Charlie was elected President of Branch 36 in 2007. He has held this position for 15 years and was recently re-elected in 2022. Charlie’s long history of putting the carriers first began in 1979, when he joined the Postal Service and began his Union membership. Not long after starting his career at the postal service, Charlie was elected as Shop Steward in 1983. President Arty Ullman recognized his future within Branch 36 and appointed him to Formal A Designee in 1987. Charlie has held multiple positions, all of which increased his contractual knowledge and launched him to the forefront of Branch 36. In 1992 Charlie was elected as Branch 36 Executive Vice President and served in this position for 15 years. Charlie’s wealth of knowledge became an essential part of not only Branch 36 but the NALC when he was appointed to serve as a NALC AFL, CIO Delegate from 1996 thru 2022. In 2007, Charlie was elected as New York State Association of Letter Carriers Treasurer, a position he currently holds. From the beginning Charlie has always been for the carriers and he is quoted as saying “he always looks for ways to help Letter Carriers and make their jobs safe and worthwhile.” 2022 landed Charlie not only one elected position but two. Charlie was re-elected President of Branch 36 in early 2022 and was recently elected on the National level to serve as NALC trustee. Charlie’s positions will ensure Branch 36 always has a seat at the table.

NALC Day of Action

Our current Collective Bargaining Agreement ends in May of 2026. Negotiations officially open on February 25, 2026. NALC President Brian Renfroe has called for a nationwide rally on Sunday, February 22, 2026. It will be similar to the nationwide rally held last March.
The Branch 36 Executive Board has decided to have the rally at the same location, as we did last March. It will be held outside the FDR Post Office on 54th Street and 3rd Avenue and begin at 12 noon. The NALC will supply t-shirts, signs and banners. The media will also be notified. So far, two Queens branches have decided to join us on 3rd Avenue. They are Branch 294 of Flushing and Branch 562 of Jamaica.
Last year’s rally theme was “Fight Like Hell.” It was a success and we were able to keep the public on our side and didn’t suffer any attacks from the White House. This year, the theme will also be “Fight Like Hell” but the message will be “Fight Like Hell for a Fair Contract.” We are obviously beloved by the public, which is always evident, in any survey given regarding Federal/Postal agencies. We will be reminding the public that we work hard and are essential workers, who look out for our customers and deserve a raise.
We look out for our communities in many ways, and continue to raise money for important organizations such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association. We also host the biggest one-day food drive in the nation to provide much needed food for the communities that we serve. We are appreciative of our customers and communities and are always willing to lend a helping hand.
Last March, we had a couple of hundred letter carriers and their families and friends attend the “Fight Like Hell” rally. I am asking for your help in doubling those efforts this year. We need to have the public remain on our side because politicians do listen to the will of the voting public. So, let’s rally on Sunday, February 22 at 12 noon outside FDR Station (54th Street & 3rd Avenue) and get the ball rolling by Fighting Like Hell for a Fair Contract.

Congratulations

Branch 36 has an abundance of talented members. We have had a few changes on the Board of Officers this year. The first vacancy arrived with the NALC appointment of Yvette Kinard to the position of NALC Region 15 Regional Administrative Assistant. It was not easy to replace Yvette because she always did an excellent job as Editor of the Outlook. However, Ed Robertson, Jr. quickly came to mind because he is someone who has always put his best foot forward when it comes to Branch 36. Therefore, I was happy he said yes. I am confident that he will do a wonderful job as Editor. His appointment to editor obviously led to his vacancy as the Director of Education. Remembering the excellent job David Terry did teaching at our Shop Steward Quarterly Seminar made that appointment an easy task for me. I was pleased when David also said yes. His appointment to Director of Education led to a vacancy on the Board of Trustees. I thought, who better than Shakena Ford, our shop steward and hearing officer. Once again, I was pleased that she also said yes. Our Board is full of amazingly talented and hard-working individuals. I couldn’t ask for anything more for our Branch 36 members. Congratulations to Yvette, Edwin, David and Shakena. The members of Branch 36 are grateful to have you along with all board members representing them. See you all at the rally!

---