t was 41 years ago this month, but the much more than temporary loss of pay. effects of the Great Postal Strike of Their strike against the government I1970 are still with us. was illegal. Unlike workers in the private FILM Many NALC members remember sector, they had no legal right to keep the days before the strike, when life for their jobs after the strike ended. Instead, letter carriers was very different from they might be fired or even charged CELEBRATES today. Before 1970, letter carriers were with a crime. denied the right to collectively bargain Nevertheless, the vote was to 1,555 in or participate in politics. Not surpris- favor of a walkout and 1,055 against. At STRIKE ingly, their pay, benefits and working midnight, the picket lines went up conditions were deplorable. While many around post offices across ANNIVERSARY other Americans enjoyed unprecedented and the Bronx. Thousands of postal prosperity in the 1950s and 1960s, pay clerks and drivers in the area scales for letter carriers were frozen or refused to cross the picket lines. even cut. Many letter carriers had to The mail began piling up almost take second jobs to stay afloat, and some immediately. The strikers defied court even qualified for welfare. injunctions to return to work. Then the At the NALC Convention in Anaheim strike spread. Letter carriers in the rest last August, President Fredric V. Rolando of New York City and the surrounding asked delegates who had participated in area joined, followed by members the 1970 strike to stand and be recog- across the country. By March 23, at nized. Several dozen stood up. These least 200,000 letter carriers nationwide were the men and women who made it had joined the protest. happen. Many of their recollections are As the film shows, President Richard now recorded in a documentary film, Nixon’s attempt to keep the Post Office “The Strike at 40: Celebrating NALC’s running by sending 25,000 National Heroes of 1970,” which premiered at Guard troops to New York City postal the convention. facilities to case and carry mail was a The film includes fascinating inter- major failure, as soldiers struggled to fill views with several letter carriers from the shoes of experienced letter carriers. New York Branch 36, where the strike After a week of holding firm, strikers began, and others across the country put down their picket signs when they who joined it. Among the letter carriers believed the Post Office was willing to sharing their stories is a young man give concessions, though no agreement named Vincent Sombrotto, who would had yet been reached. Round-the-clock go on to serve as president of the NALC talks yielded an agreement weeks later for more than two decades. that included pay raises and quicker Though he held no union office at the advancement in steps within grade levels. time, Sombrotto emerged as a natural More importantly, the agreement led to leader in the meeting of thousands of an act of Congress that affirmed collec- letter carriers on March 17, 1970, when tive bargaining rights for letter carriers, the historic vote to strike happened. finally ending the days of “collective “I thought we were going to win,” begging” and beginning an era of Sombrotto recalls in the film, “and I progress in letter carrier pay, benefits never had a doubt about it—they were and working conditions. going to have to give in.” “The Strike at 40” can be viewed The letter carriers in that room for online at www.youtube.com/user/ the strike vote knew they were risking ThePostalRecord. ✉

10 POSTAL RECORD I MARCH 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS