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Service + Solidarity Spotlight: NALC: Election and Pandemic Show the Importance of USPS

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Throughout the pandemic, members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) have kept us connected as a country, delivering lifesaving medications and keeping our communities running. The workers at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) also have served our democracy by delivering millions of mail-in ballots as a safe and convenient alternative to voting in person. NALC, under the leadership of President Fredric Rolando, said: “This election and pandemic have shown the importance of the Postal Service network. For the last four years, we’ve had to play defense against attacks from the current administration. Now, it is time to go on the offense for letter carriers by providing COVID-19 relief to this agency, repealing the mandate to prefund retiree health care and utilizing the network to continue...

Service + Solidarity Spotlight: UA Member, Military Veteran Finds Solidarity with Membership in the Building Trades

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Former U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Justin Baird is eager to learn and start working in the building trades. He said the solidarity that comes with being a member of United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) Local 189 is a welcome part of the job. “I've always been interested in learning a new trade,” Baird said. “And the aspect of a brotherhood appealed to me the most due to the fraternity with my colleagues in the Army.” He took part in the UA’s Veterans in Piping program, an 18-month apprenticeship training course for veterans re-entering the civilian workforce.

As a second year apprentice with Local 189, Baird is thankful for the career he has and the tradesmen and tradeswomen he works alongside: “It’s still hard work, but at least you know you get to go...

Every Vote Must Be Counted

One of the fundamental principles of free and democratic countries is that every vote counts. Millions of votes were cast on time across the country that haven't been counted yet. Working people will not stop fighting until every one of those votes is counted and the 2020 election is determined by the will of the people, not the preferences of politicians.

Here is what national and state labor leaders are saying about the 2020 election.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA):

Democracy is rising in America. Despite the worst pandemic in a century, voters came out in record numbers to exercise our rights as citizens, and now those ballots must be counted. As we said in our statement with business and faith leaders today, this is a moment “to exercise patience with the process and trust in our system, even if it requires more time than usual.”

Joe Biden’s growing national lead reflects a country ready to turn the page on the dysfunction and division of the Trump era, and we are confident that when all the votes are counted, the Electoral College will render the same verdict. 

In the days...

Broken Promises, a Botched Response and a Better Way Forward

Four years ago, enough union members in places like Wisconsin, Michigan and my home state of Pennsylvania defected from the Democratic Party to tip the election to Donald Trump. While neither the AFL-CIO nor I supported him, I understood why many union members did. Trump branded himself as an outsider. He did not sound like a politician. While crass and offensive, he spoke to the desire of working people for a louder voice.

As someone who represents 12.5 million workers and 56 unions, I had a responsibility to work with the new president. Before the inauguration, he invited me to Trump Tower. We spoke about the areas where we could find common ground and how we could bring his pro-worker campaign promises to fruition. Soon after, I accepted an invitation to sit on his manufacturing council.

Working people have been promised the moon by presidents of both parties. And while few have delivered, I genuinely hoped, for the sake of the hardworking families who keep America running, that Trump would. But with each passing day, it became clear that President Trump was never the...