Join the nation's leading social and economic justice organizations in Washington, DC, on Thursday September 10 to call for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.
For more information or to get involved, contact Jen Kern at American Rights at Work: jkern@americanrightsatwork.org.
  | Now, more than ever, union families need to stick together. Here’s a brief list of things you can do to remind your community of the good things that unions do for all. |
| from the Union Label Packet. |
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka appeared on CNBC this morning for a frank talk about health care, politics and the future of the country.
As described this week in Huffington Post, Trumka is laying out a fundamental proposition: When it comes time for millions of union members to mobilize, educate other union members and get out the vote, they’ll work on behalf of candidates who support real health care reform that provides quality, affordable health care to all and gives people the opportunity to choose a public health coverage plan alongside private options:
We finally said, look, this is the minimum. If you’re going to do something, do something that works. If you’re going to have health insurance reform, you must have a public option in it. if you don’t, don’t expect us to support you.
Trumka said that the union movement is going to put its time, resources and votes behind candidates who support the needs and priorities of working families. Union members have no obligation to support politicians who listen to insurance companies instead of the millions of families who need real health care reform.
Here’s what Trumka had to say…
Made In America Website:
Articles and links concerning job outsourcing, globalization etc., as well as links to many shopping categories and toys made in the USA.
For Union-Made Clothing
[The Sweatshop-Free Alternative]
For Union Made Products:
Use the “Find Union-Made Products & Services” search box.
Wal-Mart: Think Before You Shop!
http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/change/
“The Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Funding Reform Act of 2009 (S. 1507) was intended to provide temporary financial relief to the cash-strapped Postal Service, but an amendment to the bill has rendered it unacceptable to postal workers.” [apwu.org]
The Coburn Amendment attached to S. 1507 [not H.R. 22] attacks and undermines the Collective Bargaining abilities of ALL POSTAL UNIONS!
Read "Stop S. 1507 [The Coburn Amendment]" below for more.
Because the public has become so numb to the idea that the economic recession is the cause of all financial downfalls and are distracted by the inflammatory Health Care Legislation the possibility of this legislation slipping under the radar and being passed, with this amendment, is very real. Just look at the USPS' statements about five day delivery. In the past these statements would have resulted in a public outcry but now they don't create a ripple.
Public outcry is not going to help us on the Coburn Amendment. Its up to us. We must convince Senators Lugar and Bayh to vote NO on S. 1507 with the Coburn Amendment. We must get friends and families to contact them and do the same.
Read more below/ or at www.postal-indy.org
Print copies of the fliers that are there and put them on the bulletin board and tables in your break room. Preach to your co-workers. Contact Bay and Lugar. We all need to take our future, our jobs and security into our own hands and protect them.
Many Craft Employees[and management] seem to believe that the recent vote on S.1507 was the final word on the issue. Not true. The vote was a committee vote to send the Bill back to the Senate floor for a vote. That vote has not happened yet and won’t happen until Congress returns from ‘recess’ after the Labor Day Holiday.
We still have time to act, but the window of opportunity is short and requires every member and their friends and families to act NOW!
S. 1507, and the House version of the bill, H.R. 22, is meant to provide the USPS with short term financial relief by shifting a major burden involving the funding of retirement benefits. Both bills had the endorsement of the APWU, USPS, NALC, etc. as presented.
“The Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Funding Reform Act of 2009 (S. 1507) was intended to provide temporary financial relief to the cash-strapped Postal Service, but an amendment to the bill has rendered it unacceptable to postal workers.” apwu.org
The Coburn Amendment attached to S. 1507 [not H.R. 22] attacks and undermines the Collective Bargaining abilities of ALL POSTAL UNIONS! The amendment is not germane to the actual bill. It is another attempt by the right wing to attack the working family by attacking their unions as supported by the fact that:
‘…Sen. Coburn and other GOP senators left the hearing before the union presidents testified, and none of them returned for the question-and-answer session with the union leaders..’ apwu.org
The amendment is disguised as an innocent rewording of simple language but that rewording shifts the entire nature of contract negotiations by tilting the playing field to managements advantage.
What the language does is change the current ability of arbitrators to choose whether or not to consider the Postal Service’s financial situation when ruling on issues submitted for arbitration during contract negotiations. The change would require them to consider it on all issues submitted for arbitration. There are many reasons why an arbitrator may choose to ignore the USPS financial situation even on financial issues, not the least of which is that arbitrator’s confidence, or lack of, in the financial information provided or the validity of short term losses.
In the past the union and management would come to the table and present theirs wants and don’t wants. Then they would negotiate on a give and take like most of us would at a garage sale. What could not be agreed on would be submitted to an arbitrator who would decide on a compromise. Because the arbitration playing field rules were balanced both sides avoided arbitration for fear of losing bigger than they might with continued negotiations. This is why the Unions and Management both avoid arbitration; compromise is safer than arbitration. Evidenced by the last contract where extensions were obtained to the benefit of both sides playing on a level field.
If this amendment is passed then management would enter initial negotiations with a distinct advantage and would wisely seek arbitration over negotiations rendering our union at a constant disadvantage in both negotiations and arbitration.
The USPS would plead poverty on every issue and they could because they control not only the financial data, but the mode of collection and the decisions that could lead to short term shortfalls timed to coincide with contract negotiations. How many times in ‘the good old days’ have we seen Management pat them selves on the back in front of Congress and then cry poverty come contract time?
The ‘No Layoff’ provision
The Seniority System
(and as a result the No Layoff protection)
The removal of the no layoff protection would open the door for a massive RIF [affecting labor] and as anyone who has been involved in a RIF will tell you management RIFs always follow labor RIFs with a reduction that is proportionally greater than the non-management RIF.
In addition any cuts in benefits, pay, leave etc. suffered by labor would by necessity trickle over to management.
Look at your Contract. That's what could be potentially affected. As an example here are some items covered by your contract:
Article 6 No Layoffs or Reduction In Force
Article 7 Employee Classification
Article 8 Hours of Work
Article 9 Salaries and Wages
Article 10 Leave
Article 11 Holidays
Article 12 Principles of Seniority, Posting and Reassignment
Article 14 Safety and Health
Article 15 Grievance-Arbitration Procedure
Article 16 Discipline Procedure
Article 21 Benefit Plans
[all taken from the contracts Table Of Contents]
In this economy do you what your pay, leave and insurance premiums being adjusted to recession levels?
OUR CONTRACT EXPIRES NEXT YEAR!!!!!!
As it stands now Congress is on recess and will not return until after Labor Day. With Health Care and other major economic concerns on the floor there is no predicting when the Postal bills will be voted on, early or late. They will probably try to rush them through wherever the timetable allows so you must take action now and be prepared to take action again when needed.
The APWU still supports H.R. 22 and the bill has 8 of the 9 Representatives from Indiana as supporters. The lone holdout is Mike Pence.
In the Senate we need to defeat S. 1507 as it is presently amended so we must contact Senators Lugar and Bayh and voice our concerns:
This button can also be found on the APWU home page.DO ALL THREE! Have your spouse, relatives, neighbors and friends do the same. Set down with them at their computer and their phone and make them do it.
-click for flier-  STOP S.B.1507 [an edited version of this article] | -click for flier  APWU Urgent Action |
-click for: Senate Bill Would Destroy Collective Bargaining-
-click for: Give-and-Take On the Coburn Amendment
-click for: 2006-10 APWU Contract
-click for: Union Calls for Campaign To Defeat Anti-Postal Worker Senate Bill-
