A Wisconsin APWU delegation met today with Senator Tammy Baldwin in her office in Washington D.C. to discuss the future of the Postal Service.
(L-R) APWU of WI President, Steve Lord; Wausau Area Local President, Tom Tomczyk; Milwaukee Area Local President, Paul McKenna; Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin; Madison Area Local President, Bret Wersland; and Milwaukee Area Local Rep., Chris Czubakowski.
The APWU of Wisconsin Spring Seminar is one week away.
See you at the:
Chula Vista Resort
March 9-10 2015
Whether or not to approve construction of the Keystone tar sands pipeline is one of the first pieces of legislation that the Senate has taken up since the 114th Congress came into session this month. For this bill, newly minted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised an open-amendment process. Said McConnell, “nobody is blocking any amendments,” and Senate Democrats are taking him up on his offer. A wide range of amendments on a variety of topics have been offered, including amendments to subsidize heating bills for low-income families and require companies using the pipeline to pay into an oil spill cleanup fund. This week, the Senate voted 98-1 in favor of an amendment to affirm that climate change is indeed real and "not a hoax."
Senate postal champion Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is now leading a new charge to undo the Postmaster General’s disastrous decision to slow down the mail and close 82 mail processing facilities. Sanders introduced an amendment to the Keystone bill that would restore service standards to July 2012 levels and would block the closure of any processing facilities for two years. The amendment already has secured the support of a dozen co-sponsors: Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT), Edward Markey (D-MA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Al Franken (D-MN), Tom Udall (D-NM), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Murphy (D-CT.), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
While APWU opposes passage of the underlying bill, and President Obama has vowed to veto the bill, we are calling upon APWU activists to reach out to their senators and ask them to support this important amendment. This bill’s open-amendment process could be a unique opportunity to force senators to say where they stand on the future of America’s public postal service.
Please call your senators and ask them to support the Sanders postal amendment. To find the phone numbers for your two senators’ DC offices, please click here.
Chula Vista Resort
March 9-10 2015
Hotel Registration------------------ $91 Includes Water Park Passes
1-855-388-4782 ---------------------Reference APWU Seminar
Registration deadline---------------February 10, 2015
Click Here – for Directions
Training Schedule to follow soon.
Seminar Registration----------------$85
Make checks payable to: APWU of Wisconsin
Send to: PO Box 2371, Oshkosh WI 54903
Please send registration $ ASAP to make seminar planning easier
After months of electioneering, phone banks, door knocks, and billions of dollars spent in campaign ads, the book has closed on the 2014 midterm elections. The APWU is truly appreciative of all active and retired members and our Auxiliary who took time out of their lives to engage in this year’s elections. It’s not glamorous work, but educating union households about the key political issues and candidates who will best represent working families is important and praiseworthy.
Last Tuesday’s elections serves as an important reminder that APWU’s ongoing work of advocating for our members, retirees, and families does not inexorably bind us to one party. The mail is not a partisan issue. Regardless of party affiliation, we will continue to engage and work with any lawmakers who will work with us. Likewise, we will stand resolute in opposing lawmakers or legislation which seeks to diminish our livelihood or destroy good working class jobs.
APWU’s ongoing effort to secure a moratorium on the looming mail slowdown and plant closures has been bolstered by support from elected officials on both sides of the aisle. A bipartisan majority of senators endorse legislation to block USPS’s wrongheaded cuts. In the House, 5 Republicans and 5 Democrats have led the charge, securing the bipartisan support of over 160 representatives.
While Congress considers action, members of the four postal unions and supporters are preparing for a National Day of Action on Nov. 14. With over 125 events nationwide, we will send a powerful message to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe and the USPS Board of Governor’s: Stop Delaying America’s Mail! To read more and find an event near you, click here.
Much remains to be seen about the new 114th Congress which will begin in January 2015. APWU heads into the new Congress with an unwavering commitment to defend our livelihoods and achieve long-term, commonsense postal reform. Stay tuned.
Steve Lord, President of the APWU of Wisconsin presents a check for $500.00 to Mike Pyne , President of The Wisconsin Alliance of Retired Americans (WIARA). The Alliance is a “grass roots” organization that looks out for the interests of retired American workers.
Retired NEWAL President Tony Vanderbloemen, Milwaukee Area Local Business Agent Mark Ferrari, APWU of Wisconsin President Steve Lord, Wausau Area Local President Mike Tomzyck, and Madison Area Local President Bret Wersland meet with US Senator Tammy Baldwin to discuss legislative issues dealing with the USPS. We were also there to express our gratitude for all her help trying to stop the disastrous postal reform bill S1486 and plant consolidations and closures.
Area Local President Paul McKenna and APWU of Wisconsin President Steve Lord present Wisconsin AFL CIO Secretary Treasurer Stephanie Bloomingdale with a $2500 check from APWU COPA to support Labor friendly candidates in critical Wisconsin 2014 Governor and legislative races.
