WHY UNION?

(from the AFL-CIO web site)

	Union members earn 26 percent more than their nonunion counterparts.
	More than 75 percent of union workers have health benefits. Less than half of nonunion workers have health coverage.
	Nearly 70 percent of union workers have a pension. Only 14 percent of nonunion workers have one.
	The 10 states where unions are strongest have higher earnings, better health coverage, less crime, more civic participation, less poverty and better schools than the 10 states where union membership is lowest.

That is why more and more of America’s workers want union jobs or want a union where they work. More than 42 million nonunion workers say they want to join a union. However, employers often harass and intimidate workers when they join together to form their union. That is wrong, often illegal and most definitely a violation of the human rights of those workers. Independent research shows that,

	25 percent of employers illegally fire at least one worker for union activity during organizing campaigns.
	75 percent of employers hire union-busters to fight union organizing.
	78 percent of employers force employees to attend one-on-one meetings with their own supervisors against the union.
	52 percent of employers threaten to call the Immigration and Naturalization Service during organizing that includes undocumented workers.
	51 percent of companies threaten to close the plant if the union wins the election, however, less than 1 percent ever actually do that.

Unions 101: A Quick Study of How Unions Help Workers Win a Voice on the Job

(from the AFL-CIO web site)

What is a union?
A union is a group of workers who forms an organization to gain:

        Respect on the job;
        Better wages and benefits;
        More flexibility for work and family needs;
        A counterbalance to the unchecked power of employers;
        A voice in improving the quality of their products and services.

How do people form a union?
When workers decide they want to come together to improve their jobs, they work with a union to help them form their own local chapter. After a majority of workers shows they want a union, employers sometimes honor the workers’ choice. Often, the workers must ask the government (through the National Labor Relations Board) to hold an election. If the workers win their union, they negotiate a contract with the employer that spells out each party’s rights and responsibilities in the workplace.

Does the law protect workers joining unions?
It’s supposed to—but too often it doesn’t. Under the law, employers are not allowed to discriminate against or fire workers for choosing to join a union. For example, it’s illegal for employers to threaten to shut down their businesses, fire employees or take away benefits if workers form a union. However, employers routinely violate these laws, and the penalties are weak or nonexistent.

What kinds of workers are forming unions today?
A wider range of people than ever before, including many women and immigrants, is joining unions: doctors, nurses, poultry workers, graduate employees, home health care aides, wireless communications workers, auto parts workers and engineers, to name a few.

How do unions help working families today?
Through unions, workers win better wages, benefits and a voice on the job—and good union jobs mean stronger communities. Union workers earn 26 percent more than nonunion workers and are more likely to receive health care and pension benefits than those without a union. In 2002, median weekly earnings for full-time union wage and salary workers were $740, compared with $587 for their nonunion counterparts. Unions lead the fight today for better lives for working people, such as through expanded family and medical leave, improved safety and health protections and fair-trade agreements that lift the standard of living for workers all over the world.

What have unions accomplished for all workers?
Unions have made life better for all of America’s workers by helping to pass laws ending child labor, establishing the eight-hour day, protecting workers’ safety and health and helping create Social Security, unemployment insurance and the minimum wage. Unions are continuing the fight today to improve life for all working families in America.

What challenges do workers face today when they want to form unions?
Today, millions of workers want to join unions. The wisest employers understand when workers form unions, their companies also benefit. But most employers fight workers’ efforts for a stronger voice at the workplace by intimidating, harassing and threatening them. In response, workers are reaching out to their communities for help exercising their freedom to improve their lives.

LEGISLATION COULD ELIMINATE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FOR POSTAL WORKERS

--Wages could drop $11,000 per year By Carroll Ann Bennett (Suncoast (FLA) Area Local #1228)

(from Notes & Quotes, the official publication of the Suncoast (FLA) Area Local)

President George W. Bush is likely to propose legislation that will drastically change the federal laws governing the U.S. Postal Service. This legislation will be based on recommendations made by a postal commission President Bush appointed. The commission has indicated that one of the recommendations will be to eliminate postal workers' right to collectively bargain for wages and benefits. This could result in a reduction of wages by as much as $11,000 a year.

Postal workers are the only government employees with the right to collectively bargain for wages and benefits. Congress and the President determine the pay and benefits of all other civil service employees. Congress and the President decided the pay of postal employees for most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It wasn't until August 1970, when the Post Office Reorganization and Salary Adjustment Act was signed by President Nixon, that they had the right to collective bargaining. The Act was the result of the Great American Postal Strike of March 1970.

In the 1960s, government civil service pay was so substandard that 10% of full-time postal workers in New York City received supplemental city welfare benefits. Congressmen, senators, and successive presidential administrations from John F. Kennedy to Richard M. Nixon publicly acknowledged the substandard pay and each promised to do something. Their actions never matched their rhetoric.

In 1962, Kennedy sponsored the federal Salary Reform Act, which established the right of federal employees to earn salaries comparable to those in private employment. The act provided annual raises that would achieve comparability by 1966, but President Lyndon B. Johnson, President Nixon, and their Congresses refused to pass the required raises each year, in view of "today's fiscal and economic conditions."

During a speech to postal executives in 1969, Nixon lamented postal workers' poor pay and promised "better days" ahead. But in 1970, "in order to fight inflation," Nixon both lowered the scheduled raise and delayed its effective date by six months. This especially angered postal workers, because Congress had recently doubled the president's salary and voted itself an immediate 41% raise.

In 1962, President Kennedy signed Executive Order 10988 giving government unions the right to represent their members in relations with management for the first time. However, unions still had no leverage with management because it excluded bargaining over wages, hours, and fringe benefits, and had only an advisory arbitration procedure (as opposed to binding arbitration), and management retained the right to declare any issue nonnegotiable. Strikes were still illegal.

At the same time, other labor problems had caused employee turnover rates to skyrocket. Workers suffered under tyrannical management who would unilaterally move them to different jobs or change their hours and off days and capriciously award overtime, all to reward or punish employees. The number of temporary workers increased, reducing much-needed overtime. Even then-Postmaster General Winton Blount openly admitted in 1969 that existing supervision practices "smack more of a Dickens novel than of intelligent use of fine (and costly) human talents."

All of this led to the 1970 Post Office strike, the largest strike against the federal government, but also the largest wildcat strike in U.S. history. Federal law prohibited strikes against the government, imposing a $1,000 fine and/or one year and a day in jail. At that time, the starting salary of full-time postal workers was $6,176 a year.

As one Brooklyn clerk put it: "Our union and our rank and file feel that the Government has forfeited its immunity to a strike, not only because [of] its open disdain for these men, but also the humility of financial hardships they have forced upon our families, such as seeking welfare to survive."

Ben Zemsky, president of Local 251, United Federation of Postal Clerks in Brooklyn wrote in a letter to his senators and congressmen: "You'd better find out why 'STRIKE' is the most popular word among postal employees and, you'd better find it out NOT from the brass but from us. We are no longer going to cringe. A lot of good people have gone to jail in recent years to make a point; civil rights leaders, union leaders and a few others. You'd better make the Brooklyn scene now or you may have to visit some of your constituents...in jail."

Rank-and-file workers inspired and led much of the action. It started with NALC letter carriers in New York City at 12:01 a.m. on a Wednesday and quickly became a wildcat strike that spread through most of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on the first day. By Saturday, Postal workers in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Detroit, San Francisco, Boston, Denver, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and dozens of other cities and towns had walked off the job. They did so of their own accord. There was no national coordination since national postal union officials actively opposed the strike. Most local union officials opposed it, some supported it, and some tried to sit the fence.

Mostly rank-and-file workers organized the strike, post office by post office. Despite their lack of coordination, postal workers paralyzed the Post Office. No mail moved in the country's major cities, and close to 200,000 workers participated.

National union leaders commanded the workers to return to work. Some union leaders, local leaders and members of Congress falsely denounced rank-and-file leaders in New York as radicals and communists. Having no basis in reality, the red-baiting only infuriated rank-and-file workers further.

Federal courts issued injunctions against the strike, local unions were found in contempt of court and ever-increasing fines were imposed.

President Nixon declared a national emergency and sent 30,000 National Guard and Reserve troops to New York City. Lacking the necessary skills, the soldiers moved little mail. Many fraternized with the strikers. In an ironic twist, some actually were strikers, reservists called up under the mobilization order. The troops failed to intimidate New York City strikers, but in other parts of the country Nixon's resolve had an impact and strikers began to return to work.

New York City strikers stayed on the picket lines until union officials and congressional representatives announced that the Nixon administration had agreed to a compromise. This included a 12% pay increase; fully paid health benefits; top pay after eight years instead of twenty-one years (compression); area wage differentials; provisions for collective bargaining and binding arbitration of deadlocked disputes; and total amnesty for all strikers. The strike ended immediately, it had lasted eight days.

President Nixon signed the Post Office Reorganization and Salary Adjustment Act in August of 1970, but it was not as generous as promised. Union leaders had exaggerated the administration's commitment to various pieces of the compromise. It did not include fully paid health benefits or area wage differentials; compression was delayed and although the total wage increase was 14%, only 6% of the raise was retroactive, and not as far back as promised.

Postal workers won two major improvements, a 14% wage increase and compression. They also won substantial collective bargaining rights. In 1971, five of the postal unions merged to form the American Postal Workers Union.

Going on strike and gaining the right to collectively bargain for their wages paid off for postal workers in a big way. While their civil service counterparts still got all pay and benefits through Congress and the President, postal workers negotiated their wages and working conditions. When negotiations came to an impasse, they went to binding arbitration. Even without the right to strike, postal workers quickly outstripped their civil service counterparts in salary increases and work rules through contract negotiations and arbitrations.

A quantitative value can be put on their collective bargaining rights. According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), a PS-5 top step currently makes about $11,000 more per year than their civil service counterpart, a GS-5 top step; making postal workers hard-won union rights worth approximately $11,000 per year, per worker.

All of this can change, however, with the same pen stroke that brought it into being. All it takes to return postal workers to what is often called collective bargaining, is a change in federal law. Federal law gave the right to bargain and federal law can take it away.

That's exactly what might happen. President Bush's hand-picked U.S. Postal Service Commission is likely to recommend legislation to change postal workers' collective bargaining rights. Even before their investigation had begun, several members of the commission made it clear they believe collective bargaining rights must end.

Murray Comarow, a veteran of the presidential commission that led to the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, testified that he favors the abolishment of binding arbitration for postal workers, whose wages and benefits already, he said, "are much higher than those that private-sector employees receive for comparable work."

Many participants echoed the assertion of Rutgers University professor Michael Crew. "The business model [of the USPS] is flawed because it can't control labor costs," Crew said, adding that he favors privatization or "commercialization," of the Postal Service. "The only question is whether you should do it on a gradual basis or with a 'Big Bang'."

The "Business Model Subcommittee" is chaired by economist Richard C. Levin, president of Yale University, who is embroiled in protracted struggles over wages, benefits, and working conditions with unions representing the school's clerical, technical, service, and maintenance employees, as well as with graduate students and hospital worker's organizations that are trying to win union recognition. Levin urged fellow panel members to consider "a unique feature" of the USPS. "To my knowledge," Levin said, "this is the only government entity required to go to binding arbitration to determine wages and benefits in labor contracts."

President Bush has said he will propose legislation to overhaul the USPS based on the commission's recommendations. A Republican President with a Republican Senate and a Republican House has an excellent chance of passing his legislation.

If Bush passes legislation changing the scope of representation postal unions presently have, postal workers will undoubtedly be faced with massive changes in pay, benefits and working conditions. The legislation would very likely seek to mirror what is currently available to other federal employees through their unions, and reduce the number of issues postal workers can grieve.

Postal workers' contractual rights would be gutted, and unions would have jurisdiction over a very limited scope of issues. Very few disputes would be eligible for settlement through the grievance/arbitration system.

Postal workers would undoubtedly have to take a deep cut in pay, in addition to the reduction of contractual rights. If such legislation passes, allowing the USPS to deal with their employees like every other government entity does, postal workers' only option will probably be to take the significant cuts in pay, benefits and rights, or resign. No other options may exist.

RESPONSES TO EIGHT REASONS NON-MEMBERS WON'T JOIN THE UNION

(Postal Press Association reprint, as seen on the San Antonio Alamo Area Local web site)

The following is a list of common reasons non-members give for not joining, and some responses that will give them something to think about.

REASON 1: I can't afford the dues.

RESPONSE: Could you afford to work for $6 an hour? That's what you would be making if there were no union. You don't really believe the Postal Service gives you raises out of the goodness of its heart, do you? You saw the wage package the proposed in the last contract negotiations. They think you make too much. Management wanted to freeze your wages, cap the COLA and cut benefits. You've got it backwards. Given what management wants to do to our pay and working conditions, we can't afford not to pay union dues. The union is all that stands between our paychecks and management's give back demands. Don't you want the best contract negotiators, union advocates, and stewards working on your side? The union can't afford them with out you dues money. Can you afford to have the second best negotiator on your side at contract time? Can you afford to have less than the best trained steward or advocate representing you when your discipline or termination is on the line?

REASON 2: I don't believe in unions.

RESPONSE: Do you believe in termination without just cause? Do you believe in child labor? Slave wages? No retirement system? Straight pay for overtime? 84-hour workweeks?Monetary fines for breaking rules that management set up solely to be able to fine you and get their money back? Didn't they teach history where you went to school? All those things happened before there were unions. Some still happen in other countries, and in non-union labor industries in this country. Unions are the only means for the workers to deal with management on an equal basis. Unions, not businessmen or bosses, brought this country into the 20th century. How can you believe in America and not believe in unions?

REASON 3: I don't need to be a member. I get everything that members get without paying the dues. That's the law.

RESPONSE: It is? The law says only that raises apply to non-members as well as members, and that the union must handle grievances for you. If you get injured on the job and have to fight a long compensation claim, you get no help from the union unless you are a member. If you have an EEO complaint, the union won't represent you unless you are a member. Union insurance and discount plans are available to members only. Members alone are eligible to vote for union officers, and to ratify contracts. Only members get to choose whose their union representatives are through democratic elections. Non-members have no say in who represents them. Many rights are stamped, "MEMBERS ONLY."

REASON 4: Who needs the Union? What has it ever done for me?

RESPONSE: More than three quarters of the things that make your job worth having exist only because the union exists. If you haven't worked here long, ask somebody who has how great a place this was to work BEFORE the unions. If the unions ceased to exist tomorrow, how long do you think you'd have the salary and benefits you have now? See responses one and two.

REASON 5: I don't like so and so.

RESPONSE: One person isn't the union or this local. The union is all of us. So you don't like one person. By not being a member, you're hurting everybody, including yourself. If you've got that big of a problem with an officer, then run against him. But don't just drop out. People who didn't like Ronald Reagan didn't renounce their citizenship.

REASON 6: The union is just here to get trouble makers out of the trouble they deserve to be in.

RESPONSE: Yes, the union defends anybody who's in trouble. Isn't that part of the union's job - to make sure everybody gets his day in court? That isn't all the union does, though. The union works to create jobs, improve working conditions and make sure no one's rights are violated. Look at responses one and two. Grieving disciplinary actions is the union's job, but it's far from the only job.

REASON 7: I don't want anything to do with the union. I'm trying to get promoted to boss.

RESPONSE: 80% of the employees in here are union members. Over 90% of the people promoted in the last five years have been union members. Notice a trend?

REASON 8: I went to the union with a problem and didn't get any satisfaction.

RESPONSE: Did you talk to somebody higher up? Did you bring it up at a union meeting to try to get some action? Is one bad experience really reason enough to just give up on the union? Are you sure you really had a legitimate grievance? If you don't believe the union is handling things properly, that should be the reason that gets you involved in the union to try and change things, not a reason to get out. The union isn't perfect, but it's all we've got to protect our rights and jobs.

Why a Union Member? By H. Lee Simons (Nashville Local #5)

(from the pages of The 21st Century Postal Worker as seen on NINTH STREET RAG)

During the seventies, almost all Postal workers were Union members. The unpleasant memories of a militarized Postal Service were still fresh to many. But times and memories fade into the history books which, in turn, are forgotten and left on library shelves. While most will admit that unions were once beneficial, many today assert that unions should only be found in the history books. But new generations with their new explanations often overlook certain truths. Truths are eternal – just as relevant tomorrow as they were yesterday. If you are questioning the wisdom of becoming a Union member, there are truths to consider.

First, recall the day you applied for a USPS position. Why did you put up with long lines, crowded test rooms, and the hassle of roster renewals? Was it not because the USPS is a great place to work with good pay, benefits and security? All the things you waited patiently for were fought for and won by the unions of our parents’ generation. In essence, you were paid in advance with all the benefits, the fruits of our parents’ labors, plus having an advocate and representative of your best interests, the day you signed on. Be assured that neither the Congress nor the managers of the Postal Service have ever given workers anything out of kindness. Many naively place their trust in the bosses, failing to realize that the Postal Service is a business where the worker is viewed as an expensive item to be utilized to the fullest for turning a profit. Many have learned “the hard way” that bosses have their own agendas that do not necessarily include the interests of others.

Some Union winnings have already been “carved in stone”. For example, we have won the 40 hour workweek, instead of the 60 plus hour workweek. We have won a decent standard of living, better than most of the world’s. You can indeed come to work expecting a safe environment, and respectful treatment. But “the struggle continues” with job security, where the eroding forces of mismanagement, technological advances, profiteering by privatization, and Congressional “reformation” are ever-present foes. It requires talent, and money to hire the talent, to combat Congressional craziness. It also requires money to hire the lawyers to protect your rights and to secure decent contracts. If you withhold your dues payments, the rest of us face dues increases to pay your share. Do you think this is right? “Divided we fall” is just as true as “United we stand”.

Management fights us “tooth and nail” with regard to worker salaries. They whine, declaring “bankruptcy” and “economic downturns”. (Of course, they still continue to “take care of” their managers with huge bonuses.) Can you visualize yourself approaching any manager where you work to ask for a modest raise to keep up with inflation? The APWU is a clean union. There are no picket lines to worry about crossing. We do not go around on long violent strikes, breaking windows, and overturning cars. You still have a good job to come to during the negotiations. When negotiations break down, everything is settled by binding arbitration. We live by the laws.

Some refuse to join the Union arguing that “Hitler and his henchmen” have taken over and are doing crazy things. This argument holds as much weight as “I don’t go to church because hypocrites go there.” If, for the sake of argument, Hitler indeed took over, you do him a favor by taking your voice out. Further, your leaving makes it harder for the rest of us to vote him out! Some argue the Union is against their religious principles but overlook the fact that the APWU is founded on the greatest of religious principles – for we are concerned only with the fair and just treatment of fellow human beings – a fundamental tenant of most religions. But I defy anyone who claims “religion” to show where it is right to “freeload” from others, i.e., getting the same representation and reaping the same benefits as those who must pay dues for them. There is another principle difficult to see except by those who are sincere in religion. It involves “the gift at the altar”. “If your brother has ought against thee, leave thy gift at the altar and first be reconciled to thy brother.” Those who refuse to pay dues are mostly viewed as hypocritical and deceitful freeloaders. Whether right or wrong, is this how you like to be thought of? Is this a good reflection on your faith or religion? Are you setting a good example? If you are sincerely a conscientious objector about joining with us, then the right and consistent thing to do would be to give back to the USPS all the benefits we have won for you, and to deal with Postal bosses on your own. There is nothing more incongruous (and disgusting) than for a non-member to ask members about contract issues. It is a form of deceit to try to talk to Union members about contract issues in such a way as to present oneself as a concerned member. If you choose to separate yourself from us, then let your separation be total and complete!

Union dues are around $8.50 a week. You spend at least three times that for health insurance. When you consider the benefits won, and the contracts negotiated, this is a very small fee for the returns you have received, and continually receive. Consider job security. When you have a bad day, or a “run in” with a proud supervisor, we are there to stand with you. The APWU is your insurance policy for not only bad supervisors, but for protection against job erosion by advances in technology, economic failures, or poor management. You can never be laid off work for Management’s mistakes. Can you not see that your membership in the APWU is good insurance? If you have no qualms about buying health insurance, why be squeamish about buying good job insurance? Please help to preserve the hard-won gains of our parents – that our children may also know “dignity and respect”! United we stand!

It's The Right Thing To Do From Moe Lepore and Paul Gultom (Boston Metro Area Local)

(from BOSTON METRO AREA LOCAL 100 web site)

January 2004

Dear Co-Worker,
Once again I find myself writing a letter to you, and you know what I am asking. But this time I am asking you to read a letter from maintenance craft member, Paul Gultom. I hope his sentiments puts things in perspective for you.

There is no doubt that every postal worker in America is facing a critical period in our career. I’m sure many of you associate with union members at work. Despite all the fights we have endured with management, they have stayed strong and realize that the only thing we have preventing management from destroying our jobs is this union, for without it we would all be “casuals”.

Non-members strengthen management and severely weaken the only fierce enemy they have - - A.P.W.U. Look around you. All you provide for your families is derived from this union - - and we survive because of dues paying members.

I don’t know how else to reach out to you, but I cannot give up - not ever - in my battle to get you “on board” - to help us help everyone. Let me say as adults in this crazy industry, you certainly owe it to yourself, your co-workers, and this union to join us to protect all the benefits we have and are in jeopardy of losing.

You are desperately needed as management will not fight for you and your family. They are too busy trying to take away all we have!

Sincerely,
Moe Lepore, General President
-------------------------------------------------------------

JOINING THE UNION IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO

Dear Fellow Postal Employees:

My name is Paul Gultom. I am a maintenance mechanic at GMF Boston. I started my Postal career as a PTF clerk in October 1997. I would like to share my opinions with those who are not currently members of the APWU why it is the right thing to do to join the union.

About two years after I started my job I discontinued to pay my union dues because I felt I did not need the union. I thought the management would treat me well because I was a good worker. I could save the money. I thought that only the lazy people would need the union to help them get away with a lot of things. But I was totally wrong. As time went by I learned that the more work I did the more work the supervisors would give me. The less I complained the more they took advantage of me. When I asked the stewards for help, they could not do much and the supervisors kept taking advantage of me. I became more unhappy with the union. However, the union continued to help me whenever I asked them despite the fact that I was not paying my dues. I always felt guilty about this.

My other reason for not paying my dues was the fact that I was not happy with the union because I did not get what I asked them to do. For example, I asked the stewards several times to ask the management to stop people from smoking in the locker room and the restrooms. Of course nothing happened. I was frustrated. I did not like the union and I hated the way the supervisors used me.

I thought about my job and the situation a lot. I asked myself if I should quit my job and go back to my previous job or look for another one. Then I compared what I received here and in my previous job: the salary, the job security, the fringe benefits, etc. The more I thought about my job, the more I realized that it was not that bad. Tens of thousands of people wanted my job and many others did not even have a job. I should be thankful I had a job.

I asked myself why I was able to get what I had been getting. Of course it was because of the union who had fought for decades to improve the life of all craft employees. I believed none of the benefits that I was getting was available to me because the management voluntarily offered it. I believe everything that I got: COLA, step increase, medical insurance, job security, etc. was available to me because of the relentless fight of the union officers. I should be thankful to the union. It was totally wrong for me to quit. It only hurt me more. I regret it. So, in 2002 I decided to join the union again. I did not come back because I got everything I asked. I came back because I realized it was the right thing to do. I need to be thankful to the union who has fought hard for me. I need to help the union to continue the fight in order that I keep getting what I have been getting these years. Joining the union is the easiest way for me to do that.

How about you my friends, what are your reasons for not joining the union? Are you mad at a steward or the union as a whole? Do you feel that you do not need the union because you are a good worker? Or is it simply because you want to save the money? Oh, my friends, believe me. You will never get richer because of that money and will not get poorer without the money.

Let's think about our job seriously. Is anything that we are getting now made available to us because the management willingly and generously gives it to us? Of course not! Did a steward ever file a grievance for you and you got paid or compensated? How many times? Are you one of the PTF's who received $1,500 twice a few years ago because the management screwed up. I wonder if I would ever have seen that money if not because of the union.

Let's think about this question: If we were not working in the Post Office now, what kind of job would we be doing and how much money would we be making? I bet most of us would be working more for less money. I strongly believe without the union most of the jobs in the Post Office would have been done by casuals and TE's and our wages would have probably been half of what we get now and many of the benefits that we are getting would never have been offered.

Why do we think we still have our job even in a very tough time in the past 2-3 years? How many of us would still have jobs if we were in a private sector? I think more than half of us would have received a pink slip a long time ago. My friends, let's be honest to ourselves. We are reaping what the union has fought for years and it is time that we all support the union. Why are we so reluctant to support the very one who has been fighting for us and bringing us so many good things for years? This is not an unknown organization from nowhere that is pleading to us. This is not an agency asking for donation to do something we have nothing to do with. These are the people who go to court or arbitration to fight for our jobs and to defend our rights. To become a member is nothing but to help ourselves. Why do we think twice to do so?

I think for all of us to join the union will only make us stronger and make our job more secure. Doesn't it make sense for every single one of us: maintenance employees, clerks, mail handlers, letter carries, drivers and the rest to join and help those who fight for us? It is not right to reap what we do not sow, is it? Let's not take things for granted. Life is short. Sure, we cannot expect to get everything we cask the union to do, but that does not justify any reason for not joining the union. To me joining the union is not just a way to appreciate what we have been getting but more importantly it is a way to fulfill our obligation. My friends, let's search our heart. Let's carry out our responsibility. Let's all join the union. It is the right thing to do. Thank you for reading this letter. I hope you will all decide to join the union.

With Solidarity,

Paul Gultom, Maintenance Mechanic

One Less Thing to Worry About By Allen Mohl (President, Broward County Area Local #1201)

(from the Broward County (FLA) Area Local #1201 web site, with thanks, again, to NINTH STREET RAG)

Layoffs are destroying people’s lives. But we postal workers do not have to be consumed with the possibility of being laid off. Probably the benefit most employees take for granted involves Article 6 of the National Agreement. Article 6 includes a provision that protects workers against layoffs. Depending on when you were hired, Article 6 of the National Agreement provides for no layoff protection for all employees. Employees that were hired prior to September 15, 1978 shall be provided with lifetime protection against layoffs. Employees hired after September 15, 1978 will obtain lifetime layoff protection when they complete six continuous years of service with the Postal service provided they’re in a pay status at least one hour per pay period for 20 of 26 pay periods in each of the years. Over the past several months Nortel, Mattel Inc., Motorola, Sensormatic, Kellogg, Kodak, American Greetings, Walt Disney World, Delphi Automotive Systems, TheStreet.com, and Cisco employees (just to name a few) all experienced layoffs; more than 180,000 have been laid off.

You hear it from time to time and wonder why some employees today don’t realize just what the Union does for them. Does the average postal worker really believe that the benefits, wages, and working conditions would be the same as they are without a Union? These are tangible benefits that are certainly measurable. How many casuals would be glad to join the union and reap all the benefits of a career employee for $16.21 a pay period? Ask them and find out. I bet everyone would. There are not too many postal workers seeking better jobs. But there are other benefits that we take for granted as postal employees that others would certainly love to have most of all . . . security!!!

While we are wondering how much of a salary increase we will receive from the new contract, many other employees in the private sector are being asked to take pay cuts instead. Of course, many would accept a pay cut for a guarantee that they would not be laid off. A couple of examples would be Acxiom and Charles Schwab. Acxiom announced 26% of its eligible workforce will take voluntary pay cuts up to 16%. Charles Schwab salary cuts ranged from 5% to 25%.

There are millions of working class people who do not have the option to pay union dues. They can only dream about the many benefits and protection provided by the Union. If not for the Union, all of us would be subjected to layoffs, pay cuts or to abusive supervisors and managers who do not have a clue of how to treat people (not that all postal supervisors do). If you complained, you would be fired without much recourse. If the company goes through a down period, you take a pay cut or laid off. Today, except for postal employees, everyone is susceptible to layoffs. The truth is corporate greed is capable of shattering lives, companies and even communities.

Unfortunately people who were laid off in the 1990’s experienced a year or more of unemployment or salary reductions of 80% of their previous position. Although companies delude themselves by laying off vast number of employees to cut costs and increase productivity, the results are not positive. Layoffs have a negative impact on companies. Layoffs prove to be inefficient and costly and cripple the companies.

Many companies use layoffs as a way to strike fear in the remaining employees, thereby motivating them to perform at a higher level. However, statistics show it has an opposite effect. Employees slow down in order to protect their positions.

How many people in the job market would pay $16.21 a pay period to belong to an organization that negotiated wages, hours, working conditions and included a no layoff clause? I’m sure the 180,000 who have been laid off gladly would!