(This article appeared in the September/October 2026 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine)
The APWU 28th Biennial National Convention in Los Angeles, California, provided an important opportunity to educate, communicate, and reinforce a fundamental principle of our union: Every postal worker has the right to a safe and healthy workplace.
Safety education began before the convention officially opened with the Talk Is Cheap: Safety Matters Preconvention Workshop, led by APWU National Safety Specialist Don Barron and Eastern Region Coordinator Vince Tarducci. The workshop focused on providing APWU representatives with practical safety tools and information they could take back to their locals and workplaces.
One major topic of discussion was PS Form 1767, Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition or Practice. Members learned that the 1767 is more than a form; it is one of the most important tools available to employees for formally reporting and documenting workplace hazards and initiating corrective action.
We also addressed Handbook EL-809 and Joint Labor- Management Safety and Health Committee meetings. These committees provide an important forum for identifying hazards, reviewing accidents and injuries, discussing corrective actions, and holding management accountable.
Another focus was the APWU Safety Checklist, introduced to members nationwide during the APWU’s February safety-focused livestream. It included a question-and-answer session about the checklist, which gives members and local leaders a practical way to check whether basic safety requirements are being followed in their facilities.
Safety education continued throughout the convention at the APWU Climate Justice Forum, which explored the relationship between climate and worker safety. Extreme heat, severe weather, air quality concerns, and other environmental conditions can directly affect postal workers, showing why climate issues must also be viewed through the lens of workplace safety and health.
Another convention highlight was the Industrial Relations Department’s dedicated safety booth, staffed by Don Barron, where hundreds of members visited to seek information, ask questions, and discuss safety concerns affecting workplaces across the country.
The dedicated safety booth ensured workplace safety and health remained visible throughout the convention and gave members direct access to information and assistance.
The booth provided safety information, and staff answered questions on numerous subjects, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), automated external defibrillators (AEDs), CPR, first aid, asbestos, mold, heat stress, harassment, hostile work environments, and other workplace concerns. Members also learned about the APWU Regional Safety and Health Representatives, who they are, and how to contact them for assistance.
Many members wanted to learn more about workplace safety. The hundreds of conversations at the Safety Booth reinforced an important message: Safety education creates safety involvement, and safety involvement can save lives.
Our objective remains the same — to prevent injuries
and illnesses before they occur. Management may say
safety is its highest priority, but words alone do not
protect workers. Report it. Pursue it. Don’t tolerate
it. Because when it comes to protecting postal workers,
Talk Is Cheap. Safety Matters. ■