Fight Privatization of the US Postal Service!
A Strong Contract for NALC members and All USPS Workers/Unions
This past Sunday March 23, members of the Independent Socialist Group joined in rallies organized by USPS union workers organized in the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) in Boston MA, Portland ME, and Providence RI.
We stood with NALC members against privatization of the postal service and for a stronger contract for the 200,000 union members who voted down – by a 70% margin – a tentative agreement back in January that offered 1.3% yearly increases, starting wages of just over $20/hr, and an 11-year wage progression.
Workers in the postal service endure high turnover, low pay, forced overtime, and dangerous working conditions. 43% of USPS letter carriers are temp workers, and 60% leave the job after 1 year. The USPS has become massively understaffed and underfunded. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and top management have closed mail processing facilities and delayed mail delivery, degrading service as a set up to privatization.
The 222,000 members of APWU (American Postal Workers Union) are still in contract negotiations, and 500 Teamster members of 10 Roads Express that work for USPS are on strike. Federal workers are under increased attack from the Trump administration. Our unions need militant tactics and unity as a labor movement. We need to organize protests, rallies, and strikes to oppose layoffs, win much higher wages, and win stronger contracts. We need a new political party, a workers’ party, to bring working people together to fight against attacks on public services and jobs. The Democrats failed to remove DeJoy and for decades have joined with Republicans to pass laws hurting the postal service and our unions.
ISG stands with the members of NALC, along with all USPS postal workers. We call for:
- $30/hour starting wages
- An all-career/permanent workforce: no temp jobs or two-tier pay systems where some workers are paid less than others for the same work!
- The right to strike for USPS workers and all public-sector workers
- All USPS unions to fight together for improved conditions
- For all unions – including those outside the USPS – to support NALC members and join in rallies and mass informational pickets against privatization
- A workers’ party to unite unions and working people against big corporations and both corporate political parties
Independent Socialist Group 