Postal picketers deliver struggle message
By E. Ransom Hazzard
New York
On May 27, some 1,000 postal workers and their supporters
gathered in front of Manhattan's main post office. The
picketers were taking part in a nationwide protest against the
so-called restructuring of the U.S. Postal Service-specifically
the sale of certain operations to private companies in a
racist, union-busting move.
The protest was called by the Postal Workers, Mail Handlers
and Letter Carriers unions. Workers said they want to educate
the public about the consequences of the outsourcing that has
already taken place, and about proposed plans to further
contract out postal workers' jobs.
George Goloff is a shop steward at the American Mail Center
at JFK Airport. He said: "The East Coast Priority Mail
operations were contracted out to Emery Air, which represents
approximately $1.7 billion in business. And there are plans to
outsource the bulk mailing operations as well.
"This would result in the loss of thousands of jobs-many of
them currently being done by minority workers."
Not only are contractors given subsidies to open their
operations, but they benefit from the technology that was
developed by the Postal Service and paid for with taxpayers'
money. What the public receives for its investment is higher
costs, service cuts and union busting.
The board of governors that runs the Postal Service is no
different than most captains of industry that employ
union-busting tactics to lower labor costs. Lawyers, bankers
and former politicians make the decisions that determine the
postal workers' fate. Is it any wonder that they have no
problem eliminating jobs?
What about the public? The people most affected by the
reorganization of the mail service and the higher costs that
result are those least able to afford it: those in poor
communities.
By the same token, those hired by the contractors are doing
the work for a fraction of what union workers are paid and
under sweatshop conditions.
William Mason, representing Workfairness, pledged solidarity
with the postal workers and vowed, "Workfare workers will not
be used as tools to replace union workers."
Messages of solidarity were sent from the Canadian postal
workers as well as the communications workers of Great
Britain.
Larry Adams, president of Local 300 of the Mail Handlers,
speaking to the crowd, stressed the importance of bringing the
issue of privatization to the forefront of contract
negotiations, noting that 1998 is a contract year for that
union. He emphasized that it was in every worker's interest to
fight against privatization because all of labor worldwide is
under attack by capital. He ended by stating, "We're just
starting to day. This is not an event-it's a process!"
Mail call: 'Don't privatize'
By Joe Piette
Philadelphia
Hundreds of postal workers picketed in front of
Philadelphia's Main Post Office on May 27, one of dozens of
such protests in cities around the country. Members of the
Postal Workers, Mail Hand lers and Letter Carriers unions
joined together to denounce legislation pending in Congress
that would encourage the dismantling of the Postal Service bit
by bit.
Privatizing the most profitable portions of postal work-like
turning Priority Mail over to Emery-threatens the viability of
the Postal Service. Corporations could pick the most desirable
services, leaving the Postal Service with the most costly, more
difficult service and no choice but to charge higher rates for
less service.
Not only jobs are threatened. Postal unions would be under
severe pressure to accept cutbacks on wages and benefits.
Priority Mail was privatized even though the Postal Service
admitted it would be more expensive to contract out the work
than keep it in-house. Postal bosses blame postal workers,
instead of themselves, for being unable to organize delivery of
the two-day service to be better than 72-percent on time.
Other unions joining the demonstration included the State,
County and Municipal Workers, Communications Workers, and
Transit Workers. Transit Work ers Local 234 President Steve
Brookens explained that privatization is a threat against all
unions. Referring to his union's June 1 strike deadline, he
said workers at the South East Pennsylvania Transit Authority
will shut the city down if necessary rather than accept severe
concessions.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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