(This article first appeared in the September/October 2018 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine) 

By Human Relations Director Sue Carney

Your donations are needed to sustain the Postal Employees’ Relief Fund (PERF). PERF is a nonprofit charitable organization.

When disaster strikes and all is lost, PERF provides tax-free relief grants to postal employees and retirees to help them reestablish a home and replace necessities. PERF has provided more than $19 million in assistance to postal families during its 28-year history, but meeting its mission has become increasingly difficult over the last decade.

 (This article first appeared in the September/October 2018 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine) 

By Research & Education Department Director Joyce B. Robinson 

Pregnancy discrimination exists in many agencies nationwide, including the Postal Service. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978 amends Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and prohibits sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Pregnancy is considered a temporary disability in the eyes of the law, meaning the treatment of pregnant employees falls under the same jurisdiction as disabled employees.

(This article first appeared in the September/October 2018 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine) 

By Organization Director Anna Smith

We all have heard of human rights and we all have those rights. But, did you know that labor rights are human rights?

What do I mean by that? Well, let me give an example and begin with the “right to an education.” Public education is far too often taken for granted by Americans. Sadly, only in the last century is it normal for children go to school and learn reading, writing and basic mathematics. This is all because of the work of worker unions in the late 1800s and early 1900s to end child labor. Once young children were no longer going to work in places like the clothing mills or mines, the need for elementary and high schools emerged. Unions then fought for those schools to be public, and not owned by a religious group or a company (in the cases of “company towns”).

Workers fought for free public education. We succeeded in helping secure the right of every American to have a K-12 education. We still are fighting for that same right to a free collegiate education. Labor unions fought for human rights to be protected by law. We constantly fight to give true meaning to the phrase “dignity and respect.” We fought for, and continue to fight, to maintain basic freedoms like thought, speech, press, religion, assembly and especially our right to petition our government to correct the wrongs we face.

(This article first appeared in the September/October 2018 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine) 

By Legislative & Political Department Director Judy Beard 

The 2018 Midterm elections are quickly approaching! On Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018, one-third of the U.S. Senate, every U.S. House Representative, dozens of governorships, and countless local and state positions are in play. These candidates want our vote. Before you head to the polls, find out where these candidates stand on preventing the privatization, in part or in full, of the United States Postal Service.

Privatization means ending our publicly owned and operated Postal Service to be replaced by private corporate interests. It means ending our jobs that pay a living wage and jeopardizing our hard-earned retirement and healthcare.

To see if your representative supports House Resolution 993, (which calls for Congress to ensure that the USPS is “not subject to privatization,” go to tiny.cc/993. We have more than 190 sponsors so far, both Democrats and Republicans.

**Editors Note: Click Here to Pledge to Fight for the People’s Post Office!**

(This article first appeared in the September/October 2018 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine) 

By Central Region Coordinator Sharyn M. Stone 

This is a tough article to write because by the time you read it, we could either have a contract or be headed for binding interest arbitration. Our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires on September 20, 2018. Hopefully we have achieved a fair and just contract and maintained the hard-fought protections we have achieved. Our negotiations’ team, headed up by President Dimondstein, serves us well.

Even if all is complete with the CBA, we have miles to go before we sleep. The constant threat of Article 12 excessing, reorganizing, mismanagement, harassment, coupled with the President’s threat to privatize the Postal Service into oblivion is still in play.

Have you called your member of Congress? Nothing should be more inspiring and more motivating than a threat to our livelihood and the continued existence of the Postal Service committed to serving every community...