The Struggle Always Continues
March 24, 2025As the dust settles on the start of the 119th
Congress, your Legislative and Political Department
is hard at work fostering relationships with the new and
returning members of Congress.
magazineLegislative and PoliticalJudy Beard
As the dust settles on the start of the 119th Congress, your Legislative and Political Department is hard at work fostering relationships with the new and returning members of Congress. While there are many issues we track, and legislative priorities we advocate for, it is first important to note specific attacks on postal workers.
Potential Attacks on Postal Workers
There are several proposals for federal cost-savings that the APWU is firmly against, some of which were discussed during President Trump’s first term, including:
Raising the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) contribution rate;
Reducing or fully eliminating cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs);
Eliminating FERS supplemental retirement payments;
Reducing annuity calculations, basing it on the highest five years of pay (High-5) instead of the highest three (High-3);
Increasing Federal Employees Health Bene ts (FEHB) contributions.
We will continue to carefully watch for potential attacks on the hard-earned benefits of APWU members and retirees during the upcoming congressional budget process.
Recent Executive Actions
Two executive actions taken in January impact our fellow federal workers. First, a hiring freeze was placed on federal civilian employees, with limited exceptions. The executive action goes on to request a formal plan to reduce the size of the federal workforce. Second, President Trump reinstated Executive Order 13957 from Oct. 2020, which created Schedule F – now renamed Schedule Policy/Career. This is a reclassification of federal employees with “policy-influencing positions” as political appointees. In short, Schedule Policy/Career allows the president to appoint his supporters to key government positions, while removing qualified, merit-based hires.
While these two actions do not directly impact postal workers, we must pay close attention to any changes to the federal workforce and be prepared, when called upon, to help our federal union siblings fight back.
The Department of Government Efficiency
The newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was created by an executive order signed on Jan. 20, 2025. Recently, lawmakers and news organizations have discussed how to make the Postal Service more “efficient.” Ideas include downsizing the entire Postal Service, embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology with robots replacing employee work, revoking the $3 billion Congress granted to the Postal Service for the new electric vehicle fleet, and replacing the current retirement plan with a defined contribution plan for new hires – drastically reducing retirement bene ts and eliminating the retirement security we have all fought to preserve. Another idea attempts to reduce the total number of career employees and have postal workers cover multiple tasks in various crafts.
Committees to Watch
There are two committees of note with jurisdiction over the Postal Service. In the Senate, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) is tasked with, in part, the responsibility to, “study the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of all agencies and departments of the federal government.” In the House, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee maintains jurisdiction over the Postal Service and will soon be tasked by Republican House leadership with finding areas of government spending to cut.
Please click here to see if your member of Congress is a member of either crucial committee. We encourage all APWU members to remain vigilant of these and any future attacks on postal workers, especially our hard-earned benefi ts. It is important that we, as postal workers and retirees, defend the work we do to serve the public. Please visit our website at apwu.org/legislative to view information about our current fi ghts and talking points for our legislative priorities.■
The Struggle Always Continues0
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Postal Workers Say, ‘Hands Off’ Our USPS in National Day of Action to Defend the Public Postal Service
March 21, 2025In a resounding show of solidarity, thousands upon thousands of postal workers and members of the community took to the streets for a National Day of Action on March 20 to say, “Hands Off Our Public Postal Service – The U.S. Mail Is Not for Sale!”
US Mail Not for SaleDay of ActionUS Mail Not For Sale – Day of Action
In a resounding show of solidarity, thousands upon thousands of postal workers and members of the community took to the streets for a National Day of Action on March 20 to say, “Hands Off Our Public Postal Service – The U.S. Mail Is Not for Sale!”
From Fairbanks, AK to Honolulu, HI, from San Juan, PR to Bangor, ME, and throughout the country – postal workers and allies took action at over 250 locations to fight for our jobs, our service, and our future.
Spending the day holding informational pickets, handing out leaflets, speaking with customers, holding press conferences and talking with the media, postal workers underscored the importance of a vibrant, public Postal Service.
Postal workers wanted to inform the public and speak about the serious and dangerous threat that postal privatization poses to our jobs and services. If the administration’s plan to sell off the USPS goes through, it will result in higher prices, reduced delivery days, and the end of universal delivery.
Postal privatization wouldn’t just mean the end of reliable, affordable services, it would also destroy more than 600,000 good union jobs. Furthermore, postal workers operate under a universal service obligation, we affordably move the mail to all 169 million addresses every day. Private delivery companies would only go where they could make a profit. That is why we spent the day speaking one on one with customers and reaching out to local media to get the word out that the U.S. Mail Is Not for Sale!
In February, the public Postal Service came under a serious and unprecedented threat by the billionaire “Wall Street” class when the Washington Post reported that the new presidential administration intended to fire the Postal Board of Governors and shift Postal Service operations to the Commerce Department, currently headed by the billionaire Howard Lutnick. They want to aggressively – and illegally – take over and dismantle the public Postal Service in a sell-off to the highest bidders for their own private gains and profits.
“We’re trying to alert the public – the people of the country – that our postal services are truly in danger. This is not a one-off day, this is the beginning of an ongoing fight,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein, while addressing attendees at the Brentwood Post Office in Washington, DC.
“This is really a fight between Wall Street and Main Street. They want their hands on this money,” he continued, in reference to the nearly $80 billion that the USPS generates in revenue each year, “…and we want to take care of the 169 million addresses that we move the mail to get delivered to every day. We’re not going to let them get the Post Office,” he concluded.
But the fight doesn’t end today! A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives recently introduced House Resolution 70 (H. Res. 70), expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and is not subject to privatization.
Visit apwu.org/action to write to your House representative and urge them to cosponsor H. Res. 70 to stand with the Postal Service and its dedicated workforce against the threat of privatization.
Our March 20 National Day of Action was a big success, showing the strength of our solidarity to defend a Postal Service that belongs to the people, and not the billionaires. To see all your photos from across the country, CLICK HERE.
Postal Workers Say, ‘Hands Off’ Our USPS in National Day of Action to Defend the Public Postal Service0
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Teamsters Triumphant at Continental Café
(PLAINFIELD, Ind.) – After nine weeks on strike, 31 members of Teamsters Local 135 at Continental Café have secured a tentative two-year contract that delivers higher wages, significant increases to retirement benefits, nine extra paid days off, and continued protection of Teamsters health care. “This strong agreement is a testament to the unwavering determination and […]
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Indio Water Authority Workers Vote to Join Teamsters
(INDIO, Calif.) – In a significant victory for communities in the Low Desert, workers at the Indio Water Authority (IWA) have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 1932. These new IAW Teamsters play a critical role in delivering clean, reliable water to the residents and businesses of Indio. Their decision to stand together and unionize […]
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Three Hundred University of California Financial Analysts Join Teamsters
(OAKLAND, Calif.) – Teamsters Local 2010 has won union representation for 320 University of California (UC) financial analysts, with the state labor board ruling that these workers were misclassified as nonunion by their employer. “We are thrilled to welcome more than 300 financial analysts to our fast-growing union,” said Jason Rabinowitz, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 2010. […]
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Flags lowered on 20th anniversary of Yellowknife LODDs
Fire fighters, local political figures and members of the community gathered March 17 to remember fire fighters Cyril Fyfe and Kevin Olson, who died in the line of duty in 2005.
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IAFF-backed ‘Honor Act’ gains support in Congress following U.S. Legislative Conference
After meeting with IAFF members on Capitol Hill, a growing number of lawmakers are backing bipartisan legislation to recognize the link between firefighting and occupational cancer.
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IP Bryant, GVP Bennett Visit IAM Rail Division Local 2741 Members Building New Amtrak Trainsets
IAM Union International President Brian Bryant, Special Assistant to the International President for the Rail Division Josh Hartford, and Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett recently visited Alstom Transportation’s Hornell, N.Y., plant where IAM Local 2741 (District 19) members build and refurbish locomotives, commuter and passenger rail cars, and track equipment, including the next-generation Acela
The post IP Bryant, GVP Bennett Visit IAM Rail Division Local 2741 Members Building New Amtrak Trainsets appeared first on IAMAW.
Seven IAM Locals Chosen as Inaugural Winners of Chris Wagoner Memorial Leadership Grant
Seven locals from across North America have been selected to receive the inaugural Chris Wagoner Memorial Leadership Grant. The grant was created by delegates to the 2024 IAM International Convention to honor the work and memory of the late Chris Wagoner, who served as Director of the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center before his
The post Seven IAM Locals Chosen as Inaugural Winners of Chris Wagoner Memorial Leadership Grant appeared first on IAMAW.
Save The Date: TCU/IAM’s 2025 Kourpias K-9 Classic Motorcycle Ride
Join fellow riders and supporters of the IAM’s favorite charity, Guide Dogs of America | Tender Loving Canines (GDA|TLC), from July 11-13, 2025 for motorcycle rides across the beautiful and scenic Washington, DC area. This year’s ride is hosted by the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM). The 6th annual Kourpias K9 Classic Ride will be held
The post Save The Date: TCU/IAM’s 2025 Kourpias K-9 Classic Motorcycle Ride appeared first on IAMAW.