FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The president of the local American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Royce "Ike" Mills has worked for the postal service industry for the last 31 years. Through the decades' worth of changes to the business, Mills says he has never hesitated to stand up for what's right.
"We want to save our service. We don't want it to be privatized. We want to give the people what they deserve," said Mills, who is working to fight what he calls the silencing of postal workers across the nation.
While postal workers could previously address concerns for three minutes at the Postal Board of Governors meetings, over the years that time has dwindled. Earlier this year, the decision was made that no public comment from postal workers was allowed at the meetings.
That sparked APWU to launch a national campaign called "We Will Not Be Silenced. "
In Arkansas, postal workers said they want their disapproval of a recent announcement (that the Northwest Arkansas distribution center will move to Oklahoma City) to be heard.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) previously told 5NEWS there would be no service impacts or career layoffs, but Mills said USPS has not been fully transparent with postal workers on the effects.
"There's going to be impacts, there's going to be changes, and you don't move mail 12 hours and say there's not going to be a delay," Mills exclaims. "So I just believe in calling them out when it's not right."
In response, USPS said it "respects the rights of unions and employees to participate in off-the-clock rallies on issues of concern to their membership."
For Mills, it's about protecting customers, postal workers, and his family. Specifically, his daughter Kaylynn, who is also a postal worker protesting alongside her father.
"If my daughter chooses to go work for the post office 20 years from now, I want her to have the ability to know that I took part in helping make it so her benefits are even better once she gets to that spot," said Kaylynn Mills, vice president of the local APWU.
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