Join President Dimondstein in APWU Live with the President Events!

(This article first appeared in the March/April 2021 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine)

Starting in 2021, President Mark Dimondstein launched APWU Live with the President, a regular virtual event for members to learn about the status of different APWU national actions and ask questions about important issues.

Each session begins with President Dimondstein providing the latest news and updates, before taking questions from members. Each stream can be viewed live on the APWU’s Facebook or Twitter pages, as well as on apwu.org. President Dimondstein answers questions directly from the Facebook comments during the event.

Members can go to the live webpage to submit questions in advance. Members unable to watch live can always view the stream afterwards at apwu.org/live.

On the January livestream, President Dimondstein discussed the APWU’s eventful 2020, including our efforts to Save the Post Office, our involvement in Labor 2020, and the increased staffing and conversion of over 5,000 PSEs to career positions. He discussed the APWU’s ongoing health and safety efforts during the pandemic, our campaign to expand services, and the upcoming contract negotiations. President Dimondstein answered questions on hazard pay, postal banking, conversions, and COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.

As this issue goes to press, the next APWU Live with the President is scheduled for February 25. President Dimondstein plans to continue the discussion on the upcoming opening of contract negotiations, our push for full vaccine access for postal workers as part of a national vaccination plan, the delivery of our petition for President Biden to fill the USPS Board of Governors, and the USPS Fairness Act’s reintroduction in Congress. All members are encouraged to sign up and participate.

Information on the dates of the next events will be published on apwu.org and in News Service Bulletins. To sign up and for more information, go to apwu.org/live.

APWU Signs onto THRIVE Agenda to Address Systemic Inequality and Racism

In February, the APWU signed onto a letter to President Biden, encouraging him to incorporate the “Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy” (THRIVE) Agenda in the development of the administration’s Economic Recovery Plan. The letter, also signed by fellow unions Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), urges the Biden administration to adopt the THRIVE principles in drafting its own economic plan.

The THRIVE Agenda’s goal is building a “new economy to address the inequality and racism the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare.” It is based on eight pillars:

• Creating millions of good, safe jobs with access to unions,
• Building the power of workers to fight inequality,
• Investing in Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities,
• Strengthening and healing the nation-to-nation relationship with sovereign Native Nations,
• Combating environmental injustice and ensuring healthy lives for all,
• Averting climate and environmental catastrophe,
• Ensuring fairness for workers and communities affected by economic transitions,
• Reinvesting in public institutions that enable workers and communities to thrive.

As the Biden administration formulates its economic plan, APWU members are encouraged to join the Green New Deal Network in writing to President Biden to encourage the adoption of the full THRIVE Agenda in any final proposal.

The full THRIVE Agenda is available to read on thriveagenda.com/agenda. To write to President Biden, go to greennewdealnetwork.org/write-to-biden.