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Mike Gallagher |
Should Locals Merge?
Mike Gallagher
Eastern Region Coordinator
(This article was first published in the November/December 2011 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine.)
The USPS workforce has been shrinking rapidly. And reductions in mail volume and revenue, along with the closure of post offices and mail processing facilities, will continue to reduce the number of postal employees.
To cope with these changes, one question we should be asking ourselves is whether our local unions should consider merging with their sister locals to create larger, more powerful organizations. Mergers may present a way to help us remain a viable fighting force.
All of our locals have felt the pinch of reduced membership and the corresponding reduction in dues revenue. As a result, we are hosting fewer holiday parties, picnics, and steward appreciation events. Participation in educational activities, as well as in state and national conventions, also has been declining.
Some locals, both large and small, have reduced the number of full-time officers. In some cases, the reduction in officers and the lack of revenue seem to have resulted in diminished representation. And throughout the country, quite a few locals are unable to fill the officer structure outlined in their constitutions due to a lack of interest.
Many locals lack a cadre of officers with expertise in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, so management gets away with repeated violations of the contract. In those locals, our members don’t enjoy the true value of the contract the APWU and USPS have agreed upon. Some locals are unaware of their legal responsibilities to provide reports to the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor. These locals rely heavily on their National Business Agents for advice on contractual issues as well as how to run their local.
There are many well-run small and medium- size locals; let’s face it, I am from one – the Philly BMC Local. But a larger local union is able to maintain a more educated officer structure that is better equipped to address the constantly changing and ever increasing challenges we face.
Some locals have already reached out to their sister locals to consider merging and some have merged.
I recognize the pride associated with being an independent local and I recognize the value of the close relationships among officers, stewards and members. There is also the concern over the loss of identity that could come about as locals join forces, but I also recognize that there is strength in numbers.
In my opinion, a well-run larger local can provide better educational opportunities for its representatives and therefore provide better representation for our members. After all, isn’t that what it is really all about?
The same holds true at the national level. The postal unions should make every effort to join forces, as the APWU constitution suggests. A single fighting force made up of an amalgamation of the APWU, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union and the National Association of Rural Letter Carriers would create a larger, stronger, united army of workers. There would be no stopping a single, united postal union.
Welcome Aboard PSEs
For the first time in decades, the USPS has begun hiring large groups of employees. This is due to the fact that the APWU negotiated a new category of employee, known as the Postal Support Employee (PSE). The Postal Service is hiring PSEs by the hundreds to replace the former employees who were prohibited from joining the union and could not take advantage of the rights and privileges that come with union membership. PSEs are replacing casuals, postmaster reliefs, and post office assistants, as well as attrition from the bargaining units.
I have had the opportunity to address new hires in their initial orientations along with a number of local union officers. It has been over 20 years since I last addressed a new group of employees. The PSEs we addressed were all happy to be employed and were filled with the hope of achieving career status in the near future.
Along with the local officers and my fellow coordinators, John Dirzius, Omar Gonzalez, Sharyn Stone and Princella Vogel, I welcome you to the American Postal Workers Union. We look forward to working with you.
