area Local. The alternates are Stephanie McGhee from Kansas Kaw Valley Local, Zach DeRuyter from the Rochester Area Local, Matt Thomas from the San Jose Area Local, John Santos from the Puerto Rico Area Local, and Courtney Agee from the Birmingham Area Local. All the members and alternates met with President Dimondstein, Vice President Szeredy, Secretary-Treasurer Powell, Central Regional Coordinator Sharyn Stone, Eastern Regional Coordinator Mike Gallagher, Northeast Regional Coordinator John Dirzius, Southern Regional Coordinator Kennith Beasley, and Western Regional Coordinator Omar Gonzalez to review the committee’s goals and future mission.

“There is a direct correlation between the weakening labor movement and the weakening of standards for working people across this country,” said President Dimondstein as he addressed the group. It is his expectation the members will work with local and national officers to talk with new hires about becoming active APWU members.

President Dimondstein discussed the future of the APWU and the tremendous opportunity for growth and activism. Right now, 25% of the union’s bargaining unit were hired since 2011 and 53% of the bargaining unit is eligible for retirement. The APWU must encourage all new career employees and PSEs to join the union and have a voice in their workplace.

“We cannot have a powerful movement without people,” explained President Dimondstein, speaking about the major fights ahead, including the constant efforts to maintain a public Postal Service. “We will have to win [the big battles] in the streets.”

The committee members then met with the Regional Coordinators to brainstorm strategies for how to get young workers involved. Together, they identified action items, discussed an official mission statement and goals for the coming year. The strategies included ways to work with the local leadership in their areas as well as utilizing the available national and state resources.

The committee members stressed to each other the need for unity, to not turn anyone away and not separate into generational groups. “We can work together, longer and better,” said Larsen.