The Alliance, a coalition of groups and individuals dedicated to preserving the public Postal Service, has been intensifying its efforts in response to what it perceives as an increasing threat to the United States Postal Service (USPS). A joint briefing was held on March 19 with the Save the Post Office coalition to highlight these concerns. Approximately 120 participants from various organizations, including MoveOn, Indivisible, the Alliance for Retired Americans, and Public Citizen, attended the event.
Melanie Campbell from the National Council on Black Civic Participation initiated the briefing. APWU President Mark Dimondstein followed by discussing potential threats and consequences associated with postal privatization. Monique Morrissey of the Economic Policy Institute elaborated on the economic impacts of a possible sell-off of postal services. Shawn Sebastian from Rural Organizing spoke about how privatization could affect rural communities specifically. Additionally, Brittany Price from APWU’s Cleveland Area Local shared insights from a postal worker’s perspective.
The March 20 Day of Action saw over 300 local events organized by various groups like the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, Jobs with Justice, and Indivisible. These events aimed at strengthening community support against postal privatization. For instance, an organizer at a Globe-Miami Indivisible chapter event emphasized using leaflets and toolkits to engage community members regardless of their political affiliations.
In Lincoln County, ME, another event highlighted community unity in supporting local postal workers: “The most important thing is that I met a bunch of new friends who care about my rural town like I do,” stated one organizer.
APWU locals are encouraged to build relationships with local chapters of coalition members through outreach efforts such as phone calls to identify shared interests and collaborative opportunities.
The Alliance has updated its mission statement in light of ongoing challenges: “…under extreme assault by the current administration’s illegal hostile takeover of the independent agency.” The statement emphasizes that dismantling USPS for private profit compromises public good and constitutional rights. It calls for collective action to protect public postal services for future generations.
For more information or assistance in reaching local affiliates, contact [email protected]. The full mission statement and supporter list can be found at agrandalliance.org.
