Latest news with #AmericanPostalWorkersUnion
Reuters
09-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
FedEx board member tapped to lead U.S. Postal Service
WASHINGTON, May 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Postal Service Board on Friday said it named David Steiner, a FedEx board member and former CEO of Waste Management, as the new postmaster general after the White House pressured the prior leader to resign in March. Postal unions have raised sharp concerns about Steiner's selection to succeed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy because he sits on the board of a competitor to the Postal Service. The Postal Service reported a wider net loss of $3.3 billion for the three months ending March 31 as it continues to hike stamp prices and seek ways to cut costs. "I believe strongly in maintaining its role as an independent establishment of the executive branch," Steiner said in a statement released Friday. The board said it expects him to start in July, and that he will leave the Board at FedEx. USPS said on Friday its controllable loss was $848 million, up from $317 million in the same quarter last year as mail volume continued to fall. In February, President Donald Trump called the agency a "tremendous loser for this country" and has said is considering merging the Postal Service with the U.S. Commerce Department. Democratic lawmakers have said such a move would violate federal law. The White House did not immediately comment Friday. American Postal Workers Union President Mark Dimondstein told Reuters this week that Steiner was the wrong choice. "You don't put the fox in charge of guarding the hen house," Dimondstein said, adding it was "an abdication of their duty to remain independent of this administration." FedEx Executive Chairman Fred Smith praised Steiner's selection. "David's sharp business acumen will be key to addressing the significant challenges facing the United States Postal Service," Smith said, noting USPS has lost more than $108 billion since 2007. "The USPS must be reformed to improve service, to no longer rely on taxpayers to subsidize its operations, and to be held accountable to the same rules as private sector companies." Democratic lawmakers for years called for DeJoy to be fired but agreed to give USPS $50 billion in financial relief in 2022. DeJoy led an effort to dramatically restructure USPS over the last five years, including cutting forecast cumulative losses over a decade to $80 billion from $160 billion even as mail volumes fell to the lowest level since 1968.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What is May Day? Seattle's complicated history with the event
May Day, celebrated on May 1, is known as a day for marches and rallies across the region— particularly surrounding workers' rights. History of May Day – International Workers Day May Day commemorates the struggle and the lives lost during the fight to ensure the traditional workday we are now accustomed to. It all began in the 1880s. According to the American Postal Workers Union, industrial workers were tired of long hours and harsh conditions. The organization now known as the American Federation of Labor coordinated a nationwide strike for May 1, 1886— for workers to demand the 8-hour workday. In Chicago, anarchists and labor activists began a multi-day strike, which later became known as the Haymarket affair of 1886, according to The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. By the third day, things turned violent—with numerous protesters and police officers dying. On May 1, 1886, NPR reports that more than 340,000 workers took part in national actions in support of an eight-hour day. To honor the Chicago workers, Time reports that the International Socialist Conference in 1889 named May Day a labor holiday, creating what many now call International Workers' Day. May Day Turmoil in Seattle Protests in Seattle on May Day haven't always gone smoothly. For four consecutive years, starting in 2012, anarchists and anti-capitalists dressed in black clashed with police. 2012 Protesters flooded downtown streets, some shattering windows, firing paintballs, setting fires, and blocking traffic. Many businesses went into lockdown as a result. KIRO 7's cameras captured much of the turmoil. The mayor at the time, Mike McGinn, issued an order that allowed police to confiscate items that could be used as weapons, such as large dowels, handles for signs, ball peen hammers and tire irons. Several people were arrested. 2013 With the exception of a few minor scuffles, Seattle Police said the May Day March itself 'went off without a hitch.' However, two hours after it ended, officers said another group of demonstrators smashed windows and hurled rocks at them. Protesters ignited smoke bombs and threw fireworks at people, and officers eventually began loading many of them into transport vans. Eight officers were hurt – mostly bumps and bruises, but one officer was hit in the knee by a 'fist-sized' rock. A woman driving by the commotion was also hurt. Officers said someone threw a glass bottle at her car and shattered her window. About 17 people were arrested for offenses such as property destruction and assault. 2014 The Seattle Police Department said an afternoon rally, organized by El Comite, was peaceful. However, a second unpermitted group began causing problems. Police said the group hurled bottles, bricks and firecrackers at them and lit several dumpsters on fire. In total, ten people were arrested – including one man for assaulting an officer. 2015 Two peaceful demonstrations took place before things took a turn in the city. One permitted by El Comite – the other unplanned. Mid-afternoon, officers spotted a crowd of about 75 people wearing masks near the Federal Courthouse, and that's where things took a turn. In total, three police officers were hospitalized, and five others were hurt during the events of May Day in 2015. Sixteen people were arrested—many carrying knives, hammers, and other types of weapons. The violence and arrests were a result, according to police, largely because of an unpermitted march on Capitol Hill, which grew into a 'full-scale riot.' Video showed people breaking windows of buildings, lighting the American flag on fire and hitting officers with sticks. The Seattle Police Department said it spent about $288,000 in overtime for the event. 2016 A man threw unlit gasoline-filled beer bottles at Seattle police. One officer suffered leg burns after a flash-bang grenade ignited gasoline from a bottle that shattered at his feet. The police department said that in total, five officers were hurt. Seattle police used pepper spray to disperse black-clad anti-capitalist protesters. Officers said the group threw rocks, flares, bricks, and Molotov cocktails at them. At least nine people were arrested. The violence came after a peaceful protest that happened earlier in the day – similar to years past. 2017 Rioters were arrested in Olympia after protests turned violent. A confrontation between protestors and onlookers escalated, which led to 9 arrests. 2018 Hundreds gathered and marched in a mostly peaceful demonstration in Seattle. Only one arrest was made after a masked man threw a rock at the Amazon Spheres.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Coming Sunday and Monday
Farmers sound off on policy changes Don Bustos calls farming a "life calling." His family has been farming the same 5 or so acres of land — known as Santa Cruz Farm — since the 1690s. It's a year-round operation, with one of Bustos' greenhouses already bursting with fresh lettuce and other vegetables. Outside, the fields at Santa Cruz Farm are springing back to life. But in addition to the new growth, this year's planting season has brought extra uncertainty for Northern New Mexico farmers and ranchers, as they grapple with rapidly changing federal policies. Local producers and their allies said Trump administration policy changes have halted some grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture; altered some agricultural research funding; and strained the ecosystem and economy in which farmers work, making an already labor-intensive industry with razor-thin margins subject to even more variability. 041025_MS_Sam Bregman_004.JPG (copy) Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman takes a picture with supporters at a rally kicking off his gubernatorial campaign at Plaza Park in Las Vegas, N.M., on Thursday, April 10, 2025. "All of the changes that are taking place with the new administration definitely have a big impact on how agriculture moves — from the upper watershed to the consumer," said Manny Encinias, executive director of the Santa Fe Farmers' Market Institute. Governor's race gets more crowded With more than a year before the primaries and a year-and-a-half until the general election, the field of candidates in the race for governor of New Mexico is starting to take shape. On the Democratic side, two well-known politicians are off and running. Deb Haaland, the former Interior Secretary under the Biden administration, has already raised about $3 million for her bid. She will face Sam Bregman, the Bernalillo County district attorney who made his candidacy official earlier this month and is signaling he will run as a more moderate alternative. Meanwhile, former Las Cruces mayor Ken Miyagashima is still mulling a run. And on the Republican side, Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull became the first declared candidate last week. 032025_GC_PostalStrikeDEbHaaland02rgb.jpg (copy) Deb Haaland chants and holds a sign alongside Members of the American Postal Workers Union Albuquerque Local 380 and supporters to show her support and solidarity outside a post office in Albuquerque on Thursday, March 20, 2025. The race is drawing national attention already, both due to Haaland and Bregman's high profiles — as well as being a DA Bregman is father of Boston Red Sox star Alex Bregman — and as a microcosm of the battle between more progressive and moderate factions in a Democratic Party still struggling to find its way forward in the wake of a second presidential loss to Donald Trump, who did notably better in New Mexico than any other recent Republican presidential candidates. Earth Day It's Earth Day on Tuesday, an annual holiday established in 1970 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Pick up Sunday's paper to find out more about how some local organizations are marking the occasion and what it means to them in 2025. 041625_MS_Santuario de Chimayo_003.JPG A stack of crucifixes stacked in the parking lot at El Santuario de Chimayó on Wednesday. Tens of thousands of pilgrims will journey on Good Friday through the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains en route to El Santuario de Chimayó. Easter in Santa Fe And Sunday is Easter, the holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ that has been celebrated by Christians worldwide for almost 2,000 years. It's arguably a bigger deal in Northern New Mexico than in many other parts of the Christian world, with the Santuario de Chimayó being commonly regarded as the biggest pilgrimage sites in North America for Good Friday. On Sunday, find out more about what some local churches are doing to mark the day. One notable wrinkle is that this year, April 20 marks Easter both for Western-rite churches and for Eastern ones.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Union hosts rally in Youngstown against post office privatization
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – A rally was held in downtown Youngstown against post office privatization. The American Postal Workers Union hosted a 'Rally in the Valley' Saturday afternoon. Many people from the community gathered at Youngstown's main post office on S. Walnut Street. The purpose was to defend the United States Postal Service against President Trump's plan to privatize the agency. Dominic Corso, the Youngstown area president of the American Postal Workers Union, fears what could happen if it's privatized. 'The post office is on the chopping block to be sliced and diced to be privatized for profit instead of being a universal service for everyone, which means everyone pays the same amount for a stamp. People think the price of a carton of eggs is too much. Well, if the post office gets privatized, add shipping costs to what we buy online — that will be astronomical. That will get too expensive,' he said. Everyone was invited to support the post office. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
28-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Postal workers in Philadelphia protest after Trump suggests he might privatize the agency
The rally is part of a broader 'Day of Action' held by the American Postal Workers Union around the country. Workers warn privatizing the Postal Service will mean higher prices for consumers, job cuts and reduced services. (AP Video: Tassanee Vejpongsa)
