40 years ago, President Emeritus Vince Sombrotto had a vision to change the Postal Service into a middle income job. Part of his vision came true. The other vision is to have every letter carrier belong to the NALC Health Benefit Plan. It is up to us to carry on this vision because it's not far away. We must stand together as letter carriers did forty years ago. The letter carriers of that day fought for what we have now. The fight is the same as it was forty years ago, but the "game" has changed. That's why we need to read our Outlook and Postal Record. This will give us the vision to fight this as one.

Here are some of the events that will make us forget our problems, one day at a time. One coming event that is always great is Branch 36 Day at Citifield on Sunday, June 27, 2010. We have 1500 tickets. Tickets are going fast. The price is $20 per ticket. You will receive a tee-shirt and a Met trinket. Come! Bring your family out. It is always a great day. Call the Branch office at: (212) 239-3901. Talk to Dina and order your tickets. The next event is very relaxing. It is the Branch 36 Ninth Family Day Picnic. Bring your family out to the picnic grounds. The Branch will supply all the food, drink, and children's activities. We need to know how many in your family will be coming. It costs $6.00 per car to enter the park. The event will take place at FDR State Park on Sunday, August 1, 2010. Keep an open mind on our greatest event, which is the Branch 36 Dinner-Dance. The Dinner-Dance will be presented on November l4 at the Marina Del Rey.

There will be no cost-of-living adjustment for letter carriers under 2006-2011 National Agreement, due to the March Consumer Price Index. There will also be no cost-of-living increase for retirees in 2010 due to these figures.

The Credit Union is offering delegates a loan for the 2010 National Convention. The offering of this loan will be in force from May 13th to June 4, 2010. You will need to contact Manager Winfred Jenkins at (212) 714-9899. You must be a credit union member.

Information for all PTF's - The prime vacation batches are coming up. PTF's need to bid for temporary hold-down, so you can work the assignment as bid. This is in the National Agreement between the Postal Service and the NALC. There are some supervisors, managers and area managers who do not read the contract on the provision of opting for assignments. Any PTF's who have their rights violated should contact their steward immediately for further instructions on this matter.

Until next time everybody, I'll look forward to providing you with more information about future events.

I did not understand a lot of things that were going on in the post office, during the first three months. The senior carriers at that time would show you a lot of the things that needed to be done. I did not know when I got hired that I'd have to be on-the-job twenty-one years to earn top pay.

1,555 letter carriers voted to strike, whereas 1,055 voted not to strike. It was a difference of 500 letter carriers that forced the Branch 36 President Gus Johnson to call a strike. We did not know if the carriers throughout the country would follow us by doing the same. We were the largest branch in the country at that time, so Branch 36 took the initiative.

At 12:01 a.m., Branch 36 set up picket lines throughout every post office in Manhattan and the Bronx. We did not have the backing of then national president, James Rademacher.

We were the lowest paid federal employees. Some letter carriers worked two and three jobs. Many of the letter carriers qualified for food stamps and Medicaid. Carriers who had more than four children qualified for public assistance. We all could have lost our jobs under the Taylor Law, for striking.

To our benefit, the strike worked. The letter carriers were the only ones to go on strike, but other post office crafts refused to cross the picket lines. The strike lasted seven days and brought about postal reforms. President Richard Nixon signed a 6% raise across the board. Congress approved the postal reform legislation. This included being able to earn top pay in eight, rather than twenty-one years, as well as acquiring the right to actively become involved in collective bargaining, binding arbitration, and amnesty for all the strikers. That is why I am still working for the U.S. Postal Service.

It is now forty years later and the Postmaster General John B. Potter is trying to end our six-day delivery. That would destroy the Postal Service, and make us like any other mailing company such as Fed-Ex and U.P.S.

Once again, I remind you that as a union we have to stand together and make good decisions regarding the future state of our jobs/careers. One good thing to report is that President Barack Obama is supporting the six-day delivery. We should all be E-Activists so that we can get timely information. Doing so will allow us to talk to our congressmen and senators regarding the fact that the Postmaster General's decision is not a wise decision. Being an E-activist allows us the time to do input work regarding Postal Service matters That is also why we need to give to COLCPE.

Our new contract will be negotiated in November, 2011. We can help the Postal Service earn more money by encouraging every letter earner to participate in Customer Connect. We have made good progress, but once again I say that the Postal Service needs the letter carriers' help to guide it in achieving financial breathing room. There will be no sixth cost-of-living adjustment based on the information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There will be no cost of living adjustment for retirees in 2011.

Branch 36 activities are in the planning stage. Watch the bulletin boards. Read your Outlook newsletter. Look for the upcoming events. One event is the Texas Hold'em Tournament being held on May 15, 2010 with proceeds benefiting MDA. We have the Food Drive on May 8, 2010. Look for the date of the Branch 36 Day at Citifield, which should take place on June 27th. Our next annual picnic will be held on August 1, 2010. If you have any questions, call the Branch office and speak to any officer at: (212) 239-3901.

Until the next time everybody, I'll look forward to providing you with more information and future events.

M.I.A.R.A.P. is in effect for 2010. Carriers, it’s time to pay attention to what is going on around your route and the things that happen to your route, so you can get good data when they are trying to adjust your route. Pay attention to the 3999s. Pay attention to the 3116s that you fill out for carrier’s assistance. Make sure that anyone that assists you punch in on the right code. Should there be any discrepancies, you need to bring them to your shop steward immediately.

M.I.A.R.A.P. can be a great tool when the mail comes back to your route.
At the membership meeting of February 11, 2010, we will have computers set up in order for you to sign up for COLCPE and be an e-Activist. Come to the membership meeting early so there will be no disruptiveness during the start of the meeting. All union members are welcome.

Union Plus is something union carriers need to know about. It is not just a credit card. Because you are a union member, Union Plus offers various types of discounts, scholarships, mortgages, grants and assistance in hard times to help you with your home heating bills. It also provides legal services. To find out more about Union Plus, you can go to www.UnionPlus.org/ATT or call 1-800-897-7046.

Remember all active carriers should be planning for the second phase of their vacations. It must be submitted by January 31, 2010. It will be posted by March 1, 2010, but no later than March 15th. The second phase of your vacation is from April until November, 2010.

Branch 36 had a mailing in December, 2009; a raffle book was mailed to every union member in Branch 36, whether the carrier is active or retired. The raffle books are not just raffle books. The raffle books are a way to win a prize while supporting your eyeglass plan. No member has ever been turned down for eyeglasses if the member-applicant is eligible. Let’s find that raffle book and mail it back as soon as possible, so that we can still SEE the future with Branch 36 eyeglass vouchers.

February is Black History Month and did you know that the earliest African-Americans to work for the United States mail service were slaves?

Did you know that these slaves carried the mail in the South before 1802?

Did you know that after the Civil War, African-Americans took positions throughout the Post Office Department?

Did you know that James W. Mason, who was born a slave, was the first known African-American postmaster?

Did you know that President Theodore Roosevelt tested his federal powers against racial problems when he refused to allow a community to drive out an African-American postmaster, Minnie Cox, of Indianola, Mississippi. You can find more historical facts stated on the website: www.usps.com/postalhistory/_pdf/
AfricanAmericanWorkers19thc.pdf.

This is for carriers that like football. Branch 36 is hosting its First Annual MDA Superbowl Bash. It will cost you $20. This includes three big screen TVs and refreshments beer and hot dogs. You do not have to watch the Superbowl at home alone. Come spend it with fellow letter carriers and give to a great cause.. So, on February 7, 2010, the doors will open at 5:00 p.m. at the Percy T. McRae Meeting Hall, at 347 West 41st Street, NYC.

No projected accumulation for the sixth regular cost-of-living adjustment for active letter carriers. There is no accumulation toward the 2010 COLA for retirees. The projected accumulation for the 2010 COLA under the FECA was 3.5 percent. This will reflect the CPI change between December, 2008 and December, 2009. It will become effective March 1, 2010.

Until next time everybody, I look forward to providing you with more information about future events.

Open season starts 11-09-2009 through 12-14-2009 for the health insurance.NALC health insurance is still one of the top insurances in the OPM packages, price wise and doctor wise. Active letter carriers with "self-only" will pay $44.75, self and family will pay only $86.11. The cost of retirees with "self-only" is $147.00 monthly. Self and families for retirees pay $299.74. Compare these prices with any other health plan in the OPM book of health plans. Once again you will find out this is one of the best plans. Retirees who wish to switch to this plan during open season can call OPM #Express. The telephone number is 1-800-332-9798.

In the month of December, there will be no penalty overtime from Saturday, 12- 05-09, until Saturday, January 2, 2010. Right now you should have gotten your vacation packages for the first-phase of vacations. The nonchoice vacation bids should be in by December 15, 2009. and should be posted by December 31, 2009. The second phase of the choice vacation bids must be in by January 31, 2010 and posted by March 1, 2010, or whichever possible but no later than March 15, 2010. The Postal Service leave year begins on January 2nd.

Do not forget December 31, 2009. If you have a son or daughter graduating from high school you can complete an application in the Postal Record which appears in the November issue of each year for the Doherty & Donelon Scholarships. These scholarships are available in honor of NALC's president from 1941 to 1962, the William C. Doherty Scholarship Fund will again award five $4,000 scholarships to children of members in good standing. The John T. Donelon Scholarship Fund will award one $1,000 scholarship in honor of Donelon, longtime NALC assistant to the president. Make sure you have the application signed by a Branch Officer before the deadline date.

The Postal Service is activating GPS Systems in 50 of their postal trucks that are driven by letter carriers. The station that will receive these GPS is the Centralized Collection Unit housed in the Manhattan VMF Building. Before driving these trucks, management is required to give the carriers a service talk before you can operate it. No telling what management will tell you. I will be giving you the model of the GPS System which is M3G-2. This is a real time vehicle tracking system. If you are interested here is the website that will give you all of its capability, www.gpsfleetsolutions.com/GPS. If you would like to know what you are driving, you should take a minute to do your homework. I will be.

The NALC 2010 convention will take place in Anaheim, CA. The dates are 8/9 through 8/13. If you are a delegate, this is the week you need to put in for. This week will not be charged to you as a vacation week. This should be put in as a convention week.

This is a good thing to end the year with. There will be no MIARAP to adjust any routes from November 15th to January 10, 2010. Carriers, enjoy your holiday from MIARAP.

Our first nation-wide NALC Bowl-A-Thon was a success. Branch 36 was able to raise $4,000 for MDA. The total national fund-raising figure will be posted in December in the Postal Record.

Once again, the Dinner-Dance was a success. Those of you who did not participate missed an additional good festive social gathering. Hopefully, you will be present at the next one in 2010.

Until next time everybody, I look forward to providing you with more information about future events.