APWU Launches Voter Drive

(This article first appeared in the July-August issue of The American Postal Worker Magazine)

 

It’s been said that the world is run by those who show up. With that in mind, the APWU has launched a voter verification and registration drive among union members.

The first step in the campaign was to make available to local officers a list of APWU members in their locals who may not be registered to vote. Perhaps they’ve moved, changed their name, or haven’t voted in recent elections.

Whatever the reason, local officers can alert them that there may be a problem with their registration and encourage them to resolve any discrepancies. Fortunately, there’s time to take action before the registration deadline in most states.

We need a government that puts working people first. But in order to get a government that is responsive to the needs of workers and our families, we need to show up. By registering to vote and casting ballots for pro-worker candidates, we can make our voices heard.

If you wish to verify your voter registration status, visit CanIVote.org – a nonpartisan website operated by the National Association of Secretaries of State, or contact your state or county Board of Election.

If you are not registered to vote, you can register online at Vote.usa.gov – an official website of the U.S. government.

Once you have verified your registration, please encourage your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors to do the same. If you have never registered to vote, now is the time!

There’s a lot at stake.

Among other things, the next president will nominate a justice to fill the current vacancy on the Supreme Court – and any other vacancies that occur over the next four years. In 2013, the nation’s highest court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, making it easier for states to pass laws that restrict voting.

In 2010, the court’s ruling in the Citizens United case permitted corporations to contribute unlimited amounts of money to political campaigns, further corrupting our political system. The Koch brothers, a notoriously wealthy pair of anti-union, anti-worker activists, have budgeted $800 million to the 2016 campaign.

Of course, the future of the USPS is at stake as well. Will Congress finally address the artificial financial crisis it created in 2006 with the passage of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA)? Will it fix the problem in a way that strengthens the Postal Service to better serve the American people or will it make matters worse by slashing service and scapegoating workers?

Postal Board of Governors

The USPS Board of Governors (BOG) is the governing body of the Postal Service. The board controls expenditures, sets policy, conducts long-range planning, reviews practices, and addresses service standards. The president nominates members to the nine-member board (except for the Postmaster General and the Deputy Postmaster General), who must be confirmed by the Senate. Currently, there are eight vacancies and the remaining board member’s appointment expires in December.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, along with other labor and civic organizations, wrote to the Senate leadership in 2015 to express opposition to the current slate of nominees. The opposition is based in part on the fact that the current nominees advocate policy stances harmful to the Postal Service and ultimately to the public it serves.

Of the current nominees, the APWU is troubled by the nominations of Mickey D. Barnett, a former lobbyist for the payday lending industry, and James C. Miller III, former Director of the Office of Management and Budget, who has consistently supported privatizing the Postal Service.

When we vote in November, we should keep in mind the power the president and the Senate have to appoint nominees who would sell the post office to the highest bidder instead of nominees who would restore service standards, expand services, and stop closures and consolidations.