Postal workers rally against concessions
2011David Bernt 2011-10Read it in the scan (PDF at ETOL), page 7 →
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workers and for passage of HR 1351. The spirited crowd was largely African American, and many of the rally speakers noted the historical importance of allies held rallies outside 492 post offices across the postal employment in that community. Additionally, they denounced the fact that most of the proposed nouncement by Postmaster General Patrick Donahue sions, post office closings, and outsourcing. Postal Service management claims they need to make the postal workers is not just about the financial situation massive cuts due to operating losses cause by mail of the Postal Service, but part of a larger attack against workers. Conservatives in Congress and in the media speak of the Postal Service as yet another example of Saturday deliveries, and close 2500 post offices and government waste and of public-sector unions with 200 processing plants—creating “village post offices,” rich unaffordable contracts and pensions. The reality, privatized postal centers that would be located and of course, is that the Postal Service does not receive Many subsidy from the federal government. If it were not for the retiree health-care funding obligations. the tra that the Postal Service is dying a natural death due to the grown of electronic communication. In reality, the Postal Service had its highest volume in history Postal Service must operate under Congressional mandates that its competitors such as UPS and FedEx don’t have. These include free service for the blind, lems is the result of a 2006 law passed by Congress that requires it, within a 10-year period, to pre-fund retiree health care for the next 75 years. No other vice Obligation, which requires the Postal Service to deliver to all addresses in the United States, even in quirement, which costs the Postal Service $5.5 billion petitors UPS and FedEx don’t service the most remote sis and justify busting the postal unions. Additionally, areas, and charge much higher prices when they do. the same law restricted the Post Office from raising This is the mission of the postal service, to provide postage rates above the rate of inflation, including communication services for everyone in the United rates for high-volume customers, such as magazine publishers, who receive deep discounts. Postal unions have called for the passage of HR 1351, which they public support for busting the postal workers’ unions, say would allow the Postal Service to delay payments have used the typical story of waiting in long lines at the post office as an example of the inefficiencies of a governmental agency. Postal workers point out, son Center, demanding an end to attacks on postal however, that longer lines and other service problems Socialist Action octoBER 2011 7 CHICAGO—Thousands of postal workers and their United States on Sept. 27 to protest the recent anthat he would seek massive layoffs, union concesvolume declines.
Management wants to eliminate 120,000 jobs, end run by retailers like WalMart.
The corporate-owned media has repeated the manin 2006. Since then volume has declined, but still remains historically high.
The real source of the Postal Service’s financial probgovernmental agency has this requirement. This rea year, was intended to trigger the postal financial crito the retiree health-care fund.
In Chicago some 500 workers rallied at the Thomppost office closings in Chicago are in the Black neighborhoods on the south and west sides of the city. Postal Service would have run a surplus of $200 million over the past four years.
passport services, and money-order services.
the most remote rural areas, for the same price. ComStates regardless of location or income. Many at the rally pointed out that this attack against Despite not receiving any federal subsidies, the The most significant mandate is the Universal SerTalking heads in the media, in an attempt to build 130,000 over the past four years, largely through atmanagement would further reduce service.
The four major postal workers’ unions have the Postal Service will continue as a low-cost com(continued on page 11, in “‘Black Power Mix Tape 1967-1975’”)