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07/21/2004 Entry: "Burrus Update #11-2004"

July 20, 2004

USPS Ad Campaign to Spotlight Workforce
The Postal Bulletin dated July 8, 2004, previews the USPS fall advertising campaign and proudly notes that actual letter carriers will portray themselves in ads. “For many customers, letter carriers stand for our entire organization,” an excerpt offered by the bulletin says. “They symbolize the team that delivers the best service possible – from retail to collection, from transportation to processing.”

The article in the Postal Bulletin left me with the distinct impression that letter carriers would be featured as representative of all postal employees. This would be totally unacceptable to the APWU-represented employees who perform such a wide range of services throughout the nation’s mail system.

Letter carriers may be a key component in the world’s best postal service, but delivery of the U.S. Mail requires many categories of employees, including those represented by APWU. Our members take great pride in the contribution we make.

After reading the bulletin, I immediately called Pat Donahoe, USPS Chief Operating Officer, to demand the inclusion of APWU-represented employees, and was informed that the ad described in the bulletin is just one part of the “Working For You” campaign that eventually will include all the postal groups that perform essential mail services.

We look forward to the portrayal of our members as a vital part of the team that serves our nation.

William Burrus
President