NALC Greater East Bay Branch # 1111 General Meeting 04/22/2025
Call the Meeting to order at 7:00 PM: By President Edward Fletcher
Pledge of Allegiance: led by Sergeant at Arms Lumus Russell 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: (Special guests, announcements and 50-50 Items).
1. We still have the 50/50 drawing.
2. Scholarship Winners to be announced.
3. The new contract will be discussed.
Minutes from the previous Branch Meeting on 03 /25/25, read by Assistant Secretary Treasurer (AST) John Ferreira.
A Motion to Accept the Branch meeting minutes as read by AST John Ferreira would be in order. Motion by Terrence Super / 2ndIrene Hernandez. Motion is passed.
Communications: Secretary Treasurer Mary Phelps spoke on requests for excused absence made by April Patrick, Eddie Murphy, Jacob Morgan and Narciso Paderanga.
A Motion to Accept the requests for excused absences as read by Secretary Treasurer Mary Phelps would be in order. Motion by Mary Phelps/ 2nd Jeff Valentine Motion passed.
Financial Report: from March of 2025 read by AST John Ferreira.
New Members: The number of new members since our last branch meeting is 28.
A Motion to “Welcome the New Members” would be in order. Motion by Ka Moon Yi/ 2nd John Jekabson. Motion passed Roll Call: made by Secretary Treasurer Mary Phelps. All present and/or excused as noted within.
Executive Council Minutes read by Trustee Ron Jones.
A motion would be in order to approve the April 15, 2025, executive council minutes as read by Trustee Ron Jones. Motion by Jeff Valentine/2nd by Marisela Fletcher. Motion passed.
Special Guest(s): Lydia Dang, one of our 2025 scholarship winners, was in attendance along with her mom & dad. Her dad, a carrier from the Civic Center station Loi Dang has been a letter carrier for over 30 years. President Edward Fletcher presented a scholarship plaque to Lydia who will be attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Reports of Officers:
o 4th VP – April Patrick: Excused
o 3rd VP – Eddie Murphy: Excused
o 2nd VP – Terrence Super: Carriers’ have been texting me saying the P.M in Suisun has been treating them badly telling them they have undertime. I had to go out there and tell him to knock it off. The Fairfield equability paying out thousands once again. Shout out to San Ramon carriers with Michael Mang attending his first general branch meeting. Stay safe.
o 1st VP – Mary Abante: I have a lot of discipline for attendance within my offices with my stewards doing a good job, having their statements and documents in each file. My stewards are fighting to get steward time in Concord with seventy-one disciplines issued this year so far. If you need help, please give us a call.
o EVP – Narciso Paderanga: Excused
o President - Ed Fletcher: On April 19, 2025, it was announced that carriers pay rates will be updated and include the 6 cumulative pay raises from the 2023-2026 New Agreement; thus, ending the back pay period. As far as the retro pay adjustments, it was reported to us at the COP that management stated it should be processed in August of 2025. As far as the changes made to Article 8, we were told at the Pasadena COP, that the Article 8 MOUs should be done prior to July 1, 2025. There will also be separate QTRLY OTDLs for regularly scheduled days and SDO's, only. Carriers can sign both lists. Former President Fred Rolando stated there is a degree of internal differences right now. They will get resolved in time through elections and internal meetings. There is also an external force that is going after us, collective bargaining, retirement, our job. It is unknown where he stands on supporting Renfroe. Threats from the White House & DOGE. We are on a menu to be used to get tax breaks for billionaires. This is a different threat than ever before, daily! The first threat was an Executive Order which failed because we went to the Republicans in congress and told them it would be pollical suicide and it is illegal. The USPS is under the Constitution. It boils down to private businesses wanting to do the work we do, like UPS. 44% of USPS revenue is from parcels. Revenue from parcels will go beyond 50%. We are a target for the private shippers. It is an attack on public service. It will destroy universal service. It is 1 of 3
about taking our parcel business. It is bad for jobs associated with the USPS. Private shippers will charge more. The rural communities will be disproportional harmed. They depend on e-commerce. The PMG was pressured to step down by W.H. Doug Tulino who is the acting PMG right now. The previous USPS leadership went all in on last mile delivery (USP & FedEx). They got smart and started keeping small parcels for themselves if they were going to the address on a given day. It was a delivery procedure that saved them $. They want to cancel our collective bargaining rights, like they did with TSA. The Board of Governors is trying to thread the needle. The President can fire them for cause. Doug Tulino is the acting PMG. It is very fragile. This administration is not like any others. There is one thing they care about. And that is being re-elected. We got 40 house Republicans behind the scenes to stop the Executive Order. They’re afraid of Elon Musk. In 2025, we must prepare for that fight. But we will win this fight only if we work together. The fight is not on income. It is an existential threat to our jobs. The LMOU dates for the new contract will be May 27, 2025, to June 26, 2025. The LMOU book is done. There is nothing new in it. Your FTO's will be the Chief Negotiators for each Office. If there is some language or provisions that need to be fixed, please share it with them. No wholesale changes to LMOU’s. We have a process at the SDC'S that is working. Average Office and Street times plus DRS times. The last JRIP we had worked well in some places. It did not work well in other places due to MGT ignorance. We are pursuing a new process. I went to the mic at the COP and asked National President Renfroe about the changes to Article 8. In our Branch, we have decisions at 200% under Article 15.3.A. & 19 of the CBA via arbitrations, Step-B and citable Formal-A decisions, are they still on effect? Brian stated that the changes to Article 8 do not affect any grievance decisions. I asked him if he would back us on citing continuing violations of Article 15.3.A. & 19 of the CBA and our prior decisions, he said "Yes. It was also stated we have too many back logged grievances at Step-B. We have about 4k cases back logged at Step-B. What are you going to do about it? We are changing the people responsible for this. Identifying the places where there are large backlogs. MGT is purposely telling their people to send everything up. MGT has something called ECM where they add stuff to the files after it goes to DRT. EVP P. Barner is allowing MGT to include new arguments after the Formal-A meetings alleging the union left early, and to send their MGT appeals directly to the DRT in violation of Article 15. (That's B.S.). I spoke with President Renfroe, just before he ran out. The COP was very contentious, and a lot of Presidents were mad about the new contract, which was basically the TA that we voted down. I expressed my concerns about the problems not being addressed at the DRT in our area: everything being sent up; MGT adding information to the file; continuing non-compliance; too many impasses; He said that he has appointed D. Tooth to oversee the DRT, instead of P. Barner.
Please support the Concern Letter Carriers in 2026. James Henry for President. Please donate to the CLC. We are trying to raise over $ 1 ,000 from out Branch. Please give it to me, John, or Mary; and I will send it to CLC.
Other Branch Reports:
o Insurance Officer’s Report: Jacob Morgan. Excused
o Editor’s Report: Editor Joshua Pearl. Our next edition will be May 7 & 8 2025, send pictures along with the names of the carriers within the photos.
o California State Vice President – Ron Jones. No Report
o Alameda County CLC & Legislative rep – Ron Jones. We are happy with Barbara Lee as mayor of Oakland.
o Contra Costa CLC & Legislative rep – vacant.
o Napa-Solano CLC & Legislative rep – Sam Green. The fifteenth annual spring salute awards dinner will be on June 6th, 2025, 6 – 9 p.m. May 1, 2025 @ 4p.m. The May Day in the Bay event will be on May 1 st, 2025 @ 4pm at the SF Civic Center Plaza. Immigrant and workers’ rights: one struggle, one fight!
o MDA Coordinator – Marisela Fletcher. No Report
o FOOD Drive Coordinators – I. Hernandez No Report
o EAP Committee rep – “Liz Corriea.” No Report
o LCPF Committee reps – Mary P., Ron J. & Narciso P. No Report
o Old Business: None
o New Business:
A Motion to pay the bills for May 2025 would be in order. Motion by Maria Taveras/ 2nd Ka Moon Yi Motion Passed The Good of the Association: Mary Phelps handed out years of service lapel pins to all those present. Discussed the Steward appreciation event that should be completed by September 2025.
50-50 Drawing: The 50-50 drawing was $40.00, ticket #7026 won by Gary Gomez with carrier Angela Moore from Berkeley DDU drawing the winning ticket. Gary Gomez donated the winnings back to MDA. ($40.00)
2 of 3
A Motion to Adjourn would be in order at this time. Motion by Mary Phelps / 2 nd by Leticia Sanchez. Motion passed.
Meeting Adjourned 8:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted.
Mary E. Phelps - Secretary Treasurer