PHOTO: Branch 92 President Mark Seitz speaks to Postal Bootcamp participants.
Over the last two weeks, the USPS distribution center in Scarborough hosted the first-ever Postal Jobs Bootcamp, an event created jointly by the Maine AFL-CIO’s Peer Workforce Navigator and the postal unions, to offer assistance to people interested in applying for union jobs with USPS. The two-day event consisted of an information session, a tour of the Scarborough facility, and an application clinic where laptop computers were provided to support workers applying for good union jobs with the Postal Service.
Twelve workers attended the first day of the event, on September 28, and were given detailed information about the various jobs available at USPS and about wages and benefits. Each of the postal unions was represented, and the union members’ enthusiasm for their work and their respective unions had a big impact on the attendees, all of whom expressed a strong desire to join the USPS workforce. After lunch, applicants were given a comprehensive tour of the Scarborough facility by two members of the American Postal Workers Union.
Some of the attendees from the first day felt confident enough to complete their applications on their own, but there were seven attendees at the application clinic the following week. At the clinic, applicants were taken through the initial application process and were given information on who to contact if they encounter barriers later in the process.
The Maine AFL-CIO and Peer Workforce Navigator project will continue supporting applicants through ongoing steps in the application process. Stay tuned for our next Postal Jobs Bootcamp in the coming months.