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North Carolina Rallies to Save the Postal Service

Jeremy Sprinkle
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Actions were held across the state

On September 27, 2011, hundreds of postal employees were joined by other workers for rallies in every North Carolina congressional district to educate the public and call for passage in Congress of HR 1351, a bill that would Save America's Postal Service.

Click here for pictures of the 9/27 postal day of action in North Carolina.

(from left) Michael Gravinese, TLC president; Rep. Brad
Miller; Mike Clement, Raleigh rally site coordinator, APWU.

In Raleigh, 13th District Congressman Brad Miller joined the rally of about 140 people and gave an impassioned defense of the postal service and saving middle class jobs. In New Bern, rally goers welcomed the support of 3rd District Congressman Walter Jones. In Wilmington, 7th District Congressman Mike McIntyre showed solidarity with postal employees by becoming a co-sponsor of HR 1351. Media coverage of the postal rallies was, by-and-large, great - a mix of T.V., print, and radio. Here is a sampling of press clips from the 9/27 postal day of action: Here's T.V. coverage of Tim Greene, NALC, talking with WFMY News 2 in Greensboro: Here's T.V. coverage by ABC 11 WTVD of the action in Fayetteville, including Greater Sandhills CLC President, Tony McKinnon, APWU: We received this report from Wilmington, which seemed indicative of how well things went across the board on the 9/27 postal day of action:
I am awash in happiness and gratitude. We have had a very successful rally supporting Representative McIntyre's co-sponsorship of HR 1351 in downtown Wilmington! It was tightly focused upon the issue, very informative to the public, very supportive of the Congressman on this issue, and we were successful in delivering hundreds of signatures to his office. We were further blessed with great weather, plenty of news coverage, and so many people willing to hold signs and collect signatures that we ran out of tee shirts! We even had the public offer to buy tees! I have to thank my union local president John Cowan for allowing me to take time during the last union meeting to drive home the importance of participation in this rally, as well as drumming up awareness within the carrier ranks through the past few days. Another big thank you goes to Richard Laverdure and to Bill Whalen of the APWU local. They were extremely generous in allowing me to use the APWU room a block away from the rally site as a staging area, as well as spending a ton of time and energy making copies, getting current info, and collecting signatures before and during the rally. Barbara Smith of the Rural Carriers union was available and helpful from a very long way away to get rural carriers represented at the rally -- thanks! My state level NALC president Eddie Davidson [and NC State AFL-CIO VP] was an integral part of making this rally even happen, generously sending shirts, info sheets, signs, ever present encouragement, emails with current info and materials, and the constant effort to help in any way possible.  Last and NOT least, the super smart firebrand Jason Rosin, as President of the CLC, took time out of a very busy schedule to be available in every way to ensure the success of this rally by mailing nearly 200 letters in support of the rally to local union leaders, emailing many others, and offered time, material, advice, the IATSE 491 hall, and every little thing to see to it that fellow union brothers here in Southeastern NC were successful with informing the public about HR 1351 and the real deal with postal finances. I am selfishly happy that this rally easily met its goal of obtaining signatures from the public, delivering these petitions to the Congressman's office, and educating the public. I feel blessed and ever grateful to everyone who helped, very selflessly, from the smallest to the largest efforts. THANK YOU! In solidarity, Jamey Charlet Congressional District Liason National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 464

Keep up the pressure on Congress!

Click here to sign the petition to your member of Congress urging him or her to co-sponsor HR 1351 and Save America’s Postal Service. The Postal Service affects every resident and business in your community, and so what happens to it is of great local as well as national importance. We must not let America’s postal service be taken from us! Learn more at http://www.saveamericaspostalservice.org/.