As the United States Postal Service celebrates its 250th anniversary, the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) is launching a national campaign to mobilize support for the public institution amid growing threats of privatization.
The campaign encourages APWU members to work with local and state government bodies — including city councils, county commissions, mayoral offices, state legislatures and tribal governments — to pass proclamations recognizing the milestone and affirming support for the public Postal Service.
“The 250th anniversary gives us a great opportunity to build even more support for the public Postal Service in the face of billionaire-led efforts to privatize this national treasure,” APWU President Mark Dimondstein said. “These efforts seek to remove the Postal Service from public ownership and turn it over to private companies for profit.”
The APWU sees the proclamations as a critical tool in building public support for the Postal Service, good union jobs, and community services at a time when the Postal Service is facing an “existential threat” from a presidential administration that is openly hostile to public services and a new postmaster general with ties to the private shipping corporation, FedEx.
With deep ties to every single community across the country, postal workers move mail to every home in America, no matter who you are or where you live. By partnering with the communities postal workers serve, the campaign will reinforce the need for a public, independent Postal Service while celebrating the achievements of the USPS for the last 250 years.
The APWU is providing members with sample proclamation language and encouraging them to meet with elected representatives to build support for local resolutions. The union also recommends mobilizing postal workers, customers, and community members to attend meetings and speak in favor of the proclamations.
“Strong proclamations from government bodies of all sizes — from large cities to small towns — will help firm up the defense of the Post Office,” the statement said.
The USPS was established on July 26, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General. Today, it remains one of the country’s largest employers and most trusted public institutions.
For more information or to access the sample proclamation, see the landing page at apwu.org/250
