Volume 133/Number 9 September 2020 In this issue President’s Message 1 National Officers 32 Branch Election Notices 54 Branch Items 62 The monthly journal of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS Despite all the noise, letter carriers are —PAGE 1 Executive Council makes a unanimous endorsement for president —PAGE 4 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 Reckless chaos amidst a deadly pandemic n August 2020, perhaps for ca’s appreciation of the Postal Service has never been greater, the first time since the Great and our customers recognize that we are driven by our pride Postal Strike of 1970, the in providing timely service and our compassion for their well- Post Office finds itself at the being. But as letter carriers courageously perform their duties, center of the media universe, there is an inevitable fear and anxiety inherent in having daily Iat the crossroads of politics, elec- contact with co-workers and the general public during a deadly tion planning and legislative ma- pandemic. Our members just want to come to work and be able neuvering. NALC and the other to deliver the mail to their customers in a safe, efficient and postal unions are in the eye of this timely manner—and then go home safely to their families. They storm—where we are the chief should and must not be exposed to senseless and disruptive defenders of our members, the initiatives. Postal Service and our democra- On a daily basis, we are forwarding reports of delays and non- cy—and the country is rallying be- delivery to USPS so it can account for, and correct, continued hind its beloved Postal Service to incidents of delays or non-delivery. We will continue to do so make sure, among other things, until all of the operationally generated incidents are resolved. that it can handle the flood of mail We will take whatever internal or external steps are necessary ballots expected to be cast during to ensure that the level of service our customers rely on is not the pandemic. compromised. National-level grievances have been filed on Fredric V. The swirl of recent events has both the Expedited to Street/Afternoon Sortation (ESAS) and been extraordinary. President the Sortation Equipment Reconciliation (SER) initiatives. Rolando Donald Trump unleashed a po- As of this writing, the ESAS program is being terminated, and litical firestorm by launching a the SER program is on hold while we continue discussions. The months-long sustained attack on the Postal Service and vote- management structure of personnel and communication for city by-mail—and then threatening to veto any COVID-19 relief legis- delivery has been changed with the recent USPS organizational lation providing funds to the Postal Service. Of course, ensuring restructuring. Through these new lines of communication, we that the Postal Service can weather a historic pandemic should fully expect to see an end to unilateral management initiatives, have nothing to do with state decisions on whether to expand which would allow us to utilize our established joint task forces vote-by-mail as a public health measure. We’ve pushed back, to effect meaningful changes in the areas of safety, service, work- defending the security of vote-by-mail and challenging his con- place climate, contract compliance, efficiency and growth. tention that the Postal Service lacks the capacity to handle a We also are in constant communication with members of Con- surge in mail ballots. We produced a fact sheet on the 2020 gress on both sides of the aisle regarding the Health and Eco- general election rebutting all of this, and distributed it to Capitol nomic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, a Hill, the media, the labor movement and a range of public-inter- COVID-19 relief bill that would provide $25 billion in financial aid est groups. We also are participating in a joint task force with to USPS to offset the effects of the pandemic, ensure high-qual- USPS and the other postal unions to address the challenges of ity service and provide hazard pay for our members and other our expanded role in the 2020 election. We will work to ensure front-line workers. After the Senate shamefully left Washington coordination with state and local election officials so that bal- for a summer break without addressing the HEROES Act, House lots are handled in a timely manner. Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the House of Representatives back On top of all that, a combination of old and new initiatives, to Washington to pass the Delivering for America Act (S. 8015), a directed locally or from postal headquarters, have resulted in a stand-alone postal bill that provides the $25 billion in pandemic variety of reckless operational changes that have created chaos relief to USPS, along with measures intended to ensure quality in delivery units and made our jobs more difficult and less ef- service during the upcoming election. (Visit our website or use ficient. Most of these initiatives are counterproductive and our Member App to follow the latest news on this legislation.) needlessly disruptive, and they have left letter carriers feeling angry, frustrated and embarrassed over the resulting delay and For NALC, the bottom line is clear: We will do whatever it takes— non-delivery of mail. And all of this is occurring amidst a deadly at the bargaining table, in the halls of Congress, in the courts, in pandemic. the streets and in the media—to protect the health, safety and job security of our members, and to defend the Postal Service On a daily basis, our members bring a sense of normalcy to and its essential role in American life. neighborhoods and communities throughout the country as their customers deal with the personal, economic and social effects of the seemingly endless COVID-19 pandemic. Ameri- September 2020 The Postal Record 1 Cover illustration by Jim Starr National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO Contents Since 1889, representing city letter carriers employed by the United States Postal Service. Volume 133/Number 9 September 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 24 (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 2020 presidential election Region 3: MICHAEL B. CAREF Region 11: MARK CAMILLI 3 Letter from the Editor The NALC Executive Council (Illinois) (Upstate New York, Ohio) 4 News 4979 Indiana Ave., Suite 203 5445 Beavercrest Drive, Suite 7 makes a unanimous endorse- Lisle, IL 60532-3848 Lorain, OH 44053 29 Proud to Serve ment for president 630-743-5320 440-282-4340 32 Executive Vice President Region 4: DAN VERSLUIS Region 12: DAVID J. NAPADANO 33 Vice President 8 News from Washington (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, (Pennsylvania, South and Central Oklahoma, Wyoming) New Jersey) 34 Secretary-Treasurer Postal issues are in the spotlight 12015 E. 46th Ave., Suite 550 Four Neshaminy Interplex, Suite 111 Denver, CO 80239 Trevose, PA 19053 35 Assistant Secretary-Treasurer as NALC continues to lobby for 720-828-6840 215-824-4826 36 Director of City Delivery the HEROES Act Region 5: MICHAEL BIRKETT Region 13: VADA E. PRESTON 37 Director of Safety and Health (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas) (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West 39 Director of Retired Members 10 USPS reorganizes 1828 Craig Road Virginia, Washington, DC) St. Louis, MO 63146 P.O. Box 2660 40 Director of Life Insurance Postmaster General Louis DeJoy 314-985-8040 Ashburn, VA 20146 41 Director, Health Benefit Plan 703-840-2010 announces a reorganization Region 6: TROY CLARK 42 Contract Talk of the Postal Service’s manage- (Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan) Region 14: RICHARD J. DICECCA 43456 Mound Road, Suite 501 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachu- 44 Muscular Dystrophy Association ment structure Sterling Heights, MI 48314 setts, New Hampshire, Rhode 46 Staff Reports 586-997-9917 Island, Vermont) 33 Boston Post Road W., Suite 360 48 Annuity charts 14 The mail mix Region 7: TROY D.