Iowa Postal Worker Postal Iowa Task Force Plan to Move in That Direction Black Families
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
IOWA POSTAL SOLIDARITYVol. 23, No. 10 For All Members of DMI Area Local APWU, IPWU, and BMC October, 2019 Interest Arbitration Next Session - APWU Rank And File Witness Panels During the next session of inter- testify on September 24-26 will “put a “I want to thank our most im- participated in an interview about est arbitration (Sept. 24-26), postal human face on the cold numbers the portant experts – the APWU mem- their job, participated in these meet- workers from the workroom floor will Arbitrator looks at,” said President Di- bers,” said Industrial Relations Di- ings, and will testify is helping us be serve as key witnesses in front of the mondstein. “Their experiences carry a rector Vance Zimmerman. “Every better prepared for interest arbitra- arbitration panel. lot of weight in the hearings.” member that responded to a survey, tion.” “We always knew that interest ar- bitration was a possibility and have been preparing for it since negotia- ACTOR DANNY GLOVER: tions began,” said President Dimond- stein. “Now that it is upon us, in or- der to get the best contract possible, My Parents Proudly Worked For The we are utilizing an outstanding team of economists, attorneys, and – most importantly – APWU members.” US Postal Service. Don’t Destroy It. The arbitration preparation pro- This opinion-editorial (op-ed) reprinted reducing delivery days, closing post cess included hundreds of rank and below was originally published in USA To- offices, and jacking up prices on most file surveys and interviews, training day on July 11. package and mail deliveries. local members to interview their fel- When I was growing up in the 1950s It would also get rid of the collec- low workers in their respective areas and 1960s, my family planned our vaca- tive bargaining rights that have helped about the work they do and to identify tions around big picnics for post office postal workers maintain decent wages. potential witnesses. Those potential employees. I remember the thrill of tak- My parents’ generation fought for and witnesses, who are APWU members ing the train from San Francisco to one won those rights in 1970. right off the workroom floor, were of these gatherings in Santa Cruz. Danny Glover arrives at the Acade- then brought to APWU headquarters For my parents, both longtime postal my Awards in Los Angeles in February for meetings in preparation of testify- employees and union officers, that was 2019. ing. their community. Back then, it was Privatizers say such moves are nec- No matter the craft, it was clear: mine, too. essary because the Postal Service is in APWU members are working under Today, the U.S. Postal Service is un- optimistic about where the country was a financial crisis. But Congress manu- stressful conditions. PTFs are getting der pressure to slash costs in ways that going. The civil rights movement was factured this crisis through a 2006 law shuttled between offices and their flex- would be devastating for customers and gaining strength, and the post office that required pre-funding of employee ible schedules are being abused. PSEs employees of all races — but especially was one arena in which they could or- retirement health benefits up to the year are having to self-train or be trained African Americans. For black families ganize for equality. 2056 — a stunning 50 years in advance by a fellow co-worker – if they are like mine, the Postal Service has long of when the law was passed. No other lucky to have one. All postal workers been one of the few reliable paths to the Black Families Will Be Hardest Hit federal agency or private corporation are working habitually understaffed. middle class. Today, the Postal Service remains a faces this burden, and without it the In spite of this, every single day, My parents were so proud in 1957 critical source of good jobs for African Postal Service would’ve been profitable APWU members come in and com- when they had saved enough money Americans. Black employees make up the past six years, according to a De- plete the postal mission, serving the to buy a house. They sometimes held 28.6% of the postal workforce — more cember report by the Treasury Depart- public and ensuring that the USPS re- union meetings in our living room and than double their share of the U.S. pop- ment. mains one of the most trusted govern- had me put my seventh-grade typing ulation. ment entities. These key expert testi- skills to good use addressing envelopes In 2018, average Postal Service Real Reforms Expand Service monies will undoubtedly hold a lot of for the union newsletter. wages were $51,540 a year, just slightly Instead of more cuts, policymakers weight in the hearings. The black postal workers I met back below the average for all U.S. work- should do away with the onerous pre- The witnesses in the panels who will then felt good about who they were and ers. According to the Institute for Pol- funding mandate and explore new prof- icy Studies, wages were substantially it sources, such as postal banking. One lower in the nine other occupations in government report found that expand- which blacks make up at least 25% of ing services such as check cashing, bill employees. For example, home health payment and electronic money orders aides, 26.1% of whom are black, aver- could generate as much as $1.1 billion aged just $25,330 per year. Barbershop in annual revenue after five years — all employees, 30.8% of whom are black, while dramatically expanding financial earned $33,220. services for low-income Americans. These numbers make clear why Sneakers aren’t the real problem: My Permit No. 303 No. Permit black families stand to be the hardest black, disadvantaged students live with Jefferson City, MO City, Jefferson P A I D I A P hit by the Trump administration’s pro- racism. They don’t need to see it on Des Moines, IA 50302 IA Moines, Des U.S. Postage U.S. posals to sell off the Postal Service to sneakers. P.O. Box 539 Box P.O. Non-Profit for-profit corporations. A presidential Here again, there’s a lot at stake for Iowa Postal Worker Postal Iowa task force plan to move in that direction black families. As Sen. Bernie Sanders calls for privatizing parts of the service, continued on page 3 Page 2 IOWA POSTAL SOLIDARITY October, 2019 Government Pension Offset And The Windfall Elimination Provision This law affects workers who are ment Pension Offset (GPO) law says that entitled to a pension based on work an amount equal to two-thirds of a non- in Federal, State, or local government Social Security covered pension must be that was not covered by Social Security, deducted from any Social Security depen- such as CSRS. dent benefits a person may be due. What is the difference between the The bi-partisan Social Security Fair- Windfall Elimination Provision and the ness Act of 2019 (H.R. 141), would Government Pension Offset? The Wind- amend part of the Social Security Act fall Elimination Provision (WEP) may by repealing the Government Pension apply if you receive both a non-covered Offset and the Windfall Elimination pension and Social Security retirement Provision. This law needs to be re- benefits. The WEP can reduce your pealed and replaced with a fair formula benefit payment by as much as half the that treats public servants like all other Call your representatives today and ask them to support H.R. 141. amount of your pension. The Govern- American workers. Official Publication of the IOWA Iowa Postal Workers Union IOWA POSTAL WORKERS UNION EXECUTIVE BOARD POSTAL Kim Karol Lance Coles Kirk Brown Carter Smith WORKER PRESIDENT EDITOR MOTOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE Waterloo [email protected] SERVICE CRAFT CRAFT DIRECTOR [email protected] 1106 SE Michael Dr. DIRECTOR Fort Dodge P.O. Box 539 319-415-2298 (leave message) Ankeny, IA 50021 Des Moines [email protected] Des Moines, IA 50302 PO Box 23, Waterloo, IA 50704 Home 515-964-8028 [email protected] 515-570-1154 Work 515-262-9571 Cell 641-891-0292 The IOWA POSTAL WORKER is the official Brian Hammar Cell 515-669-8046 publication of the Iowa Postal Workers Union VICE PRESIDENT Cedar Rapids and is published 10 times a year. All articles Jeff Kyle or contributions for articles or Letters-to-the- [email protected] Sheryl Stagg Peggy O’Gara-Stone SUPPORT SERVICES Editor must reach the IOWA POSTAL WORKER, 319-389-9566 (leave message) RECORDING SECRETARY CLERK CRAFT DIRECTOR CRAFT DIRECTOR Box 539, Des Moines, IA 50302 by the 20th of Bi-State [email protected] [email protected] the month proceeding month of publication. Jon Arnold FINANCIAL SECRETARY 309-781-0942 PO Box 2142 4144 E. 8th St. Articles or comments should be typed or legibly Des Moines, IA 50313 [email protected] Clinton, IA 52733 written. Off Tue 200 39th St. 563-249-9169 Home 515-262-0492 Opinions expressed in articles are those of W. Des Moines, IA 50265 (leave message) Cell 515-422-0845 the author, not necessarily the opinion of the 1500-2350 IPWU Officers, Editor, Publishers or Advertisers Off Sat/Sun of this publica tion. Home 515-299-9663 Work 515-283-7617 PROUD MEMBER: Fax 515-265-6270 MAL STEWARDS George Bates Cindy Lyons APWU National TRUSTEES [email protected] [email protected] Postal Press 563-293-6308 641-757-0508 563-293-6308 Association, AFL-CIO Cindy Housh Theresa Long TRUSTEE TRUSTEE (leave a message if no answer) Des Moines Cedar Rapids [email protected] [email protected] Skylar Wessely Iowa State Labor Press 515-669-9518 319-899-3160 [email protected] Association, AFL-CIO 319-883-7331 Lonnie Matticks Midwest TRUSTEE Labor Press Des Moines 515-240-8124 Association The Iowa Postal Worker is NATIONAL APWU OFFICERS REPRESENTING THE STATE OF IOWA SHARYN STONE, CENTRAL REGIONAL COORDINATOR 330 South Wells, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60806 100% [email protected] 312-786-0370 STATE AUXILIARY Union-Printer Produced ROBERT KESSLER, NBA, CENTRAL REGION, CLERK DIVISION and Union Type Set ROBIN ARNOLD, PRESIDENT [email protected] 913-888-8555 515-240-5788 Union Lay Out DAN SKEMP, NBA, CENTRAL REGION, CLERK DIVISION Union Printed KRISTY BROMMEL, VICE PRESIDENT 10841 W.