Members of the American Postal Workers Union, meeting at their national convention in Minneapolis, made a historic commitment to organizing workers in private sector mailing operations.
At the five-day convention, which concluded Friday, delegates appropriated a portion of future dues revenues for a special organizing fund. It is expected to generate more than $3 million over the next three years for organizing.
'Today is a historic moment for Postal Workers,' said Greg Poferl, an APWU national business agent from the Twin Cities who has been a leader in the organizing effort. Unionizing workers in private companies will help maintain wage and benefit levels for employees of the U.S. Postal Service and improve the lives of the newly organized, he said.
'This is the union's most important endeavor over the course of this convention,' APWU President William Burrus told delegates. 'The union has an obligation to its members and to our country to organize the unorganized - wherever they are.'
Still, the measure was controversial, as some delegates questioned whether the union had an adequate organizing plan, whether organizing campaigns would detract from the union's ability to represent current members and whether the unionization of private companies would lead to more contracting-out of current Postal Service jobs.
Burrus assured members that 'we can do it efficiently . . . We can do it without threatening the existence of anyone in this union.'
Members of the American Postal Workers Union, meeting at their national convention in Minneapolis, made a historic commitment to organizing workers in private sector mailing operations.
At the five-day convention, which concluded Friday, delegates appropriated a portion of future dues revenues for a special organizing fund. It is expected to generate more than $3 million over the next three years for organizing.
‘Today is a historic moment for Postal Workers,’ said Greg Poferl, an APWU national business agent from the Twin Cities who has been a leader in the organizing effort. Unionizing workers in private companies will help maintain wage and benefit levels for employees of the U.S. Postal Service and improve the lives of the newly organized, he said.
‘This is the union’s most important endeavor over the course of this convention,’ APWU President William Burrus told delegates. ‘The union has an obligation to its members and to our country to organize the unorganized – wherever they are.’
Still, the measure was controversial, as some delegates questioned whether the union had an adequate organizing plan, whether organizing campaigns would detract from the union’s ability to represent current members and whether the unionization of private companies would lead to more contracting-out of current Postal Service jobs.
Burrus assured members that ‘we can do it efficiently . . . We can do it without threatening the existence of anyone in this union.’