Sticking Together

I am sitting here, the day of the eclipse, two weeks before Labor Day as I write this article. I think back to my Labor Education and all those who struggled before us to promote Unionism and make the workplace a better place.

Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO is credited with saying: “Today, when you pick a fight with any of us, you pick a fight with all of us! And when you push us, we will push back.”

John J. Sweeney stated “We believe ‘Solidarity’ means sticking together, not getting stuck together.

Recently, one post office in the Long Island District has been under the scrutiny, villainy and disrespect to all Union members within the four walls, this means carriers as well as clerks. And while I only represent Letter Carriers, an injustice to one is an injustice to all.

The Carrier Stewards in this office have been denied their rights under Articles 17 and 31 of our National Agreement. They were denied time to speak with the members, they were denied documentation requested to investigate and file potential grievances and they were denied Union time to file grievances. This created a very hostile environment because at the same time, the District flooded the office with outside managers who stood and observed the carriers in the office, drove around and observed the carriers in the street and continuously advised the local managers not to allow the Stewards to function as Stewards, unless of course there was a PDI needed, then the Stewards were a necessary part to the evilness of the districts actions.

So what did these Stewards do? They could have resigned, they could have thrown temper tantrums, they could have gotten themselves removed from the building, but no, they chose another path.

They started filing grievances on their own time, incomplete, without statements from carriers but in order to maintain the 14 day time frame it became necessary as they were told “there will be no more time extensions!” The Postal Service must have thought that this would break the Union; I’m here to tell you that it did not.

These two brave Stewards contacted the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and filed Unfair Labor Practices against the Postal Service. On their own time they went into Brooklyn, were interviewed by a Board Agent, more like an interrogation actually, had to follow up with that Board Agent on questions and concerns that the Labor Board had. They knew that something had to be done. They knew that it appeared as if the Union had no control over the situation and they knew, they had to stand up for the membership who voted them into their positions. They were not going to get “stuck together” as John J. Sweeney said.

And an amazing thing occurred, suddenly all the documentation that had been requested in the past six months miraculously appeared. The two Stewards were allowed to interview carriers and file grievances on the clock and the extra supervision disappeared. Has a miracle occurred? No not really, the work place is still loaded with problems however the Union has taken on a new life in the office. Carriers will write statements; raise concerns and their voices will now be heard. And the process will go on, in the manner it was agreed to in our National Agreement and under the law as outlined in the National Labor Relations Act.

I am here to tell you that Bullying tactics cannot be ignored. They have to be handled. Is this easy to do? Absolutely not, but if we all stand strong together, write statements, watch out for each other and step up the job will get done.

Robert Kennedy wrote: Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

Stand tall, look out for each other, learn the contract and the rules of your job and work as one, a Union.