Bleak and cold, blank and frozen, this season has, on the surface, an appearance of dormancy. But the careful observer will recognize that this is a time of preparation, when after, there is a grand emergence of the young and bold, the green and growing. When we are green and growing, we have strength. When we are ripe, we rot.

It was said recently from a USPS manager at the plant, “why does your union even need safety persons?” The answer is evident to us. Unfortunately, many in the USPS organization do not understand the true value of safety engagement. Here is our sixth part of the APWU Local 232 Safety and Health Committee plan: The actual organization, development and implementation of that very APWU Local 232 Safety and Health Committee. It is worthwhile noting that this committee serves our Local and is separate and independent of the Joint Labor Management Safety and Health Committee (JLMSHC), a required USPS committee for all installations which have 50+ employees (The JLMSC will be discussed in further detail in the April 2026 edition of the Vindicator).

The APWU Local 232 Safety and Health Committee is a union specific organization to promote safe practices among its membership and to expect the participation of USPS management in the Safety Program. It is comprised of member volunteers with no limit in numbers. In 2025 our Executive Board encouraged the formation of this committee to serve in the following capacity. These elements, organized locally by them, are the core of what this committee is expected to perform. (This is a brief overview. A more complete description is available in the committee’s handbook):

• The APWU Local 232 Safety and Health (S&H) Committee shall engage, encourage and promote all things safety. It will support all health and safety protocols, policies and procedures as defined by the United States Postal Service (USPS) within the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Employee Labor Relations Manual (ELM), all safety Postal Handbooks including EL 814 Postal Employees guide to Safety and EL 801 Supervisors Safety Handbook, EL-803, Maintenance Employee’s Guide to Safety, and other like documents
• The Local 232 S&H Committee stands as the action arm for safety within the reaches of Local 232, including the Clerk, Maintenance, Motor Vehicle Service, and Special Service Crafts
• The Local 232 S&H Committee serves the membership within the stewardship of Local 232 and operates under the advice and support of the Executive Board
• The Local 232 S&H Committee shall orally communicate pertinent information / quests to the membership, as time is granted, during the regular Membership Meeting.
• The Local 232 S&H Committee shall gather and archive records pertinent to safety including the identification of hazards, official investigations, and a journal of committee minutes and actions.
• The Local 232 S&H Committee will recommend and provide representatives to the USPS sponsored Joint Labor-Management Safety and Health Committees at all facilities with 50+ employees.
• The Local 232 S&H Committee will respond to specific recommendations gathered by APWU representatives from the Joint Labor-Management Safety and Health Committees. Likewise, the Local 232 S&H Committee shall provide ‘talking points’ to those same APWU representatives who in turn may voice them in the Joint Labor-Management Safety and Health Committees
• The Local 232 S&H Committee should be continuously engaged in training safe practices among the membership through seminars, training sessions, postings, and office visits
• The Local 232 S&H Committee members should routinely visit USPS installations under the stewardship of the union for observation and communication. In connection with the visits, the committee should maintain a profiling journal of each installation identifying and/or updating contacts, hours of operation, safety concerns, and other pertinent details.

If you are interested in serving, reach out to myself or any officer or Steward to volunteer.

Each of you is being prepared for a day that you may serve within this or some other opportunity. You have much to offer and the ‘green and growing’ is fulfilled in the learning. It may be small or large. Each contribution, each lesson has value. Your agency, to choose your own path, is honored. Your journey is personal. Each action is fruitful. Each experience will reap a harvest of benefits. Your selfless acts of service and/or safety reflect a commitment to the greater good for all. The invitation is to engage. Each contribution, each lesson has value. And although, at times, specific recognition may not happen, you may know that you, noble you, made a difference. You are ultimately the strength of this experience: the Union, the Postal Service, and life.

Be alert while driving and aware of any hazards associated with weather. As always, there is always time for safety.

-Tony George – APWU Local 232 Safety Officer