(This article appeared in the November/December 2025 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine)
First, I want to thank the members of the APWU Northeast Region for your continued support and confidence in me during the 2025 APWU Election of National Officers, which allowed me to continue representing you as your Northeast Region Coordinator. It is an honor and a privilege that I don’t take lightly, and I look forward to continuing our work together.
Happy Holidays
The holiday season will be upon us, and the Northeast Region national officers, administrative staff, and I wish all the members and retirees of the APWU and your families a happy, healthy, and joyous holiday season.
The Future
For a long time, I have been concerned about the fate of our union, its existence, and its future relevance, but my fears are starting to diminish.
At the 2025 APWU All-Craft Conference in Las Vegas, NV, I attended the Young Members’ Conference, where I saw and met the future leaders of the APWU. They are bright, fierce, and confident.
Shanice Edwards, president of the Virgin Islands Area Local, and Alison Dumouchel, vice president of the Central Massachusetts Area Local, are the representatives for the Northeast Region. Shanice introduced APWU President Mark Dimondstein for his final speech at the Young Members’ Conference, and Ali delivered an exceptional presentation on the Postal Service, our political role, its impact on the union, and more. Shanice and Ali represented the Northeast Region well. We are very proud of them.
The Young Members’ Committee created the program and chaired the conference. It was clear to me that they understood the importance of a strong union and their role in it. They talked about creative ways to engage new employees and why our union must be active in politics. It made me proud to witness the future in action.
Fight for Our Rights
Our freedoms and rights are under attack. No matter what your political affiliation. There is no denying it. If you are not part of the 1%, these regressive and aggressive policies and laws will affect you, whether you believe it or not. If not personally, I bet you or someone in your family knows someone who is impacted.
My last article was about why unions should be involved in politics. I hope that, with everything happening in the world today, members have had a change of heart and understand that everything is interconnected. We must come together and fight together, because as Frederick Douglass said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will.”
Roger Baldwin, the co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said, “Silence never won rights. They are not handed down from above – they’re forced from the pressures below.”
That is how progress was made in this country. The people demanded their rights and were willing to fight for them. What are you willing to do? Lastly, this article is being published after President Dimondstein’s retirement from the APWU, but I want to say that he has always been an advocate for the people, rising up against those who wanted to maintain power and control over the least of these. I know he will still be in the streets in the struggle. On behalf of the Northeast Region, thank you, President Dimondstein, for 12 years of leadership. ■
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