(This article appeared in the September/October 2026 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine)
By the time you receive this issue, the APWU
28th Biennial National Convention will have
concluded. Although many of you did not attend, I
want to share a portion of my report from the convention
book.
Article 12 Impacts
Since the last convention, fortunately, there have not
been as many Article 12 impacts as in previous years.
But earlier this year, management notified us of three
Clerk Craft impacts in New York and New Jersey,
potentially affecting 298 Clerks, and we expect more
excessing events to come before the year ends. The
dilemma management faces is: Where will they displace
the employees?
But rest assured, nothing has changed for us or how
we fight every excessing event. With your help and
support, we will continue to fi ght these impacts, with
the main goal of getting them canceled.
Residual Vacancies
Locals must pay close attention to their vacancies and
regularly review the installation, eReassign, Clerk
Craft 21-day, Maintenance Notice of Intents, and
Motor Vehicle Service (MVS) postings. I am certain
you will find that management is not posting vacant
duty assignments per the contract, or the vacant duty
assignment that should have been a residual is not.
We must be vigilant in protecting duty assignments
to keep the APWU bargaining unit in the APWU and
protected.
Northeast Region/USPS Area Labor-Management
Meetings
Last year, the APWU Northeast Region and USPS
Atlantic Area facilitated labor-management meetings
throughout the region to address issues many of our
locals brought to our attention. Some issues were
resolved and some not. We will continue to raise your
concerns and assist you in getting a resolution. This
will not be the last of these types of meetings.
Postal Support Employee Conversions
Since the last convention, in the Northeast Region,
1,782 Postal Support Employees (PSEs) were converted
to career: 1,113 based on the Filling of Residual
Vacancy MOU and 669 per the 24-month automatic career
conversions. The APWU is continuing to change
lives.
Honoring Our Past, Fighting for Our Future!
The theme is appropriate considering the times we
face today, not only in the Postal Service but across
the country. Our hard-fought rights are being taken
away at record speed. Examples include attacks on our
freedom of speech, voting rights, access to books, and
bodily autonomy. These are just a few examples. It’s all
about the few in power maintaining power and control
over the many. One of my favorite quotes is from abolitionist
leader Frederick Douglass: “Power concedes
nothing without a demand. It never did and it never
will.” And it resonates loudly today.
Our past is what we must lean on as a resource for the
fights we currently face. Our past is our muscle memory.
It is our toolbox, but we must think outside the box
because the rules of the game have changed. What
was once considered the norm is no longer the norm.
New norms are being created, and we must adjust.
The APWU has a history of fighting for labor, civil,
and human rights, and it must continue to do so
because these rights affect our everyday lives and are
another way we represent the membership.
Many of our members believe the union should stay
out of politics, but that’s impossible. For one thing, the
Postal Service is in the United States Constitution, and
Congress creates and passes laws that affect how the
Postal Service operates and can affect our collective
bargaining agreement. You either want a seat at the
table or be on the menu.
We have elections coming up in November 2026, and
this is a critical time for our country. We must ask ourselves:
what kind of country do we want to live in? ■