Statement to APWU Members from President Mark Dimondstein

Sisters and Brothers,

The security breach in the Postal Service’s data systems that compromised personal information about postal employees, including all active and some retired workers, is a very troubling matter.

Unfortunately, cybercrime is real and effective. But we are outraged that this happened. We do not know at this point whether management did everything in their power to protect our privacy, but they bear the ultimate responsibility.

While the Postal Service has been aware of the security problems for months, they kept you and your union leadership in the dark.

I received a phone call Sunday night from Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe about the incident, but it was just a “courtesy call,” not a discussion with the APWU about how to deal with the problem and its negative consequences to the workforce.  On Monday, Nov. 10, the APWU leadership received the same material you received, just minutes prior to the beginning of Stand-Up talks around the country.

The APWU is fully committed to defending the privacy rights of all our members. We have already filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board protesting the Postal Service’s failure to bargain over the impact of the security breach. We are demanding information from the USPS about the extent of the breach – both known and suspected – and what postal management knew, when they knew it, and what they did, or failed to do to protect employee information.

Along with other APWU leaders, I will be personally involved as we address these deep concerns. And we will work in concert with our sister postal unions.

We will keep you posted as more information is obtained.

In the meantime, let’s not allow this to distract us from our important mobilization this Friday, Nov. 14, for our National Day of Action to send a message to the PMG: “Stop Delaying America’s Mail.”