We Did It! “Building Union Power” Organizing Drive Recruits More Than 8,700 New APWU Members

Goals were set, plans were developed, we made commitments, we got motivated, we organized, and we succeeded! We commend all of our members across the nation for the work that went into our 2024 "Building Union Power" national organizing drive. No journey is without obstacles, but our ability to overcome challenges and adapt to change is what helped us achieve and exceed our goal of 5,000 new members, with more than 8,700 new members making the decision to stand with us. Of course, achieving our goal doesn't mark the end of our organizing journey by any means. We must continue our efforts and use this momentum to increase our worker power during contract negotiations and on the workroom floor. Management will take every opportunity to turn a nonmember against the union to support their efforts. Let's make it known, loud and clear, that we are increasing our union power!

Peak [Hiring] Season Is Around the Corner

We are coming upon that time of year again when locals need to be reviewing their organizing materials inventory and gearing up to accommodate the Postal Service's increased hiring of new employees. During this time, the Organization Department fields a lot of questions about new-hire orientations. Year after year, managers have informed local leaders that employees being hired are "Holiday Postal Support Employees" (PSEs) and do not need to have union orientations. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) covers all aspects of PSE wages, benefits, hours, and working conditions. The PSE workforce is comprised of employees who do not yet have career appointments, but who enjoy union representation and negotiated rights.

You will not find a PSE position title of, "Holiday PSE," "Temporary PSE," "Peak PSE," or "360-PSE," PSEs are hired for a term not to exceed 360 calendar days per appointment. A PSE is not a Holiday Clerk Assistant.

Regardless of what time of year a PSE is hired, when PSEs are separated due to lack of work, reappointments must be made by PSE seniority. PSEs will be reappointed ahead of applicants who have not served as PSEs, provided the need for hiring arises within one year of the break in service. Some additional provisions the APWU has secured for PSEs include:

• Overtime Pay at the rate of 1.5 times the basic hourly straight-time rate for work performed after eight hours on duty in a service day, or 40 hours in a service week.
• Penalty Overtime Pay at the rate of two times the basic hourly straight-time rate, excluding the month of December, for all work in excess of 10 hours in a service day, or 56 hours in a service week.
• Night Differential Pay for hours worked between 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Higher-level Pay for Higher-level Work whereby the event a PSE is temporarily assigned to a higher level position, PSEs are to be paid at the higher-level rate for the time spent performing higher-level duties.

You can find a PSE Rights and Benefits Brochure by visiting apwu.org/organizers-tool-kit or sending a request to [email protected].

Thank you for everything that you do every day. ■