John Dick

 

      This is not the article I wanted to write, and for many of you, this is certainly not the one that you wanted to read. The country has spoken, and we will have the trifecta of a Republican President, with a majority Republican Senate and House starting in 2025 and for the next four years. I watched from a distance, and I can say that I definitely was not surprised. I could see for months that the mood in our country was changing.

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      I spent the days leading up to Election night in a foreign land. My son, his wife, and our two grandchildren live in Geneva, Switzerland. He has lived there since the end of 2010, and has decided to make his home and raise a family there. He was never politically aware when he lived in the States, even though his father was knee deep into American politics. But once he moved to Europe, he began to see things more clearly through the scope of American politics. He joined the Geneva chapter of Dems Abroad and became quite active in that association. We began to talk about American politics on a regular basis, and I was quite proud of his activities and his civic awakening.

 

      I was invited by my son to join him on Election Day for a Dems Abroad watch party, where everyone could see the vote tallies coming through on a large screen. Because of the six-hour difference between Geneva and Eastern Standard Time, the party began at 11:00 P.M. It was a festive event, very well attended with mostly a younger, enthusiastic crowd of expats who all generally were from the United States. I helped put up some decorations and imbibed at the cash bar tended by a lovely French woman dressed in a tuxedo. Hot dogs and Krispy Creme donuts were the fare of the night. The mood was festive and lively. Then the election results began to slowly pour in.

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      Around 2:00 A.M. the first tallies were posted. Nothing shocking at first, but Trump received the first batch of electoral votes. At 3:00 A.M., I noticed a shift within my soul, and a sense of foreboding began to emanate throughout the crowd. The clock ticked 4:00 A.M. and the sea of red electoral votes swam over the room. The party was to last until 6:00 A.M., but just before 5:00 A.M. I suggested to my son that maybe we should go home. He agreed, and we both laid our forlorn heads on our pillows in the early morning hours of November 6th. The rest is history.

 

      Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to her alma mater, Howard University, to concede the election to Trump. She thanked her supporters and reiterated that she believes Americans have far more in common than what separates us. In what appears to be a message to Trump, she noted: “A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results. At the same time in our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party, but to the Constitution of the United States, and loyalty to our conscience and to our God.”

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      She also told those of us who are feeling after the election that the world is dark these days to “fill the sky with the light of a billion bright stars, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service. Let that work guide us, even in the face of setbacks, toward the extra ordinary promise of the United States of America.”

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      As I said goodbye to my two grandchildren two days after the election, knowing that it would be months before I got to hold them again, I promised myself that I would keep fighting for my political and social ideals and not give up. Not for myself, but for them. I owe them a better world than the one that we have right now.

 

Tonya Casey

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      Now that winter is upon us, remember the hazards that come with the cold, snowy weather. Being prepared is the most important step to your safe return home at the end of the day. So if you need: footwear, hats, gloves, a coat, etc. talk to a steward. Most branches have a room at the union hall where donated items can be obtained. Your safety is priceless! If you discover any unsafe / hazardous conditions within your delivery station report them immediately, using PS Form1767, ( Report of Hazard, Unsafe Conditions or Practice Form). Fill it out and turn it in to your immediate supervisor. If you desire to be anonymous, file the report with the Safety Office. They will immediately return the form to your supervisor for necessary action, and will delete your name from the form to ensure your anonymity. By definition: an unsafe working condition is any condition in the workplace that could cause harm to employees, such as physical injury or illness. Here are some examples: Physical Hazards: Dangerous machinery, exposure to hazards materials or wiring, poor lighting, or broken equipment Environmental Hazards: slippery floors, or blocked safety exits, mold or dirty working conditions If management wants to say, “safety begins with you”, then lets do all we can to be safe

 

Elaine Jones

 

      Well, well, well, we made it through this presidential election. The stress of the unknown was overwhelming for a lot of people. Too bad the stress for a lot of us has just begun. We worry about things we can’t do anything about, however the reality is that we can take some steps to strategize for our future.

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      Politics seems to be a never ending part of our daily lives. So many of us don’t like discussing politics, but it does not alienate us from being affected by it one way or the other. This is not the time for us to think it’s over, we must continue to contact our representatives in Washington DC.

 

      Please note that we have a lot of work ahead of us. We must come together as union brothers and sisters to make sure we have jobs in the future. We need to stop fighting each other and use that energy to form an alliance against those who would like to dismantle the post service.

 

      We are stronger in numbers. Let join together and try to raise our percentage of LCPF contributors, so we can continue to work on the issues that will support our future.

 

      We have a lot of work to do. The work is too much for everyone not to help out, so let’s get ready, set and go. I look forward to some more of us stepping up and helping out. I look forward to working with you!!!! Yeah!!!!!

 

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Darryl Clay

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      The 2024 presidential election is finally over. That’s the best thing I can say about it. This was without a doubt the ugliest, most divisive presidential election that I can remember. Each candidate seemed to villainize their opponent with unsubstantiated rhetoric. I hope and pray that President-Elect Trump abandons most of, if not all of, project 2025. Only time will tell. Buckle up folks, I think we are headed for a scary, uncertain ride.

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Ron Zalewski

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      In the last two days, I’ve had union brothers ask me about why there isn’t a provision in the tentative agreement regarding buy-back on non-career time. The simple answer is that there's no provision because we can't negotiate for buy-back of non-career time. It will take a change in federal law. Which brings us to the world of legislative activism.

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      HR 5995 is the Federal Retirement Fairness Act. It was introduced by Representative Derek Klimer (D-WA-6). Rep Klimer has introduced similar bills in previous congresses. The point of the bill is to allow certain federal service to be credited toward retirement once a deposit has been made in the federal retirement system by the employee. There’s 130 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors are members of the House who sign on to the bill indicating their support. The may do so when the bill is introduced or later in the process. For the Federal Retirement Fairness Act there are two House members from Michigan who have co-sponsored: Rep Hayley Stevens (D-MI-11) and Rep Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-7). Co-sponsorship is important: in addition to showing support for a bill, there are procedural advantages to having additional sponsors. If a bill reaches a minimum number of cosponsors (290 currently) as has them for a minimum number of calendar days (25 currently) the bill may be brought to the house floor without a committee vote. This isn’t as important when the majority party wants the bill to pass but can overcome a committee trying to kill the bill by not voting on it so that it can’t be reported to the floor. A current example would be HR 82, the Social Security Fairness Act. It has 330 cosponsors and may be brought to the floor for a vote during the lame duck session. Lame duck sessions are when congress meets after the November election but before the new Congress begins. This is important because all bills are extinguished when the new Congress convenes on January 3rd of odd numbered years. That’s when the results of the previous November’s general election become effective for the Legislative branch. The lame duck session gives the old congress a chance to clean up their agenda going into the new congress.

 

      Here’s where we can get involved. Bills that are important to letter carriers can be found under the Legislative Action Center on the Government Affairs tab at NALC.org. You’ll find fact sheets there as well. Contact information for your Representative is available on another tab. Contacting your Representative is one of the two most important things a rank and file carrier can do to help bring about our legislative agenda. I’ll get into the other momentarily. After you’ve called your Rep’s office and registered your support for a bill, in this case HR 5995, be sure to file a lobbying report which is also available under the Government Affairs tab. Does the process seem a little intimidating? It isn’t really. Plus, a leader from your branch, a Letter Carrier Congressional Liaison, or a member of the State Executive Board would love to help you get involved. My first contact as a LCCL was done with an experienced LCCL (John Dick from Br 3126) sitting by my side. You don’t have to be a LCCL to contact your Representative. In fact, the more involved letter carriers we have contact their Representatives, the better our chance is to get them to support letter carrier issues.

 

      I’m writing this as the election results come in on November 5th. The election will have a pretty big impact on our agenda. If Trump wins, we know his opinion of the USPS. Remember that he commissioned a panel to privatize us. That’s not going to be the top of his list of things to do, but be assured that it’s on there somewhere. Elissa Slotkin running for senate impacts us twice. It will be nice to have another friend in the senate, but we have to hope that her replacement in MI-7 is friendly to us as well. I know that Curtis Hertel has courted support from the NALC. Barrett was a state senator that attempted to be thorn in the side of Gov Whitmer during the COVID crisis. MI-8 is the only other district in Michigan in which the incumbent isn’t running for reelection. Kristen McDonald Rivet is a former state senator. Paul Junge was an appointee in the Trump administration. In the senate election, Slotkin faces Mike Rogers, a lobbyist and former US Representative. While we support anyone who supports letter carrier issues, it seems that in each of these elections, the dem would be our preferred choice.

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      The other thing you can do to help our legislative agenda is to support the Letter Carrier Political Fund. Our PAC contributes to politicians that support us. It is really awful that money is the lifeblood of politics, but we have to face the reality of the situation and give our leadership the tools they need to generate support for the legislative agenda. Contributing is easy. Contact your branch leadership or any member of the State Board to start your contribution. You can also find details at NALC.org.

 

      By making a contribution to the Letter Carrier Political Fund, you are doing so voluntarily with the understanding that your contribution is not a condition of membership in the National Association of Letter Carriers or of employment by the Postal Service, nor is it part of union dues. You have a right to refuse to contribute without any reprisal. Any guideline amounts are merely suggestions, and you may contribute more or less than the guidelines suggest and the union will not favor or disadvantage you by reason of the amount of your contribution or your decision not to contribute. The Letter Carrier Political Fund will use the money it receives to contribute to candidates for federal office and undertake other political spending as permitted by law. Your selection shall remain in full force and effect until cancelled. Contributions to the Letter Carrier Political Fund are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. Federal law prohibits the Letter Carrier Political Fund from soliciting contributions from individuals who are not NALC members, executive and administrative staff or their families. Any contribution received from such an individual will be refunded to that contributor. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, name of employer and occupation of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year.