Greater East Bay Branch 1111 News Volume 40 Number 460
December 2020
Tentative Agreement Branch 1111 wishes you happy holidays!
Branch 1111 News
December 2020
NALC HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN SERVICE LINES General Claims Inquiries Hospital Precertification (Required) Prerecorded Benefits Information Prescription Customer Service Line
1-888- 636-NALC 1-800-622-6252 1-888-636-NALC 1-800-933-NALC
BRANCH PAPER DEADLINE The deadline for copy for Branch 1111 News is the 3rd 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 Jose Ochoa, Executive Vice President Narciso Paderanga, First Vice President Francisco Cabrera , Second Vice President Julie McCormick, Third Vice President Terrence Super, Fourth Vice President John Ferreira, Secretary-Treasurer Mary Phelps, Asst. Sec-Treasurer Keith Massey, Sgt-at-Arms Jacob Morgan, Insurance Officer Jose Corral, Trustee Jerry DePoe, Trustee Ron Jones, Trustee
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS Christina Aviles, Elizabeth Corriea, Rickie Cox, Marisela Fletcher, Ray Garcia, Joshua Pearl, Frances Rodriguez-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
BRANCH 1111 NEWS STAFF
Greater East Bay Branch 1111 News Branch 1111 News is the official monthly 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, San Lorenzo, San Ramon, Suisun City, Union City, Vallejo, Walnut Creek
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Editor - Joshua Pearl: joshpbranch1111@gmail.com Assistant Editor – John Jekabson: jjbranch1111@gmail.com Contributors -- Ed Fletcher, Jose Ochoa, John Ferreira, Narciso Paderanga, Julie McCormick, Liz Corriea, Ron Jones, Jerry DePoe, Francisco Cabrera, Julie McCormick, Mary Phelps, Terrence Super, Keith Massey, Jacob Morgan 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
December 2020
Branch 1111 News
NALC BRANCH 1111 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION No Virtual December Branch Meeting The Branch is not hosting a virtual informational meeting in December. The next session is scheduled for Tuesday, January 26, 2021. Happy holidays and a prosperous New Year to all!
TENTATIVE CONTRACT The NALC and Postal Management have tentatively agreed to a new contract pending ratification by NALC members. The major features of the contract are in the NALC Bulletin which will be sent to stations and offices throughout the country. Full details about the tentative agreement, along with projected pay charts, other contractual changes, and information about new and amended memorandums of understanding (MOUs), will be presented in the December issue of The Postal Record. They will also be distributed through the union’s electronic platforms in the days to come.
TENTATIVE RETIREE CHANGES Letter Carriers who have retired over the last several months will receive applicable retroactive general wage increases and COLAs. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will also make any annuity adjustments made necessary by the retroactive increases. All pending ratification of the new National Agreement.
HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU! The following carriers retired recently: Ana Alvarez de Catley, Paulson Martinez and Orland Gatan of Oakland; Christopher Victa, Gabriel Prado, James Blickenstaff and Alicia Brenes of Danville; William Saw and Kevin Giles of Richmond; Edgar Marmolejo of Concord; Hernani Santiago of Martinez; Yong Huang and Paul Deguzman of Walnut Creek; and Jeffrey Williams of Fairfield. We wish many years of leisure to all!
SCHOLARSHIP TIME Carriers with students about to graduate should be aware that there are various scholarships for which they can apply. One is our own Katherine Ellis Memorial Scholarship given to deserving scholars with a parent who is a member in good standing of Branch 1111. The California State Association of Letter Carriers (CSALC) also gives financial help to worthy students by offering the Carl J. Saxsenmeier Scholarship. Applications must be received by the Scholarship Committee Chair by January 8, 2021. More information On the CSALC Scholarship is available online www.csalc.org/sax_page.html
Applications are being accepted for the Branch 1111 Katherine Ellis Memorial Scholarship. Applicants must submit the form provided below no later than February 28, 2021 Eligibility requirements: 1) The applicant must be a member of the graduating class of 2020-2021 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 2020-2021 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______________ Date ______________
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December 2020
To Ratify or Not to Ratify, that is the Question By Edward P. Fletcher, President
As announced on the NALC website on November 25, 2020, the USPS and NALC reached a tentative National Agreement. Prior to that, after seventeen months of grueling negotiations in the midst of a global pandemic, President Rolando and our National Officers utilized a “double fisted” approach to these negotiations. On one hand, they prepared for and presented our case in arbitration. On the other hand, they left the door open for negotiations probably hoping to “rope-adope” the USPS into an agreement or “knock them out” in arbitration. Either way, their contractual boxing strategy worked and the membership will decide our contact through a ratification vote, or it’s back to arbitration. The Tentative National Agreement In his December 3, 2020 statement, President Rolando broke down the New Tentative Agreement as follows: “The agreement’s duration is from September 20, 2019 through May 20, 2023, and includes four annual general wage increases of 1.1% (effective 11/23/19), 1.1% (effective 11/21/20), 1.3% (effective 11/20/21), & 1.3% (effective 11/19/22), and seven cost of living adjustments. Effective November 19, 2022, a new top step (Step P) will be added to the career letter carrier pay scales which will be $444 per year greater than Step O. The agreement also provides for the automatic conversion of CCAs to career status no later than after 24 months of relative standing. Effective June 19, 2021, CCA Step CC (currently $17.29) will be eliminated, and CCA Step BB (currently $ 17.79) will become the new entry rate pay rate for CCAs. In calendar year 2022, the Postal Service’s share of FEHBP premiums will decline by 1%, and their contribution toward the USPS plan for CCAs will increase to 75% of premiums regardless of the coverage or years of employment. Additionally, the current no-layoff protections, and prohibitions against contracting out city letter carrier work, will continue.” CCA General Wage Increases and Retroactive Pay In regards to the four general wage increases, CCAs will get an additional 1% added to each general wage increase bumping them up to 2.1%, 2.1%, 2.3% and 2.3%, respectively. In addition, the 1st COLA is $166 annually and effective 02/29/20. The 2nd COLA is $188 annually and effective 09/29/20. Both of these COLAs, as well as the 11/23/19 and 11/21/20 general wage increases, will be applied retroactively if the Tentative National Agreement is ratified by the membership. Proposed Holiday Pay Change The new tentative agreement also proposes a change to Article 11 sections 3 and 4 that would now allow full-time regular letter carriers who work their designated holidays to elect to have their annual leave balance credited with up to 8 hours of annual leave in lieu of receiving holiday pay. 4
Branch 1111 News Uniform Allowance The new agreement proposes increases in our annual uniform allowances. On May 21, 2021, it will be increased to $487, which is a 5% increase. On May 21,2022, it would be further increased to $ 499, which is another 2.5 % increase. New employees will also see an increase. The Notable Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) The new contract updated, revised and combined several MOUs, continued dozens of others, and added several new MOUs on a variety of topics. MOU Re: Qualifying period—exception for City Carrier Assistants—CCAs with a minimum of 90 days of service prior to conversion to career status without a break in service are exempt from the Ninety-Day Qualifying Period in ELM 512.313. Previously, all newly converted employees, regardless of time in service, were required to complete 90 days of employment as a career employee prior to being allowed to take annual leave. MOU Re: Managed Service Point Scans—No later than 60 days from the ratification date of the 2019 collective bargaining agreement, Managed Service Points (MSPs) will be removed from the street delivery portions of city letter carrier routes. MOU Re: City Carrier Uniform Task Force—Establishes a national-level task force to improve the efficiency and accessibility of the uniform program and to improving the overall quality of available uniform items in a cost-effective manner. The task force will also explore ways to incorporate improved materials and uniform designs into the uniform program while continuing to supply city carriers with sufficient uniform items. Finally, of special interest to NALC branch leaders, the contract set the dates for local MOU negotiations: The Ratification Process As of the writing of this article, National has not announced the timelines for the printing and/or electronic distribution of the new tentative National Agreement or the dates the ballots are to be mailed out to the member and returned. For more information on the proposed contract and the MOUs, please read about the new proposed agreement in the December Issue of the Postal Record. As per our National Constitution, President Rolando will appoint a Ballot Committee composed of fifteen members from branches in not less than fifteen states. The ratification shall be by mail referendum vote sent to all regular members only as per the Article 2.1(a) of the National Constitution. It will be a “accept” or “reject” vote. There are no givebacks and only a small increase in the members share of health benefits in 2022-23, based on their health plans. It may not be everything we wanted, but there are steady wage increases and COLAs. It maintains the protections against the outsourcing of letter carrier jobs and involuntary layoffs after 6 years of continuous service. It calls for the automatic conversion of CCAs to career status after 24 months in any size office. The National Executive Council unanimously recommends its ratification. Given the state of our economy, our country and the USPS, it is my hope that the membership will approve the new tentative agreement. To all of our Brothers and Sisters, thank you for your commitment, dedication and hard in 2020. May Peace and Safety be with you always! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
December 2020
Branch 1111 News
TOUGH and DANGEROUS DECEMBER By Jose Ochoa, Executive Vice President
Management has decided the best way to deal with the excessive amount of parcels and the pandemic is to cancel days off and work you to exhaustion. Of course management gets to keep days off because they have a family and things to do. Well, if you feel the long hours and weeks are taking a toll on your health, go to your doctor and request a medical restriction to 8 or whatever amount of hours you can handle. You MUST follow those restrictions daily, never mind what management has to say about it. We are now getting reports of positive Covid 19 daily, and it seems it is only going to get worse. It is incomprehensible why some coworkers have to be reminded to wear a mask. Wearing a mask is no longer an option while at work. If you see anyone not in compliance, complete a form 1767. Have your Shop Steward file a grievance against Management for not enforcing the policy-mandate and allowing an unsafe and dangerous work environment. In the middle of this pandemic Management is making an issue of “stationary time.” Apparently, Management feels you are not moving fast enough. But, as long as you are working there is nothing to fear. Once again it was a very busy year for your Branch 1111 Stewards and Officers. As of today’s date (December 9, 2020), your Branch has filed 4,627 grievances. The Berkeley Post Office was the biggest violator, costing the agency over $200,000.00 in settlements. The virus doesn’t move, people move it, we stop moving, the virus stops moving, the virus dies! Please take care and happy holidays.
Denise Thompson loads up in Emeryville
Emeryville OJI Robert De Hoyos training new carrier Derrick Coleman
Emeryville carrier Maria Soto busy on the job
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Branch 1111 News
December 2020
So Long Year 2020
Wear a Face Cover Wash your hands Keep a safe distance Save lives
By Narciso Paderanga, IV, First Vice President
By Francisco Cabrera, Second Vice President
This year has been a year that no one will ever forget. Everyone in this entire nation, this entire planet has been affected in one way or another. Lifestyles have been changed. Do you remember when this first started? Panic, uncertainty, chaos, yet we still continued to do our jobs! This Union is very proud of all of you! For all the hard work you have done so far. For the resiliency, for the service you provide to your customers day in day out. For the long hours and long weeks you have put in. For the hundreds, thousands of parcels you’ve delivered. For the sacrifices, for the times you have lost from being with your loved ones. For risking your health and safety throughout this pandemic. You are the Postal Service and we are proud you are members of the NALC. I want to give special thanks to the Stewards of Branch 1111, for all the hard work you do of not only doing the duties of a letter carrier, but also for all the hard work in defending your fellow letter carriers’ rights, benefits and working conditions. It is a thankless job, and sometimes unappreciated, but you still continue the fight. Thank you! I wish you all good health this holiday season and for the years to come. Stay safe at all times and hope that next year will be a better year for everyone. I wish that all our lives will return close to being normal again.
As we enter into the tenth month of the pandemic shelterin-place, I want to thank you brothers and sisters for your hard work and sacrifice in delivering the mail. Something of concern for some of us in this pandemic is the relation between your job, your contract, your health and that of your co-workers and their families' health. Nobody has the right to put somebody else's health and life at risk, whether it's based on beliefs, misinformation or political affiliation. Do you think anybody actually likes wearing a mask? We also have laws and postal regulations which we must abide by at this time. More than this, as mentioned above, we have a moral obligation to follow the guidelines that are there to keep us safe. We all walk a fine line and juggle many things. We are parents, employees, siblings, caregivers, and even teachers in this distance learning environment. Wait what about Union brothers and sisters? Yes we cannot forget this important detail. During these stressful times, many are experiencing the following; discouragement and distress. Remember, if you become discouraged during these days of distress, your strength will be meager. So enjoy things of real value in this difficult time. Find ways to stay in touch with your friends and family, while at the same time following the laws and regulations which are meant to keep us all safe and healthy. Do you think we don't want to see and get together with our friends and families? We must remain vigilant. According to the Harris Poll Essential 100 Ranking, the Postal Service tops the list of America's most essential companies during the pandemic, actually coming in at #1. The Essential 100 rates companies based on their resolve, integrity, responsiveness and permanence. Relish on this factual recognition. This is due mainly to you, the letter carriers (All of you whether you are a PTF, PTR, CCA, or Regular) coming to work, picking up the slack, serving our customers, providing an essential service and I want to end this with a huge Thank You! “Ask not what your Union brotherhood can do for you, but what you can do for your Union brotherhood (And Sisterhood)”
In Solidarity.
Emeryville carrier Debbie Khaoone properly outfitted and staying safe
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December 2020
We are in Unprecedented Times! By Terrence Lee Super, Fourth Vice President
We at the Branch cannot express to you enough how extremely grateful we are for your dedication in delivering the mail during a pandemic! We want to thank all of our Letter Carriers who have weathered this storm during the Holidays, which is always a challenge in itself. We know dealing with both circumstances has been very difficult, and we understand how crazy everything has been since March. 2020, a year we will always remember, the good and the bad of it all. But I do not think the majority of us are still aren’t grasping the seriousness of this. The ones that are, we appreciate you as well, because as we all know not everyone wears their masks. It is absolutely ridiculous that people are gathering around each other with no masks! COVID 19, if not already, is becoming one of the deadliest viruses of all time. Yet, people are complaining that they have to wear a mask, or they feel that state officials are infringing on their rights by forcing people to wear their masks when in heavily populated areas like grocery stores, malls and restaurants. Are you kidding me?!?! As you can tell, I am really upset with this because it is affecting us as Letter Carriers too. As of late we have seen an up-tick of Carriers who have tested positive for COVID 19 in the Bay Valley District. When this first started back in late February-early March, we as a District had ZERO COVID 19 hits four months straight, which was excellent! But now, we have over 47 hits. Ten of which were from the last two weeks! It is extremely frustrating not just to the affected offices, but for their families and the customers we service who we are around everyday, possibly exposing them. The hits have been coming from those who are not thinking by having gatherings or going out to eat with friends and family. By not taking the necessary precautions to keep everyone around them safe, they are bringing it into the workplace. Do we understand how just one person can infect the whole office? This would be detrimental to everyone involved in that particular office! It does not take much to contract this virus. One droplet from a person’s mouth is all it takes, or a sneeze and/or someone just breathing on you. The particles from your mouth and your nose are like deadly weapons and it is literally VITAL that ALL of us wear our masks when we are around people or when we are in the facilities with our fellow employees. This is not an instruction, it is MANDATORY! This is the one thing that the Union and Management agree on, and we have to enforce this for the safety and health of employees of the United States Postal Service and the members of the National Association of Letter Carriers. Please help one another by being safe and ALWAYS wearing your mask and not just covering your mouth but both your nose AND your mouth.
Branch 1111 News If your mask is loose and is constantly falling from covering your nose, you need to get one that fits. People who wear their mask halfway is basically the same as not wearing one at all, and this is unacceptable. The reason why we as Officers are extremely strict about this is because carriers are coming up to us wanting to talk to us (which is fine), but not having their masks completely covering their nose and your mouth. We understand you may need to talk to us when we visit your installations, but we cannot tolerate carriers not wearing their masks properly while doing so. A lot of us here at the Branch Office have wives and husbands with underlying issues. If we were to bring this virus home to them, they could fall seriously ill or even die. So please understand and respect the Branch’s policy on making sure you are properly wearing your masks when we come to visit your installations or when you have an appointment to see us at the Branch Office when you want to speak with us. If we follow the CDC guidelines and County Shelter in Place implementations, we can dramatically lesson the amount of COVID 19 spread all around. We can do this if everyone does their part. We cannot keep having these hits everywhere, so let’s turn this thing around and show COVID 19 who is boss!
Fairfield carrier Glorialyn Gutierrez enjoys her last day
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Branch 1111 News
December 2020
The 2020 Food Drive may have been cancelled but we Letter Carriers can still make a difference to those in need in our community.
To Donate: Alameda County https://donate.accfb.org/ 8
Contra Costa County https://www.foodbankccs.org/give-help/donate.html
November 2020
Branch 1111 News
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Branch 1111 News
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December 2020
Branch 1111 News
NALC Branch 1111 Balance Sheet As of November 30, 2020 ASSETS Current Assets Bank Accounts 100 - Petty Cash 213.96 126 PPCU-50 116,234.04 Mechanics Bank Accounts 143,375.48 PPCU-Acct 70 25,619.59 United Bank Accounts 307,534.21 Total Bank Accounts $592,977.28 Other Current Assets Total Current Other Assets $891,757.50 Total Current Assets $1,484,734.78 Fixed Assets 189 - Accumulated Depreciation -127,446.57 190 - Accum Deprec - Furn./Eq. -68,743.00 191 - Accum Deprec - Computer Eq. -11,561.00 192 - Accum Deprec - Copier -6,896.60 193 - Accum Deprec - Building/Improv-153,573.66 197 - Accum Deprec - Storage Shed -430.00 198 - Accum Deprec – Prior -61,391.17 Total Fixed Assets $- 430,042.00 TOTAL ASSETS $1,054,692.78
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December 2020 LIABILITIES & EQUITY Total Liabilities Net Revenue 3900 Unrestricted Net Assets Equity
15,249.20 62,360.33 977,083.25 $1,039,443.58
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
$1,054,692.78
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CONCORD CA Permit 1
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS GREATER EAST BAY BRANCH 1111 402 –37TH STREET RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA 94805- 2134 (510) 237-5111
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Nyrie Morrow Akaisha Lloyd Franklin Rodriguez Vanessa Mazurek David Atputhasingam Whitney Campbell Dheeraj Kumar Antonius Lo Venkateswaran Padmanabhan Jordan Hall Salah Qutob Bruce Young Jose Ruiz Derrick Coleman Alicette Dockery-Cornilus
Benicia Berkeley Crockett Danville Fairfield Fairfield Fremont Fremont Fremont Fremont Fremont Livermore Martinez Oakland Oakland
Dwayne Martin Ling Qiao Erica Rodriguez Christopher Ryals Belen Barquin Dominique Covarrabias Faro Jonah Fernandez Felipe Haro Miguel Plaza Sarmila Dahal Alan Gallardo Phillip Alexiou Cesar Culverhouse Salmazteca Alvarez Ram Giri Deanna Jack Anne Budash
Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Richmond Richmond Richmond Richmond Vallejo Walnut Creek
Seasons Greetings from Branch 1111 FTOs! Jose Ochoa, Narciso Paderanga. Francisco Cabrera, Mary Phelps, Ed Fletcher, John Ferreira, and Julie McCormick
There is no Branch Meeting in December. See you virtually in 2021