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The National Postal Mail Handlers Union held its national convention recently in Portland, Oregon, where the union celebrated its centennial year and set its agenda for the upcoming quadrennial cycle.

National President John Hegarty declared in his keynote address: " Our common goals can be simply stated:  on this, the 100th anniversary of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, our Union pledges not only to Honor the Past, but also to use the lessons learned from our past to Shape our Future.  We will dedicate whatever time and effort is needed; we will expend whatever resources are demanded; we will implement whatever strategies are justified; and together we will do whatever it takes to ensure our Union’s continued success, and the continued success of all Mail Handlers."



During the convention, delegates reconfirmed the union's opposition to postal privatization, adopted a number of constitutional amendments and set the union's legislative and political agenda for the upcoming election cycle.



The union offered a special welcome to Dr. Greg Giebel, a professor and labor historian, who helped delegates celebrate the union's anniversary with a multi-part presentation on the history of the NPMHU and the American labor movement.



One of the convention's guest speakers was Billy Hayes, General Secretary of the Communication Workers Union (UK) and UNI Post and Logistics World President. In his address, Hayes told delegates that the world's postal workers stand with the NPMHU and the other American unions in their fight to defeat the attacks on the USPS.