The deadline for copy for Branch 1111 News is the 5th of each month. News stories, articles, letters, drawings, or cartoons, as well as photographs either recent or historical should be submitted to the Branch office. Short notices of personal or shop floor interest are especially welcome. The Editor and Assistant Editor retain the right to edit, delete, or reject articles and artwork for the good of the Branch.
BRANCH 1111 OFFICERS
Edward P. Fletcher, President
Narciso Paderanga, Executive Vice President
Mary Abante, First Vice President
Terrence Super, Second Vice President
Eddie Murphy, Third Vice President
April Patrick, Fourth Vice President
Mary Phelps, Secretary-Treasurer
John Ferreira, Asst. Sec-Treasurer
Lumus Russell IV, Sgt-at-Arms
Jacob Morgan, Insurance Officer
Rickie Cox, Trustee Ron Jones, Trustee
Jeffrey Valentine, Trustee
Greater East Bay Branch 1111 News
Branch 1111 News is the official bimonthly publication of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), Greater East Bay Branch 1111. Circulation 3,000
Offices Served: Alameda, Alamo, Antioch, Benicia, Berkeley, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Danville, El Cerrito, Fairfield, Fremont, Lafayette, Livermore, Martinez, Moraga, Oakland, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasanton, Richmond, Rodeo-Hercules, San Lorenzo, San Ramon, Suisun City, Union City, Vallejo, Walnut Creek
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS
Elizabeth Corriea, Marisela Fletcher, Ruben Ramirez Stephen Robinson, Joshua Pearl, Ché Perez, Frances Swint
BRANCH 1111 OFFICE HOURS
Monday-Friday: 8 am to 5 pm 402 – 37th Street Richmond, Ca. 94805- 2134 510-237-5111, Fax 510-237-5181
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/nalcbranch1111
WEBSITE: www.Branch1111.org
Meetings are held every fourth Tuesday of the month except in December
Contributors -- Ed Fletcher, Eddie Murphy, John Ferreira, Narciso Paderanga, Mary Abante, Liz Corriea, Ron Jones, Shana Lum, Mary Phelps, Terrence Super, Jacob Morgan, April Patrick
Views expressed in Branch 1111 News do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor, Assistant Editor, Branch Officers, or members of National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 1111
VOTE ON PROPOSED CONTRACT
The National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO and the United States Postal Service have reached tentative agreement on a new collective-bargaining agreement for city letter carriers. In accordance with Article 16 of the NALC Constitution, the agreement will be subject to ratification by a mail referendum vote by eligible NALC members. The ratification balloting process was to take place in the weeks following the announcement. The terms of the agreement are not effective unless ratified.
More details can be found at www.nalc.org.
Arguments against the tentative agreement can be found at: https://fromatoarbitration.com/vote-no/
IT EXPERT WANTED
Branch 1111 is looking for a member with IT expertise who would be interested in paid work at the Branch Office. If this might be you, contact the Branch office for more information.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
In addition to our Branch 1111 Katherine Ellis scholarship which the application is located on page 9, the following scholarships are also available to members of Branch 1111: The CSALC Saxsenmeier Scholarship can be applied to at: http://www.csalc.org/sax_page.html. All applications must be received by the Scholarship Chair by January 11, 2025.
The NALC Doherty and Donelon applications can be found at https://www.nalc.org/member-benefits/benefits-formembers/body/Scholarship-application-24.pdf. The application is due by December 31.
RETIREMENT SEMINAR
A Retirement Seminar, hosted by the National Business Agent (NBA) will be held at the Branch office in Richmond on Sunday, November 17, 2024, 10 am to 2 pm If you are considering retirement in the near future come and find out how to get the process started.
HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU
The following letter carrier is the only member who retired recently: Mariano Flores of Richmond We wish him many years of leisure time
MDA Raffle
The October 50/50 drawing of $75.00 was won by Paul Petersen
Pleasanton carrier Guy Resultan receives his
Oakland West Grand PTFs
Razzu Engen and Jacob James getting ready to meet with their OJI for training.
The 2023-2026 Tentative Agreement: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
By Edward P. Fletcher, President
On October 19, 2024 and 20 months after our Contract expired in May of 2023, the NALC and USPS behind closed doors reached a “Tentative Agreement.” In accordance with Article 16 of the NALC Constitution, the agreement will be subject to ratification by a mail referendum vote by eligible NALC members. As of November 7, 2024, National has not sent out the ballots and a copy of the Tentative Agreement and/or announced when that will happen. It is up to us to Vote!
The Ugly?
For more than twenty months, President Renfroe repeatedly stated to the membership the NALC was seeking “Substantial Wage Increases.” That did not happen! It is important to know that at every Rap Session, State Convention, the National Convention and/or any other event President Renfroe attended, the membership wanted specific details, which were never provided.
I know this because I attended the State Convention, the Rap Session, and National Convention. He was not straight forward with the membership from the beginning -- no specifics or timelines. When we asked why the NALC was not already in arbitration or any questions, he filibustered. He frequently sidestepped important issues. For example, the memberships desire to eliminate Pay Table 2 and go to an all-career work force (eliminate CCAs). That did not happen! When Branch Presidents and members asked National Executive Council members questions about the Contract, they did not know because they were not given specific details. Moreover, they were not asked for their input and/or their opinion about the Tentative Agreement. Instead, they were just handed the brief of the Tentative Agreement.
That is not real leadership or a democracy.
The Bad?
What happened to an “Injury to One is an Injury to All?” Shamefully, the Tentative Agreement did not achieve an “all career workforce,” and it continues the CCAs “poverty wages.” After 10 years the CCA starting wages are currently $ 19.33 per hour which does not eclipse the 2013 PTF starting wages of $ 22.00 per hour. The 0.50 cents and the 2.3 % increase is ridiculously cruel. If you are a PTF or FTR currently at Steps “C” through “O” and served your time in Steps AA, A and B, you get no Step level bump-ups. The 1 3 % increase for career employees and the 2.3 % for CCAs is not a “substantial wage increase.” It should have been 3% to 5 % or more per year. We already have COLAs in our Contract. We would fight like hell if
the USPS tried to take them out. Nevertheless, he did not negotiate any increases in our COLAs.
For example, Article 9.3.C could have increased from 1 cent to 2 cents per hour for every 0.4 points index increase. In addition, the implementation of the pay modifications in Tables 1 and 2 (elimination of Steps “AA,” “A,” “B” and the $1,000 increase to Step “P”) are not retroactive and will take 180 days to implement.
Nothing was done to reduce the high costs of health insurance, which will devour the miniscule pay increases. The tiny increase in yearly uniforms allotments is a joke. What in the world possessed National to reduce line items and Office Times? Was the Chapter 2 of the M-39 modified? Wouldn’t that MOU just give management another reason to harass hard working carriers to get out of the office? We will not know the full extent of what was “negotiated away” by Renfroe until we see the full context of the Tentative Agreement, such as but not limited to, the overtime provisions, changes to Article 15 and the DRP, Route Evaluations and Adjustments, the MOUs, and the rest of the contractual language. Again, his negotiations were not transparent.
The Good?
The fact carriers can decline to work past the 11.50 maximum work hours for non-OTDL and the 12/60 maximum work hours for the OTDL without being disciplined appears to be a good thing. What is going to be a problem knowing management is they are going to falsely claim the carrier “volunteered” to work beyond the maximum work hours or mandate them, anyway. Hence, the grievances for 12/60 violations will continue. The elimination of Steps AA, A and B appears to be a good thing, but it is not retroactive, nor does it help the carriers who already served those steps.
Rolling over unused uniform money would be good thing if the uniform allotment was substantially increased, and not by Brain Renfroe’s definition. The MOU’s on “Complement and Staffing” and “Joint Workplace and Improvement Process” sound good but are just window shades or blinds. The MOU on “New Employee Experience, Retention and Mentoring” sounds good, but we know that the USPS will not honor it, and it has no enforcement mechanism just like the TIAREAP.
The Future?
The future of the NALC is up to us, the rank and file members. We have a choice to vote this Contract “up” or “down.” Does it fully reward all carriers for all their hard work? It does not. Does it hold management more accountable for their bad behavior? It does not. Did it do away with the CCA poverty wages? It does not. Does it override the high cost of living? It does not.
Please be advised that your local union, Branch 1111, at its October 22, 2024 General Membership meeting passed a motion to “reject” the Tentative Agreement. We were not told when the ballots will come out, but it should be soon. Please exercise your right to “vote” and “vote down” this “slap in the face,” “inadequate” and “underwhelming” Tentative Agreement.
The Next Episode
By Narciso Paderanga, IV Executive Vice President
When I searched for “feeling of uncertainty” online, I found the following phrase: A feeling of uncertainty is a state of doubt or lack of knowledge about the future or what to do, which can be distressing. I can be difficult to plan, predict, or control when there is limited knowledge about an event.
The last time I felt this way was about eight years ago around the same time of the year. That’s when the 45th president was elected. In addition, I felt very disappointed and concerned about the livelihood of my brothers and sisters as well as my own. I can’t believe we are once again in the same situation where we were 8 years ago.
On a positive note, we survived the four years during his first term in office, I have confidence that we will survive the next four years under his administration. We simply cannot give up on the uncertain path we have ahead. We must face adversity and anything negative that we anticipate may happen.
Another feeling of uncertainty I have is the Tentative Agreement the parties at the National level created. While a lot of you have already made up your minds on how to vote on the TA, some of you may still have questions.
First it must be said that Branch 1111 have passed a motion to vote “No” on the TA. But you as a member, you have right to decide on your own and vote how you want to.
After speaking to many of you, the majority feel we deserve more. While the entry level career position will benefit most by starting at Step C, members who are currently on Step C through O on the pay scale do not because they stay in the same step as they currently are on. In addition, CCAs do not receive anything worth talking about. The CCA position should have been eliminated in its entirety and replaced with the PTF positions in all installations across the country. CCAs do the same exact duties as the career employees, but do not get the same benefits including wages. Why should they get paid almost five dollars less than a career employee when hired? In itself, I believe this Contract is not fairly negotiated across the board.
The provision regarding reducing the Fixed Office Time (FOT) under the Route Evaluation and Adjustment is also a “give away.” I don’t see a benefit added to replace what is given away. In a nutshell, the NALC is agreeing that all the routes are essentially now less than what they actually are.
I anticipate that management will argue, if the TA is ratified, that all prior grievance settlements with additional remedies for repetitive violations are no long valid due to the new agreement regarding Article 8 and the maximum limits.
If you are a member and have questions about the TA, please don’t hesitate to contact your Full-time Officer and any of the officers at the Branch office.
In Solidarity
Holiday Thank You!
By Mary Abante, Third Vice President
Whew! Political mail is over! On to the holidays. Where we appreciate our Letter Carriers as the superheroes they are.
“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”
The original saying was spoken about 2500 years ago by the Greek historian, Herodotus and slightly revised by Charles W. Eliot’s poem “The Letter”.
This phrase is long associated with the American postal workers who work hard in their service.
You are an essential worker, accurately and consistently, delivering the many important documents, medicine (chemotherapy drugs and insulin) diplomas, gifts and goodies, every day no matter what the conditions.
Your customers became your friends and family while you delivered through a pandemic.
Your nation relied on you to deliver election materials throughout the election cycle.
Through the biggest one-day Food Drive in the nation by Letter Carriers, those in need received your help and kindness.
For all the raffle tickets and donations, you made to support the NALC Muscular Dystrophy drive to “Deliver the Cure” now many who suffer will have hope.
I’m sure haven’t heard it often enough, thank you.
We at Branch 1111 respect your hard work and your superhero traits.
Derrikka Miller delivers to the Branch office
Holiday mail volume is approaching, get ready!
By Terrence Lee Super, Second Vice President
Hey everyone, it’s about to get extremely busy with the upcoming Holiday season. People start ordering things in abundance which makes the parcel/package volume go up. To all the carriers that have been hired since last season, this is going to be new to you. It can get very overwhelming because the packages come every day, and it will seem like there is no end to it. The only reason why the package volume might be a little less this year would be because of the higher cost of living and the recent inflation which will probably cause people to not order as much, but that’s a huge maybe. Either way, mail volume does increase during the holiday season, and we want you to be prepared for the extremely high stress level and attitudes of your insensitive supervisors.
I’m not saying that all supervisors are like that, but their job is to get all that increased mail and all those packages delivered by any means necessary. They don’t care what you have going on in your personal life. The reason why we need and have a very strong Union is because of situations like this when you’re being overworked and need someone to be your voice. We are proud and privileged to be that voice for you when you’re so exhausted that you can’t even stay awake driving home from a long 13-hour day; when you need your Union to check management on how they are treating you; when you have worked 15 days straight with no day off and you need us to speak to your Postmaster in order to get you some days off for much needed rest. We are proud to speak on your behalf on these issues that will come up. All of these things are necessary in surviving the Holiday season, and this season is no different from the others. You are going to need to keep us informed of how management is treating you so that we can step in and resolve these issues before they blow up.
If you run into a situation where your supervisors stress level is high because of the mail volume being so heavy and they don’t have enough carriers at work to cover downed routes, they will attempt to try and overload you with extra mail to deliver. When things like this happen, this doesn’t mean that you have to bear the burden of working 14 plus hours to make up for the lack of help or because of multiple sick calls from your fellow carriers or whatever the reason is Neither does it mean that they have the right to take their frustrations out on you by treating you like you’re some kind of brainless machine. You have rights! Some may not understand this but if you’re so tired that you can’t even stay awake at work, this is considered a safety issue, and you must get the proper rest in order to perform your carrier duties safely. Please get us involved immediately when things like this happen All it will take is a call from us. There is
absolutely no reason to be afraid of management, you have rights that they don’t want you to know about. In fact, let me kill a rumor that has been going around the last few months. Management has been telling new carriers that the Union can’t do anything for you during your 90-day probationary period. Let me make this very clear, this is not true at all! New carriers within their probationary period have all of the contractual rights from day one, minus article 16 which is the disciplinary procedure, and why they can lay you off for any reason during that initial 90 days. Does this mean the Union can’t file grievances on your behalf? Get your job back when separated within your probation period? “No.”
Myself, as well as my fellow Officers, still have been able to get new carriers their job back, after management has separated them within their 90-day probation period. There are other avenues we can use in getting your job back. So again, do not be afraid of management, because their power is very limited, and you have one of the strongest unions, hands down, in the United States
Now let me address the huge elephant in the room. There are a lot of angry members out there that want to get out of the Union because of this new contract that we have been waiting on for nearly two years. I ask that you please not react that way. Getting out of the Union just because you’re angry is an emotional decision not a rational one. I am upset too, but getting out of the Union was nowhere near my initial reaction. Please understand that Branch 1111 has no say in what the National President of this Union does Just remember that and help keep our local Branch strong by not making a rash decision because that is not the answer. Your membership dues keep the Branch afloat Imagine if a massive number of members got out of the Union, we would have to cut Union representation by at least 60 to 70% which would mean we would have to cut Stewards; Branch Officers, and we wouldn’t be able to catch all of the increasing violations because of the lack of Union presence in your offices. Please be smart and don’t make decisions based on your anger or being displeased with the National Union The fight is not over, and humbly speaking, we need you to stay the course because we carriers will get what we deserve if we keep fighting. Thank you all so much and be safe out there.
Holiday Wishes
By April Patrick, Fourth Vice President
During this season of pumpkin spice lattes, holiday shopping and great feasts, my hope for all is that we don’t allow the things we want to cause us to forget the things we have. That we never disregard the little things, for they often have the greatest impact in our lives. May we always remember to be thankful and show grace and kindness towards one another.
Wishing you and your family peace and joy this Holiday season, and a prosperous and thriving New Year.
Lunch Corner
by Elizabete Tavares, Piedmont Shop Steward
As winter approaches nothing beats a warm bowl or thermos full of hot soup.
Easy creamy tortellini soup
Ingredients
• 1 lb. Italian sausage
• 1 medium yellow onion -chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 19 oz. cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
• 2 cups chopped spinach leaves
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Optional: grated parmesan for topping
Instructions
1. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, add the sausage and onion. Break the sausage apart with a spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is brown, about 6 minutes.
2. Add the broth, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring the liquid to a simmer.
3. Add the tortellini, spinach, and cream. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tortellini is tender, around 4-5 minutes.
POLITICAL MAIL IS FINALLY OVER
By Berkeley Chief Steward, Liz Corriea
Those days are finally over, hopefully no more political mail pops up from out of nowhere, which is always a possibility, especially if you're working for Berkeley.
My brothers and sisters of this great union, you’ve survived this madness, and every four years it repeats itself. What I don’t understand is the logic behind management. Not once did they think to bring the Berkeley carriers in early to help with all those
lists of political mail, so that you weren’t out so late at night, in the dark.
Frankly, sometimes I think certain entities of the Postal Service are trying to sabotage the USPS. We can better serve the public by providing early deliveries. You would think that’s an easy fix, not to mention being able to help those routes that need coverage. This could happen if we had an earlier start time.
With all the robberies that Letter Carriers have endured recently, you would think that the Postal Service would take into consideration that having the carriers deliver early when there is daylight is much safer than in the dark. Many of us have not been trained on how to deliver in the dark. I would ask my supervisor to demonstrate how they would deliver in the dark and still be safe at the same time. Let’s see if they are up for the challenge.
Most likely not, they probably never did so, since many of our new supervisors are inexperienced, and haven’t been with the Postal Service that long. Some are learning as they go. Logic isn’t always thought out.
BERKELEY BLUES NEWS!
Not much has changed in Berkeley, except for the numbers, the number of carriers, and the number of supervisors that have been leaving us, dropping like flies. We're getting so desperate that we’ve had to borrow carriers from other cities, and then not have enough vehicles and scanners for them. How aware is that? Not to mention how embarrassing. This shows you that Berkeley is not organized. Once again it’s our top leadership, which is getting worse all the time.
Our letter carriers, unfortunately, are overworked and unappreciated for their hard work. I want to thank all of those carriers for their hand work, and hang in there.
"Knowledge is Power."
New Berkeley Shop Stewards Ricardo Herrera-Vega and Kriza Daniels
San Ramon retiree Carlito Festejo gets a large send-off from his fellow carriers and a few Branch Officers
Virgil Valerio (holding plaque) being honored for his 50 years of dedicated service along with his Alameda co-workers
NALC BRANCH 1111 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
Applications are being accepted for the Branch 1111 Katherine Ellis Memorial Scholarship. Applicants must submit the form provided below no later than February 28, 2025
Eligibility requirements:
1) The applicant must be a member of the graduating class of 2024-2025
2) The applicant must be son or daughter or legally adopted child/ stepchild of a member in good standing with Branch 1111.
Any questions about the scholarship should be referred to John Ferreira of the Scholarship Committee at: 510-237-5111
(Please print clearly)
Date______________
Please send instructions as to how I can compete for the Scholarship Award. I will be a senior in the year 2024-2025 I am the child of (active) (retired) or (deceased) member ___________________________________ (name)
My Name is ____________________________________________
My Home Address is _____________________________________________________________________
My Social Security Number is ______- -______ Signature of NALC Parent______________________
Office/Station of Parent Member _______________________ Branch Official _______________________
NALC Parent’s Social Security Number______- -______ Title______________
Stephen Pree (Left) of Moraga who retired 9-30-24 after 37 years of service receiving his plaque from FTO April Patrick
A large group of San Ramon carriers (above) show up to support their Shop Steward Shana Lum at our September Branch meeting
Branch 1111
$5,005.77
$1,132,663.12
$1,137,668.89
and Jin Li Roy Racillo of Union City bids farewell to his coworkers (below) and wearing all his postal awards while in front of a tribute (above) from his family on his many years of dedicated service to the USPS.
NON-PROFIT ORG.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS
GREATER EAST BAY BRANCH 1111
402 –37TH STREET
RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA 94805- 2134
(510) 237-5111
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Rafael Leverman Antioch
Antoine Lee Benicia
Evonne Derby Lewis Berkeley
Wajid Shah Berkeley
Tyler Theurer Concord
Sarah Simonson Concord
Ruben Portan Concord
Alicia Martin Concord
Jordan Gagne Concord
Ebony Brown Concord
Ruiz Gallegos Concord
Luis Fernando Hiquiana Concord
Alexander Ogbodo Concord
Denise Cansino Concord
Renu Bagga Danville
Joseph Rivera Ortega Danville
Carly Erazo Danville
Kevin Huen Danville
Mojica Maldonado Fairfield
Crestina Lovely Fremont
Russell Brown Fremont
George Peinado Livermore`
Jason Yuen Livermore
Kameia Wyatt Livermore
Bryant Aguilar Livermore
J’son Moton Livermore
Michael Vandenbusch Livermore
Jeng Fong Lin Livermore
Arnold Abad Livermore
Lasandra Wickware Oakland
Carisa Rivers Oakland
Jacob James Oakland
Razzu Engen Oakland
DeJean Montgomery Oakland
U.S. POSTAGE PAID CONCORD CA Permit 1 Branch Meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of each
