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January 14, 2025“We can never let our differences of opinion on political issues prevent us from working together to secure and save the things we have in common, which are protecting our jobs, benefits, and the Postal Service.” – Northeast Regional Coordinator Tiffany Foster magazineNortheast RegionTiffany Foster On behalf of the Northeast Region, we hope you and your family had a joyous holiday season and that the new year brings you more love, peace, joy, and happiness. The 2024 General Election was contentious and touchy, and everyone had an opinion. Some guarded their thoughts on the election for fear of arguments and insults. I witnessed the damage it caused to relationships between family and friends. I saw the same within our union. Family members don’t think alike or believe the same things. This is also true in our union. We all have the right to believe and think what we want; that’s the beauty of our rights in this country, but we must remember that this principle goes both ways. Author Roy T. Bennett said, “We are all different. Don’t judge, understand instead.” I hear union members say, “The union should stay out of politics, do their job, and represent us.” Politics touches everything in this world. Our union not getting involved in politics would be a failure to represent its members. I believe postal unions have a constitutional right and responsibility to be involved in politics on every level of government. The U.S. Constitution mandated the creation of the Postal Service. For example, Congress passed the 1970 Postal Reorganization Act, which President Nixon signed into law. The first paragraph of the act reads: The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by Act of Congress, and supported by the people. This law gave postal unions the right to collective bargaining, among other rights. These rights were a demand by the postal unions to Congress. We enjoy the benefits of this law today. In 2011, Postmaster General (PMG) Patrick Donahoe tried to renege on the collective bargaining agreement he had just signed by requesting that Congress introduce legislation to let him lay off 120,000 employees and remove employees from federal benefits programs. His request failed because members of Congress supported our union and postal employees. When PMG Donahoe tried to outsource postal work to the Staples office retail company, local, state, and national unions lobbied members of Congress to support the Stop Staples campaign, and they did. They wrote letters to PMG Donahoe to eliminate the program, conducted investigations, and rallied with their constituents. The collective work of everyone involved forced the program to end. Congress was important in this fight. Across the country, APWU members contacted their elected representatives to help fight the Delivering for America plan. Many members of Congress got involved and demanded answers and transparency. In some cases, the implementation was either stopped or delayed due to the push from the unions and Congress. These are just some reasons why we should be involved in politics. The Constitution grants Congress power over the Postal Service; they can create laws that can harm or help us. We must build relationships with the elected officials who support us and work to gain the support of those who don’t, regardless of party affiliation. We need their voice in our struggle. It’s that simple. The union is not just a grievance machine. It can’t be in order to exist and represent its membership. We can never let our differences of opinion on political issues prevent us from working together to secure and save the things we have in common, which are protecting our jobs, benefits, and the Postal Service. My fellow Regional Coordinators (Omar Gonzalez, AJ Jones, Yared Wonde, and Amy Puhalski) and I thank everyone in the APWU for building those political relationships for the greater good. We’re going to really need it now. ■ The Union Should Be Involved in Politics0Continue reading→

January 14, 2025The Industrial Relations Department shares proper lifting techniques to avoid injury when moving heavy parcels and sacks: magazineSpeak Up for Safe Jobs As postal workers, we sometimes forget just how much lifting we perform daily, as well as how important it is to remember to lift every object in a safe and correct manner. Bending down can cause the discs between your spinal vertebrae to pinch. These discs may slip or rupture during improper lifting, causing severe pain or disability, and your muscles or ligaments may also stretch or tear. Improper lifting practices can also compress the stomach, which may cause a hernia. To prevent injuries while lifting objects, you should always use proper lifting techniques. Safe Lifting Techniques To improve stability, straddle the load by comfortably spreading your feet (normally shoulder width apart), putting one foot by the front of the parcel (the side facing you) and one foot to the left or right of the parcel. Keep your back straight by using a squatting position. Remember that “straight” does not mean “vertical.” A straight back keeps the spine, back muscles, and organs in correct alignment. Draw the load close to your body while completing the lift, pushing the weight through your heels as you stand upright. When carrying the load, keep it close to your body, tucking your arms and elbows into your sides. When arms are held away from the body, they lose much of their strength, placing more stress on back and shoulder muscles. Keeping your arms tucked in helps keep body weight centered. Grasp the parcel near the top of the farthest corner and wrap your palm around the edge. Hold the opposite bottom in the palm of your other hand. Use the full palm because fingers alone have little strength. Keep your head upright when lifting and permit it to move freely. This helps maintain balance because the center of gravity changes with load acquisition. Position your body so that its weight is centered over the feet. This provides a more powerful line of thrust and ensures better balance. Start the lift with the thrust of the rear foot. Begin to lift straight up, smoothly and without stopping, by pushing your legs and keeping your back straight. Complete the lift to a standing position. Be sure that your hold on the parcel is secure before moving. If you must pivot or turn, use your feet. Do not twist the body trunk. When raising a parcel above shoulder height, follow the procedures just described, pausing at waist height. Before resuming the lift, rest the edge of the parcel on a ledge, a stand, or your hip. Shift your hand position to support the bottom of the parcel, and after bending your knees for a boost, straighten them as you lift the parcel to your shoulder. When lifting sacks, use the same general lifting procedures used for lifting parcels, and observe the following precautions: The position of the hands varies somewhat, grasp opposite diagonal corners. If you are carrying a sack for any distance, rest it against your hip and stomach once it is waist high. Shift your hand position so you can boost the sack after you bend your knees. Lift the sack to one shoulder, stoop lightly with your hand on your hip, and rest the sack partly on your shoulder, arm, and back. Hold the sack at the front corner. When putting the sack down, swing it against your hip and stomach. If you place it on the floor or ground, bend your legs and lower the sack, keeping your back straight. By following these simple, yet practical, techniques at work and home, you can prevent injuries and enjoy a healthy work and after-work life. ■ Preventing Injuries While Lifting Objects on the Workroom Floor0Continue reading→

January 14, 2025“You all proved once again that, when given the proper resources, you can sort and deliver mail promptly and efficiently – just as the law requires.” Industrial Relations Director Charlie Cash calls on members to oppose any degradation of service. magazineIndustrial RelationsCharlie Cash Happy New Year, union family! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I, along with millions of others across the country, thank you for all the hard work you did to deliver smiles to people around the world. I used the Postal Service to send gifts to my children in Utah and the work you did made sure those gifts were delivered to them. It is the work of the members of the APWU that ensures gifts, cards, joy, and love are delivered to mailboxes everywhere. You are the invisible force that accepts the mail, sorts it, maintains the equipment, maintains our fl eet, programs the Postal Service’s computers, takes the customers’ calls, and makes sure everyone is paid for that work. You may not be seen, but not a single piece of mail is delivered anywhere in this country without you! But it wasn’t only during the holiday season that you showed up, worked, and dedicated yourselves to making sure the mail was delivered. You did it during the election as well! During the 2024 General Election period (starting Sept. 1, 2024) you processed 99.22 million ballots. Because of your work, it only took 1.95 days for ballots to be delivered to voters from election boards. The average day to return ballots to local election boards was even better – one day. None of this could have been accomplished without you.1 You all proved once again that, when given the proper resources, you can sort and deliver mail promptly and efficiently – just as the law requires. But why is it only during election time that the leaders of the Postal Service are committed and dedicated to ensuring mail is delivered to the public at this pace? I remember the times when one-day delivery of First-Class Mail at the local level was the standard, not the exception. I remember two or three-day delivery across the country was also the norm. But now what we see is the continuing slowing of mail. It seems it doesn’t matter who oversees the Postal Service, the slowing of the mail is no longer an abomination that the public once viewed it as – it is now becoming the norm. The Postal Service claims that mail will still be delivered within its standards of two to five days, but that it could now take longer. It could be four now instead of three days. What was four could be five. No matter how you spin it and claim the standards haven’t changed, the mail is slower. Especially where it is needed most – rural America. This is all in the name of saving $3 billion a year. The public deserves better. They deserve faster mail. They demand the focus and attention to getting the mail delivered, like we focus on getting ballots delivered within one day. If we can do that, for a couple months each election cycle, we can do it every day. Maybe a more prompt and efficient delivery of mail would encourage increased usage of the Postal Service. Isn’t that what the goal of the Delivering for American plan was supposed to be? Keep an eye out for APWU efforts to continue to oppose any degradation of service. We will need your help. We will need you to educate the public, contact your legislators, and continue to raise your voices to protect the Postal Service. We don’t know what is to come under President-elect Trump for the Postal Service. I know this union will oppose any continued degradation of service or the dismantling of the only agency mentioned in the U.S. Constitution – the Post Office. Solidarity! ■ ---- 1 2024 Post-Election Analysis Report: Delivering the Nation’s Election Mail Securely and Effectively, page 5. usps-post-election-report-2024-12-02.pdf The Public Deserves Faster Mail, Not Degraded Services0Continue reading→

Room rateL $179/night plus taxes. Call (1-800-222-8733) Group Code: 904 or go to Link https://group.doubletree.com/tn4vcw | Registration: $100 before April 11, after $125. May 17, 2025 - 9:15AM to May 18, 2025 - 8:15AMDoubleTree by Hilton Ontario Airport Hotel222 North Vineyard Avenue Ontario. California 91764 LocalNoYes2025-01-14 00:00:002025 California State ConventionHotel Doubletree by Hilton Ontario Airport Hotel 222 North Vineyard Avenue, Ontario, California 91764 When booking, call (1-800-222-8733) Group Code: 904 or go to Link https://group.doubletree.com/tn4vcw Room rate of $179.00 plus taxes per night. Parking Per Car is $18.00 per room per night. There is a shuttle from Ontario Airport. Registration Click here for CA State Convention registration form. Registration is $100.00 until April 11, 2025, after $125.00. All checks are paid to: CALIFORNIA AREA LOCAL 4635 129 EAST “A” STREET UPLAND, CA 91786 ATTN: RAFAEL PEREZ SECRETARY-TREASURER CONTACT CALIFORNIA STATE PRESIDENT GAARE DAVIS for more details: CALSTATEGD@ATT.NET 626-487-4366 OR President RICK RUIZ at RRUIZ@CAL4635.ORG 909-981-2260. 10Continue reading→

Room rates: $199.00/night + 17.962% taxes. RSVP Deadline: March 31, 2025. More details coming soon. May 16, 2025 - 8:15AM to May 18, 2025 - 5:15PMAla Moana Hotel410 Atkinson Dr, Honolulu, HI 96814 LocalNoYes2025-01-14 00:00:0028th Biennial Hawaii State Convention10Continue reading→

https://d1ocufyfjsc14h.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/apwu_pse_compliance_report_fy25_pp01_v03_0.xlsUSPS Report: PSE Compliance Report Pay Period 01 - December 27, 2024Continue reading→

https://d1ocufyfjsc14h.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/2025.01.13_mou_1-time_retirement_incentive_between_usps_and_apwu_signed_3.pdf2025-01-13 MOU Re: One-Time Retirement Incentive between USPS and APWUContinue reading→

January 13, 2025Secretary-Treasurer Liz Powell shares important dates for trainings this year. Two of note are the APWU Scholarship deadline and APWU Disaster/Hardship Fund. magazineSecretary-TreasurerElizabeth Powell Challenging times will always test your resilience to remain unified and strong as labor leaders. This year will certainly test our patience and resilience regarding the various contractual antics the Postal Service will ultimately pursue, and staying steadfast to “A Strong Union, A Strong Future” is more important than ever. Just like in our personal lives, when we make plans and budget for the new year, local, and state officials should do the same for their organization. When planning for the new year, along with the other state conferences and conventions, please plan for the following events in your budget: 1. March 2025 (Date TBD) Virtual Department of Labor Labor-Management Report Training Due Date! March 31, 2025 is the deadline to electronically file Department of Labor (DOL) Labor-Management (LM) reports and May 15, 2025 is the deadline to electrically file IRS 990 reports if your fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2024. Learn how to file these reports in a training scheduled (date TBD) in March 2025. 2. April 8-April 10, 2025, Secretary-Treasurer’s Training, Miami, FL (Local officers will be able to register for QuickBooks Beginners, QuickBooks Advanced, and Officer’s Fiduciary Responsibilities Training.) The Secretary-Treasurer’s Department strongly advises elected officers, specifically local presidents and treasurers, to attend at least one training session a year. 3. Oct. 3-Oct. 5, 2025, Secretary-Treasurer’s Training (All-Craft), Las Vegas, NV 4. Oct. 6-Oct. 8, 2025, All Craft Conferences, Las Vegas, NV In addition to the various in-person training events and assisting new and current local and state officers in complying with the DOL and IRS legal requirements, the Secretary-Treasurer’s Department will continue to provide various virtual fiduciary training opportunities for officers to attend. New Officers’ Training & Responsibilities Labor-Management Reporting Local Union Elections Department of Labor & IRS Requirements and Audits Travel & Expenses Policy Recording-Secretary Duties Committee on Political Action (COPA) Funds Trustee Training Budgeting Tax-Exempt Status Local Constitutions Compensation for Union Officers and Members Union Policies and Procedures Dues Checkoff (DCO) Training The Secretary-Treasurer’s Department will continue to verify that local and state affiliates are in compliance with Article 16 of the National Constitution. APWU locals who fail to abide by the regulations may have their DCO dues withheld until they comply or provide an explanation for non-compliance. Local and state officers are required to provide verification that they have complied with DOL and IRS filings and the APWU Constitution by providing a copy of their DOL reports and IRS Forms 990 to the Secretary-Treasurer’s Department after they have been electronically submitted. Also, maintaining sufficient bonding coverage in addition to the $5,000 bond provided to all APWU locals by the national union is required. *APWU Scholarships – High school seniors who are the children or grandchildren of current, retired, or deceased APWU members are welcome to apply. The deadline to apply is May 31, 2025. **APWU Disaster/Hardship Fund – APWU Disaster/ Hardship Fund coordinates with the Postal Employee’s Relief Fund (PERF). After you receive a decision from the PERF, you are required to submit that decision to the APWU Disaster/Hardship Fund to complete your application for aid. Applications for PERF and APWU Disaster/ Hardship Fund can be obtained on the APWU website. ■ Budgeting for the New Year!0Continue reading→