May/June 2023 Branch 1111 News

Greater East Bay Branch 1111 News Volume 42 Number 487

May/June 2023

ELECTION NOTICE This is official notice to the membership of Branch 1111, Greater East Bay, California that nominations for the election of Branch Officers will be held at the regular monthly general meeting, 7:00 pm, August 22, 2023, at the Branch Office, 402 37th Street, Richmond, CA 94805. The term of office is two years, beginning with the installation of officers at the November 28, 2023, Branch Meeting.

Nominations will be held for the following Branch offices: President, Executive Vice-President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, 3rd Vice-President, 4th Vice-President, Secretary Treasurer, Assistant Secretary Treasurer, Insurance Officer, three Trustees, seven Executive Council members and a Sergeant-at-Arms.

All candidates for office must be present at the Branch meeting when nominated and/or signify in writing their willingness to serve if elected. Nominations may also be made in writing but must be received by the Secretary Treasurer before nominations at the Branch meeting, August 22, 2023.

Candidates must verify that they have not held, accepted nor applied for (voluntarily or otherwise) a supervisory position in the Postal Service in the 24 months preceding nominations. Candidates may accept a nomination for only one office.

Nominations for delegate to the State and National conventions will also be held.

The candidates elected President and Secretary Treasurer shall be compensationeligible delegates by virtue of their offices.

The election will be conducted by secret mail ballot. Ballots with instructions will be mailed to the home addresses of all eligible members in good standing on or about September 13, 2023. Write-in votes are not permitted.

Eligible members who have not received a ballot must contact the Branch office right away. The results will be announced at the October 24, 2023, General Membership meeting.

FOOD DRIVE PHOTOS INSIDE

See pages 8 and 9.

Branch 1111 News

May/June 2023

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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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS

Chris Calica, 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, 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

May/June 2023

Branch 1111 News

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS The winners of the 2023 Branch 1111 Katherine Ellis Scholarship will be honored at the June 27 General Meeting.

The four winners are as follows: Matthew Royce son of Pittsburg member Michael Royce; James Hutalla son of Concord member Aldwin Hutalla; Michael Ang son of Concord member William Ang; and Haneum Kim whose parent is Young Kim of Pleasanton. Congratulations to all the outstanding scholars.

Last punch for William Ang in Concord.

HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU The following letter carriers retired recently: William Ang of Concord; Ki Siphanthong and Jia Liang of Oakland; Rolando Ouibol, Dai Li Yu and Wai Pang of Fremont; Tai Ly of Richmond; Daniel Hsieh of Vallejo; Zhi Wang, Jerry Porter and Stephen Saunders of Danville; Dolores Bueno of Union City; Michael Diamond of Pleasanton; Carlos Del Rio of San Ramon; Oswald Jacob and Angel Pagan Jr. of Berkeley; and Willie Jackson of El Cerrito.

We wish many years of leisure to all.

MDA RAFFLE Drawing for the Branch 1111 MDA Raffle prizes will take place at the June 27 General Meeting. You need not be present to win. Last year $7,000 was raised for MDA. We hope for more this year.

Newly converted and stylishly outfitted Benicia PTFs Xudong Wang and Luis Curtolo are ready to tackle the job

BRANCH PICNIC The Branch Picnic is on again! It will be held on Sunday, June 25th at Kennedy Grove in El Sobrante. BBQ will be catered by Back Forty Texas BBQ. Volunteers are needed to help set and clean up, bring coolers and canopies, pick up pony kegs, ice as well as help coordinate events. Make your plans now to attend.

50/50 RAFFLE WINNERS The MDA 50/50 winners at the April Branch meeting were as follows: Oakland As tickets went to Ray Garcia, and two sets to Francis Swint. The cash prize of $75.00 was won

by Jeff Valentine. The winners in May were: Oakland A’s tickets to Pete Petersen, Rickie Cox, Ray Garcia and Jeff Valentine and the cash prize of $37.50 to Leticia Sanchez.

Come try your luck at the next meeting.

Danville carrier Edmundo Cora delivering the goods

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Branch 1111 News

Our Continuing Fight to Improve Our Quality of Life

By Edward P. Fletcher, President

As your President and in our continuing efforts to improve the quality of life for all brothers and sisters in Branch 1111, I wrote the following article in the June 2023 Postal Record: Greater East Bay, California “The continuing chronic understaffing in Branch 1111 is extremely bad. Carriers are frequently worked more than 12 hours a day, there is no quality of life, attrition rates are above 50 percent, and the fatigue and stress levels are unhealthy.

The starting wages are too low, the cost of living is too high, and there is too much mandatory overtime, even on Sundays.

M-01968 did not fix it (Band-Aid), and it hurts us because no dues are paid. We must increase the starting wages above $26 an hour. The higher wages will slow down attrition rates, reduce mandatory overtime and improve the overall quality of life for all letter carriers. I believe our pay schedule should be shortened to eight years, with Steps AA-C tossed out. We can accomplish our goals through unwavering negotiations, or in arbitration. Too many crimes are being committed against our brothers and sisters in Branch 1111. We have had armed robberies (guns/knives), a carrier punched in the face, and locks shot out of the back of LLVs. Many carriers have suffered PTSD. There have been numerous smash-and-grabs.

We need more law enforcement resources allotted to stop these crimes and to prosecute the criminals. Postal inspectors should be used to protect us from the criminals who assault letter carriers and steal postal keys, mail and packages. If we do not do more now to stop them, these crimes will spread like wildfire. Now is the time to stop talking and start doing more to protect our carriers who put their lives on the line to deliver the mail. We must do whatever we can to protect our families, our jobs and our communities. We must fight like hell to accomplish our goals.”

In solidarity — Edward P. Fletcher, Branch 1111

May/June 2023 period would be addressed through an interest arbitration process, which would result in a final and binding decision on the contents of a new national agreement. The parties would select a neutral arbitrator to chair an arbitration board that would also include one management and one union arbitrator.

Further updates will be provided as the process moves forward (see NALC.org).

What Happens to Successful Bids After May 21, 2023?

On June 6, 2023 the following information was posted on the NALC website concerning successful bids during the ongoing negotiations. “The USPS and NALC have renewed the bidding procedures outlined in Article 12.3.A of the National Agreement, effective May 21, 2023. This renewal allows city letter carriers to continue bidding on, and subsequently be awarded, vacant job assignments during the ongoing contract negotiations and in the event the parties come to an impasse and proceed to interest arbitration. Successful bids following May 21, 2023, will count toward the maximum bids established in the next National Agreement.

A letter dated June 2, 2023, from USPS acknowledging this renewal (M-01994) can be found in NALC’s Materials Reference System on the NALC website.” Once our new contract is settled, it will show what was agreed to for the number of success bids under Article 12.3 of the CBA. How Much Annual Can we carryover into the 2024 Leave Year?

Step 4 Decision # M-01993 – April 24, 2023, states, “Memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the agreement of the national parties to allow regular work force career employees covered by the USPS-NALC National Agreement to carry over 520 hours of accumulated annual leave from leave year 2023 to leave year 2024. Provisions in the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) regarding payment of accumulated leave are not changed as a result of this MOU, which expires December 31, 2024.”

Please note that this MOU does not change the maximum annual hours that a carrier can get paid into retirement and/or when leaving the USPS, which is still 440 hours.

National Negotiations Update

The Rising Tide Lifts All Boats!

NALC and the Postal Service have agreed to continue negotiations on a new collective-bargaining agreement. The current agreement, which was set to expire at 12 o’clock on the evening of Saturday, May 20, will remain in full force until a new negotiated or arbitrated agreement takes effect. A mandatory 60-day mediation period will follow, as required by statute. NALC will continue to work toward reaching a negotiated agreement with the Postal Service during this 60day period. Issues that remain in dispute after the mediation 4

“Although it is true that only about 13 percent of American workers are in unions, that [13 percent] sets the standards across the board in salaries, benefits and working conditions. If you are making a decent salary in a non-union company, you owe that to the unions. One thing that corporations do not do is give out money out of the goodness of their hearts.”

– Molly Ivins

May/June 2023

Continuing Understaffing

By Narciso Paderanga, IV, First Vice President

As we await the outcome of the negotiations for a new national agreement, City Letter Carriers continue to work very hard, work very long hours with minimal days off to recuperate.

Understaffing is still an issue with no relief in sight. Non ODL Carriers being mandated to work overtime constantly, sometimes being subjected to discipline for not following instructions of being sent back out to deliver more mail after completing their assignments. In some occasions, full time carriers are pulled from their own routes to work in another station. The latest egregious violation is PTFs being sent to other installations to work on Sundays while there are available ODL carriers at the gaining installation.

Management act like the 2019-2023 national agreement doesn't exist anymore since its expiration on May 20, 2023. Do we have to remind Management that the previous contract, although expired, has to be complied with until the next agreement is ratified?

Sometimes local management will do everything to get the mail delivered with total disregard of the Contract. Sometimes the instructions come from the District level. Either way it's still a violation and we must continue this never ending battle.

I know how frustrating it can be when you are put in a situation of which you don't want to follow instructions. If safety is involved in having to follow such instructions, you can choose not to follow their instructions. But always be mindful when choosing not to follow instructions because failure to follow instructions is one of the main reasons carriers are issued discipline.

Always request for a Shop Steward/ Union Representative in the event a similar situation is upon you.

ACCOUTABILITY IN THE POSTAL SERVICE

By Liz Corriea, Berkeley Chief Steward

I’ve been in the Postal Service for a long time, in which I can say I have seen changes that are not necessarily good for all.

It mostly involves the everyday routines, the flow chart is what we should be following. However, the recent flow chart for Berkeley is disputable, and may or may not be grieved. Perhaps everyone should look at their chart to see if it makes sense. Having clerks available is one of the biggest issues in Berkeley. How is it going in your stations?

Most of these issues are grievable, but that doesn’t work in Berkeley. Even after being told by the Step B Team to “cease

Branch 1111 News and desist,” Berkeley management just ignores the decisions, and continues to do wrong.

BBQ in May

I, along with Petra Ortega and Shauna Lum had the honor of attending Congressman John Garamendi’s BBQ on May 6th. I have been their numerous times before but when COVID hit, it was put off. I usually get lost on my way there, but this time I didn’t. The BBQ’s have been outdoors, but because of the rain this time it was indoors in the barn, and the food which was catered was super tasty. Before we went to the barn, we were able to have a VIP get-together at the Ranch House which is a western and Native American site. It is a beautiful home and Congressman Garamendi has a big family, and his wife Patti is so nice. They are both very supportive of the Letter Carriers.

BERKELEY BLUES NEWS

Some positive things have been making Berkeley Post Office a little bit better, due to the fact that we have seen a lot of new faces known as PTFs. We welcome them, as they have been desperately needed for some time now. However, keeping them is another subject, and in time we will find out who stays and who will move on.

We have had some injuries, and unfortunately you suffer twice. First is the direct injury itself, and secondly when management decides you deserve some kind of discipline for having the injury. Maybe that’s happening in your office as well.

I can’t imagine that anyone would deliberately want to injure themselves. Perhaps there are some, but that is ridiculous to me. So, if you come to Berkeley, and get injured know that you will be rewarded with discipline.

Berkeley is still unorganized, with new supervisors who probably have not been in the Post Office for very long. I really don’t see them putting real effort into getting Berkeley in shape.

Safety talks have been given more often than before, which is a good thing. Let me share a safety issue that recently happened to me, and maybe it has happened to you too.

I wrote up my vehicle because it has some issues, and should not be used. I had to take another vehicle, which pisses me off, because most likely I would have to clean it before using it. But I know it is the right thing to do.

I couldn’t have any mechanics come to fix my vehicle. So, to ensure that it would not be used, I took those keys with me.

After a while of delivery, I had to come back to the office as I was feeling ill. It was then that I discovered that my vehicle, which I had just written up earlier, was full of mail, all the doors were open, and a key was hanging out of one of the doors, plus nobody was around. Later I found out that my supervisor was having a 204B use the vehicle that I wrote up and bringing a portable charger with him in case he broke down.

UNBELIEVABLE! I just busted a supervisor for using a vehicle that was written up and gave it to someone else. Not to mention possibly going to deliver the mail which is both a safety violation. and a violation for performing craft work. That is what I called this scenario. Remember, it is your responsibility to check every vehicle before using it, even if someone else told you it was ok.

Knowledge is Power!

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Branch 1111 News

Joint Statement on Violence and Behavior in the Workplace (Part 2) (Part 1 was on page 6 of the March/April issue)

By Francisco Cabrera, Second Vice President

If you can’t get that and the situation doesn’t merit appealing further, perhaps a weaker case, at least get the language “supervisor so and so will comply with ELM 660 and M39 Section 115.3, 4.” ELM 660 code of conduct can still take them out. Management uses this language all the time in discipline even removals so this cuts both ways.

Next talk about the postmaster not being able or willing to hold his subordinates accountable for violations of the Joint Statement on Violence (JSOVBW). Should be pretty easy if you have been keeping tabs and filing when they fail to take additional training, (More training is one of the customary and weak resolutions we get for these type of violations) in accordance with past grievance resolutions.

Quoting a paragraph out of Director of Safety and Health Manny Peralta article in January 2014 Postal Record: “If any portion of the joint statement was violated by the behavior that we are objecting to, you need to identify which section was, in fact, violated and what behavior was in violation. For example: If you are handling a grievance that involves a lack of dignity and respect, you would want to address the clauses of the joint statement that reflect this (“...We also affirm that every employee at every level of the Postal Service should be treated at all times with dignity, respect and fairness...”).

Similarly, you might be handling a grievance that involves harassment, intimidation, or threats, and you would address that clause (“...[T]here is no excuse for and will be no tolerance of harassment, intimidation, threats or bullying by anyone...”).

Use the phrase: “There is no handbook or manual that lists displays of anger, yelling or threats to employees, as a form of managing and or maintaining efficiency.”

Quote Arbitrators B. Fields, C. Ames and many others which have opined the appropriate remedy is a written apology, cease and desist orders issued to the offending manager, a compensatory remedy, and to remove a supervisor from supervising letter carriers and his/her administrative duties.

A reminder to the Step B Team to wit that it is within the scope of the Step B parties and or an arbitrator, to remove a supervisor from his position is also in order.

Quote: the following contentions: “Any kind of abusive behavior threatens the safety and health of the carriers involved. Carriers who are threatened in any way can become impaired and unable to perform their duties safely. Thus, situations involving abuse and intimidation place such carriers at risk.

Also: “the lack of treatment with dignity and respect of one another is a precedent to physical violence, and the absence of an atmosphere of mutual respect and fairness, constitutes a serious and consequential deficiency”.

Another great one is to quote Article 14.2 Article 14.2 of the National Agreement, Page 14-1 provides: 6

May/June 2023 Responsibilities. It is management’s responsibility to provide safe working conditions; it is the union’s responsibility to cooperate with and assist management in its efforts to fulfill this responsibility.

14.2 Section 2. Cooperation. The Employer and the Union insist on the observance of safe rules and safe procedures by employees and insist on correction of unsafe conditions.

Mechanization, vehicles and vehicle equipment, and the work place must be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition, including adequate occupational health and environmental conditions. The Employer shall make available at each installation forms to be used by employees in reporting unsafe and unhealthful conditions. If an employee believes he/she is being required to work under unsafe conditions, such employee may: (a) notify such employee’s supervisor who will immediately investigate the condition and take corrective action if necessary. (b) notify such employee’s steward, if available, who may discuss the alleged unsafe condition with such employee’s supervisor.

And quote M-39 section 115.4 which states: “It is the front-line manager who controls management’s attempt to maintain an atmosphere between employer and employee which assures mutual respect for each other’s rights and responsibilities.”

Also, that the Union contends language that has been found to violate Joint Statement on Violence and Behavior in the workplace includes not only obscenities and Epithets (characterizing often abusive word or threat), but also threats such as “you’ll suffer the consequences later”, as in case #E90N-4E-C94 054971/C-15316 (Arbitrator McCaffree) page 17. I’m going to have to terminate! take action! Just Cause you!

Quote that The Joint Statement on Violence and Behavior in the Workplace provides the following irrefutable right for employees: “It is a time for reaffirming the basic right of all employees to a safe and humane working environment (…) there is no excuse for and will be no tolerance of harassment, intimidation, threats or bullying by anyone(…) Our intention is to make the workroom floor a safer, more productive workplace.”

Just recently the Pacific Area has issued and reissued a Zero Tolerance Policy Statement regarding harassment and bullying and I’m sure your area has issued the same or similar reiteration of the Joint Statement on Violence. Find it online or your Branch President or Business Agent can get a copy for you.

I’d like to conclude my contentions with the following: “We simply cannot tolerate an employee with supervision responsibility that continually engages in reckless conduct, disregarding employee safety, health, and well-being".

Statistically workplace violence is underreported. Don’t be another statistic.

With the robberies affecting us lately, we need another joint statement on violence and crime against letter carriers. Imagine if management and the National union were as committed to our safety as they are to the mail or to Union elections.

Until next time brothers and sisters..., Don’t let them get away with anything! not yelling, not threatening, not bullying, not a lack of dignity and respect.

Freedom of Speech, Union, Contract Enforcement!

May/June 2023

Who’s the Boss?

By Mary Abante, Third Vice President

Carriers are given instructions by management every day.

These instructions must fall within the guidelines of the Contract. When management violates the Contract, your Union gets involved to protect your rights.

Handbook M-41112.25 Be prompt, courteous, and obliging in the performance of duties. Attend quietly and diligently to work and refrain from loud talking and the use of profane language.

There is nothing in the Contract that says carriers cannot talk while casing their mail or while performing their duties, only to refrain from loud talking and the use of profane language.

Recently, a carrier told me he heard a supervisor say, “talking is for when you leave the office, your hands should be moving not your mouth.”

What a horrible working environment! Multiple grievances have been filed on behalf of the carriers. Remember, supervisors are expected to follow the Contract just as carriers are required to do the same. It’s only natural, birds sing, dogs bark and people talk.

The final authority is the Contract.

“Benefit Beneficiaries”

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Branch 1111 News Court order changes that govern payout of your benefits.

Name and/or address change of a designated beneficiary Serious health issues or mental incompetence of a designated beneficiary or person in the order of precedence. (list pulled from HRSSC)

If you do not have a valid beneficiary form (for postal benefits) on file, benefits will be paid in the order of precedence as noted on the beneficiary forms. The main beneficiary forms for postal employees are the following: 1. Unpaid Compensation of Deceased Civilian Employee 2. Civil Service Retirement System 3. Federal Employees Retirement System 4. Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program 5. Thrift Savings Plan I would strongly encourage you to review them and see if the order of precedence is of your liking, otherwise fill out an updated form and send it in to the designated address. Not sure where to find the beneficiary forms? You can go to Liteblue or contact HRSSC (Shared Services) to get a form to fill out. On Liteblue’s HRSSC website, you can select “Benefits” then “Access Beneficiary Forms” then “Help with choosing a form” to get an in-depth description of the reason the beneficiary form is needed, where to submit them, and a link to a fillable pdf that you can save on your personal devices. www.tsp.gov would be where TSP beneficiary forms are available.

Set yourself and your family up to be prepared for the unfortunate yet inevitable.

By Jacob Morgan, Insurance Officer

Many letter carriers pride ourselves on our ability to prepare for the unexpected on a day-to-day basis at work, but how many of us are prepared for the unexpected life events that may happen? There are many sudden events which affect our families in unfortunate or tragic ways. The one certain way that we can prepare for some of these tragic events is to ensure that our beneficiaries are up to date and accurate.

When I got hired as a CCA over ten years ago, I understood very little about all the benefits that we receive upon becoming career status. I was receiving a large amount of new information that I wasn’t sure how to process or manage. I was familiar with the idea of beneficiaries but didn’t bother with filling out any forms for longer than I’m proud to admit. Over my time as the Insurance Officer for Branch 1111, I have heard a few unfortunate stories of carriers who went through a divorce, got remarried, and then eventually passed away that never updated their beneficiaries. As a result, their widow(er) didn’t receive any of the benefit payouts that they worked for years to build up because it all went to the carrier’s ex-spouse still listed on the beneficiary form.

What might prompt you to submit and/or update your beneficiaries?

1. Marriage, legal separation, divorce, or death of a spouse, child, parent, or other designated beneficiary or person in the order of precedence.

Hercules carrier Tony White hard at work

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Branch 1111 News

BRANCH 1111 2023 FOOD DRIVE

Clockwise from top left: John Abston of Hercules a 30-year union member and veteran of many food drives still going strong Alameda Post Office carriers unified in their support for their city’s food drive.

Suisun City carriers Heidi Brosas and Mittiya Doughty celebrating Mother's Day and the Food Drive Martinez carrier Michael Torreon in good spirits that day Clayton Post Office ready to go. They have barrels year-round for the Contra Costa County Food Bank.

Joel Arevalo of Rodeo bringing in some of his collections from his route

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May/June 2023

BRANCH 1111 2023 FOOD DRIVE

Clockwise from top: Martinez Post Office all in for helping those in need Carrier Michael Sawaya from the Pittsburg Post Office bringing in the food.

Oakland Eastmont carriers, despite no formal Alameda County Food Drive, raised $500 for the food bank Pittsburg Post Office all smiles and ready-to-go Pinole carriers enthusiastic for the Food Drive’s return

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May/June 2023 again, brother and sisters be safe out there and hope to see you more at our Branch Meetings!

Are you Ready for another Hot Summer?

Exploring the Oldest

Are you all ready for another summer as a Letter Carrier? Your customers definitely love to see you all out there delivering their mail despite those 90 degrees plus days.

If they offer you water please take it, your customers want to help in any way they can to get you through those long hot exhausting summer months. It is important that all of you hydrate BEFORE you go out to the street.

As you all know, this is an extremely physical job, and it takes a lot out of you. If you don’t hydrate and eat healthy during these summer months you can be a victim of heat exhaustion. Your health and safety are important to us all and we want you to be able to make it through the summer with no issues.

Management is not contractually obligated to purchase water for you but some of the offices that I represent actually do purchase water. I was able to help them appreciate that if they take care of the carriers by purchasing water for them, they would appreciate it and the morale would be a lot better.

Carriers should feel like they are appreciated and that is not shown enough by management. When people feel appreciated, they tend to want to do more for you, but management has yet to understand that. Some do, but most don’t.

If you are out in the sun and you need a break, do that.

There is no limit to how many breaks you can take in the extreme heat. Even if you have to go inside of an airconditioned building to bring your body’s core temperature down, you can definitely do that. If management gives you a hard time with that, please let us know. It is also important that if you do not feel good, please contact your supervisor and let them know. It is their duty to check on you to make sure you are not suffering from heat exhaustion.

Just a couple of other things that we want to bring to your attention is that the NALC is under contract negotiations and I for one am very optimistic about the possible outcome.

The Postal Service is not going anywhere so we need to set the Postal Service and our carriers up for success by properly staffing the offices with more carriers to help take some of the burden off of the ones who don’t want all of the overtime, and with higher pay. If we can do that, more people will want to work for the Postal Service again and actually stay.

This is a great company and we do well to take care of it. Like I always say, it’s not the best job in the world but it has kept a roof over our heads and clothing on our back.

Some have been able to even send their kids to college. The only thing we want fixed is how management treats you hardworking letter carriers. I have zero tolerance for that. So

Postal service in the United States is older than the country itself. The idea of an organized way to move mail originated in 1774 as a method to get around the nosy colonial inspectors of the British-run postal service during the struggle for American independence In 1775, multi potentialite Founding Father Benjamin Franklin became the first postmaster general, and his eponymous post office on Philadelphia’s Market Street, part of Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park, still offers limited service as a tourist novelty: Postcards sent from there are marked with Postmaster Benjamin Franklin’s cancellation stamp.

One of the country’s oldest full-service post offices that still operates in its original building is located on Main Street in Hinsdale, in southeastern New Hampshire, dating back to 1816. But it’s not the oldest post office in New Hampshire – that one is located in the port city of Portsmouth Very few of the country’s oldest post offices still occupy their original premises, even though some of those buildings still stand. For example, Washington D.C.’s Old Post Office Building on Pennsylvania Avenue – an example of 19thcentury Romanesque Revival architecture that’s on the National Register of Historic Places – operated as a post office only until 1914. In 2016, it was transformed into the Trump International Hotel – though a few months ago, the Trump Organization bowed out and it’s now a Waldorf Astoria.

The oldest U.S. post offices can be put into two historical categories: first, the period during and shortly after the country’s independence up to 1804, and second, the westward expansionary period of the 19th century, mostly between 1820 and 1867.

24/7 Wall St. used the Postmaster Finder database produced by the USPS to find each state’s first U.S. Post Office within present-day boundaries of the 50 states. The appointment date of the first Postmaster is generally considered to be the establishment date of an office. Where Post Offices originally operated under the authority of another nation — in Hawaii, Vermont, and the original 13 states — the establishment date represents when the U.S. assumed control of the postal system.

The oldest surviving post offices, dating back as far as 1775, are located in the original 13 British colonies, which later became 14 states and the District of Columbia. With the exception of locations in Louisiana and Missouri, are all located east of the Mississippi River. The newest of the second group of post offices is located way out west, in Hawaii. It was established in 1900.

By Terrence Lee Super, Fourth Vice President

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Post Offices in the United States

By Angelo Young, 24/7 Wall Street

May/June 2023

Branch 1111 News

Jerry Porter, Danville retiree, celebrating the end of an era with his co-workers and Branch 1111 officers

BRANCH 1111 PICNIC AND STEWARD RECOGNITION KENNEDY GROVE REGIONAL RECREATION AREA FRENCHMAN’S CURVE PICNIC AREA 6531 SAN PABLO DAM ROAD, EL SOBRANTE $5 REGIONAL PARKS PARKING FEE

PICNIC HOURS 10:00 UNTIL 4:00 LUNCH CATERED BY BACK FORTY BBQ 12:00-2:00 BEER, WATER, SODA, AND OTHER DRINKS PROVIDED DRAWING TO BE HELD FOR STEWARD’S RECOGNITION (NEED NOT BE PRESENT TO WIN) LOTS OF FUN FOR ALL BUT PLEASE BRANCH MEMBERS AND IMMEDIATE FAMILY ONLY

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May/June

Rodeo - Hercules Post Office carriers ready to go collect some bags of food

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Branch 1111 News

NALC Branch 1111 Balance Sheet

LIABILITIES & EQUITY Total Liabilities Net Revenue 3900 Unrestricted Net Assets Total Equity

11,918.66 -11,035.85 1,118,496.08 $1,107,460.23

As of May 31, 2023

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

$1,119,378.89

ASSETS Current Assets Bank Accounts 100 - Petty Cash 50.05 126 PPCU-50 166,436.38 Mechanics Bank Accounts 207,227.43 PPCU-Acct 70 25,651.65 United Bank Accounts 299,774.88 Total Bank Accounts $700,740.55 Other Current Assets Total Current Other Assets 44,063.78 Total Current Assets $744,804.33 Fixed Assets 189 - Accumulated Depreciation -171,634.57 190 - 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 $ 374,574.56 TOTAL ASSETS $1,119,378.89

Rodeo-Hercules carrier, Baljinder Dhaliwal hard at work

Figure 1Rodeo-Hercules, Baljinder Dhaliwal

15

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Branch Meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm at the Branch Office The next Branch Meetings will be held on Tuesday, June 27 and Tuesday, July 25