If You Didn’t Get a Ballot...

Ballots for the ratification of the tentative 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement were mailed to eligible members April 8-11, and must be received in designated return post office box in New York by 9 a.m. on May 10. The vote count will begin May 11.

If you have not received a ballot by Monday, April 18, contact the American Arbitration Association by phone at 800-529-5218 to request a duplicate, or by e-mail to apwu@adr.org.You will be asked to provide your name, the last four digits of your Social Security number, your craft, and your mailing address. (In addition, if your ballot is damaged or if the return envelope lacks the postage-paid designation, please request a duplicate.)

APWU President Cliff Guffey encouraged all members to vote on the Tentative Agreement. “It is crucial that APWU members exercise their right to vote on the tentative collective bargaining agreement,” Guffey said. “The provisions of the contract will have a profound effect on our members’ lives and livelihoods."

The single-question ballot allows members to vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on a contract, which, if ratified, would expire on May 20, 2015.

In addition to a ballot, the ratification mailing includes a copy of the Tentative Agreement [PDF]; a summary of highlights of the proposed agreement [PDF]; the official statement of the Rank-and-File Bargaining Advisory Committee; a letter from President Guffey; and a postage-paid return envelope.

The Tentative Agreement and a summary of contractual provisions also can be found at www.apwu.org, and in the April-June issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.

“This is a strong agreement that was unanimously endorsed by both the Rank-and-File Committee and the National Executive Board,” Guffey said. “Now it’s in your hands. I urge every member to vote.”

The Rank-and-File Committee will supervise the vote count, which will take place on May 11. Results will be posted at www.apwu.org as soon as they become available.

Mailing to Non-Members

As part of the union’s organizing campaign, the APWU sent a ratification packet to workers represented by the union who are not members, inviting them to cast a ballot. Their votes will only be counted if they complete union sign-up cards, which are enclosed in the mailing.

Get Out the Vote!

To encourage participation in the contract ratification process, the national union will reward the locals that are most successful in mobilizing members to vote. To be eligible, locals must reach a voter participation level of at least 50 percent.

The top three locals in each of several categories will receive monetary compensation to be used on behalf of local members. The prizes will be awarded as follows:

If more than three locals in any category generate 100 percent participation, all “100 percent” locals will receive awards.