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P.O. Contract Passes, Struggle Continues

By VVAW

President Ford called it the pacesetter of labor contracts for 1975. It was a pacesetter alright, a pacesetter for the increasing attacks on the living and working conditions of the working class. The recent postal workers contract is one of the worst in recent years, a stab in the back for working people everywhere.

While the contract does keep the no-layoff clause, a victory for the postal workers as the bosses knew that the workers would go out on strike to keep it, the rest of the contract is rotten, the result of sellout union leadership working hand-in-hand with the Postal Corporation. While telling the workers they would not settle for anything less than a 5% raise, the union "leaders" negotiated just 4% per year over the three-year run of the contract. Along with the lousy raise, there was no improvement in the retirement program, little improvement in benefits and a cost of living "escalator" clause that actually amounts to a cut in wages.

Even the way the "yes" vote on the contract was obtained stank, bringing back memories of the phoney "yes" vote on the last contract when thousands of postal workers never even saw the contract or received a ballot.

But in the fight to get a decent contract, the postal workers gained much. With the unions controlled by sellout hack leaders, workers organized themselves nationwide, relying on the rank and file and not the big hacks. From the rank-and-file postal group in New York and New Jersey, OUTLAW, went the call for the formation of the Postal Workers for a Good Contract--National Committee (PWGC). Workers from over thirty cities responded to the call, including workers from other industries who supported the postal workers struggle. Some local unions even supported the work of PWGC, helping to get out the national newsletter of the committee. Demonstrations were held all over the country, focusing on the key demands such as keeping the no-layoff clause and no forced arbitration. Over 2500 postal workers demonstrated in Washington, DC where the negotiations were taking place, putting pressure on union leadership not to sell them out.

VVAW/WSO joined with the PWGC in many cities to help bring the fight to postal workers everywhere. Many veterans work in the Post office, especially in programs that try to use vets to scab on regular postal workers as "temps" (temporary help). Vets in these programs are denied any of the benefits due regular workers; no overtime, no protection from layoff, and often lower wages have shown that the fight of the regular postal workers is the fight of veterans.

Even though the contract was ratified, however the vote was obtained, the struggle is hardly over. The workers know that the bosses are going to continue to attack them, especially through "productivity" schemes like the Kokomo Plant (an automation plan to lay off more workers), increasing the number of deliveries for carriers and increasing the load of workers at the large bulk mail handling facilities by firing or forcing workers to quit. Even though there was a no-layoff clause in the last contract, still some 100,000 workers were removed through firings and attrition.

The PWGC is putting out another newsletter to sum up the fight for a good contract and more and more rank-and-file workers are getting together to beat back the attacks on them. VVAW/WSO will continue to support the struggle of the PWGC and the postal workers it represents.