Via Bobby Donelson, APWU SWCAL Retiree Chapter President:
The retirees are asking all delegates to the 2018 National Convention to support two changes in the APWU National Constitution. Neither is harmful to the APWU or a cost factor. Retirees assist local, state, and the national unions.
Amend the APWU Constitution & By-Laws; new Article 6: SEC 6. Retiree delegates will be seated with a voice and a vote at the National Convention pursuant to the formula in Article 6, section one.
The Constitution shall be amended (Article 22) in appropriate part(s) to confer the same authority for State and Local Retiree Chapters as States and Locals to submit and have accepted for consideration proposals to amend the Constitution and submit Resolutions to the National Convention.
These two changes are supported by many retirees. Local, state, and the national union all seek assistance and involvement of retirees. Retirees have a lot of wisdom, knowledge, and experience. All of these qualities improve the American Postal Workers Union.
Please help your retirees.
Once we get the Constitution Resolution Numbers for these two proposed constitutional amendments we will circulate the exact resolutions to everyone.
These are the two resolutions being submitted to the National Convention:
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - Michigan State Retiree Chapter
Office held, if any
President, Central Region Retiree Convention Delegate
As the Central Region Retiree Convention Delegate and Michigan State Retiree Chapter President, I proudly voted with my fellow Union Brothers and Sisters from the State of Michigan at the 2016 National Convention in Orlando. On Issues that I was not fully informed on, I consulted with respected delegates from my state. And let’s face it. Many delegates at National Conventions don’t understand or know which way to vote on resolutions and follow the directions of their Local Presidents.
As for having a vote on issues that don’t affect them, the APWU has always been an all inclusive Union. While Brother Forde is in the Maintenance Craft, he nonetheless is entitled to vote on Clerk and MVS Craft resolutions just as members of those crafts may vote on Maintenance Craft resolutions.
And don’t forget that many members of the APWU NEB are also retired, an argument that was used at the 2104 APWU National Convention by National Human Relations Director Carney at the microphone urging delegates to vote against inclusion of the APWU Retiree Director on the APWU Health Plan Board of Directors. This despite the fact that tens of thousands of retirees belong to our Health Plan. The Retiree Representation resolution is simply about equality for all.
Union and NAME of Local/Branch
APWU - Dallas Texas Area Local 732
Office held, if any
Maintenance Craft Director
Craft issues come up all the time during the convention. As an active member I do not want retirees voting on issues that affect people actually working in the Post Office today. I am going to urge all delegates to vote down this proposed constitutional amendment. Retirees should have as voice and a vote on issues that affect them, not on issues that affect me. You have retired from the Postal Service, no one is asking you to retire from Union activity but your role should be that of assisting the next generation of Union leaders not being the future of the Union. Giving voice and vote to retirees is a tacit acknowledgement that the current generation of active postal workers cannot lead this Union forward. I say no to this amendment.