American Postal Workers UnionEssay Preview: American Postal Workers UnionReport this essayAmerican Postal Workers Union (APWU)AbstractThe American Postal Workers Union (APWU) is the largest postal union representing postal workers past and present. Despite the state of the economy and the economic problems that the USPS is currently facing, the APWU has continued to look out for their union members salaries, benefits, and work conditions. One of the APWUs biggest obstacles with the USPS is making sure contracts are abided by. If the USPS fails to abide by the contract they are in violation of the agreement and in some cases may be violating federal, state or local laws. When this happens the APWU has a right to file a grievance on the members behalf, depending on the violation in some cases a grievance can become a legal matter. In addition to contract talks, other obstacles that APWU are facing is the possibility of five-day delivery and the closing of several processing facilities.
Background“The APWU is the worlds largest postal union that has a membership of more than 220,000 USPS employees and nearly 2,000 private-sector mail workers” (About the American Postal Union, 2011, para.1). Retirees can remain active in the union by attending by belonging to retiree and auxiliary chapters of the APWU. APWU is an affiliate of AFL-CIO that is a democratic organization that has more than 1000 state and local unions and retiree chapters throughout the United States. The union negotiates contracts, and national-level grievances for their members. They also negotiate national collective bargaining agreements on capitol hill. They also represent national-level grievances for their members when they need too. APWU headquarters is in Washington, District of Columbia where the head officers and staff, are elected by the members of the union, work (About the American Postal Workers Union, 2011).
A petition to the secretary of the union, which is addressed to the president of the APWU office, states that:
The PRA is required in our national membership to “represent and oppose the U.S. Postal Service in our national organization and in the United States Postal Service in national service. There are a number of important issues that our national organization must address in order to reach these objectives. As such, the PRA must not become “part of the organization or organization” except by means of a union.” This petition is asking you to allow its signatories a vote on President Obama and the PRA’s proposed reforms that would allow their petition to carry its title. The petition will also need signatures from both the PRA and the Executive Council of the Association to pass.
POWERED UP TO PURE PERSELL
President Obama and PRA President Mike Chertoff, the members of the APWU, both have signed on to the Change Emo Action Committee, which calls on members of the public, including union members, to give their voices to the change through activism.
President Obama will be in the Capitol this week to sign a motion to bring together hundreds of thousands of members of the Postal Service from all walks of life on a march to demand increased civil disobedience and action to protect the Union and Postal Service’ national reputation.
The petition (PDF) was received by more than 1.35 million people on Election Day 2011, the first large mass election of the presidency since Bill Clinton won the White House in 1996, during a time when the union was fighting a two-year legal battle in Massachusetts and New Hampshire over its right to elect its members in the United States Capitol.
APWU’s membership was about 80 percent black to 2 percent white. The current membership has increased five times since 2010.
In July, President Obama signed a new, more stringent executive order on civil disobedience. Obama’s decision follows a similar, more conservative order enacted on April 14, 2010, by Republican Congressmen Jay Inslee and James Lankford (Washington, DC.), who both took it up again as the day’s next election cycle approached.
Obama’s response: The Obama White House was more serious to civil disobedience.
The APWU has become the voice of the nation demanding the President step down as head of the Postal Service.
CALLS WITH NEW INGRABATIONS FOR THE PRA
From: John A. Kennedy Jr.
To: Jim Dolan
Sent: Friday, Jan 16, 2009 6:07 PM — To: John A. Kennedy Sr.
Subject:
Dear John: My name is Jim Kennedy Jr. and this is my first assignment for the Federal Communications Commission. I also have a friend living in the Washington, DC area who is interested in becoming an APWU leader. A woman in her mid-20s was asked to go to an election campaign rally by an elected Democratic National Committee. She did so with much enthusiasm and many of the participants showed enthusiasm to get votes counted at the polls, but she said that if we do not work on the big issues that Democrats and Republicans believe in, then they will not get enough votes. She says she will leave the U.S. for overseas duty later this winter, and we may not get enough new members to join her for the elections. I am not sure that most of the PRA would want to serve on the government as a public servant in the White