1500 S. Sunkist Street
Anaheim, CA 92806
(714) 937-1228 - Office
(714) 937-0371 - Fax
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The Southwest Coastal Area Local
Of the
American Postal workers Union, AFL-CIO

The Southwest Coastal Area Local was formed from a group of individual locals in the summer of 1973. Throughout the years the local has continue to merge with other smaller local unions.

The local was approximately 700 members after merger and grew throughout the years to it current numbers of approximately 1800 members.

Currently the Southwest Coastal Area Local represents:

• Anaheim City
• Anaheim Plant
• Atwood
• Brea
• Buena Park
• Capistrano Beach
• Corona Del Mar
• Costa Mesa
• Cypress
• Dana Point
• El Toro
• Fountain Valley
• Fullerton
• Garden Grove
• Huntington Beach
• Irvine
• Laguna Beach
• La Habra
• La Mirada
• Los Alamitos
• Mission Viejo
• Montebello
• Newport beach
• Norwalk
• Orange
• Pico Rivera
 • Placentia
• Rancho Santa Margarita
• San Clemente
• San Juan Capistrano
• Santa Ana City
• Santa Ana Plant
• Silverado
• Sunset Beach
• Trabuco Canyon
• Tustin
• Westminster
• Yorba Linda

The Southwest Coastal Area Local was very progressive from the very beginning and recognized the benefit of having a full time union official. From 1973-1979 that was the Local President. In 1979 the local expanded to two full time union officials and then to three full time officials in 1985. The Southwest Coastal Area Local currently has three full time union officials.

The Southwest Coastal Area Local has a rich history. Many union members have represented the Southwest Coastal Area Local as stewards, local officers state officers and national officers.

 
The Southwest Coastal Area Local President
1973 -1977  John Gaffney from Orange
1977 -1979 Peter Katz from Newport Beach
1979 -1987 Bonnie Nelson from Huntington Beach
1987 -1990 Bobby Donelson from Santa Ana Plant
1990 -1996 Ralph Lefter from Santa Ana Plant
1996 -1999 Richard Cantu from Santa Ana Plant
1999 - 2005 Ralph Lefter from Santa Ana Plant
2005 to present James Chiang from Santa Ana Plant

 

The Southwest Coastal Area Local has also been active in the California State APWU AFL-CIO. Bonnie Nelson, Helen Lebowitz, Bobby Donelson, Bruce Bailey, Richard Shepard, and Ralph Lefter have also been state officers as well.

President Ralph Lefter is currently the California APWU, AFL-CIO Santa Ana SCF Representative.

In 1990, the Southwest Coastal Area Local added a new chapter to its history. Then Southwest Coastal Area Local President Bobby Donelson was appointed the position of Western Region Maintenance National Business Agent. The first time the Southwest Coastal Area Local has a national officer. Bobby Donelson was then appointed the position of National Representative at Large for the Maintenance Division in Washington D.C. in 1996. This was soon followed by the election of Motor Vehicle Service Director Bruce Bailey to the position of Western Region Motor Vehicle Service National Business Agent in 1998. Three years later the Southwest Coastal Area Local Vice President Leonard Trujillo was elected to the position of San Francisco Region Clerk National Business Agent and Maintenance Director Richard Shepard was elected to the position of Western Region Maintenance National Business Agent “B”.

2001 was a very proud year. Local President Ralph Lefter had the honor of having four Southwest Coastal Area Local members as National APWU AFL-CIO officers. They were Bobby Donelson as the Maintenance Assistant Director, Leonard Trujillo as the San Francisco Region Clerk National Business Agent, Richard Shepard as the Western Region Maintenance National Business Agent “B”, and Bruce Bailey as the Western Region Motor Vehicle Service National Business Agent.

The Southwest Coastal Area Local under the leadership of President Ralph Lefter turned out the highest vote in the 2001 National APWU Elections the local had ever done. The reward was four national officers representing all three crafts from the Southwest Coastal Area Local.

The President Ralph Lefter of Southwest Coastal Area Local also hosted two National APWU AFL-CIO Conventions in 1992 and 2000. These were very successful conventions due to the hard work of the 130 plus members who assisted with the National APWU Conventions.

The goal of the Southwest Coastal Area Local has always been to represent Postal Workers and to ensure unjust action are corrected, protect our rights, defend our members and make our union stronger.

The foundation of the Southwest Coastal Area Local is its members.

Representing employees is not an easy task and requires the assistance and cooperation of many union members who serve as stewards, local officers, state officers, and national officers.

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