From huge cities to small cities, postal employees organized lots of of rallies throughout the nation up to now week to defend a beloved public service — and the nation’s largest union employer — in opposition to privatization and DOGE attack.
“Whose Postal Service?” employees chanted in New York: “The individuals’s Postal Service.”
“U.S. Mail Is Not for Sale” was the rallying cry March 20 at 250 rallies organized by the Postal Employees (APWU). “Combat Like Hell” was the theme March 23 for one more 210 rallies led by the Letter Carriers (NALC).
100 individuals got here out to the NALC rally in St. Petersburg, Florida, overlaying all 4 corners of the busiest intersection on the town, mentioned Roger Ezra Butterfield, a just lately minted steward in APWU.
“I’ve been going to pickets for about 15 years, for farmworkers, for nurses, however I’ve by no means seen such a optimistic reception,” Butterfield mentioned. “The ratio of getting flipped off to getting cheered on was closely in our favor. There was a lot honking, individuals shouting ‘We love postal employees!’ It was extremely thrilling.”
100 and twenty confirmed up for the APWU rally in Des Moines, Iowa, mentioned letter provider Margo O’Neill. “We had been fired up,” she mentioned. “Greater than something I used to be glad to have the possibility to precise solidarity with APWU. I’m glad we will begin working collectively.” Mail handlers and rural carriers got here too: all 4 main postal service unions had been represented.
Backside-Up Planning
The NALC’s “Combat Like Hell” occasions had been initially meant to be contract rallies, after letter carriers voted down a pitiful contract supply in January.
It was a breakthrough for the union’s bottom-up reform motion when NALC management agreed to name a nationwide day of motion. After a pair zigs and zags, the nationwide even received on board with the date backed by the Construct a Combating NALC caucus — a Sunday, when most members are off work.
An lively demonstration in Detroit, probably the primary that NALC Department 1 has ever organized, drew 300 enthusiastic letter carriers and relations. “That is my first rally — and it received’t be my final,” one employee advised longtime Labor Notes editor Jane Slaughter, who referred to as it essentially the most encouraging rally she had been to since Trump took workplace.
300 turned out within the pouring rain in Seattle, the place audio system included a federal employee from the Environmental Safety Company and a veteran of the 1970 postal strike.
Downsize and Privatize?
Foreboding clouds have hung over USPS for the reason that reelection of Trump, who throughout his first time period made no secret of his ambitions to downsize and privatize the service. His Postal Board of Governors again then appointed as Postmaster Basic Louis DeJoy, a serious Trump marketing campaign fundraiser from the personal logistics sector.
Whereas protests have stalled some components of DeJoy’s 10-year plan of drastic cost-cutting and reorganization, he has managed to enact others, and till just lately vowed he wasn’t going anyplace. However in February he introduced he can be leaving, although he didn’t set a date.
Days later the Washington Publish broke the information that Trump was on the verge of signing an govt order to deliver the presently impartial USPS beneath the Commerce Division, an unlawful transfer that will presumably curtail union rights. Not like different federal employees, postal employees since their 1970 strike have loved full collective bargaining rights and the protections of the Nationwide Labor Relations Act.
The manager order nonetheless hasn’t arrived — however the risk set many dominos tumbling. The Postal Board of Governors held an emergency assembly and employed its personal legal professionals. DeJoy opened the door and invited DOGE in to assist him hack away at particular components of USPS, together with employees’ retirement and a regulatory fee he doesn’t like. Wells Fargo funding analysts put out a memo drooling over postal privatization alternatives.
And the NALC management rushed the financial a part of the contract into expedited arbitration, deserted noneconomic points, and refocused its “Combat Like Hell” rallies to emphasise the brand new threats.
Contract Fallout
The day after the rallies, March 24, NALC President Brian Renfroe introduced that the arbitrator had awarded a deal on March 21. The raises are barely improved — the place the rejected supply had raises of 1.3 p.c annually, the forced-upon-members contract has 1.3 p.c the primary yr, 1.4 the second, and 1.5 the third.
Letter carriers, recent off the power of their rallies, had been livid.
“It’s functionally the identical contract that all of us simply voted down,” mentioned O’Neill. She thought Renfroe may need hassle successful his subsequent election after this. “One factor that rang true in lots of people’s minds instantly is that UPS with [Teamsters then-President] James Hoffa Jr., he pressured by way of that contract that that they had voted down [in 2018] after which he ended up getting voted out.”
She has been serving to construct an area chapter of the Construct a Combating NALC caucus. “We’ve got made so many connections with letter carriers throughout the state,” she mentioned, giving for example the city of Ames, which turned out 50-60 individuals for the NALC rally — spectacular for a department with simply 30 members. Folks in rural communities, no matter their politics, depend on the postal service.
“It’s actually heartening to see individuals standing up and see resistance even in these small pockets of Iowa,” O’Neill mentioned. “I do know there are lots of people on the market who’re actually upset with the union and simply need to depart the union. We’re providing another and saying, ‘Don’t depart the union. We’d like all palms on deck to make it higher — both push management to take our aspect or discover a new management.’”
In Seattle, “the members of Department 79 that confirmed up, confirmed that they cared to battle and cared to win, they usually had the gumption to win,” mentioned letter provider C. Moline. “Brian Renfroe has proven time and time once more that he doesn’t have that, and that’s why he ought to step down. However he received’t step down, and that’s why we’re going to need to take him down.
“All of the pleasure I really feel about our rally is about equal to all of the disgrace I really feel about this man.”
The union election is subsequent yr. Two candidates have been gathering steam to problem Renfroe for the presidency. And bargaining has taken so lengthy that the NALC will probably be again on the desk at subsequent yr, too. This contract is retroactive to 2023 and expires in 2026.
Wolf on the Door
A nationwide day of motion shouldn’t be so novel within the APWU. Members rally commonly, most just lately final fall when bargaining kicked off. However turnout was increased this time: at the very least double, for example, in Tampa.
“There’s a sense within the air that one thing is totally different,” mentioned Butterfield. Native union leaders have been projecting urgency: texting members, asking stewards to speak in regards to the risk, holding city halls on all three shifts within the distribution plant. Nonetheless, there’s additionally skepticism: individuals say “I’ve been listening to about privatization my complete profession, and it hasn’t occurred but.”
“The boy who cried wolf metaphor been raised,” Butterfield mentioned. “Our native president is saying that is very totally different: the wolf is on the door.”
The Wells Fargo memo bluntly suggests mass layoffs, doubling postal costs, promoting off half the submit places of work, and eliminating the central mandate that USPS should present common service at common charges. “You possibly can ship a postcard from rural Alaska to Tampa, Florida, for lower than a greenback,” Butterfield mentioned.
The APWU continues to be in bargaining, working beneath an extension of its just lately expired contract. Eventually summer time’s conference, members handed a decision that the union ought to reply the United Auto Employees’ name to line up contract expirations round Could Day 2028; this may be the contract wherein to get that accomplished.
The Rural Carriers (NRLCA) additionally rallied March 24 in Washington, D.C.
Fox Enters Henhouse
Opposite to what he had mentioned about sticking round to make a clean transition to his alternative, Postmaster Basic DeJoy introduced his rapid resignation on March 24. Washington Publish reporting recommended he was pushed out for not giving DOGE full entry.
“He let the fox into the henhouse and mentioned, ‘Why don’t you simply do the dishes,’” Moline mentioned. “That’s not how this works.”
In the meantime the administration’s assaults on employees in the remainder of the federal sector are reaching a fever pitch. The most recent govt order, issued March 27, is supposed to eradicate the restricted collective bargaining rights that federal employees have had. 4 present payments within the Home would dismantle further union rights, like dues deduction and paid time for stewards.
“Forcing our representatives to go on report opposing laws like that will be an excellent step,” mentioned O’Neill. “Crucial factor is that we set up, discuss to the individuals we work with, talk about what privatization would imply for us — for town letter provider, and for our households that don’t dwell in cities.”
“Whereas [Trump] has us taking a look at insurance policies of hate and discrimination and prejudice, what he’s doing is he’s distracting us from the actual image,” mentioned New York Metro Space APWU President Jonathan Smith on the March 20 rally. “And the actual image is company greed.
“Don’t ever imagine that this battle is about white versus black. It’s about wealthy versus poor. It’s in regards to the haves and the have-nots… Who constructed this nation? It wasn’t individuals in fits. It was individuals in coveralls.”
Jane Slaughter and Jenny Brown contributed reporting.
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