Cohen to APWU Members: U.S. Mail Not for Sale

At the American Postal Workers Union convention in Chicago, CWA President Larry Cohen told 3,000 postal worker members and delegates that CWAers are standing strong in the fight to save the jobs of thousands of APWU members, and the Post Office as we know it. The delegates rose to their feet several times.

CWA President Cohen at APWU convention, with APWU President Mark Dimondstein and Sec.-Treas. Elizabeth Powell.

Post office processing and mail delivery jobs are under attack, as the U.S. Post Office has closed hundreds of processing plants, he said. "Contracting out is out of control, and CWA members are joining you in this latest fight to stop the Post Office from setting up kiosks at Staples and other box stores. It's a fight to keep the Post Office," Cohen said.

CWA activists are joining the boycott of Staples and will participate in demonstrations at Staples stores nationwide, he said.

Outside a Chicago Staples store, thousands of APWU members and supporters protest USPS contracting out that has eliminated thousands of good jobs.

While in Chicago, thousands of APWU members, labor and community activists and others marched to a Staples store to protest the USPS's "sweetheart deal" with Staples that will cost workers their jobs and customers the quality service they need.

Work that should be done by uniformed postal workers in secure facilities has been shipped out to 82 Staples retail locations, jeopardizing security of the mail as well as good jobs for postal workers and letter carriers.

APWU President Mark Dimondstein told convention delegates that the USPS and Staples were trying to derail the boycott, but that wasn't going to happen. "We intend to keep up the pressure until Staples gets out of the mail business. The U.S. Mail Is Not for Sale," he said.

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