Eric Chornoby for Clerk Craft National Business Agent "A"

A Fresh Voice for a Better Union

If elected Clerk Craft NBA representing Michigan & Illinois, my priorities will be:

  1. Clearing the existing backlog of Grievances so YOU do not need to wait months/years for your cases to be heard

2. Find, educate, and train local advocates to ensure that Grievances are heard promptly

3. Assist Locals in the education and training of their Stewards to ensure that we are successful in the Grievance Procedure

We need representatives who bring innovation, knowledge, and passion to a Union that has been fighting the same way for decades. As the world around us changes, we need new ideas and a voice from someone who knows what it is like on the workroom floor, who has been a PSE, and who has worked in all Office types. We need a Business Agent willing to put in the time, energy, and resources to win our Grievances and protect our jobs. Using my unrivaled skillset of negotiation and knowledge, I vow to fight for every member I represent as if they were my own family!

Some of My Qualifications:

Some information About Me:

Experience. As an APWU Representative, I have filed, grieved, and settled hundreds of Grievances for the 480-481 Area Local since 2018. Since 2024, I have handled Step 3 / Arbitration appeals for the Michigan Metroplex, one of the largest Mail Processing Facilities in the Country, as well as the Troy Customer Care Center. While representing APWU members, I have been involved with Grievances concerning the Postal Inspectors, the OIG, and Homeland Security. I have prevented discipline from being issued in hundreds of Investigative Interviews. I have been a Technical Assistant / Advisor (TA) in Arbitrations for National Business Agents James Stevenson and Devendra ‘D’ Rathore. I have worked in Local Post Offices (Window Clerk, Distribution, Registry, and PO Box), a Mail Processing Facility (Automation and Manual), and a Customer Care Center. Through my work with the MPWU, I have experience dealing with small offices and members at large. You would be hard-pressed to find another advocate with experience dealing with so many clerk issues!

Leadership. I serve on two Executive Boards. As the elected Editor of the 480-481 Area Local, I represent over 2,000 members. As the elected Executive Secretary of the Michigan Postal Workers Union (MPWU), I serve as the second-highest-ranking officer in the Michigan Postal Workers Union. In 2024, I filled in for MPWU President Mike Mize and served as the acting President of the Michigan Postal Workers Union. I am the Chairperson of the 480-481 Area Local Young Member Committee, the largest and first Young Member Committee in the Country. In 2025, I was appointed to the National Young Member Committee. In each position I hold, I serve with vocal honesty and integrity. You deserve an assertive, experienced advocate to take charge against Management!

Knowledge. I am your Steward’s Steward. Since 2019, I have been helping other Stewards and Officers with their Grievances. I have assisted in training for the 480-481 Area Local, 498-499 (Iron Mountain) Area Local, Detroit District Area Local and the Michigan Postal Workers Union. I run a website that provides resources and training to stewards – APWUSteward.com . This website includes several trainings I have conducted and made(such as Past Practice, Investigative Interviews, and Due Process) and a Grievance Guide with over sixty chapters. The issues I have Grieved, appealed, or assisted with include TACS violations, DBCS violations, SPBS violations, Past Practice violations, Attendance Discipline, Conduct Discipline, 1.6 violations, Realignments, Letters of Demand, Harassment, Hostile Work Environments, Small Office issues, PSE issues, FMLA violations, etc. The list is endless. I have reviewed thousands of Arbitrations, own and read the same textbooks Arbitrators learn from, and use that information to win Grievances. You will not find another advocate with such a combination of youth, knowledge and experience!

Vocal. Representing our membership requires assertive and vocal leaders. I have put myself headfirst into speaking on what I believe is right and wrong when enforcing our Contract. Many APWU representatives may recognize me for my time debating on the floor at the National Convention. I had my first Labor-Management meeting within a year of being certified, in which I held Management’s feet to the fire at the Customer Care Center. I have always been a vocal advocate for those I represent. I have contributed to two APWU publications, and I have had an Article published in Labor Notes. Through these publications, my articles address issues ranging from how we make less today than we did in 1971 and a guide on how the Union fights Harassment. Several Management Officials have informed me that they read my Articles and act accordingly, actively preventing violations. I am proud to say that my words have contributed to Management treating our members better. You deserve an advocate willing to speak up even when the truth is unpopular. It doesn’t matter how much someone knows if they don’t use it to fight for you!

Training. I firmly believe no amount of training is enough, and I have continued to seek as much knowledge as possible to represent our members. This includes Arbitration Advocacy Training, APWU Preconvention Workshops, National APWU Secretary-Treasurer Training, the Postal PLUSS School, and the AFL-CIO on Organizing. What separates me from others is that I have also dedicated my free time to better my ability to represent our membership. I received certification from the University of Michigan in Successful Negotiation, Certification from Harvard Ex in Rhetorical Writing and Speaking, and accreditation in Conflict Management and Negotiation. I have attended training from Labor Notes on various topics. Not only that, I assisted in training Due Process to Stewards at the 480-481 Area Local and conducted Investigative Interview Training for the Michigan Postal Workers Union – a right usually reserved for National Business Agents. My training on Investigative Interviews received incredible praise from National Officers attending the Michigan Postal Workers Union’s Educational Assembly in 2025. I have conducted or assisted training in various locals across Michigan to ensure every member receives the best representation possible! As the Post Office changes, you deserve a Business Agent willing to educate and learn!

Representation. The Post Office is a 24-7 operation. Mail does not take weekends off, nor should your Business Agent. One thing all good officers have in common is that when an emergency happens, they don’t panic, and they get to work. I have served the membership with this motto. In 2024, I had a busy year. I assisted with Amazon Organizing, attended the Leadership Institute, ran for and won two elections, attended two APWU Conventions, served as the Editor of the 480-481 Area Local, served as the Executive Secretary for the MPWU and I was the acting President of the MPWU in September/October. During this time, I skipped vacations, worked nights, worked weekends, and continued representing APWU members. When COVID-19 broke out, I still came to work daily, just like you did. I still answered emails and phone calls every day of the week. When the Customer Care Centers began Teleworking, I was the last steward to leave the building, and I immediately came back to the Customer Care Center and 480-481 Area Local Union Hall five days a week to represent the membership better. A common complaint is that our elected representatives do not do the job they are paid to do, and they do not come to the office. I have a proven track record of doing my job even when I could be at home. Many can claim to represent you around the clock, but I can prove it. Voting for me is voting for a Union that works like you do. Holidays, weekends, and around the clock. You deserve nothing less.

Below is a short video of my speech at the Detroit GWY during the October 2024 National Day of Action while serving as President of the Michigan Postal Workers Union!

FAQ

Why are you running for Office?

With the troubling times the USPS is facing, the membership needs strong and energetic advocacy and leadership more than ever. My decision to run for NBA was born from a desire to protect the membership in these troubling times, clear the backlog, and defend all APWU members!

Why should I vote for you?

I am not a Politician. I don’t have flowery words or campaign rhetoric. What I do have is the truth. The truth is, voting for me is a vote for someone with the knowledge, experience, and motivation to save our jobs and enforce our Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Where can I learn more about you and your qualifications?

You can find me on Facebook or you can email me at chornoby@apwu480.com.