Local postal workers tired of violence in workplace

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DENVER - About 50 letter carriers walked the picket line Thursday to get their message out.

"We demand a safe and harmonious workplace, that's our right," said Mike Williams, president of the local Branch 47 of the National Association of Letter Carriers.

Union employees want to see improvements in how management treats them, both mentally and physically. Union representatives claim there have already been over seventy grievances citing abusive management filed in the metro area this year.

"Management is constantly harassing, intimidating, finger pointing, and bullying letter carriers on the workroom floor on a daily basis," said Williams. "Management is constantly standing behind us while we are prepping our mail, in order to try and see if they can intimidate us into speeding up in the office."

Tensions are high because of the need to deliver mail on more routes with fewer employees.

Representatives from the U.S. Postal Service say they are facing economic challenges and are looking for ways to work more efficiently while still treating their workers appropriately.

"We believe that the workers have a right to express their opinions," said USPS spokesman Al Dessaro. "We have a labor and management process to deal with employee issues and we are confident in that process."

This was an informational picket. As federal employees, it is illegal for postal workers to strike.