Our Alliance brings together hundreds of groups and individuals who are committed to preserving our public Postal Service. With the threat against the USPS greater than ever, we have been busy strengthening the ties between postal workers and our community.
Coalition Meeting
On March 19, we held a joint briefing with the Save the Post Office coalition to emphasize the threat to the USPS.
About 120 people from the many organizations that make up the coalition attended, including MoveOn, Indivisible, the Alliance for Retired Americans, and Public Citizen.
Melanie Campbell of the National Council on Black Civic Participation kicked off the event. APWU President Mark Dimondstein followed, laying out the threats and consequences of postal privatization.
Monique Morrissey, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, explained the impact of a postal sell-off. Shawn Sebastian of Rural Organizing discussed the direct impacts privatization would have on rural communities, while APWU member Brittany Price (Cleveland Area Local) gave a postal workers’ perspective.
Act Locally, Act Stronger
A highlight of APWU’s March 20 Day of Action was how many local organizations held events – more than 300 in total. Several Alliance members organized actions, including the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Jobs with Justice, and Indivisible.
Local events build stronger community support to oppose postal privatization. At a Globe-Miami Indivisible chapter event, an event organizer explained that having leaflets to give out to people in support of the rural Globe, AZ Post Office and having a toolkit with information was an excellent way to have great conversations with people regardless of who they voted for.
Individual community members and informal groups also held events. The organizer of an event in Lincoln County, ME, described how uniting makes us stronger: “The most important thing is that I met a bunch of new friends who care about my rural town like I do, and who, like me, know that our postal team are hard-working, dedicated neighbors who provide CRITICAL services to our community.”
APWU locals can continue building relationships by reaching out to local chapters of coalition members. Start with a phone call and identify your shared interests. Show how you can help them and ask for their help. If you need assistance reaching a local affiliate, please email us at: info@agrandalliance.org
A New Response to Renewed Threats
Considering the administration’s ongoing threats, our Alliance has updated its mission statement, warning that the U.S. Postal Service is:
“…under extreme assault by the current administration’s illegal hostile takeover of the independent agency. These actions are a huge step toward dismantling and selling off the USPS, in whole or in part, to private corporations, for private profit.” […]
“The public good must not be sacrificed for the sake of private investment and pro t. A strong public Postal Service is our democratic and constitutional right. Join us in the fight to improve, protect, and enhance vibrant public postal services now – and for many generations to come.” Read the full statement and see our list of supporters at: agrandalliance.org ■
