APWU 2019 Election of Officers: Fake News, Facts or Just My Opinion

Posted on by 21cpw User Post

I have spoken to a number of people about how we ended up with two distinct tickets made up of current national and resident officers. I would like to say that every point that I make has been supported by at least three sources, but unfortunately you sometimes have to rely on a single source that has provided reliable information in the past.

What we know for sure. During the VP debate Debbie Szeredy stated that she went to Mark in March 2019 in an attempt to keep the team together. She went on to say that she was told by Mark in April 2019 she was not on the ticket. So Debby only left the ticket after Mark advised her she would not be included. Mark had also let it be known that Marcotte, Carney & Robinson would not be invited back on the ticket. That is really when things started to unravel. We know that last election cycle Mark bumped Marcotte from Legislative to Health Plan, it was not a decision made by Marcotte.

We also know that true or not that Carney & Robinson were not reporting to work and Mark wanted them gone. If true, don’t say it doesn’t matter; it mattered to the delegates at the last convention. True or not, those are the reasons being provided to the masses. A release of records would clear this issue right up and take it off the table as a campaign issue.

We also know that Mark offered the VP position to at least one other national officer, who said no. What we also know that everyone who is not running with Mark this time has much to say about how negative and bad he has been over the years. What we also know is that not one of them has had the courage to say anything until after the splitting of the ticket.

We know that Tony McKinnon was booted from the ticket last time because he hadn’t paid Mark back the money from when they ran the first time. We also know that McKinnon stayed in the DC area from after the election until May the following year. He is believed to have been on LWOP and behind in his dues. It has been confirmed he didn’t go into management during that time, but what he was doing on LWOP status and away from NC is not clear and may or may not be an important issue to explore.

Who is to blame for our current situation? You go way back to 2010 and place the blame on Joyce Robinson for insisting that Martha Shunn-King be on the Guffey ticket as Organizing Director. It was reported that Joyce jumped up and down; yelling another women at headquarters, once their internal vote was done. (Total disclosure I also supported and voted for Martha). The vote was down to Dimondstein and Martha and had Dimondstein been added to the ticket and won, he most likely would have not formed a ticket to take on Guffey in 2013. There was also push back from MVS at the time not to add Dimondstein to the ticket, because of outside organizing. And as they say the rest is history.

Maybe I’m the only person who is bothered by the fact that it appears if Mark had kept the band together and left Debby on the ticket that the ticket would have survived. I may also be the only person bothered about the fact that only now after the band disbanded are officers speaking out. It kind of reminds me of the call everyone has gotten over the years, yes my postmaster is an idiot and violates my rights, but please don’t do anything, because he will retaliate against me. I have less respect for those who allowed the issues to continue then I do for the people who caused the issues in the first place.

I was in the post office less than 90 days and asked to see a steward and he stated to me that it was probably better that I wait until I was done with my probation than make a stink now. I made the stink, the issue was resolved and I decided right then and there that I would get involved with the union. Sitting on your rights in a workplace full of harassment and intimidation (if the stories are true) and only raising your hand after your hand is forced, does not make you courageous, it’s the opposite. And posting on social media that you know where the bodies are buried and if pushed you will tell the story, makes you complicit in the act and makes you a coward.

Elections should be about qualifications and there are members on all the tickets that are qualified and should be elected. I would suggest to them that they build themselves up and present to the membership the reasons they should receive support. And also be mindful that if you have served at APWU HQ for the past 3-6 years, you own it, it’s yours and not just one person is responsible for workplace environment.

I know or believe these things to be true based on numerous discussions with national officers and others who would have access to the information. This information is being provided for historical purposes and to make people think about what really happened at APWU HQ.

At no time will I be making any endorsements of candidates in this election, my choice for a specific elected position is my personal business. I however will expose anyone who attempts to rewrite history or outright lies about their history. I have taken hours writing the pieces I have posted on 21cpw.com and have done so trying to engage others in a debate about the issues and the candidates.

First Name: LeRoy
Last Name: Moyer
Email: apwuldm@gmail.com
Union/Local: APWU – Charlotte Area Local
Office held if any: Past President PPWU, Charlotte Area Local, Co-Chair NPC

4 thoughts on “APWU 2019 Election of Officers: Fake News, Facts or Just My Opinion”

  1. Union and NAME of Local/Branch
    APWU - Utica Area Local 1820
    Office held, if any
    President
    Email Address
    frederick.ashleyjr@gmail.com

    It is political season in the APWU. Chairs are being re-arranged on the deck of the Titanic. Who is showing up for work? Who is on my team? Are ya with me?

    Meanwhile what is the status of our contract?

    Is that the best we could do on a new website?

    Once the election is over can our national officers put away their ambitions and do what’s right for our members.

    Finally, if you are a national officer you should be showing up for work. Yes you are entitled to take vacations but attendance records should be provided to show if we have officers not showing up.

  2. Union and NAME of Local/Branch
    APWU - Western Region, Greater Los Angeles Area Local
    Office held, if any
    Coordinator; postal employee; dues paying member
    Email Address
    omgwrc@gmail.com

    ON FAKE, FACT OR OPINION

    On your “Fake News, Facts or Just My Opinion” piece posted on July 22nd you focused at first on the question of how we ended up with two distinct tickets made up of current national and resident officers. The fact is, there are three such tickets, slates or whatever one wishes to call such groups. You also left out the other team yet mention their leader. So, in reality there are four “teams” running.

    My response to you is not to debate your knowledge of our internal history, or opinion for that matter, especially since you state your writing efforts takes hours. Instead, I respond to your wish to engage others about the issues and candidates.

    I admire your declaration that you will expose anyone who attempts to rewrite history or outright lies about their history. But, you also state your beliefs on what occurred are based on numerous discussions with others. I don’t question your veracity. However, in advocacy such reliance could be challenged to a degree as hearsay.

    I am blessed to have worked “with” all six APWU Presidents and worked “for” three. I also served on three contract Rank & File Bargaining Advisory Committees and saw the interaction of the President with the Committee and the internal mechanism of negotiations. I saw first hand contract history being made serving with Sister Josie McMillian, God Rest Her Soul. She the President of the largest local and I President of the 2nd largest local. And as an officer on the NEB I have witnessed the ramifications of our collective bargaining.

    I also served as Co-Chair of the National Presidents’ Conference and as you previously posted was a founding member of POPS (Pissed Off Presidents) a more militant offshoot of the NPC. I say all that to say that I do not have a need to re-write history, the union’s nor mine. So the following is what I lived and saw for myself. Those you have discussions with, if forthright, will tell you I am an independent voice on the NEB and within the Administration and will voice and vote my conscience on what I truly believe is best for the members I am elected to serve. At times this has pitted me against more than one President. Those that don’t like it can take it or leave it.

    I have been on six national union “teams” (given our election cycles). Wide deference is granted to the head of the team, the Presidential candidate, as to who will be accepted into the team. The exception was Vice-President Guffey when McCarthy hinted at wanting to run for President. We first had to dispose of that and as you have stated the rest is history. And as history would have it I almost got booted off of Guffey’s incumbent team because of my sentiment on the contract he negotiated. More often than not, potential candidates who are not incumbents are either voted in or accepted by acclamation.

    I read with interest how you blame Sister Robinson for the current “situation” because of her insistence on a particular candidate for Organization Director in years past. What I can say to you is that it’s true, there was reluctance by MVS to embrace an “outside” organizer. I know, I was there. As to Sister Robinson, she made her choices then, as she does now and as she always has!

    The current “situation”, as you call it, has occurred because the NEB incumbents and the incumbent resident officers exercised their constitutional right to support the candidate of his/her choice and to participate in that right with others. To band, I suppose, as you put it. Each individual has made their own political choice. There are some decent union sisters and brothers on other teams.

    I was asked to be on the Administration’s team and I was told the incumbent VP would not be on the team. I voiced my opinion on that matter and then joined the team. I did have one condition, as did others, I would not be on a team with opposition against Maintenance Director Balogun.

    You see, Balogun’s Team is the third team I referenced. True to his spirit and beliefs he has maintained independence as is his right, and if he could not be on the Administration’s team for whatever reason, I was not going to be opposed to Balogun. The Administration’s team does not have a Maintenance Director candidate and that is current history.

    While you state the “band” disbanded the fact remains that 82% of the National Executive Board stayed together to win. Of course, you are not the only one bothered by the fact that “now” others are speaking out. I do not always agree with our President on policy or practice. And as a recent post showed, if necessary, I will speak out publicly and in writing defending internal union rights while keeping management at bay lest they try to capitalize on dissent.

    I firmly believe in our union’s constitution. Our President is responsible for all the work of the Union and all officers work under the President’s supervision. Do I differ with him- yes I do! Would I do things different-perhaps! Do I work under his direction- that’s the Constitution! Is the President perfect- Who is? But the reason we have a constitution is in order to form a more perfect union. I definitely agree with you that the elections should be about qualifications and that not one person is responsible for the workplace environment at 1300 L Street HQ.

    In your piece, although you do not acknowledge the forth team you do mention McKinnon. I did not vote to replace him on our team in the last election because he owes anyone any money. I voted because the critical job of the Department of Industrial Relations was not being done for the members I represent.

    Some final notes- we have had mixed administrations before. Ironically, some on the so called opposition teams were brought into two administrations by our current President who himself defeated a sitting President and had to work hard to build consensus. Win, lose or draw if we stick to the principles laid out in our constitution and truly believe in them we will persevere.

    I for one, do not own the office I currently hold, nor does incumbency guarantee re-election. But I do work hard every single day to uphold my oath of office, provide the service our members deserve and to be able to hold my head up high to proclaim that I belong to and work for the American Postal Workers Union representing the Western Region. I stand on my record not rhetoric.

    That being said Leroy, I thank you for your years of service, your dedication and your input my APWU brother.

  3. Union and NAME of Local/Branch
    APWU - Greensboro BMC Local # 7035
    Office held, if any
    Current Clerk Craft Director (Greensboro BMC), Former President Central Jersey Area Local # 149
    Email Address
    postalexpress11@aol.com

    Lamont,

    Thank you for taking the time and responding to LeRoy’s post.

    Yes, this is a difficult time for us all and difficult choices need to be made. I have been an active Union member, since 1997, and this election cycle has me scratching my head. There are so many good (and qualified) leaders that are participating in the elections. We (Members) need a little clarity (or help) in deciding how we are going to vote.

    Personally, I need to here more from the incumbents (or National Officers) that are currently employed at HQ. I need to hear honest dialogue (like yours) to help me determine if a change is needed (based on internal issues with current administration) or if this is all some school yard chatter.

    With that being said, if we (Members) collectively decide to have a new regime (or not), we all will be able to learn from our past in hopes for a better (brighter) future at HQ.

    Thanks again, Lamont, for your insight!!

  4. Union and NAME of Local/Branch
    APWU
    Office held, if any
    APWU Assistant Clerk Craft Director
    Email Address
    lamontbigguy@verizon.net

    Thanks for taking the time to write your thoughtful opinion but I must clarify some things in your statement and please go back to confirm what I am stating as there is documented proof.

    Mark asked Joyce to run on his ticket as Director of Education and he sent the request to her via certified mail and she responded. When Joyce does not come to work, she is ALWAYS on leave, most of the time annual leave (which she earned and can use just like any other employee). Liz Powell can confirm leave request. It is also true that in spite of the working conditions (for the most part starting the last three months in 2018) most officers tried to put this team of officers, for the most part back together for the good of the membership. Negative talking in the interim would have served no purpose. You can’t mend fences while bashing.

    You have made it clear through numerous writings, that as you stated is documented history of who you personally prefer and why and that is your right. You stated a preference for Greg. You stated a preference for Dena. While everyone bears a responsibility, it starts it the top and as a past local president and NPC Chair, you know that as a leader you have to bring leaders together. If you use your analysis, referencing the last 3-6 years, Mark and Debbie ran together since their Team came into existence. Based on that don’t they both share the wins as well as losses together. Mark has stated numerous times openly how loyal Debbie was to him and a great unionist she is and how she did everything he asked of her. I will also state Mark has a right to run for office with whomever he pleases.

    I am simply trying to say that these are difficult times with many complications. Do you know why each individual office is not running on the ticket and why? Have you talked to each candidate? I’ve been honest and forthright with my responses and have even stated I will provide documented proof when asked and to this day I have not spoken with you or received an inquiry from you and that to is your right.

    I close by respecting your opinion and your right, but everyone is slightly bias to the candidate of their choice. The NPC Presidents in March 2018 gave us a mandate to go back to 1300 L. Street, discuss our difference and try to have a working relationship amongst us. Many requested a group meeting several times, form many candidates on both sides and it never happened, period. You should be able to easily validate that. Talk to the Craft and Directors and General Officers on the Together We Win Team. I did not want a split because the Postal Service wins and the Union loses.

    Again I am not debating your opinion, but we still have not seen all the facts. There are two sides to every opinion. Thank you for indulging me. I am still requesting everyone’s support, even if you do not make endorsement and I will work with whoever is elected to office by the membership. You are a respected leader of the APWU and your opinions have great influence, and for that reason I had to set the record straight on a couple of things.

    In union solidarity, the struggle continues.

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