It is no secret that the Postal Service is making changes. One constant that I have experienced throughout my career with the USPS is that the Postal Service evolves and changes. I am a fourth-generation postal employee. When I was a young boy in the early 1970s, I have memories of my father taking me to the Post Office in Salt Lake City and seeing nothing but clerks sorting mail by hand in letter cases. Today, that building is full of automated machines. Automation has changed the Postal Service over the decades.

Today, the Postal Service is in a state of change. Mail type is shifting from letters and flats to parcels. Overall, all mail volume is down. But no matter the shift in mail type or decrease in volume, the public deserves a Postal Service that meets its universal service obligation, delivers mail on time, and functions as a true public service.

The current Postmaster General (PMG) is making decisions that are putting APWU-represented employees in a state of flux. He believes that his plan will increase volume (at least parcel volume), speed up parcel delivery (and therefore speed up all mail delivery), and put the USPS on a sounder financial footing. He is calling his plan “Network Modernization.”

As the PMG continues to push these changes, the APWU continues to demand that our contract is followed, that the Postal Service be transparent, and that the Postal Service allow the public to have input, and more.

As the PMG changes are implemented, the Postal Service has sought to excess employees from their installations to other offices. Your Regional Coordinators have led APWU efforts to minimize the impact and disruptions on those who could be excessed. Even in the face of postal management that uses tactics that at best can be described as inaccurate, Regional Coordinators have reduced the numbers of employees excessed overall. They prepare for each event and work relentlessly on your behalf.

We know that the Postal Service is not being fully transparent about their plans. Even though they do meet with the APWU at the national level regularly, they refuse to provide the most basic information we request. We have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to compel them to provide the information we have demanded.

For some of these network changes, the Postal Service is required to inform the public and allow their input on changes to the network. The Postal Service must follow guidelines outlined in the PO-408 manual. We have insisted that the Postal Service follow this manual. Of course, management pushed back against our demands. The Postal Service did eventually capitulate and agree that the PO-408 would be followed. But rather than follow the process, they chose to change the rules and make significant changes to the PO-408. After extensive review and coordination with our legal counsel, we have filed a national dispute on these changes.

Finally, it is important that your national officers get out and see these new facility types, talk to the workers at these new facilities, and learn all we can about the new facilities. Recently, we visited with the new Sortation and Delivery Center (S&DC) in Annapolis, MD. This was the first of our visits to the S&DCs that are currently operating around the country. National officers and headquarters staff are currently planning more visits to both the S&DCs and the Regional Processing and Distribution Centers as they come online.

Your union officers will continue to work hard during these changing times to protect your rights under the CBA, and to take the fight to the streets with our public allies to protect our right to an effective and efficient Postal Service.

The Federal Government established the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program on August 29, 1954. It is the largest group life insurance program in the world, covering over 4 million Federal employees and retirees, as well as many of their family members.

Most employees are eligible for FEGLI coverage. FEGLI provides group term life insurance. As such, it does not build up any cash value or paid-up value. It consists of Basic life insurance coverage and three options. In most cases, if you are a new Federal employee, you are automatically covered by Basic life insurance and your payroll office deducts premiums from your paycheck unless you waive the coverage. In addition to the Basic, there are three forms of Optional insurance you can elect. You must have Basic insurance in order to elect any of the options. Unlike Basic, enrollment in Optional insurance is not automatic -- you must take action to elect the options.

The cost of Basic insurance is shared between you and the Government. You pay 2/3 of the total cost and the Government pays 1/3. Your age does not affect the cost of Basic insurance. You pay the full cost of Optional insurance, and the cost depends on your age.

The Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI), which is a private entity that has a contract with the Federal Government, processes and pays claims under the FEGLI Program 

More Information on USPS Life Insurance

Your COLA is here!

Today career USPS workers covered by the APWU-USPS contract are seeing a paycheck with more money today. Whether it’s your car payment, gas to get to work, or maybe extra food in the pantry - this bump is because members said “we need wages that respect our work.” 
 

We have to tell the story that this increase is thanks to members fighting at the bargaining table. By coming together in our union, we can collectively demand improvements that we wouldn’t win.
 

We can make changes if we come together. If you're not yet an APWU member join today.

 

If you are already a member, text 91990 to commit to ask a not-yet-union coworker to join our movement.

 

BUILD UNION POWER!›

On September 15th, United Auto Workers (UAW) members made history when they walked off the job in targeted strikes after their contracts with the “Big Three” (Ford, General Motors and Stellantis – the parent company of Chrysler) expired without new negotiated union contracts.

The American Postal Workers Union stands in full solidarity with the UAW in their struggle to win strong contracts that guarantee auto workers the better pay, better hours and the better jobs they deserve. In the past ten years, the Big Three have reported $250 billion in profits, issued billions in dividends for shareholders, and raised executive pay by more than 40 percent. Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, who has publicly criticized the UAW demands as unfair to the company, made $21 million last year! UAW members are striking to challenge corporate greed and win what they deserve. UAW President Shawn Fain in announcing the initial targeted strikes stated, “…we’ll keep fighting for justice for the working class while the Big Three keep price-gouging the American consumer, ripping off the American taxpayer, and shortchanging the American worker. Enough is enough. It’s time to Stand Up.”

Harkening back to the auto workers’ Sit-Down Strikes of the 1930s that led to the creation of the UAW and helped spark a union organizing wave across the country, the unionized auto workers are standing up for all working-class people in our struggle to win lives with dignity, safe and rewarding jobs, and more time to spend with our families.

Postal workers share those same goals. And we’re proud to stand in solidarity with the UAW in this important struggle. The Stand-Up strikes began in three locations – Toledo, OH, Wayne, MI and Wentzville, MO. The UAW has committed to spread their strike action as needed until the Big Three come back to the table prepared to meet their just demands.

“I urge every postal worker to support this critical struggle. Their just fight to overcome years of concessionary “giveback” bargaining: to restore lost COLA, remove divisive two-tier pay and benefit scales, ensure good retirement benefits for all auto workers and a shorter work week with no loss in pay, are fair demands,” said President Mark Dimondstein. “I encourage all our members to participate in rallies in support of the auto workers, join the picket lines in your areas, and sign the “All in” petition below, and spread it through social media. When auto workers win their just demands, it will be a victory for all workers."

For more information, visit https://uaw.org/standwithus/.

Join the APWU to fight for better pay, better benefits, and rights in the workplace!

Today, career workers under the main APWU/USPS national agreement will see a $0.48 per hour cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in their paychecks. That increase equals $38.40 per pay period, or $998 annually for a full-time worker.

Having a full COLA is a big deal that benefits us all, and maintaining it is no small feat! Our COLA comes from our union negotiated contract, but our contract is only as strong as our membership. Next year (2024) the APWU will be in negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Let’s make our union stronger!

Now is a good time to remind your non-member coworkers about the benefits of being in a union, what we can achieve by standing together, and how much stronger we would be if we all stood together.

Every new member of the APWU is an additional postal worker’s voice speaking up for good jobs at the USPS. By stepping up and committing to organizing for a strong APWU, you are helping build a better tomorrow for us will – with better pay, better benefits, and fighting for our rights in the workplace.

What can you do to build our union?

• Talk to your coworkers about why they should join the union, and sign them up!
• Attend a union meeting - or other union events - and ask your coworkers to join you.
• Join a committee within your local union or consider becoming a shop steward.

Join online!

Our online tool has made joining the APWU easy for both non-members who want to join the union, and for existing members looking to sign-up their coworkers.

The entire process takes just minutes to complete. Scan the QR code with your phone’s camera to join online and save a picture of the code to your phone to show your coworkers who also want to join.

Make the commitment today and ask at least one non-member coworker to stand with you.