Category Archives: Bill Brickley

Mourn For The Dead, Fight For The Living. A Contrasting View Of Safety In The Workplace

  By Bill Brickley | April 23, 2013 - 7:29 am | , ,
Comments
Workers'-Memorial-Day-Banner

Workers'-Memorial-Day-Banner

With Workers Memorial Day approaching Sunday April 28 two high-profile safety situations this week have helped further illustrate the gulf  between a union and non-union workplace. Union leaders have called out the Postal Service for being slow in handling one situation while in Texas a completely different regulatory atmosphere turned into a catastrophe.

Postal employees were reminded of the risks in moving the mail.  Ricin tainted letters passed through mail plants in Tennessee, Maryland and Washington DC.  The media reported the story before the USPS told its employees according to the  American Postal Workers Union (APWU). The hope is the Postal Service will communicate faster with employees if a similar problem occurs in the future.

The APWU was displeased with the Postal Service not telling his members sooner about the Ricin tainted letters sent to President Obama and Senator Wicker. Especially considering the deaths of Postal Workers during the Anthrax mailings in 2001 the APWU expected a quicker response.

“It is unacceptable that postal officials did not contact the union immediately to notify us of this potentially deadly hazard,” Union President Cliff Guffey said. “Postal workers have learned through bitter experience of the dangers we face when poisons are sent through the mail.”

“We intend to demand that this lapse be corrected,” Guffey said. “The safety of postal workers must be management’s first concern in an incident like this. Postal workers have a right to be informed immediately and to have the assistance of their union immediately to make sure that everything is being done that can be done to protect their safety!”

Seemingly the Postal Service was slow in handling this. In the big picture the Postal Service preaches safety constantly and OSHA inspectors frequently visit. It can be legitimately questioned if the Postal Service focus on safety is being done for the right reasons, but there is no doubt safety is emphasized. Lets contrast that to the travesty in Texas.

We are learning grim new details of the West Fertilizer Plant fire last week that killed at least 14 people and injured over 200. Astoundingly this plant was last inspected by OSHA in February 1985.

That is right a non-union fertilizer plant next to both a school and a nursing home went over 27 years without a OSHA inspection. The EPA found numerous safety violations 5 years ago but that was never followed up on. What could possibly go wrong in this situation?

OSHA inspectors have been reduced consistently over the past 30 years  and currently there are only 2,200 inspectors for the country’s 8 million workplaces and 130 million workers. So OSHA could be expected to visit each plant every 129 years.  With no union voice workers are not really empowered to make a call on their own. The whole community in West, Texas is now paying the price.

Routinely government leaders side with industry profits  over public safety.  If you are a union worker and contact OSHA they will undoubtedly respond.  Union officials called out the Postal Service for being 2 days late in notification. Contrast that to the 27 year delay in Texas. If you are a non-union worker and you report a violation most likely your next call will be to the State Unemployment Office.

With Workers Memorial Day being later this week its time for our Congress and Administration to address worker safety. People somehow have to be placed above profits.

 

 

May 11th Support The 21st Annual “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive

  By Bill Brickley | April 22, 2013 - 7:00 am | , , , ,
Comments
NALC Stamp Out Hunger --STAMP Date

NALC Stamp Out Hunger --STAMP DateThe National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO) will be holding their 21st annual food drive on Saturday, May 11th. On that day letter carriers will pick up non-perishable food as they deliver mail on their postal routes. The food donations collected will stay in the towns and cities where they are collected.

When we decided to take our food drive nationwide more than two decades ago, food banks and community service organizations told us that the best time for us to do it would be when people aren’t really thinking about it”, NALC President Fred Rolando noted, “to remind people that, sadly, the need for food is year-round.”  In November and December— around the holidays—many folks get caught up in a spirit of giving, so food pantries and other such organization see a major upswing in food donations,” he said. “But by May, their shelves begin to empty out.”

As the men and women who touch every neighborhood in America six days a week, letter carriers far too often see first-hand how poverty and hunger affect the customers we serve.

“Each year, the second Saturday in May is a day when all citizens have an opportunity, with the help of their letter carrier, to easily donate food to needy families in their community,” Rolando said.

The drive, the largest one-day food-collection event in the nation, has been a success every year. This year’s drive is co sponsored by National Rural Letter Carriers, AARP, AFL CIO and the United Way.

“We are pleased to announce that the United Way will continue to partner with the NALC Food Drive in 2013” United Way President Stacy Stewart said “This effort is a tremendous example of the importance of working with organized labor to advance the common good in communities throughout the United States”

Residents are asked to leave non-perishable food donations in a bag by their mailbox on Saturday May 11th before their letter carrier arrives. It will be picked up and then delivered to a local food bank.

Thank You in advance for your support, Bill Brickley.
(NH Letter Carrier for more than 27 years.)

Below is a great video from the National Association of Letter Carriers about this great event.  Click Here to share to your facebook wall.  For twitter users you can click here to tweet a pre-written message.  Or you can share this YouTube link (http://youtu.be/Uwkr-LJmWwI)

NH Congresswomen Praise Keeping 6-Day Delivery While Congressman Issa Still Pushes For More USPS Cuts

  By Bill Brickley | April 11, 2013 - 7:00 am | , ,
Comments
Congressman ISSA (photo credit Congressman Issa on Flickr)

Congressman ISSA (photo credit Congressman Issa on Flickr)New Hampshire’s members of Congress embraced the Postal Board of Governors decision today to obey the law and cancel their plans to end Saturday mail delivery this August. It was quite a different reaction from Congressman Daryl Issa (R-CA) who seems to be thinking the USPS much like himself is above the law.

In New Hampshire we are quite fortunate to have two very smart and sensible Congresswoman who actually think their job is to look out for the best interests of the citizens of their district.

Let’s contrast their reactions to Mr Issa:

“I applaud the Postal Service’s decision to cancel its plan to end Saturday mail service this summer,” Shea-Porter said. “The Postal Service is a vital resource for communities throughout New Hampshire and our country. Eliminating Saturday mail-delivery does not adequately address the issues facing the United States Postal Service and would hurt Granite Staters.”

Annie Kuster added, “I am pleased that the Postal Service will cancel its plan to end Saturday mail service, which would have unduly harmed New Hampshire businesses and communities. Instead of cutting jobs and services, the Postal Service needs sensible reform to fix the onerous pre-funding requirement for future retiree health benefits, boost innovation and efficiency, reduce costs, and provide new and improved services to New Hampshire communities.”

Mr Issa’s reaction was in sharp contrast: I am not quite sure why Mr Issa would encourage the Postal Service to break the law. Though Mr Issa has stayed one step ahead of the law  in many of his ventures its hard to fathom advising the USPS to follow his lead.

“Despite some assertions, it’s quite clear that special-interest lobbying and intense political pressure played a much greater role in the Postal Service’s change of heart than any real or perceived barrier to implementing what had been announced,” Issa said in a statement.

Mr Issa refuses to acknowledge that the congressionally mandated annual $5.5 Billion in pretending retiree health care costs is at the core of this financial crisis. Issa and many in the GOP are using this crisis to continue their war on workers we all feel every day.

There was one troubling aspect of the Boards statement today though. Mr Issa whose own legislation explored the possibility of voiding the Union contracts with the Postal Service had to be delighted in the Board of Governors recommendation to renegotiate the recently signed labor agreements with all Postal unions. NALC President Fred Rolando responded:

“The Board’s call to reopen and renegotiate the postal labor contracts is yet another sign that the Postal Service needs new executive leadership. Asking the NALC to renegotiate a contract that was just settled in January is insulting and unnecessary. The new agreement, which reduced starting pay by 25 to 33 percent and allows for major health care savings, provides for several labor-management task forces to work on ways to increase revenues and cut costs.”

I am hopeful that the Board of Governors decision today abandoning 5 day delivery will allow congress to now focus on much-needed postal reform. Especially working on a quick repeal of the onerous pre-funding issue that has caused this crisis. A feeling of hope carried the day.

There is a real opportunity for postal reform, if the postmaster general and majority on our committee are willing to work on a bipartisan spirit,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va), a member of the Government Oversight panel.

 

NALC President Fredric Rolando statement on USPS Board of Governors announcement

  By Bill Brickley | April 10, 2013 - 7:33 pm | ,
Comments
20130410-193306.jpg

NALC President Fredric RolandoApril 10, 2013 —NALC President Fredric Rolando issued the following statement today, in response to the USPS Board of Governors’ announcement that the Postal Service will obey the law and comply with the continuing resolution adopted in March that mandates continuation of six-day mail delivery this year. The Board restated its support for a change to 5-day delivery, but effectively conceded that the postmaster general’s claim that he could ignore the CR was wrong.

“NALC is gratified that the Board of Governors has seen the light on the law—but it is time for them to reconsider their entire “shrink to survive” strategy. Degrading the Postal Service’s last-mile network is a losing strategy. Eliminating Saturday service, which more than a third of all business mailers want to keep, will drive millions of customers away and do more harm than good. The Postal Service needs a growth strategy and the Congress must enact comprehensive reform that overhauls the USPS governance structure, provides greater pricing and product flexibility and reduces or eliminates the crushing pre-funding burden that has caused more than 90 percent of this year’s financial loss so far.

“Maintaining Saturday delivery is critical to the Postal Service’s future. Losing this competitive advantage would not only reduce mail volume and revenue—sending the USPS on a death spiral—but also would disproportionately affect small businesses, the elderly, rural communities, the one-half of the public that pays bills by mail and the many millions who lack access to reliable Internet service. And it would cost tens of thousands of jobs.

The Board’s call to reopen and renegotiate the postal labor contracts is yet another sign that the Postal Service needs new executive leadership. Asking the NALC to renegotiate a contract that was just settled in January is insulting and unnecessary. The new agreement, which reduced starting pay by 25 to 33 percent and allows for major health care savings, provides for several labor-management task forces to work on ways to increase revenues and cut costs.

“Finally, I must credit the hard work of letter carriers, whose efforts to get the message out about Saturday delivery were critical to today’s positive development. We will continue to rely on our members as the fight to protect and preserve the U.S. Postal Service continues.”

Now Is The Time For The AFL-CIO and The USPS Unions To Reach Out To Their Communities

  By Bill Brickley | April 1, 2013 - 6:30 am | ,
Comments
Bill Brickley

Congress is currently debating issues regarding the Postal Service that will shape the its future for decades to come. The NALC has superior national leadership that keeps all of us informed on the issues and recommends when we should contact our legislators. Our challenge is that this can not be the extent of our activism if we are to survive. We must form alliances with other postal unions as well as the AFL-CIO. Equally important for us is to reach out to other groups that are fighting for economic justice as well as business groups whose survival depends on a functioning Postal Service.

We have a shared battle with our brothers of sisters of the APWU, NPMHU and the NRLCA. Together we are a formidable team. On September 27,2011 we worked with these unions and changed how the entire country views the postal crisis with the Save Americas Postal Service Rallies. This brought the outrageous prefunding issue into the national dialogue. We must recapture that spirit and solidarity if we are going to most effectively fight back against forces that want to dismantle us.

We have to connect with citizens in our rural areas and poor urban areas that will he harmed most by dismantling the USPS. We have to reach out to small business whose very existence is also at stake if the mailing industry sustains much damage. We have to work with senior citizen groups to let congress know they will not dismantle us without a fight.

The AFL CIO is currently working on extending their outreach to community partners and the civil rights, woman’s rights and the Latino movement. This is crucial for the labor movements survival as an effective counter balance to the enormous wealth and power that currently wield much control over the legislative process.

The wealthy, vote for their economic interests every time. They also convince the narrow-minded single issue voter to vote against their economic interests. The last ingredient they need to achieve an electoral victory is convincing enough information challenged voters to join them. This wealthy/uninformed coalition is the right wing base.  They remain a formidable threat. Not because of their ideas or activism just simply their vast money and the politicians they control.

The real reason the right-wing is hell-bent on destroying the Postal Service is because it’s proof that a federal agency with a unionized work force can be highly effective. These facts do not fit in well with the forces that demonize federal and union workers routinely for political gain.

We have to make our collective voices heard not just in the halls of congress but in the streets. This is the time.

 

Even the Government Accountability Office says that the USPS must keep 6 day delivery.

  By Bill Brickley | March 22, 2013 - 8:55 pm | , , ,
Comments
20130322-205503.jpg


20130322-204927.jpg

Thursday afternoon the Government
Accountability Office issued a legal opinion that supported the NALC’s position that the Postmaster General does not have the law on his side in reducing mail delivery to five days a week. “The GAO agrees with an ever-growing chorus of voices that the postmaster general doesn’t have the law on his side in this matter,” said NALC President Fredric Rolando.

This legal opinion was requested by Congressman Gerry Connolly,D-VA who lauded the verdict: ” Unfortunately, the Postmaster General continues to stonewall Members of Congress, withholding his legal justifications for eliminating Saturday delivery from Postal customers and the American public,” said Connolly, a ranking member on the Subcommittee on Government Operations, in a statement. “The GAO legal opinion clearly rejects the Postal Service’s attempt to circumvent the law.”

In New Hampshire Representatives Carol Shea-Porter and Ann Kuster demonstrated their strong support for Six Day Delivery by being early co-sponsors of HR 630. This legislation protects Six Day Delivery and addresses a number of other important postal issues. Including the 2006 Congressional mandate that requires an annual $5.5 Billion in prefunding of retiree health care costs of employees not yet born. This mandate has largely put the Postal Service in their current dire financial situation. This mandate was created to prevent future insolvency but instead it is causing immediate financial problems.

Wayne Alterisio 2 Also in New Hampshire , on March 17, local citizens in Manchester gathered to rally against the proposed reduction of a day of delivery. NH State Association President Wayne Alteresio rallied the crowd with a moving speech regarding the fight to Save The Post Office. The crowd held approximately 50 signs with the names of local businesses that want to keep six day mail delivery. Also in the crowd were many signs about the negative effects on the local community if a day of delivery was eliminated. Despite the cold wind attendees left optimistic that together we can save the Postal Service.

 

Really Mr President, Really??? Are You Going To Sit There While They Destroy The USPS?

  By Bill Brickley | February 8, 2013 - 6:02 pm | ,
Comments
Photo Brian Kersey / Getty Images

We knew Mitt Romney was going to sell the Postal Service off, we didn’t expect President Obama to sit by idly as Congress sends the Postal Service into a death spiral. It seems this issue should be more important to the President as he often states the importance of our nations infrastructure. His administration has worked to create middle class and veteran jobs but he remains stunningly silent as anti union and anti government politicians let the Postal Service eliminate Saturday delivery and accelerate its demise.

It is widely known that the Postal Service financial problems are tied to a 2006 Congressional mandate that requires the USPS to fund retiree health care costs 75 years into the future. Though the USPS pension funds are seriously over funded congress is still requiring it to put away $5.5 Billion a year for workers not yet born. No other business or agency in America is required to do this.

The Postal Service ties this nation together like no other institution. Rural America depends on 6 day’s a week mail delivery as it our country’s only universal communication network. Fed Ex and UPS provide scant coverage to rural America as they rely on the Postal Service to deliver to these unprofitable spots 6 days a week.

The Right Wing is using this manufactured crisis to dismantle one of Americas most trusted institutions. They are doing this for purely ideological reasons.  Postal workers are the Devil to these people. The USPS employs the largest collection of union workers in the country and their hard work is proof that government can be effective. We have the lowest price of First Class Mail in the world while providing universal service 6 days a week without one penny of tax payer money.

African-Americans were rightfully filled with pride when President Obama was elected and then reelected. The Bush recession has hit African-American Communities hard already with soaring unemployment.  So how can the President  be so quiet when the largest employer of African-Americans (22%)  is being decimated by a manufactured crisis?

The Administration has been a strong proponent of veterans jobs but this manufactured crisis is putting in jeopardy over 130,000 veterans jobs in the Postal Service. How can the President let this happen?

President Obama spoke eloquently in his Inauguration Address about Civil Rights, Gay Rights and Women’s Rights  but he seemed to leave out Workers Rights.  How can he not mention workers rights?

The Labor movement has worked tirelessly to elect President Obama and though he has disappointed us he was clearly our better candidate in both races. That is not an issue. The issue is when is he going to stand up for workers rights?

The time has come for him to speak up on preserving 6 day mail delivery. This is now the issue center stage in the war on workers. He can not  remain silent as thousands of middle class jobs evaporate and our nation’s infrastructure takes a step back. As much as President Obama speaks of social rights and the GOP trumpets gun rights. These rights are diminished if people don’t have jobs. Social freedoms are hollow without economic justice.

 

 

Privatize The Post Office? That What Pitney Bowes Is Paying Lawmakers To Push

  By Bill Brickley | January 14, 2013 - 9:28 am | ,
Comments
Pitney Bowes

Pitney Bowes seems  to be promoting a reckless and astoundingly flawed plan to privatize every part of the Postal Service except mail delivery.   This reckless plan was brought up years ago by the Libertarian Cato Institute but was quickly dismissed.  Yet the idea has been reintroduced recently. Why would this plan be suddenly creating interest in DC at this time?  It’s simple follow the money.

Under this plan, financed by Pitney Bowes, the entire Postal Service would become a series of private companies that would process and transport the mail to your US Postal Service Letter Carrier who would deliver it. The rational of this misguided plan is that they can eliminate hundreds of thousands of good union middle class jobs and replace them with low wage and benefit challenged employees . Then disguise it by still having your trusted Letter Carrier still bring it to your door.

This Postal Service is easily the most trusted Government Agency in America, it’s not even close. So Pitney Bowes and its extremist colleagues in DC figure they can’t privatize the entire Postal Service, as Mitt Romney wanted to do, instead they will keep the public face of our nations most trusted agency and have employees paid at the Wal-Mart level process the mail. Corporate America daily underestimates the intelligence of the American People but this seems to be extreme even by their standards.

How can people feel secure placing their most important documents into a mail system run by a shadowy workforce? The Postal Service goes to extremes in keeping people’s mail private, safe and secure. Undoubtedly this new private mail processing company would not do the same.

Pitney Bowes has contributed the maximum $17,500 campaign contribution to one congressional candidate in its history. To no surprise the recipient was Congressman Darryl Issa (R-CA) in 2012. Also keep in mind Issa also received $17,500 from UPS.

Mr Issa whose extremist views on dismantling the Postal Service are well-known . His Government Oversight Committee has blocked any postal reform legislation other than his own HR 2309.  Another major recipient of thousands of dollars from Pitney Bowes is Dennis Ross (R-FL) who was the only co-sponsor co of the union busting HR 2309 . Interestingly, Ross’ 2nd biggest campaign contributor is UPS with $15,000 in 2012. This picture seems clear that these people want the Postal Service eliminated for their personal gain and anti union agenda.

Advocates for this Pitney Bowes study stress that private companies “can fulfill other tasks in the postal network and do so at a lower cost and with greater efficiency and innovation and without political and regulatory interference”

Lets look at the facts the Postal Service has the least expensive rates in the industrial world and their protection of the mail is unrivaled. The Postal Service has not been able to invest more in innovation because it is saddled with a 2006  congressional mandate that the Postal Service make annual $5.5 billion payments into a retirement benefits fund for future employees who are not even born yet. No agency or business,  public or private is required to make such a payment.  Why not simply let the Postal Service survive without any ” political and regulatory interference”?  I am sure no replacement private company is going to fund retiree costs 75 years into the future like the USPS is required by Congress to do.  Most likely this replacement company will offer no retiree benefits whatsoever.

So Pitney Bowes is funding this ” study” that is the going to be officially  released in full in a few months. Its release will coincide with the debt ceiling negotiations. What better time to attempt to sneak this ridiculous plan into law. Only in the world of extremist politics  and right-wing think tanks would an idea like this seem credible. Pitney Bowes should save their money as their CEO who made $9,230,798 last year is retiring soon and will undoubtedly need a golden parachute on his way out the door.

 

This Election, Labor Leads The Way

  By Bill Brickley | November 13, 2012 - 12:00 pm | ,
Comments
Lou SAPS

The NALC has again shown why it is among the best unions in the land. Realizing our Unions very existence was at stake. The NALC sent hundreds of Carriers into the field to work full time on AFL CIO’s LABOR 2012 program. That decision paid off as unions worked hard and brought home some much-needed victories for the Labor Movement and the Postal Service. As good as this victory was we still have many obstacles to overcome.

The NALC, APWU and NPMHU had their very existence at stake on November 6th. Romney had full intention of eliminating our jobs and privatizing the USPS if given the chance.  Postal Unions worked together in New Hampshire to elect President Barrack Obama, Governor Maggie Hassan, long time friend Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, and also welcomed a union friendly Congresswoman Annie McLane-Kuster to Congress. Our three unions were an effective team working together throughout the state to ensure our survival.

Possibly now this nation can address real problems as a country not imaginary ones. The right wing media loves using phony issues to distract the public. They want voters to vote against their own economic interests; they try to accomplish this by manufacturing an alternate reality.  Rachel Madow accurately pointed this out on November 7th.

Ohio really did go to the president

And he really did win.
And he really was born in Hawaii.
And he really is -legitimately- President of the United States.
Again.

And the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not make-up a fake unemployment rate
And the Congressional Research Service really can find no evidence
That cutting taxes on rich people grows the economy.

And the polls were not skewed to over-sample Democrats.
And Nate Silver was not making up fake projections about the election to make conservatives feel bad.
He was doing math.

And climate change is real.
And rape really does cause pregnancy sometimes.
And evolution is a thing.
And Benghazi was an attack on us. It was not a scandal by us.

And no one is taking away anyone’s guns.
And taxes haven’t gone up.
And the deficit is dropping, actually.
And Saddam Hussein didn’t have weapons of mass destruction.

And the moon landing was real.
And FEMA isn’t building concentration camps.
And UN election observers aren’t taking over Texas.
And moderate reforms of the regulations on the insurance industry
And the financial services industry
Are not the same thing as communism

So one of the real topics that must be dealt with is the financial situation of the Postal Service. President Rolando challenged Congress: “Addressing in a responsible manner the future of the Postal Service would, indeed, be a good place for all sides to demonstrate a commitment to effective governing,” Rolando said. “Legislation currently before Congress in both chambers fails to meet the grade, because it would dismantle the universal network that provides Americans with the world’s most efficient delivery service, while degrading those very services and hence driving mail and revenue out of the system.”

One ballot question that was of particular interest to Letter Carriers was a ballot question in Michigan that would repeal Public Act 4. That act and implementation by Governor Snyder was the model Congressman Issa used to create his Postal Bill HR 2309. The most controversial aspect of Michigan’s Public Act 4 was one that allowed emergency managers to amend or scrap collective bargaining agreements under certain circumstances. This was how Mr. Issa was going to take away our collective bargaining rights. In Michigan that Act was repealed by the Voters! Hopefully Mr. Issa takes note and he will allow reasonable postal reform proposals to be heard in his committee.

Though this election was a major win for the Labor Movement and the Middle Class we still have much work to do. We as Letter carriers have to be vigilant and make our voices heard as Congress debates our future as well as the Postal Services as they attempt to rectify this manufactured crisis. The quality of our lives for decades to follow depends on it.

 

Facing the Cliff

  By Bill Brickley | October 31, 2012 - 12:05 pm | , , , ,
Comments

As Postal employees, we are in a unique situation in that we have the opportunity to vote on the future direction of our employer. In a few days we will head to the ballot box to decide the fate of our jobs and pensions.

Our choices for President are between two candidates who have a starkly different vision of the Postal Service’s future.

President Obama will  continue to work towards a long-term viable Postal Service. His message to Letter Carriers this summer in Minneapolis was inspiring: “Together, you represent  what’s best about this country. Your work isn’t easy, but day in and day out, you provide a service that keeps our country’s economy on track.” Obama continued, “We are pushing back on the assault on unions because the values you stand for — hard work, responsibility, looking out for one another — those are not just union values, they are American values.”

If Governor Romney were to take control of the Oval Office, he would most certainly begin the process of eliminating the Postal Service as we know it. He is surrounded by economic advisers like Kevin Hassett, who dream at night to not only see the most effective part of the federal government eliminated but to see hundreds of thousands of union jobs vanish.

As shown by his dismal job creation numbers as an unpopular Governor of Massachusetts, Romney has no skill at working for the advancement of ordinary citizens. Romney, besides being born extremely wealthy, has made his ridiculous amount of money presiding over Bain Capital. Bain Capital didn’t make money by creating jobs — they became wealthy by eliminating them. Gutting and then selling off companies is what Romney did at Bain and he will now do that to the Postal Service.

Having a $5.6 Billion annual payment mandated by Congress to pay for retiree health care costs 75 years in the future has placed the Postal Service in a difficult place. This burden  was placed as a political statement by the Bush administration. Adding to the problem is that the 112th Congress has been not only obstructionist but fervently anti-worker and anti-government. So it’s not even a possibility that Postal Reform could get a fair hearing. Though a bi-partisan postal reform bill garnered over 230 co sponsors, it was denied a vote by the Government Oversight Committee whose GOP members are well-financed by the Koch Brothers and other extreme anti-worker groups.

Just like Sandy was a “Perfect Storm”, so is the situation the Postal Service finds itself in. A manufactured crisis has placed the Postal Service on the precipice of a fiscal cliff. The Republican Party Platform is trying to use this crisis to advance their ideological crusade and privatize the Postal Service. That would have detrimental effects to millions of Americans who depend on the Postal Service, as well as postal workers and 7-8 million mailing industry workers who would soon be on the unemployment line.

Our choices are between President Obama, who will pull us away from the edge, and Mitt Romney — who would be more than happy to push us and our jobs off the cliff.