Greater East Bay Branch 1111 News Volume 41 Number 479
July 2022
A Summer to Say Goodbye
Suisun carriers bid fairwell and good luck to Fernando Castro (center)
Berkeley Station A retiree Renjun Wei congratulated by FTOs Jose Ochoa and Ed Fletcher
Suisun’s James Honey at the clock one last time
Branch 1111 News
July 2022
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 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 Jose Ochoa, Executive Vice President Narciso Paderanga, First Vice President Francisco Cabrera, Second Vice President Mary Abante, Third Vice President Terrence Super, Fourth Vice President John Ferreira, Secretary-Treasurer Mary Phelps, Asst. Sec-Treasurer Jeff Valentine, Sgt-at-Arms Jacob Morgan, Insurance Officer Rickie Cox, Trustee Ray Garcia, Trustee Ron Jones, Trustee
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-Hercules, San Lorenzo, San Ramon, Suisun City, Union City, Vallejo, Walnut Creek
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Dog Days of Summer
by Berkeley DDU Carrier Justin Pastores
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS
Elizabeth Corriea, Marisela Fletcher, Irene Liljedahl, Shana Lum, 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 Editor - Joshua Pearl: joshpbranch1111@gmail.com Assistant Editor – John Jekabson: jjbranch1111@gmail.com Contributors -- Ed Fletcher, Jose Ochoa, John Ferreira, Narciso Paderanga, Mary Abante, Liz Corriea, Ron Jones, Jerry DePoe, Francisco Cabrera, Mary Phelps, Terrence Super, 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
July 2022
Branch 1111 News
HYBRID MEETING STILL ON
The Tuesday, July 26th Branch meeting will be hybrid: in-person or virtual. If the safety concerns regarding COVID19 changes, we will update the membership accordingly.
MDA RAFFLE
The raffle tickets for the 2022 MDA drive will be drawn at the July Branch meeting. Prizes include an 18-person suite for an A’s versus Yankees game, a 65 inch LG TV and three one hundred dollar cash awards. Ticket holders need not be present to win.
HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU
The following letter carriers retired recently: The Tran of Fremont; Constanza Martinez, William McManus II, and Humphrey Gee of Oakland; Debra Butler of Pinole; Richard Bronaugh of Pittsburg; Laureen Spaw of Orinda; Craig Seaton of Walnut Creek; Elizabeth Nunley of Concord; Marta Martinez and Michael Lin of Pleasanton; and Richard Murillo and Linda Martinez of Berkeley. We wish many years of leisure to all.
Alamo member Jeff Valentine has been appointed Branch 1111 Sgt-at-Arms
CONDOLENCES
Our sympathy and condolences go out to the extended family and friends of retired Vallejo Main carrier Manolo Colon who lost his father Manolo Sr at 93 and mother Elma at 89. We are saddened to announce the passing of Oakland Gold Card member and former Branch convention delegate Robert Lawson. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and co-workers. Our condolences to retired Executive Council member Christina Aviles on the passing of her husband, retired Concord carrier Manuel Aviles. Our sympathies go out their family, coworkers, and friends.
NEW APPOINTMENTS
Two Executive Council appointments were announced at the June meeting. Jeff Valentine is our new Sergeant-at-Arms, and Ray Garcia was appointed to fill the vacant Trustee position. Congratulations to both!
50/50 MDA RAFFLE WINNERS
Here are the lucky winners drawn last month: Mike Chavez - 2 A’s game tickets; Paul Peterson- 2 A’s game tickets; Rickie Cox- 2 A’s game tickets; Mike Chavez - the 50/50 pot of $40.00. If not attending, raffle tickets must be purchased by check or cash prior to the meeting. Come try your luck at the next meeting.
Oakland Laurel Station carrier Robert Sheppard receives his 50-year membership award
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Branch 1111 News
Welcome Back, Kotter? By Edward P. Fletcher, President
I may be dating myself somewhat, but here it goes. I can’t help to think that management’s poor attempt to mimic the 1975 Sitcom set in Brooklyn, New York “Welcome Back, Kotter” by calling carriers into the office titled to welcome them back is just a mere sham. The carriers I have spoken with do not feel welcomed by management. Rather, the letter carriers are treated more like “sweat hogs,” which was the de facto names given to themselves by the central character, Vinnie Barbarino (John Travolta). Another Management Tool or Ploy? Imagine that you just came back to work from a being off sick and you are not fully over your illness, but you came in anyway. The first face you see is your beloved supervisor who wants to call you in the office. It doesn’t matter how long you were off, whether it was a one week or one day or even if this is the first time that you have been out sick in a while. At first, your supervisor seems concerned, welcomes you back to work and asked you how you are. Then he/she starts to tell you that your attendance is unacceptable. Your supervisor then reads and/or hands you, a list of provisions as long as your arm that he/she believes you have violated. And lastly, your supervisor who appeared very concerned about your safety and health, instructs you and asks you to sign for the “Welcome Back,” or in some cases, “Touch Point” information. What should you do? Do you blindly sign everything put in front of you by management not to upset them? The Answer is Obviously, “No” Even though “the names have all changed since we hung around,” like it was said in “Welcome Back, Kotter,” management’s game has not. Please be advised that employees are not required to sign locally developed forms and/or for any information handed out by management as per Pre-arbitration Settlement, February 24, 1998, H90N-4H-C 95018608 (M-01302), “The issue in this grievance is whether management violated the National Agreement when a local policy was issued and carriers were required to sign off that they were present when the information was read to them. After reviewing this matter, the parties mutually agreed to the following: There is no requirement that a carrier sign that the subject information was received.” 4
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So, whether you are instructed or asked nicely, please state, “thanks, but no thanks.” There is a lot of precedence on this violation. Nevertheless, the Branch recently received Step-B Decision: # BD-300-22C which stated, “Management shall cease and desist from using a locally developed form with an option signature line and shall dispose of any such forms in their possession.” Whenever you are approached by management and asked to sign something, always request to see your Shop Steward who will advise you of your rights, and file a grievance on your behalf. Who Should Management Concentrate On? It never ceases to amaze me the lengths that management will go to blame us letter carriers for all of the ills within the Postal Service. The same Postal Service that they attempt to manage but actually mismanage. It’s not us, it’s you! The answer is themselves and their feeble attempts to act like they really care about the Postal Service, its customers and its employees. They don’t. They can speak eloquently. They can write superbly. But they cannot escape the truth. Their actions or inactions, which one cannot hide, always speak louder than words. Management fix yourself first! Fix the chronic understaffing! Fix the pay scale to reflect the areas served! Offer more benefits! And, respect and promote (not demoralize) the job that we letter carriers do as the face of the USPS! Welcome back to reality, Kotter. Now look in the mirror and get to work on fixing the USPS.
Executive Council Member Vacancy Position: As per Article 4.4 of our By-Laws, Branch 1111 is now accepting applicants for one (1) vacant Executive Council position. The position receives a monthly stipend from the Branch. Qualifications: You must be a regular member as defined by Article 5, Section 2 of our National Constitution. Duties: The duties of an Executive Council Member are outlined in Article 6, Sections 12 & 13 of our Branch 1111 By-Laws. The Executive Council meets once a month and oversees and acts on the activities, affairs, finances, policies and the overall welfare of the Branch. Deadline: Please signify in writing you willingness to serve as an “Executive Council Member” for the remainder of the 2021-2023 term of office. All applications must be received by the close of Business on August 18 2022. Send Applications to: President Edward P. Fletcher 402 37th Street, Richmond, CA 94805
July 2022
Like Two Knights Passing in a Ship By Jose Ochoa, Executive Vice President
So, these two shop stewards run into each other at the Balderdash Curio Seminar in Soupcakes, Virginia, and, as most stewards do whenever they run into each other, they talk in "grievanc-ese.” You know what really tees me off, is the fact that my postmaster, who's not really a bad guy, doesn't have the authority to do diddly squat," says Sally. Karen smiles and just listens. Sally continues, “I’ve filed staffing grievances, overtime grievances, service window grievances, maximization grievances, you name it. I got grievances up the kazoo and my postmaster tells me that he totally understands my arguments, that I'm right, that he's with me 150 percent, but that he can't do anything because he is being mandated to run his office the way he is and the District and the Area are micro-managing him into the ground and there is nothing he can do about it. So, I just handle the cases, put them together, turn them over to my Branch president and they all get appealed to the Step B Team. It's so darn frustrating, I feel like I'm caught in the role of a minor character in The Neverending Story." Karen asks, "So when you file those grievances, do you ever write a statement for the file, regarding the postmaster being totally in agreement with you, but that he can't do anything about it? Do you ever ask him who, specifically, is giving him the requirement to do what he does that violates the Contract and do you ever interview whoever person that is? Do you ever cite, among the other contractual sections, Article 15, Section 2, Informal Step A [b]' and Article 15, Section 2, Formal Step A [cl', as being violated?" “Whoa, whoa, slow down," Sally says. "What are you talking about?" Well," Karen answers, “there’s no big secret that installations are being micromanaged from the Area and District levels, that operational plans and strategies are being shoved down postmasters throats, and that a lot of things, like staffing, service windows, and the like, are not rational things to implement the way they are in many offices. It's also no big secret that if managers at the local level were allowed to have discretion on that kind of decision making, in most places, the complement would be filled by career hires, the routes that were too heavy would be adjusted. When service windows don't make business sense and serve to accelerate the number of Article 8
Branch 1111 News
violations, managers would not implement such windows. Unfortunately, higher-level management doesn't trust lower-level managers to manage, and you get micromanaging. "So, when a manager tells me that he or she doesn't have the authority to fix a grievance, I write a statement and include it in the grievance file that the manager admitted to me that he or she didn't have the authority to settle the grievance. I charge management with the violations of the Articles I just mentioned, and I ask for the name of and request to interview the manager who allegedly made the decision that is causing my grievance. "Normally, they won't let me interview the manager at the district or area level, so I include another violation of the Contract in the grievance, Article 17, Section 3, third paragraph of the National Agreement.' I also request, in writing, that I be provided any and all correspondence, mails, etc., between local management and the District the and the Area on the topic that I am grieving, requests for new career hires or increase in complement as an example, in a staffing grievance. If they don't respond at all, I add the grievance Article 17, Section 3 and Article 31 of the Contract to provisions being violated. I also ask that they provide the remedy I requested that would have been granted had the local supervisor or postmaster had the authorization to resolve the grievance." "Wow!" replies Sally, You've helped me out a lot tell you what, lunch is on me.” "Sounds great," Karen replies. "Just remember, don’t get frustrated; if you've got a problem, find the solution.” In any such discussion the supervisor shall have authority to resolve the grievance. The installation head or designee also shall have authority to resolve the grievance in whole or in part. The Steward, Chief Steward or other Union representative properly certified in accordance with Section 2 above may request and shall obtain access through the appropriate supervisor to review the documents, files, and other records necessary for processing a grievance or determining If a grievance exists and shall have the right to interview the aggrieved employee(s), supervisors and witnesses during working hours. Such requests shall not be reasonably denied. Source: Postal Record 2007
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Branch 1111 News
Postal Holidays By Narciso Paderanga, IV, First Vice President
Since the implementation of the Juneteenth holiday, we now have 11 paid holidays. It’s good to have 3 paid holidays within a 34-day period during the summer months. Of course, management must follow the prescribed pecking order when scheduling carriers to work on a holiday schedule. Management must also post a volunteer sign-up sheet prior to posting the holiday schedule no later than Tuesday preceding the week of the holiday. Check your Local Agreement or LMOU in your installation for proper procedures. Additionally, if management schedules carriers to work on the actual day of the holiday, it must post separately the aforementioned requirements. It has been recently brought to our attention that management has started a trend on not paying carriers holiday pay when he or she did not report to work when scheduled to work on his or her holiday or designated holiday. Management is merely relying on a first part of Article 11.6.C of the National Agreement. Article 11.6.C states, “An employee scheduled to work on a holiday who does not work shall not receive holiday pay, unless such absence is based on an extreme emergency situation and is excused by the Employer.” That entire provision read concurrently with Article 11.2 whereas, “To be eligible for holiday pay, an employee must be in a pay status the last hour of the employee’s scheduled workday prior to or the first hour of the employee’s scheduled workday after the holiday,” the Union may have a different position on this matter. Thus, if you are not paid holiday pay, immediately request to see your steward to initiate a grievance. Your steward will diligently investigate on the matter and decide whether to pursue the grievance based on the facts gathered. Holiday Posting. There are different rules concerning being eligible for holiday scheduling premium. For example, if full-time employees are scheduled to work after the Tuesday deadline to replace another full-time employee who was scheduled to work and calls in sick or is otherwise unable to work after the Tuesday deadline, the replacement employee is not eligible for holiday scheduling premium. However, if the same scenario occurs in order to replace a PTF or a CCA, the replacement employee would be entitled to holiday scheduling premium. Also important is the fact that a regular employee who volunteers to work on a holiday or designated holiday has only volunteered to work eight hours. Management cannot 6
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work the volunteer beyond 8 hours without first exhausting the ODL. Article 8.5.F may also be relevant during the holiday week. For example, when management gives a carrier an 8-hour day during the week of the holiday. Normally, we would argue that holiday is the 8-hour day and there is no need to give the carrier an 8-hour day. However, Article 8.5.F states that “Excluding December, no full-time regular employee will be required to work overtime on more than four (4) of the employee’s five (5) scheduled days in a service week…” So, if the carrier is scheduled to work on his or her holiday or designated holiday and works overtime, the carrier still cannot be required to work overtime on more than four of the employee’s five scheduled days. Therefore, the employee must still be provided one 8-hour day, unless the two exceptions exist which applies to ODLs under Article 8.5.G and during the penalty overtime exclusion period in December. For more information regarding the rules and regulations of holidays, scheduling, etc., please contact your steward or your full-time officer. In solidarity
Did You Know? There is a facility just for dealing with bad handwriting There are experts who decipher horrible handwriting-the Remote Encoding Center in Salt Lake City gets all of the hard-to-read mail that can’t be figured out by automated mail sorters. There are 1,000 workers who can translate scribble in an average of four seconds
Recipients used to be the ones who paid for stamps Back in the day, recipients, not senders, had to pay for stamps on letters they received. This was a problem because a lot of people would refuse letters, so they didn’t have to pay for them, and the post office had to spend more time returning them. In 1847, postage stamps that were prepaid were introduced in America to fix the problem
Mailboxes weren’t blue until 1971 It wasn’t until 1971 that the Postal Service started to paint their mailboxes blue, which is how we know them today. Before that, they were all different colors, including Army-olive green after World War 1
July 2022
Write It Down ! By Francisco Cabrera, Second Vice President
You know its come to my attention that many letter carriers don’t know what to do or act like they don’t know what to do when management makes them work off their route, makes them cross zones, threatens them or is generally abusive and obnoxious. What should you do? Write it down. Give your steward a written statement, call your union, text, message or otherwise notify your Full Time Officer (FTO). Why should it be in writing? The way our grievance system is set up, as well as the EEO system, dictates that: “If its not in writing, it didn’t happen.” Scribes were important people in Ancient Egypt. They carried out both administrative and religious function and were highly prized for their skills. The role of a scribe was an important one in Ancient Egypt. They were part of a large taskforce which helped keep track of taxes, censuses and building projects. It took great skill to become a scribe and they were highly valued throughout Ancient Egypt. There were many advantages in Ancient Egypt in becoming a scribe. Scribes were given the opportunity to live a wealthy, upper class life. Ancient Egyptian Scribes did not have to participate in manual labour and didn’t have to pay any form of taxes. They were able to live a wealthy lifestyle and were highly respected in every day life. (“Scribes in Ancient Egypt” - worldhistory.us ) I once had a shop steward who swore years ago their office had a grievance settlement that stated everybody would be paid what could amount to thousands of dollars. I had no record of such settlement. This steward had a habit of keeping a file in his backpack. Eventually the settlement was found and I had the privilege of enforcing it, resulting in the payment of over $300,000 to be divided amount the carriers in that office. What would that have happened if somebody didn’t keep a document memorializing this settlement? On another occasion a letter carrier was verbally abused by her supervisor in the street on her route, and a customer happened to overhear the abuse. The letter carrier immediately wrote a statement and even went to that customer’s home after hours and obtained a written statement from the customer. I again had the privilege of
Branch 1111 News
grieving the conduct of this abusive supervisor and took the file all the way to arbitration. We won the arbitration and the arbitrator just railed at this supervisor, calling her dishonest, stating how she continued to lie at the hearing even in the face of insurmountable evidence. This supervisor has since scurried off into the darkness of irrelevance and seems at least at the present to be too busy licking her wounds to bother another letter carrier. All this happened because the abused carrier had the foresight to follow the wise rule from Acient Egypt to -“write it down.” MDA Drawing I want to thank all of you who have contributing to “Find the Cure!” in our Branch 1111 MDA raffle. The drawing will be held at the July Branch meeting. Come see if you are a winner!
The 72nd NALC Bienniel Convention To be held August 8-12 in Chicago, Illinois Branch 1111 is sending the following compensated delegates: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17)
Elizabeth Correia Joshua Pearl Sullivan Smothers Rickie Cox Edward Fletcher Marisela Fletcher Samuel Green Irene Liljedhal Lynn Miller Petra Ortega Mary Phelps Francisco Cabrera Yolanda Duenas John Jekabson Jacob Morgan Narciso Paderanga Rubin Ramirez
The following non-compensated delegates will be attending: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
Krista Beals Shana Lum Ezekiel Bradley Paul Petersen Colleen Karnthong Ron Jones
Interesting note is that John Jekabson, Ezekiel Bradley and Sam Green all attended the last convention held in Chicago way back in 2000. 7
Branch 1111 News
Vacation time! By Mary Abante, Third Vice President
Carriers that are incapacitated for the performance of duties because of illness, injury, pregnancy, and confinement, medical (including dental or optical) examination or treatment are being targeted for discipline and their annual leave is being used instead of their requested sick leave. This is seen when management completes a “complementary” computer generated PS 3971 on your behalf when you return to work. The supervisor simply points to where the “Employee’s Signature and Date” is required and says sign here. Please note, the Remarks section on the PS 3971 is for the employees’ comments not managements. You will see management’s Not FMLA, Not IOD (Not Family Medical Leave Act, Not Injury on Duty). If this information is inaccurate simply line through it and initial. If a supervisor does not approve a request for leave as submitted, the Disapproved block on the PS Form 3971 is checked and the reason(s) given, in writing, in management’s space provided. Verify the PS Form 3971. Confirm the leave is what YOU requested not what management deems is appropriate for you. Even better, complete your own PS 3971 with accurate information and do not forget to write on the PS 3971 “copy requested”. If management refuses or delays your request for a copy, let your Steward or FullTime Officer know. The Employee Labor Relations Manual (ELM) 513.342 in part… The supervisor is responsible for approving or disapproving requests for sick leave by signing PS Form 3971, a copy of which is given to the employee. Remember… if it is not in writing, it did not happen. Management has been known to use your annual leave instead of your requested sick leave to reduce your time away from work. Bye-bye vacation, so-long Disneyland, arrivederci Italy and back to work you go. Always check your paystub to make sure you are receiving the type of leave and hours you requested. This is why it is important to save copies of your documentation. If there are discrepancies notify your shop steward or Full-time Officer IMMEDIATELY. Unfortunately, documents may show there is insufficient earned sick leave to exchange with annual leave improperly taken. In some instances, the carrier may buy back their leave incorrectly taken. As specified in ELM 513.61, if sick leave is approved, but the employee does not have sufficient sick leave to cover the absence, the difference is charged to annual leave 8
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or to Leave Without Pay (LWOP) at the employee’s option. Article 10, Section 5. Sick Leave in part… The Employer agrees to continue the administration of the present sick leave program, which shall include the following specific items: A. Credit employees with sick leave as earned. B. Charge to annual leave or leave without pay (at employee’s option) approved absence for which employee has insufficient sick leave. Employees may use LWOP in lieu (instead) of sick or annual leave when an employee requests and is entitled to time off under ELM 515, Absences for Family Care or Serious Health Problem of Employee (policies to comply with the Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA), you need not exhaust your earned leave. It is not the intent to increase leave usage (i.e., approved time off) or that every instance of approved leave be changed to LWOP allowing the employee to accumulate a leave balance. Management has some discretion; however, it is still subject to the grievance procedure. Remember, extended periods of leave without pay may affect health and retirement benefits, future pay adjustments, and leave accrual. Example (1); An employee who accumulates more than 80 hours (LWOP) will have their annual and sick leave balances reduced by the amount they would have earned during the pay period when the 80-hour mark was crossed. Example (2); For retirement benefits, the years of service calculation is not affected until an employee spends six (6) months in LWOP status in a calendar year. Knowing is better than not knowing, every time. Keep an eye on your records, save them, if you requested leave make sure it’s the leave you requested. If it doesn’t look right ask questions, speak to your Steward or Full-Time Officer. Let the countdown to the beach begin. Enjoy your vacation.
July 2022
Work Smarter, not Harder!
Branch 1111 News family and other household responsibilities. I strongly doubt an Arbitrator would sustain a discipline that management issued because you reasonably refused to work these insane hours. I would be more than confident to fight that discipline if issued. Work smarter, not harder! We at Branch 1111 have your back when it comes to these issues, so please call us when these issues come up. Love you all, be safe out there!
By Terrence Lee Super, Fourth Vice President
I know the title of my article is a little cliché, but for those who have been with the Postal Service for a while, you would agree that no matter how cliché these words are, abiding by them will help you through these stressful times where the chronic understaffing is really taking a toll on our Letter Carriers. It seems like we keep talking about the same issues, we have to get more people hired, period! We will continue to push that on the District. Anyway, an example of what I’m talking about as it pertains to working smarter and not harder is when management gives you too much mail to deliver. I know the initial response is to complain about all the extra mail you just have been given. But instead of possibly going off and/or getting loud on the workroom floor, just take the mail. Tell them that you will do the best you can, but you will most likely be bringing mail back because it will put you over the prohibited 12 hours max in a service day (that is if you get a route and a half). Let me tell you why this is important to say this exactly the way I have it here. First of all, you are telling management AHEAD of time that you’re not going to make it (don’t forget to turn in your PS Form 3996), and that you most likely will be bringing mail back. That’s going to help you towards the end of the day when you actually have to bring the mail back. Let me clarify though. We are not saying that you SHOULD bring the mail back, what we’re saying is that there are going to be times where you simply just can’t do it that day. Especially if you’re on your 6th day in a row working and have already put in 60 plus hours. Working these crazy hours on a weekly and/or monthly basis ends up becoming a safety issue. Because, you are not getting efficient rest which can easily put you in a situation where you WILL get injured or get into an accident because you’re not as alert due to lack of reasonable rest. Work smarter, not harder! Second of all, our fellow carriers are NOT robots! Management can’t expect you to work these ridiculous hours. It’s extremely unreasonable. So, what you have to be able to do is not only know your rights, but not be afraid to respectfully enforce them. By doing this, you are putting into the practice of working smarter not harder. Why would you stress yourself out by angerly going back and forth with your Supervisor? That within itself can drain the energy out of you. Now your going out to your route already tired, frustrated, and angry! The energy you spend going at it with management can leave you discouraged and wanting to go home. So why put yourself through all of that. Work smarter, not harder! Third of all, one of the reasons carriers get stressed out is because they don’t want to get in trouble by management for not doing what they are instructed to do. Here’s the thing though, you are a human being that has a
Recently deceased Oakland retiree and Gold Card member Robert Lawson when he attended the 2018 NALC Convention in Detroit
Route Evaluation and Adjustment Team Update
Branch 1111 members Jacob Morgan and Joshua Pearl have been selected to the Route Evaluation and Adjustment Team (REAT) Jacob is the District Lead for the NALC. The Technology Integrated Route Evaluation and Adjustment Process is a joint partnership between the NALC and USPS. The program begins this month and will run through at least May of 2023. A detailed explanation of the process can be found starting on Page 17 of this month’s Postal Record. We strongly advise our membership to familiarize themselves with the process and the technology that will be employed to complete the Route Evaluations and Adjustments. The data being used in the process is already being collected and it will benefit our members greatly to be educated on the process. 9
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THE LIFE OF THE POSTAL SERVICE By Berkeley Chief Steward, Liz Corriea
Some carriers who haven’t been in the Postal Service very long would not know how it was in the past. So much has changed over the years, some good, some not so good. I can remember when we used to case up our own mail, now it’s done by machines. Our routes averaged about 4 hours of delivering on the streets, now it’s 6 hours or more. What I liked the most was our starting time, which when I was hired, was either 6:00 or 6:30 in the morning. You could have a life after work, even if you did overtime. There was enough time to have dinner together or have some kind of activity with your family. But now that is taken away from most of us. Many years ago, Berkeley had social events like parties for holidays. We even had our own workout room, which included exercise equipment. Which, by now, is probably all rusted. At that time, we worked hard to raise money for the equipment and used the room to work out. Anytime after work or as long as you were off the clock, you were welcome to use the facility. This workout room also had showers. Now it’s probably all rotting away. We even had a coed softball team which was completely for fun, but if we were to have one now, no one could participate because we wouldn’t have time due to the long hours of work. There used to be Time Keepers who monitored and made sure you were paid appropriately. Now we have supervisors to rely on, and since our Time Keepers were taken away, we have more errors than before. Brothers and Sisters please be sure to keep track of working hours. If it doesn’t look right have it checked out. Accountability was a very important issue, especially when it came to accountable mail, arrow keys, etc.… You could be disciplined for losing an arrow key or accountable mail. Now it doesn’t seem to matter, at least in my office. So much has changed over the years, can’t say it’s for the better, but those of you who have been around a long time will know the difference. THE BERKELEY BLUES NEWS! Well, no change for the better is happening in Berkeley, other than I do see some new PTFs coming through, which is a positive note. However, everything else 10
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is still in chaos. Everyday, your SDO is being cancelled. We’re working beyond the 12/60 hours, and yet Berkeley management is refusing to pay for those violations. Unbelievable! Many carriers are so exhausted by work, and pushed to the limits, that they have to call in sick. Then management may discipline you for your attendance. WOW! Where’s the love and commpassion for one’s being? If you are working beyond the 12/60 hour limits and you are too tired, it’s your call. No one else knows how you feel. So let management know when you are too exhausted to finish, but be prepared to fill out all the necessary paperwork for not completing your route. “Knowledge is Power”
Retired after 39 years, Berkeley DDU carrier Ricardo Murillo stopped by the Branch to drop off some no longer needed uniforms
July 2022
Branch 1111 News
President Rolando appoints Branch 1111 member Colleen Karnthong as RAA for Region 1 NALC President Fredric Rolando appointed Greater East Bay, CA Branch 1111 member Colleen Karnthong as a regional administrative assistant (RAA) for Region 1 (California, Hawaii, Nevada and Guam). She fills a vacancy created when Rolando appointed Region 1 RAA James D. Henry as NALC vice president. Karnthong began her postal career in Walnut Creek, CA, as a part-time flexible (PTF) in 2006. She became a shop steward in 2008 and was activated as a Formal A designee and chief steward in 2009. After completing advanced Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) training in 2011, she represented Branch 1111 members in compensation and related issues. Karnthong served on a dispute resolution team from 2013 to 2015. Beginning in 2015, she served as a full-time branch officer in the capacity of third vice president, then second vice president, and has served the union as a letter carrier congressional liaison (LCCL) and as an arbitration advocate for Region 1. She was appointed a regional grievance assistant (RGA) for Region 1 in 2019. A hearty congratulations to sister Karnthong from the membership of Branch 1111!
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July 2022
July 2022
NALC Branch 1111 Balance Sheet As of June 17, 2022 ASSETS Current Assets Bank Accounts 100 - Petty Cash 213.96 126 PPCU-50 166,353.20 Mechanics Bank Accounts 231,935.78 PPCU-Acct 70 25,638.83 United Bank Accounts 211,358.01 Total Bank Accounts $635,499.78 Other Current Assets Total Current Other Assets 41,313.15 Total Current Assets $676,812.93 Fixed Assets 189 - Accumulated Depreciation -156,914.57 190 - 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 $ 389,294.56 TOTAL ASSETS $1,066,107.49
Branch 1111 News LIABILITIES & EQUITY Total Liabilities Net Revenue 3900 Unrestricted Net Assets Equity
$-12,195.67 -34,580.96 1,112,884.12 $1,078,303.16
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
$1,066,107.49
Berkeley DDU carrier and Illustrator Justin Pastores demonstrating his dog defense pose
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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS GREATER EAST BAY BRANCH 1111 402 –37TH STREET RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA 94805- 2134 (510) 237-5111
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CONCORD CA Permit 1
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Christopher Fiso Anthony Gray Kelli Pitre Phuc Truong Francisco Cruz Leonard Ramiro Latoya Clanton Vanessa Garcia Prado Jason Gathercole George Kolokihakaufisi Vida LePol Temnit Daniel Vincent Lee Filemon Melendez Daniel Ramirez Jatinder Malhotra Irina Marks David Jarez Deneisha Dudley-Orr Maria Huiton-Baez Ana Mendoza Matthew Blancas Alexis Esquivel Zange Williams Jenny BlackDeer Quyen Huynh Chang Om Matthew Burke
Alamo Alameda Alameda Alameda Antioch Antioch Antioch Antioch Antioch Antioch Antioch Berkeley Brentwood Concord Concord El Cerrito El Cerrito Fremont Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Oakland Pittsburg Richmond Richmond San Ramon Vallejo
Oakland Civic Center retiree Humphrey Gee casually clocking out for the last time. Congrats and good luck!
On July 26th, the Branch will hold a hybrid in-person/virtual meeting. Call the Branch Office at 510-237-5111 if you’re interested in taking part. Meetings will now be counted as official