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| President Obama addresses the Postal Workers convention by video as APWU President Cliff Guffey and delegates listen. Photo courtesy of apwu.org |
Delegates listened to a recorded message from President Obama shortly before the vote.
“We want to build an economy that lasts,” the President said, “and that’s why we’re pushing back against the assault on unions, because the values you stand for — hard work, responsibility, looking out for one another — aren’t just union values. They’re American values.
“That’s why we’re fighting to make sure that the United States Postal Service keeps delivering for the American people.”
Trumka drew repeated applause as he slammed Right Wing attacks on the Postal Service, public services in general and workers’ rights.
“This is our country!” Trumka told the delegates. “We wake it up and make it run, every single day. We put it to bed at night. Every single day! We answer when it calls. And we do whatever it takes -- no matter what the cost -- and it is time we took America back!”
The AFL-CIO president drew a connection between the Congressionally manufactured crisis facing the Postal Service and other efforts to undercut public services.
“Dependable mail delivery is a core function of any national government,” Trumka said. “The mail should not be political — not any more than highways or bridges or schools.”
“If Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and the right-wing say we can’t pay for better schools and safe highways… if we can’t afford teachers and postal workers… if we can’t keep our promises to public workers… if we can’t afford six-day mail service — we sure as hell can’t afford more tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.
“But the Romney-Ryan budget would gut the post office; gut education, training, research and development, and everything else we need to grow; and it would end Medicare as we know it — all to give more tax breaks to the super-rich!
“The last thing America needs is a self-serving, privatizing outsourcer like Mitt Romney who talks out of both sides of his mouth. He even outsources his bank accounts.
Trumka and Guffey said labor will be mobilizing like never before in the weeks leading up to the election.
“This political season we have every reason to go the extra mile,” Trumka said. “We’re reaching past the walls of our union halls. We’re reaching out to non-union workers and community allies and building a grassroots movement like America hasn’t seen in generations.
“United, we cannot and will not be turned aside.”
The article is adapted from reports on the website of the American Postal Workers Union.
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| President Obama addresses the Postal Workers convention by video as APWU President Cliff Guffey and delegates listen.
Photo courtesy of apwu.org |
Laying out the stakes in the November election, Postal Workers President Cliff Guffey said, “If there’s a Republican House, a Republican Senate and a Republican president [in January], it won’t be a matter of years — it will be a matter of days before we lose our right to collective bargaining.”
Delegates listened to a recorded message from President Obama shortly before the vote.
“We want to build an economy that lasts,” the President said, “and that’s why we’re pushing back against the assault on unions, because the values you stand for — hard work, responsibility, looking out for one another — aren’t just union values. They’re American values.
“That’s why we’re fighting to make sure that the United States Postal Service keeps delivering for the American people.”
Trumka drew repeated applause as he slammed Right Wing attacks on the Postal Service, public services in general and workers’ rights.
“This is our country!” Trumka told the delegates. “We wake it up and make it run, every single day. We put it to bed at night. Every single day! We answer when it calls. And we do whatever it takes — no matter what the cost — and it is time we took America back!”
The AFL-CIO president drew a connection between the Congressionally manufactured crisis facing the Postal Service and other efforts to undercut public services.
“Dependable mail delivery is a core function of any national government,” Trumka said. “The mail should not be political — not any more than highways or bridges or schools.”
“If Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and the right-wing say we can’t pay for better schools and safe highways… if we can’t afford teachers and postal workers… if we can’t keep our promises to public workers… if we can’t afford six-day mail service — we sure as hell can’t afford more tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.
“But the Romney-Ryan budget would gut the post office; gut education, training, research and development, and everything else we need to grow; and it would end Medicare as we know it — all to give more tax breaks to the super-rich!
“The last thing America needs is a self-serving, privatizing outsourcer like Mitt Romney who talks out of both sides of his mouth. He even outsources his bank accounts.
Trumka and Guffey said labor will be mobilizing like never before in the weeks leading up to the election.
“This political season we have every reason to go the extra mile,” Trumka said. “We’re reaching past the walls of our union halls. We’re reaching out to non-union workers and community allies and building a grassroots movement like America hasn’t seen in generations.
“United, we cannot and will not be turned aside.”
The article is adapted from reports on the website of the American Postal Workers Union.