APWU members make almost 30,000 calls to Congress

On Thursday, July 23, APWU members and our allies made an incredible 28,156 calls to the senate. That’s a phone call every three seconds! Together with calls made direct to Congress, not through the APWU Legislative Hotline, the total was likely closer to 30,000.

This is exactly the kind of pressure we need. Congress holds the key to solving the Postal Service’s financial problems during this Coronavirus crisis. We need to work together to make sure the Senate approves at least $25 billion in aid to keep the USPS running.

We are starting to see this crisis hitting our day-to-day work. The Postmaster General is using it as an excuse to slow the mail. The new PMG policies include reducing hours in retail units including Saturday closings, delaying mail, slowing down service, further removal of mail processing equipment, arbitrarily reducing work hours and eliminating overtime. 

With an already understaffed operation, reducing hours and overtime can only lead to severely delayed mail and packages.

There will be more for us to do in the coming days. Here are some thing we can do right now.

• If you haven’t called both senators already, make the call. Ask your co-workers to do the same at 844-402-1001.
• Find out whether your local has a Collective Action Team and get involved. Talk to your stewards and officers about organizing events or actions to save the Postal Service. 
• When you suspect the mail is being delayed, report back to your stewards and local officers to help build a picture of how the service is being affected across the country.

We made sure the people we elect heard our voices clearly. Let’s keep that pressure up.