March Update - From the Local President
Many Members have become concerned with what they see occurring across the Federal Government. They see thousands of people being separated from their employment, the elimination of collective bargaining rights, and the invalidation of collective bargaining agreements. Members are asking: is this going to happen to us? That’s a good question, and this month I’m going to address our current situation.
Last month my column began with the statement “We have entered a period of unprecedented uncertainty.” Since then, we have seen developments which indicate that Postal employees are in harm’s way. It is amazing how quickly the pendulum has swung. In slightly more than two months we've gone from what was likely the most Union friendly and worker friendly administration, to the most anti-Union, anti-worker administration in history. If you don’t believe me, just ask any Member of the American Federation of Government Employees.
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Fight Like Hell!
On Sunday, March 23, NALC branches across the country are hosting local rallies to say, "Hell no!" to dismantling the Postal Service. With these nationwide events being held on the same day, the clear and unified message message will be sent: Hands off USPS!
The rally in the twin cities metro area will be held at the State Capital in St. Paul and will begin at 11:00 A.M. The National and Local Union encourages all Members to join with our Postal Brothers and Sisters to help protect the Postal Service and our jobs.
February Update - From the Local President
We have entered a period of unprecedented uncertainty. It began with an announcement from the Postmaster General that the USPS Board of Governors should start looking for his replacement. This was surprising as he had indicated in recent months that his intention was to remain as the head of the Postal Service. What followed was an article in the Washington Post that the current administration was poised to issue an Executive Order dissolving the leadership of the Postal Service and place it under the control of the Commerce Department. While to some degree the administration walked back that such an Executive Order was immediately forthcoming, continuing reports in the media indicate that it remains on the table. Many of these reports seem to suggest that the administration is exploring additional functions for the Postal Service unrelated to delivering the mail.
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January Update - From the Local President
2025 is off and running with several interesting developments. The most well-known, of course, is the announcement of the Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) or Early Out. In addition, the Union has received a favorable arbitration decision in the Minneapolis Branch and the St. Paul Branch has recently received notice that Terminal Handling Services being performed by a subcontractor will be "insourced" into the St. Paul Plant. Indeed, these are some big-ticket items.
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December Update - From the Local President
Peak season has been a series of hits and misses this year. At least, in the metro area facilities. Mail volume increased early and quickly, but then faded in many places to levels that could be described as slightly above normal.
Those Mail Handlers desiring to work overtime seem to be getting their fill, while those who prefer working their normal schedule are not being impacted. It appears that the overtime provisions of the National agreement are working as designed.
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