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By Maria Ward, on September 28th, 2011 
 Jobs with Justice coalitions around the country came out in full force yesterday to save our postal service at representatives’ offices nation-wide. Along with postal workers and community organizations, JwJ activists pressured representatives to support H.R. 1351, a bill which would end the manufactured crisis and help correct the accounting problem that makes the postal service appear broke. With the passage of this bill, the post office will be able to access its surplus funds rather than cut over 100,000 jobs, shutter over 3,000 post offices, and reduce services.
In Boston, roughly 500 members of 6 postal unions and supporters, including Jobs with Justice, rallied to demand that post offices remain open and that no one is laid off. Reverend Terry Burke of the First Unitarian Church in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston spoke about how this would hurt his parishioners as well as erode the standard of living in our community. He was joined by postal workers who talked about the fact that the loss of good middle class jobs would further hurt our economy. One worker said,
Continue reading Jobs with Justice to Congress, “We Support Postal Workers”
By Margaret Butler, on March 24th, 2011
(Portland, Oregon) State Senator Chip Shields chaired a public hearing on February 21st, on the problems besetting the U.S. Postal Service in the Portland area. Over one hundred people crowded into the Augustana Lutheran Church in Northeast Portland to hear testimony from customers, mailers, and postal employees. Speakers revealed a postal service in crisis: deteriorating customer service, substandard working conditions, threatened post office closures, and financial debt. Notwithstanding the doom and gloom, many of those at the microphone brought forward ideas for positive change.
Portland Area Workers Rights Board
“The issues facing the public postal service are of deep concern to all community members,” said Senator Shields. “I found particularly troubling certain management practices, especially with regard to under-staffing and “transitional” employees, but I also came away with a sense of hope because of some great ideas for the future.”
Jim Cook, president of the local National Association of Letter Carriers, a 33-year year postal employee, declared that “National postal management has refused to allow local hiring of career letter carriers for more than three years resulting in chronic mandatory overtime, late, irregular
Continue reading Crowded Hearing Reveals Postal Service in Crisis
By jwjnational, on April 22nd, 2010
 On April 15, 2010, tax day, Jobs with Justice activists and allies in 40 cities across the country protested at banks and post offices to highlight the need for jobs — and a way to pay for them. Activists held rallies calling on Congress to create millions of good new jobs, tax the Wall Street speculators who broke our economy, and reign in the Big Banks and protect consumers, demonstrating support for legislation like the Local Jobs for America Act (H.R. 4812), which will create 1 million jobs, and for the Let Wall Street Pay for the Restoration of Main Street Act (H.R. 4191).
Support is growing for the Local Jobs for America Act, which would ensure that communities can still operate essential services, and helping to prevent state and local tax increase. In Florida, South Florida Jobs with Justice sent a diverse delegation of workers to Rep. Kendrick Meeks’ office to thank him for co-sponsoring the Local Jobs for America Act. The delegation spoke with Meeks about the bill and invited him to join upcoming local jobs actions. Central Florida Jobs with Justice and AFSCME
Continue reading Protestors Demand: Tax Wall Street. We Need Good Jobs Now!
By Denise Diaz, on December 17th, 2009
 When word came down that the USPS had slated to close 5 post offices in the Orlando area, Central Florida JwJ teamed up with APWU 1462 to build community pressure against the closures. Central Florida JwJ set up a 6 week mobilization plan to engage their member organizations, residents, and the media to pressure elected officials and the USPS to keep these post offices open.
JwJ mobilized their member organizations and residents to send letters and emails to their Congressperson. Every Friday, JwJ activists and postal workers collected signatures in front of a one of the 5 set to be closed post office. Local press was invited to cover these events every week, and the story got bigger every time.
On December 14th, the USPS announced that 4 of the 5 post offices slated to close in Orlando were removed from the closing list! This is a great win for the affected communities and the workers. More than 100 jobs were saved in Orlando, and more importantly essential services were saved for thousands of people. It these concrete victories that lead to greater wins together in the end!
Continue reading Central Florida JwJ Helps Save 4 Post Offices!
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