Day Four of APWU’s 28th Biennial National Convention

After an invocation by Minister Milton Ramsey, delegates continued debate from the previous afternoon. Resolutions that were passed included:

• NEB – Creating a liaison position at the APWU National level to investigate payroll issues for APWU employees.
• CL02 – Authorization of up to three (3) select cases annually by the national Craft Directors to be scheduled and heard from their national arbitration docket versus the standard chronological FIFO scheduling.
• CFC-7 – Inclusion of trans rights and nondiscrimination language in the next contract.

Darryl Gauls, MVS Craft, made a motion to pass the MVS resolutions in toto, which began a wave of similar motions across craft reports. Excluding resolutions 109, 113, 116, and MVS-3, the MVS resolutions were passed in toto. The excluded resolutions were either withdrawn or voted down.

Remaining Clerk Craft resolutions were passed in toto with the exception of CL01, referred to the Labor Management committee, and CL02, which were referred to the Formal Resolutions committee, both passed.

Maintenance Craft resolutions, excluding Resolution 93, were passed in toto and subsequently passed. Res. 93 passed separately with an amendment establishing a mandatory maintenance support clerk minimum.

All resolutions from the Legislative Committee and Formal Resolutions Committee were passed. Remaining Labor Management Resolutions, excluding Resolution 47 Stewards Time, and CL-01 Extended Absence Staffing Protection, were passed in toto. Resolution 47 passed as written. CL-01 was passed as amended to allow for temporary bargaining-unit staff relief for a qualified absence of more than three months

Support Services Resolutions passed unanimously, ending debate for the convention.

Final COPA Totals

A total of $32,988.61 was raised for the Committee on Political Action (COPA) by convention delegates.

Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY-1) addressed the APWU’s 28th Biennial National Convention, describing himself as a “pro-labor Republican” and highlighting his support for postal workers, collective bargaining, and federal retirement protections.

LaLota said his background as the son and grandson of police officers, brother of a Marine, and a former Navy service member shaped his belief that workers deserve fair wages, safe workplaces, and secure retirements.

He pointed to his support for eliminating the Government Pension Offset and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP/GPO), as well as his opposition to proposals to increase federal pension contributions, change the high-three retirement calculation to the high five, and eliminate the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) annuity supplement.

LaLota also warned against privatizing the Postal Service, calling it “abandonment” and saying it could threaten jobs, retirement security and universal service. Lalota is co-leading a bipartisan resolution supporting the USPS as an independent public institution.

He urged postal workers to continue organizing and advocating, saying their activism has helped protect workers’ rights.

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