The following information comes to us from 21st Century Postal Worker Exchange
via Assistant Maintenance Director Gary Kloepfer
“Brothers and Sisters:
The subject of the applicability of ELM 667.12 has come up due to what may have been a District Manager’s misinterpretation of the language meant for NAPS [pdf].
Because these matters are of public concern, there is no dispute with the USPS at this level that postal workers have the right, protected by the First Amendment, to publicly oppose the closure or consolidation of postal facilities, including the reduction of postal services. Likewise, they have the right to oppose legislation that would affect their collectively bargained rights and benefits. These rights are protected by the Constitution and the National Labor Relations Act.
There is no reason for APWU represented employees to be concerned about any negative consequences of their lawful participation in Union supported rallies and campaigns regarding legislation, closings, consolidations, degradation of service, etc.
If anyone is aware of any action by a postal manager that would suppress or punish the exercise of these rights, contact my office immediately.
Please disseminate this information to your respective locals immediately.
Mike Morris
Director, Industrial Relations”
Brother Mike….
Thank you for your support of the free expression of ideas concerning the future of our employer. Apparently, some “District Manager” somewhere decided that he or she would be judge, jury and executioner regarding an employee’s right to express opinions about the USPS. Such verbal thuggery is par for course in the USPS. If these district management types would spend more time getting the mail delivered and less time protecting their bureaucracies, perhaps the USPS would operate better. It’s a safe assumption that local management at all offices would also be better off abiding by the contract. It’s little wonder that the USPS wastes hundreds of millions of dollars a year in grievance procedures.