The United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the Government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by Act of Congress, and supported by the people. The Postal Service shall bind the Nation together and shall render postal services to all communities.
Postal Reorganization Act of 1970
1700s
1775
Ben Franklin appointed as first Postmaster General by the First Continental Congress.
1789
“Post Offices and post roads” enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
1794
U.S. Post Office Department established.
1800s
1802
Congress restricts mail carrying to “free white persons”.
1829
Postmaster General established as cabinet position.
1864
Railway Mail Service established.
Postal money order system created.
Vote-by-mail established for Union troops.
1865
Congress removes barriers against Black workers being hired by Post Office.
1883
Pendleton Civil Service Act.
1885
Special Delivery established.
1900s
1902
Rural Free Delivery formally established Theodore Roosevelt implements gag order.
1906
Formation of National Association of Railway Mail Clerks.
Formation of National Federation of Post Office Clerks.
Formation of National Federation of Post Office Clerks.
1910s
1911
Postal Savings System started.
1912
Formation of all-white Railway Mail Association.
1913
President Wilson segregates federal and postal agencies.
Formation of National Alliance of Postal Employees for Black postal workers barred from white-only unions.
Formation of National Alliance of Postal Employees for Black postal workers barred from white-only unions.
1918
Airmail service established.
1920s
1923
National Association of Post Office Chauffeurs and Mechanics Union formed.
1930s
1933
Franklin D Roosevelt cuts wages 15-percent for federal employees.
1937
National Association of Post Office and General Service Maintenance Employees formed.
1939
The Hatch Act bans government employees from partisan political activities.
1940s
1941
Highway post office system established.
1947
President Truman institutes government “loyalty tests” leading to purge of “radical” and “leftist” postal employees.
1950s
1955
Progressive leaders, including Moe Biller, suspended from postal jobs under loyalty tests, reinstated six months later President Eisenhower prohibits discrimination in federal employment.
1960s
1960
“Progressive Feds” form National Postal Union on an industrial union basis.
1962
Kennedy Executive Order recognizing federal unions and limited collective bargaining.
1967
Postal Savings System terminated.
1970s
1970
Historic National Postal Strike Postal Reorganization Act.
1971
Creation of APWU with merger of five unions.
Joint bargaining of all postal unions and securing of first Collective Bargaining Agreement.
First APWU Officer Election with Stu Filbey elected as President.
1974
Highway post office eliminated Battle of the Bulk.
1976
Pre-sort discounts implemented.
1977
Railway Post Office service eliminated.
1978
Emmet Andrews elected APWU President.
1980s
1980
Moe Biller elected President.
Post Office Women for Equal Rights (POWER) established in the APWU Constitution.
1989
Elizabeth Powell becomes first woman elected to the APWU National Executive Board.
APWU defeats USPS privatization scheme to place private post offices in Sears stores.
1990s
1993
Family and Medical Leave Act passed and applied to postal workers.
1994
APWU sends delegation to observe first free elections in South Africa.
1998
East Coast Leasing workers organize into the APWU – first victory of “Private Sector” organizing.
1999
Battle in Seattle against the World Trade Organization (WTO).
2000s
2001
William Burrus elected APWU President.
Anthrax Attack causes two postal worker deaths in Washington, D.C.
2006
Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act passed by Congress.
2010s
2010
Cliff Guffey elected APWU President.
2011
Elimination of overnight delivery of first-class mail. Increased plant closings and consolidations.
2012
Day of Action with all postal unions to preserve 6-day delivery.
2013
Mark Dimondstein elected APWU President.
Fight back begins against USPS retail privatization scheme at Staples.
2016
Stop Staples / “U.S. Mail Not for Sale” campaign is victorious, with USPS cancellation of Staples deal.
2018
APWU begins successful campaign to defeat Trump Administration plan to privatize USPS.
2020s
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic; Health and safety focus on protecting essential postal workers.
69 millions voters - nearly half the electorate - vote by mail in the 2020 election.
APWU and allies secure $10 billion emergency COVID relief for USPS.
2022
APWU passes 100,000 threshold of former PSEs converted to career positions.
Postal Service Reform Act signed into law, eliminating draconian prefunding mandate and other important changes to USPS.
exhibit 2