Workers Memorial Day: Stand up For Safe Jobs
On Workers Memorial Day - Friday, April 28, 2023 - APWU members are taking the fight for safe jobs “to the streets.” Will you be stand up for safe jobs?
Fifty-three years after the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) was passed, postal workers are still exposed to unsafe working conditions. One of the biggest causes of these unsafe conditions are the toxic work environments that far too many of us are forced to work in.
These toxic work conditions fester and grow in the understaffed workplaces that are all-too-common in today’s Postal Service.
On April 28 – Workers Memorial Day - APWU locals and state organizations across the country will be holding actions. We will make our voices heard through actions such as press events, petitions, workroom floor safety campaigns, and informational pickets.
What you can do
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Talk to your local officers about holding an action in your local
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Attend your next union member meeting to help plan your local event
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Add your name below to receive updates about Workers Memorial Day
WHY IT MATTERS
The Post Office is a dangerous place to work. In Fiscal Year 2018 alone, 23 employees died (almost double from 2017) on the job and 42,749 injury claims were approved.
WHAT WE’RE FIGHTING FOR
Everyone has the right to leave work in one piece. Management has a legal and contractual obligation to provide a safe work environment. Postal workers are standing up together to educate each other and collectively demand a safe workplace.
Resources
Fact Sheets
Other Safety Resources
How to Report Hazards, Unsafe Conditions or Practices with PS Form 1767
This form is to be used to report hazards, unsafe conditions, work practice and, in the opinion of the APWU, hostile work environments. You can use this form to report anything that you think could jeopardize your health: Dirty conditions, pests, mold, disturbed or broken building materials (tiles, insulation, etc.)
Find instructions on how to use Form 1767 to report hazards, unsafe conditions or practices here.
Latest News
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Your Legal Rights
Know Your Contractual and Legal Rights
Collective Bargaining Agreement Article 14: Safety and Health:
“It is the responsibility of management to provide safe working conditions in all present and future installations and to develop a safe working force.”
POSTAL HANDBOOK EL 814: Postal Employees Guide to Safety:
“The Postal Service is committed to providing its employees and customers with a safe and healthy environment and complying with applicable safety laws and regulations.”
POSTAL HANDBOOK EL 801:Supervisors Safety Handbook:
The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to provide a safe and healthful workplace free of recognized hazards and to follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. Employers’ responsibilities also include providing training, medical examinations, and record keeping.
EMPLOYEE & LABOR RELATIONS MANUAL (ELM) – CHAPTER 8 Safety, Health, and Environment:
“The safety philosophy of the Postal Service is stated below:
a. Any occupational injury or illness can be prevented. This goal is realistic, not theoretical. Supervisors and managers have primary responsibility for the wellbeing of employees and must fully accept this principle.”
The Mission of OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
OSHA’s mission is to “Assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions.”
HERE’S THE BOTTOM LINE:
Everyone has the right to leave work in one piece.
Management has a legal and contractual obligation to provide a safe work environment.
Download a PDF version of this and other fact sheets from the resources section.
JOIN THE FIGHT FOR SAFE JOBS!