October 30, 2023 • 31 mins
***This episode was recorded before the UAW reached tentative agreements in their negotiations***
Join President Dimondstein for an interview with young members of the APWU as they talk about their experience in the union and their vision for the future. We'll also discuss solidarity actions members are taking to show support for striking workers and a brief update on USPS Network Modernization.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:08):
Union greetings, APWU family.
This is APWU President Mark Dimondstein, and welcome to the APWU podcast, "Communicating With You, The Member".
Remember, you can reach our podcast through any of the platforms, including Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and of course, on the APWU website.
apwu.org you can also find a podcast by searching APWU Podcast.
(00:35):
So again, welcome one and all.
I hope this podcast finds you well and in good spirits in the struggle.
We're gonna have a really interesting interview today with some of our young member leaders, but I wanna share a few thoughts with you.
First one, we're recording this podcast at a time, where there's a historic.
strike going on, with our autoworker, union family of the UAW against what we call the big three, GM, Ford, and Stellantis, which used to be Chrysler.
(01:04):
And, it's an interesting history, and this strike is very important for all working people and very important for postal workers and the APWU.
In 2008, with the financial crisis that was caused by Wall Street, The auto companies were in deep trouble and they were bailed out by the government.
And in that bailout, the government took a lot out of the workers (01:23):
benefits, wages, they lost their COLA.
New hires lost retirement benefits.
They have a deep two tiered divisive system where new workers were making 40 percent less money.
But guess what?
They were promised by the auto companies that if the workers help them getback on their feet, the auto companies will make the workers whole later on.
(01:52):
But the corporations took their profits, 250 billion in the last 10 years, andpoured it into Wall Street, And did not return the benefits to the workers.
This historic strike now, under new, more militant UAW leadership, is trying to get back what the workers gave up.
They're fighting to have their COLA returned.
(02:15):
They're fighting to end the two tier wage structure.
They're fighting for real, defined benefit retirement, the kind of retirements we have as career postal workers.
They're fighting for a shorter work week, with no loss of pay, to deal with allthe automation, to deal with all this artificial intelligence coming down the pike.
(02:37):
So their fight is really our fight, and the UAW leadership has framed their fightas not just a fight for autoworkers, but a fight for the entire working class.
So we urge all of you, join a UAW picket line if it's near you.
If you don't have a picket line near you, you can sign a petition.
(02:58):
In behalf of the auto workers who are out on the front lines, you can ask your family and friends to join in signing that petition.
You can get to that petition on the UAW website or the APW.
org website.
Solidarity is what helps us win.
(03:18):
the auto workers win, and when they win, guess what?
Postal workers will win.
It will help us at our bargaining table.
We go into bargaining next year.
For our main, collective bargaining agreement with the Postal Service.
So this is an exciting time with workers on the move and the auto workers are not the only workers on the move.
(03:39):
Healthcare workers in California just engaged in a victorious three day strike and won better staffing and better wages.
Hotel workers in Las Vegas.
Have voted to authorize a strike with a 96 percent strike vote behind their just demand and slogans that one job should be enough and we all agree.
(04:01):
And 160, 000 SAG AFTRA members, TV, radio, film workers.
on strike for over 100 days now in defense of their job security.
A strike.
We should definitely be out there supporting in every way that we can.
(04:23):
I also wanted to share a few quick thoughts on the management network modernization plan that, of course, is on the minds of many postal workers and.
And should be we're going to have a more thorough podcast on this plan and on the coming months, but I just wanted to give this a quick update.
(04:44):
So the plan is still in its early stages and management is certainly aggressively.
proceeding with these plants and currently there are three of that are atleast partially up and at least nine more scheduled to open in the next year.
And these are these very large, processing plants with large automated processing equipment in them.
(05:05):
And then there's also approximately 24 sorting and delivery centers.
these are large carrier and delivery units that are now open and dozens moreplanned for 2024, but over the long haul, they're talking about hundreds more.
So these network changes will certainly touch, many, many postal workers all throughout the country.
(05:25):
And in most of our the country.
local unions.
So management's building, new buildings, centralizing some processing, installingnew automated package, sortation equipment, but they must do all of this.
under the conditions and in accordance with our union contract.
and of course, our role as a union, one of our main roles now and goals is to limit the negativeimpact on the employees and make sure that these plans don't slow down mail, but rather, speed up mail.
(05:55):
So we've taken a number of steps that I'll summarize for you.
very quickly.
Part of our job security provisions of our contract.
Is article 12, which says when there's accessing and management is moving employees from one place to another.
they have to hold jobs that come open.
Those jobs are called residual vacancies.
(06:15):
Management is not doing that.
And they're not doing it properly, and we have filed a major national levelgrievance challenging, these actions where they're failing to properly withhold jobs.
Uh, so this is very important for, all postal workers that may be impacted, and we're seeking to expedite this grievance so it can be heard quickly.
(06:37):
and we're also contemplating and speaking to our legal team about whether we can, File some court actions.
We're not sure yet, but whether we can file some court actions to get an injunction against some of these management, um, actions.
We've also filed an unfair labor practice with the National Labor Relations Board on this very same, issue.
(06:58):
there are a number of other things that we're working on.
We have filed a different unfair labor practice because management has not been forthcoming with information that the union has.
Requested that unfair labor practice is already bearing some fruit as more information, is, is, is now forthcoming from management.
But that information is critical, not just for us at the national level to address,but that way we can keep all of you better informed if we have the information.
(07:25):
so again, there's a number of actions.
Your regional coordinators, there are five of them in the country.
they deal with the impact statements that management puts out Your coordinatorsare hard at work, often, often getting these impact statements largely reduced.
Sometimes Totally eliminated.
so again, your national leaders are hard at work.
(07:47):
We're going to continue to pay close attention to all of these fights.
and as we previously reported, in our magazine and our website, we've also reached some agreements with management, that aregoing to help ensure that the retail units and box section units are going to they open for the public, even when management
(08:07):
moves out carriers into more centralized operations and what they're calling again, these SNDCs, sorting and, delivery centers.
So that's, that's the quick update.
we face many challenges with changes like this in the past.
We're facing them in the present, and I'm sure we'll face them in the future.
but the APWU's union strong all day long.
(08:30):
We're going to continue to do the best we can to protect our work, to protect our jobs, and to protect the service to the American people.
So with that, again, we'll have more information forthcoming in future podcasts.
as this, network modernization plan, as management calls it, becomes more, in focus and takes more hold.
Around the country.
(08:51):
So with that, I want to move on to our exciting interview with some of our young member, leaders.
So let me welcome Courtney Agee and Tracy Mullenix, who are young postal workers and young leaders.
Of the young members committee.
Welcome to both of you.
And let me start with Courtney.
Courtney.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
(09:13):
Hi, everyone.
I am Courtney Agee and I'm 32 years old and I come from Birmingham, Alabama, arealocal 303 where I am the editor and I have been a postal worker for 12 years now.
I am a clerk.
and I'm currently a customer service and distribution clerk.
Great.
And how about you, Tracy?
Why don't you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what the kind of work you do and how long you've been at the post office?
(09:39):
My name is Tracy Mullinex.
I'm from the Clarksburg area local in West Virginia and I'm the vice presidentI work as a PTF and I've been with the postal service for almost eight years.
Well, thank you both.
And great to be here.
Welcome.
And thanks again for joining us.
So, why don't we start with Tracy for the next question, and tell us how and why you first got involved with the union, with the APWU.
(10:04):
Well, I first learned about the union from our president who took the time to meet with me and explain to me what the union was all about.
I was a PSC and a little four hour RMPO and I had been a postal employee for about.
Five years before I knew what the union was.
So whenever she came to meet me and she had told me what it was about, she asked me to join.
And after hearing about the benefits and the protections that the membership had offered, I decided to join.
(10:30):
And soon after that, I had an issue with management and I needed to understand my rights as an employee.
And this experience motivated me to get more involved with the union.
And when my president recognized my leadership potential, she asked me to be a steward.
And I'm glad that she did.
So probably six months after I was a steward, I was promoted to an area steward.
I became increasingly interested in being active and engaged.
(10:53):
And over time, my dedication and commitment was recognized, and that's how I became the vice president.
Great.
So Courtney, and how about you?
how and why did you first get involved with the American Postal Workers Union?
Well, I have come a long way, let me start by saying that.
But, I've always been a little bit of a troublemaker.
And I would like to consider myself a good troublemaker.
(11:14):
But, I experienced a lot of injustice as my time is with my time as a PSE.
I remember being written up for delay of mail after I was sent to lunch one day and wasoff the clock and I got the responsibility of the mail being late and out of sequence.
I remember being sent home for a period of time due to my choice of color and lip gloss that night at work.
(11:40):
Just a lot of little different picky, petty things.
and I just got to a point where.
the discipline that built up and built up and so to my frustration and my secretary treasurer, who is still mysecretary treasurer at this time, really encouraged me to get involved in the various conventions and things and they
went to a state convention and when she got home, she called me to tell me, you're going to Orlando with the union.
(12:05):
You got the most votes.
to go as a young member and they want to start building up some of the younger people within our local union because a lot of usare getting ready to get out of here and so we want to make sure that we've got some people in place that are ready to take over.
At the time, I did not know that I would fall in love head over heels with it and I didn't know that it wouldinterest me in the way that it has, but it truly has become one of my greatest passions as an adult these days.
(12:34):
Great.
And let me follow up with this.
So what has the APWU and the union contract that we have and the rights and benefitsthat have been forged over many years, what has that meant to you and your lives?
Tracy, let's start with you and then we'll go to Courtney.
Well, becoming a union member and learning about everything the past few years have really given me passion for helping other people and and, youknow, making sure that people are taken care of that are constantly being abused by postmasters and supervisors and people don't know their rights.
(13:12):
And we're here to tell them what their rights are.
And just just that.
I mean, I just love to help people.
So that's why I love this job.
And what has it meant to you, Courtney, at least in some aspects?
the union has honestly been survival for me.
and being a troublemaker, you have to go through some consequences for the choices that you make out here.
(13:34):
and, you have to also come to a point where you have to find the accountability and where you were.
But the union is always there to enforce all of that contract.
And, even when you do, you you sit through your consequences and you take your time off and you eat those L's.
You also, especially if the removal was done wrong, you were able to kind of make up fora lot of that lost time, so to speak, and, and kind of get your bearings and things again.
(14:02):
the biggest thing out of it is that with each.
Dealing I have with the union.
there's a lesson on the other side of it.
And still 12 years, 12 years in, I learned something every single day in regards to this organization.
So we just, as as APWU members, we just received the union-won COLA about twoweeks ago, another 48 cents on the hour, or 998 a year for a full time regular.
(14:33):
And that was that brought our four colas under our latest union agreement fromSeptember 2021 to 4, 971 and here we are in this period of high inflation.
We call it greed inflation because the companies are raking in massive and record profits and the workers are being, askedand forced to pay more for gas, to pay more for housing, to pay more for, Putting food on the table, harder by cars and homes.
(15:03):
What is the cola meant to you in your lives?
Courtney,
I guess I'll share some positive news.
I finally I'm going to qualify for a house.
And it's specifically because of the last cola raise that we had.
It got me in a position for the numbers to line up and with as little out of pocketon my end, I'm very, very soon going to walk into a house that is mine all by myself.
(15:32):
And that means so much.
If any of you guys know my story at all, you have to know what
that means for me.
Well, that's an important story for anybody.
So, Tracy, how about you?
Well, I'm a mother of two Children and I'm a single mother of two Children.
So every call that we get, I'm like, Yeah, more money because I live pretty much paycheckto paycheck So and how inflation is right now, I don't know how anybody is making it.
(15:57):
And that's why I'm very thankful for the union
getting us our COLAs.
Yeah, one interesting side story on the COLA.
I mentioned earlier that the auto workers are out on strike trying to reclaim a COLA that was given up and lost 14 or 15 years ago.
And we ran the numbers on what it would have been if postal workers had lost our COLA in 2008.
(16:20):
And for a full time regular employee...
We would be making $14,000 less a year than we do now without our union.
One union negotiated call.
So I'm sure it aggravates you, two young activists and leaders as it does me when somebody says, why should I join a union?
What have they done for me lately?
Right.
(16:41):
but it's a, so when you see the u a w and the auto workers out there on the picket lines, you know, they're fighting forsomething that we've had, we have fought to keep, by the way, Arcola was won in the Great Postal Strike in 1970 when our
forefathers and foremothers walked out, stormed the heavens, engaged in an unlawful strike, but enough was enough, and guess what?
(17:02):
They won, and we won, because they won.
We meaning those who have, followed.
Oh, and by the way, one other thing I want to mention about COLA, because our hardworking PSEs, and you were both PSEs once, our non career employees, happened in 2010.
it is what it is, it's, it's a problem, it's divisive, we have tried to build on it to improve the lots of our PSEs, but they do not get COLAright now, they get bigger pay raises because they don't get COLA, but it's truthfully not enough to make up for what's happened in inflation.
(17:33):
But I want all our hardworking PSEs who might be listening, that while the COLA is deferred,when you make careers, You will get that call of then because it's built into the pay scale.
So that 4, 971 when you make career will be waiting for you in that career pay scale.
And of course, for the full time regulars, we know it's that much a year for the P.
(17:55):
T.
F.
Tracy mentioned she's a P.
T.
F.
It's an hourly increase in the four callers thus far in our contract with two more left to go has been about 2.
40 more increase.
for our, our PTF career members, so far, and that's in addition to our pay raises and our step increases.
So , let me ask you both what is your message for the coworkers who are listening around the country, about how they might be able to help?
(18:24):
build a union
Why is it so important for people around the country?
To be involved with the union, whether they come to a union meeting or whether they join an informationalpicket or whether they join an autoworker picket line in solidarity, or whether they come help out with a
union picnic or whatever it is, Courtney, what, what is your message for the, our, uh, APWU family out there?
(18:47):
um, we need all hands on deck.
Everybody needs to expect a certain level of standard when it comes to this career and when it comes to those who are working this career.
And like I said, it's going to take everybody who has a role in mail to pull it off.
mail's a constitutional right.
(19:08):
And without our union, we see rights get trampled on all the time.
And we see rights get taken away all the time.
And I genuinely believe that this career and this union should be around for generations and generations to come.
It has afforded so many people So many opportunities, and I don't think we all want to know what a world without those opportunities look like.
(19:35):
But I'm willing to reach my hands across all boards to let everyone know that we can all worktogether to make sure that we all get the postal service out of this 2030 40 plus years from now.
And
Tracy, how about you?
What would your message be to the APWU listener about why they should be involved or more involved with the with their union?
(20:00):
We need to have the more seasoned people get our young workers more involved with the union.
First of all, we're not seeing enough of our young workers involved with the union and we need to make sure that our union lives on.
So I would Invite them to do more things to build relationships with them.
So they have mentors that they can learn from.
(20:24):
I would advise them to explore different committees or working groups within the union or their local that align with their interests.
And by actively participating in these groups, they can contribute and learn from experienced members.
my last question will be, How do you, how do you relate to and, and feel about, about the public mission of the post office?
(20:47):
There are many powers that be that says, you know, the post office is no longer needed in the lives of the people of the country.
other people can do this.
Mail is changing.
Letter mail is less because of diversion onto the internet.
We can pay our bills online if we want to.
Packages are rising, but there are other package companies.
why do the people of this country need, a vibrant public postal service, going forward?
(21:12):
And how do you see your role and our role as postal workers in that?
Why don't we start with Tracy?
I
feel like we are important because we are not a corporate so we're always going to be here as long as the government's here.
With corporate, they can shut down any time, so if you need something being sent to you, you can dependon the postal service to get it to you, but you can't depend on other companies to get it to you,
(21:38):
.And, and if I can follow up, Tracy, you're from a rural state, very rural state, and it's one of the most rural states, if not the most rural state in the country.
So how did the, how do your customers, what kind of things do your customers rely on the post office for?
A lot of our customers rely on the postal service for their medicine, their social securitychecks, because a lot of our residents are elderly and we don't have a UPS drop off.
(22:06):
we don't have Amazon delivery.
We don't have FedEx drop offs or pickups or stores or anything like that.
It's only the post office in most of our state.
and a lot of the elderly people can't get out to get their medicines or their checks or theirmail or their groceries so most of our residents rely on the Postal Service for a lot of things.
(22:27):
And do you also think, before I ask Courtney to weigh in, that there's a lotmore things the Post Office can be doing for the customers of this country?
Absolutely.
Like, for me to get my driver's license renewed, I have to drive an hour I have to drive an hour to get a passport.
I have to...
(22:48):
Do anything with the DMV.
It's an hour away.
my bank, whenever I lived where I lived before, I live in town now, but whenever I lived out of town, I had to drive 45 minutes to get to my, my bank.
But my post office was right there where I lived.
And if we did postal banking, I could have just went there, you know, or if we, if I needed to get my driver's license renewed or my registration.
(23:15):
or anything like that.
I could just go to the post office,
So I feel like the post office should do more of those
things.
And Courtney, how about how do you feel about the mission of the Postal Service?
How how we serve the people of the country?
Some new things maybe we could do and how you fit into that mission.
How do you feel about the mission?
Tracy
actually spoke very Well, on what I was going to touch on.
(23:38):
There's a big message.
Everybody should understand the post office was never for profit company.
We make what it costs to keep us going.
So, if we can start to bring you guys some of the options that you guys need to have basicfunctionality in the world, we would be able to bring it to you at a much more efficient option.
(23:59):
you might not have to spend an arm or a leg just to use your ATM card somewhere.
people are charging big fees and, and stuff for money orders and, we would be of course the most efficient, efficient option, cost effective option.
so being able to Remain an affordable option in order to be able to function in an ever so technologically changing world, if you will.
(24:23):
so I think that that we should just don't say the post office.
There's no need for us anymore.
Yes, there is.
And that to say there is no need for that would be putting close to a million people.
so before, you know, we think about all the ways we can, uh, sell us off to the highest bidder pieceby piece, let's try to figure out ways to, to figure out how we, we evolve and everybody gets fed.
(24:53):
Could you imagine
if we were a one stop shop?
That would be so convenient for everyone, you know, instead of having to drivehere and drive there and drive there, we could just be everything in one building.
Well, both of your comments flow into a couple concluding comments I wanted to make.
One is that we now have a new initiative, from the APW that we're asking all our locals and state organizations and our members to get involved with.
(25:18):
And that is the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022.
Open up some opportunity for new...
even in some cases, what we call non postal business, and it opened up the opportunity for thePostal Service to negotiate with local, state, and tribal governments, certain government services.
(25:40):
So some of what you were talking about, such as DMV, could be done right through the Post Officeif we could convince the states to do that, and if we could convince Postal Management to do it.
So we want to take the initiative.
Call it the rank and file initiative of our members who know people throughout the country on city councils and schoolboards and state house and state senates and governor's offices and mayor's offices to seek out those people that they know.
(26:07):
Maybe we supported them in a campaign.
Maybe we had a yard sign.
Maybe they're one of the teachers we had when we were still in high school.
Whoever they are, we know them.
And if we become the ambassadors for new ideas, and what do you think about this and that, then think about what the world could be.
Because we're going through a lot of changes that are affecting postal work.
(26:28):
And we really need to broaden What the post office does for the people of this country, many posts aroundthe world have much broader services than we do, particularly in financial services, but many others.
I, I was sent by the union to an international conference in Ireland and went into the main post office and they were selling phones, they wereselling money orders, they were having, some return for e commerce, whatever it was, and stamps, but it was the whole one stop as Tracy put it.
(27:02):
So all of you who are listening, get involved with it.
You can play a role in your own future and the future of those that follow it.
We'll have a saying that the union really doesn't work the best it can be if our members treat it as a spectator sport.
Membership is critical.
That's what enables us to do all that we do.
(27:23):
Whether it's health and safety during a pandemic, whether it's collective bargaining, whether it's protection of our COLA,all sorts of things, but the more people we have on the field building up the APWU team, the stronger we're going to be.
So let's not leave it just as a spectator sport.
(27:44):
And the last thing I want to leave with you good listeners, on this podcast is we are also in the process of opening a APWU Leadership Institute.
This is a deep training program, largely geared towards future leaders, but also currentleaders, because we're all in this together and we can all learn from each other.
(28:07):
I encourage you, if you're interested, to go to apw.
org backslash institute.
It's an application process.
Every member has a right to apply.
It's going to start small.
It's going to start with baby steps.
I'm sure we'll make some mistakes along the way.
But we have a responsibility as the national, leadership of the American Postal Workers Union to invest in the future and the present.
(28:33):
And so this Leadership Institute, is an effort at that.
You, again, you can go to our website.
It's also in the, latest magazine of the, APW.
and we encourage you, and if you're not interested, maybe you know people that might be.
Hey, I think you'd be a great...
asset to the American Postal Workers Union and our labor movement.
(28:55):
So again, it's, it's deep training.
It's not, it's, it's not just about day to day battles, but it's going to be about how to build our union, how toinvolve people in the union, and also digging deep into issues that affect working people, like our tax structure.
Who does it work for?
The question of Question of the threats to postal privatization that Courtneywas talking about where it could be broken up and sold to the highest bidder.
(29:20):
And how do you fight it?
How do you build community alliances?
how do you deal with our legislators and our political reps the best possible way?
How do you talk to the media?
A whole gamut.
it's a three week program.
One week at a time.
three separate weeks.
But then there's going to be follow up.
So we're very excited about this.
(29:40):
Start small, we'll grow in the future, and it will definitely, definitely, over the long haul, strengthenour union because it's always going to be a struggle, it's always going to be the bosses versus the workers,
it's always going to be them versus us, and we've got to be steeled, we've got to be ready, and guess what?
The APWU, we have a slogan, Union Strong, all day long, we've got some new challenges,we'll be talking about those in future podcasts, but together, we're stronger.
(30:09):
We're going to see this through.
We're going to fight forward to make sure we have a thriving vibrant public postal service for generations to come, and I'mconfident with young leaders like Tracy and Courtney, that's really going to put the APWU in the strongest position going forward.
(30:29):
Tracy and Courtney, both, thanks so much for participating in the podcast.
Thank you very much for
inviting me to do it.
It was a pleasure.
So again, good listeners, thanks so much.
Be well out there.
Keep serving the people of the country the best we can, even though management often stands in our way.
And we will talk to you next time.
(30:50):
Take care everybody.
Solidarity forever.
you can download the podcast on all streaming services, including YouTube, apple podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts regularly.
Union greetings, APWU family.
This is APWU President Mark Dimondstein, and welcome to the APWU podcast, "Communicating With You, The Member".
Remember, you can reach our podcast through any of the platforms, including Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and of course, on the APWU website.
apwu.org you can also find a podcast by searching APWU Podcast.
(00:35):
So again, welcome one and all.
I hope this podcast finds you well and in good spirits in the struggle.
We're gonna have a really interesting interview today with some of our young member leaders, but I wanna share a few thoughts with you.
First one, we're recording this podcast at a time, where there's a historic.
strike going on, with our autoworker, union family of the UAW against what we call the big three, GM, Ford, and Stellantis, which used to be Chrysler.
(01:04):
And, it's an interesting history, and this strike is very important for all working people and very important for postal workers and the APWU.
In 2008, with the financial crisis that was caused by Wall Street, The auto companies were in deep trouble and they were bailed out by the government.
And in that bailout, the government took a lot out of the workers (01:23):
benefits, wages, they lost their COLA.
New hires lost retirement benefits.
They have a deep two tiered divisive system where new workers were making 40 percent less money.
But guess what?
They were promised by the auto companies that if the workers help them getback on their feet, the auto companies will make the workers whole later on.
(01:52):
But the corporations took their profits, 250 billion in the last 10 years, andpoured it into Wall Street, And did not return the benefits to the workers.
This historic strike now, under new, more militant UAW leadership, is trying to get back what the workers gave up.
They're fighting to have their COLA returned.
(02:15):
They're fighting to end the two tier wage structure.
They're fighting for real, defined benefit retirement, the kind of retirements we have as career postal workers.
They're fighting for a shorter work week, with no loss of pay, to deal with allthe automation, to deal with all this artificial intelligence coming down the pike.
(02:37):
So their fight is really our fight, and the UAW leadership has framed their fightas not just a fight for autoworkers, but a fight for the entire working class.
So we urge all of you, join a UAW picket line if it's near you.
If you don't have a picket line near you, you can sign a petition.
(02:58):
In behalf of the auto workers who are out on the front lines, you can ask your family and friends to join in signing that petition.
You can get to that petition on the UAW website or the APW.
org website.
Solidarity is what helps us win.
(03:18):
the auto workers win, and when they win, guess what?
Postal workers will win.
It will help us at our bargaining table.
We go into bargaining next year.
For our main, collective bargaining agreement with the Postal Service.
So this is an exciting time with workers on the move and the auto workers are not the only workers on the move.
(03:39):
Healthcare workers in California just engaged in a victorious three day strike and won better staffing and better wages.
Hotel workers in Las Vegas.
Have voted to authorize a strike with a 96 percent strike vote behind their just demand and slogans that one job should be enough and we all agree.
(04:01):
And 160, 000 SAG AFTRA members, TV, radio, film workers.
on strike for over 100 days now in defense of their job security.
A strike.
We should definitely be out there supporting in every way that we can.
(04:23):
I also wanted to share a few quick thoughts on the management network modernization plan that, of course, is on the minds of many postal workers and.
And should be we're going to have a more thorough podcast on this plan and on the coming months, but I just wanted to give this a quick update.
(04:44):
So the plan is still in its early stages and management is certainly aggressively.
proceeding with these plants and currently there are three of that are atleast partially up and at least nine more scheduled to open in the next year.
And these are these very large, processing plants with large automated processing equipment in them.
(05:05):
And then there's also approximately 24 sorting and delivery centers.
these are large carrier and delivery units that are now open and dozens moreplanned for 2024, but over the long haul, they're talking about hundreds more.
So these network changes will certainly touch, many, many postal workers all throughout the country.
(05:25):
And in most of our the country.
local unions.
So management's building, new buildings, centralizing some processing, installingnew automated package, sortation equipment, but they must do all of this.
under the conditions and in accordance with our union contract.
and of course, our role as a union, one of our main roles now and goals is to limit the negativeimpact on the employees and make sure that these plans don't slow down mail, but rather, speed up mail.
(05:55):
So we've taken a number of steps that I'll summarize for you.
very quickly.
Part of our job security provisions of our contract.
Is article 12, which says when there's accessing and management is moving employees from one place to another.
they have to hold jobs that come open.
Those jobs are called residual vacancies.
(06:15):
Management is not doing that.
And they're not doing it properly, and we have filed a major national levelgrievance challenging, these actions where they're failing to properly withhold jobs.
Uh, so this is very important for, all postal workers that may be impacted, and we're seeking to expedite this grievance so it can be heard quickly.
(06:37):
and we're also contemplating and speaking to our legal team about whether we can, File some court actions.
We're not sure yet, but whether we can file some court actions to get an injunction against some of these management, um, actions.
We've also filed an unfair labor practice with the National Labor Relations Board on this very same, issue.
(06:58):
there are a number of other things that we're working on.
We have filed a different unfair labor practice because management has not been forthcoming with information that the union has.
Requested that unfair labor practice is already bearing some fruit as more information, is, is, is now forthcoming from management.
But that information is critical, not just for us at the national level to address,but that way we can keep all of you better informed if we have the information.
(07:25):
so again, there's a number of actions.
Your regional coordinators, there are five of them in the country.
they deal with the impact statements that management puts out Your coordinatorsare hard at work, often, often getting these impact statements largely reduced.
Sometimes Totally eliminated.
so again, your national leaders are hard at work.
(07:47):
We're going to continue to pay close attention to all of these fights.
and as we previously reported, in our magazine and our website, we've also reached some agreements with management, that aregoing to help ensure that the retail units and box section units are going to they open for the public, even when management
(08:07):
moves out carriers into more centralized operations and what they're calling again, these SNDCs, sorting and, delivery centers.
So that's, that's the quick update.
we face many challenges with changes like this in the past.
We're facing them in the present, and I'm sure we'll face them in the future.
but the APWU's union strong all day long.
(08:30):
We're going to continue to do the best we can to protect our work, to protect our jobs, and to protect the service to the American people.
So with that, again, we'll have more information forthcoming in future podcasts.
as this, network modernization plan, as management calls it, becomes more, in focus and takes more hold.
Around the country.
(08:51):
So with that, I want to move on to our exciting interview with some of our young member, leaders.
So let me welcome Courtney Agee and Tracy Mullenix, who are young postal workers and young leaders.
Of the young members committee.
Welcome to both of you.
And let me start with Courtney.
Courtney.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
(09:13):
Hi, everyone.
I am Courtney Agee and I'm 32 years old and I come from Birmingham, Alabama, arealocal 303 where I am the editor and I have been a postal worker for 12 years now.
I am a clerk.
and I'm currently a customer service and distribution clerk.
Great.
And how about you, Tracy?
Why don't you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what the kind of work you do and how long you've been at the post office?
(09:39):
My name is Tracy Mullinex.
I'm from the Clarksburg area local in West Virginia and I'm the vice presidentI work as a PTF and I've been with the postal service for almost eight years.
Well, thank you both.
And great to be here.
Welcome.
And thanks again for joining us.
So, why don't we start with Tracy for the next question, and tell us how and why you first got involved with the union, with the APWU.
(10:04):
Well, I first learned about the union from our president who took the time to meet with me and explain to me what the union was all about.
I was a PSC and a little four hour RMPO and I had been a postal employee for about.
Five years before I knew what the union was.
So whenever she came to meet me and she had told me what it was about, she asked me to join.
And after hearing about the benefits and the protections that the membership had offered, I decided to join.
(10:30):
And soon after that, I had an issue with management and I needed to understand my rights as an employee.
And this experience motivated me to get more involved with the union.
And when my president recognized my leadership potential, she asked me to be a steward.
And I'm glad that she did.
So probably six months after I was a steward, I was promoted to an area steward.
I became increasingly interested in being active and engaged.
(10:53):
And over time, my dedication and commitment was recognized, and that's how I became the vice president.
Great.
So Courtney, and how about you?
how and why did you first get involved with the American Postal Workers Union?
Well, I have come a long way, let me start by saying that.
But, I've always been a little bit of a troublemaker.
And I would like to consider myself a good troublemaker.
(11:14):
But, I experienced a lot of injustice as my time is with my time as a PSE.
I remember being written up for delay of mail after I was sent to lunch one day and wasoff the clock and I got the responsibility of the mail being late and out of sequence.
I remember being sent home for a period of time due to my choice of color and lip gloss that night at work.
(11:40):
Just a lot of little different picky, petty things.
and I just got to a point where.
the discipline that built up and built up and so to my frustration and my secretary treasurer, who is still mysecretary treasurer at this time, really encouraged me to get involved in the various conventions and things and they
went to a state convention and when she got home, she called me to tell me, you're going to Orlando with the union.
(12:05):
You got the most votes.
to go as a young member and they want to start building up some of the younger people within our local union because a lot of usare getting ready to get out of here and so we want to make sure that we've got some people in place that are ready to take over.
At the time, I did not know that I would fall in love head over heels with it and I didn't know that it wouldinterest me in the way that it has, but it truly has become one of my greatest passions as an adult these days.
(12:34):
Great.
And let me follow up with this.
So what has the APWU and the union contract that we have and the rights and benefitsthat have been forged over many years, what has that meant to you and your lives?
Tracy, let's start with you and then we'll go to Courtney.
Well, becoming a union member and learning about everything the past few years have really given me passion for helping other people and and, youknow, making sure that people are taken care of that are constantly being abused by postmasters and supervisors and people don't know their rights.
(13:12):
And we're here to tell them what their rights are.
And just just that.
I mean, I just love to help people.
So that's why I love this job.
And what has it meant to you, Courtney, at least in some aspects?
the union has honestly been survival for me.
and being a troublemaker, you have to go through some consequences for the choices that you make out here.
(13:34):
and, you have to also come to a point where you have to find the accountability and where you were.
But the union is always there to enforce all of that contract.
And, even when you do, you you sit through your consequences and you take your time off and you eat those L's.
You also, especially if the removal was done wrong, you were able to kind of make up fora lot of that lost time, so to speak, and, and kind of get your bearings and things again.
(14:02):
the biggest thing out of it is that with each.
Dealing I have with the union.
there's a lesson on the other side of it.
And still 12 years, 12 years in, I learned something every single day in regards to this organization.
So we just, as as APWU members, we just received the union-won COLA about twoweeks ago, another 48 cents on the hour, or 998 a year for a full time regular.
(14:33):
And that was that brought our four colas under our latest union agreement fromSeptember 2021 to 4, 971 and here we are in this period of high inflation.
We call it greed inflation because the companies are raking in massive and record profits and the workers are being, askedand forced to pay more for gas, to pay more for housing, to pay more for, Putting food on the table, harder by cars and homes.
(15:03):
What is the cola meant to you in your lives?
Courtney,
I guess I'll share some positive news.
I finally I'm going to qualify for a house.
And it's specifically because of the last cola raise that we had.
It got me in a position for the numbers to line up and with as little out of pocketon my end, I'm very, very soon going to walk into a house that is mine all by myself.
(15:32):
And that means so much.
If any of you guys know my story at all, you have to know what
that means for me.
Well, that's an important story for anybody.
So, Tracy, how about you?
Well, I'm a mother of two Children and I'm a single mother of two Children.
So every call that we get, I'm like, Yeah, more money because I live pretty much paycheckto paycheck So and how inflation is right now, I don't know how anybody is making it.
(15:57):
And that's why I'm very thankful for the union
getting us our COLAs.
Yeah, one interesting side story on the COLA.
I mentioned earlier that the auto workers are out on strike trying to reclaim a COLA that was given up and lost 14 or 15 years ago.
And we ran the numbers on what it would have been if postal workers had lost our COLA in 2008.
(16:20):
And for a full time regular employee...
We would be making $14,000 less a year than we do now without our union.
One union negotiated call.
So I'm sure it aggravates you, two young activists and leaders as it does me when somebody says, why should I join a union?
What have they done for me lately?
Right.
(16:41):
but it's a, so when you see the u a w and the auto workers out there on the picket lines, you know, they're fighting forsomething that we've had, we have fought to keep, by the way, Arcola was won in the Great Postal Strike in 1970 when our
forefathers and foremothers walked out, stormed the heavens, engaged in an unlawful strike, but enough was enough, and guess what?
(17:02):
They won, and we won, because they won.
We meaning those who have, followed.
Oh, and by the way, one other thing I want to mention about COLA, because our hardworking PSEs, and you were both PSEs once, our non career employees, happened in 2010.
it is what it is, it's, it's a problem, it's divisive, we have tried to build on it to improve the lots of our PSEs, but they do not get COLAright now, they get bigger pay raises because they don't get COLA, but it's truthfully not enough to make up for what's happened in inflation.
(17:33):
But I want all our hardworking PSEs who might be listening, that while the COLA is deferred,when you make careers, You will get that call of then because it's built into the pay scale.
So that 4, 971 when you make career will be waiting for you in that career pay scale.
And of course, for the full time regulars, we know it's that much a year for the P.
(17:55):
T.
F.
Tracy mentioned she's a P.
T.
F.
It's an hourly increase in the four callers thus far in our contract with two more left to go has been about 2.
40 more increase.
for our, our PTF career members, so far, and that's in addition to our pay raises and our step increases.
So , let me ask you both what is your message for the coworkers who are listening around the country, about how they might be able to help?
(18:24):
build a union
Why is it so important for people around the country?
To be involved with the union, whether they come to a union meeting or whether they join an informationalpicket or whether they join an autoworker picket line in solidarity, or whether they come help out with a
union picnic or whatever it is, Courtney, what, what is your message for the, our, uh, APWU family out there?
(18:47):
um, we need all hands on deck.
Everybody needs to expect a certain level of standard when it comes to this career and when it comes to those who are working this career.
And like I said, it's going to take everybody who has a role in mail to pull it off.
mail's a constitutional right.
(19:08):
And without our union, we see rights get trampled on all the time.
And we see rights get taken away all the time.
And I genuinely believe that this career and this union should be around for generations and generations to come.
It has afforded so many people So many opportunities, and I don't think we all want to know what a world without those opportunities look like.
(19:35):
But I'm willing to reach my hands across all boards to let everyone know that we can all worktogether to make sure that we all get the postal service out of this 2030 40 plus years from now.
And
Tracy, how about you?
What would your message be to the APWU listener about why they should be involved or more involved with the with their union?
(20:00):
We need to have the more seasoned people get our young workers more involved with the union.
First of all, we're not seeing enough of our young workers involved with the union and we need to make sure that our union lives on.
So I would Invite them to do more things to build relationships with them.
So they have mentors that they can learn from.
(20:24):
I would advise them to explore different committees or working groups within the union or their local that align with their interests.
And by actively participating in these groups, they can contribute and learn from experienced members.
my last question will be, How do you, how do you relate to and, and feel about, about the public mission of the post office?
(20:47):
There are many powers that be that says, you know, the post office is no longer needed in the lives of the people of the country.
other people can do this.
Mail is changing.
Letter mail is less because of diversion onto the internet.
We can pay our bills online if we want to.
Packages are rising, but there are other package companies.
why do the people of this country need, a vibrant public postal service, going forward?
(21:12):
And how do you see your role and our role as postal workers in that?
Why don't we start with Tracy?
I
feel like we are important because we are not a corporate so we're always going to be here as long as the government's here.
With corporate, they can shut down any time, so if you need something being sent to you, you can dependon the postal service to get it to you, but you can't depend on other companies to get it to you,
(21:38):
.And, and if I can follow up, Tracy, you're from a rural state, very rural state, and it's one of the most rural states, if not the most rural state in the country.
So how did the, how do your customers, what kind of things do your customers rely on the post office for?
A lot of our customers rely on the postal service for their medicine, their social securitychecks, because a lot of our residents are elderly and we don't have a UPS drop off.
(22:06):
we don't have Amazon delivery.
We don't have FedEx drop offs or pickups or stores or anything like that.
It's only the post office in most of our state.
and a lot of the elderly people can't get out to get their medicines or their checks or theirmail or their groceries so most of our residents rely on the Postal Service for a lot of things.
(22:27):
And do you also think, before I ask Courtney to weigh in, that there's a lotmore things the Post Office can be doing for the customers of this country?
Absolutely.
Like, for me to get my driver's license renewed, I have to drive an hour I have to drive an hour to get a passport.
I have to...
(22:48):
Do anything with the DMV.
It's an hour away.
my bank, whenever I lived where I lived before, I live in town now, but whenever I lived out of town, I had to drive 45 minutes to get to my, my bank.
But my post office was right there where I lived.
And if we did postal banking, I could have just went there, you know, or if we, if I needed to get my driver's license renewed or my registration.
(23:15):
or anything like that.
I could just go to the post office,
So I feel like the post office should do more of those
things.
And Courtney, how about how do you feel about the mission of the Postal Service?
How how we serve the people of the country?
Some new things maybe we could do and how you fit into that mission.
How do you feel about the mission?
Tracy
actually spoke very Well, on what I was going to touch on.
(23:38):
There's a big message.
Everybody should understand the post office was never for profit company.
We make what it costs to keep us going.
So, if we can start to bring you guys some of the options that you guys need to have basicfunctionality in the world, we would be able to bring it to you at a much more efficient option.
(23:59):
you might not have to spend an arm or a leg just to use your ATM card somewhere.
people are charging big fees and, and stuff for money orders and, we would be of course the most efficient, efficient option, cost effective option.
so being able to Remain an affordable option in order to be able to function in an ever so technologically changing world, if you will.
(24:23):
so I think that that we should just don't say the post office.
There's no need for us anymore.
Yes, there is.
And that to say there is no need for that would be putting close to a million people.
so before, you know, we think about all the ways we can, uh, sell us off to the highest bidder pieceby piece, let's try to figure out ways to, to figure out how we, we evolve and everybody gets fed.
(24:53):
Could you imagine
if we were a one stop shop?
That would be so convenient for everyone, you know, instead of having to drivehere and drive there and drive there, we could just be everything in one building.
Well, both of your comments flow into a couple concluding comments I wanted to make.
One is that we now have a new initiative, from the APW that we're asking all our locals and state organizations and our members to get involved with.
(25:18):
And that is the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022.
Open up some opportunity for new...
even in some cases, what we call non postal business, and it opened up the opportunity for thePostal Service to negotiate with local, state, and tribal governments, certain government services.
(25:40):
So some of what you were talking about, such as DMV, could be done right through the Post Officeif we could convince the states to do that, and if we could convince Postal Management to do it.
So we want to take the initiative.
Call it the rank and file initiative of our members who know people throughout the country on city councils and schoolboards and state house and state senates and governor's offices and mayor's offices to seek out those people that they know.
(26:07):
Maybe we supported them in a campaign.
Maybe we had a yard sign.
Maybe they're one of the teachers we had when we were still in high school.
Whoever they are, we know them.
And if we become the ambassadors for new ideas, and what do you think about this and that, then think about what the world could be.
Because we're going through a lot of changes that are affecting postal work.
(26:28):
And we really need to broaden What the post office does for the people of this country, many posts aroundthe world have much broader services than we do, particularly in financial services, but many others.
I, I was sent by the union to an international conference in Ireland and went into the main post office and they were selling phones, they wereselling money orders, they were having, some return for e commerce, whatever it was, and stamps, but it was the whole one stop as Tracy put it.
(27:02):
So all of you who are listening, get involved with it.
You can play a role in your own future and the future of those that follow it.
We'll have a saying that the union really doesn't work the best it can be if our members treat it as a spectator sport.
Membership is critical.
That's what enables us to do all that we do.
(27:23):
Whether it's health and safety during a pandemic, whether it's collective bargaining, whether it's protection of our COLA,all sorts of things, but the more people we have on the field building up the APWU team, the stronger we're going to be.
So let's not leave it just as a spectator sport.
(27:44):
And the last thing I want to leave with you good listeners, on this podcast is we are also in the process of opening a APWU Leadership Institute.
This is a deep training program, largely geared towards future leaders, but also currentleaders, because we're all in this together and we can all learn from each other.
(28:07):
I encourage you, if you're interested, to go to apw.
org backslash institute.
It's an application process.
Every member has a right to apply.
It's going to start small.
It's going to start with baby steps.
I'm sure we'll make some mistakes along the way.
But we have a responsibility as the national, leadership of the American Postal Workers Union to invest in the future and the present.
(28:33):
And so this Leadership Institute, is an effort at that.
You, again, you can go to our website.
It's also in the, latest magazine of the, APW.
and we encourage you, and if you're not interested, maybe you know people that might be.
Hey, I think you'd be a great...
asset to the American Postal Workers Union and our labor movement.
(28:55):
So again, it's, it's deep training.
It's not, it's, it's not just about day to day battles, but it's going to be about how to build our union, how toinvolve people in the union, and also digging deep into issues that affect working people, like our tax structure.
Who does it work for?
The question of Question of the threats to postal privatization that Courtneywas talking about where it could be broken up and sold to the highest bidder.
(29:20):
And how do you fight it?
How do you build community alliances?
how do you deal with our legislators and our political reps the best possible way?
How do you talk to the media?
A whole gamut.
it's a three week program.
One week at a time.
three separate weeks.
But then there's going to be follow up.
So we're very excited about this.
(29:40):
Start small, we'll grow in the future, and it will definitely, definitely, over the long haul, strengthenour union because it's always going to be a struggle, it's always going to be the bosses versus the workers,
it's always going to be them versus us, and we've got to be steeled, we've got to be ready, and guess what?
The APWU, we have a slogan, Union Strong, all day long, we've got some new challenges,we'll be talking about those in future podcasts, but together, we're stronger.
(30:09):
We're going to see this through.
We're going to fight forward to make sure we have a thriving vibrant public postal service for generations to come, and I'mconfident with young leaders like Tracy and Courtney, that's really going to put the APWU in the strongest position going forward.
(30:29):
Tracy and Courtney, both, thanks so much for participating in the podcast.
Thank you very much for
inviting me to do it.
It was a pleasure.
So again, good listeners, thanks so much.
Be well out there.
Keep serving the people of the country the best we can, even though management often stands in our way.
And we will talk to you next time.
(30:50):
Take care everybody.
Solidarity forever.
you can download the podcast on all streaming services, including YouTube, apple podcast, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts regularly.
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