The War at Home

Greetings, fellow workers:

Before I get into the meat of this article, I'd like to thank everyone who voted in last month's election, everyone who donated toys to our toy drive, and everyone who saw it in their heart to donate time and money to the less fortunate this Holiday season. Our commitments to our community, and to your union, are two of the most important obligations we have.

Usually in this space, I write about the activities of the Central Labor Council and the broader Labor Movement. Today I am writing directly to you, the rank-and-file union member, about an issue that affects ALL of us:

President Bush wants to open your mail without a warrant.

That's right. The President of the United States has asserted, in contradiction of two centuries of American law and in violation of the fourth amendment to the US Constitution, that he has the right to open your mail without a warrant.

This is an outrage.

As postal workers, we are held to the highest standards of integrity and respect, representing for our customers the most honorable face of government. With the President's unconstitutional interpretation of this important Postal reform bill, he has put our time-honored reputations in danger. Imagine what your customers will think of you when they think you might be reading their mail.

This is a crime against democracy. This is a crime no President should be allowed to get away with. The President, in his unconstitutional "signing statements", has asserted rights prohibited by the Constitution, and now we're the ones in the line of fire.

We must stand against this President's insane refusal to obey the rule of law. We must resist, as a union, as the sacred defenders of the first amendment to the Constitution. We must speak out with all the breath we have inside us, and we must not rest until our victory is won.

I've set up a website where you can find several ways to fight back on this issue: writing letters to the newspaper, contacting members of Congress, etc.

www.postalworkersunited.blogspot.com

Come to the site and sign our petition compelling Congress to register their rejection of this illegal and unconstitutional violation of our God-given rights.

We must unite against this tyranny before we have no democracy left. We have no choice. The time has come to defend our American principles before everything we've ever believed in is gone.

In Solidarity,

Jeff Richardson
Delegate, Pierce County Central Labor Council