Vote
Xaviare Reed for President
A Strong Voice for Our Members
Brothers and Sisters,
I want to take a moment to thank our entire membership and the Executive Board for everything we have accomplished together this year. While many of you may not always be in the spotlight, your involvement has made a real difference. Over the past year, we have seen a major increase in member participation and engagement. That involvement has helped our union make meaningful progress in a very short period of time. This message is not just about one person or one office. It is about what we have achieved together as a union. Because of your support, participation, and commitment, we have been able to move our local forward and accomplish the following:
Our Executive Board and Appointed Officers/Stewards have successfully represented members in grievances and disputes thanks to the cooperation and support from other members that felt inspired to fight back and seek further education about the contract.
We reformed a Safety Committee that was dormant for years and advocated for safer working conditions and will continue to do so.
We increased member communication and transparency by working with Editor Cameron Taylor to implement a new website with an “online submission tool” that allowed members and people of the public to contact our officers directly. We also started using an email newsletter that informs members about recent issues and upcoming events. As a result, our local made the national APWU magazine.
We expanded training and development opportunities that were only available to stewards once a year and created Craft Seminars that we plan on holding Quarterly.
We’ve worked closely with our Retiree Chapter instead of distancing them from our Main Charter. I feel it is important that we appreciate our fellow postal workers that may be retired but are still fighting beside us with common goals.
By accomplishing these core goals, we have strengthened unity among union members during an unprecedented amount of election reruns due to the prior administrations unwillingness to accept that we are better off without them in charge. The last two election results spoke volumes about who the membership trusted to lead our local union.
What sets me apart as a candidate is that I take the time to truly understand the history and structure of our Local Union. I’ve done the work to learn how things operate and why they were built the way they were. I know where things are because I’ve been there before.
With a strong background in Maintenance, I understand how mail processing and delivery work from the inside out—from the core logic of the machines that process the mail to the final delivery point in retail and city and rural delivery.
That experience, combined with my willingness to stand up and fight for our members, is why I believe I’m the best candidate to serve as President.
Over the past year, I have spent long hours coordinating with executive board members and stewards to build strategy and strengthen our local. Training does not always happen in a classroom. Real training requires repetition, mentorship, and experience until it becomes second nature for our stewards to advocate for the membership.
I made the decision early in my career to make that commitment part of my daily life. When I became President of this local, it felt like I finally had the opportunity to prove that I have what it takes to address the challenges that divide us and move our union forward—without unnecessary distractions.
The Distractions
Unfortunately, the election cycles have not been free from outside interference.
Management has openly supported the losing candidates. Campaign literature was allowed on postal bulletin boards, and those same candidates were permitted to enter postal facilities to campaign. These are actions that raise serious concerns under OLMS election rules.
Despite these advantages, those candidates still lost the election twice by a wide margin.
We believe in following the rules. The problem is that the rules have not always been applied equally. Our union elections should be decided by the membership…not influenced by management or outside pressure.
Do not let frustration or distraction discourage you from voting. Participation is the strength of our union. When members vote, the membership decides the future of this local…not outside influences.
Your vote matters, and the future of our union depends on it….
Why I Support Evan Correa for Vice President
I support Evan because of the initiative he has demonstrated throughout the past year. He has taken the lead by filing and meeting with management on jurisdictional matters that will allow us to fight to maintain Clerk jobs in the plant and in surrounding Sort and Delivery Centers. He regularly walks the floor at Citygate to address grievances and safety issues, especially at the request of the President and the Clerk Craft Director. Evan is readily available to employees and, because he is still actively employed by the USPS and not retired, he understands the day-to-day realities of the workroom floor. We need officers who have skin in the game and real insight into how the workplace currently operates. For these reasons, I believe Evan Correa is the best candidate for Vice President.
Why I Support Tammy Savage for Secretary-Treasurer
I have worked closely with Tammy over the past year. Although she is relatively new to the position, I believe she has made great progress despite being tasked with one of the most challenging roles outlined in our local constitution. Her greatest quality is that she is trustworthy. Because of her dedication and integrity, I believe Tammy Savage is the best candidate for Secretary-Treasurer.
Why are we running another election? Here is the full story.
Unfortunately, my opponent in this election did not share the same goals for moving our union forward. The situation began in March when my opponent refused to leave the office of President after the results of the original election. Our National Business Agent had to inform her that, under the APWU National Constitution, she was required to step aside while she appealed the results. During this time, our local union was left without the proper transition of leadership. Our Local Constitution requires the incumbent President to work with the newly elected President for two weeks prior to leaving office in order to ensure a smooth transition and prevent disruption to the membership. That transition never properly occurred.
I made numerous attempts to come to the union hall during this transition period to receive information and begin the work of serving our members. Instead, key materials and access were not provided. On March 15, 2025—the morning before our Annual Party and swearing-in ceremony—the union hall alarm system was going off when I arrived. The only guidance left were sticky notes from the outgoing Secretary-Treasurer and Administrative Secretary, and only a fraction of the passwords to union accounts had been provided. Fortunately, the password to the union email account had been left, which allowed us to begin piecing together the information we needed.
During this time, we also discovered that Vindicator articles had been submitted just prior to the change of office. This broke a long-standing tradition in which newly elected officers are given the opportunity to address and thank the membership.
The March 2025 Vindicator also contained language that many members felt was defamatory. A non-member was allowed to submit a campaign article on behalf of my opponent, and the issue included strong accusations from individuals who had lost the original election. These actions were especially troubling coming from individuals who had previously sworn an oath to serve this union.
After the election, several losing candidates filed appeals with the APWU National Election Appeals Committee. Their appeals were granted, and our local received instructions from National to reform an election committee and rerun the election. The notice we received did not provide specific reasoning for the decision A new election committee was formed, and the committee decided to use a third-party election company in order to protect the integrity of the process and avoid additional costs for our local. Unfortunately, the company made a serious mistake by printing member names on the back of the ballots. This issue was appealed to the Department of Labor, and the appeal was upheld. As a result, we are now conducting a Department of Labor–supervised election.
Despite these challenges, our local has continued to make progress over the past year. Unfortunately, that progress has often been overshadowed by constant disruption from individuals who attend meetings not to participate constructively, but to hinder progress.
Earlier in my term, I gave some of the losing candidates opportunities to move forward and work together for the good of the membership. Unfortunately, those opportunities were not taken in the spirit they were offered. All I ask from you as a member of this local is to seek the truth and look at the facts for yourself rather than relying solely on what has been said. Our union deserves… leadership focused on progress, transparency, and serving the membership.
Vote Xaviare Reed for President
In Solidarity,
Xaviare Reed
President
Fighting for Change in APWU Local 232 