Contract Expired on May 20, 2023
Branch 36 is fortunate to have our President Charlie Heege on the committee for the Unions side of the negotiation table. We can be more than confident
that he is speaking for what is best for the NALC members. It is hopeful that the
postal service can agree on what the union is bargaining for the letter carriers.
The National Association of Letter Carriers will be well prepared for any further
procedures that need to be put in place in case the Service fails to agree on any
disputes.
CCAs and Managing your Annual Leave
I get the question all the time about furlough, vacation and annual leave
rights. Here it is in a nutshell. City Carrier Assistants accrue 4 hours of annual
leave biweekly. Keep in mind that all annual leave is cashed out to you when you
go on furlough. CCAs are also included in the vacation complement. I say this
to remind you that you have to be wise when bidding for vacation. CCAs, do not
get sick leave. When you return from furlough you will have a zero balance of
annual leave. In order to have a paid vacation you must bid for weeks that are
far enough away from furlough to have enough time accrued. The same would
apply before the furlough. If you take vacation any time before the furlough you
should count your annual leave balance to make sure that you have enough time
to cash out for the furlough. It basically means you have to count your leave and
vacation bidding alongside your calendar. Your furlough should be scheduled for
day 361 from your effective hire date.
Comedy Night
We would like to thank all of the members that purchased tickets in support
of our MDA fundraising efforts. Letters carriers and their families showed up
and showed out for a load of good food and fun. It is by far, one of the funniest
ways to raise funds. We laughed and gathered with our fellow coworkers and
had a great time. Because of all of you, the winners here are the children with
neuromuscular disorders.
Branch 36 is proud to say that we have contributions to the Muscular Dystrophy Association because our members participate in many ways. In addition, I
would like to thank all of the officers that helped with the show in various ways.
All of you Rock!
The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) use the funds raised to pay for
medical research, treatments and medicine. There was a time where most children
with a common type of neuromuscular disease had a lifespan of only making it
to their teenage years. Due to research and new developments, there are some
who have made it to adulthood and 40 years of age. The NALC as a whole has
contributed to these miracles and will continue to do so.
In addition to the research, the charity also sponsors the children to attend
summer camp. Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced the summer camp to be held in
a virtual setting. That meant no swimming, sports, and games, but they did have
virtual arts and crafts. The fun was limited for a while, but the good thing is
this year it returns. The full in-person summer camp option is available to those
children that can participate and the virtual remains intact for those who can’t
be present.
These parents face a daily struggle and deserve to see their children happy.
We at Branch 36 want to continue to see the smiles in the hearts of the parents
and their children.