Where are You Going  
  The APWU membership has grown very well from it beginning but now our membership is shrinking. 
  Would you want to go back to being forced to working 10 to 12 hour days, costly Health Insurance, little to no vacation time off, constant harassment by Management, lower wages etc.. I hear complaints all the time about Wall Mart’s employees working conditions, well hear this, it is our Union that defends our rights, OUR Union bargain for the benefits we have, wages, and safer working conditions. Well check this out too you, me, we, us are the Union we are in this fight to prevent the USPS and Capital Hill from closing the MPO, passing outlandish bills etc. Or do you think on your own you can stand up to the USPS and Capital Hill and get the results the Union has struggled, striked and fought to get us over the years.
  As I look back at the participation in the pickets and demonstrations we’ve had the past few months and years, I do not see you, me, we, or us. We the Dallas Area Local have 2797 members, where are the other 2750 members hiding. We are in this fight, no war!!!, together to save our jobs, wages, health benefits, service to the customers that rely upon the Postal Service, and quality of life we now enjoy because of the Union through collective bargaining and generous sacrifices many Union Members have made over the years.
  Yes the Union will suffer defeats, but one thing for sure we have not lost the war like the one  Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the powerful chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, who has introduced a bill, H.R. 2309, that is "an assault on postal workers and the Postal Service," This is a war, my fellow powferful Union Members, that we can not sit idle by and let it be resolve by people of this caliber.  Are we going to let the Politicians weaken or break our Union? If we do then where are we going to be? Are we going to go backwards to1970?  If you don’t know about the 70’s just ask, second thought I am going to tell you and show you. 
  At the time, postal workers were not permitted by law to engage in collective bargaining. Postal Workers felt wages were very low, benefits poor and working conditions unhealthy and unsafe. The U.S. Post Office Department's management was outdated and,  according to workers, haphazard. Informal attempts by workers to obtain higher pay and  better working conditions had proven fruitless.
From Wikipedia Encyclopedia 
    So my question to you now “do we choose bondage after you have had liberty”?
Our Union is only as strong as our will to participate and serve it.

Listen to this Clip from 1970

 Is this what you want to go back to, this kind of treatment? Think about it.

Courtesy  Wikipedia Encyclopedia

Courtesy APWU Communications

                                  America is truly the home of the brave
 Purpose of Veterans Day: is to honor ALL American veterans, both living and dead.   On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have worn the uniform of the United States. From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan and our home land, these brave men and women have protected our Nation's ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America's veterans have answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known. They stood tall in the face of danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America, our ideals and way of life.
 Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom's defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.  
 Many Americans mistakenly believe that Veterans Day is the day America sets aside to honor American military personnel who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained from combat. That's not quite true. Memorial Day is the day set aside to honor America's war dead.  Veterans Day, honors ALL American veterans, both living and dead. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for dedicated and loyal service to their country. November 11 of each year is the day we ensure that veterans know we deeply appreciate the sacrifices they have made in their lives to keep our country free. America is truly the home of the brave. 
A little history as to how Veterans Day came about
 To commemorate the ending of the "Great War" (World War I), an "unknown soldier" was buried in highest place of honor in both England and France (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These ceremonies took place on November 11th, celebrating the ending of World War I hostilities at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). This day became known internationally as "Armistice Day". In 1921, the United States of America followed France and England by laying to rest the remains of a World War I American soldier -- his name "known but to God" -- on a Virginia hillside overlooking the city of Washington DC and the Potomac River. This site became known as the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," and today is called the "Tomb of the Unknowns." Located in Arlington National Cemetery, the tomb symbolizes dignity and respect for the American veteran.  
 In America, November 11th officially became known as Armistice Day through an act of Congress in 1926. It wasn't until 1938, through a similar act that Armistice Day became a national holiday. The entire World thought that World War I was the "War to end all wars." Had this been true, the holiday might still be called Armistice Day today.
 In 1939 when World War II broke out in Europe, more than 400,000 American service members died during that horrific war.  In 1947, Raymond Weeks, of Birmingham Ala., organized a "Veterans Day" parade on November 11th to honor all of America's veterans for their loyal and dedicated service. Shortly thereafter, Congressman Edward H. Rees (Kansas) introduced legislation to change the name of Armistice Day to Veterans Day in order to honor all veterans who have served the United States in all wars. 
 In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day, and called upon Americans everywhere to rededicate themselves to the cause of peace. He issued a Presidential Order directing the head of the Veterans Administration (now called the Department of Veterans Affairs), to form a Veterans Day National Committee to organize and oversee the national observance of Veterans Day.  Congress passed legislation in 1968 to move Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. As it became apparent that November 11th was historically significant to most Americans, Congress in 1978 reversed itself and returned the holiday to its traditional date.  
Have You Thanked a Veteran Today?
 The best way to have a "happy Veterans Day" is to do something special to make a veteran happy not just on Veterans Day but every day. Please let our Veterans know they are always in our thoughts and prayers..

Courtesy APWU Communications