e-Team Report, Aug. 30, 2013
One Week Left to Meet With Lawmakers Before Summer Recess Ends
As August draws to a close, one week remains in Congress’ summer recess. Over the course of the recess, APWU members nationwide have taken the opportunity to meet with their congressional representatives and advocate for responsible postal reform legislation.
Responsible reforms pushed by APWU members include an end to the onerous pre-funding mandate, stopping cuts to service, and halting the closure and consolidation of mail processing facilities.
In this last week of the summer recess, opportunities still exist to meet with lawmakers, as some are holding town hall meetings before returning to Washington.
To see if your representative is holding a town over this last week of the recess, please click here.
Tell Congress: NO to Legislation that Enable Cuts to Service!
When the House and Senate come back into session on Sept. 9, they will face some disastrous postal bills. Rep. Darrell Issa’s (R-CA) deeply disturbing bill (H.R. 2748) has cleared the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the fatally flawed Senate bill (S. 1486) introduced by Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) awaits consideration by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
APWU strongly opposes H.R. 2748 and S. 1486 as both bills would further degrade the service relied upon by postal customers and businesses nationwide and severely punish postal workers.
To send a letter or electronic message to your members of Congress voicing opposition to these postal bills, please click here.
Spreading our Message Far and Wide
One of the best ways to set the record straight and to engage the public in our efforts to demand congressional action is to spread the message ourselves. That is exactly what John Flattery, president of Central MA Area Local, did in response to an article written by columnist Gail Collins.
“If Congress does nothing else this year they must get rid of this ill-conceived pre-funding requirement and move forward with sensible postal reform. But a rush to cut services and slow down the mail is not the sensible way for the Postal Service to survive” he wrote.
“Right now, the consolidation of the nation's mail-processing network is causing mail to be delayed every day of the week, and as little as 25 percent of first-class mail is delivered overnight. If the Postal Service follows through with their present plan, by early 2014 roughly two-thirds of the mail that used to be delivered overnight will take two, three or more days to reach its destination.”
Thank you for taking the time to spread the word in your community! To read John’s well -reasoned response, click here.
Labor Day…A Time to Pay Tribute, A Day of Opportunity
Labor Day is a time to honor the great sacrifices of workers before us who fought long and hard for workplace fairness, an end to child labor, safety in the workplace, dignity for workers and the many other accomplishments won through sweat and tears.
Labor Day was created to pay tribute to the social and economic contributions made by working people. We wish all working people a Happy Labor Day and a continued path to a better tomorrow!
“Labor Day 2013 is special,” writes Thomas E. Perez, U.S. Secretary of Labor. “This year marks the centennial of the U.S. Department of Labor - 100 years of working for America's workers. And this past week, our nation reaffirmed the ideals of the 1963 March on Washington. This transformational event, exactly 50 years ago, was just as much about labor rights as it was about civil rights.
“For me, just like so many others then and now, these two movements are inextricably intertwined, their interests converging time and time again, their goals united in creating opportunity for all” he says.
“People who work full-time in America should not have to live in poverty - simple as that. Too many jobs don't pay enough to get by, let alone get ahead. Too many people are finding the rungs on the ladder of opportunity further and further apart. Workers around the country are bravely raising their collective voice and taking action to demand fair wages. We need to hear these voices. They are acting in the proud tradition of the marchers 50 years ago who took action for justice and dignity.”
To read the article, A Labor Day of Opportunity, please click here.
50th Years Later, March on Washington Commemorated in Nation’s Capital
On the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech at the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, tens of thousands gathered to celebrate and commemorate the occasion. President Obama, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), and former Presidents Clinton and Carter reflected on the progress made since King’s address on Aug. 28, 1963, of the dreams yet unfilled, and the work still to be done.
Looking forward, President Obama noted, “We’ll have to reignite the embers of empathy and fellow feeling, the coalition of conscience that found expression in this place 50 years ago.”
To read coverage of the anniversary events, please click here.