INSIDE THIS ISSUE Editor’s Report .....................Page 2 Scary Words .........................Page 3 Money and Politics .................Page 3 Michigan State AFL-CIO Election Endorsed Candidates ..........Page 4 MichiganMichiganMichiganMichiganMichigan Special Volume 41, Number 163 election MESSENGER October, 2012 Affiliated with: American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, APWU Postal Press Association, Michigan State AFL-CIO & Michigan Labor Press iSSue President’s Report by John Marcotte, President The Election Edition today. I welcome all of you to go to tack. Please indulge me to discuss a sion. The goal of candidates making MPWU.COM to read it in full. couple emotional election issues as an firm stands on emotional issues is to Welcome to the 2012 Election Spe- example. dupe the American people to ignore cial Election Edition of the Michigan In this issue, I want to talk about facts surrounding the real issues and Messenger. The importance of this some of the emotional issues special The US Supreme Court has recently to vote on emotional issues. upcoming election to the future of the interests will attempt to distract you ruled that an individual’s right to bear Postal Service and with it our jobs with to keep you from voting for your arms is guaranteed by the second This election is all about the middle made it imperative that we send you job and your family’s security. amendment. In my lifetime I cannot class. Our wages have been lowered, this extra newsletter devoted exclu- remember a bill to take away the right our portion of the taxes sent to Wash- sively to the 2012 elections. It is only Over the last number of years spe- of individuals to own guns ever seeing ington have gone up, our pensions through you and your Locals’ support, cial interests have been very success- the floor of Congress. Yet come elec- have been lowered or eliminated, our via hard-earned dues money, that it’s ful in getting Americans to cast their tion time you constantly hear this or medical benefits cut or taken away and possible for the MPWU to commu- ballots for “fringe” issues that, while that candidate will “take your guns.” our jobs have been sent overseas. At nicate the political issues directly af- quite emotional and polarizing, will To change the second amendment the same time the super rich have had fecting jobs and working conditions to never create legislation or be debated would take a 2/3 vote of congress, sig- their taxes lowered to all time lows postal workers throughout Michigan, or be voted on by the US Congress. To nature of the President and ratification and their incomes have exploded to and for that I heartily thank you. vote considering these issues is throw- by ¾ of the states! What do you think levels never seen before. That is why ing your vote away at best, and most the chances of western and southern billionaires are spending hundreds of In the September/October issue of likely will get you to vote for candi- states doing that? Or Michigan with millions of dollars in an attempt to the Michigan Messenger I stated “DO dates whose election platform states over 1,000,000 registered hunters? trick voters to support their fleecing NOT BE FOOLED, THIS IS NOT they wish to lower your wages and/ of America. They didn’t get to be THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF or eliminate your job, increase your Roe v Wade made abortion legal billionaires by being silly with their YOUR PARENTS’ GENERATION. contribution to our retirement system in all the 50 states when I was a child money. They are spending a king’s Today’s Republican Party would to 5 times what it is now, freeze your and in all the time since then Con- ransom because it has worked for consider Gerald Ford a Democrat, pay, lower your retirement benefits, gress has debated a bill to legalize or them in the past and they think it will Eisenhower a Socialist and Nixon a weaken Social Security and reduce outlaw abortion exactly zero times. work this time. The super rich are Communist.” I explained that the Re- Medicare. Make no mistake, there is None of the candidates you vote for buying politicians and getting income publican Party, backed by Wall Street, a war to exterminate the middle class. this election will address this issue this tax breaks and tax credits for moving has taken a hard right turn in recent A portion of the middle class has been Congress, period. The Supreme Court jobs overseas all paid for by the middle years. Before we vote we should look tricked into voting on emotion and not does not take up cases that cause it to class. Do not be deceived! Vote for at the platform of the two parties on to protect their jobs and their way of review one of its decisions until a long your Job. Vote for your family. Vote worker and postal issues as they stand life from this systematic ongoing at- time has passed since the initial deci- your future. — Obama Cares — by Paul Felton, Editor • Young adults can stay on their • The law prevents insurance com- parents’ health plan until age 26. panies from dropping you because In 2010 Congress passed the Af- you become sick. fordable Care Act, which political • The law puts an end to the dis- opponents refer to derisively as criminatory practice of charging • Insurance companies have to spend “Obamacare.” These folks won’t talk higher rates for women. And the at least 80 percent of your premium about the positive benefits of the new ban on denying coverage for pre- payments on actually providing law, such as: existing conditions puts an end to health care. If they spend more than • You cannot be denied health the insurance industry practice of 20 percent on administrative costs, insurance due to a pre-existing punishing women due to breast can- advertising, executive salaries, etc., condition. This applies to children cer, pregnancy, or domestic abuse. they have to pay a refund. immediately and adults as of 2014. • The law provides $5 billion to Perhaps instead of ridiculing • Insurance companies cannot place employers who continue to cover “Obama-care” we should be glad that a lifetime limit on your health early retirees. Obama Cares. Learn more about the coverage (this is effective imme- Affordable Care Act before you vote diately) and starting in 2014, they • Starting in 2014, the law prohibits for a candidate who wants to repeal it. cannot place an annual cap on your denying coverage or charging more Vice President Joe Biden speaking in coverage. based on a person’s medical history. Please Vote November 6th, 2012 Detroit on Labor Day. Page 2 Michigan Messenger October, 2012 MichiganMichigan Editor’s Report MESSENGER Affiliated with: American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO, APWU Postal Press Association, Michigan State AFL-CIO & Michigan Labor Press President .....................................John Marcotte U&C (989) 619-1741 by Paul e-Mail: [email protected] Punish Your Enemies Felton, Executive Secretary .........................Michael Long Editor U: (616) 977-1050; C: (616) 302-1409 e-Mail: [email protected] In November Secretary-Treasurer ........................ Darren Joyce Would you reward someone who’s try- senting public employees, like us. ing the union officials try to collect dues W: (810) 257-1530; U: (810) 239-0931; ing to destroy you? Would you vote for FAX: (810) 239-6879 from the disgruntled members every two e-Mail: [email protected] someone who wants to reduce the Postal I got my hands on a Republican Party weeks! This isn’t about the budget or fiscal Dir. of Edca. & Research ................ Lucy Morton Service to a skeleton, laying off some of fundraising appeal dated March 18, 2011. responsibility. This is a calculated plan to U: (248) 543-3262; C: (248) 660-3139 us and cutting a chunk out of the remain- The battle of Wisconsin was going strong. destroy the unions! The real motive? They e-Mail: [email protected] ing people’s wages and benefits? The fundraising appeal outlined the Re- want to weaken the base of support of the Editor .............................................Paul Felton publican strategy: “If we can break the U: (248) 543-3262; W: (248) 758-5786 Democrats so Republicans can dominate e-Mail: [email protected] The future of the Postal Service will be unions’ back in 2011, the Democrats will the elections. Legislative Director ....................... Jesus Gonzales decided this November. The Republican be on life support to begin 2012.” W: (517) 337-8753; C: (517) 528-9980 Party wants to destroy us. The Democratic A Matter of Days e-Mail: [email protected] Party supports viable solutions to the The fundraising appeal talked about the At our National Convention, APWU HR/Injury Comp. Director ............... Ron Krumrie USPS’ financial problems. Republicans’ heroic struggle to weaken President Cliff Guffey put it best: “If the W: (231) 946-9616; e-Mail: [email protected] the unions and drive down wages, ben- Republican Party gains control of both Clerk Craft Director .......................... Steve Wood Postal workers who’ve been paying efits, and workers’ rights in Wisconsin, houses of Congress and the White House, U: (248) 543-3262 (Ferndale) attention have gotten a civics lesson this Ohio, Florida, Idaho, Michigan, Indiana, it won’t be a matter of years, it will be a U: (248) 758-5786 (Metroplex) year. Congress debated several different New Hampshire, Kansas, Tennessee, e-Mail: [email protected] matter of days before we lose our collec- proposals. Republicans proposed closing Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Maintenance Craft Director .............Jason Rushing tive bargaining rights.” C: (736) 634-9294; H: (736) 953-0581 massive numbers of plant closings and Nevada, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and e-Mail: [email protected] post offices.