Postal Workers: The Last Union

[nadinbrzezinski]

The recent attacks against the United States Postal Service (USPS) are more than signs of desperate times - a natural sunset moment for a service rendered archaic by FedEx and UPS. Rather, the Postal Service has been under constant, vicious assault for years from the right, who views this as an epic battle with the goal of finally taking down the strongest union in the country, the second largest employer in the United States (second only to Wal-Mart,) and a means to roll the country ever closer toward the abyss of privatization.

The Postal Service, which is older than the Constitution itself, stands at a precipice. If this great institution, which provides one of the oldest, most reliable services in the country, is permitted to fall and Congress kills its great union, then truly no collective bargaining rights, no worker contract, no union will be safe within the United States.

As the USPS spirals toward default, the historically uncontroversial mail service system has suddenly become a hot-button issue. It's an unlikely organization to inspire such hysteria. The Postal Service isn't paid for by taxpayer dollars, but rather fully funded by the sale of stamps. It's easy to forget what a marvel this is - that today, in 2011, one can still mail a letter clear across the country for less than 50 cents. And if the impressiveness of that feat still hasn't sunk in, attempt this brain exercise: consider what else you can buy for $0.44.

It was only a few years ago that the USPS was considered not only stable, but thriving. The biggest volume in pieces of mail handled by the Postal Service in its 236-year history was in 2006. The second and third busiest years were in 2005 and 2007, respectively. But it was two events: one crafted during the Bush years and another supervised by House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, that would cripple this once great institution.

http://www.truth-out.org/last-union/1315492298

Add this links to rallies

http://www.saveamericaspostalservice.org/index.html

[senseandsensibility]

1. Great story on countdown just now about the postal service

Not supported by tax dollars, and its financial difficulties are caused by a Bush era law requiring them to fund healtchare for employee not even born yet. Also, an accounting error is responsible for many of the problems. The repugs want to privatize them. No surprise there. They need our support.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. That article is from the reporter Sam interviewed

And trust me, I know. The APWU loses, it's over fr at least a generation for American labor and it will get ugly.

[senseandsensibility]

3. We need to do something.

I wish this would get more publicity on Rachel's or Ed' show. I'm going to write to my representatives.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. The APWU thanks you

Ed has more or less covered it...but there is mostly a conspiracy of silence...no I no longer wonder if Concast as been offered a slice of that pie.

[senseandsensibility]

4. Someone actually unrec'd this!

I'll kick this again to say that. Very depressing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Kick for the workers

[Kingofalldems]

7. K and R to counter the secret unreccers

NALC member here.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. We have people who are anti labor, to be honest.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Oh yes they are...gilded age dems

We are back there...parties change and we need to take this one back.

[graywarrior]

9. The community TV station I work for just did an interview with a PO spokesperson

We did it because we support the workers.

[devils chaplain]

10. NALC member here...

Had 3 people yesterday morning compliment me on the Postal Service as an organization, something that rarely happens. I'm sure this was because of news reports of a possible shutdown causing them to appreciate something that they've always taken for granted. I think Issa, Donahoe, and gang underestimate the amount of support there is for a public postal system among the general public as well as the resolve of our rank and file union members. I don't think an "illegal" strike is out of the question at all. Even all of my die-hard conservative co-workers always side with labor over management here.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Them dynamics are interesting...yes

[FrenchieCat]

14. This all happened due to that law that was passed in 2006.....

by DeLay....

I recall hearing about the law forced the Post Office to fund 75 years of health coverage in just 10 years...meaning they've had to find 5.5 Billion dollars every year since 2006, which is why they are going broke. It is a provision that no other entity in the government has had to endure.

Here is more about this....

White House to Propose Plan to Help Postal Service
Published: September 6, 2011

The Obama administration said on Tuesday that it would seek to save the deficit-plagued Postal Service from an embarrassing default by proposing to give it an extra three months to make a $5.5 billion payment due on Sept. 30 to finance retirees’ future health coverage.
<>
Postal officials say a major reason for the postal service’s financial crisis — it has lost $20 billion over the last four years — is a 2006 law requiring the post office to pay an average of $5.5 billion a year for 10 years to underwrite 75 years of health coverage for future retirees. The post office hopes to use much of $50 billion in claimed pension overpayments to cover those annual health care payments.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/07/business/white-house-to-propose-plan-to-help-postal-service.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Article goes into that

Call congress

[cigsandcoffee]

16. If we are heading toward a paperless society....

....then maybe history itself is not on the side of the post office. And in the grand scheme of things, is a paperless society really such an awful thing?

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Read the article

And they handle more than mail

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Kick

[Darth_Ole]

19. Although many of the USPS' trouble stem from the 2006 Postal Accountability Enhancement Act,

two of that bill's cosponsors were Democrats, including liberal hero Henry Waxman.

Why did they sign on to this, if it was clearly a plot to destroy the Post Office?

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Because the other choice was to dissolve the unions right there and then

They were in the minority and it was the compromise they needed to do to protect them with the goal of fixing it later.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Kick

[senseandsensibility]

22. K and R

eom