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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:13,140 --> 00:00:15,890 (logo whooshing) 2 00:00:18,347 --> 00:00:21,754 - I'm hoping my buddy comes out. 3 00:00:21,754 --> 00:00:23,085 (gentle country music) 4 00:00:23,085 --> 00:00:25,747 The young handicapped guy right here. 5 00:00:25,747 --> 00:00:27,237 What's up, Jason. 6 00:00:27,237 --> 00:00:30,570 And he usually comes out, gets his mail. 7 00:00:32,358 --> 00:00:33,462 (man laughs) 8 00:00:33,462 --> 00:00:35,212 How you doing, buddy? 9 00:00:37,970 --> 00:00:39,591 All right, is that good? - Thank you. 10 00:00:39,591 --> 00:00:40,541 - All right, you got it, Jason. 11 00:00:40,541 --> 00:00:41,739 Have a good day, bud. 12 00:00:41,739 --> 00:00:42,619 Be careful. 13 00:00:42,619 --> 00:00:44,133 Now he can't get in the box or anything, 14 00:00:44,133 --> 00:00:46,119 so I'll hold this mail for him. 15 00:00:46,119 --> 00:00:47,943 And he'll come out and I'll give him his mail. 16 00:00:47,943 --> 00:00:51,193 (upbeat country music) 17 00:00:53,352 --> 00:00:54,575 I mean, you just befriend these people. 18 00:00:54,575 --> 00:00:55,408 They're like family too. 19 00:00:55,408 --> 00:00:56,241 So I see them coming up, 20 00:00:56,241 --> 00:00:58,789 I'll just grab their mail or something like that. 21 00:00:58,789 --> 00:01:00,219 They get things like clockwork, 22 00:01:00,219 --> 00:01:02,096 like their medicine, their checks. 23 00:01:02,096 --> 00:01:04,523 So you know when that's coming and they know. 24 00:01:04,523 --> 00:01:08,602 Some customers get that special attention. 25 00:01:08,602 --> 00:01:09,602 Seatbelt on. 26 00:01:10,865 --> 00:01:12,615 It's part of the job. 27 00:01:13,761 --> 00:01:15,813 When it gets to that point too, it's not even like a job, 28 00:01:15,813 --> 00:01:17,925 it's just like a normal family thing 29 00:01:17,925 --> 00:01:19,927 that you're doing with them, for them. 30 00:01:19,927 --> 00:01:23,177 (gentle country music) 31 00:01:24,968 --> 00:01:27,339 - You can leave a letter on your door 32 00:01:27,339 --> 00:01:29,264 and it will be hand-delivered 33 00:01:29,264 --> 00:01:32,567 to a spot thousands of miles away 34 00:01:32,567 --> 00:01:37,279 in the most remote corner of the United States. 35 00:01:37,279 --> 00:01:38,112 - It's just really great. 36 00:01:38,112 --> 00:01:40,193 I mean, I don't think there's a bigger bargain 37 00:01:40,193 --> 00:01:42,193 in the world these days. 38 00:01:43,461 --> 00:01:45,108 - That's a miracle right there. 39 00:01:45,108 --> 00:01:46,446 It takes three or four of those 40 00:01:46,446 --> 00:01:48,226 to get my normal cup of coffee. 41 00:01:48,226 --> 00:01:51,171 If you can get this letter anywhere in the world, 42 00:01:51,171 --> 00:01:53,021 and you trust it's gonna go there. 43 00:01:53,021 --> 00:01:56,483 (gentle country music) 44 00:01:56,483 --> 00:02:00,995 - The postal service delivers 155 billion pieces 45 00:02:00,995 --> 00:02:05,833 of mail every year, approximately 40% of the world's mail. 46 00:02:05,833 --> 00:02:09,083 (gentle country music) 47 00:02:10,109 --> 00:02:12,596 - You can actually see the people that you're touching, 48 00:02:12,596 --> 00:02:17,179 and I'm a people person, so it gives me a good feeling. 49 00:02:18,628 --> 00:02:19,466 - Are you all right? 50 00:02:19,466 --> 00:02:20,299 - Yeah. 51 00:02:20,299 --> 00:02:21,132 - Good. 52 00:02:22,914 --> 00:02:26,862 - We come here for the news, we come here for our mail, 53 00:02:26,862 --> 00:02:28,117 for the kids to play. 54 00:02:28,117 --> 00:02:32,128 I mean, this is just kind of our social point of Evanston. 55 00:02:32,128 --> 00:02:35,157 - It's a post office and you know the postmaster, 56 00:02:35,157 --> 00:02:36,966 if there are clerks there, you know them, 57 00:02:36,966 --> 00:02:40,089 you know they're there to serve you. 58 00:02:40,089 --> 00:02:40,936 - They see each other, 59 00:02:40,936 --> 00:02:43,425 they get to talk about things that are happening 60 00:02:43,425 --> 00:02:46,370 and what they need to get involved in in town. 61 00:02:46,370 --> 00:02:49,229 - It can be politics, it can be a bond issue, 62 00:02:49,229 --> 00:02:51,280 it can be that there's a forest fire 63 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,613 two miles down the road coming your way. 64 00:02:55,577 --> 00:02:57,462 - Each place is composed of different people 65 00:02:57,462 --> 00:03:01,130 and everybody's got a story to tell. 66 00:03:01,130 --> 00:03:05,880 - Well, the post office is kind of a window on the world. 67 00:03:07,201 --> 00:03:09,452 - You look forward to it. 68 00:03:09,452 --> 00:03:10,653 - You got it? 69 00:03:10,653 --> 00:03:11,486 - Thank you. 70 00:03:11,486 --> 00:03:12,634 - You're welcome. 71 00:03:12,634 --> 00:03:13,656 (both laughing) 72 00:03:13,656 --> 00:03:15,251 - Have a great day. - Take care. 73 00:03:15,251 --> 00:03:17,127 - It's a nice interlude. 74 00:03:17,127 --> 00:03:17,960 Hi, Jack. 75 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:19,980 How are things, and a little bit of information 76 00:03:19,980 --> 00:03:22,160 about the neighborhood and the community. 77 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:23,634 - Take big picture. 78 00:03:23,634 --> 00:03:27,301 - [Jack] A real life spice in the community. 79 00:03:29,452 --> 00:03:31,434 - The first thing I learned when I came 80 00:03:31,434 --> 00:03:34,716 to the postal service was three words, 81 00:03:34,716 --> 00:03:36,928 the sanctity of the mail. 82 00:03:36,928 --> 00:03:40,066 - I'm Jay, and this is my dad. 83 00:03:40,066 --> 00:03:43,134 - Right now, we're in front of the maple crush station 84 00:03:43,134 --> 00:03:45,217 in Maplewood, New Jersey. 85 00:03:46,713 --> 00:03:49,630 My job was box clerk, window clerk. 86 00:03:50,891 --> 00:03:53,273 And I spent many wonderful years here 87 00:03:53,273 --> 00:03:56,275 taking care of beautiful customers. 88 00:03:56,275 --> 00:03:58,337 - [Jay] He always had a lot to say 89 00:03:58,337 --> 00:04:00,616 about his job at the post office. 90 00:04:00,616 --> 00:04:02,744 - I felt a feeling of accomplishment 91 00:04:02,744 --> 00:04:05,867 every day I came home from work. 92 00:04:05,867 --> 00:04:09,461 - I love the attitude of those that work here. 93 00:04:09,461 --> 00:04:12,088 They're very personal and they give you good advice, 94 00:04:12,088 --> 00:04:14,255 like we just got it today. 95 00:04:15,434 --> 00:04:18,396 - I like to help people, and I care about them, 96 00:04:18,396 --> 00:04:20,034 and I wanna give them the best service 97 00:04:20,034 --> 00:04:24,012 and the most knowledgeable service that I could. 98 00:04:24,012 --> 00:04:27,118 - [Jay] After hearing the stories for 27 years 99 00:04:27,118 --> 00:04:29,695 and watching what he went through to keep his job, 100 00:04:29,695 --> 00:04:32,049 I set out to uncover if what happened 101 00:04:32,049 --> 00:04:34,327 to him was happening everywhere. 102 00:04:34,327 --> 00:04:37,577 (gentle country music) 103 00:04:48,093 --> 00:04:51,320 (car engine roaring) 104 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:54,593 - I loved my job when I went to work at the post office. 105 00:04:54,593 --> 00:04:56,176 It was a tough job. 106 00:04:57,881 --> 00:05:00,798 A lot of the jobs were playing out around here 107 00:05:00,798 --> 00:05:04,442 at the time that I worked in the textile industry 108 00:05:04,442 --> 00:05:08,716 and the mail I was working at was closing down. 109 00:05:08,716 --> 00:05:10,381 - When I started at the post office, 110 00:05:10,381 --> 00:05:13,787 I was 27 years old with two children, 111 00:05:13,787 --> 00:05:16,791 and I had three jobs working at the mall. 112 00:05:16,791 --> 00:05:18,845 They were all minimum wage jobs, 113 00:05:18,845 --> 00:05:23,261 and there's no way I could support my children. 114 00:05:23,261 --> 00:05:25,656 - I couldn't have found a better job. 115 00:05:25,656 --> 00:05:27,906 Money was great, the hours. 116 00:05:28,836 --> 00:05:31,832 It was just a great place to work. 117 00:05:31,832 --> 00:05:33,601 But as time went on 118 00:05:33,601 --> 00:05:36,518 (letters rattling) 119 00:05:37,729 --> 00:05:41,106 I had never been messed with in my whole career 120 00:05:41,106 --> 00:05:45,289 to have to have turn 51 with so many years in. 121 00:05:45,289 --> 00:05:49,439 It's almost like they'd had their usefulness out of me 122 00:05:49,439 --> 00:05:51,187 and it was time for me to go. 123 00:05:51,187 --> 00:05:53,915 (letters rattling) 124 00:05:53,915 --> 00:05:56,403 - Don't talk to nobody, deliver the mail 125 00:05:56,403 --> 00:05:58,689 as fast as you can, cut the lawns, 126 00:05:58,689 --> 00:06:00,475 climb somebody's bushes. 127 00:06:00,475 --> 00:06:02,362 They would actually tell you that. 128 00:06:02,362 --> 00:06:04,313 - They're trying to get you to speed up. 129 00:06:04,313 --> 00:06:07,877 And if anything gets you to break safety measures, 130 00:06:07,877 --> 00:06:10,752 but they won't tell you that. 131 00:06:10,752 --> 00:06:12,693 It's big time stress. 132 00:06:12,693 --> 00:06:13,986 - I gotta do everything right. 133 00:06:13,986 --> 00:06:15,502 If I do one thing wrong, 134 00:06:15,502 --> 00:06:18,247 the 99 things I did are negated. 135 00:06:18,247 --> 00:06:21,728 - My chest was pumping and my head was about to pop. 136 00:06:21,728 --> 00:06:23,966 - It's like a mutual distrust. 137 00:06:23,966 --> 00:06:26,581 The employees don't trust the supervisors, 138 00:06:26,581 --> 00:06:29,315 the managers don't trust the workers. 139 00:06:29,315 --> 00:06:30,600 - It's basically a war zone. 140 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:32,759 You're on one side, they're on the other. 141 00:06:32,759 --> 00:06:35,306 (protestors chanting) 142 00:06:35,306 --> 00:06:37,898 - The system right now as the postal service operates 143 00:06:37,898 --> 00:06:39,200 as counterproductive, 144 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,127 in many places, it's a day-to-day battle. 145 00:06:42,127 --> 00:06:44,363 - I was told by several postmasters 146 00:06:44,363 --> 00:06:46,989 and supervisors throughout my career, 147 00:06:46,989 --> 00:06:49,883 I will follow you till I catch you do something wrong. 148 00:06:49,883 --> 00:06:53,132 - In this postal culture, you're the enemy if you speak up. 149 00:06:53,132 --> 00:06:56,748 - We'll find a way to get at you for opening your mouth. 150 00:06:56,748 --> 00:06:59,748 (suspenseful music) 151 00:07:06,683 --> 00:07:08,847 - I worry about someone going postal. 152 00:07:08,847 --> 00:07:10,205 This is not an option for me, 153 00:07:10,205 --> 00:07:12,351 but what about someone that has put their life 154 00:07:12,351 --> 00:07:13,820 into the post office? 155 00:07:13,820 --> 00:07:17,001 What if they find themselves in Brian's crosshairs, 156 00:07:17,001 --> 00:07:20,203 see no way out and decide to fire back. 157 00:07:20,203 --> 00:07:21,339 What if I'm at work that day 158 00:07:21,339 --> 00:07:23,635 and get caught in the crossfire? 159 00:07:23,635 --> 00:07:24,836 I warned them. 160 00:07:24,836 --> 00:07:28,781 I put it in writing and I sent it to the EEO investigator. 161 00:07:28,781 --> 00:07:32,347 And I know that somebody took notice 162 00:07:32,347 --> 00:07:36,608 because the EO investigator sent it to Charlotte 163 00:07:36,608 --> 00:07:39,875 who sent a guy down to interview me 164 00:07:39,875 --> 00:07:41,536 for an hour to make sure 165 00:07:41,536 --> 00:07:45,203 that I wasn't contemplating something, that. 166 00:07:49,598 --> 00:07:54,050 - The district manager was having a town hall meeting. 167 00:07:54,050 --> 00:07:56,848 I told him, I said, "We're giving you this paper, 168 00:07:56,848 --> 00:08:01,244 this petition, because we don't wanna sit around 169 00:08:01,244 --> 00:08:04,052 and watch TV at the 11 o'clock news 170 00:08:04,052 --> 00:08:07,835 and something crazy happens in the post office 171 00:08:07,835 --> 00:08:10,370 and we look at the TV and see you guys on there saying 172 00:08:10,370 --> 00:08:11,908 we didn't know anything was wrong. 173 00:08:11,908 --> 00:08:15,558 (gentle somber music) 174 00:08:15,558 --> 00:08:19,055 So we're putting you on notice that we have a problem. 175 00:08:19,055 --> 00:08:22,222 (gentle somber music) 176 00:08:23,677 --> 00:08:27,159 And then of course, we have this disaster Tuesday morning, 177 00:08:27,159 --> 00:08:30,862 where Steve Spencer committed suicide 178 00:08:30,862 --> 00:08:33,825 in the bathroom of the annex. 179 00:08:33,825 --> 00:08:36,242 (bell dings) 180 00:08:39,931 --> 00:08:41,764 I was totally shocked. 181 00:08:42,882 --> 00:08:44,149 We had no one. 182 00:08:44,149 --> 00:08:48,294 We didn't have anybody to talk to, the carriers. 183 00:08:48,294 --> 00:08:52,588 We sent two people to the hospital after that. 184 00:08:52,588 --> 00:08:55,823 It's just a tragedy that they had to work through that. 185 00:08:55,823 --> 00:08:58,906 (gentle piano music) 186 00:09:02,893 --> 00:09:05,625 - Steve was, he was this happy face. 187 00:09:05,625 --> 00:09:07,276 He was this happy face that you'd see 188 00:09:07,276 --> 00:09:09,861 in the morning, this friendly guy. 189 00:09:09,861 --> 00:09:11,956 He didn't have any problems, 190 00:09:11,956 --> 00:09:14,276 not on the outside. 191 00:09:14,276 --> 00:09:16,503 - Steve was straight up fella. 192 00:09:16,503 --> 00:09:20,419 He always willing to take the lead in all the things 193 00:09:20,419 --> 00:09:24,506 that the union and the postal service did for the community. 194 00:09:24,506 --> 00:09:26,589 He was a tireless worker. 195 00:09:29,035 --> 00:09:31,618 (somber music) 196 00:09:41,500 --> 00:09:45,333 - There would be postal management supervisors 197 00:09:47,290 --> 00:09:51,715 that will be coming out and following Steve. 198 00:09:51,715 --> 00:09:54,863 At first, it was just every once in a while. 199 00:09:54,863 --> 00:09:58,530 But the last three months that he was alive, 200 00:09:59,573 --> 00:10:04,573 it had gotten to be, well, three, four times a week. 201 00:10:04,654 --> 00:10:06,476 - You're taking your lunch break, 202 00:10:06,476 --> 00:10:09,878 you see him pass by or pull into the place you're at 203 00:10:09,878 --> 00:10:11,227 and stop and look, 204 00:10:11,227 --> 00:10:14,843 and look at their watch and get out 205 00:10:14,843 --> 00:10:17,767 and check, see if your vehicles locked, look in it, 206 00:10:17,767 --> 00:10:20,481 no one all the time, but you're watching them. 207 00:10:20,481 --> 00:10:24,814 And then they move on, and to me, that's harassment. 208 00:10:27,139 --> 00:10:32,139 - I believe they were following him to shake Steve up. 209 00:10:32,442 --> 00:10:35,151 Hopefully they would find him doing something 210 00:10:35,151 --> 00:10:37,273 they could dismiss him for 211 00:10:37,273 --> 00:10:39,432 that they could fire him for, 212 00:10:39,432 --> 00:10:41,682 but they can never do that. 213 00:10:42,851 --> 00:10:46,020 And I think that's why they followed him for so long. 214 00:10:46,020 --> 00:10:48,603 (somber music) 215 00:11:07,881 --> 00:11:09,380 - Steve would be the kind of fit, 216 00:11:09,380 --> 00:11:10,213 he would've been the kind of guy 217 00:11:10,213 --> 00:11:14,630 that would be a sacrificial lamb to make things right 218 00:11:15,749 --> 00:11:17,946 for everybody else. 219 00:11:17,946 --> 00:11:20,446 He was just that good-hearted. 220 00:11:22,519 --> 00:11:25,898 - Steve Spencer was my secretary when I was president. 221 00:11:25,898 --> 00:11:28,684 The thing that I was shocked about is 222 00:11:28,684 --> 00:11:31,686 why Steve didn't come to somebody for help 223 00:11:31,686 --> 00:11:34,189 because everybody used to go to Steve for help. 224 00:11:34,189 --> 00:11:36,448 - Being real honest with you, if it wasn't for Steve, 225 00:11:36,448 --> 00:11:37,615 a lot of days, 226 00:11:39,642 --> 00:11:43,280 I probably could have done something wrong to people. 227 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:45,894 - Even the president of the union would come to him 228 00:11:45,894 --> 00:11:48,811 for advice because they knew, well, 229 00:11:49,660 --> 00:11:52,144 everyone knew, the postal management knew 230 00:11:52,144 --> 00:11:55,409 of the union members old and new knew 231 00:11:55,409 --> 00:11:57,909 that he has so much knowledge. 232 00:11:59,288 --> 00:12:03,201 And I think that's where part of the problem came in. 233 00:12:03,201 --> 00:12:05,701 They were truly afraid of him. 234 00:12:07,769 --> 00:12:11,049 He was the one that they were determined 235 00:12:11,049 --> 00:12:13,395 to see leave the postal service. 236 00:12:13,395 --> 00:12:16,478 (somber piano music) 237 00:12:28,541 --> 00:12:31,679 - I wasn't surprised at what happened last week, 238 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:33,929 'cause I've seen it coming. 239 00:12:34,846 --> 00:12:39,562 There's gonna be a lot more coming to if it don't stop. 240 00:12:39,562 --> 00:12:42,156 (suspenseful music) 241 00:12:42,156 --> 00:12:46,168 - [Man] You could cut the stress level walking 242 00:12:46,168 --> 00:12:48,157 into the building. 243 00:12:48,157 --> 00:12:50,912 - I think people feel like their jobs are on the line. 244 00:12:50,912 --> 00:12:53,057 I think they feel like that if they say something 245 00:12:53,057 --> 00:12:55,637 that they're gonna be after them, 246 00:12:55,637 --> 00:12:57,927 they're gonna find things to go after them for, 247 00:12:57,927 --> 00:13:01,446 they're gonna find things to try to get them out. 248 00:13:01,446 --> 00:13:03,006 - When we were voicing our opinions 249 00:13:03,006 --> 00:13:05,361 about what this guy's saying and doing, 250 00:13:05,361 --> 00:13:08,549 the firm interviewed six people. 251 00:13:08,549 --> 00:13:12,014 All six people said, "I feel my blood pressure coming up 252 00:13:12,014 --> 00:13:14,159 when I see this manager. 253 00:13:14,159 --> 00:13:15,819 The hair on my arm stands up. 254 00:13:15,819 --> 00:13:18,136 I get nervous, I get tense." 255 00:13:18,136 --> 00:13:21,540 I said, "What's your definition of going postal?" 256 00:13:21,540 --> 00:13:24,042 And when I said that to Majid, 257 00:13:24,042 --> 00:13:27,222 he threw himself back into the computer, 258 00:13:27,222 --> 00:13:29,668 the girl that was taking notes drops her pen. 259 00:13:29,668 --> 00:13:32,468 And he says, "We don't like to talk about going postal." 260 00:13:32,468 --> 00:13:34,760 I said, "Okay, well, then let's change the word. 261 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:35,999 You tell me what the word is 262 00:13:35,999 --> 00:13:38,360 that we'd use instead of going postal." 263 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:41,814 He says, "I don't wanna talk about going postal." 264 00:13:41,814 --> 00:13:44,564 They don't wanna talk about that. 265 00:13:45,685 --> 00:13:47,262 - [Woman] We need an ambulance. 266 00:13:47,262 --> 00:13:48,389 - [Man] Where are you at? 267 00:13:48,389 --> 00:13:50,830 - [Jay] On August 18th, 1983, 268 00:13:50,830 --> 00:13:54,318 Perry Smith carried a 12 gauge shotgun to the post office 269 00:13:54,318 --> 00:13:57,093 where he worked for 25 years. 270 00:13:57,093 --> 00:14:00,868 He chased the postmaster to a nearby store and killed him, 271 00:14:00,868 --> 00:14:03,671 shooting two former coworkers in the process. 272 00:14:03,671 --> 00:14:05,412 Less than four months later, 273 00:14:05,412 --> 00:14:08,677 it happened again in Alabama, then Georgia, 274 00:14:08,677 --> 00:14:10,456 and New York City. 275 00:14:10,456 --> 00:14:13,051 For more than two decades, it kept happening. 276 00:14:13,051 --> 00:14:17,394 Postal employees came to work aiming for their bosses, 277 00:14:17,394 --> 00:14:19,660 leaving a wake of collateral damage 278 00:14:19,660 --> 00:14:23,615 as dozens of postal workers were killed or injured. 279 00:14:23,615 --> 00:14:25,508 - [Woman] Oh, my God, he's using (indistinct). 280 00:14:25,508 --> 00:14:28,341 - [Woman] I think we're gonna die. 281 00:14:29,804 --> 00:14:31,451 - He had a nine millimeter pistol 282 00:14:31,451 --> 00:14:34,284 and he started to shoot at us all. 283 00:14:40,646 --> 00:14:42,585 - In Montclair, New Jersey, 284 00:14:42,585 --> 00:14:45,932 there were two postal employees killed, 285 00:14:45,932 --> 00:14:50,932 two people from the general public, and one maimed for life. 286 00:14:51,326 --> 00:14:54,813 I went and sat outside that office that night and had tears 287 00:14:54,813 --> 00:14:59,004 in my eyes because I wondered if I should go to work 288 00:14:59,004 --> 00:15:01,549 because of the fact that this could happen to me, 289 00:15:01,549 --> 00:15:04,618 but it could happen to anybody in any walk of life. 290 00:15:04,618 --> 00:15:07,780 And I had too much to give up to leave the postal service. 291 00:15:07,780 --> 00:15:10,363 (somber music) 292 00:15:11,300 --> 00:15:15,294 - Every incident of post office violence back then 293 00:15:15,294 --> 00:15:17,898 I was involved in, I was called in. 294 00:15:17,898 --> 00:15:19,855 - [Reporter] Dr. Mike Mantell an expert 295 00:15:19,855 --> 00:15:22,397 in dealing with mass trauma arrived today. 296 00:15:22,397 --> 00:15:26,405 - I remember talking about how quickly they cleaned up 297 00:15:26,405 --> 00:15:28,789 the blood and the bullet holes 298 00:15:28,789 --> 00:15:31,506 and how some of the post office workers said, 299 00:15:31,506 --> 00:15:34,227 there's still some bullet holes in the wall 300 00:15:34,227 --> 00:15:38,609 and it turns our stomach and it turns and twists our minds, 301 00:15:38,609 --> 00:15:41,053 and it affects us deeply. 302 00:15:41,053 --> 00:15:43,628 And it was just get back to work. 303 00:15:43,628 --> 00:15:44,461 Don't worry about it. 304 00:15:44,461 --> 00:15:45,294 Get over it. 305 00:15:45,294 --> 00:15:47,794 Don't just take a file cabinet and move it over 306 00:15:47,794 --> 00:15:51,094 to cover a bullet hole, clean it up. 307 00:15:51,094 --> 00:15:52,895 - I've seen a lot of people that are waiting 308 00:15:52,895 --> 00:15:54,986 to explode in there. 309 00:15:54,986 --> 00:15:57,595 - To lay the labor management relations, 310 00:15:57,595 --> 00:16:02,595 to layer that stress, I just don't think is legitimate. 311 00:16:02,663 --> 00:16:04,502 - [Police man] (indistinct) policeman. 312 00:16:04,502 --> 00:16:06,552 - [Reporter] This time it's Royal Oak, Michigan. 313 00:16:06,552 --> 00:16:08,867 Another postal worker gone bizarre 314 00:16:08,867 --> 00:16:13,499 on a shooting rampage targeting his supervisors. 315 00:16:13,499 --> 00:16:15,500 - He came in at about eight o'clock 316 00:16:15,500 --> 00:16:18,085 and had his gun under his coat. 317 00:16:18,085 --> 00:16:21,790 He shot Chris Carlisle in the head five times. 318 00:16:21,790 --> 00:16:26,010 Came out, shot two other supervisors and went upstairs. 319 00:16:26,010 --> 00:16:29,577 And I guess he shot some people who were injury comp 320 00:16:29,577 --> 00:16:31,838 and somebody jumped out of a window. 321 00:16:31,838 --> 00:16:33,950 - [Reporter] Incredibly, everyone at Royal Oak 322 00:16:33,950 --> 00:16:37,807 knew it was coming and most knew the gunman by name. 323 00:16:37,807 --> 00:16:40,890 - Tom McElvane was their main target. 324 00:16:42,066 --> 00:16:44,586 They went after the guy for everything. 325 00:16:44,586 --> 00:16:46,771 They went after him 'cause his shorts weren't 326 00:16:46,771 --> 00:16:47,949 the right length, 327 00:16:47,949 --> 00:16:52,182 that he went to the bathroom too many times. 328 00:16:52,182 --> 00:16:56,141 The day that he was actually fired and it stuck, 329 00:16:56,141 --> 00:16:58,555 three management people got in a car 330 00:16:58,555 --> 00:17:00,573 and followed him out to his route. 331 00:17:00,573 --> 00:17:04,969 They were following like within inches of his bumper. 332 00:17:04,969 --> 00:17:09,136 And then he slowed down to 10 or 15 miles an hour, 333 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:12,889 they said that he tried to hit them 334 00:17:12,889 --> 00:17:17,258 with slam on the brakes and make them hit him. 335 00:17:17,258 --> 00:17:22,091 What it came down to was that he would not submit to them. 336 00:17:24,771 --> 00:17:27,906 And so, when I came to San Francisco, 337 00:17:27,906 --> 00:17:31,842 I was just shocked that the manager there was 338 00:17:31,842 --> 00:17:36,342 the same kind of manager that I had seen in Royal Oak, 339 00:17:37,300 --> 00:17:40,850 barking at everybody, screaming at him, 340 00:17:40,850 --> 00:17:44,480 scream from across the room for you to come to her desk 341 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:48,504 so she could yell at you in front of everybody in the place. 342 00:17:48,504 --> 00:17:51,365 It's frightening to me to be in there. 343 00:17:51,365 --> 00:17:54,948 And the times that I went to the postmaster in San Francisco 344 00:17:54,948 --> 00:17:58,031 and personally asked, what can we do? 345 00:17:58,898 --> 00:18:01,889 Because the morale is so bad 346 00:18:01,889 --> 00:18:06,389 that I can see how another Royal Oak will happen here. 347 00:18:07,664 --> 00:18:10,577 And the response always was to me, 348 00:18:10,577 --> 00:18:13,297 "Well, geez, Audrey, you seem to have 349 00:18:13,297 --> 00:18:16,527 some kind of personal problems. 350 00:18:16,527 --> 00:18:20,136 Have you thought about seeing a psychiatrist." 351 00:18:20,136 --> 00:18:21,938 - [Reporter] A postal supervisor appears 352 00:18:21,938 --> 00:18:24,081 to have been killed by a coworker 353 00:18:24,081 --> 00:18:27,081 who later turned the gun on himself. 354 00:18:28,104 --> 00:18:31,341 Postal employees were told not to comment. 355 00:18:31,341 --> 00:18:32,662 - As specifics to discipline, 356 00:18:32,662 --> 00:18:35,436 already that information we're not gonna release. 357 00:18:35,436 --> 00:18:38,255 Both of these employees were very well-liked. 358 00:18:38,255 --> 00:18:41,171 - They didn't have any idea. 359 00:18:41,171 --> 00:18:43,871 No one could possibly know why he did it. 360 00:18:43,871 --> 00:18:45,289 How can that be 361 00:18:45,289 --> 00:18:47,206 that you just have the same situation 362 00:18:47,206 --> 00:18:49,366 so many times over and over. 363 00:18:49,366 --> 00:18:51,199 How can that possibly be? 364 00:18:51,199 --> 00:18:55,419 It has to be the mentality of the post office. 365 00:18:55,419 --> 00:18:58,376 - This is a philosophy that's being promoted 366 00:18:58,376 --> 00:19:02,543 by the post office in general, harass, intimidate. 367 00:19:04,390 --> 00:19:07,633 And we're here to say, stop the harassment, 368 00:19:07,633 --> 00:19:11,966 stop the abuse, stop the harassment, stop the abuse. 369 00:19:20,391 --> 00:19:23,474 (train horn honking) 370 00:19:26,007 --> 00:19:30,340 - Stewart is a union person in the local post office 371 00:19:31,730 --> 00:19:34,874 that takes care of any problems with management 372 00:19:34,874 --> 00:19:37,457 and any of the other employees. 373 00:19:39,639 --> 00:19:41,910 It's just the part of my makeup 374 00:19:41,910 --> 00:19:45,426 that I can not see another human being 375 00:19:45,426 --> 00:19:47,592 being easily verbally harassed, 376 00:19:47,592 --> 00:19:50,774 or dehumanized an earshot of me, 377 00:19:50,774 --> 00:19:54,774 without me getting up and trying to assist them. 378 00:19:58,377 --> 00:20:01,419 - You just see the injustice and you say, you know what, 379 00:20:01,419 --> 00:20:03,023 I'm either gonna go nuts 380 00:20:03,023 --> 00:20:05,419 or I'm gonna go do something about it. 381 00:20:05,419 --> 00:20:08,048 That's one of the things that made me a steward. 382 00:20:08,048 --> 00:20:10,719 Invariably, you'll find that the stewards 383 00:20:10,719 --> 00:20:13,971 were people that grew up standing in between a bully 384 00:20:13,971 --> 00:20:15,651 and somebody who either couldn't 385 00:20:15,651 --> 00:20:17,866 or wouldn't defend himself. 386 00:20:17,866 --> 00:20:21,077 - I am not an individual that likes to fight. 387 00:20:21,077 --> 00:20:23,308 I like to sit down and negotiate, 388 00:20:23,308 --> 00:20:26,585 but if I'm backed into the corner, 389 00:20:26,585 --> 00:20:29,055 I'll come out swing both arms, 390 00:20:29,055 --> 00:20:30,552 because I believe in human rights, 391 00:20:30,552 --> 00:20:34,795 and I believe in fairness, and I believe in morality. 392 00:20:34,795 --> 00:20:37,099 - There's always some type of retaliation 393 00:20:37,099 --> 00:20:39,413 whenever you get a really good settlement, 394 00:20:39,413 --> 00:20:42,304 whenever you, as I would say, 395 00:20:42,304 --> 00:20:45,811 just nail them once, they wanna come back and get you, 396 00:20:45,811 --> 00:20:46,984 but it's just business. 397 00:20:46,984 --> 00:20:50,295 It's not supposed to get personal. 398 00:20:50,295 --> 00:20:51,521 - [Jay] As a shop steward, 399 00:20:51,521 --> 00:20:53,516 my dad had an adversarial relationship 400 00:20:53,516 --> 00:20:55,789 with many of the bosses. 401 00:20:55,789 --> 00:20:56,622 Around the dinner table, 402 00:20:56,622 --> 00:20:59,734 I'd hear stories like this one. 403 00:20:59,734 --> 00:21:04,379 - After he had lost a large arbitration and grievance 404 00:21:04,379 --> 00:21:07,359 with me, and he took me outside 405 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:10,609 on my 45th birthday without any earshot 406 00:21:12,031 --> 00:21:13,691 of anyone else and say, 407 00:21:13,691 --> 00:21:17,017 "I may fire you for no reason at all 408 00:21:17,017 --> 00:21:19,512 and you'll be on the outside looking in for six months 409 00:21:19,512 --> 00:21:22,762 to a year till you get to arbitration." 410 00:21:24,602 --> 00:21:28,935 In 1997, the local management had postal inspectors, 411 00:21:31,996 --> 00:21:35,746 following me and filming me on a daily basis. 412 00:21:37,393 --> 00:21:42,222 They accused me of stealing $500 over a 10-year period 413 00:21:42,222 --> 00:21:44,139 and put me out of work. 414 00:21:45,268 --> 00:21:47,289 At this time, I understand Bob is suspended 415 00:21:47,289 --> 00:21:49,141 without pay pending the outcome 416 00:21:49,141 --> 00:21:50,579 of a criminal investigation 417 00:21:50,579 --> 00:21:53,412 regarding mileage expense reports. 418 00:21:54,475 --> 00:21:57,133 - [Jay] It was the spring of my senior year 419 00:21:57,133 --> 00:22:00,300 and the future was suddenly uncertain. 420 00:22:01,275 --> 00:22:03,246 - In the federal sector and especially 421 00:22:03,246 --> 00:22:04,148 in the postal service, 422 00:22:04,148 --> 00:22:09,148 they have an incredible maze of how to resolve problems. 423 00:22:09,443 --> 00:22:12,384 It's totally designed to take as long as possible. 424 00:22:12,384 --> 00:22:14,864 - These were mileage vouchers for 10 years, 425 00:22:14,864 --> 00:22:18,749 which only came to two miles a day, seven miles, 426 00:22:18,749 --> 00:22:21,760 wherever I went that they had asked me to go, 427 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:23,177 plus the letters, 428 00:22:25,559 --> 00:22:26,962 hundreds and hundreds of letters 429 00:22:26,962 --> 00:22:31,171 from customers that I service over the years. 430 00:22:31,171 --> 00:22:33,233 And I'd never had a financial shortage. 431 00:22:33,233 --> 00:22:37,066 I never took anything from the postal service. 432 00:22:40,128 --> 00:22:42,215 - [Jay] In US workplaces you were presumed guilty 433 00:22:42,215 --> 00:22:43,995 until proven innocent. 434 00:22:43,995 --> 00:22:47,416 - Workers are routinely fired, suspended, 435 00:22:47,416 --> 00:22:48,916 held out, starved, 436 00:22:50,230 --> 00:22:53,969 and it is a disciplining tool on the part of management. 437 00:22:53,969 --> 00:22:57,219 Most working class people can't sustain 438 00:22:58,194 --> 00:22:59,164 a single paycheck, 439 00:22:59,164 --> 00:23:02,674 much less several months of waiting for a grievance case 440 00:23:02,674 --> 00:23:07,674 to be heard by an arbitrator or through a grievance panel. 441 00:23:08,123 --> 00:23:10,863 - There's always a fear you're not gonna get the job back. 442 00:23:10,863 --> 00:23:15,462 And many people give up and take the punishment. 443 00:23:15,462 --> 00:23:18,441 As I've known single mothers and single fathers 444 00:23:18,441 --> 00:23:20,300 that had to feed their families 445 00:23:20,300 --> 00:23:22,872 and took the deal and made it look 446 00:23:22,872 --> 00:23:27,039 like they were guilty of something they never did. 447 00:23:31,612 --> 00:23:32,591 - [Man] What you're actually gonna do, 448 00:23:32,591 --> 00:23:35,101 you're gonna fuck around and get fired? 449 00:23:35,101 --> 00:23:36,461 - [Man] They can fire me for asking questions- 450 00:23:36,461 --> 00:23:38,058 - [Man] What are you trying to figure out with that? 451 00:23:38,058 --> 00:23:39,288 - [Man] You're gonna fuck around and get fired. 452 00:23:39,288 --> 00:23:40,144 - [Man] What are trying to figure out? 453 00:23:40,144 --> 00:23:42,503 - [Man] Now, the union will get you your job back, 454 00:23:42,503 --> 00:23:45,177 but in the meantime, you're gonna be hurting. 455 00:23:45,177 --> 00:23:46,566 - [Man] Why would they fire me? 456 00:23:46,566 --> 00:23:47,399 - [Man] You're gonna be fired without pay. 457 00:23:47,399 --> 00:23:48,232 - [Man] What are you trying to do, though? 458 00:23:48,232 --> 00:23:51,912 - [Man] He's trying to start the most- 459 00:23:51,912 --> 00:23:54,412 (tense music) 460 00:23:57,681 --> 00:24:02,238 - Well, yeah, I had one manager of many officers. 461 00:24:02,238 --> 00:24:03,556 He told me the best way to do 462 00:24:03,556 --> 00:24:04,924 to take care of your employees 463 00:24:04,924 --> 00:24:07,180 find your best employee and find something 464 00:24:07,180 --> 00:24:10,233 that he's doing wrong and give them a letter of warning. 465 00:24:10,233 --> 00:24:11,550 And I would say to myself, 466 00:24:11,550 --> 00:24:14,255 why in a world would I want to do that? 467 00:24:14,255 --> 00:24:16,591 Well, they figured that if you wrote up your best employee 468 00:24:16,591 --> 00:24:18,873 and the other employees would fall in line thinking, 469 00:24:18,873 --> 00:24:20,237 well, they just wrote off the best guy 470 00:24:20,237 --> 00:24:24,535 in the office for some minor little detail. 471 00:24:24,535 --> 00:24:27,535 They wanted to intimidate everybody. 472 00:24:31,091 --> 00:24:33,837 - Sir, the working environment 473 00:24:33,837 --> 00:24:36,892 in the postal service is combative now. 474 00:24:36,892 --> 00:24:39,516 We're getting warning letters without checks. 475 00:24:39,516 --> 00:24:41,697 - [Patrick] The current atmosphere out there 476 00:24:41,697 --> 00:24:45,114 is ones largely of fear and intimidation. 477 00:24:46,629 --> 00:24:48,801 Many of us are working six days a week, 478 00:24:48,801 --> 00:24:51,651 10 hours a day, 12 hours a day, 479 00:24:51,651 --> 00:24:53,262 because we're very dedicated. 480 00:24:53,262 --> 00:24:54,557 However, when you do that 481 00:24:54,557 --> 00:24:57,872 and you're still told you failed, you failed, you failed. 482 00:24:57,872 --> 00:25:00,463 And the answer to everything is discipline, 483 00:25:00,463 --> 00:25:03,754 discipline of your employees, or you'll be disciplined. 484 00:25:03,754 --> 00:25:06,387 - There's a ton of pressure, but there's no reason 485 00:25:06,387 --> 00:25:09,790 why people should threaten people or treat them poorly. 486 00:25:09,790 --> 00:25:12,971 That message will go up with my next- 487 00:25:12,971 --> 00:25:15,493 (audience claps) 488 00:25:15,493 --> 00:25:17,216 - [Man] We're supposed to treat people fairly 489 00:25:17,216 --> 00:25:19,174 and treat people with dignity and respect. 490 00:25:19,174 --> 00:25:20,719 Now, if you say one thing, 491 00:25:20,719 --> 00:25:24,444 but you promote somebody who does completely the opposite, 492 00:25:24,444 --> 00:25:26,194 then what do you say? 493 00:25:28,936 --> 00:25:30,062 - I've had particular managers 494 00:25:30,062 --> 00:25:33,467 who I've received hundreds of complaints on. 495 00:25:33,467 --> 00:25:35,244 I've had to go out to the post office, 496 00:25:35,244 --> 00:25:38,721 I've had to sit down and have a come to Jesus meeting 497 00:25:38,721 --> 00:25:42,742 with that manager about what their responsibility is 498 00:25:42,742 --> 00:25:45,833 and how they should be treating their workers. 499 00:25:45,833 --> 00:25:48,147 When a United States Congress who walks in a post office 500 00:25:48,147 --> 00:25:52,512 and reams out the manager, you get a response. 501 00:25:52,512 --> 00:25:55,157 I mean, it's unfortunate that that has to happen, 502 00:25:55,157 --> 00:25:57,907 but sometimes that has to happen. 503 00:25:59,021 --> 00:26:01,691 - If you have a disagreement with a boss, 504 00:26:01,691 --> 00:26:04,372 you might be suspended. 505 00:26:04,372 --> 00:26:08,389 You might be called in for an investigative interview. 506 00:26:08,389 --> 00:26:12,253 - [Man] You'll see audit teams miraculously showing up 507 00:26:12,253 --> 00:26:15,438 at your door at five o'clock in the morning 508 00:26:15,438 --> 00:26:17,530 to look through your records. 509 00:26:17,530 --> 00:26:20,470 You did initial one little block of 47 blocks. 510 00:26:20,470 --> 00:26:23,451 Also you're being disciplined. 511 00:26:23,451 --> 00:26:26,118 I was told to lay off, back off. 512 00:26:26,967 --> 00:26:30,063 You don't want something to happen to you. 513 00:26:30,063 --> 00:26:33,547 - If you go to a post office and they have 60 routes, 514 00:26:33,547 --> 00:26:38,212 they'll probably have enough personnel to operate 46 routes. 515 00:26:38,212 --> 00:26:42,628 They'll probably have enough vehicles for 43 routes 516 00:26:42,628 --> 00:26:44,790 and they'll be short on everything they need 517 00:26:44,790 --> 00:26:45,872 to run that office. 518 00:26:45,872 --> 00:26:48,455 In that respect, it's hostile on its own. 519 00:26:48,455 --> 00:26:52,872 - Every little delivery number you are answerable for 520 00:26:55,291 --> 00:26:58,791 every single day in your post office. 521 00:26:58,791 --> 00:27:00,859 - Like I say, on any given day on the street, 522 00:27:00,859 --> 00:27:02,779 it's not the same day. 523 00:27:02,779 --> 00:27:04,544 It's a different 24 hours. 524 00:27:04,544 --> 00:27:06,054 The management doesn't allow for that 525 00:27:06,054 --> 00:27:07,584 because they're so focused 526 00:27:07,584 --> 00:27:10,501 on the binary code off the numbers. 527 00:27:11,509 --> 00:27:14,076 - From the craft all the way up to the top management, 528 00:27:14,076 --> 00:27:17,572 they're under a lot of pressure, and stress, 529 00:27:17,572 --> 00:27:20,818 and computer programs that follow you around all day. 530 00:27:20,818 --> 00:27:23,442 I mean, we know what everyone is doing. 531 00:27:23,442 --> 00:27:24,991 - [Man] You've got an email 532 00:27:24,991 --> 00:27:28,120 or your boss would call you up and they would say, 533 00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:31,537 "Get the carriers back by 5:00, or else." 534 00:27:34,632 --> 00:27:38,689 - One of the managers of post office operations was calling 535 00:27:38,689 --> 00:27:40,474 the post office is telling them, 536 00:27:40,474 --> 00:27:44,307 I told you guys no overtime this week, fix it. 537 00:27:46,104 --> 00:27:50,021 So they're being told to lie, cheat, and steal. 538 00:27:51,819 --> 00:27:54,249 - It's tough not to break some kind of rule, 539 00:27:54,249 --> 00:27:56,749 or law, or something in a year 540 00:27:58,659 --> 00:28:00,909 when you're managing the post office, 541 00:28:00,909 --> 00:28:03,796 because they just don't give you 542 00:28:03,796 --> 00:28:05,424 what you need to operate in. 543 00:28:05,424 --> 00:28:08,556 - I had gotten curious about why some of my pay 544 00:28:08,556 --> 00:28:11,489 and my overtime wasn't paid to me. 545 00:28:11,489 --> 00:28:14,260 I would go in in the morning, I would swipe my badge, 546 00:28:14,260 --> 00:28:16,625 I would go case my route. 547 00:28:16,625 --> 00:28:20,745 And I would work that way until I went home and I swipe off. 548 00:28:20,745 --> 00:28:22,359 But what they were doing, 549 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:24,939 they were going in and actually deleting 550 00:28:24,939 --> 00:28:26,852 my badge swipe time. 551 00:28:26,852 --> 00:28:29,852 (suspenseful music) 552 00:28:36,324 --> 00:28:39,773 - [Man] Unfortunately, supervisors won't take 553 00:28:39,773 --> 00:28:43,023 the carriers time and change it to 1699 554 00:28:44,853 --> 00:28:47,441 so that they're backed by 1700. 555 00:28:47,441 --> 00:28:50,777 Just don't be caught, 'cause if you get caught, 556 00:28:50,777 --> 00:28:52,771 then they start (indistinct) 557 00:28:52,771 --> 00:28:55,180 - If something's going on and you didn't suck in a way 558 00:28:55,180 --> 00:28:56,620 that you shouldn't be doing, 559 00:28:56,620 --> 00:28:57,799 I'm gonna check into it. 560 00:28:57,799 --> 00:28:59,014 I'm gonna read it. 561 00:28:59,014 --> 00:29:00,455 I'm gonna look through the contract. 562 00:29:00,455 --> 00:29:02,216 I'm gonna look to the employee labor manual, 563 00:29:02,216 --> 00:29:03,620 I'm going to CFR. 564 00:29:03,620 --> 00:29:05,140 I'm not stopping with this right here, 565 00:29:05,140 --> 00:29:07,307 because this is not right. 566 00:29:09,694 --> 00:29:13,883 They said that Steve didn't clock on, on Tuesday, 567 00:29:13,883 --> 00:29:16,121 the day that he died. 568 00:29:16,121 --> 00:29:19,621 Notice that they came in here on six, two. 569 00:29:20,781 --> 00:29:25,085 You see this is all management generated on six, two. 570 00:29:25,085 --> 00:29:30,002 They came in here on six, three and deleted the clock ring. 571 00:29:31,165 --> 00:29:32,902 Why did you have to go on there that day 572 00:29:32,902 --> 00:29:35,023 and delete something on the same day Steve died, 573 00:29:35,023 --> 00:29:37,023 unless Steve clocked in? 574 00:29:38,682 --> 00:29:41,195 - [Jay] Could you answer that question? 575 00:29:41,195 --> 00:29:42,066 - I know what it was. 576 00:29:42,066 --> 00:29:45,301 It's keeping them having to pay Wanda 577 00:29:45,301 --> 00:29:48,343 because Steve was on the clock, 578 00:29:48,343 --> 00:29:51,093 because of his death on the clock 579 00:29:53,182 --> 00:29:55,901 'cause he's on postal time. 580 00:29:55,901 --> 00:29:56,734 - Yes. 581 00:30:01,550 --> 00:30:04,215 - I think that the union and management was in it together. 582 00:30:04,215 --> 00:30:07,476 I think that they drove a wedge to Steve. 583 00:30:07,476 --> 00:30:11,223 And I think that they left Steve feeling like he just- 584 00:30:11,223 --> 00:30:12,056 - Had nothing left. 585 00:30:12,056 --> 00:30:15,477 - Had nothing left to do and no other way out. 586 00:30:15,477 --> 00:30:18,977 And they come close to putting that to me. 587 00:30:20,481 --> 00:30:23,882 We speak out, we speak out to congressman, 588 00:30:23,882 --> 00:30:28,400 we speak out to all kinds of people, our politicians, 589 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:29,881 you can't get nobody to address it. 590 00:30:29,881 --> 00:30:34,393 It's almost like the politicians and the postal services- 591 00:30:34,393 --> 00:30:35,557 - Together. 592 00:30:35,557 --> 00:30:36,390 - I mean, it is. 593 00:30:36,390 --> 00:30:40,284 It's almost like it's all in this one corruption. 594 00:30:40,284 --> 00:30:42,148 (car engine roaring) 595 00:30:42,148 --> 00:30:45,157 God said we had to stand up for what was right. 596 00:30:45,157 --> 00:30:46,838 And this is right. 597 00:30:46,838 --> 00:30:49,243 What we're talking about is right. 598 00:30:49,243 --> 00:30:51,926 This is a corruption that's got to stop 599 00:30:51,926 --> 00:30:54,194 and we have to stand up for what is right. 600 00:30:54,194 --> 00:30:55,111 We have to. 601 00:31:01,074 --> 00:31:02,739 - Most people anywhere who are 602 00:31:02,739 --> 00:31:04,278 in business today use the mail, 603 00:31:04,278 --> 00:31:06,528 whether it's part of their marketing program, 604 00:31:06,528 --> 00:31:08,996 part of their communication capabilities. 605 00:31:08,996 --> 00:31:12,111 From our perspective as account managers, sales specialists, 606 00:31:12,111 --> 00:31:15,105 you say, well, my goal is to increase revenue. 607 00:31:15,105 --> 00:31:16,605 How can I do that? 608 00:31:17,545 --> 00:31:19,211 - I went into the marketing department, 609 00:31:19,211 --> 00:31:23,805 it was a different and a change of pace and a better pay. 610 00:31:23,805 --> 00:31:25,703 One of the things that the postal service does 611 00:31:25,703 --> 00:31:29,460 is they measure everything because they can measure mail, 612 00:31:29,460 --> 00:31:32,874 how many letters they do per second per machine. 613 00:31:32,874 --> 00:31:37,291 And that mindset came over into the sales department. 614 00:31:39,147 --> 00:31:42,337 The postal service bought a program called customer first, 615 00:31:42,337 --> 00:31:46,907 and they could manage and manipulate numbers for everything. 616 00:31:46,907 --> 00:31:49,685 - So you're going through all sorts of computer systems, 617 00:31:49,685 --> 00:31:52,692 scouring for money that the postal service already made 618 00:31:52,692 --> 00:31:55,343 and already got and then get it associated 619 00:31:55,343 --> 00:31:56,843 with your account. 620 00:31:58,877 --> 00:32:01,565 All I cared about was the end big number. 621 00:32:01,565 --> 00:32:03,966 (letters rattling) 622 00:32:03,966 --> 00:32:05,356 - It was a lot of work, many, 623 00:32:05,356 --> 00:32:08,762 many more hours than we got paid for your salary employee, 624 00:32:08,762 --> 00:32:11,095 but they expect you to work. 625 00:32:12,144 --> 00:32:15,469 You're 40 anyway, plus another 20, easy. 626 00:32:15,469 --> 00:32:18,179 And many times it was an 80-hour work week. 627 00:32:18,179 --> 00:32:19,214 - There was a mandate 628 00:32:19,214 --> 00:32:23,373 that you bring in $100,000 new revenue every month. 629 00:32:23,373 --> 00:32:26,944 Many of my colleagues were reporting 100,000, 630 00:32:26,944 --> 00:32:30,361 500,000, 700,000, a million dollar sales. 631 00:32:31,332 --> 00:32:35,357 - They started to create this the favoritism, 632 00:32:35,357 --> 00:32:38,969 better geographic territories, the better customers, 633 00:32:38,969 --> 00:32:41,619 all of the things that would make your job easier 634 00:32:41,619 --> 00:32:43,536 if you played the game. 635 00:32:46,564 --> 00:32:49,838 - And then when all the numbers came out, they said, 636 00:32:49,838 --> 00:32:51,503 "Oh, how come New York stinks? 637 00:32:51,503 --> 00:32:52,336 Look at the rest of the country. 638 00:32:52,336 --> 00:32:53,169 Look what they're doing." 639 00:32:53,169 --> 00:32:54,028 I'll go, "What are they doing? 640 00:32:54,028 --> 00:32:55,072 They're making up numbers. 641 00:32:55,072 --> 00:32:56,276 It's not real." 642 00:32:56,276 --> 00:32:58,695 And a lot of people made lots of money 643 00:32:58,695 --> 00:33:00,669 based on whatever that criteria was. 644 00:33:00,669 --> 00:33:02,836 And a lot of the people like, I'll say old post office, 645 00:33:02,836 --> 00:33:05,184 kind of like what I call myself old post office, 646 00:33:05,184 --> 00:33:06,199 we're going, this is ridiculous. 647 00:33:06,199 --> 00:33:07,032 What is almost nonsense? 648 00:33:07,032 --> 00:33:08,805 What is the one that's wasted activity? 649 00:33:08,805 --> 00:33:11,105 Well, some people didn't look at it that way. 650 00:33:11,105 --> 00:33:13,219 All they saw was a formula for them to get paid, 651 00:33:13,219 --> 00:33:15,838 and they immediately jumped in there and started doing that. 652 00:33:15,838 --> 00:33:17,407 - If you didn't bring in the numbers, 653 00:33:17,407 --> 00:33:19,208 your manager didn't get paid either. 654 00:33:19,208 --> 00:33:21,453 So your manager had a vested interest 655 00:33:21,453 --> 00:33:25,113 in getting you to write down what you needed to write down. 656 00:33:25,113 --> 00:33:26,503 I started getting in trouble. 657 00:33:26,503 --> 00:33:28,144 For the first time in my postal career, 658 00:33:28,144 --> 00:33:29,537 I started getting in trouble 659 00:33:29,537 --> 00:33:31,697 for not producing what they wanted. 660 00:33:31,697 --> 00:33:34,550 And it took me a while to pick up the tricks, 661 00:33:34,550 --> 00:33:38,266 how you were able to get the numbers that they expected. 662 00:33:38,266 --> 00:33:41,747 And little by little, I caught on, but after a while, 663 00:33:41,747 --> 00:33:43,637 it just felt wrong. 664 00:33:43,637 --> 00:33:44,687 And every time I talked about it, 665 00:33:44,687 --> 00:33:49,077 it's almost like I was growing enemies within. 666 00:33:49,077 --> 00:33:52,090 They didn't like the fact that I was bringing up stuff. 667 00:33:52,090 --> 00:33:53,479 It was dangerous. 668 00:33:53,479 --> 00:33:54,881 - And so, some people would just outright 669 00:33:54,881 --> 00:33:56,942 avoid talking to me because they didn't wanna be seen 670 00:33:56,942 --> 00:33:59,960 and get in trouble 'cause they would be quizzed 671 00:33:59,960 --> 00:34:03,165 or they would have extra duties. 672 00:34:03,165 --> 00:34:04,916 - When the vice president of sales came to New York 673 00:34:04,916 --> 00:34:09,650 because we were like falling into line, I just went for it. 674 00:34:09,650 --> 00:34:11,851 I called him onto the side, I said, 675 00:34:11,851 --> 00:34:14,320 "Sir, I know for a fact 676 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:18,400 that there are places where portfolios are being adjusted 677 00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:20,515 and manipulated so people become stars 678 00:34:20,515 --> 00:34:22,255 and other people become losers 679 00:34:22,255 --> 00:34:24,644 and are under punished." 680 00:34:24,644 --> 00:34:27,756 He goes, "I never promised you fair." 681 00:34:27,756 --> 00:34:29,514 - I'm writing all these people 682 00:34:29,514 --> 00:34:30,710 and telling them 80% 683 00:34:30,710 --> 00:34:33,679 of our USPS income was being manipulated. 684 00:34:33,679 --> 00:34:36,762 (car engine roaring) 685 00:34:39,771 --> 00:34:41,482 Yeah, these are actually, 686 00:34:41,482 --> 00:34:43,320 I just took these out of the house here 687 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:44,880 and they need to be filed 688 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:48,623 that there's just papers and documentation, 689 00:34:48,623 --> 00:34:52,149 sales that were fabricated at work. 690 00:34:52,149 --> 00:34:55,002 I have got so much more than this 691 00:34:55,002 --> 00:34:58,273 and then different files here. 692 00:34:58,273 --> 00:35:01,433 I mean, at work I have huge file cabinets. 693 00:35:01,433 --> 00:35:03,632 There's no way I would wanna keep it all at work 694 00:35:03,632 --> 00:35:05,861 'cause you never know if something would happen. 695 00:35:05,861 --> 00:35:07,032 And then some people, 696 00:35:07,032 --> 00:35:10,731 they get walked out for very unusual, strange reasons. 697 00:35:10,731 --> 00:35:13,814 And so, you wanna definitely have it. 698 00:35:15,122 --> 00:35:16,631 I mean, I don't think it's being paranoid, 699 00:35:16,631 --> 00:35:18,101 it's just being realistic 700 00:35:18,101 --> 00:35:23,101 that you're going against a really huge organization. 701 00:35:23,252 --> 00:35:26,305 And you're trying to make them understand 702 00:35:26,305 --> 00:35:29,805 how they've really wronged so many people. 703 00:35:30,685 --> 00:35:33,604 - Victoria, I'm putting you out on administrative leave, 704 00:35:33,604 --> 00:35:37,183 pending an investigation into wrongdoing. 705 00:35:37,183 --> 00:35:38,679 And she had two policemen with her. 706 00:35:38,679 --> 00:35:40,831 So I looked at her and she just walked away. 707 00:35:40,831 --> 00:35:43,898 And I asked them, "How long, what do I do?" 708 00:35:43,898 --> 00:35:45,907 And he says, "Get your personal belongings. 709 00:35:45,907 --> 00:35:47,178 "How long will it take you you," they ask me? 710 00:35:47,178 --> 00:35:48,553 I said, "Probably 20 minutes. 711 00:35:48,553 --> 00:35:50,323 I've got everything in the office." 712 00:35:50,323 --> 00:35:54,361 And they shouted at me,, "Now, lady, now." 713 00:35:54,361 --> 00:35:57,732 I should have realized that I was being set up. 714 00:35:57,732 --> 00:36:00,021 It took me a long time because I couldn't believe it. 715 00:36:00,021 --> 00:36:02,281 I grew up in the postal service. 716 00:36:02,281 --> 00:36:04,195 There are rules and regulations. 717 00:36:04,195 --> 00:36:06,856 I couldn't believe that my colleagues would be so afraid. 718 00:36:06,856 --> 00:36:07,841 "You shouldn't be afraid," 719 00:36:07,841 --> 00:36:11,600 I used to tell them because the systems protect you. 720 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:13,680 And what I learned is they don't. 721 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:15,009 - And you can't walk around a corner worrying 722 00:36:15,009 --> 00:36:17,599 about they're coming after you for some reason, 723 00:36:17,599 --> 00:36:19,323 somehow looking for excuses 724 00:36:19,323 --> 00:36:21,679 to find you doing something wrong 725 00:36:21,679 --> 00:36:23,218 and then punishing you for it and bringing you up 726 00:36:23,218 --> 00:36:25,169 on progressive disciplinary action 727 00:36:25,169 --> 00:36:27,877 with a view towards removing you from the postal service. 728 00:36:27,877 --> 00:36:29,753 How can anybody focus on their job? 729 00:36:29,753 --> 00:36:32,836 (gentle piano music) 730 00:36:36,327 --> 00:36:38,326 It's almost like assassination really. 731 00:36:38,326 --> 00:36:41,409 (gentle piano music) 732 00:36:45,896 --> 00:36:47,555 - The manager I was telling you about 733 00:36:47,555 --> 00:36:50,571 would always want three weeks of appointments 734 00:36:50,571 --> 00:36:52,671 for a day scheduled out, 735 00:36:52,671 --> 00:36:54,196 yet the people that were 736 00:36:54,196 --> 00:36:56,660 the favored didn't have to have that. 737 00:36:56,660 --> 00:36:59,914 They were sort of missing on their calendars. 738 00:36:59,914 --> 00:37:02,435 And I believe that that contributed 739 00:37:02,435 --> 00:37:06,215 to my current health state that I could have been 740 00:37:06,215 --> 00:37:08,970 in a lot better shape had I addressed my health issue, 741 00:37:08,970 --> 00:37:10,500 that I was not allowed to. 742 00:37:10,500 --> 00:37:15,333 'Cause if you go out on medical where you take a day sick, 743 00:37:17,304 --> 00:37:18,543 you have to make up those visits. 744 00:37:18,543 --> 00:37:20,772 So now the four visits you didn't make that day, 745 00:37:20,772 --> 00:37:23,599 you gotta make them up that week. 746 00:37:23,599 --> 00:37:26,075 I have never used any sick leave 747 00:37:26,075 --> 00:37:28,049 and I've never taken any time off as you can see 748 00:37:28,049 --> 00:37:29,579 from our conversation. 749 00:37:29,579 --> 00:37:33,014 So I have enough leave to cover me. 750 00:37:33,014 --> 00:37:36,201 - [Jay] The pressure Sue was under proved deadly. 751 00:37:36,201 --> 00:37:40,474 By the time she sought treatment, her cancer had taken over. 752 00:37:40,474 --> 00:37:43,288 Looking back, would you have done anything differently? 753 00:37:43,288 --> 00:37:44,999 - Yeah, I would have started complaining earlier 754 00:37:44,999 --> 00:37:47,666 and been more forceful about it. 755 00:37:53,691 --> 00:37:56,441 (water sloshing) 756 00:37:58,830 --> 00:38:02,543 - We've got some raspberry bushes that we transplanted. 757 00:38:02,543 --> 00:38:06,637 If we can get enough berries, we'll make some jam. 758 00:38:06,637 --> 00:38:08,338 The biggest complaint that I have 759 00:38:08,338 --> 00:38:11,753 is that people can't get a grievance filed. 760 00:38:11,753 --> 00:38:15,962 It sounds to me like they're not even filing them. 761 00:38:15,962 --> 00:38:17,500 Show me the grievance, 762 00:38:17,500 --> 00:38:20,766 and that's what I was doing at the last union meeting. 763 00:38:20,766 --> 00:38:21,964 Show me the grievance. 764 00:38:21,964 --> 00:38:23,084 And so, the next thing you know, 765 00:38:23,084 --> 00:38:26,918 someone in the back starts hauling for the sergeant at arms. 766 00:38:26,918 --> 00:38:29,389 Like they need to grab me and throw me out 767 00:38:29,389 --> 00:38:32,525 of the union meeting because I won't stop complaining 768 00:38:32,525 --> 00:38:34,442 that I'm being lied to. 769 00:38:35,987 --> 00:38:39,737 Right now, our union is afraid of management. 770 00:38:41,725 --> 00:38:43,836 Our union should not be afraid of management. 771 00:38:43,836 --> 00:38:45,353 They should not. 772 00:38:45,353 --> 00:38:47,274 I hope by the time that this is over 773 00:38:47,274 --> 00:38:50,607 that our union is afraid of its members. 774 00:38:52,937 --> 00:38:54,477 - [Reporter] In March, 1970, 775 00:38:54,477 --> 00:38:57,277 US postal workers went on strike. 776 00:38:57,277 --> 00:39:00,132 It was the first nationwide strike against the government 777 00:39:00,132 --> 00:39:03,795 and the largest wildcat strike in history. 778 00:39:03,795 --> 00:39:05,459 - We called it a wildcat strike 779 00:39:05,459 --> 00:39:08,258 because postal workers went out on strike 780 00:39:08,258 --> 00:39:10,698 in opposition to what the union leaders 781 00:39:10,698 --> 00:39:12,478 were advising them to do. 782 00:39:12,478 --> 00:39:14,287 - In several large cities, 783 00:39:14,287 --> 00:39:16,757 the post offices are shut down. 784 00:39:16,757 --> 00:39:17,892 In New York, for example, 785 00:39:17,892 --> 00:39:22,333 the mail system is wholly paralyzed by illegal walkout. 786 00:39:22,333 --> 00:39:24,444 The government immediately obtained a court order 787 00:39:24,444 --> 00:39:26,754 against the strike and union leaders order 788 00:39:26,754 --> 00:39:29,091 the carriers back to work, many refused. 789 00:39:29,091 --> 00:39:30,297 - I don't like to go on strike 790 00:39:30,297 --> 00:39:32,654 but we must because we've been (indistinct) too long. 791 00:39:32,654 --> 00:39:35,986 - You can't live in new York City on what they're giving in. 792 00:39:35,986 --> 00:39:40,054 - Prior to the strike, raises were dictated by congress. 793 00:39:40,054 --> 00:39:41,744 Congress said, "Yeah, we're gonna give them a raise," 794 00:39:41,744 --> 00:39:43,246 congress said, "No, we're not gonna give them a raise." 795 00:39:43,246 --> 00:39:44,684 That's what created the strike. 796 00:39:44,684 --> 00:39:47,851 (upbeat guitar music) 797 00:39:51,249 --> 00:39:53,436 - I've been told I'm eligible for welfare, 798 00:39:53,436 --> 00:39:54,973 but I don't wanna take welfare. 799 00:39:54,973 --> 00:39:57,914 - We wanna work, but this is the only means 800 00:39:57,914 --> 00:40:00,068 we have of letting congress know 801 00:40:00,068 --> 00:40:02,445 that we cannot take it any longer. 802 00:40:02,445 --> 00:40:04,757 Either they give us what we should have 803 00:40:04,757 --> 00:40:08,246 or we will stay out on strike until hell freezes over. 804 00:40:08,246 --> 00:40:09,386 (protestors cheering) 805 00:40:09,386 --> 00:40:12,553 (upbeat guitar music) 806 00:40:14,015 --> 00:40:16,003 - I pulled the Berkeley Heights office out 807 00:40:16,003 --> 00:40:17,857 eight to 10 clerks in there. 808 00:40:17,857 --> 00:40:20,977 I was a young buck and I took a chance. 809 00:40:20,977 --> 00:40:24,497 And we out there where everybody that walked their line 810 00:40:24,497 --> 00:40:26,093 should have been fired, 811 00:40:26,093 --> 00:40:29,391 but we took a chance to make it better for everybody else. 812 00:40:29,391 --> 00:40:33,141 - Well, what if what you're doing is illegal? 813 00:40:36,274 --> 00:40:37,830 - I don't care. 814 00:40:37,830 --> 00:40:41,580 If they wanna put me in jail, put me in jail, 815 00:40:43,014 --> 00:40:46,430 but they haven't got a jail big enough to put all of us in. 816 00:40:46,430 --> 00:40:50,035 (upbeat guitar music) 817 00:40:50,035 --> 00:40:52,409 - [Reporter] The strike has spread from coast to coast. 818 00:40:52,409 --> 00:40:54,817 Now it directly affects 14 states 819 00:40:54,817 --> 00:40:58,333 and has involved about 200,000 postal workers. 820 00:40:58,333 --> 00:41:01,896 - I have just now directed the activation of the men 821 00:41:01,896 --> 00:41:04,346 of the various military organizations 822 00:41:04,346 --> 00:41:06,225 to begin in New York City, 823 00:41:06,225 --> 00:41:09,961 the restoration of essential mail services. 824 00:41:09,961 --> 00:41:12,617 Do you think you're doing it as fast as a postal worker? 825 00:41:12,617 --> 00:41:14,222 - No, I don't, no. 826 00:41:14,222 --> 00:41:15,688 He must have his own little tricks 827 00:41:15,688 --> 00:41:17,649 because I can't find half the slots. 828 00:41:17,649 --> 00:41:19,269 - [Reporter] What exactly are you doing? 829 00:41:19,269 --> 00:41:22,898 - I don't really know. (laughs) 830 00:41:22,898 --> 00:41:25,215 - [Jay] Finally, Nixon had to give the postal workers 831 00:41:25,215 --> 00:41:26,856 what they were asking for. 832 00:41:26,856 --> 00:41:30,141 - [Nixon] The disposition that I have made 12% Pay increase, 833 00:41:30,141 --> 00:41:33,340 quicker raises, no penalties for local union leaders. 834 00:41:33,340 --> 00:41:38,111 - Collective bargaining and binding arbitration. 835 00:41:38,111 --> 00:41:40,149 (protestors cheering) 836 00:41:40,149 --> 00:41:43,383 - And I am grateful for the strikers 837 00:41:43,383 --> 00:41:46,215 'cause if it wasn't for the strikers of 1970, 838 00:41:46,215 --> 00:41:48,951 we wouldn't be wherever you are today in the postal service. 839 00:41:48,951 --> 00:41:52,128 - And everybody knows today what happened. 840 00:41:52,128 --> 00:41:54,520 We've got the American Postal Workers Union, 841 00:41:54,520 --> 00:41:59,010 we've got the Postal Service and a Private Corporation semi 842 00:41:59,010 --> 00:42:00,343 and we made out. 843 00:42:01,873 --> 00:42:03,385 - They put them on a different footing 844 00:42:03,385 --> 00:42:08,385 with management being able to strike this major operation 845 00:42:08,856 --> 00:42:10,698 and essentially bring it to its knees. 846 00:42:10,698 --> 00:42:13,870 (car horn honking) 847 00:42:13,870 --> 00:42:17,804 I would say that it wasn't a wholesale victory. 848 00:42:17,804 --> 00:42:20,540 - The forces around Nixon said, 849 00:42:20,540 --> 00:42:23,500 "Make the post office stand on its own two feet 850 00:42:23,500 --> 00:42:27,116 and only operate within its own revenues." 851 00:42:27,116 --> 00:42:30,779 And so, they pulled it out of the post office department, 852 00:42:30,779 --> 00:42:33,019 which was a cabinet level department 853 00:42:33,019 --> 00:42:36,506 and put it into a public corporation. 854 00:42:36,506 --> 00:42:37,482 - [Jay] They called themselves 855 00:42:37,482 --> 00:42:40,601 The Citizen's Committee on Postal Reform. 856 00:42:40,601 --> 00:42:43,328 They were Standard Oil, Bank of America, 857 00:42:43,328 --> 00:42:47,217 Boeing, Coca-Cola and a host of giant corporations. 858 00:42:47,217 --> 00:42:49,233 Their goal was to take the post office 859 00:42:49,233 --> 00:42:51,856 out of the hands of congress and the president 860 00:42:51,856 --> 00:42:53,873 to have it run by a board of governors 861 00:42:53,873 --> 00:42:56,061 made up of corporate insiders. 862 00:42:56,061 --> 00:43:00,403 In 1970, with workers satisfied by higher pay, 863 00:43:00,403 --> 00:43:02,042 they got their wish. 864 00:43:02,042 --> 00:43:05,267 And the postal reorganization act became law. 865 00:43:05,267 --> 00:43:06,218 The first chairman 866 00:43:06,218 --> 00:43:09,071 of the new US Postal Service was Fred Kapell, 867 00:43:09,071 --> 00:43:10,677 former AT&T CEO. 868 00:43:10,677 --> 00:43:13,760 (instrumental music) 869 00:43:20,122 --> 00:43:22,602 Though the new law begins with the founder's vision 870 00:43:22,602 --> 00:43:25,226 for a postal service operated as a basic 871 00:43:25,226 --> 00:43:26,918 and fundamental service 872 00:43:26,918 --> 00:43:28,890 to bind the nation together, 873 00:43:28,890 --> 00:43:31,136 Kapell's vision of a corporation with leaders 874 00:43:31,136 --> 00:43:34,078 not accountable to the people has proven stronger. 875 00:43:34,078 --> 00:43:37,245 (bright upbeat music) 876 00:43:38,782 --> 00:43:40,764 - Hello, and thanks for joining me today. 877 00:43:40,764 --> 00:43:42,371 I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you 878 00:43:42,371 --> 00:43:45,019 about the situation that we find ourselves in today 879 00:43:45,019 --> 00:43:47,995 in regards to the postal service and our entire business. 880 00:43:47,995 --> 00:43:50,508 The bottom line is this, we have got to constantly look at 881 00:43:50,508 --> 00:43:52,764 what we can do to cut expenses 882 00:43:52,764 --> 00:43:55,986 in an attempt to track revenue going forward. 883 00:43:55,986 --> 00:43:57,841 Now, people say, "Well, this is a service business. 884 00:43:57,841 --> 00:43:59,441 We shouldn't have to worry about that. 885 00:43:59,441 --> 00:44:00,656 We are a business. 886 00:44:00,656 --> 00:44:02,808 You work in a business." 887 00:44:02,808 --> 00:44:05,816 We are no different than any other business out there. 888 00:44:05,816 --> 00:44:07,545 As always, thank you for the great job 889 00:44:07,545 --> 00:44:08,824 that you do every day, 890 00:44:08,824 --> 00:44:11,335 and I'll talk to you next time. 891 00:44:11,335 --> 00:44:14,102 - The nature of privatization in the US Postal Service 892 00:44:14,102 --> 00:44:16,931 is very much hidden from public view. 893 00:44:16,931 --> 00:44:20,181 It's privatization from the inside out. 894 00:44:21,169 --> 00:44:24,644 So you still see the US Postal Service 895 00:44:24,644 --> 00:44:27,822 letter carrier delivering the mail to your door, 896 00:44:27,822 --> 00:44:30,527 but all the people involved from getting it 897 00:44:30,527 --> 00:44:32,767 from say, the business in Chicago 898 00:44:32,767 --> 00:44:34,851 to your local postal center 899 00:44:34,851 --> 00:44:36,462 may not have been postal employees 900 00:44:36,462 --> 00:44:38,270 because that whole segment 901 00:44:38,270 --> 00:44:41,690 of the US mail stream may have been privatized. 902 00:44:41,690 --> 00:44:46,005 - With the US Postal Service provides FedEx and UPS 903 00:44:46,005 --> 00:44:50,301 is what they call the last mile, which is expensive. 904 00:44:50,301 --> 00:44:51,786 If they had to go the last mile 905 00:44:51,786 --> 00:44:54,286 to the destination to deliver. 906 00:44:55,163 --> 00:44:58,815 - [Man] We have Federal Express who will drop off parcels. 907 00:44:58,815 --> 00:45:01,006 You purchased the item on the internet, 908 00:45:01,006 --> 00:45:03,934 you think that you're going through Federal Express, 909 00:45:03,934 --> 00:45:06,349 'cause that's the only option you're given on the internet. 910 00:45:06,349 --> 00:45:09,020 Federal Express then takes them and drops them off 911 00:45:09,020 --> 00:45:10,635 at the post office and then we deliver them. 912 00:45:10,635 --> 00:45:13,901 (suspenseful music) 913 00:45:13,901 --> 00:45:17,917 They can go and charge someone $10, or $15, or whatever, 914 00:45:17,917 --> 00:45:19,131 then they can go to the post office 915 00:45:19,131 --> 00:45:20,459 and get it delivered for $3. 916 00:45:20,459 --> 00:45:21,772 - There are all these other companies 917 00:45:21,772 --> 00:45:23,989 that are also processing parts of the mail 918 00:45:23,989 --> 00:45:25,115 and delivering parts of the mail 919 00:45:25,115 --> 00:45:29,659 and creating the machines that help to do the sorting. 920 00:45:29,659 --> 00:45:32,572 - [Man] We're seeing private companies doing the work 921 00:45:32,572 --> 00:45:34,204 that we used to do. 922 00:45:34,204 --> 00:45:38,203 We give them discounts to do the work full shift. 923 00:45:38,203 --> 00:45:39,323 - It's all those people 924 00:45:39,323 --> 00:45:42,261 who were behind the scenes sorting the mail, 925 00:45:42,261 --> 00:45:43,928 collecting the mail. 926 00:45:45,219 --> 00:45:46,707 Pitney Bowes has one of 927 00:45:46,707 --> 00:45:49,921 the larger mail house services in the country. 928 00:45:49,921 --> 00:45:52,109 They have a variety of business services, 929 00:45:52,109 --> 00:45:55,192 many of which are designed to replace 930 00:45:56,064 --> 00:45:59,731 the inner workings of the US postal service. 931 00:46:01,367 --> 00:46:04,064 - Post service has spent billions of dollars 932 00:46:04,064 --> 00:46:08,481 in investment on equipment that now is underutilized. 933 00:46:10,606 --> 00:46:14,106 Much of that work has been contracted out. 934 00:46:17,645 --> 00:46:19,532 - And so, what has been privatized 935 00:46:19,532 --> 00:46:22,973 is everything up to that last mile of delivery, 936 00:46:22,973 --> 00:46:25,227 because that's where private enterprise 937 00:46:25,227 --> 00:46:27,322 can make the biggest profit. 938 00:46:27,322 --> 00:46:29,770 They take the profit and then they leave 939 00:46:29,770 --> 00:46:32,121 the costliest aspect public. 940 00:46:32,121 --> 00:46:34,633 - [Man] We were contracting out everything. 941 00:46:34,633 --> 00:46:36,649 I could see that the postal service 942 00:46:36,649 --> 00:46:39,982 would just be a shell of what it is now. 943 00:46:41,991 --> 00:46:43,847 - The postal service was founded based 944 00:46:43,847 --> 00:46:44,775 on a premise to provide 945 00:46:44,775 --> 00:46:47,049 a service to all American people, 946 00:46:47,049 --> 00:46:49,851 no matter where they live, universal service. 947 00:46:49,851 --> 00:46:51,162 - You can't discriminate. 948 00:46:51,162 --> 00:46:52,601 You can't say, I don't wanna go 949 00:46:52,601 --> 00:46:54,792 into the bad parts of the city, 950 00:46:54,792 --> 00:46:56,280 there's no money there. 951 00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:57,961 - Business doesn't do that. 952 00:46:57,961 --> 00:47:00,624 It can't do that because it's not profitable. 953 00:47:00,624 --> 00:47:02,472 - And the postal service 954 00:47:02,472 --> 00:47:05,431 has the responsibility of delivering 955 00:47:05,431 --> 00:47:07,591 to little towns in America. 956 00:47:07,591 --> 00:47:10,372 That's what we're all about. 957 00:47:10,372 --> 00:47:13,587 (suspenseful music) 958 00:47:13,587 --> 00:47:16,371 If we're talking about mail delivery 959 00:47:16,371 --> 00:47:21,038 and nobody else does it, and nobody else wants to do it. 960 00:47:22,259 --> 00:47:25,507 - And as far as remote areas having to pay more, well, 961 00:47:25,507 --> 00:47:26,340 you know what? 962 00:47:26,340 --> 00:47:27,173 That seems fair to me 963 00:47:27,173 --> 00:47:29,657 because out in Wyoming and other places like that, 964 00:47:29,657 --> 00:47:31,769 they pay a lot less for their homes and for their land. 965 00:47:31,769 --> 00:47:34,284 So, this would kind of equal everything out. 966 00:47:34,284 --> 00:47:36,701 - If you were starting a mail company 967 00:47:36,701 --> 00:47:39,940 you would skim the cream off the top, 968 00:47:39,940 --> 00:47:42,132 you would deliver to the big cities. 969 00:47:42,132 --> 00:47:44,882 You'd only do what is profitable. 970 00:47:46,891 --> 00:47:49,388 I'm thinking of the few smaller towns 971 00:47:49,388 --> 00:47:51,387 that did lose their post offices. 972 00:47:51,387 --> 00:47:54,970 And you remember back when they were towns, 973 00:47:55,833 --> 00:47:59,416 you don't even consider them towns anymore. 974 00:48:01,753 --> 00:48:04,282 - [Jay] Despite their costly responsibility 975 00:48:04,282 --> 00:48:07,066 of delivering to over a 100 million addresses 976 00:48:07,066 --> 00:48:09,233 nearly every day, by 2006, 977 00:48:10,710 --> 00:48:14,071 the postal service was making a billion dollars a year 978 00:48:14,071 --> 00:48:17,045 and supporting a trillion dollar mail industry. 979 00:48:17,045 --> 00:48:19,061 But it wasn't enough. 980 00:48:19,061 --> 00:48:20,677 - Right now, the US Postal Service 981 00:48:20,677 --> 00:48:22,373 is in the fight of its life to save it- 982 00:48:22,373 --> 00:48:24,946 - The postal service is in such bad financial shape 983 00:48:24,946 --> 00:48:27,652 that it may have to shut down this winter. 984 00:48:27,652 --> 00:48:29,444 - And it's now facing default. 985 00:48:29,444 --> 00:48:32,532 - A thunderbolt about the future of the US Postal Service. 986 00:48:32,532 --> 00:48:35,409 (indistinct chatter) 987 00:48:35,409 --> 00:48:37,615 - The postal service is a cash cow 988 00:48:37,615 --> 00:48:41,072 and there was a way to pull money out of the postal service 989 00:48:41,072 --> 00:48:44,231 to put into the federal budget. 990 00:48:44,231 --> 00:48:46,727 - [Jay] The postal accountability and enhancement act 991 00:48:46,727 --> 00:48:51,727 was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2006. 992 00:48:51,778 --> 00:48:55,683 Under the law, the postal service must pre-pay pension funds 993 00:48:55,683 --> 00:48:57,636 in 10 annual installments 994 00:48:57,636 --> 00:49:01,331 of over five and a 1/2 billion dollars. 995 00:49:01,331 --> 00:49:02,498 - [Man] No other company does that, 996 00:49:02,498 --> 00:49:05,581 no other government agency does that. 997 00:49:07,303 --> 00:49:10,170 - And President Bush, he said he would only sign the bill 998 00:49:10,170 --> 00:49:12,469 if the postal service recognize 999 00:49:12,469 --> 00:49:14,055 that they have a liability 1000 00:49:14,055 --> 00:49:16,896 for the healthcare costs of their pensioners 1001 00:49:16,896 --> 00:49:18,933 now and going forward, and that they agreed 1002 00:49:18,933 --> 00:49:21,092 to fund it over 10 years. 1003 00:49:21,092 --> 00:49:23,737 Well, most employees have not even recognized 1004 00:49:23,737 --> 00:49:25,705 that it's a liability, but in order to get him 1005 00:49:25,705 --> 00:49:28,466 to sign the legislation, we had to agree to that. 1006 00:49:28,466 --> 00:49:31,125 I think when the president signed the bill in 2007, 1007 00:49:31,125 --> 00:49:32,990 we thought everything's fine, it's hunky-dory. 1008 00:49:32,990 --> 00:49:35,281 And a year later, we're in this terrible economic mess 1009 00:49:35,281 --> 00:49:36,364 as a country. 1010 00:49:37,264 --> 00:49:40,347 (car engine roaring) 1011 00:49:42,990 --> 00:49:44,809 - I actually think there was some malice 1012 00:49:44,809 --> 00:49:47,893 among some individuals involved that wanted 1013 00:49:47,893 --> 00:49:50,715 to see the United States Postal Service 1014 00:49:50,715 --> 00:49:53,509 as a union environment go away 1015 00:49:53,509 --> 00:49:55,317 and just privatize the whole thing. 1016 00:49:55,317 --> 00:49:58,970 I think there was some of that in the mix. 1017 00:49:58,970 --> 00:49:59,803 - Ladies and gentlemen, 1018 00:49:59,803 --> 00:50:03,242 it's a third quarter and you're down by 25 points. 1019 00:50:03,242 --> 00:50:05,768 And if Tom Brady doesn't come in, 1020 00:50:05,768 --> 00:50:07,941 the fact is you're bankrupt. 1021 00:50:07,941 --> 00:50:09,682 You're beyond bankrupt. 1022 00:50:09,682 --> 00:50:12,004 Deferred maintenance is about $9 billion, 1023 00:50:12,004 --> 00:50:13,287 those vehicles and things, 1024 00:50:13,287 --> 00:50:14,917 they just have to be restored sooner. 1025 00:50:14,917 --> 00:50:17,700 The wheels literally will fall off. 1026 00:50:17,700 --> 00:50:20,530 That tells us as a businessman, 1027 00:50:20,530 --> 00:50:22,010 that no matter what they say, 1028 00:50:22,010 --> 00:50:24,164 they have more than a sprawl cash problem. 1029 00:50:24,164 --> 00:50:26,530 80% of their costs are human beings. 1030 00:50:26,530 --> 00:50:28,464 And if you've got too many human beings, 1031 00:50:28,464 --> 00:50:32,964 you'll build in inefficiency, you'll use labor poorly. 1032 00:50:33,864 --> 00:50:36,481 - [Man] Dawning by decades of lavish spending, 1033 00:50:36,481 --> 00:50:40,377 defeated by new technology, booming last century, 1034 00:50:40,377 --> 00:50:42,196 it's bleeding money today. 1035 00:50:42,196 --> 00:50:44,557 It begs for a government bail. 1036 00:50:44,557 --> 00:50:48,127 - That was a way to make the books of the post office look 1037 00:50:48,127 --> 00:50:49,969 like they were losing money 1038 00:50:49,969 --> 00:50:52,627 so you could portray the postal system 1039 00:50:52,627 --> 00:50:55,208 as inefficiently unprofitable, 1040 00:50:55,208 --> 00:50:59,493 and therefore make the comparison to FedEx and UPS. 1041 00:50:59,493 --> 00:51:00,988 Gee, they are profitable, 1042 00:51:00,988 --> 00:51:03,553 but that's only because you didn't make them do 1043 00:51:03,553 --> 00:51:05,467 what you made the post office do. 1044 00:51:05,467 --> 00:51:08,800 It's hustling the public, it's shameful. 1045 00:51:10,379 --> 00:51:12,924 - In spite of the economy tanking, 1046 00:51:12,924 --> 00:51:14,411 if we hadn't had that payment, 1047 00:51:14,411 --> 00:51:18,055 the postal service would have been one of the few businesses 1048 00:51:18,055 --> 00:51:20,514 around that actually made money. 1049 00:51:20,514 --> 00:51:24,264 We would have been hailed as a great success. 1050 00:51:26,915 --> 00:51:29,633 - [Jay] Saddled with a $56 billion demand 1051 00:51:29,633 --> 00:51:31,105 by the federal government, 1052 00:51:31,105 --> 00:51:33,361 combined with the biggest financial collapse 1053 00:51:33,361 --> 00:51:34,978 since The Great Depression, 1054 00:51:34,978 --> 00:51:37,313 the stage was set for the hustle, 1055 00:51:37,313 --> 00:51:39,551 the half truth that would justify 1056 00:51:39,551 --> 00:51:42,634 the largest downsizing in US history. 1057 00:51:44,624 --> 00:51:47,937 (gentle piano music) 1058 00:51:47,937 --> 00:51:51,090 - [Jay] First-class mail was declining at a rapid pace 1059 00:51:51,090 --> 00:51:53,206 because people are mailing less. 1060 00:51:53,206 --> 00:51:55,407 - In this information age of emails, tweets, 1061 00:51:55,407 --> 00:51:56,544 and text messages, 1062 00:51:56,544 --> 00:51:58,783 what we affectionately call snail mail 1063 00:51:58,783 --> 00:52:00,303 seems somewhat impractical. 1064 00:52:00,303 --> 00:52:03,095 - The post office is essentially technologically obsolete. 1065 00:52:03,095 --> 00:52:05,837 We all have a post office in our pocket. 1066 00:52:05,837 --> 00:52:10,389 - We must create a low cost streamlined operational network. 1067 00:52:10,389 --> 00:52:14,078 - [Jay] They called it network rationalization. 1068 00:52:14,078 --> 00:52:15,771 It would break apart the infrastructure 1069 00:52:15,771 --> 00:52:19,604 that kept mail fast, affordable, and reliable. 1070 00:52:21,482 --> 00:52:23,177 - As we consolidate plants, 1071 00:52:23,177 --> 00:52:25,931 we'll be moving people from one place to another. 1072 00:52:25,931 --> 00:52:28,169 In some case we'll be moving employees 1073 00:52:28,169 --> 00:52:29,516 from one job to another. 1074 00:52:29,516 --> 00:52:31,227 - Sorry, your volume's down, 1075 00:52:31,227 --> 00:52:32,995 there's excess the whole building. 1076 00:52:32,995 --> 00:52:34,979 Excess this, get rid of all of that. 1077 00:52:34,979 --> 00:52:35,860 I don't care. 1078 00:52:35,860 --> 00:52:36,898 It's not me. 1079 00:52:36,898 --> 00:52:40,527 Move them out and tell them, it'd be lucky to get a job. 1080 00:52:40,527 --> 00:52:42,752 (country guitar music) 1081 00:52:42,752 --> 00:52:45,120 - Demonstrations sprung up across the country 1082 00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:47,071 in 2011 and '12. 1083 00:52:47,071 --> 00:52:48,640 - We wanna get the mail out. 1084 00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:50,448 - We don't need no bail out 1085 00:52:50,448 --> 00:52:52,223 - We wanna get the mail out. 1086 00:52:52,223 --> 00:52:53,865 - What they're doing across the country 1087 00:52:53,865 --> 00:52:56,857 is they're closing postal mail facilities. 1088 00:52:56,857 --> 00:53:00,761 And one of them here in our valley is Mid-Hudson. 1089 00:53:00,761 --> 00:53:04,011 (country guitar music) 1090 00:53:07,257 --> 00:53:09,241 - I think it's very obvious to anybody 1091 00:53:09,241 --> 00:53:12,408 that's immediately involved the lunacy 1092 00:53:14,664 --> 00:53:17,975 of sending local mail a 100 miles this way 1093 00:53:17,975 --> 00:53:20,519 or a 100 miles that way when you've got the facilities, 1094 00:53:20,519 --> 00:53:24,105 and the equipment, and the people right here. 1095 00:53:24,105 --> 00:53:26,896 (car engine roaring) 1096 00:53:26,896 --> 00:53:29,224 - The fact that they would take our mail, 1097 00:53:29,224 --> 00:53:33,110 ship it off to Albany, let them work it, bring it back 1098 00:53:33,110 --> 00:53:37,184 and then the trucks would arrive to deliver the mail. 1099 00:53:37,184 --> 00:53:40,351 It's just a delay of the mail service. 1100 00:53:44,025 --> 00:53:45,463 - I'm not gonna talk about the fact 1101 00:53:45,463 --> 00:53:47,663 that this should be a jewel in your system. 1102 00:53:47,663 --> 00:53:50,021 The fact that it has a $1 a year lease, 1103 00:53:50,021 --> 00:53:52,399 the fact that it sits in Stewart Airport, 1104 00:53:52,399 --> 00:53:54,917 the fact that it's on the crossroads of the Northeast 1105 00:53:54,917 --> 00:53:56,485 on two major highways. 1106 00:53:56,485 --> 00:53:58,377 - I'm here tonight as a tax payer, 1107 00:53:58,377 --> 00:53:59,692 small business owner, 1108 00:53:59,692 --> 00:54:02,545 and a person who spends thousands of dollars 1109 00:54:02,545 --> 00:54:03,832 at the post office. 1110 00:54:03,832 --> 00:54:06,122 - You're gonna sink the ship completely. 1111 00:54:06,122 --> 00:54:08,459 - All of those people that we deliver to 1112 00:54:08,459 --> 00:54:10,284 and that we process their mail, 1113 00:54:10,284 --> 00:54:13,643 they will get it overnight, first class. 1114 00:54:13,643 --> 00:54:15,478 - [Woman] With the postal service proposes, 1115 00:54:15,478 --> 00:54:17,499 is changing that overnight service 1116 00:54:17,499 --> 00:54:19,999 to a two to three-day service. 1117 00:54:21,657 --> 00:54:25,128 - Things that we're really concerned with are the elderly, 1118 00:54:25,128 --> 00:54:29,127 the poor, those that are dependent on their medicines. 1119 00:54:29,127 --> 00:54:32,343 They're out there and they're depending on that mail 1120 00:54:32,343 --> 00:54:35,542 to be delivered by their carrier. 1121 00:54:35,542 --> 00:54:36,741 - As far as being a letter carrier, 1122 00:54:36,741 --> 00:54:38,148 it's very personal because I delivered 1123 00:54:38,148 --> 00:54:39,488 to the route I grew up on. 1124 00:54:39,488 --> 00:54:42,120 As a mail carrier, I deal with these people every day, 1125 00:54:42,120 --> 00:54:44,169 and I don't wanna see the service get cut for them. 1126 00:54:44,169 --> 00:54:46,941 I hate to see what the postal service does to our customers. 1127 00:54:46,941 --> 00:54:49,397 They almost treat our customers like they don't count. 1128 00:54:49,397 --> 00:54:50,325 And that's what we're fighting for. 1129 00:54:50,325 --> 00:54:51,584 We do think they count. 1130 00:54:51,584 --> 00:54:52,645 - You have to pay your bills, 1131 00:54:52,645 --> 00:54:54,596 you want your bills to get there on time, 1132 00:54:54,596 --> 00:54:57,059 you don't wanna count on waiting a week and a 1/2, 1133 00:54:57,059 --> 00:55:00,243 or two weeks, or whatever the heck it's gonna take. 1134 00:55:00,243 --> 00:55:01,617 That's not right. 1135 00:55:01,617 --> 00:55:03,338 And not everybody owns a computer. 1136 00:55:03,338 --> 00:55:06,509 Not everybody wants to do their mail over the internet. 1137 00:55:06,509 --> 00:55:08,817 Not everybody wants to do their banking over the internet. 1138 00:55:08,817 --> 00:55:10,811 You look at the hacking that's going on. 1139 00:55:10,811 --> 00:55:14,728 I rely on the postal service to do my business. 1140 00:55:15,952 --> 00:55:18,000 - The postal service, you're bucking the trend here. 1141 00:55:18,000 --> 00:55:20,417 Things try to get more local, 1142 00:55:21,316 --> 00:55:23,636 and we're talking about getting people 1143 00:55:23,636 --> 00:55:26,479 to commute an hour and a 1/2 in their cars, 1144 00:55:26,479 --> 00:55:29,503 for me, it's gonna be over three hours round trip, 1145 00:55:29,503 --> 00:55:33,536 and then having these trucks go all distances. 1146 00:55:33,536 --> 00:55:36,079 - You're also talking about all of that pollutant. 1147 00:55:36,079 --> 00:55:38,703 Hudson valley is the most beautiful valley 1148 00:55:38,703 --> 00:55:40,958 that you could imagine with the river and everything. 1149 00:55:40,958 --> 00:55:44,041 And it's a big expense for everybody. 1150 00:55:45,880 --> 00:55:47,638 - They're being told there's no jobs 1151 00:55:47,638 --> 00:55:52,135 within 50 miles, might be jobs within a 100 miles. 1152 00:55:52,135 --> 00:55:54,902 And then if there's no jobs within a 100 miles 1153 00:55:54,902 --> 00:55:57,989 they talk to maybe up to 200, 300 miles. 1154 00:55:57,989 --> 00:56:00,280 They own homes or they live in condos, 1155 00:56:00,280 --> 00:56:03,702 they got kids in school, kids in college, 1156 00:56:03,702 --> 00:56:06,950 they can't afford just to pack their bag and move out. 1157 00:56:06,950 --> 00:56:07,969 - We don't wanna lose them. 1158 00:56:07,969 --> 00:56:08,900 They're great people, 1159 00:56:08,900 --> 00:56:11,676 they're great neighbors, they're lovable. 1160 00:56:11,676 --> 00:56:13,083 Please don't move away. 1161 00:56:13,083 --> 00:56:15,608 (audience laughing) 1162 00:56:15,608 --> 00:56:17,964 - These people down at that plant 1163 00:56:17,964 --> 00:56:21,499 give their heart and soul to that damn plant. 1164 00:56:21,499 --> 00:56:24,683 - This job represents for me, 1165 00:56:24,683 --> 00:56:27,819 I was able to provide my children a home, 1166 00:56:27,819 --> 00:56:29,733 a stable family environment. 1167 00:56:29,733 --> 00:56:31,283 I have a daughter now in college. 1168 00:56:31,283 --> 00:56:33,979 My two boys are in high school. 1169 00:56:33,979 --> 00:56:38,227 If I lose this job, with the economy the way it is, 1170 00:56:38,227 --> 00:56:40,725 how can I support my children? 1171 00:56:40,725 --> 00:56:42,209 - If they take our jobs away at the plant, 1172 00:56:42,209 --> 00:56:44,848 we have no idea where we're gonna be working. 1173 00:56:44,848 --> 00:56:47,696 It just seems like they're gonna tell us 1174 00:56:47,696 --> 00:56:51,363 at the last minute, and nobody really cares. 1175 00:56:54,512 --> 00:56:56,920 - [Jay] In all 223 plants 1176 00:56:56,920 --> 00:56:59,314 had operations moved elsewhere. 1177 00:56:59,314 --> 00:57:02,801 - The postal service is a human organization. 1178 00:57:02,801 --> 00:57:04,465 - [Jay] With postal managers promising 1179 00:57:04,465 --> 00:57:07,465 a $1.6 billion savings in two years. 1180 00:57:09,173 --> 00:57:11,851 After two years and all the disruption, 1181 00:57:11,851 --> 00:57:15,674 they saved about $91 million or 51/2% 1182 00:57:15,674 --> 00:57:17,591 of their imagined goal. 1183 00:57:19,905 --> 00:57:23,885 - The loss of jobs is typical in all industries 1184 00:57:23,885 --> 00:57:25,650 as they're going to automation? 1185 00:57:25,650 --> 00:57:27,988 The only way to be more efficient 1186 00:57:27,988 --> 00:57:31,528 is to embrace technology and automation. 1187 00:57:31,528 --> 00:57:34,642 - Today, they got machines with so much mail 1188 00:57:34,642 --> 00:57:37,889 that you blink an eye, and I got a truck full already. 1189 00:57:37,889 --> 00:57:39,906 And what did that mean? 1190 00:57:39,906 --> 00:57:41,656 That meant less jobs. 1191 00:57:43,392 --> 00:57:45,312 - But if you look at some of the things Amazon 1192 00:57:45,312 --> 00:57:47,983 is talking about drones and the like, 1193 00:57:47,983 --> 00:57:49,326 I think they're looking for a way 1194 00:57:49,326 --> 00:57:52,686 to cut the middleman out on delivering. 1195 00:57:52,686 --> 00:57:56,758 - Drones, robots, all technological changes 1196 00:57:56,758 --> 00:57:58,630 are now revolutionizing 1197 00:57:58,630 --> 00:58:01,607 most of the industries in our economy. 1198 00:58:01,607 --> 00:58:04,167 So, this is a general problem. 1199 00:58:04,167 --> 00:58:06,084 One solution is you 50? 1200 00:58:07,273 --> 00:58:08,391 You're fired. 1201 00:58:08,391 --> 00:58:12,223 Go home, go on welfare, become a crook, 1202 00:58:12,223 --> 00:58:14,623 leave the country, whatever. 1203 00:58:14,623 --> 00:58:16,339 Here's the second way. 1204 00:58:16,339 --> 00:58:18,923 Everybody works halftime. 1205 00:58:18,923 --> 00:58:20,791 Nobody loses a job. 1206 00:58:20,791 --> 00:58:24,437 And guess what, nobody loses any pay either. 1207 00:58:24,437 --> 00:58:27,270 (people clapping) 1208 00:58:28,236 --> 00:58:30,014 - All right, one down. 1209 00:58:30,014 --> 00:58:32,939 - Half the work time of everybody there about 100 people 1210 00:58:32,939 --> 00:58:36,036 is now available for their families, 1211 00:58:36,036 --> 00:58:37,396 for their own development, 1212 00:58:37,396 --> 00:58:41,254 for their relationships, for the community. 1213 00:58:41,254 --> 00:58:43,285 That's a benefit for the majority. 1214 00:58:43,285 --> 00:58:44,437 We don't do that. 1215 00:58:44,437 --> 00:58:45,509 We do the opposite. 1216 00:58:45,509 --> 00:58:49,105 We fire 50 of them because that makes profit 1217 00:58:49,105 --> 00:58:52,062 because the money you don't have to pay those 50 you fired, 1218 00:58:52,062 --> 00:58:54,277 you, the employer get to keep. 1219 00:58:54,277 --> 00:58:58,160 (gentle country music) 1220 00:58:58,160 --> 00:59:00,920 So we allow the profit motive 1221 00:59:00,920 --> 00:59:04,248 to shape the way technology is instituted 1222 00:59:04,248 --> 00:59:06,730 in our businesses, public and private. 1223 00:59:06,730 --> 00:59:11,685 - Technology really needs to be used just for the betterment 1224 00:59:11,685 --> 00:59:15,518 of our lives and not just for cutting corners, 1225 00:59:16,498 --> 00:59:18,520 putting people out of work. 1226 00:59:18,520 --> 00:59:21,001 I mean, I do the math and I say, well, okay, 1227 00:59:21,001 --> 00:59:24,723 you can keep eliminating jobs because you have now a machine 1228 00:59:24,723 --> 00:59:25,835 that can do it. 1229 00:59:25,835 --> 00:59:28,474 But if you take it all the way to the extreme 1230 00:59:28,474 --> 00:59:30,328 and you just have a couple people working 1231 00:59:30,328 --> 00:59:32,649 in a whole country with just machines, 1232 00:59:32,649 --> 00:59:35,310 who's gonna buy all the stuff. 1233 00:59:35,310 --> 00:59:37,403 How can that work? 1234 00:59:37,403 --> 00:59:40,091 People need to be able to make a living. 1235 00:59:40,091 --> 00:59:42,522 If delivering mail is not necessary, 1236 00:59:42,522 --> 00:59:46,457 hey, let's not deliver mail, let's do something necessary. 1237 00:59:46,457 --> 00:59:47,945 Do we need houses? 1238 00:59:47,945 --> 00:59:49,278 Do we need food? 1239 00:59:53,250 --> 00:59:55,602 - The simple story is that the decline 1240 00:59:55,602 --> 00:59:58,195 of the us postal service coincides 1241 00:59:58,195 --> 01:00:00,482 with the rise of the internet and email. 1242 01:00:00,482 --> 01:00:03,513 And that story is just too simplistic. 1243 01:00:03,513 --> 01:00:05,633 First-class mail volumes have declined, 1244 01:00:05,633 --> 01:00:07,503 and that has created financial pressure. 1245 01:00:07,503 --> 01:00:10,094 But if you look at mail volume as a whole, 1246 01:00:10,094 --> 01:00:12,573 particularly if you look at the parcel segment, 1247 01:00:12,573 --> 01:00:15,773 they have grown substantially. 1248 01:00:15,773 --> 01:00:17,637 Looking at internet use, 1249 01:00:17,637 --> 01:00:19,864 people with more use of the internet 1250 01:00:19,864 --> 01:00:24,567 or more access to the internet tend to get more mail. 1251 01:00:24,567 --> 01:00:25,734 The role and influence 1252 01:00:25,734 --> 01:00:28,691 of private corporations is tremendous. 1253 01:00:28,691 --> 01:00:31,509 And their ability to shape the legal environment 1254 01:00:31,509 --> 01:00:36,092 then really reflects their desire to limit competition. 1255 01:00:37,173 --> 01:00:39,027 - If the postal service was out of the way, 1256 01:00:39,027 --> 01:00:42,596 don't you think FedEx and UPS could charge more 1257 01:00:42,596 --> 01:00:43,766 for what they do. 1258 01:00:43,766 --> 01:00:45,667 If the postal service was out of the way, 1259 01:00:45,667 --> 01:00:48,613 don't you think the vampires and congress 1260 01:00:48,613 --> 01:00:51,470 could sell off all the property 1261 01:00:51,470 --> 01:00:54,365 and all the assets the postal service has 1262 01:00:54,365 --> 01:00:56,115 and steal that money. 1263 01:00:56,957 --> 01:01:00,040 (gentle piano music) 1264 01:01:01,549 --> 01:01:03,035 - All across the United States, 1265 01:01:03,035 --> 01:01:07,274 we are losing very distinguished buildings and public art 1266 01:01:07,274 --> 01:01:08,761 that they contain. 1267 01:01:08,761 --> 01:01:11,448 - Major buildings that the postal service owned, 1268 01:01:11,448 --> 01:01:15,864 iconic beautiful buildings in the centers of town 1269 01:01:15,864 --> 01:01:19,256 have been sold to real estate developers 1270 01:01:19,256 --> 01:01:21,031 for not that much money. 1271 01:01:21,031 --> 01:01:24,698 (somber instrumental music) 1272 01:01:28,696 --> 01:01:33,015 - They were designed to be among the best buildings in town, 1273 01:01:33,015 --> 01:01:36,215 architecturally distinguished, but also the craftsmanship. 1274 01:01:36,215 --> 01:01:39,882 (somber instrumental music) 1275 01:01:41,493 --> 01:01:44,693 Artworks were commissioned for the first time 1276 01:01:44,693 --> 01:01:46,485 for small rural towns 1277 01:01:46,485 --> 01:01:49,526 where people had generally never seen art before, 1278 01:01:49,526 --> 01:01:53,173 let alone public art that depicted themselves 1279 01:01:53,173 --> 01:01:55,892 and the work that they do, and their legends, 1280 01:01:55,892 --> 01:01:59,225 and their history, and their landscapes. 1281 01:02:00,819 --> 01:02:04,682 It was to a noble Americans who do common work 1282 01:02:04,682 --> 01:02:07,239 so that they would know that this is part 1283 01:02:07,239 --> 01:02:10,023 of what constitutes a civilization, 1284 01:02:10,023 --> 01:02:13,690 of all of us working together doing our bit. 1285 01:02:16,518 --> 01:02:18,357 The real estate portfolio, 1286 01:02:18,357 --> 01:02:21,812 which the public owns and paid for is variously estimated 1287 01:02:21,812 --> 01:02:24,388 to be worth $50 to a $100 billion. 1288 01:02:24,388 --> 01:02:26,532 So anybody who can get their hands on that 1289 01:02:26,532 --> 01:02:31,199 is going to make out very nicely like abandoned perhaps. 1290 01:02:32,036 --> 01:02:35,027 The postal service gave an exclusive contract 1291 01:02:35,027 --> 01:02:37,651 to the world's largest commercial real estate company, 1292 01:02:37,651 --> 01:02:40,568 CBRE to not only sell our property, 1293 01:02:41,699 --> 01:02:43,685 but also to advise them on what to sell 1294 01:02:43,685 --> 01:02:46,068 and also to lease back property 1295 01:02:46,068 --> 01:02:48,787 which the postal service doesn't own to it. 1296 01:02:48,787 --> 01:02:51,620 So this is a very nice cushy deal. 1297 01:02:54,259 --> 01:02:56,022 Now what really gets interesting is 1298 01:02:56,022 --> 01:02:59,872 the chair of the board and largely the owner of CBRE 1299 01:02:59,872 --> 01:03:02,185 is none other than Richard C. Blum, 1300 01:03:02,185 --> 01:03:04,304 a billionaire, private equity capitalist, 1301 01:03:04,304 --> 01:03:07,048 who just happens to be the husband 1302 01:03:07,048 --> 01:03:08,864 of Senator Dianne Feinstein, 1303 01:03:08,864 --> 01:03:12,697 perhaps the most powerful senator in congress. 1304 01:03:14,942 --> 01:03:15,775 By any measure, 1305 01:03:15,775 --> 01:03:20,061 this is a rather startling conflict of interest 1306 01:03:20,061 --> 01:03:21,645 that nobody seems to have looked into 1307 01:03:21,645 --> 01:03:23,274 and the press has scarcely mentioned. 1308 01:03:23,274 --> 01:03:26,941 (gentle instrumental music) 1309 01:03:39,654 --> 01:03:42,922 - In my own city of Santa Monica, 1310 01:03:42,922 --> 01:03:46,595 I was involved in reforms that transformed that city 1311 01:03:46,595 --> 01:03:49,762 so that the downtown of Santa Monica became, 1312 01:03:49,762 --> 01:03:50,790 if not the most, 1313 01:03:50,790 --> 01:03:55,465 one of the most vibrant retail centers in all of California. 1314 01:03:55,465 --> 01:04:00,465 And there's a beautiful post office in that set of blocks, 1315 01:04:00,956 --> 01:04:02,595 and the postal service sold it 1316 01:04:02,595 --> 01:04:06,328 to some guy who's making it into a movie studio, 1317 01:04:06,328 --> 01:04:08,827 whereas they could have shared that space, 1318 01:04:08,827 --> 01:04:10,714 expanded the opportunity 1319 01:04:10,714 --> 01:04:13,713 so that they would have ongoing revenue 1320 01:04:13,713 --> 01:04:17,155 and maintain this beautiful location 1321 01:04:17,155 --> 01:04:20,160 in the middle of town where everybody could go to it. 1322 01:04:20,160 --> 01:04:22,212 They've moved the post office to someplace 1323 01:04:22,212 --> 01:04:23,595 on the other side of the freeway 1324 01:04:23,595 --> 01:04:25,163 where the bus depot is. 1325 01:04:25,163 --> 01:04:27,285 It's really a crime. 1326 01:04:27,285 --> 01:04:29,703 That's an area where the postal service 1327 01:04:29,703 --> 01:04:32,369 has not followed my suggestions at all, 1328 01:04:32,369 --> 01:04:34,516 and I'm quite frustrated about it. 1329 01:04:34,516 --> 01:04:38,183 (gentle instrumental music) 1330 01:04:48,361 --> 01:04:50,005 - [Jay] In Washington, DC, you can go 1331 01:04:50,005 --> 01:04:51,737 to the old post office 1332 01:04:51,737 --> 01:04:55,610 and pay the President of the United States $24 1333 01:04:55,610 --> 01:04:56,498 for a cheeseburger. 1334 01:04:56,498 --> 01:05:00,165 (gentle instrumental music) 1335 01:05:07,447 --> 01:05:10,614 Mary Burkhardt, Pacific Branch President 1336 01:05:10,614 --> 01:05:14,345 of the National Association of Postal Supervisors. 1337 01:05:14,345 --> 01:05:16,567 Every four years, delegates gathered 1338 01:05:16,567 --> 01:05:20,533 to elect the officers who will represent them in Washington. 1339 01:05:20,533 --> 01:05:21,673 - You need to be assertive, 1340 01:05:21,673 --> 01:05:23,440 you need to be even a little aggressive, 1341 01:05:23,440 --> 01:05:25,170 and you have to be unafraid. 1342 01:05:25,170 --> 01:05:27,101 That was always my expectation. 1343 01:05:27,101 --> 01:05:29,813 The three officers that we elected 1344 01:05:29,813 --> 01:05:33,150 and we're paying almost 150,000 a year to. 1345 01:05:33,150 --> 01:05:34,972 So, you think, wow, 1346 01:05:34,972 --> 01:05:36,841 those are the best of the best. 1347 01:05:36,841 --> 01:05:39,384 They're fighting, they're 24/7 1348 01:05:39,384 --> 01:05:42,631 And so, it was always a little disappointing 1349 01:05:42,631 --> 01:05:44,338 to see that they leave right at 5:00 1350 01:05:44,338 --> 01:05:46,432 and didn't carry cell phones. 1351 01:05:46,432 --> 01:05:50,519 And didn't even know a lot of the basic rules. 1352 01:05:50,519 --> 01:05:53,597 We have not elected the right people. 1353 01:05:53,597 --> 01:05:57,215 (audience applauds) 1354 01:05:57,215 --> 01:05:59,952 When I first ran, one of the national officers told me, 1355 01:05:59,952 --> 01:06:00,862 "Why are you doing this?" 1356 01:06:00,862 --> 01:06:02,289 Because, it was already, 1357 01:06:02,289 --> 01:06:04,702 the election happened four years ago. 1358 01:06:04,702 --> 01:06:09,115 He said that all the votes were promised to other people 1359 01:06:09,115 --> 01:06:13,438 and you don't have anything to run on, but your skills. 1360 01:06:13,438 --> 01:06:16,775 If our whole convention is that corrupt, why even have it, 1361 01:06:16,775 --> 01:06:19,212 just dial it in, promise it in. 1362 01:06:19,212 --> 01:06:22,295 (funky upbeat music) 1363 01:06:27,160 --> 01:06:29,414 We need someone that's serious, 1364 01:06:29,414 --> 01:06:31,148 someone who will get it done, 1365 01:06:31,148 --> 01:06:33,016 someone with the facts behind them, 1366 01:06:33,016 --> 01:06:34,769 someone that's different. 1367 01:06:34,769 --> 01:06:37,852 (indistinct chatter) 1368 01:06:39,922 --> 01:06:42,886 - [Man] Did you get ice cream? 1369 01:06:42,886 --> 01:06:45,415 - Not one candidate can show you they've gone 1370 01:06:45,415 --> 01:06:47,350 to the OIG and been a whistleblower, 1371 01:06:47,350 --> 01:06:48,946 and I've done it twice. 1372 01:06:48,946 --> 01:06:53,821 Not one can say they have gone to postal headquarters 1373 01:06:53,821 --> 01:06:56,240 and talked to everyone. 1374 01:06:56,240 --> 01:06:58,972 I better get in or I'll get locked out of my own campaign. 1375 01:06:58,972 --> 01:07:00,924 Thank you, thank you. 1376 01:07:00,924 --> 01:07:02,162 - Yeah, the vote's in. 1377 01:07:02,162 --> 01:07:06,305 We're hoping that Mary will be the new secretary treasurer. 1378 01:07:06,305 --> 01:07:09,932 - For the office of national secretary treasurer, 1379 01:07:09,932 --> 01:07:14,932 John Jader, 1,288, Joe Cart, 176 votes, Brian Wagner, 1,593, 1380 01:07:23,144 --> 01:07:25,311 Mary Burkhardt, 235 Votes. 1381 01:07:26,238 --> 01:07:29,238 (audience cheering) 1382 01:07:38,908 --> 01:07:39,951 - But I'm real disappointed 1383 01:07:39,951 --> 01:07:43,205 that Mary Burkhardt did not get selected 1384 01:07:43,205 --> 01:07:46,735 because she was by far the most competent 1385 01:07:46,735 --> 01:07:50,787 and most caring of the candidates that were running. 1386 01:07:50,787 --> 01:07:53,069 - And that's why one day I want one member, 1387 01:07:53,069 --> 01:07:56,059 one vote 'cause that's the ultimate way to break this up. 1388 01:07:56,059 --> 01:07:57,681 Every time I mentioned it, they're like, 1389 01:07:57,681 --> 01:08:00,507 "We can't have one member, one vote, we can't do that." 1390 01:08:00,507 --> 01:08:02,127 And I said, "Why not?" 1391 01:08:02,127 --> 01:08:03,908 And they go, "Well, because they don't know 1392 01:08:03,908 --> 01:08:04,945 what they're doing." 1393 01:08:04,945 --> 01:08:07,623 And I go, "But isn't that what the Elisa said 1394 01:08:07,623 --> 01:08:10,332 in England and isn't that why we formed this nation, 1395 01:08:10,332 --> 01:08:12,597 and isn't that why people sit at the 1800s, 1396 01:08:12,597 --> 01:08:14,474 and isn't that why women can't vote, 1397 01:08:14,474 --> 01:08:16,404 isn't that why black people couldn't vote." 1398 01:08:16,404 --> 01:08:19,947 And so, what we're doing is we're disenfranchising everybody 1399 01:08:19,947 --> 01:08:23,716 for a few good old boy power brokers, nothing happens. 1400 01:08:23,716 --> 01:08:26,334 And it's just a tired organization 1401 01:08:26,334 --> 01:08:28,834 with a lot of travel expenses. 1402 01:08:32,833 --> 01:08:34,575 - Don't buy Staples. 1403 01:08:34,575 --> 01:08:35,908 Boycott Staples. 1404 01:08:38,906 --> 01:08:41,946 - Our message is loud, our message is clear. 1405 01:08:41,946 --> 01:08:44,331 US mail is not for sale. 1406 01:08:44,331 --> 01:08:45,437 - [Woman] Yes. 1407 01:08:45,437 --> 01:08:47,186 - [Jay] In November, 2013, 1408 01:08:47,186 --> 01:08:50,413 the postal service begins opening mini post offices 1409 01:08:50,413 --> 01:08:52,815 in Staples stores nationwide. 1410 01:08:52,815 --> 01:08:54,735 - I mean, what's gonna happen next? 1411 01:08:54,735 --> 01:08:56,419 You're gonna go to your local post office, 1412 01:08:56,419 --> 01:08:58,098 there's gonna be a sign on the door, 1413 01:08:58,098 --> 01:09:01,015 we're closed, go to nearest Staple. 1414 01:09:01,856 --> 01:09:03,833 - If it's not a secret deal, give us a contract. 1415 01:09:03,833 --> 01:09:05,620 I like to know what they're getting out of me. 1416 01:09:05,620 --> 01:09:07,348 The contract has been so redacted 1417 01:09:07,348 --> 01:09:09,349 that you could hardly read it. 1418 01:09:09,349 --> 01:09:12,516 (protestors chanting) 1419 01:09:18,392 --> 01:09:22,267 - We took an oath, and we were hired to protect their mail. 1420 01:09:22,267 --> 01:09:26,053 I'm a customer too, so I'm gonna say protect our mail. 1421 01:09:26,053 --> 01:09:28,018 - After three years of pressure, 1422 01:09:28,018 --> 01:09:30,933 the postal service was found in violation of its contract 1423 01:09:30,933 --> 01:09:35,028 with employees, and Staples closed their postal counters. 1424 01:09:35,028 --> 01:09:37,221 - It's about big business and money, 1425 01:09:37,221 --> 01:09:39,398 it's not about the public and giving them the service 1426 01:09:39,398 --> 01:09:40,476 that they deserve. 1427 01:09:40,476 --> 01:09:43,281 It's not about quality, trained workers. 1428 01:09:43,281 --> 01:09:44,714 It's about money. 1429 01:09:44,714 --> 01:09:47,714 (suspenseful music) 1430 01:09:49,999 --> 01:09:52,643 - One of the things the postal system did 1431 01:09:52,643 --> 01:09:55,230 was to create the expectation 1432 01:09:55,230 --> 01:09:57,670 that a job can have reasonable hours, 1433 01:09:57,670 --> 01:09:59,170 can have a good pension. 1434 01:09:59,170 --> 01:10:00,628 What used to be called 1435 01:10:00,628 --> 01:10:03,925 a middle-class American dream lifestyle, right, 1436 01:10:03,925 --> 01:10:05,829 if you destroy those jobs, 1437 01:10:05,829 --> 01:10:08,232 what you're doing is you're ratcheting down 1438 01:10:08,232 --> 01:10:09,797 the standard of living. 1439 01:10:09,797 --> 01:10:12,091 You're allowing all the other employers 1440 01:10:12,091 --> 01:10:14,544 in an area to offer less and less 1441 01:10:14,544 --> 01:10:19,544 so that the only comparison anybody has is the poor job. 1442 01:10:19,757 --> 01:10:22,588 - What are the costs of low wages? 1443 01:10:22,588 --> 01:10:24,650 Not just cost to those individual workers, 1444 01:10:24,650 --> 01:10:27,067 but costs to the communities. 1445 01:10:30,617 --> 01:10:32,243 - The first largest business 1446 01:10:32,243 --> 01:10:35,071 that employs the most people is Walmart. 1447 01:10:35,071 --> 01:10:37,213 And the wages there are so low, 1448 01:10:37,213 --> 01:10:41,361 that many of the Walmart employees have to go on welfare. 1449 01:10:41,361 --> 01:10:45,090 That is they're subsidized by the taxpayer. 1450 01:10:45,090 --> 01:10:46,376 - [Man] And what you end up having 1451 01:10:46,376 --> 01:10:49,142 is the US Postal Service retail clerk 1452 01:10:49,142 --> 01:10:52,881 subsidizing Walmart in order to pay those workers 1453 01:10:52,881 --> 01:10:55,101 so much lower wages. 1454 01:10:55,101 --> 01:10:57,834 So it really changes the direction 1455 01:10:57,834 --> 01:11:00,084 of who is subsidizing whom. 1456 01:11:02,257 --> 01:11:04,661 - Traditional 9:00 &to 5:00 doesn't work 1457 01:11:04,661 --> 01:11:06,566 in our current economy 1458 01:11:06,566 --> 01:11:10,981 as people are working multiple part-time jobs, 1459 01:11:10,981 --> 01:11:14,056 you may work a four-hour a day at the post office 1460 01:11:14,056 --> 01:11:17,191 and drive Uber for four hours. 1461 01:11:17,191 --> 01:11:21,090 - They've tried to bring in hourly wage people 1462 01:11:21,090 --> 01:11:25,423 for part-time hours at $15 an hour with no benefits, 1463 01:11:26,456 --> 01:11:28,462 no health insurance. 1464 01:11:28,462 --> 01:11:31,544 - Even though they have a ton of employment opportunities, 1465 01:11:31,544 --> 01:11:32,892 it's hard for them to find people 1466 01:11:32,892 --> 01:11:34,319 to come and fill the spots. 1467 01:11:34,319 --> 01:11:35,923 And then the people we do get sometimes there, 1468 01:11:35,923 --> 01:11:36,879 they just don't get it. 1469 01:11:36,879 --> 01:11:38,683 They think the job is easy and it's not. 1470 01:11:38,683 --> 01:11:41,183 It's very physically enduring. 1471 01:11:42,395 --> 01:11:44,695 - This past winter, it was the polar vortex. 1472 01:11:44,695 --> 01:11:46,734 It was absolutely horrendous. 1473 01:11:46,734 --> 01:11:48,679 We were working forced overtime. 1474 01:11:48,679 --> 01:11:50,385 We were working six day weeks. 1475 01:11:50,385 --> 01:11:53,204 We were working 12 and 13 hour days. 1476 01:11:53,204 --> 01:11:54,910 - I feel like this is a low cut, 1477 01:11:54,910 --> 01:11:58,740 and it's getting really not fun anymore. 1478 01:11:58,740 --> 01:12:00,603 - [Man] When I was working on the UPS mail, 1479 01:12:00,603 --> 01:12:02,067 you gotta break it down per loop. 1480 01:12:02,067 --> 01:12:04,543 - The plant just runs it off. 1481 01:12:04,543 --> 01:12:06,126 We're overburdened. 1482 01:12:07,342 --> 01:12:09,354 - [Jay] You see yourself staying here until you retire? 1483 01:12:09,354 --> 01:12:10,271 - Oh, yeah. 1484 01:12:12,011 --> 01:12:15,161 Not by choice though. (laughs) 1485 01:12:15,161 --> 01:12:17,324 Like I said, my family needs me. 1486 01:12:17,324 --> 01:12:19,206 My family needs me, that's what I keep telling myself, 1487 01:12:19,206 --> 01:12:20,996 my family needs me. 1488 01:12:20,996 --> 01:12:23,718 It gets me through the day. 1489 01:12:23,718 --> 01:12:25,420 - When you say your family, you mean? 1490 01:12:25,420 --> 01:12:28,555 - [Jay] My wife, three kids. 1491 01:12:28,555 --> 01:12:30,156 - Now, this is America's job. 1492 01:12:30,156 --> 01:12:31,579 This is for the people. 1493 01:12:31,579 --> 01:12:34,171 This has existed since the beginning of this country. 1494 01:12:34,171 --> 01:12:35,921 And there's no reason to stop it. 1495 01:12:35,921 --> 01:12:39,588 (gentle instrumental music) 1496 01:12:42,448 --> 01:12:44,224 I think letter carriers 1497 01:12:44,224 --> 01:12:47,342 are the most widely appreciated federal worker 1498 01:12:47,342 --> 01:12:48,592 in the country. 1499 01:12:50,362 --> 01:12:54,419 - Day-to-day when I knock on people's doors and they see me, 1500 01:12:54,419 --> 01:12:56,041 my postal uniform, 1501 01:12:56,041 --> 01:12:59,842 they feel like I'm someone they can trust. 1502 01:12:59,842 --> 01:13:02,355 - People do come out in our favor. 1503 01:13:02,355 --> 01:13:03,442 Communities are always backing 1504 01:13:03,442 --> 01:13:05,944 the letter carriers all the time. 1505 01:13:05,944 --> 01:13:08,243 - [Man] Whatsup, man. 1506 01:13:08,243 --> 01:13:09,298 - Hey, whatsup. 1507 01:13:09,298 --> 01:13:10,131 - [Man] You're on TV, man? 1508 01:13:10,131 --> 01:13:13,464 - Yeah, why, you wanna be on TV with me? 1509 01:13:17,164 --> 01:13:20,509 - Our postal workers know our people on the routes. 1510 01:13:20,509 --> 01:13:22,732 They take pride in being able to make sure 1511 01:13:22,732 --> 01:13:24,092 that they're okay. 1512 01:13:24,092 --> 01:13:27,628 We've saved quite a few lives all through the years. 1513 01:13:27,628 --> 01:13:29,710 - Well, I did a few emergency breathing. 1514 01:13:29,710 --> 01:13:30,786 I opened his airway up. 1515 01:13:30,786 --> 01:13:32,337 I didn't do anything more than anybody else would. 1516 01:13:32,337 --> 01:13:33,170 - Yes, you did. 1517 01:13:33,170 --> 01:13:34,128 - He's a hero. 1518 01:13:34,128 --> 01:13:35,028 - I believe this guy, 1519 01:13:35,028 --> 01:13:37,726 just making sure I'm in the right place at the right time 1520 01:13:37,726 --> 01:13:39,661 - You see something going on in the neighborhood, 1521 01:13:39,661 --> 01:13:41,611 you report it. 1522 01:13:41,611 --> 01:13:44,030 See a fire, they run in and they help people 1523 01:13:44,030 --> 01:13:46,906 or they at least warn the people in the area. 1524 01:13:46,906 --> 01:13:48,051 - You think I'm kidding, right? 1525 01:13:48,051 --> 01:13:50,334 I'm going through the guy's garage. 1526 01:13:50,334 --> 01:13:51,463 Little park in the winter time 1527 01:13:51,463 --> 01:13:54,126 instead of walking away around to the front of the house. 1528 01:13:54,126 --> 01:13:57,543 It's where you go through after 30 years. 1529 01:14:00,163 --> 01:14:03,393 - In emergencies and national security situations, 1530 01:14:03,393 --> 01:14:04,943 or you're gonna deliver a medicine 1531 01:14:04,943 --> 01:14:07,034 or you're gonna deliver some antidote 1532 01:14:07,034 --> 01:14:09,054 or you're gonna deliver some equipment, 1533 01:14:09,054 --> 01:14:13,054 the post office is the last hope of this country 1534 01:14:14,217 --> 01:14:18,296 because it doesn't say, well, that's not very profitable. 1535 01:14:18,296 --> 01:14:19,529 I'm not gonna do it. 1536 01:14:19,529 --> 01:14:24,054 It has a civic obligation as well as a legal obligation 1537 01:14:24,054 --> 01:14:27,721 to perform on behalf of the American people. 1538 01:14:30,327 --> 01:14:32,385 - You have powers in this country 1539 01:14:32,385 --> 01:14:34,235 that are trying to choke off 1540 01:14:34,235 --> 01:14:38,000 the postal service and take everything it has 1541 01:14:38,000 --> 01:14:39,856 that's worth any money. 1542 01:14:39,856 --> 01:14:42,666 And then you have a group of people that are trying 1543 01:14:42,666 --> 01:14:44,590 to fulfill the mission 1544 01:14:44,590 --> 01:14:47,963 and to deliver to every address every day, 1545 01:14:47,963 --> 01:14:51,834 the one philosophy flies in the face of the other. 1546 01:14:51,834 --> 01:14:55,257 - The way to do it is not to eliminate a day of delivery. 1547 01:14:55,257 --> 01:14:58,974 The way to do it is not to eliminate door-to-door services, 1548 01:14:58,974 --> 01:15:01,682 something that we've provided the people all these years. 1549 01:15:01,682 --> 01:15:03,665 You wanna make it like foreign to people. 1550 01:15:03,665 --> 01:15:05,917 You wanna put a box up at the corner and have your mother 1551 01:15:05,917 --> 01:15:09,476 have to walk a mile to get her mail every day. 1552 01:15:09,476 --> 01:15:12,673 I don't think people want that. 1553 01:15:12,673 --> 01:15:14,423 - I would love to see us go 1554 01:15:14,423 --> 01:15:16,522 the direction of the self-directed work team 1555 01:15:16,522 --> 01:15:18,323 or self-managed team 1556 01:15:18,323 --> 01:15:21,379 because we're capable of making the decisions ourselves. 1557 01:15:21,379 --> 01:15:24,243 We can put peer pressure on each other to perform. 1558 01:15:24,243 --> 01:15:26,719 We can probably achieve better results. 1559 01:15:26,719 --> 01:15:27,574 If Richard has a problem, 1560 01:15:27,574 --> 01:15:30,193 I have a problem and the other people know it 1561 01:15:30,193 --> 01:15:32,677 and they have to get on board with that. 1562 01:15:32,677 --> 01:15:34,607 This has to be an important decision 1563 01:15:34,607 --> 01:15:35,987 just like everything else. 1564 01:15:35,987 --> 01:15:40,214 You gotta involve the employees in getting the mail done. 1565 01:15:40,214 --> 01:15:41,670 When we take ownership, 1566 01:15:41,670 --> 01:15:44,978 you're not gonna recognize the place. 1567 01:15:44,978 --> 01:15:49,258 - Desire, commitment, that's what we want. 1568 01:15:49,258 --> 01:15:54,258 You only get it when you make people part of the process. 1569 01:15:54,477 --> 01:15:57,340 - [Man] We don't need four people doing the same job 1570 01:15:57,340 --> 01:15:59,799 at four different levels of four different pay structures. 1571 01:15:59,799 --> 01:16:01,664 - I think there's no one more equipped 1572 01:16:01,664 --> 01:16:03,165 to run the post office 1573 01:16:03,165 --> 01:16:04,950 and the people that actually do the work 1574 01:16:04,950 --> 01:16:06,204 and understand what it takes. 1575 01:16:06,204 --> 01:16:07,878 - Oh, we can definitely run it. 1576 01:16:07,878 --> 01:16:10,382 In my station, for example, and I come from Westmont, 1577 01:16:10,382 --> 01:16:11,371 we ran our stations. 1578 01:16:11,371 --> 01:16:13,124 Employees ran our station. 1579 01:16:13,124 --> 01:16:15,328 You know what your assignment is every day. 1580 01:16:15,328 --> 01:16:17,423 We can do it all. 1581 01:16:17,423 --> 01:16:19,219 - And most of the oversight and the paperwork 1582 01:16:19,219 --> 01:16:20,716 that the people deal with now is 1583 01:16:20,716 --> 01:16:23,260 just did the mail get there on time? 1584 01:16:23,260 --> 01:16:25,175 Did did that box get there? 1585 01:16:25,175 --> 01:16:27,599 Did the Amazon get all scanned properly? 1586 01:16:27,599 --> 01:16:30,779 (gentle piano music) 1587 01:16:30,779 --> 01:16:32,183 But there's a lot of people in here 1588 01:16:32,183 --> 01:16:36,338 that are justifying their job, which is a useless job. 1589 01:16:36,338 --> 01:16:37,437 We have one guy that comes down 1590 01:16:37,437 --> 01:16:39,391 just to make sure the mail gets here in time. 1591 01:16:39,391 --> 01:16:41,058 We could check that. 1592 01:16:42,453 --> 01:16:43,370 Ridiculous. 1593 01:16:44,288 --> 01:16:46,725 - Let the post office be a pioneer again 1594 01:16:46,725 --> 01:16:49,519 in the days of the Pony Express and the way that it was, 1595 01:16:49,519 --> 01:16:52,332 but now not about reaching into the far reaches 1596 01:16:52,332 --> 01:16:53,877 of our country, but rather 1597 01:16:53,877 --> 01:16:55,819 into the way we organize business, 1598 01:16:55,819 --> 01:17:00,058 every post office should be a local workers cooperative, 1599 01:17:00,058 --> 01:17:03,568 a group of workers whose job it is to make 1600 01:17:03,568 --> 01:17:06,645 that institution as useful, 1601 01:17:06,645 --> 01:17:08,797 as helpful to the local community 1602 01:17:08,797 --> 01:17:10,508 as it knows how to be, 1603 01:17:10,508 --> 01:17:13,758 free to do that in any way it sees fit. 1604 01:17:15,756 --> 01:17:19,162 - At one time, they're able to offer copying services 1605 01:17:19,162 --> 01:17:21,531 in a post office lobbies. 1606 01:17:21,531 --> 01:17:23,942 And Kinkos got that shut down. 1607 01:17:23,942 --> 01:17:25,525 They lobbied congress 1608 01:17:25,525 --> 01:17:27,137 and all of a sudden there's a law 1609 01:17:27,137 --> 01:17:30,507 that you can have copy machines in your local post office. 1610 01:17:30,507 --> 01:17:33,208 - The postal service has his hands tied by congress. 1611 01:17:33,208 --> 01:17:35,467 For example, up until 1968, 1612 01:17:35,467 --> 01:17:39,653 you had postal savings system as part of the post office 1613 01:17:39,653 --> 01:17:41,212 and the banks didn't like it, 1614 01:17:41,212 --> 01:17:43,792 even though people used it, it was convenient, 1615 01:17:43,792 --> 01:17:45,274 it was reliable. 1616 01:17:45,274 --> 01:17:46,895 Banks pressured congress. 1617 01:17:46,895 --> 01:17:48,562 They closed it down. 1618 01:17:51,792 --> 01:17:52,625 - People have said, 1619 01:17:52,625 --> 01:17:54,428 well, let the post office go into banking. 1620 01:17:54,428 --> 01:17:58,110 Well, that's not why we created the postal service. 1621 01:17:58,110 --> 01:18:01,466 We got plenty of private banks that'll do banking. 1622 01:18:01,466 --> 01:18:03,841 I think it might diffuse our mission. 1623 01:18:03,841 --> 01:18:07,341 It might open us up to a lot of criticism. 1624 01:18:09,622 --> 01:18:12,261 - The postal service didn't crash the economy 1625 01:18:12,261 --> 01:18:14,108 and steal people's pensions. 1626 01:18:14,108 --> 01:18:15,041 The postal service is there 1627 01:18:15,041 --> 01:18:17,022 to provide a service for the people. 1628 01:18:17,022 --> 01:18:19,007 - Unless the banking community 1629 01:18:19,007 --> 01:18:22,126 has completely abandoned a certain area, 1630 01:18:22,126 --> 01:18:25,644 and there are some areas that are underbanked. 1631 01:18:25,644 --> 01:18:30,508 - There are only 30 million unbanked people in this country 1632 01:18:30,508 --> 01:18:33,948 and they could be the source of wonderful service 1633 01:18:33,948 --> 01:18:35,371 and communities all over the country, 1634 01:18:35,371 --> 01:18:39,218 because most offices there doesn't have to be built 1635 01:18:39,218 --> 01:18:42,370 and they will produce revenue for the postal service. 1636 01:18:42,370 --> 01:18:44,575 (lively instrumental music) 1637 01:18:44,575 --> 01:18:46,927 - I think there's a lot of other adaptations 1638 01:18:46,927 --> 01:18:49,148 that we could be leading the way in 1639 01:18:49,148 --> 01:18:51,818 such as a high-speed internet kiosk, 1640 01:18:51,818 --> 01:18:55,985 the access to a secure online bill payment center. 1641 01:18:56,921 --> 01:18:58,647 There's communities all across the country 1642 01:18:58,647 --> 01:19:02,065 that don't even have access to high-speed internet period. 1643 01:19:02,065 --> 01:19:03,617 And there's also many people that can't afford 1644 01:19:03,617 --> 01:19:05,699 to have these services in their home. 1645 01:19:05,699 --> 01:19:07,231 - The postal service doesn't have 1646 01:19:07,231 --> 01:19:09,648 to pay tax on their building. 1647 01:19:11,439 --> 01:19:13,534 So if we're gonna do that, 1648 01:19:13,534 --> 01:19:16,302 we've got to find a way to level the playing field 1649 01:19:16,302 --> 01:19:19,550 so they don't put the mom and pop internet cafe 1650 01:19:19,550 --> 01:19:23,047 a couple of blocks down out of business. 1651 01:19:23,047 --> 01:19:25,046 - This would be the government competing 1652 01:19:25,046 --> 01:19:27,958 with the private sector, you betcha. 1653 01:19:27,958 --> 01:19:29,462 And that's a good thing. 1654 01:19:29,462 --> 01:19:32,565 Let the private sector have a competitor. 1655 01:19:32,565 --> 01:19:34,731 to exclude the government means 1656 01:19:34,731 --> 01:19:36,739 the private sector can do to us, 1657 01:19:36,739 --> 01:19:38,979 the customers, what it wishes. 1658 01:19:38,979 --> 01:19:41,732 There's no one else who benefits from that, 1659 01:19:41,732 --> 01:19:44,436 not the public, not the country as a whole, 1660 01:19:44,436 --> 01:19:47,139 but for the private alternative profit makers, 1661 01:19:47,139 --> 01:19:48,210 that's why this was done. 1662 01:19:48,210 --> 01:19:51,877 (lively instrumental music) 1663 01:19:53,215 --> 01:19:56,287 - We understand their frustration about waiting in lines, 1664 01:19:56,287 --> 01:19:59,247 the short staffing, we wanna be the best. 1665 01:19:59,247 --> 01:20:01,534 We've always strive to be the best 1666 01:20:01,534 --> 01:20:04,817 and to see all of what's falling apart now, 1667 01:20:04,817 --> 01:20:08,817 it hurts a lot of workers because we have pride. 1668 01:20:09,997 --> 01:20:11,452 - Let them be responsible, 1669 01:20:11,452 --> 01:20:13,444 not only to one another as workers, 1670 01:20:13,444 --> 01:20:15,367 but to the community they serve, 1671 01:20:15,367 --> 01:20:18,227 but there'd be a board of the community elected 1672 01:20:18,227 --> 01:20:22,499 democratically that interacts with this worker co-op 1673 01:20:22,499 --> 01:20:26,059 to reach the decisions that serve this community best. 1674 01:20:26,059 --> 01:20:28,892 It's a whole new way of organized. 1675 01:20:29,810 --> 01:20:30,643 - [Woman] That's right. 1676 01:20:30,643 --> 01:20:32,768 - [Man] The post office belongs to us. 1677 01:20:32,768 --> 01:20:35,048 The post office belongs to the American people. 1678 01:20:35,048 --> 01:20:36,202 - Yeah! 1679 01:20:36,202 --> 01:20:40,197 (protestors chanting) 1680 01:20:40,197 --> 01:20:42,508 - I want to be able to bring back pride 1681 01:20:42,508 --> 01:20:43,694 in being a postal worker. 1682 01:20:43,694 --> 01:20:45,656 I'm proud to be a postal worker. 1683 01:20:45,656 --> 01:20:48,537 I'm proud to be able to serve the American people. 1684 01:20:48,537 --> 01:20:49,753 That means something. 1685 01:20:49,753 --> 01:20:52,003 That means something to me. 1686 01:20:53,241 --> 01:20:55,944 - I definitely wanna see a lot of grassroots activism, 1687 01:20:55,944 --> 01:20:57,080 people getting out there 1688 01:20:57,080 --> 01:21:00,417 and protecting the United States Postal Service. 1689 01:21:00,417 --> 01:21:02,880 The letter is so personal, 1690 01:21:02,880 --> 01:21:04,991 the emails and the texting and all that 1691 01:21:04,991 --> 01:21:06,586 is all impersonal. 1692 01:21:06,586 --> 01:21:08,968 And you know how much time and effort it takes 1693 01:21:08,968 --> 01:21:11,192 to sit down and pen something. 1694 01:21:11,192 --> 01:21:13,496 So it means a lot more. 1695 01:21:13,496 --> 01:21:16,487 My mom was cleaning out some files and gave me that picture. 1696 01:21:16,487 --> 01:21:17,779 So, I love it. 1697 01:21:17,779 --> 01:21:20,210 So, yeah, I've been born to do this kind of stuff. 1698 01:21:20,210 --> 01:21:22,756 I was doing this way back then. 1699 01:21:22,756 --> 01:21:24,356 Mom made sure I was ready. 1700 01:21:24,356 --> 01:21:27,889 I guess she planned for me to be somebody (laughs). 1701 01:21:27,889 --> 01:21:29,330 And I got the envelope printed. 1702 01:21:29,330 --> 01:21:32,257 And inside there's a letter from me. 1703 01:21:32,257 --> 01:21:33,945 I wanna continue to do big things 1704 01:21:33,945 --> 01:21:36,953 for the membership as your chief spoke person. 1705 01:21:36,953 --> 01:21:38,761 And that's what I am a chief spokesperson. 1706 01:21:38,761 --> 01:21:40,777 That's what union representatives are. 1707 01:21:40,777 --> 01:21:42,361 We're not lawmakers. 1708 01:21:42,361 --> 01:21:45,950 So hopefully people don't look at us like some politician. 1709 01:21:45,950 --> 01:21:47,263 It's a different kind of election. 1710 01:21:47,263 --> 01:21:51,096 So, sent out way more than a thousand of them. 1711 01:21:53,387 --> 01:21:55,735 - So the one more year to go with the union. 1712 01:21:55,735 --> 01:21:59,446 And as I said, I think I'll be able to smile 1713 01:21:59,446 --> 01:22:01,013 and sleep a little better 1714 01:22:01,013 --> 01:22:04,273 and not have nightmares about who lost the job today 1715 01:22:04,273 --> 01:22:06,767 or who's getting written off for silly stuff 1716 01:22:06,767 --> 01:22:09,055 or things like that. 1717 01:22:09,055 --> 01:22:12,973 'Cause if you take it personally, which I do, 1718 01:22:12,973 --> 01:22:17,741 it stays with you in a very negative type of way. 1719 01:22:17,741 --> 01:22:19,741 Really, it wears on you. 1720 01:22:24,841 --> 01:22:26,681 - [Jay] You get nostalgic when you come here. 1721 01:22:26,681 --> 01:22:28,969 - Oh, without a doubt, I tell you. 1722 01:22:28,969 --> 01:22:31,552 It's 30 years, half of my life. 1723 01:22:32,726 --> 01:22:34,444 Bartending, you may ask if I want a drink. 1724 01:22:34,444 --> 01:22:36,534 I'm here an hour. 1725 01:22:36,534 --> 01:22:39,803 - So my fondest memories are coming here as a kid. 1726 01:22:39,803 --> 01:22:41,718 And you letting me sit at the counter 1727 01:22:41,718 --> 01:22:44,381 and sell a book of stamps and count some change out. 1728 01:22:44,381 --> 01:22:45,335 for the customer. 1729 01:22:45,335 --> 01:22:50,085 - Right, I wanted to show you that you wanna treat people 1730 01:22:51,519 --> 01:22:54,317 like you wanna be treated. 1731 01:22:54,317 --> 01:22:56,727 You treat people like you wanna be treated. 1732 01:22:56,727 --> 01:22:58,491 And I honestly and firmly believe 1733 01:22:58,491 --> 01:23:01,477 that even though these people were doing business 1734 01:23:01,477 --> 01:23:02,490 with the postal service, 1735 01:23:02,490 --> 01:23:05,311 they were doing business with me. 1736 01:23:05,311 --> 01:23:08,558 And after time they were not customers, 1737 01:23:08,558 --> 01:23:11,136 they were family and friends. 1738 01:23:11,136 --> 01:23:12,330 - [Jay] It doesn't take long outside 1739 01:23:12,330 --> 01:23:14,485 the Maplewood Post Office for my dad to bump 1740 01:23:14,485 --> 01:23:15,569 into an old customer. 1741 01:23:15,569 --> 01:23:16,731 - Are you feeling okay? 1742 01:23:16,731 --> 01:23:17,676 - Everything's all right. 1743 01:23:17,676 --> 01:23:18,509 - That's good. 1744 01:23:18,509 --> 01:23:20,148 I'm out six years already, I can't believe it. 1745 01:23:20,148 --> 01:23:21,052 - I know. 1746 01:23:21,052 --> 01:23:22,358 - That's my son and his wife. 1747 01:23:22,358 --> 01:23:24,021 - Oh, how you doing? 1748 01:23:24,021 --> 01:23:24,854 - All right, great - And today's 1749 01:23:24,854 --> 01:23:29,293 their first anniversary (laughs). 1750 01:23:29,293 --> 01:23:32,670 - We're making a movie about the post office because of him. 1751 01:23:32,670 --> 01:23:34,939 (Robert laughs) 1752 01:23:34,939 --> 01:23:36,726 - He lived in my house and saw it happen. 1753 01:23:36,726 --> 01:23:40,226 So he was honoring me by making this film. 1754 01:23:42,551 --> 01:23:45,388 I was fired because I was accused 1755 01:23:45,388 --> 01:23:47,726 of falsifying a federal document, 1756 01:23:47,726 --> 01:23:49,924 misappropriation of funds from the postal service, 1757 01:23:49,924 --> 01:23:53,035 which totaled $579 and 56 cents 1758 01:23:53,035 --> 01:23:56,810 over 10 year period, 13 cents a day. 1759 01:23:56,810 --> 01:23:59,485 The postal service was able to keep me out of work 1760 01:23:59,485 --> 01:24:04,068 for 364 days without benefit of pay or hospitalization. 1761 01:24:08,152 --> 01:24:10,652 A very trying time in my life. 1762 01:24:11,587 --> 01:24:12,945 - [Jay] I knew it took a big toll on him 1763 01:24:12,945 --> 01:24:14,585 and I was about to go to college. 1764 01:24:14,585 --> 01:24:16,055 And so, he had a mortgage 1765 01:24:16,055 --> 01:24:18,436 and I knew he had all these stresses on him 1766 01:24:18,436 --> 01:24:20,936 and it just didn't seem right. 1767 01:24:23,755 --> 01:24:24,875 - You lose a couple of cases 1768 01:24:24,875 --> 01:24:26,204 that you feel you should have won 1769 01:24:26,204 --> 01:24:29,935 and you feel like your world almost like fell apart. 1770 01:24:29,935 --> 01:24:33,135 It's like a personal kick in the head. 1771 01:24:33,135 --> 01:24:35,666 It's just not acceptable. 1772 01:24:35,666 --> 01:24:36,499 That's never a good thing 1773 01:24:36,499 --> 01:24:39,056 when you couldn't protect somebody 1774 01:24:39,056 --> 01:24:41,536 'cause there have been a minimal number 1775 01:24:41,536 --> 01:24:44,824 where they just lost it mentally. 1776 01:24:44,824 --> 01:24:47,657 They couldn't continue in the job. 1777 01:24:48,727 --> 01:24:52,006 Others fight, and fight, and fight, and continue fighting, 1778 01:24:52,006 --> 01:24:53,077 even though they get written up, 1779 01:24:53,077 --> 01:24:56,077 they fight and they won't back down. 1780 01:24:56,939 --> 01:25:00,022 (gentle piano music) 1781 01:25:03,771 --> 01:25:06,170 - But I was so happy that I held out 1782 01:25:06,170 --> 01:25:09,419 and I was exonerated the day before we were supposed 1783 01:25:09,419 --> 01:25:11,594 to go to court because management knew 1784 01:25:11,594 --> 01:25:13,978 they did not have a case against me. 1785 01:25:13,978 --> 01:25:16,732 And he reasonable subsistence expense 1786 01:25:16,732 --> 01:25:18,489 that you incur as a result 1787 01:25:18,489 --> 01:25:20,787 of official travel will be approved. 1788 01:25:20,787 --> 01:25:22,855 Somehow, some way from my family, 1789 01:25:22,855 --> 01:25:24,758 my family was at the forefront. 1790 01:25:24,758 --> 01:25:26,091 My wife, my son, 1791 01:25:26,997 --> 01:25:29,891 and the place we lived was at the forefront. 1792 01:25:29,891 --> 01:25:32,891 And they gave me all of my strength. 1793 01:25:33,907 --> 01:25:38,907 I felt like a boxer who was on the canvas in the 10 count. 1794 01:25:39,113 --> 01:25:43,456 And somehow God gave me the strength to swing my arms. 1795 01:25:43,456 --> 01:25:46,873 And I hit him, and I won, and I survived. 1796 01:25:52,355 --> 01:25:53,688 How's the momon? 1797 01:25:55,665 --> 01:25:57,045 - Momon. 1798 01:25:57,045 --> 01:25:58,208 - Yeah, momon. 1799 01:25:58,208 --> 01:25:59,293 - Momon. 1800 01:25:59,293 --> 01:26:01,367 - (indistinct) momon. 1801 01:26:01,367 --> 01:26:04,238 (gentle instrumental music) 1802 01:26:04,238 --> 01:26:05,239 And even if at the end 1803 01:26:05,239 --> 01:26:06,676 of the day management has to put 1804 01:26:06,676 --> 01:26:09,533 that worker back to work with full back pay, 1805 01:26:09,533 --> 01:26:10,867 they will have achieved something 1806 01:26:10,867 --> 01:26:13,606 in terms of imposing discipline 1807 01:26:13,606 --> 01:26:16,023 and control on the workforce. 1808 01:26:17,130 --> 01:26:18,189 I can't make a statement 1809 01:26:18,189 --> 01:26:19,022 because then they're gonna treat me 1810 01:26:19,022 --> 01:26:20,607 like they treat you. 1811 01:26:20,607 --> 01:26:23,357 Lo and behold, I did lose my job. 1812 01:26:26,821 --> 01:26:27,654 (phone ringing) 1813 01:26:27,654 --> 01:26:28,920 - He pointed his finger at me, 1814 01:26:28,920 --> 01:26:29,753 he looked at me saying, 1815 01:26:29,753 --> 01:26:31,367 "Now you keep eye contact at me 1816 01:26:31,367 --> 01:26:33,534 when I am talking to you." 1817 01:26:35,539 --> 01:26:36,967 I'm not afraid of your congressman 1818 01:26:36,967 --> 01:26:39,208 or your senator, (indistinct). 1819 01:26:39,208 --> 01:26:42,875 (gentle instrumental music) 1820 01:26:44,111 --> 01:26:46,528 (indistinct) 1821 01:26:51,059 --> 01:26:55,133 - [Woman] You can't get anybody to address this. 1822 01:26:55,133 --> 01:26:58,800 (gentle instrumental music) 1823 01:27:02,404 --> 01:27:05,737 - Hello again, Mr. Brian, this is Jay... 1824 01:27:06,584 --> 01:27:11,205 I come bearing concerns of many, many postal workers. 1825 01:27:11,205 --> 01:27:12,937 But workplace change never came 1826 01:27:12,937 --> 01:27:15,016 from the postmaster general, 1827 01:27:15,016 --> 01:27:16,046 whether Megan Brennan 1828 01:27:16,046 --> 01:27:19,546 or Ben Franklin, justice, safety, respect. 1829 01:27:23,337 --> 01:27:25,715 They only ever came in small victories 1830 01:27:25,715 --> 01:27:30,215 by employees who know their rights and fight for them. 1831 01:27:31,199 --> 01:27:35,131 - I might lose this thing, I might lose everything. 1832 01:27:35,131 --> 01:27:39,605 There's a big price to pay fighting the system. 1833 01:27:39,605 --> 01:27:43,826 But you have to make a decision that you're gonna do it. 1834 01:27:43,826 --> 01:27:47,603 And it was my reputation, my livelihood. 1835 01:27:47,603 --> 01:27:48,826 Now I have my job back 1836 01:27:48,826 --> 01:27:52,624 after three very long years of struggle. 1837 01:27:52,624 --> 01:27:55,338 - I've spent almost $20,000 on a lawyer, 1838 01:27:55,338 --> 01:27:58,333 that's something that I might not even get back. 1839 01:27:58,333 --> 01:28:00,685 Dave was really wild, 'cause he would stand up going, 1840 01:28:00,685 --> 01:28:02,794 "I gotta be honest, I'm under oath, 1841 01:28:02,794 --> 01:28:03,667 I gotta be honest." 1842 01:28:03,667 --> 01:28:05,494 And he says, she's really a good worker. 1843 01:28:05,494 --> 01:28:06,327 And I'm sitting there going, 1844 01:28:06,327 --> 01:28:08,091 "Hey, just keep on being honest, man. 1845 01:28:08,091 --> 01:28:09,540 Just keep on." 1846 01:28:09,540 --> 01:28:12,148 'Cause he turned out to be a better witness for me 1847 01:28:12,148 --> 01:28:14,522 than it did for them. 1848 01:28:14,522 --> 01:28:16,195 - Tracy won her lawsuit. 1849 01:28:16,195 --> 01:28:20,690 (gentle instrumental music) 1850 01:28:20,690 --> 01:28:25,273 - Today is election day for the union here in Gastonia. 1851 01:28:27,599 --> 01:28:30,908 I was gonna maybe hail that in the main post office. 1852 01:28:30,908 --> 01:28:34,325 Tim Ranchi is going to run for president. 1853 01:28:37,944 --> 01:28:39,493 - Each candidate is entitled 1854 01:28:39,493 --> 01:28:42,289 to having an observer present during the following. 1855 01:28:42,289 --> 01:28:46,122 - An observer is in the room with the ballots. 1856 01:28:47,383 --> 01:28:51,466 They watched proceedings that are going on mostly 1857 01:28:52,872 --> 01:28:55,777 to see that things are done correctly, 1858 01:28:55,777 --> 01:28:57,660 done the right way 1859 01:28:57,660 --> 01:29:02,522 that there are no per se shady dealings going on. 1860 01:29:02,522 --> 01:29:04,770 - The people that we wanna challenge are the people 1861 01:29:04,770 --> 01:29:07,209 that have been management. 1862 01:29:07,209 --> 01:29:08,883 Once you go to management, 1863 01:29:08,883 --> 01:29:10,903 we don't ever want you back. 1864 01:29:10,903 --> 01:29:15,340 - Of course, I accepted because I want to see 1865 01:29:15,340 --> 01:29:17,340 that this is done right? 1866 01:29:20,734 --> 01:29:22,392 And the challenge must be made 1867 01:29:22,392 --> 01:29:25,225 before those envelopes are opened. 1868 01:29:26,059 --> 01:29:28,976 Very hopefully this can be changed, 1869 01:29:30,660 --> 01:29:35,243 the presidency to make a new beginning, push the union, 1870 01:29:37,029 --> 01:29:39,112 I think, needs very much. 1871 01:29:41,749 --> 01:29:44,416 - There's the letter I sent out. 1872 01:29:46,562 --> 01:29:49,895 That was the only mother I really slung. 1873 01:29:50,782 --> 01:29:52,111 - [Woman] Okay, like a poem. 1874 01:29:52,111 --> 01:29:52,944 - Yeah. 1875 01:29:57,434 --> 01:29:58,267 I didn't vote last year. 1876 01:29:58,267 --> 01:29:59,780 And this year I wanna be the president. 1877 01:29:59,780 --> 01:30:02,447 (both laughing) 1878 01:30:03,956 --> 01:30:06,622 - Doesn't take long time. 1879 01:30:06,622 --> 01:30:08,039 - No, it doesn't. 1880 01:30:12,896 --> 01:30:15,555 - And people don't understand why. 1881 01:30:15,555 --> 01:30:18,722 our union does not stand up and speak. 1882 01:30:19,946 --> 01:30:21,930 - I understand why. 1883 01:30:21,930 --> 01:30:24,858 And most of it has to do with fear. 1884 01:30:24,858 --> 01:30:26,143 But the part I don't understand 1885 01:30:26,143 --> 01:30:28,310 is what they're afraid of. 1886 01:30:29,509 --> 01:30:31,101 You have them in your heart. 1887 01:30:31,101 --> 01:30:32,421 It's almost five o'clock. 1888 01:30:32,421 --> 01:30:33,447 - Yes, sir. 1889 01:30:33,447 --> 01:30:34,469 - Take care. 1890 01:30:34,469 --> 01:30:35,591 You take care of yourself. 1891 01:30:35,591 --> 01:30:36,890 - Bet ya. 1892 01:30:36,890 --> 01:30:39,557 (clock ticking) 1893 01:30:46,619 --> 01:30:49,493 - The first thing Steve ever gave him, 1894 01:30:49,493 --> 01:30:51,723 it was a watch for Christmas 1895 01:30:51,723 --> 01:30:53,744 for our first year we were married. 1896 01:30:53,744 --> 01:30:58,237 I thought that it would be appropriate to wear it tonight? 1897 01:30:58,237 --> 01:31:01,110 I knew that he wouldn't want me to be there. 1898 01:31:01,110 --> 01:31:02,943 I was there for Steve? 1899 01:31:04,952 --> 01:31:06,956 What he stood for? 1900 01:31:06,956 --> 01:31:11,706 I was there for Steve's respect and to make things right. 1901 01:31:13,219 --> 01:31:16,469 And to put that spark back into people. 1902 01:31:19,038 --> 01:31:24,038 It started with the spark and then just keep building it up. 1903 01:31:24,656 --> 01:31:27,156 - And if one person came there 1904 01:31:28,037 --> 01:31:30,120 and saw you supporting me 1905 01:31:31,310 --> 01:31:33,773 and changed their vote, one person, 1906 01:31:33,773 --> 01:31:35,606 that won the election, 1907 01:31:36,467 --> 01:31:39,300 that changed from what would have been tie. 1908 01:31:39,300 --> 01:31:42,814 - And if it was, that's one of the greatest things 1909 01:31:42,814 --> 01:31:44,209 that can happen. 1910 01:31:44,209 --> 01:31:46,709 - The final vote was 31 to 33. 1911 01:31:47,726 --> 01:31:52,476 And at one point, I was down by five and I was like, wow. 1912 01:31:53,723 --> 01:31:57,795 - I just want to say that I just feel so good about this. 1913 01:31:57,795 --> 01:32:01,100 - We're gonna take the presidency in January. 1914 01:32:01,100 --> 01:32:05,600 - Main instrument ever, how high, they you to give up. 1915 01:32:07,814 --> 01:32:10,172 They want you to give up. 1916 01:32:10,172 --> 01:32:13,944 - The way things have been run has stopped people 1917 01:32:13,944 --> 01:32:17,293 from standing up because they would feel 1918 01:32:17,293 --> 01:32:19,347 that they would be standing alone. 1919 01:32:19,347 --> 01:32:22,014 And I hope to spread the message 1920 01:32:23,523 --> 01:32:25,356 that you're not alone, 1921 01:32:27,151 --> 01:32:31,151 so go ahead and stand up and let's take this on. 1922 01:33:12,505 --> 01:33:17,505 ♪ Sometimes every single thing is happening, happening ♪ 1923 01:33:24,076 --> 01:33:29,076 ♪ Sometimes every single thing is happening, happening ♪ 1924 01:33:35,506 --> 01:33:40,506 ♪ Across the great divide, you don't wanna choose your side ♪ 1925 01:33:40,766 --> 01:33:43,624 ♪ We must do more than occupy ♪ 1926 01:33:43,624 --> 01:33:46,803 ♪ Give them a chance to just comply ♪ 1927 01:33:46,803 --> 01:33:51,803 ♪ Love and lucky brakes, trampade in every way ♪ 1928 01:33:52,280 --> 01:33:57,280 ♪ Don't say that it's too late to make a patient gray ♪ 1929 01:34:00,424 --> 01:34:05,424 ♪ The time is now, don't give up ♪ 1930 01:34:06,394 --> 01:34:09,993 ♪ Don't walk away ♪ 1931 01:34:09,993 --> 01:34:14,993 ♪ Oh, oh, oh, I need you ♪ 1932 01:34:15,040 --> 01:34:19,540 ♪ I need to treat you to say and rise ♪ 1933 01:34:31,957 --> 01:34:34,207 ♪ And rise ♪ 1934 01:34:50,032 --> 01:34:55,032 ♪ Sometimes every single thing is happening, happening ♪ 1935 01:35:01,350 --> 01:35:06,350 ♪ Sometimes every single thing is happening, it's happening ♪ 1936 01:35:12,810 --> 01:35:17,810 ♪ Sometimes every single thing is happening, happening ♪ 1937 01:35:24,265 --> 01:35:29,265 ♪ Sometimes every single thing is happening, it's happening ♪ 151760

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