Tony Ortiz
Recording Secretary
Outlook May / June 2010
Shop Talk
As letter carriers and as a union, we need to expand our way of thinking. As the officers of Branch 36 visit stations with President Charlie Heege explaining the devastating effect the elimination of Saturday delivery and possibly Tuesday will have on the Postal Service and letter carriers, too many carriers still show a cynical indifference mentally, not realizing the battle that we face ahead of us. The service has been harmed by poor political and managerial choices. We as letter carriers must stop the Postal Service from entering a slow march into oblivion. Get ready to picket. We have to fight the elimination of six-day delivery. Build COLCPE through payroll deduction. Renew our E-Activist network and join the Carrier Corps. We must elect proletter carrier candidates in the 2010 elections. The wrecking crews must be stopped.
Shop steward elections will be taking place in 2010. As always, this is a job that must be taken seriously. This is not a position for self-serving purposes, a paycheck, or ego. The position of shop steward must be respected. Those who run for shop steward must accept the serious and time-consuming responsibilities that come with it. Remember, anyone can do a poor job as a steward, but it is a very difficult job to do well. Here are some traits you must exhibit as a shop steward:

1. Resolve grievance ability: You must present grievances in a competent manner. You must be a quality negotiator.
2. Organizer: Must have the letter carriers stick together and support each other.Letter carriers must support their shop steward or stewards at all times. Must build and maintain solidarity.
3. Educator: Must meet with your carriers on a regular basis and keep the carrierswell-informed.
4. Leader: He or she must speak with enthusiasm and enlist the cooperation ofhis/her co-workers. Make listening an art.

As a steward, you are the carriers' spokesman to management. Demonstrate ability, sincerity and integrity.

CONCERNING MEMORIAL DAY, OUR SINCERE
PRAYERS AND GOOD WISHES ARE EXTENDED TO
THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE PROUDLY
SERVING OUR COUNTRY WHILE IN THE MILITARY
AND ALL THOSE OTHERS WHO HAVE DONE THE SAME.
FIGHT!
Thank you to the membership of Branch 36 for having confidence in our team and reelecting us for the 2010-2013 term in office. Thank you for reelecting me to a second term in office. I enjoy helping every member of Branch 36 and will continue to fight management when it violates the contract and/or harasses letter carriers. We must assist our union by 100%. We are in a fight for our survival. Our very existence is in jeopardy. Now is the time to be fully united and put aside all differences for the greater cause by showing union solidarity.
At the General Membership Meeting of March 11, 2010, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1970 Postal Strike. President Emeritus Vince Sombrotto gave a wonderful speech. Many carriers who were in attendance had never heard Vince speak before, and were inspired by his speech. Other brothers and sisters involved in the 1970 Postal Strike gave inspirational speeches about their experiences. We must honor and aid these brothers and sisters by continuing the fight they started. In 2004 the top pay a carrier earned was about $45,000.00 per year. Today in 2010, the same carrier is earning about $54,000 per year, a salary increase of $9,000 in six years. Remember this when you say what has the union done for me lately? Also, how much is your future worth to you?

Again, I repeat we are in a fight for survival. Donating a dollar per pay period or more, for COLCPE helps us fight on the Hill. We need to fight for our wages and benefits, for our future, and our childrens' future. Contributions to COLCPE keep alive our hope of being victorious.

Call me if you are interested in playing in our softball league by bringing a team or would like to be placed on a team. Our season starts in May, 2010.
Outlook January / February 2010
What Have You Done For Me Lately?
Many times when I am visiting stations or just come across carriers, many asked, “What are you guys doing for us?” First, they forget the sacrifices made during the 1970 strike. The fringe benefits the Branch has negotiated beyond collective bargaining. The best answer to the question of, “What have you done for me lately?” comes from our late editor Leon Brown, whose leadership and presence is greatly missed at the Branch. Leon wrote this article in March/April, 2002 in the New York Letter Carriers’ Outlook:
“In my travels, occasionally I hear a few carriers say the union is doing nothing for them, or “What has the union done for me lately?”

Let’s start with COLA. As of this day, we have over $15,000.00 rolled into our salaries. But, some say the union is not doing anything for them. Level 6 pay (level 6.1 and 6.2) was achieved by the union, yet some say the union is doing nothing for them. Paper suspensions, no time or money lost, scholarships, eyeglass vouchers are just some examples. If you reflect on your time in the union, something will come to mind regarding what the union has done for you.

The officers and shop stewards are working for the membership each and everyday. There are situations that arise and are resolved before you are made aware of them; some things are never heard by you.

The union is as strong as its weakest link, and if you allow management to use you and criticize your union, then you are the weakest link. What the union needs is for each and every one of you to get involved. Attend meetings. Share your concerns to support and make this union stronger and successful in all its endeavors. We, your union, understand how busy our lives can become, but it is also important to hear what your officers and other members have to say. Share information with each other once each month at union meetings.

I know some of you have friends who are non-union members. You should talk to them about becoming members. They reap the benefits of this great union’s work. We members all pay dues and so should the non-members.

I hope you will look back on all the years you have worked, and see what you have achieved and say, this is what the union has done for me and my family.

May God bless each and every one of us and our union. Leon”
Outlook November / December 2009
Be Aware Of
Don't you feel at times like you are in elementary school? You come back to your station after a long day from delivering mail and an incompetent supervisor with coffee breath starts questioning you on why it took you so long to complete your route. Your first reaction is to tell them what he/she can do with themselves. Well, I know it is difficult, but you restrain yourself. There are too many supervisors who would like nothing better than to say they were threatened, stay home for a couple of months with pay while you are home on no pay, fighting for your job.
Under no circumstances should any carrier allow management to intimidate them by giving management their cell phone numbers, especially the PTF's and the T.E.'s. There is no provision that submitting your cell phone number is mandatory, unless management is paying your bill. When management has your cell phone number, you are allowing them to supervise from their behinds. They will give you direct orders to do multiple assignments which hurts a lot of routes because too many carriers return from the street and never properly hit on to those routes they were told to complete. So when adjustments have to be made on routes, the assessments on those routes are incorrect causing some stations to lose assignments. Also, another practice management is having carriers do is after the carrier returns from the street before 5:00 p.m., they are telling the carriers to go back out and finish delivering the routes, but are telling carriers to hit on truck assignments!

If this is happening in your station, you must make your shop steward aware of this practice and your steward should notify the Branch. Because having carriers deliver routes under truck assignments is fraud.

A reminder that Open Season is now, and a chance to become a member of the NALC Health Benefit Plan. Don't forget to join the automatic payroll deduction for COLCPE contributions. All it takes is one dollar per pay period. which of course is $26.00 for the year. It does so much good for carriers.
Outlook September / October 2009
Back To Business
Now that everyone has had a great summer and a great vacation with their family and fiends, it is time to get back to business. We, as a union, cannot afford to get complacent.

There is much work to be completed. First, I will speak about COLCPE When the automatic payroll deduction for COLCPE was first introduced, many carriers embraced it and signed up to have a certain amount to be deducted from their paychecks. Now, almost three month later, not enough carriers have signed on and many carriers are reacting as if the automatic payroll deduction does not exist. Remember, 2009 and 2010 is a big election year concerning many senate and house seats and we must work to keep our friends and have them elected to their respective seats. We need to have a strong Democratic Congress in place when our contract expires in 2011.
Next, the subject is the NALC Health Benefit Plan. "Open Season'' starts on, November 15th. It is a health plan that OPM has rated number one in comparison to other government health plans. The NALC Health Plan covers letter carriers throughout the United States, the islands and overseas.. So again I repeat, do your research see if the NALC Health Plan benefits your famiIy, It's the best health coverage your family can acquire.
NO MORE GAG ORDERS
From Ten Great Moments in Letter Carrier History
In the early 1900's until 1970, cariiers depended upon Congress to improve their wages and working conditions, but in 1902, in response to the growing power of NALC and other groups representing government employees, President Theodore Roosevelt issued a "gag order" forbidding alI postal and Federal employees, directly or indrectly, individually or through associations, to lobby members of Congress for wage increases or to bring about the passage of any other legislation.

Other presidential orders forbid postal employees from discussing their working conditions in public and even from answering Congressional requests for information on their pay and working conditions!

NALC protested vehemently and found a sympathetic listener in Robert M. LaFolletre, a progressive Republican Senator who spearheaded a Congressional campaign that, in 1912, resulted in passage of the Lloyd-LaFollette Act rescinding all gag rules.
Outlook July / August 2009
Updates
Hopefully, everyone will have a great summer and enjoy their vacations with their families. I am extremely overjoyed about how many carriers have embraced the automatic payroll deduction for COLCPE contributions. The positive outlook and response is overwhelming. All we are asking for is one dollar per pay period, which amounts to $26.00 for the year. Many carriers are contributing more than $1.00 per pay period for their job security.

Again, a reminder to each carrier who moves. You must notify the Branch of your new address. Thereafter, we notify the NALC in Wasbgtcm, D.C. of your change of address. This advisal includes the retirees who relocate.
Something to think about. Open season is in November. Do your research and see the benefits of becoming a member of the NALC Health Benefit Plan.

The Birth Of A Union - From 10 great moments in letter carrier history. In 1889, the Milwaukee Letter Carriers Association organized the founding meeting of the National Association of Letter Carriers. With approximately 60 carriers attending from 18 states, NALC was born on August 29,1889 in a meting hall above Shaefer's Saloon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

This event marked the beginning of NALC. Even beyond that obvious fact, the founding convention is proof that letter carriers knew early on, even before workers in many other industries, that they would achieve more if they would form a national union. In many cities carriers had "mutual benefit" associations that tried to acquire irnprovements for carriers in those cities. But NALC's founders realized that true power would only come when every carrier in the country joined together. Those hours in Schaefer's Saloon marked the very beginning - the birth of a union would eventually become one of the most powerful and influential organizations of Federal and Postal employees..
Outlook May / June 2009
Proposed Bylaw Changes
ARTICLE II OFFICERSCURRENT LANGUAGE
SECTION.I As provided in the NALC Constitution under The government of subordinate and federal branches and in accordance with the Bylaws of this Branch, the officers of Branch 36 shall be as follows:

President; Executive Vice President; First Vice President/Treasurer; Second Vice President/Financial Secretary; Recording Secretary; Editor of The Outlook; Sergeantat-at-Arms; M.B.A. Clerk; Board of Trustees (3); Board of Auditors (3); Central Labor Council Delegates (2); N.A.L.C. Health Benefits Plan Representative; Director of City Delivery, Compensation Claims Officer; Director of Retired Members. The above mentoned officers shall be known as The Board of Officers.
ARTICLE II OFFICERS PROPOSED BYLAW CHANGES
SECTION I. As provided in the NALC Constitution under The governnient of subordinate and federal branches and in accordance with the Bylaws of this Branch, the officers of Branch 36 shall-be as follows:

President; Executive Vice President; First Vice President/Treasurer; Second Vice President/Financial Secretary; Recording Secretary; Editor of The Outlook; Sergeantat-at-arms; M.B.A. Clerk; Board of Trustees (7); Director of Education; N.A.L.C. Health Benefits Plan Representative; Director of City Delivery; Director of Compensation; Director of Retired Members; Director of Safety and Health. The above mentioned officers shall be known as The Board of Officers.

ARTICLE VI DUTIES AND REMUNERATION OF OFFICERS CURRENT LANGUAGE
SECTION 14. The Trustees shall at all times have access to the books, documents and other property of the Branch. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees shall be the custodian of all bonds, agreements, contracts, and such other property as the Branch may direct. For the faithful performance of their duties, each Trustee shall receive an annual salary of Twelve Hundred Dollars (1,200.00) payable quarterly.
SECTION 15. The Board of Audit shall examine all bills presented to the Branch for payment. If the bills are found correct, they shall be endorsed "Approved," and if incorrect, they shall be endorsed "Not Approved," and referred to the Branch for action. The Board of Audit shall also examine the reports of any Committee which may have been elected or appointed for the transaction of any business involving the expenditure of any funds of the Branch and make their report at the next regular meeting following such examination; examine the account books of the Branch, quarterly, in the months of January, April, July and October, and report to the Branch at the next regular meeting following their examination. For the faithful performance of their duties, each Auditor shall receive an annual salary of Fourteen Hundred Dollars ($1,400.00) payable quarterly.
SECTION 16 The Delegates to the Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO shall attend the meetings of that body and shall report their activities at Branch 36 meetings. The President shall automatically be a delegate to the Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO. He shall not receive a salary for being a delegate to the Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO. There shall be two Branch 36 delegates to the Central Labor Council. For the faithful performance of their duties, each delegate shall receive a salery of twelve hundred dollars (1,200.00) annually, payable quarterly.

ARTICLE VI DUTIES AND REMUNERATION OF OFFICERS PROPOSED BYLAW CHANGES
SECTION 14. The Trustees shall at all times have access to the books, documents and other property of the Branch. The Chairman of the Board of Trustes shall be the custodian of all bonds, agreements, contracts, and such property.as the Branch may direct. For the faithful performance of their duties, each Trustee shall receive an annual salary of Fourteen Hundred Dollars ($1400) payable quarterly.
SECTION 15 The Director of Education shall serve under the direction of the President of Branch 36. He/She shall assist in the preparation of materials for shop steward and members seminars. He/She shall write articles for the Outlook to educate letter carriers. For the faithful performance.of his/her duties, he/she shall, receive an annual salary of Fourteen Hundred Dollars ($1,400.00), payable quarterly.
SECTION 16. The Director of Safety and Health shall serve under the direction of the President of Branch 36. He/She shall attend all safety and health meetings with management. He/She shall report to the President of Branch 36 and the Executive Board issues relative to safety and health. HeIShe shall report and educate the membership at the Membership Meetings and through the Outlook on safety and health issues. For the faithful performance of his/her duties, he/she shall receive an annual salary of Fourteen Hundred Dollars ($1400) payable quarterly.
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