"No Closures, No Cuts!" Say Postal Service Workers

Monday, March 25, 2013

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Chanting "No closures, No cuts!" hundreds of letter carrriers and their supporters rallied Sunday afternoon in front of the General Mail Facility in Gaithersburg. The demo -- one of three in the metro area and hundreds nationally -- called for the preservation of Saturday mail delivery. "It'll kill service," said Steve Klein, a letter carrier for 28 years who serves on the Executive Board of NALC Branch 3825's Executive Board.  "What do we want?" shouted Branch 3825 President Ken Lerch as the letter carriers circled in front of the GMF, "Six days!" came the response. Turn-out and spirits were high on this overcast and chilly Palm Sunday, with letter carriers cheering every time drivers passing by on Shady Grove Road honked their support. When the crowd rallied up, former APWU president William Burrus reminded them of the groundbreaking two-week strike by federal postal workers in March 1970 that showcased the power of postal service workers. "America deserves our service six days a week!" said Burrus. Metro Council President Jos Williams linked the struggle by USPS workers to "the ongoing battles by public sector workers here and across the nation," saying that "an injury to you is an injury to all workers. This is a fight for America itself and we will win!" Nannette Corley, president of APWU Local 3630 -- which represents postal workers at the Gaithersburg GMF -- added that "We want to work, we want to serve our communities. Stay strong and keep up the fight." And Dena Briscoe, President of APWU Nation's Capital & Southern Maryland, pledged that "We are in this struggle together; this affects us all." - report/photos by Chris Garlock

 

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