A Day in the Life
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Volume 133/Number 6 June 2020 In this issue President’s Message 1 National Officers 25 Branch Items 48 Branch Election Notices 57 The monthly journal of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS HEROES DELIVERING A day in the life as told by letter carriers —PAGES 10-17 InstallInstall thethe freefree NALCNALC MemberMember AppApp forfor youryour iPhoneiPhone oror AndroidAndroid smartphonesmartphone As technology increases our ability to communicate, NALC must stay ahead of the curve. We’ve now taken the next step with the NALC Member App for iPhone and Android smartphones. The app was de- veloped with the needs of letter carriers in mind. The app’s features include: • Workplace resources, including the National • Instantaneous NALC news with Agreement, JCAM, MRS and CCA resources personalized push notifications • Interactive Non-Scheduled Days calendar and social media access • Legislative tools, including bill tracker, • Much more individualized congressional representatives and PAC information GoGo to to the the App App Store Store oror GoogleGoogle Play Play and and search search forfor “NALC “NALC Member Member App”App” toto install install for for free free President’s Message A new postmaster general: What’s the agenda? n all of American history, to credit unless the Board of Governors implements policy there have only been 74 changes that would damage the Postal Service and its long- postmasters general, start- term viability. ing with Benjamin Frank- In fact, during the very week DeJoy was appointed postmas- lin in 1775. In early May, ter general, one member of the Board of Governors, David Iwe learned that North Carolina Williams, resigned in protest over the Treasury Department’s businessman Louis DeJoy would inappropriate meddling in the management of the Postal be the 75th. DeJoy was selected Service. Along with my counterparts at the other three postal by the Postal Service’s Board unions, I wrote to the Board of Governors to urge them to resist of Governors, as provided by such meddling, noting that: “It is the role of a democratically law. As has been the custom at elected Congress to set postal policy in this country, and it is NALC, we congratulated the new the role of the Board and the [Postal Regulatory Commission] PMG on his appointment and to implement that policy with the managerial and regulatory offered our commitment to work discretion provided by law. The Treasury Department has no in good faith to use our collec- authority to re-write the law or impose its policy preferences tive-bargaining relationship to on the Postal Service—or the country.” strengthen the Postal Service. The Treasury Department clearly wants to advance the di- This month, PMG DeJoy will take sastrous recommendations of the 2018 White House Task Fredric V. office, and the biggest immedi- Force on the Postal System—to cut service, eliminate collec- Rolando ate question we face is: What is tive bargaining and force the USPS out of the package-delivery his agenda? business by dramatically raising prices. The question is: Does Of course, the most pressing priority must be overcoming the new PMG support this agenda? The fact that he has donat- the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goals as a union won’t change ed hundreds of thousands of dollars to President Trump’s re- one bit: We will continue to focus on protecting the health and election campaign has raised fears with some that he might. safety of the country’s city carriers and preserving their jobs But none of us should automatically jump to such a conclu- by securing the survival of the Postal Service as a public enter- sion. Now is the time for calm and quiet determination to give prise. We expect, and will insist, that the new leadership work the new postmaster general a chance. As I said upon his ap- with us to secure these goals in the months ahead. pointment, NALC is committed to working with the new PMG DeJoy’s longer-term agenda will be revealed through his ac- to build a shared vision that focuses on: a strategy to grow the tions in the months and years ahead. Although I personally USPS as a public institution; that values its employees; and hope he will apply his experience in building and expanding that works with its unions to promote high-quality service, his logistics business to building and expanding the Postal safety, efficiency and a workplace culture of mutual respect. Service as a public service, his appointment coincides with If Postmaster General DeJoy sets politics aside and works more than a few red flags. with us toward this shared vision, he will have a true partner First, it comes at a time when the Trump administration has in the NALC. If not, we will vigorously defend ourselves and demonstrated open hostility toward the Postal Service. The the American people’s right to high quality and affordable president called the Postal Service “a joke” during an April universal service. Either way, we will serve our members and press conference while spreading misinformation about the the public interest with conviction. source of the financial crisis we face—falsely blaming low Not since the first PMG took the job in 1775 has a new lead- package prices instead of the historic pandemic-induced re- er faced a more challenging environment in leading the Ameri- cession that has slashed mail volume and postal revenues— can Post Office. Benjamin Franklin held the job as America’s before walking it back in a subsequent Twitter post. fight for independence in the Revolutionary War was just be- Earlier in March, Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin ginning; DeJoy is taking this position in the middle of a global blocked a House of Representatives proposal to provide $25 pandemic. PMG Franklin passed the test. We hope that PMG billion in financial relief to the USPS—a similar relief pack- DeJoy will do the same. age to the one offered to airlines and hotels in the Corona- virus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act—before agree- ing to an inadequate $10 billion conditional loan. This after the Treasury Department has threatened to withhold access June 2020 The Postal Record 1 National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO Contents Since 1889, representing city letter carriers employed by the United States Postal Service. Volume 133/Number 6 June 2020 100 Indiana Ave. NW Washington, DC 20001-2144 202-393-4695 | nalc.org RESIDENT OFFICERS FREDRIC V. ROLANDO MANUEL L. PERALTA JR. President Director of Safety and Health BRIAN RENFROE DAN TOTH The monthly journal of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS Executive Vice President Director of Retired Members LEW DRASS JAMES W. “JIM” YATES Vice President Director of Life Insurance NICOLE RHINE Mutual Benefit Association Secretary-Treasurer 202-638-4318 PAUL BARNER STEPHANIE M. STEWART Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Director, Health Benefit Plan CHRISTOPHER JACKSON Health Benefit Plan Director of City Delivery 888-636-6252 BOARD OF TRUSTEES LAWRENCE D. BROWN JR. 774 Valencia Street Los Angeles, CA 90017 MIKE GILL MACK I. JULION 18682 SW 93 Court 3850 S. Wabash Ave. Cutler Bay, FL 33157 Chicago, IL 60653 NATIONAL BUSINESS AGENTS Region 1: BRYANT ALMARIO Region 9: LYNNE PENDLETON (California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam) (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, 3105 E. Guasti Road, Suite 200 South Carolina) Ontario, CA 91761 1101 Northchase Parkway SE, Suite 3 909-443-7450 Marietta, GA 30067 678-942-5295 Region 2: NICK VAFIADES 10 (Alaska, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Region 10: JAVIER BERNAL Oregon, Washington) (New Mexico, Texas) 5115 NE 94th Ave., Suite A 23760 Hwy. 59 North Departments Features Vancouver, WA 98662 Kingwood, TX 77339 360-892-6545 281-540-5627 1 President’s Message 4 NALC remembers Region 3: MICHAEL B. CAREF Region 11: MARK CAMILLI 3 Letter from the Editor We mourn those brothers and (Illinois) (Upstate New York, Ohio) 4 News 4979 Indiana Ave., Suite 203 5445 Beavercrest Drive, Suite 7 sisters we’ve lost due to the Lisle, IL 60532-3848 Lorain, OH 44053 22 Proud to Serve COVID-19 pandemic 630-743-5320 440-282-4340 25 Executive Vice President Region 4: DAN VERSLUIS Region 12: DAVID J. NAPADANO 26 Vice President 5 Updates from the union (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, (Pennsylvania, South and Central NALC announces the cancellation Oklahoma, Wyoming) New Jersey) 27 Secretary-Treasurer 12015 E. 46th Ave., Suite 550 Four Neshaminy Interplex, Suite 111 28 Assistant Secretary-Treasurer of the 72nd National Convention Denver, CO 80239 Trevose, PA 19053 in Honolulu and the postpone- 720-828-6840 215-824-4826 29 Director of City Delivery 30 Director of Safety and Health ment of judging for the union’s Region 5: MICHAEL BIRKETT Region 13: VADA E. PRESTON (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas) (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West 31 Director of Retired Members scholarships 1828 Craig Road Virginia, Washington, DC) 32 Director of Life Insurance St. Louis, MO 63146 P.O. Box 2660 6 News from Washington 33 Director, Health Benefit Plan 314-985-8040 Ashburn, VA 20146 Letter carriers answer the call to 703-840-2010 34 Contract Talk Region 6: TROY CLARK action as the House introduces a (Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan) Region 14: RICHARD J. DICECCA 36 Staff Reports 43456 Mound Road, Suite 501 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachu- 38 Muscular Dystrophy Association fourth pandemic relief package; a Sterling Heights, MI 48314 setts, New Hampshire, Rhode new postmaster general is named 586-997-9917 Island, Vermont) 40 Honor Roll 1208A V.F.W. Parkway, Suite 201 42 In Memoriam Region 7: TROY D. FREDENBURG West Roxbury, MA 02132 10 The new normal (Minnesota, North Dakota, South 617-363-9299 43 State Summaries NALC members share how their Dakota, Wisconsin) 44 Veterans Group Broadway Place West Region 15: LARRY CIRELLI workdays have changed since the 1300 Godward St.