Call the union office at 559-449-8058 to request your absentee ballot. If you decide to leave a message you need to leave your name, number, address, but remember it is always better to talk to an actual person.
While I plan on being at the meeting, I am voting by absentee ballot because of the unpredictable hours being worked. In the past month or two at Hughes we seem to have been mandated more than in the last year or so. Don’t take the chance of not casting your vote.
Here is where some of the recent events started. Do I have them all packaged together wrapped in a nice Christmas bow? No. What I do know is that on the night of 3-14-2023 I was promised with “You have created enemies tonight”. Then on the evening of 8-13-2024 I was threatened with “Don’t cause trouble tonight” before the start of the meeting.
The cabal is not happy with the recent turn of events.
There are also indications that before 10-8-2024 4:30pm there were only 2 union members running for Vice President, and it wasn’t until after 6:00pm with some apparent heavy recruiting efforts did a 3rd union member join the Vice President race. I was notified of this 3rd person some time after 7:20pm. What is funny is the cabal had to recruit outside the cabal to find someone to run for Vice President of NALC Branch 231. The cabal did this because they knew the rank and file would not support any of them.
You see, those of us that love you the city letter carrier face daily challenges. Do I know all the names involved? No!!!! You undoubtedly will hear names being spoken of endorsements or recruitment efforts, but rest assured the cabal is just trying to prop their pick up. Text or call me the name(s) you hear. As we need to shine the light of truth and justice on what is going on in your branch.
At the end of the day we in the rank and file can’t let these schemers win. Call and get your absentee ballot mailed to you.
Here are some of the things I would like to see happen, and will be pushing for in future meetings.
- Have monthly meetings available via Zoom. On the last zoom meeting hosted by Build A Fighting NALC one branch president said that when they started allowing meeting via Zoom the branch attendance doubled. The Zoom attendees get to vote, voice their opinions, and their attendance counts toward being able to go to NALC conventions.
- Membership participation in your branch. Some may view you as nothing more than a pay check via your dues. This is not true, without you the rank and file we would be nothing. We tried to move the monthly meeting to Wednesday or Thursday a year or two ago, and it failed miserably. I believe it was something like 65% vs. 35%. The way we change this is the rank and file coming to every meeting and letting their voice and vote be heard. We may need to vote every meeting to keep the meeting on Wednesday or Thursday, if so we need the numbers to win that vote.
- Change the bylaws to ensure every member is automatically mailed a ballot to vote in each and every election. The branch may need updated signatures to verify your ballot, but at this point not having elections by mail is anti-democracy.
- Elevate the elected position of Office of Worker’s Compensation Officer to a chair officer. This position is probably the third most important elected office behind the President and Secretary/Treasure. It’s time consuming, demanding, and the amount of sheer knowledge of the ever evolving worker comp laws is staggering. The person elected to this position needs to be given the blanket authority to initiate informal grievances throughout the branch.
- I recently was talking with a member, and they told me we use to have branch events. It would be nice to get this started again. I think having branch events could help unify all of us, and would greatly help in our fight for better working conditions on the floor.
- Streamline the elected positions of the branch. Do we have too many or not enough?
- Get 2-3 branch members at least into positions at the NALC Region 1 NBA office. We are sorely lacking representation there and national for that matter.
- More stewards and assistant stewards. Each zone needs at least 1 steward and 1 assistant steward.
Here is another must listen to episode.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-a-to-arbitration/id1575482556?i=1000671254356
Know your rights:
https://www.nlrb.gov/about-nlrb/rights-we-protect/your-rights/weingarten-rights
http://mseries.nalc.org/M01242.pdf
http://mseries.nalc.org/M00341.pdf
http://mseries.nalc.org/M00972.pdf
http://mseries.nalc.org/M00994.pdf
http://mseries.nalc.org/M00458.pdf
http://mseries.nalc.org/M00111.pdf
http://mseries.nalc.org/M00833.pdf
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/158
NLRB link to file
https://www.nalc.org/workplace-issues/resources/body/MI-EL-670-2021-4.pdf
https://www.nalc.org/workplace-issues/contract-administration-unit/fmla
https://www.osha.com/blog/general-duty-clause
https://fromatoarbitration.com/episodes/
Here in Fresno, management types seem to like to complain that some stewards are being “difficult”. To this I say we are the least “difficult” bunch around, if you treat the City Letter Carrier humanely.
Remember that nlrb.gov, osha.gov, dol.gov are some of the many agencies that are there to help you with the abuse you receive from management type and management type witnesses.
Go Go Chiefs the Super Bowl Champions, isn’t Chiefs red so beautiful. Winning the Super Bowl 3 times in a row will be a great achievement.