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THE
UNION'S ROLE
OUR ASSET
One of the greatest assets
of a unionized workplace is a contract. Anyone who has ever worked for a
non-union employer realizes that without a contract, the employee has limited
enforceable rights and little or no recourse for gripes on the job.
For those in the APWU,
there is the local contract (LMOU) and the National Agreement that spells out
not only the pay scale package but most of the provisions of our craft.
The crucial role of our union is to property enforce these provisions, which
were put into place to protect and preserve fairness on the job for all
employees. It must be remembered that both USPS management and our union
have jointly signed and agreed to the terms of these contracts.
THE VISIBLE UNION
The workroom floor is
where the greatest visibility of our union exists. The shop stewards are
responsible to answering the workers' disputes, problems and concerns.
Policing our contract is the chief responsibility of out stewards. Proper
representation is also the key to the effectiveness of any union. This important
function does not exist in a non-union shop. Recourse on the job is
guaranteed with a union contact. Without this document, the proverbial 'door'
works both ways.
ADVOCACY
Our union, like most
public unions, goes beyond the workroom floor to protect the interests of its
members. In the past year, for example, the APWU won a multi-million
dollar settlement against the hiring practices of the Postal Service, where the
USPS overreached in its casual employee hiring commitments. Even
non-members benefited in this huge monetary settlement.
Our members have been
spared many thousands of dollars through grievance procedure settlements and
needless to say, many jobs have been won back through the staunch defense of our
union's contract advocacy. This past year, our own local's role made
national news in the Newburyport case where a clerk won back his job and a cash
settlement worth $40,000. This was a tough case involving Postal
Inspectors, missing cash and Serious criminal charges. This is another
example of the safety net that the union provides to all employees (including
non-members).
THE UNION'S PUBLIC ROLE
Most unions involve
themselves in a public role whether it's lobbying for better working conditions
and job protections for American workers. Unions are not narrow interest
groups interested in only protecting their own turf and membership.
Organized labor has been chiefly responsible for nearly all the middle class
advances since the depression years of die 1930s. Social security, Medicare,
Medicaid, minimum wage standards, occupational health & safety standards,
student loans, and the food stamp programs to name a few. Workers would do
well to remember that these safety net programs were not put into place for the
welfare class. They were enacted to protect the middle-class from failing
through the cracks of society and were chiefly sponsored, lobbied and backed by
organized labor. These same programs are presently under attack in
Congress and our unions are still among the strong defenders of these workers'
protections.
In a day and age where
careers are short and downsizing is the rage, the unions are playing a key role
in maintaining worker protections under law,
OUR UNION'S ROLE
Despite the network of
communications for the APWU, (national and local newsletters, bulletins), the
public role of our union is not always visible to the average member. The
lobbying of Congress, for example, with help from our COPA contributions, is an
ongoing process to preserve our pensions, fight against the threats of
privatization and other harmful legislation. The APWU also co-chairs the
postal relief fund and sponsors training seminars across the country,
During the 1990s, our
union was responsible for gaining 50,000 new employees that had been earmarked
for the private sector. The agreement to house the new remote encoding
facilities with postal clerks was a landmark decision won by the APWU and
knocked down a major intent by the USPS to privatize these jobs.
The APWU also played a
major role in freeing employees in the political process by the passing of the
Hatch Act Reform Law. Postal workers, off the clock. no longer have to
worry about their careers while taking part in our political system. We
now have a real stake in preserving our jobs and out institution. The APWU
was a major player in the historic passage of this law.
ARE UNIONS TOO MILITANT?
In the 1990s, most
editorials contend that unions have lost their potency. It is the actions
of the membership that dictate the effectiveness of each union local.
Do unions tend to be
pushy? Yes, they (we) can. Yes, they take your due's money and use
it because you want the support of the organization. Yes, in the words of a
union mogul, unions are pushy because we refuse to let workers get the short end
of the stick, because we believe that a fair day's work deserves a fair day's
wage, and because we believe that everyone who works hard should be able to
share the American dream - not just the mega-wealthy.
It's a matter of principle
- the union principle.
-Northeast News Service, Editor
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