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Springfield Rifle

Postal Privatization

How many of you/your neighbors know exactly whatpostal privatization really means? To begin, lets review afew facts about the United States Postal Service. Withorigins traceable as far back as 1775, the USPS is anindependent agency of the executive branch of the UnitedStates government responsible for providing postalservice for the entirety of the USA including Alaska,Hawaii, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands,Puerto Rico and Guam. The Postal Service is explicitlyauthorized by the United States Constitution. Our marketis a global one, and for the same 55 cents you can mail afirst-class letter across the street, across town, across thecountry, or across the globe. Our priority flat rate boxesalso achieve the same long reach, for a nominal price.

Now consider what will happen if the Postal Service issold off in bits and pieces, for that is what privatizationreally is. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)isthe business division of the United States federal Budgetand oversees the performance of federal agencies. Theiridea of privatization means selling the Postal Service toprivate corporations, reducing service and cutting jobs-allin the name of generating private profit for shareholders.Any way you look at this in my opinion, the outlook isgrim. Here are a few ways your service will change if thePostal Service is privatized:

1. Delivery Surcharge- would be placed on yourmail a processing fee on top of the actual costto mail your item.

2. Cluster Mailboxes- no more home deliveries,instead a centralized location to pickup yourmail depending on your neighborhood/location

3. Rural Customers-risk the chance of no deliveriesat all if the provider of service decides they donot want to deliver that ‘far’ out of the way.

4. Flat Rate Shipping-each potential carrier will re-serve the right to charge whatever price theydeem appropriate.

5. Postal Employees-run the risk of losing jobs,benefits, unions, safe work conditions, paidleave.

6. Less Services-offered to the public.

I have just begun to scratch the surface of exactly how weALL will be affected if the current administration gets itsway and privatizes the Postal Service. For moreinformation, please visit usmailnotforsale.org. I encourageeveryone to get involved for our future as PostalEmployees is at stake. Encourage your family membersto stand up as well, In Solidarity.

Nancy Kenyon, Ed Rowell ,Hector Torres, Jim Long

Diana Kirkland, EditorJULY 2020

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Just like in life and waryou are going to havehaters, doubters and liars.These perfect people arethe ones that try pushingus over the edge for theirown selfish agenda.

My agenda is solidarity.My agenda is fightingagainst injustice to thebest of my ability. I'm farfrom perfect. I makemistakes but my mistakesmake me stronger. I hearabout rumors and lies thatmanagement spread tomake us weak. Those liesand rumors are the typicalways they try to divide us.But it's the rumors andlies that our own unionbrothers and sistersspread that draw my pain.Us as union officers andStewards have athankless job that carriesa burden 24 hours a day.But this burden we fight,we push through for themajority that actuallyappreciate the efforts weface on a daily basis. It's awar right now fighting forour rights and workingconditions. This wardoesn't stop with thepursuit of contractuallanguage. This war alsohas consists of thoseimperfect brothers andsisters who want to casttheir imperfections on theones fighting the hardest.When I look in the mirror,I see Union. I see a Dad,Son and Brother whogives it his all for Integrity,Honesty and

Commitment. Quitting isnot in my DNA. I willcontinue this fight with myother Union Brothers andSisters as long as I haveto. Our new post mastergeneral is out to destroyeverything we’ve workedso hard to keep. We havetrouble keeping aninexperienced, untrainedmanagement team in linewith our Union rights. Weare now dealing withCOVID on top of somecausing a division withdiversity. With this nastystorm we are all dealingwith in 2020, we mustkeep our focus on ourstrength. Our strength isour solidarity. We mustcome together withsupport notcondemnation. We mustrally together andcontinue to push forward.

Keep the faith my thankfulmembers. We willcontinue to fight the goodfight upstairs and on thefloor to the best of ourability. But we need yourhelp. If you feel yourrights have been violatedask for a steward. If youhave a question aboutinjustice in regards tomanagement and ourzero-tolerance policy askfor a steward. We can't doour jobs defending yourrights without statementsand feedback directlyfrom you. This is a USthing. It's going to take UScoming together to winthis dog fight against

management and thehaters.

In closing, Thank you foryour time andcommitment to this unionand service. The PostalService is what pays ourbills and supports ourfamily. You guys workingthe 40 to 60 hours a weekare why we fight the goodfight. I hope we all havehealth and successmoving forward.

In Complete SolidarityEd RowellAPWU Vice president

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The idea of utilizing Post Officesfor public banking is starting tocatch hold. The potential of usingAmerica’s most trusted federalagency, the United States PostalService, to fill the vacuum incommercial banking for millionsof underserved communities hasbeen recommended by the OIGReport (January 2014) andprogress Congress-people likeElizabeth Warren and BernieSanders. Postal banking has ahistoric basis in the U.S., the PostOffice successfully operated apostal savings system from 1911through 1967. Today’s postalworkers handle money ordersand remittances that are aremnant of that system. Thiscould bring $9 billion a year intothe USPS while breaking the gripof predatory practices likepayday loans and loan-sharking.For the working poor, just beingable to use their own money,takes 10-13% of the earnings of68 million adult Americans wholive outside the financialmainstream. If people have themoney to spend, it will improvethe health of the entire economy. The APWU NationalConvention held a postal bankingforum with a panel ofinternational postal unions todiscuss the history of postalbanking in their countries –Canada, Spain, Portugal, andIsrael – and how public bankingcan meet the needs of low wageworkers. This stimulated ourConvention delegates to see thatpostal banking is a practical andachievable goal in the U.S.

OIG report recommends PostalBanking for the underserved

In January 2019, the USPSOffice of InspectorGeneral’s white paper,“Providing Non-BankFinancial Services for theUndeserved”, reported that59% of zip codes have eitherno banks or just one bank.At least 25% of all U.S.households live outside thenation’s financialmainstream; the figure risesto over 50% amongminorities, the young, theseniors, the unemployed, andthe poor. These underservedpopulations predominate inboth rural areas and innercities. The “too-big-to-fail”banks that brought about thefinancial collapse in 2008have abandoned entire areasof this nation creating virtualbanking deserts. But all of these areas dohave Non-profit postal opost offices. The OIG reportstresses that the postalnetwork already exists; thepost office is a familiar andtrusted presence inEverywhere, USA. Non-profit postal banking couldbe an accessible alternativeto loan sharks and pay dayloans with their usuriousinterest rates – average391%! At the same time, itwould provide financialstability to the PostalService.

Coalition to mobilize forPostal BankingA coalition has been formedto mobilize a massmovement to call for postal

banking. Recently, the fourpostal unions (APWU,NALC, NPMHU, andNRLCA) held a jointteleconference with nationalorganizations that supportthe idea of advancing postalbanking. The coalition plansfor an Action Conference inthe near future to kick off anation-wide grassrootscampaign to make postalbanking a public option forall. This does not requireCongressional approval.According to the OIG report,no legislation is necessary toreintroduce financialservices at post offices.What’s needed is a popularcampaign to pressure thePostal Board of Governorsand the PMG to initiate non-banking financial services. The postal unions areworking together to buildthis national movement. Thetime has come for a securepublic alternative to the hugeprivate banks that haveabandoned the workingpoor. As outlined in theOIG’s white paper, offeringfinancial services at postoffices would be a steptoward full-fledged postalbanking. Making financialservices available throughthe postal network wouldalso bring needed newrevenue to the USPS andsecure the future of thepeople’s post office.

By Flo Summergrad

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RIFLE REFLECTIONS

HERE IS A LOOK AT WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN OUR LOCAL 40 YEARS AGO…

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APWU LOCAL 497 STEWARD LIST

MVS TOUR 1 TOUR 2 TOUR 3ED ROWELL GEORGE SCOTT DAN ROSSODENNIS REYES ROBERT HYDENICK DEFEO MAUREEN HICKSON LEROY KENYON SEAN HAYES

MAINTENANCE TOUR 1 TOUR 2 ALL TOURS

ENID RIVERA JEFF ZAWALSKI JEFFERY LAINGJEFF ZAWALSKI PETE MOORADD NEAL THOMASDAVE SIMS ANDY MAYOJANA COTTLE RICH PEABODYDAVID JONES

CLERK TOUR 1 TOUR 2 TOUR 3

DEBORAH KOSCIELSKI RUSS EVANS NANCY KENYONBRANDON JOHNSON ANNIE CHAMBERLAIN MAYA PAYNEJAMES LONG JULIE PAGE DAVE BOGACZJERMAINE NORFLEET DIANA KIRKLAND DEB ROBERTAURELIA WILLIS RICHARD GREENRICHARD GREEN DAN CARNEYJENNY BOGACZ JENNY BOGACZ

TAMMY DEMARS BID CLERK

STATION BRANCHES

ATHOL: ABBY SHERWOOD MAIN STREET: AMY CHAMBERLAINWILBRAHAM: ANN PROVOSTCHICOPEE: EVELYN SCYOCURKA NORTH ADAMS: JUSTIN LORIOPITTSFIELD: NEIL THOMASALL A.O.’S: RUSS EVANS AGAWAM: ANDY MAYOBERKSHIRES and SURROUNDING A.O.’S : JUSTIN LORIO

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APWU Local 497 Officers

Russ Evans PresidentEd Rowell Vice PresidentRecording Secretary Stu KibbeTreasurer Jean ScaliseEditor Diana KirklandResearch and Educuation Pete MooraddLegislative Director Robert HydeClerk Craft Director Jim LongMaintenance Craft Director Rich PeabodyMVS Craft Director Justin LincolnSafety and Health Director Dave SimsAccident Benefit Rep Jenny BogaczWebmaster Todd GriffenExecutive Board at Large Dave BogaczExecutive Board at Large Small Offices VacantTrustee Tammy DeMarsTrustee Jessica DelNegroTrustee Jen DelNegroSergeant At Arms Jeff LaingSergeant At Arms Rory Garritty

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APWU LOCAL 4971124 BERKSHIRE AVE #3INDIAN ORCHARD, MA 01151413 543-1146