National Mail Handlers Union Respond to Burrus Raid Letters
Recently William Burrus, President, American Postal Workers Union sent out the following letter (PDF) (via APWU Steward Frank Wilson, Chicago Postal Worker) denying that it’s trying to “raid” NPMHU members.
The National Postal Mail Handlers Union has responded (via APWU Steward Frank Wilson, ChicagoPostalWorker.com) to APWU’s alleged “raid” activities. A few excerpts from the scathing letter (PDF):
We are writing to all Mail handlers to respond to recent letters that have been circulated by the American Postal Workers Union in many postal facilities across the country. In those letters, APWU President Bill Burrus tries to entice individual Mail Handlers to join efforts aimed at merging the Mail Handler craft into a “combined organization” with other postal employees. Burrus can try to package his “non-hostile” outreach letter to Mail Handlers however he likes and call it whatever he wants, but the distribution of these letters must be viewed by your NPMHU National Leadership as the opening salvo in an attempt by the APWU to raid the membership of our great Union, pure and simple. If these activities continue, they will be met by an increasing level of resistance by the NPMHU and its members. For now, we simply urge you either to ignore these efforts, or to reject them outright. And, although we are taking this “raid” talk seriously we have too many critical issues facing our Union right now (including national bargaining) to pay too much attention to this desperate *power-grab* by Burrus and company. (It is noteworthy that many APWU local officers and representative have not succumbed to pressure from APWU headquarters, and they have had the good sense to refuse to circulate these letters in their facilities. Those brothers and sisters are to be applauded. They clearly are not interested in supporting Burrus’ personal political agenda, and in causing a further division between the officer and members of our respective unions,)
Ironically, it is Bill Burrus and the National Office of the APWU that is blocking some of the key ways in which unions can work together for a common purpose. It is no secret that the NPMHU has been seeking to re-affiliate with the AFL-CIO since our international parent body decided to disaffiliate from that federation this past June. AS many of your know, the NPMHU has been a member of the AFL-CIO since 1937, and we have been seeking to revive that relationship during the past few months. But Bill Burrus has been personally delaying that re-affiliation effort. The sad truth is that he is working behind the scenes to try an agreement between the NPMHU and the AFL-CIO to re-establish their seven-decade relationship. The AFL-CIO Constitution contains a provision, in Article XX, prohibiting any member union of the AFL-CIO from raiding another member union.
…..We didn’t come looking for a brawl, but we certainly will not walk away from this one.
….The NPMHU will continue to fight for Mail Handlers. The APWU is hereby advised that it should stop sticking its nose where it does not belong.
note: links added by PostalReporter.com
October 29th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
That’s putting it plain and simple.
October 31st, 2006 at 12:48 pm
I’m been an APWU Steward for 15 years. I heard last July that some APWU members were thinking about “raiding” the mailhandlers. This is the wrong thing to do! I do think we should become one union through negotiations. No more RI399 disputes, etc. Management couldn’t pit us against each other. We did this with
maintenance and MVS. I was told about a plan 10 years ago to do this but the national mailhandlers leaders didn’t want it then because they were afraid they would loose their positions. Let’s work together to find a way to become one Union.
November 1st, 2006 at 7:24 am
Rank and File Mailhandlers need to realize that they continue to be an exploited class of workers within the USPS. New hire Mailhandlers at their level 4 pay make about as much as level 3 maintenance custodians represented by the APWU. Not to mention that Mailhandlers have no limits on overtime.
As long as our employer has a lower paid, no workhour limit labor resource they will continue to place a divide between the two unions.
It’s too bad that the rank and file of the Mailhandler Union suffer under leadership who continue to insist that those conditions are the best they can negotiate. Mailhandlers…your being sold out by your national officers.
November 1st, 2006 at 9:43 am
At the National Convention I voted against this “raiding” resolution because I don’t think that is the right answer. I believe both unions, in good faith, should negotiate a merger because it is the right thing to do. This situation should not be about money or membership, but power at the bargaining table.
Mailhandler were screwed out of double-time and hour limitation in the last negotiations. That will be hard to get that back and I’m still trying to figure out why they(NPMHU officers)negotiated such a contract.
I agree with Brad that the work mailhandlers do is under-paid and over-worked. The NPMHU fails to see what their members go through day in and day out in my opinion. I see those brothers and sisters working 60+ hours at time-n-half only, injuries that could be prevented and in my plant, poor communications among their local officers. That last one is a biggie too me.
The NPMHU letter is somewhat distorted as well, as they also failed too mention that the RI-399 system is broken. It has made clerk and mailhandler work into blurred positions. In turn, it creates hard feelings between our unions by pitting us against each other.
All these problems are making it easier to erode all union power and allow the postal service to enjoy the benefits. Lower wages, less overtime costs and so on.
But it all boils down to the members as well, either stay in the same union or or join/merge into a different one.
I for one would like us to merge.
November 2nd, 2006 at 5:48 am
How many mail handlers complain because they can work unlimited overtime? I know of many that would be upset if the NPMHU Contract contained hour restrictions.
As far as previous efforts to negotiate “One Union”, the mail handler union actually discussed that and it was the APWU that opposed it until Moe decided to propose it as “One Union - The APWU”. Why should NPMHU officials lose their positions? The pompous APWU attitude would have to go. Keep thinking that your contract is better as your jobs are excessed and mail handlers keep getting more work.
November 20th, 2006 at 2:41 am
It’s true, not many mailhandlers complain of OT but they don’t have much of a life either, their health suffers.
No one said the APWU contract is better. Theres things better in both, but use common sense and find a way to work together.
June 25th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I agree there should be one Union, let the APWU merge with us and become the NPMHU