First, let me thank you for permitting me to serve as your Legislative & Poltiical Director for another term. It is an honor to serve the membership, and, as always, I will work hard to maintain your trust in the work of the Legislative & Political Department. Assistant Legislative Director,
Steve Albanese, and I will continue to work hard to earn your support, and we thank you for the opportunity to serve another term.
While all elections are important, the 2010 APWU election is one of the most important contests in the history of the APWU. For the past thirty years, APWU has essentially been led by the winners of the 1980 election -- Presidents Moe Biller and Bill Burrus were both elected to resident office for the first time. The impact of these two dynamic, progressive leaders on APWU and the labor movement for the forseeable future cannot be understated or ignored. APWU is the union we are now in large part because of their dedication, determination, and brilliant stewardship of the largest postal union in the world. The Leadership Team offers a slate of dedicated and experienced officers who are prepared to lead the Union for the next round of battles with postal management on behalf of the dues-paying members of your Union.
The 2010 election is likely to be as important as that in 1980, and it is for that reason that I wholeheartedly endorse Cliff Guffey for President of the American Postal Workers Union. As Executive Vice-President, Cliff demonstrated a sincere willingness to engage other national, state and local leaders to develop and implement strategies to respond to the myriad problems facing postal workers throughout the country. He will work to formulate, with input from others, the best response to challenges that our members are likely to face in the immediate future.
For 24 years, APWU members have recognized Cliff's talents and elected him to various positions at the national level, including Assistant and Director of the Clerk Division and to his current position as Executive Vice-President.
I am confident that Cliff Guffey is the most dedicated, experienced, and prepared leader we can put forward at this time. I wholeheartedly support his candidacy, and ask that you support and vote for Cliff Guffey for President.
Greg Bell has been an outstanding APWU leader and officer, and will be an excellent Executive Vice-President. Greg has been a determined, passionate leader in the fight to provide the best possible representation for members of our Union. As the Director of Industrial Relations he has been flawless in his preparation for contract negotiations with the employer, and his use of technology has been instrumental in providing the best tools our NBAs and stewards have used in providing unparalleled representation to our members. Greg will bring that same passion, that same commitment to excellence to the position of Executive Vice-President that he has in his current position. Greg and Cliff work well together and electing the two of them to the two highest positions in the Union will be a very positive development for the future of our organization.
Martha Shunn-King is an experienced Union activist, and will serve the Union exceedingly well as the Director of Organization. No organization can survive without an active and aggressive effort to increase the membership. A strong union must have a committed, strong base of support, and Martha will move aggressively to expand our membership and make them realize the importance that we all join together as we face the many challenges facing us in this very challenging atmosphere. Martha will be innovative in her approach, and I'm confident she will be successful. As the former state president of the Florida state organization, Martha has successfully addressed many of the issues she will face as the Director of Organization. She will be tireless on your behalf, and I hope you'll tirelessly work to elect her.
Bill Kaczor has been an effective advocate for the members of the APWU Health Plan and for those who are mistakenly enrolled in other plans of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program for a long time. Bill's leadership at the Health Plan has been overlooked by many who aren't very familiar with the effort needed to administer a program of such magnitude. Bill has taken steps to make the process of claims processing the most efficient in the FEHBP. The APWU Health Plan typically ranks among the best insurance plans available to postal and federal employees, due in large part to the dedication and experience of Bill Kaczor. Bill brings knowledge that can't be easily replaced. In a period when health care is the leading topic of debate among the nation's leaders, when the future of our health plan -- a leading contributor to the Union's finances -- is in dispute, we can't afford to elect an inexperienced Director. As a member of the APWU Health Plan for over 30 years, I'm confident that we have the best possible person in the job. Vote for Bill Kaczor for APWU Health Plan Director.
Rob Strunk is qualified, experienced, and totally prepared to be the Director of the Clerk Craft. He has never forgotten where he comes from -- the workroom floor - and always does his best on behalf of those he proudly represents. With the decision by the incumbent to retire, Rob is more than up to the challenge, and anxious to apply his knowledge and skills. He will be surrounded by other great officers in the Clerk Division. As usual, our Clerk Division members can feel confident that they are being represented by competent, conscientious, and professional officers. Rob Strunk is the right person to head up the Clerk Division. The people who know his work best all support his candidacy, because they know better than anyone that Rob is perfectly suited to the serious challenges our membership is certain to face in the very near future. Vote for Rob Strunk, and urge your co-workers to do the same.
Bob Pritchard has done an outstanding job representing members of the MVS Division on the national level for nine years. He is an aggressive advocate for the APWU, and a firm believer in doing what is best for the members of the MVS Craft. Bob is always working to represent MVS members to the best of his ability, and Bob's abilities are far superior to those looking for opportunities to make political stands at the expense of others. I've had the privilege of working with Bob since he came to Washington, and I can tell you that his approach to representing APWU is reasoned, intelligent, and forceful. You simply can't do any better than having Bob Pritchard as the Director of the MVS Division. I sincerely ask for your support for Bob's re-election.
Mike Foster has MVS in his heart, and the members and activists he's worked with will attest to that fact. I've know Mike for close to twenty years, and I've never known him to back down from a fight on behalf of MVS members, and I've never known him to take any member, or the issues they care about, lightly. Mike Foster has been a great Assistant Director of the MVS Craft, and a tremendous advocate and fighter for APWU Members in general, and MVS members specifically. A strong department requires not only a good Director, but a good Assistant who helps to develop strategies for policing and enforcing the contract. NBAs for MVS will tell you that Mike Foster is always there for them, and that he welcomes a fight on behalf of the members. Don't be mislead by empty promises. If you want quality, professional representation, compare experience and knowledge of the contractural provisions affecting your Craft. If you do this, your choice becomes clear -- vote for Mike Foster for Assistant Director, MVS Division.
Princella Vogel for Southern Region Coordinator! Princella Vogel is supremely qualified to serve as the next Coordinator for the Southern Region. With the retirement of the incumbent, the Southern Region requires a Coordinator that is experienced, dedicated, and focused on getting the job done. Princella has been elected President of the Houston Local, one of the largest locals in the country, because of her commitment to succeed on behalf of the members of every craft in the Union. Princella is tough, but fair. She is determined, but cooperative. I'm sure I don't have to tell the activists how prepared Princella is for this challenge. We've all been impressed by her tenacity, her ability to fashion a solution, and then to communicate to others the best approach to often very difficult problems. She is a leader, a worker, an honest activist on behalf of the Union members she's been elected to represent. Princella Vogel will immediately be prepared to step in as the Southern Region Coordinator and perform as a valued representative of the people of the region in her allied duties as a member of the National Executive Board. Don't be misled by campaign promises. Vote for Princella Vogel for Southern Region Coordinator!
The Leadership Team has put together a group of talented, dedicated, and intelligent candidates in the 2010 election. I think this group is as talented as any slate ever to seek election to national office. To that end, I urge you to vote for the “tested and proven” members of the Leadership Team:
