At a state convention of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), a postal worker approached National President, Cliff Guffey to challenge the recent sellout contractors. He recalled how this “leader” had signed a five-year agreement giving up the eight-hour day for thousands of workers and cutting wages of new hires in half. They would have no chance of ever reaching the higher rate of veteran workers. They contract also freezes wages for two years, in line with Obama’s wage freeze for other federal workers. Guffey who was obviously taken aback when the rank-and-filer demanded, “how could you sign a contract allowing management to bring in new workers for half of what we make?”
“Well, at least we kept those jobs in our bargaining unit” he replied.
“Right, and now management is trying to fire all of us to bring in low-paid workers,” the worker shot back.
“Well, these things usually work themselves out,” said Guffey. “You have to file grievances.”
“It sure is working itself out”, the worker retorted. “They are making clerks become letter carriers, while they hire new clerks at $14/hour.”
Guffey advocated to concentrate on electing more Democrats in November.
“You mean more of the politicians that have been screwing us in Congress so far?” the worker responded. Obama voted for reducing the 6 day delivery system down to 5. “They haven’t exactly done what we wanted them to do, have they? They’re all no good!”
Attacks against postal workers have caused a lot of confusion and anger, fueled by racism. The Post Office has been one of the primary avenues for black workers to break out of poverty and make a more decent, steady living. While racist unemployment continues to rise the bosses, with Obama’s full support, are trying to slash another 200,000 jobs. Postal unemployment already declined by several hundred thousand clerks. A two-tier wage system means they will never hire clerks at anything much beyond the minimum wage.
The union has gone along with these attacks “to save ‘our’ postal service.” Management bought off the union by allowing the new low-wage employees to join the APWU and buy into its insurance plan, but no other. As workers we know that our power comes from multi-racial class unity, not from turning our backs on each other.
These attacks aren’t unique to the postal service. The “lesser-of-two -vils” Obama has been attacking auto, steel and health care workers, among others — forcing them to accept layoffs, wage cuts, speedups and cuts in pensions and health insurance.
The U.S. bosses are in a fight to the death with their imperialist rivals in China, Europe and Russia. To pay for this, they’re forcing workers to pay for their wars. This is the “shared sacrifice” Obama was winning our class to in 2008.
But workers are beginning to fight back more. Caterpillar workers are striking in Joliet, IL (see CHALLENGE 6/6/12). The Occupy movement has inspired millions of workers to consider the reasons why the1% control all the wealth while the 99% do all the work.
All workers have an enormous responsibility. Building a movement for communist revolution is the only way to end this profit system, which is the cause of the layoffs, excessing, and pay and benefit cuts. By uniting black, Latino, Asian and white, we can organize workers to understand the need to smash these bosses and build a communist society.
