NALC Thoughts

I am writing this article 3+ weeks before the National Convention. As of this writing there is little news about the ongoing negotiations. The NALC posted the following (below) on our website on June 30th. What this means is open for discussion. To me it is nothing more than white noise that we have heard numerous times over the past 13 months. I guess that this is just an appetizer for the membership with the full meal to come. While I think that more information should have been disseminated to the membership over the past 13 months, I stand firmly in my belief that the NALC should NOT do any open bargaining. There is no upside to negotiating in the public view. We have no right to strike so what would be the positive upside to laying our cards out on the table? What I do believe is that there should be a strict timeline for negotiations. This dragging out every negotiation is disheartening and discouraging to the membership. It also allows management and the union to play games, with each side blaming the other for delays as the clock keeps ticking. If there were drop-dead dates in place, then maybe there would be some extra incentive to move forward. I personally think that 90 days of negotiating before the contract expires is a good start. I think that at that point, when the contract expires, they should have no more than 60 days to complete negotiations or go directly to Arbitration. The use of mediation is just more time-wasting energy and another opportunity to waste time while giving cover to both sides. I believe that it is management who is dragging their feet this year. They see us in turmoil and are pushing the buttons. It is unfortunate that after Director of City Delivery lobbed the first bomb against our National President. As my prior article stated, it is my belief that this is a movement sent forward by those on the West Coast. Since that article, I have found out that current NALC Vice President, James Henry, has come out to say he is running for President of the NALC in 2026. This only confirms my thoughts on the attacks since James Henry is also from California. I have no issue with anyone who wants to run for any position. This country is still a democracy and voting is the foundation on which it has been built. Unfortunately, jumping out while negotiations are ongoing is borderline criminal. These actions are crippling our national organization at a critical time. It is selfish and is creating problems in every facet of our organization. I believe this is all based on personal likes and/or dislikes. It is not about advancing the letter carrier agenda. It does nothing to protect or promote our membership. What it is, is a case of self-promotion on behalf of those attacking the president. They are weakening this organization across the board, from the workroom floor to the highest levels of the NALC. It is a shame that those pushing their own agenda could not wait until after the Convention and/or a contract is reached. I have spoken enough on this issue the past 2 articles but every day I hear more BS coming from the internet and reaching the membership on the workroom floor. Unfortunately, most of the information is either wrong or twisted to meet someone’s agenda. I will continue to have faith that those who are negotiating our contract come back with a good deal for the entire membership. They just need to get it done!

On a personal level. I was embarrassed for America while watching the Presidential Debate on June 27th. We had to sit and listen to a president who has obvious cognitive issues and a convicted felon who lies every time he opens his mouth. Is this the best we have? I can’t think about how this country looked to those around the world who watched. This is a very important election this year. You need to vote for who you think is best and follow your own convictions. It is a shame that the choices are so bad. Even if your candidate wins, we all lose.

June 30, 2024

Collective bargaining update

As NALC continues to finalize preparation and work out details for interest arbitration with USPS and the mutually selected chair of the interest arbitration panel, Arbitrator Dennis R. Nolan, the parties continue to negotiate in an effort to reach a tentative agreement. For many years, NALC and USPS bargaining representatives have “locked down” in a hotel to engage in intensive, around-the-clock talks, including in the current round of collective bargaining. To build on recent progress in negotiations, NALC and USPS representatives have agreed to spend an additional week in early July in a hotel to work toward reaching agreement on the few economic and non-economic issues that remain unresolved.

NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said:

“We are pleased with the recent progress and potential opportunity to reach a fair agreement that rewards all letter carriers and compensates us for our value and the critical role we play in the Postal Service’s success.

Our goals in collective bargaining remain steadfast. While our interest arbitration case is strong and we will not hesitate to utilize that process fully if necessary to achieve our goals, we remain committed to exhausting every possibility to achieve a tentative agreement that meets our goals for our members to consider for ratification.

As we continue the negotiations process, I appreciate the hard work and diligence of NALC’s officers, staff, branch leadership, and the rank-and-file members of our union for their activism, input, and support that shapes NALC’s bargaining priorities.

From resolutions that start at the branch level and become our official bargaining positions to the thousands of letter carriers that communicate current issues and their priorities, this activism is the foundation of what we have historically achieved in this process and will achieve in this round of collective bargaining.”