My Story

My name is Eric Chornoby, and I am seeking your vote for National Business Agent

Early Life

I proudly say I knew our Contract before ever stepping foot in the Post Office. I have a lifetime of experience in reading and understanding our Contract – an advantage I use daily to represent every member of the APWU!

I grew up in the APWU. My father, Patrick Chornoby, is a long-term APWU Officer and Representative from the DDAL (Detroit District Area Local). My childhood was spent in an APWU Union hall, volunteering at Union events, demonstrating at rallies, reading our Contract and volunteering my free time for the APWU.

My APWU volunteer work is extensive. A couple things I have done includes putting together National Convention bags for then National APWU Secretary-Treasurer Terry Stapleton, creating training material, and helping build the file room at the DDAL.

Being a National Business Agent is not an easy job. This job requires long nights, constant research, and excellent advocacy. I have seen the work our Business Agents perform first hand and am fully prepared to tackle this responsibility. No one else is as prepared to assume that responsibility.

Pre-Union Adulthood

While in college I applied to the Post Office. I was hired to work in Madison Heights, MI as a PSE. I was one of the first ‘groups’ of PSE’s hired. Management quickly redirected me to the Royal Oak Main Post Office instead. Over roughly three years, I have done every job in a local post office.

I worked the Registry Cage, the Window, Passport, Po Box, Distribution, etc. Management even had me deliver Express and Priority Mail. PSE’s were new and Management made us do everything. I would also be assigned to the Madison Heights Carrier Annex, Madison Heights Store, and Berkley Post Office.

During this time, Management would rotate my schedule nearly daily. I worked ‘Clopens’ AKA I closed the Royal Oak window unit one day and opened the Post Office at 2 am the next day for mail processing. I worked split shifts. I worked weeks with no NS Day. I had to use my own vehicle and money to travel between facilities. At the time, PSE’s did not have the rights or Contract Language we have now. You name it, I have done it.

While working at Royal Oak, I gained a small reputation for knowing our Contract. My coworkers would ask questions about our Contract. Due to my background, I had read our Contract cover to cover several times before stepping foot in the Post Office as an employee.

At this time, former 480-481 Area Local Vice President Gary Thomas asked me to be a Steward. Unfortunately, I was worried about becoming a Steward and getting fired as a PSE. Times were different for the first PSE’s. Fortunately I have outgrown that fear!

I was among the first PSEs converted in the Nation in 2014. Once I was converted from a PSE to a regular, I was sent to the Michigan Metroplex. I worked on the DBCS and LCTS. While I enjoyed my time at the Metroplex, I did not want to be an unassigned regular. The Call Center had dozens of bids, and I landed one as a Tier Two Agent at the Customer Care Center.

I spent roughly four years as a Tier Two Agent at the Customer Care Center prior to becoming a Steward. During this time I discovered and reported inefficiencies I found to Management. Things I have reported include the widespread use of ‘Undeliverable as Addressed’ and ‘Notice Left’ scans by Management across the Country.

I remember reviewing the PTR/PTS program and seeing hundreds of packages from different states scanned as ‘Undeliverable as Addressed’ using the same 3849. I quickly learned while at the Customer Care Center that Management was not just doing the wrong thing in every Local Post Office; management was committing widespread falsification of records at an Area scale with no care – and no one noticed!

The Customer Care Center has provided insight into the Postal Network that no other job in the USPS could afford me. It is not enough to know that Management will hide the truth, you must know how to find it! This experience has proven invaluable in knowing where to find where Management is hiding information!

Early Union Career

I became a Steward in late 2018. I filed my first formal Grievance in 2019. Simultaneously, I assisted my then Installation Director Richard Dale with his Step 2’s and meeting with management.

Early in my career as a Steward, my primary assignments were answering member questions, Investigative Interviews, and Discipline. I have represented members in over a thousand Interviews. In hundreds of those interviews I ‘squashed’ the issue before discipline was ever issued.

In May 2019, I was selected by the 480-481 Area Local to attend the Postal Labor Unions Summer School (PLUSS). At PLUSS, I met Stewards and Officers from across the country, some of whom I speak with to this day. This is when I began helping other Stewards with their Grievances and issues.

On my own time and dime, I continued my education to become a better Steward. In June 2019, I completed a course in Conflict Management and Negotiation. In July 2019, I completed a Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills program from the University of Michigan.

My early days as a Steward were spent fighting against Management daily on the floor, preventing as much discipline as possible, and dealing with unique situations no other Steward has ever encountered such as cybersecurity issues involving Homeland Security and the Postal Inspectors. By the end of 2019, my responsibilities included all Grievance types, Interviews with the Postal Inspectors, and Step 2 Appeals. Every day at the Customer Care Center was different. Most issues I dealt with as a Steward were not in the Contract, and the challenge forced me to continue learning.

COVID – 19

COVID – 19 hit the Customer Care Center like a storm. We had several of our coworkers get sick with COVID. I immediately sprung into action and began negotiating with management locally to protect us better. Before the National APWU and USPS took action, I discussed with Labor Relations cleaning supplies, plastic barriers, and isolation for the members I represented.

Soon, the Chief Steward and Installation Director of the Customer Care Center and Michigan Metroplex, Richard Dale, contracted COVID. Richard sadly passed away from COVID. In short order, each Steward was on extended leave – except for me. This put me as the only Steward for a complement of over 400. I still continued to represent the membership in person despite the risk.

Even when I contracted COVID, I continued answering emails, phone calls and text messages to represent the Membership. I came back to work as soon as I was medically cleared.

When the USPS and APWU announced Teleworking, I made it my mission to get everyone out of the building who could. I was the last Steward to take a computer to work from home. I voluntarily took the last training class for Teleworking. When the laptops came in, I counted the number of laptops on the pallets and communicated with APWU HQ and 480-481 President Roscoe Woods to ensure we received enough to send everyone home.

The transition was not easy. I bought a second phone line, document signing programs, a Zoom membership, a private server to secure emails and documents, etc. Teleworking was unprecedented. I continued representing the membership and did not have time to ask for help. During this time, I continued to go to the Customer Care Center to file Grievances when all of my coworkers worked from home.

During COVID, several USPS policy changes and laws passed, which impacted APWU members. To better serve the membership I had several sleepless nights and worked many weekends unpaid reading new laws, like FFCRA, and postal service policies, to give advice and help the membership.

I was the last Steward out of the building. I ensured every employee who wanted to work from home could do so. Several coworkers died, including my then-mentor Richard Dale. I put my time, money, and life on the line to protect every APWU member at the Customer Care Center!

Post – COVID

Post-COVID was a new chapter. The membership did not know all I did for them. If I never ran for office, they would not. Under new leadership from Installation Director Tracy Watson, I continued to assist with more complicated Grievances and handling Notices of Removal.

I have negotiated and saved dozens of members’ jobs who received Notices of Removal over the past three years. The Customer Care Center was uncharted territory. We had a Telework MOU and agreement that employees signed. Working from home was not for everyone, and I was involved in many unique situations. I have dealt with the Postal Inspectors, the OIG, and Homeland Security.

These unique situations include FMLA Fraud, Fraudulent Doctor Note Rings, taking Postal Equipment to other States / Countries, destroying Postal Equipment, etc. For every member I represented, I tackled these unprecedented and illegal issues and picked apart Management’s case. You would be hard-pressed to find another Steward who has been as successful in saving our jobs.

Stepping Up Post – COVID

COVID and its aftermath gave me the push I needed to do more for our Union. My early life was dedicated to the APWU. And when the pandemic hit, I found fulfillment in helping our membership.

In 2022, I was selected as a 480-481 Area Local delegate to the State of Michigan Constitutional Convention. At this Convention, I ran to be a delegate for the State of Michigan to the 2022 APWU National Convention. I received the most votes and won the election to be a delegate at the 2022 National Convention.

Around this time, I began writing for the State of Michigan Paper, the Michigan Messenger, and the 480-481 Area Local Paper, the Communicator. Articles I have written cover complex subjects such as how we make less today than we did in 1971, Harassment, and management using Reasonable Accommodation to harm members. I have stood by my belief that the members of our Union should be knowledgeable and educated on the issues we deal with. Some of my articles have been republished in other APWU Publications.

I have been a TA or Technical Assistant in Arbitration for Devendra Rathore and James Stevenson. This means I have sat alongside a National Business Agent to represent our members. As a TA, I review the entire Grievance, provide my opinion, capture every word said in the Arbitration, and actively represent our members. I have been asked to TA in areas outside my local and have even been called at the last minute when other TAs drop out. This has led to 18-hour days to ensure our members are represented!

In 2023 I attended the first ever Young Member Conference. Upon returning to the 480-481 Area Local, President Roscoe Woods started the 480-481 Area Local Young Member Committee. The Young Members elected me as their Chairperson.

At the beginning of 2024, I was informed I was selected to be one of 32 individuals to attend the Inaugural APWU Leadership Institute. The Institute has allowed me to become friends with some of the best and brightest advocates the APWU has. I communicate with the entire class, often discussing Grievances and activism.

In 2024, I began assisting the National APWU with Field Organizing. This means I am involved in the APWU’s efforts to Unionize Amazon. The benefit to the APWU is that Amazon is our closest competitor. If Amazon forms a Union and makes more money, the APWU can bargain for more money in our Contract! I even appeared on stage at the 2024 APWU National Convention for my work with Amazon.

In early 2024, I was elected the Editor of the 480-481 Area Local. The Editor in the 480-481 Area Local is a board position and has allowed me to learn how the 480-481 Area Local operates.

I implemented considerable changes to our paper during my brief time as Editor. Updating the format, adding new columns, and adding more content to the paper. At each APWU event, I take hundreds of pictures and report on what happened. I firmly believe the membership deserves to know what the Union is doing with its money, and I do that by reporting on events. If my goal when running for Editor was to update the paper into a more modern, inviting format for no or as little expense as possible, it would have been a wild success.

After being elected, I wanted to do all I could for our membership. I began handling the Step 3 and Arbitration Appeals for the 480-481 Area Local for the Customer Care Center and Michigan Metroplex. This has allowed me to become an expert on the issues large locals face. Using this experience, I have worked with Stewards and Officers to improve their Grievances to better represent our membership.

I was elected the Executive Secretary at the 2024 State of Michigan Constitutional Convention. This is the number two position in the State of Michigan. My nomination was by then Executive Secretary Mike Long, the current Western Michigan Area Local President. This position is also on the State of Michigan’s Executive Board and is equivalent to Vice President.

At the 2024 APWU National Convention, I was on the microphone multiple times. I spoke about our issues. I used my own annual leave to attend Pre-Convention Workshops to become a better Advocate. I stayed late and attended caucus’ on the We Won’t Be Silence Movement, which resulted in the October 1st National Day of Action. I even appeared on stage for my work with Amazon.

In September / October of 2024, I served as acting President of the Michigan Postal Workers Union. President Mike Mize had to take leave and I became his replacement. To prepare for this position, I studied RMPOs and small office issues. During this time, I assisted in resolving issues across the State of Michigan. At the October 1st National Day of Action, I represented the MPWU at the Detroit GWY and spoke alongside NBA James Stevenson and 480-481 Area Local President Steve Wood.

In October 2024, I assisted in Steward Training at the 480-481 Area Local. I covered Due Process and Legal Standards. I created the most substantial training available on our Constitutionally protected rights. This training took me weeks to develop and fine-tune the best way to teach stewards how to help the membership. This was all done on my own time.

In 2025 and Beyond

2025 continued to be a busy year. Assisting in organizing Amazon, expanded responsibilities in my home local, and elected responsibilities. At the end of 2024 / early 2025, I was nominated and appointed to the National Young Member Committee.

On my own time I expanded my work in the APWU and began assisting other locals and stewards more frequently. In February 2025, I was even a guest at the Detroit District Area Local’s new steward training conducted by my NBA James Stevenson. At this training, I provided some tips to new Stewards.

The APWU must cooperate to protect our members in light of the USPS’s plans. This experience of working with everyone gives me the foundation to jump into the job of business agent immediately.

As of writing this, I am scheduled to conduct training at the MPWU Educational Assembly in 2025. This training is a deep dive into Investigative Interviews, including Weingarten, Procedural Due Process, and Mitigating Circumstances / The Douglas Factors. This is the most substantial training on Investigative Interviews in the APWU, which I fully developed alone.

Finally, in 2025, I finished The Unofficial Grievance Guide. This guide has been in the works for nearly a year and includes 59 chapters, over 230 pages, and covers the common Grievances Stewards file and almost 30 chapters on fighting discipline. This took nights, weekends, and vacations to finish. I have proven I am the Steward your Steward turns to to assist them with their Grievances. I made this on my own time to ensure that all APWU Stewards can effectively represent YOU! No one is as knowledgeable or qualified to represent you as a National Business Agent!

The Future of YOUR Union

I have dedicated my life to representing the membership and the APWU. My resume includes the following positions: Editor of the 480-481 Area Local, Executive Secretary of the Michigan Postal Workers Union, and acting President of the Michigan Postal Workers Union.

My Leadership experience is clear. I have served on two Executive Boards, giving me intimate knowledge of effectively running a Union. I have been acting President of a large APWU organization. I have been Chairperson on a large committee. I was one of 32 selected Nationwide to attend the Inaugural Leadership Institute.

I have represented members in hundreds, if not thousands, of Investigative Interviews. I have saved dozens of jobs. I have experience dealing with situations few have in all of the APWU. It is extremely unlikely Homeland Security, the Postal Inspectors or the OIG will contact the USPS about you. If it happens, you will not find another advocate with the experience to help you.

The list of APWU training I have attended is long, but that is not what separates me from other Stewards and Officers. In my own time (and on my own dime), I have earned certification from the University of Michigan on Successful Negotiations and accreditation in Conflict Management and Negotiation.

My education has never stopped. In 2024, I finished a certification from Harvard Universities edX program on Rhetoric: The Art of
Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking. I took this course to better craft arguments in the Grievance and Arbitration procedures. I put my money and time where my mouth is.

My free time is spent reading Arbitration Decisions, Court Cases, and NLRB Cases that impact APWU members. I study every piece of training material or information I can get my hands on to better represent the members I serve. My weekends are filled with sitting at home reviewing Arbitration Cases and reading Federal Law.

No one else is willing to put in the work as I have, no matter the personal cost. In September / October of 2024 I effectively had five jobs for the APWU. I was acting MPWU President. I was the 480-481 Editor. I was a full-time Steward at the Customer Care Center. I did Step 3 and Arbitration Appeals for the 480-481 Area Local. I continued assisting in organizing Amazon.

This workload resulted in many sleepless nights. I was not paid extra for working more. I did not charge the 480-481 Area Local, MPWU, or National APWU for my after-tour work. I did the job the membership elected me to do, no matter the personal cost. I believe the members of the APWU deserve a representative who is willing to do whatever it takes.

You deserve a better representative; I have done everything possible to be that person!

No matter the issue. No matter the Grievance. I can represent you. You can work at a level 18 RMPO or a level 24 Local Post Office. You can work at a PNDC/Plant or a Customer Care Center. If it is a USPS job, I can provide the representation you deserve. The only thing I ask of you is your vote.

A vote for me is a vote for honest, hard-working, successful representation from your Union