By the The National Association of Letter Carriers

– The NALC will conduct its 23rd annual food drive on Saturday, May 9. Letter carriers will collect non-perishable food donations on that day as they deliver mail along their postal routes.

It is the nation’s largest single-day food drive, and is held annually on the second Saturday in May in 10,000 cities and towns in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam.

With the extreme weather experienced this winter by much of the country, along with the economic struggles many Americans face, the Letter Carriers’ Food Drive never has been more important.

“Letter carriers are honored to be able to help people in need,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. “We see the needs in the communities we serve, and we believe it’s important to help meet those needs.”

Hunger affects about 49 million people around the country, including millions of children and senior citizens. And one in four households with a member currently serving in the U.S. military turns to a food bank for food assistance.

Pantry shelves filled up through winter-holiday generosity often are bare by late spring. And, with most school meal programs not available during summer months, millions of children must find alternate sources of nutrition.

On Saturday, May 9, as they deliver mail, the nation’s 175,000 city letter carriers will collect donations left by residents near their mail boxes. They will be joined by retired letter carriers, by family members and friends, and by countless volunteers to help collect and distribute the sacks of non-perishable food items that get left next to generous customers’ mailboxes that morning.

People are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods such as canned soup; canned vegetables; canned meats and fish; pasta; peanut butter; rice or cereal next to their mailbox before the regular mail delivery on Saturday.

Carriers will bring the food to local food banks, pantries or shelters, including many affiliated with Feeding America, which is a national partner in the drive, as are the U.S. Postal Service, United Way Worldwide, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, the AFL-CIO, Valpak and Valassis.

People who have questions about the drive in their area should ask their letter carrier, contact their local post office, or go to nalc.org/food, facebook.com/StampOutHunger or twitter.com/StampOutHunger (hashtag #StampOutHunger).

Source: http://www.nalc.org/community-service/food-drive

From The PA. AFL-CIO

– “Thanks to the commitment and the support of thousands of volunteers and participants across Pennsylvania, we have transformed a nationwide observance into a global movement for safe jobs and putting human life above greed and profits. Safe jobs and protecting working men and women is important everyday not just on Workers’ Memorial Day. This has always been our priority and it should be everyone’s priority – labor, business and government,” President Bloomingdale said.

Events were held on various days across Pennsylvania in observance of April 28 the day designated in honor of fallen workers and rededicated to fulfilling the promise of safe jobs for every worker.

“While through our collective efforts millions of lives have been saved, as I speak 12 workers die every day in America as a result of workplace illnesses and injuries. The average penalty for a workplace fatality is only $5,000. We need stronger protections and stiffer penalties, including criminal prosecution for intentional acts, that injure or kill workers. We will continue holding these memorials to “Mourn the Dead and Fight for the living” until every job is a safe job,” Secretary-Treasurer Snyder said.

The final Workers’ Memorial observance will be held in Johnstown, organized by the Greater Johnstown Regional Central Labor Council. It will be the 26th Annual Workers Memorial Day Banquet on Friday evening, May 1, and will include a brief interfaith service and the awarding of scholarships in the Annual Workers Memorial Day Essay Contest sponsored by the Johnstown CLC.

Source: http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=5941

By The May Day USA Education Committee Philadelphia

– FROM THE 8-HOUR DAY TO THE FIGHT FOR $15 – WHEN WE ORGANIZE WE CAN WIN!

– Unbeknownst to many Americans, May Day was founded in the United States after the nationwide general strike for the eight-hour workday that started on May 1, 1886. The annual May Day USA Education Committee celebration – taking place at Clark Park in West Philly this year – highlights this hidden labor history as well as today’s struggles and past labor struggles honored by the Elmwood Park Labor Monument right here in our own City of Brotherly Love! [See below for more on the Labor Monument.]

The 8th annual “May Day USA March, Rally and Family Celebration” on Friday, May 1st 2015, kicks off at 2PM with a rally and march – co-run by our allies at “Fight for $15” and “$15 Now” – calling for a livable wage for all workers — starting in front of the McDonalds at 40th & Walnut Streets and ending up at Clark Park (43rd Street & Baltimore Avenue) where our celebration will begin at 3PM. The Clark Park rally and celebration will include a DJ, live music, singers, poets, a BBQ by the Veterans For Peace Chapter 31 “Precision Grill Team,” children’s entertainment, and an array of notable speakers from Labor and other allied organizations in Philly. We will also be awarding the annual Aggie Moran Human Rights Awards.

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD AND JOIN US!

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The Elmwood Park Labor Monument, erected in 2010, was commissioned by the Fairmount Park Art Association in cooperation with the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department and represents ten years of perseverance by the neighborhood organization, The Friends of Elmwood Park, to build a tribute to Labor in their community. More info: http://associationforpublicart.org/interactive-art-map/the-labor-monument-philadelphias-tribute-to-the-american-worker

Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/634069030057459/

– For five years, Newspaper Guild members have given up two weeks of pay saving the company about $1 million a year.

Now when we want to devote those funds to our health and welfare fund, the company is balking. That $1 million won’t even fill the $2.5 million hole created by the company’s refusal to increase its fund contribution in 15 years. But it will help.

The company says we can’t afford furloughs. That it’s embarrassing to the company.

But consider this: Can any one of you afford to pay $4,000 (for single coverage) to $8,500 (for family coverage) MORE a year for health care? That would be on top of the $20 a week, or $1,040 a year singles pay as well as the $750 deductible bringing their total annual cost to $5,790. Those with family coverage already pay $50 a week or $2,600 a year plus a $1,500 deductible. Their new total would be $12,600 a year.

Have you thought about what that will do to your budget? Can you stay in your apartment? Your home? What else can you cut from your budget? Contributions to a retirement fund in lieu of the pension the company killed? A car, vacations, a college education for your children? How about clothes and food?

Not only has the company taken our money but the company’s chief financial officer won’t even acknowledge the hundreds of hours of free overtime that employees give this company every year saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Now, ask yourself, how did the company spend your money? Did it succeed in finding ways to improve our revenue stream? Or, did it pay our members not to work in a series of buyouts which created more work for the rest of us? Did select executives take raises and bonuses?

Where do you think that $903 profit sharing check came from? Our givebacks.

It is our money and our sacrifices, our commitment and our ever increasing workload that drives this company. But this company doesn’t think it has to pay for that by providing adequate health care benefits. Instead, it wants you to cover yet another management failure to increase revenue.

The problem for the company is that we have nothing left to give because they’ve sucked it all up. Not only does upper management refuse to acknowledge that, it refuses to budget for the expense of having workers.

Management behavior in these negotiations is strong evidence for you to understand that when it matters, your sacrifices have not been appreciated or even noticed.

Management feels it does not have an obligation to you.

That is what is embarrassing.

In solidarity,

Howard Gensler

Bill Ross

Diane Mastrull

Cindy Burton

Melanie Burney

Regina Medina

Brian McCrone

By The PA. AFL-CIO

– President Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Snyder encourage you to participate in our many Workers’ Memorial Day events and encourage all of your members and co-workers to participate in one or more of these observances if possible.

Area Labor Federations, Central Labor Councils and Local Unions will be hosting these events, along with friends. The events are listed on our calendar, CLICK HERE. Observances will include prayer services, memorial marches, candlelight vigils, the laying of wreaths, as well as the reading of names of deceased workers and the tolling of bells. Once again our unions and volunteers will be making these events a solemn and lasting reminder of the need to continue to fight for safe jobs and improved working conditions for every working man and woman.

Every day 12 Workers are killed on the job and thousands of workers are injured or die due to unsafe working conditions and exposure to hazardous substances.

“Job safety has always been a top priority for working men and women and until every job and every workplace is safe we will continue working and fighting to improve protections and safety. Workers’ Memorial Day is our opportunity to underscore our commitment to each other to be sure that safety is always placed ahead of corporate profits,” Bloomingdale said.

“One life lost is one too many. A union contract and a strong union presence in our economic and political life are still just as important to safe jobs today as they were in previous generations. Our commitment and energy to protect workers from unsafe jobs will not subside until every worker can go to work and return home safe and healthy at the end of the day,” Snyder said.

Source: http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=5920