NALC Greater East Bay Branch # 1111
General Meeting 01/28/2025
President Edward Fletcher: called the Meeting to order at 7:00 PM:
Pledge of Allegiance: Lead by trustee Jeff Valentine
Moment of Silence: May we please have a moment of silence for our departed brothers, sisters and family members who have passed since our last meeting. Thank You!
Announcements: We continue to have the 50/50 drawing, and the Executive council minutes from December 2024 and January 2025 to read and approve. In my report I will clarify and appoint two committees tonight. Minutes from the previous Branch Meeting: 11 /26 /24, read by AST John Ferriera with A motion to accept the branch meeting minutes as read by AST John Ferreira made by Jeff Valentine/ 2nd by Eileen Brown. Motion passed.
Communications: read by Secretary Treasurer Mary Phelps with requests for excused absences made by Francisco Cabrera, Moses Garcia & Shana Lum. A Motion to accept the requests for excused absences as read by Secretary Treasurer Mary Phelps is in order.
Motion by Ka Moon Yi / 2nd by John Jekabson. Motion passed.
Financial Report: from December of 2024 read by assistant secretary treasurer John Ferreira.
New Members: The number of new members 64, with one new member present/Luis Cutolo from Benicia. EVP Narciso Paderanga made a motion to welcome the new members/2nd by Mary Phelps. Motion passed. Roll Call: conducted by secretary treasurer Mary Phelps. All present and accounted for.
Executive Council Minutes. motion to approve the December 17, 2024, executive council minutes as read by Trustee Ron Jones Motion made by Mary Phelps /2nd by Rickie Cox. Motion passed
Motion: to Approve the January 21, 2025, Executive council minutes as read by Trustee Ron Jones. Motion by Terrence Super 2nd by Leticia Sanchez Motion passed
Special Guest(s): None.
Reports of Officers:
o 4th VP – April Patrick: It is a new year less mail less parcels but still work to be done. Management is sending supervisors from other offices to check on carriers, so be careful and don’t do anything that would allow management to discipline you. Please remind your fellow co-workers to be safe. Follow your flow chart and scan to the right code 722 or 721 when found appropriate. Management is currently instructing carriers to scan 721 when still in the office casing mail. Code 733 is a parcel post scan with most of your offices not having parcel post routes so if informed to use 733 contact your FTO for direction.
o 3rd VP – Eddie Murphy: I filed a grievance in Richmond for carriers being on code 722 improperly and got each carrier paid an additional $50.00. We went to L.A. for training and learned a lot. Mary & John have a lot of responsibilities, and we came back with a few ideals for the branch to look into. Richmond carriers are still working in the dark so please be safe. Please send messages through the scanner when needed. I’m working on 16.7 in Pleasanton where a supervisor allegedly caught a carrier throwing away a 3rd bundle.
o 2nd VP – Terrence Super: I also have a carrier on a 16.7 who has been out since November 2024. This case grieved twice with both cases sent to the DRT. The first case was impassed and I’m currently waiting on the second one. This carrier caught with marijuana in his possession. Carriers are also getting disciplined for losing arrow keys which should be attached to your belt. I would like to give a shout out to Krista Beals of Vallejo. She has recently stepped down as a steward and we thank her for all her hard work performed in Vallejo representing her fellow carriers. Today is a sad day for me because Eileen Brown, my steward in Suisun, is leaving, we will miss her. Eileen shared when I needed help, everyone came out to assist me. I will miss all the energy that the Branch meetings bring.
o 1st VP – Mary Abante: Happy to see my stewards here tonight - welcome. In Rodeo I currently had some discipline thrown out. Dealing with noncompliance in Pittsburg. OIC Sharon Davis has a habit of disciplining carriers for scanning issues and attendance for 3 days missed. I have a conduct case against her that I’m currently working on. In Benicia Ka Moon is doing a good job as always. In Alameda, every time you call in, they put you on the restricted sick leave list. Filing article eights in Brentwood and in Clayton and I have a new steward coming to our eight-hour new steward class next month. Eli in Martinez resolves discipline for 6 months or less and in Concord carriers’ getting discipline for going over 12 hrs. Ray Garcia is here tonight doing a great job as always.
o EVP – Narciso Paderanga: Management currently issued two 16.7’s to carriers for alleged poor performance of which I will be grieving. Another carrier gave management a two week notice to resign, later changed her mind. Management said she was supposed to send the cancellation to HHRS, I filed a grievance management lost and she will be getting full back pay. If they don’t bring her back, we will file a compliance grievance. The current hiring freeze implemented by President Trump does not affect us. Management is looking at all the spots where carriers are sitting for more than 10 minutes and if interviewed just say you were working. In Civic center we have walk out routes that use push carts. Management is not allowing these routes/carriers to use the relay boxes of which they need, now in the grievance procedure. Oakland is not giving us extensions when filing grievances and we can do the same. Stewards have everything in writing and when requesting steward time make sure you document the grievance number and when it is due. Make sure you tell your fellow carriers not to work unauthorized overtime, make sure if they do need more time get it in writing word or mouth means nothing.
o President - Ed Fletcher: January 23, 2025, OBM and OPM confirm USPS is exempt from the hiring freeze. On Jan 2 Trump issued a presidential memorandum (PM) instituting a hiring freeze on federal civilian employment. The post office is exempt from the hiring freeze. The deadline to return ballots for the proposed tentative agreement is 01/27/25 once ballots are counted National will announce the results. If it is rejected, the NALC negotiators will inform the USPS and reopen negotiations within 5 days if not successful the parties will proceed to binding arbitration. The two vacant executive Council Positions as per Article 4 section 4 of our Branch1111 bylaws I do hereby appoint the following individuals on the committee to fill both vacancies. Mary Abante, Ron Jones and Ricky Cox. The committee for the HVAC repairs needed will be Narciso Paderanga, John Ferreira and Jeff Valentine. The February 25, 2025, Branch meeting will be chaired by EVP Narcisco Paderanga.
Other Branch Reports:
o Insurance Officer’s Report: Jacob Morgan New year new member I.D. The first letter was changed to a P and the remaining numbers are the same. Our health deducts in PP01/2025 have one week in the old rate and one week with the new rate. That is why the total amount was/is confusing. PP02/2025 should be both weeks with the new rate.
o Editor’s Report: Editor Joshua Pearl. Next issue 5th & 6th of March 2025.
o California State Vice President – Ron Jones. Currently planning for a lobby trip February 24th through 27th capitol hill. So far, no attacks on the Postal Service. We still rank #1 or #2 for the most loved government agency so keep doing what we do. We may have to do demonstrations and phone banking. Sunday is the Postal Coalition in Sacramento.
o Alameda County CLC & Legislative rep – Ron Jones. Gearing up fight that’s going against union rights.
o Contra Costa CLC & Legislative rep – “Vacant.”
o Napa-Solano CLC & Legislative rep – Sam Green. We donated $1,000.00 to the fires in L.A. Bryan Blum Political Director spoke.
o MDA Coordinator – Marisela Fletcher. No Report
o FOOD Drive Coordinators – I. Hernandez No Report
o EAP Committee rep – Liz Corriea. January 16, 2025, we had our 1st zoom meeting Suzana Atsatt is now running EAP. Employees’ first meeting is still on the clock. More clerks than carriers currently needing assistant thru EAP.
o LCPF Committee reps – Mary P., Ron J. & Narciso P. No Report
o Old Business: -None
o New Business: None
A Motion: A Motion to pay the bills for February 2025 would be in order. Motion by Ka Moon Yi/ 2nd _Jacob Morgan. Motion passed.
Good of the Association: Invite members to speak for the common good of the Branch. Mary Phelps and John Ferreira gave out union pins to all present. Narciso Paderanga recognized Ariel Uribe as a Piedmont carrier working as a steward at the Laurel station.
50-50 Drawing: $42.50 ticket#2342 won by Rickie Cox.
A Motion to Adjourn would be in order at this time. Motion by Ka Moon Yi / 2nd by Jeff Valentine motion passed.
Meeting Adjourned 8:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted.
Mary E. Phelps
Secretary Treasurer