Postal Workers Oppose Senate Bill That Threatens 39 Years Of Collective Bargaining Gains

http://www.laborradio.org/node/11675

By Doug Cunningham

A bill being rushing to passage in the U.S. Senate includes an amendment threatening the wages and benefits of postal workers. It requires contract arbitrators to tilt toward the postal service. Chuck Zlatkin is Legislative and Political director for the New York metro area local of the American Postal Workers Union.

: “Including this amendment in the legislation, in effect, threatens our collective bargaining and everything that we’ve gained in the 39 years that we’ve had collective bargaining.”

Zlatkin says reports of the need to downsize postal capacity and limit deliveries due to reduced mail volume are an attack on postal workers and their union. He says the economic downturn, not email technology and modern communication trends, are causing the downturn. And he says it would be a mistake to reduce capacity and limit deliveries because it could cripple postal capacity when the economy recovers.

: “This is really being used as an excuse to go after a unionized workforce that has a strong contract, and also to privatize the Postal Service."

The US Post system is being replaced by private companies. Like it or not, post offices will need to be closed and workers will be laid off. I know two people who work at the post office and it is a great job, very good pay and benefits.

he worked saturdays. it seems they have been moving to having more part time workers. he did a saturday and vacation route for the postal carrier for a long time.... he was waiting for her to retire so he could hopefully get her route. she was getting old enough to hope she would retire.... but she never did while he was there. so he left. He now works for the IRS.

It is true that times change, and that things are tough, but the trouble is that if you throw out the gains that have been made by workers, and then on top of that put the thumb on the scale in the direction of the employer, that when things start to turn around the employees aren't going to get that back. and companies don't tend to reward their employees voluntarily in good times. they don't give up anything unless they have to. even the post office.

Private competitors are taking much of their profitable business and they also have to meet a service mandate. Snail mail costs will have to rise and locations and service will decline.

Some I know think its the same path that public schools will end up following as well.