The United States Postal Service has been outsourcing union jobs to Staples outlets, replacing living wage jobs with minimum wage ones in one of many steps towards the privatization of the Post Office.
Berkeley Post Office Defenders were one of the first groups to take up a call to arms against Staples, organizing a protest outside of the Berkeley Staples in mid-December last year and starting a local Boycott campaign using (what else?) a postcard (see below). Now, with the organizing power of the American Postal Workers Union leading the way, the effort has spread across the country.
On May 21st Staples Vice Chairman Joe Doody said that the boycott “could become a problem if more unions backed the postal workers.” Oops.
First the California Federation of Teachers voted to endorse a boycott of Staples. Then the national AFL-CIO took a stand. Days ago, the NEA, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, then the National Nurses United and SEIU 32BJ endorsed the boycott.
Locally, the San Francisco Labor Council just last week did the same with a strongly worded resolution, reproduced below. The Alameda Labor Council may consider a similar resolution.
San Francisco Labor Council Resolution to Support Postal Workers; Boycott Staples
Whereas, the U.S. Postal Service has a no-bid, sweetheart deal with the big-box chain Staples to
operate “postal” counters in more than 80 stores in four states, and is considering expanding this
operation to more than 1,500 Staples stores across the United States; and
Whereas, these “postal” counters are staffed by low-wage, high-turnover Staples employees with little
training and no credentials to handle U.S. mail. The Postal Service and Staples are refusing to staff these
counters with unionized, uniformed USPS employees who have the training and experience to properly
handle U.S. mail, and who have sworn an oath to uphold the security and sanctity of the mail and the
highest standards of public service; and
Whereas, non-union “postal” jobs at Staples are replacing living-wage, union jobs of Postal Service
employees, as the Postmaster General reduces staffing and hours, closing and selling off community post
offices; and
Whereas, consumers are increasingly concerned about identity theft at large retail chains, and privatizing
the handling of U.S. mail will jeopardize the privacy, sanctity and security of the mail; and
Whereas, instead of offering lower quality service and selling off public assets, the Postal Service can and
should use its unmatched nationwide network of people and facilities to better serve the public with
expanded hours and new services, such as low-cost postal banking, which would be a tremendous benefit
for our people; and
Whereas, along with other public employees we are fighting a common battle to oppose privatization of public
services in schools, colleges, hospitals and other public institutions, as well as the Post Office; and
Whereas, the AFL-CIO Executive Council has endorsed the American Postal Workers Union boycott of all
Staples retail stores, and Staples website and branded products; and
Whereas, according to the Boston Globe, “Doody, the Staples executive, said the company does not want
to get in the middle of the fight between the post office and its union, but acknowledged the issue could
become a problem if more unions backed the postal workers. He said the retailer will continue to evaluate
the situation to determine whether the negative backlash is worth the benefits of the partnership,”
Therefore be it Resolved that the San Francisco Labor Council joins the American Postal Workers Union
and AFL-CIO in urging all our members, friends and family not to shop at Staples stores, and to spread the
boycott widely.
Submitted by NALC 214 and adopted unanimously by the San Francisco Labor Council on June 9, 2014
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