September 2020 Branch Newsletter

Greater East Bay Branch 1111 News Volume 40 Number 457

September 2020

Red Skies at Night, Not Postal Delight!

What’s next 2020?

An ominous sky, ash and smoke greets Bay Valley carriers the morning of September 9.

Above photo of Concord Post Office by Robert Recede

Branch 1111 News

September 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

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

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 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

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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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

September 2020

Branch 1111 News

Virtual September Branch Meeting The Branch is hosting a virtual informational meeting on Tuesday, September 22, with updates on any official developments locally or in Washington DC. Please contact the Branch office at 510-237-5111 for more details on how to join.

CONDOLENCES We are saddened to report the death of Oakland retiree Victor Coffield. Brother Coffield was an active and dedicated union member serving as Steward at Airport Station. Our condolences go out to his family, friends and co-workers. He will be missed by all.

HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU! The following carriers retired recently: Petra Ortega of Concord, Marcos Gomez of Oakland, Fabio Diaz and Myrna Bautista-Carpo of Fremont, Monico Dela Cruz of Orinda, and Elizabeth Chavez of Alameda We wish many years of leisure to all!

Arthur Herrera Jr. of Fairfield is congratulated on his last day by FTO Terrance Super

CORRECTION In last month’s issue we mistakenly noted that retiree Ken Wright worked in Walnut Creek. He worked in Fairfield. We apologize for our mistake.

INCREASE IN LEAVE CARRYOVER The National Office has announced that for Leave Year 2021 maximum annual leave carryover amount has been increased from 440 hours to 520 hours.

NALC and the Postal Service have agreed to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that increases the maximum allowable annual leave carryover amounts outlined in the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM). For leave year 2021, regular work force career employees covered by the USPS-NALC National Agreement may carry over 520 hours of accumulated annual leave from leave year 2020 to leave year 2021. Normally, as defined in ELM 512.321(a.), bargaining unit employees have a maximum leave carryover of 440 hours.

This agreement does not modify any other provisions outlined in the ELM, including provisions for payment of accumulated leave. The MOU (M-01928) can be found in NALC’s Materials Reference System on the NALC website.

2021 Rotating Calendar in next month’s issue

CSALC District 2 Officer Jeff Parr with retiree Margie Baria attending the Vallejo protest against the PMG

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September 2020

Branch 1111 News

Red Dawn Standing Strong

So far, 2020 has turned out to be the worst fire season in the history of California. Yet we are literally nowhere from being out of the woods. All carriers must continue to wear their masks. Not only to protect themselves and everyone else from COVID-19, but also to filter out the thick smoke and unhealthy air. Your Branch 1111 union leaders have been suggesting to the Bay Valley District for serval years to stockpile N-95 masks for California’s recurring fire seasons. The N-95 mask is better equipped to block out the unhealthy particulates in the air. It is not a political issue. It is a safety and health issue. By wearing a mask, you protect your own and everyone else’s wellbeing.

By Edward P. Fletcher, President

Waking up on the morning of September 9, 2020 in the Northern California Bay Area was somewhat other worldly, if not apocalyptic. There was no California dreaming. There were no sun-drenched blue skies. Instead, the sun was masked by a bright orange and murky sky. White ash was falling from the sky and covering everyone’s cars and homes form the numerous wildfires simultaneously burning across California and the West Coast. It didn’t feel like we were on Earth, but rather more like Mars. Yet, our brother and sister letter carriers could be seen driving their postal vehicles, delivering mail and parcels to our customers in an orange world.

That is commitment!

That is dedication!

That is the National Association of Letter Carriers!

Essential Superstars If you didn’t believe it, believe it now. All letter carriers are not only essential workers for America’s Postal Service, but they are also superstars who have risen above the worst pandemic in 100 years and Mother Nature’s continuous barrage of inclement weather.

Branch President Ed Fletcher brings donated pastries as appreciation to hard working Oakland Airport carriers

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Letter Carriers Targeted Disturbingly letter carriers, mostly from the Oakland Airport and Eastmont Stations, have become targets for criminals. In the last four to six weeks, there have been at least six carriers that have been robbed. In some cases, the criminals used guns. In other incidents, they pointed to a hidden object underneath their clothing. In most cases, the letter carriers were on park and loop routes and were either loading from the back of their vehicles or returning to their vehicles.

On September 10, 2020, the Postal Inspection Service conducted safety talks with both stations. I also was present at the standup talks. They made several statements. Don’t be a hero or try to stop them. We can replace the mail, but we can’t replace you. Please be extremely aware of your surroundings at all times. When you park your vehicle and prior to opening the back of it, look around to see if someone is watching you and/or if they have been following you.

If you don’t feel safe, get back in the vehicle, drive away and call your supervisor. If you are being robbed, cooperate and try to take mental notes of what they were wearing, if they had a scar, tattoo or some other identifying mark. If you see a vehicle drive away, try to memorize the license plate or part of it. The Postal Inspectors said that they will be in the Oakland area conducting surveillance on carrier routes.

If you think you are being followed, call your supervisor to report it. It was also mentioned that cars have pulled up to letter carriers while delivering asking about unemployment checks. Nearly every office has seen a rash of multiple EDD checks being delivered to the same address with multiple names on them.

It is important that you do not give out any information about EDD checks, follow Postal rules and regulations and refer them to your supervisor.

A New Dawn is on the Horizon It is my hope that these spineless criminals who are taking aim at our letter carriers are expeditiously apprehended and prosecuted. Please be extremely safe and more conscious than ever while driving to, arriving at and delivering your routes. I am very proud of all of my brothers and sisters who continue to answer the bell after each round for our customers and each other. We will get through this pandemic and California’s fire season.

We will see a new dawn with blue skies. As letter carriers, we have a long and proud history of standing strong.

We will prevail.

September 2020

Branch 1111 News

Help I Need Somebody, Help!

By Francisco Cabrera, Second Vice President

You feel powerless…You are told what to do from 7:30am, (maybe 8am now) to 9:30am. Then sometimes, just when you think you have several hours alone on street delivery; Bam! Your supervisor drives up to conduct street observation…

But wait, who are those fellas dressed in blue with a pep in their step?

You see the wear in their faces, but somehow they always have a positive vibe and a helpful demeanor. They have been forged in the fires of conflict and strife; threatened by the morass of ignorance and violence; spread thin like a protective tarp over the jobs and lives of their fellow workers.

Who could this be other than your NALC Shop Stewards!

we aren’t afraid of life. And the only way to not fear life is to believe that regret is the worst emotion you can feel.” (Jim Taylor PhD).

The show must go on. We will recruit, we will train, and most of all we will conquer.

Will you be one of the few, the proud, to put it all on the line?

There is nothing more liberating than to know you did all you could, no matter the consequences; that you have left it all on the battlefield.

You see when you go that extra mile for others, the world pays attention. Life rewards you more than you could ever have imagined.

Will you join us in improving the lives of letter carriers?

The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies.

-- Napoleon Bonaparte

We are always in need of those that will awaken from their slumber of helplessness, despair or resignation. We are always in need of the next generation to carry the torch of hope, the beacon of light and order. We are always in need of those that will place others’ interests above their own.

Branch 1111 and your office in particular are in need of the next generation of Union Advocates and Shop Stewards.

For in the long run who knows if the job you save will be your own…

“Along with regret is a question that will gnaw at us for every missed opportunity and chance to take action that passed us by: “I wonder what could have been?” We don’t have a crystal ball in which we can gaze into the miasma of the past to see what would have happened if we had let go of our fears and gone for it. Of course, good things don’t always happen when we take action, but I’m going to argue that more good things happen when we go for it than when we run from it. There’s another old saying that, “It’s better to make errors of commission than errors of omission.”

Even if things don’t work as planned, at least we know and, with that knowledge, we don’t spend your living (and dying) days wondering what could have been.

At the end of any given day, the past year, when I retire, or on my death bed, I want to look back on my life and be able to say “I left it all out there.” We can only do that when

Thaddeus Cabras at work in Vallejo

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Branch 1111 News

September 2020

“You Wonder Why”

Whatever issues we are currently dealing with in our workplace, in our communities and in our own lives, let’s do our best in overcoming these obstacles. There is too much negativity going on right now, so let’s be positive! “Together we stand, divided we fall.”

By Narciso Paderanga, IV, First Vice President

Long hours: Full-time regulars, part-time flexibles, and city carrier assistants have been working excessive amounts of hours on a daily basis as well as weekly basis. In some offices, notices have been posted cancelling SDOs. In other offices, however, Overtime Desired List Carriers are not being scheduled to work SDOs but management mandates non-ODL carriers to work overtime on or off their assignments. You wonder why the USPS is paying hundreds to thousands of dollars per week in violations of Article 8, the Letter Carrier Paragraph and the ELM Section 432.32. Also, you wonder why carriers call-in sick because of exhaustion after working excessive amounts of hours and not enough rest.

CCAs sent to other offices: Higher management have been continuously sending CCAs to other offices within its group of offices. It is hard enough for newly hired employees (CCAs) to get a set schedule, to be on the same route for a long period of time, to not work outside of the carrier craft, or to expect to go home after a long day of being assigned a route and section or sections on a single day. Now they also have to worry about being sent to another office with or without sufficient notification. You wonder why many newly hired CCAs have decided to resign from the USPS. Also, you wonder why you don’t have enough carriers to deliver all the routes.

Dignity and respect: As if it’s not stressful enough having to deal with the issues mentioned above, the current pandemic we face, the fires all over California that have caused these unprecedented weather or climate conditions; we should not have to deal with management who do not treat employees with dignity and respect. We are all professionals and we should all act professionally. You wonder why the morale is low in offices where dignity and respect is not practiced as well as it should be.

Disciplinary actions: Unauthorized overtime, tardiness and unscheduled absences, safety, expansion of street time, or stationary time, these are some of the reasons management issues discipline to carriers. Management is quick to issue discipline for any of these reasons. There used to be a time where carriers received awards for their exceptional or above and beyond performance.

While I know that a carrier recently received a discipline in one of the installation I represent, I can’t remember when a carrier last received one of those awards. You wonder why we as employees feel the way we feel about the Postal Service these days.

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Oakland Civic Center retiree Kenneth Smith receiving his plaque from FTO Narcisio Padarenga

September 2020

Branch 1111 News

Facial Fashion 2020 Edition Oakland Civic Center Carriers are all safely and stylishly masked up to face the perils of delivering mail in 2020

Photos by Keith Massey

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Branch 1111 News

September 2020

Appreciation Gifts for Branch 1111 Letter Carriers East Bay Letter Carriers enjoyed some delicious donated gifts from the community early in September as a heartfelt “thank you� for their dedication and hard work throughout Covid19 pandemic and the smoke-filled air from the recent West Coast fires.

Fion Li and Julie Dao of Oakland, West Grand

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Oakland, Eastmont carriers along with Branch President Ed Fletcher, displaying their boxes of pastries and cookies

Elson Siu of Emeryville

Enthused Lafayette carriers ready to dig in

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Piedmont carriers enjoying their gifted treats

September 2020

Morning treats for some deserving Danville carriers

Branch 1111 News

Alamo carriers posing with pastries

Pastries for Postal Workers The pictures on the previous page, this one and scattered throughout the newspaper are the result of a fundraiser I initiated for a small Black/Brown Women owned café on my route that was hit hard by the Pandemic. We raised $2300 from the community for the café and distributed 800 pastries and cookies to dedicated postal workers all over the Bay Valley District. Many thanks to all that made this happen.

In gratitude, Joshua Pearl, Editor El Cerrito carriers Jun Simundo, Michael Aragon and Raymond Moli enjoy their donated gifts

Jeremy Wood and Loretta George of North Oakland Sampling the goodies

Rodeo’s Kevin Bhandal taking a sweets break 9

Branch 1111 News

September 2020

Arthur Herrera Jr. 35½ Years, “Wow!” By: Terrence Lee Super, Fourth Vice President

This article, I wanted to give a special thanks to a Letter Carrier that has been a part of our Branch 1111 family for over THIRTY-FIVE years! Just saying that is awesome, anyone that has been in the workforce for a certain period of time will tell you that being at one job for that long is an accomplishment within itself. All would agree that working for the USPS is hard anyway, but for more than 35 years is even harder to believe.

Arthur Herrera Jr. has done it. This is special to me because I have had the pleasure of working with this young man. He is from my home office Fairfield and has been a guy that comes to work and does his job. That may not sound very profound, but anyone will tell you that it is extremely hard to find good, solid workers these days.

Arthur Herrera Jr. aka “ART” is one of them.

On the day of his retirement he really didn’t have any words to say, but I think it may have been because he didn’t want to get emotional. His family was there, including his son, who also works at the Fairfield Office (Tony Antonio Herrera), and he probably did not want to make them cry. It can be difficult to say goodbye to people you have worked with for such a long time. They end up being an extended part of your family. You realize you won’t see them much anymore or maybe even ever again.

That is just hard for a lot of carriers when they retire.

But with that being said, Art is someone who will definitely be missed and all of us at Branch 1111 wish him a happy retirement!

For all of us carriers who still may have a few more years to go, we thank you as well for your loyalty as Branch members and as Letter Carriers. You are the face of the USPS and we need you now more than ever to keep us going because without you, the USPS and the NALC would fail. We understand that and want you to know how extremely valuable to us you are, and we love each and every one of you.

So, from all of us at Branch 1111, we just want to thank you so much for being the proud, essential Letter Carriers you are, and keep up the great work!

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Retiree Art Herrera Jr of Fairfield loading up for the last time as his family celebrates alongside him

Want to Save the Branch Some Money?

Tired of receiving your paper copy of the Branch newspaper? Two copies coming to your house? Prefer viewing it on our website?

Good news! You can now opt out of a paper delivery and we’ll email you when the new electronic edition has been uploaded.

Email joshpbranch1111@gmail.com or call the Branch at 510-237-5111 to make the switch and save some $ in printing costs for Branch 1111.

September 2020

Branch 1111 News

POSTAL LIFE WITH PARCELS

credit for doing such a good job and hanging in there under these horrible conditions.

Elections and the Holidays are just around the corner. It al feels like were in the middle of it already. But at this rate, the worst could possibly still be coming. Be prepared, we can only do such much.

By Berkeley Chief Steward Liz Corriea

Knowledge is Power!

In all my years at the Postal Service I have never experienced this many parcels. They seem to be out of control.

I am guessing that the Covid 19 Pandemic has changed the lives of our customers who are doing a lot of online ordering. This has its advantages, for one, it’s keeping us employed. In fact, I am not sure about other offices, but Berkeley has been overwhelmed with mountains of parcels.

It has been very challenging for Berkeley when we are already lacking enough carriers to do the job. Once again, our carriers are working as late as 10:00 pm on a daily basis.

Management is mandating our carriers and threatening them that if they don’t show up, there will be “dire consequences.” However, some of our carriers are so overworked and exhausted, that at this point a good night’s sleep is likely warranted. That is more important than being unsafe by working long hours.

I even heard that we had a PTF out after 1:00 am.

UNBELIEVABLE! How do we stop the insanity? This situation will be investigated, no one should be out there at that ridiculous time, and shame on management for allowing it to happen.

Hopefully, all carriers are still concerned about being safe at all times. Because we work so much, we must not let our guard down. You should take the necessary time needed to sanitize your postal vehicle. Because one never knows when our vehicle is being used and by whom, before and after us. In fact, checking your vehicle should take a little longer than before this current pandemic. Don’t let management take that away from you. After all, it’s your life that you are protecting.

Management, in my opinion, could care less, so do what is right and protect yourself in the best way that you can. Most of us have family members who aren’t seeing much of us, but who care deeply about us. We want to be there for them.

Donated gifts of appreciation…….

Berkeley Blues It is a different postal world for us in Berkeley. For whatever reason, we keep losing carriers who quit. This makes it difficult to maintain a full staff. I can’t say that our management team is any good. Most of our managers lack the knowledge and experience on how to supervise the carriers and the office operations. Due to this misfortune, we are constantly delaying mail, both letter mail and parcel post, not to mention all the contractual violations that are occurring.

Even though it’s crazy right now for all of us carriers, there is not enough praise for our hard work. I look around my specific unit and realize the majority of carriers are over 50, except for several who are in their late forties. We have no young people in my unit, and management is pushing us as if we are all much younger. I have to give these carriers a lot of

……. For Berkeley DDU carriers

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Branch 1111 News

September 2020

Oakland Civic Center carrier Kenneth Smith (center no mask) gets a rousing send off on his last day

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September 2020

Branch 1111 News

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Branch 1111 News

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September 2020

Branch 1111 News

NALC Branch 1111 Balance Sheet As of August 31, 2020 ASSETS Current Assets Bank Accounts 100 - Petty Cash 213.96 126 PPCU-50 116,220.73 Mechanics Bank Accounts 144,386.92 PPCU-Acct 70 25,616.40 United Bank Accounts 303,835.81 Total Bank Accounts $590,273.82 Other Current Assets Total Current Other Assets $848,804.56 Total Current Assets $1,439,078.38 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 $1,009,036.38

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September 2020 LIABILITIES & EQUITY Total Liabilities Net Revenue 3900 Unrestricted Net Assets Equity

8,693.17 23,259.96 977,083.25 $1,000,343.21

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

$1,009,036.38

August 2020 protest in downtown Berkeley against the new policies implemented by Postmaster Louis DeJoy

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 Damaris Espinoza Harwinder Malhi DeAndre Smith Alejandro Gutierrez Janice Camacho Diana Perkins Desire Davis Re’Ana Brown Jesus Ramirez Fabiola Deuribe Tashi Dorjee Patrick Ford David Jacobson William Sayo Sonia Banales Gustavo Argueta Adam Hinz Mandilia Augustin Ruth Robles Patricia Jones Baneshia Lewis Selina Aguayo Dana Dutra Chang Cho Kon Huh Melvin Tiamzon John Quillan III Matthew Southward Michael Tolentino Jasmin Aguilar-Rodriguez Monica Lowder Andis Lozano Roger Baez Michael Beale Chantell Bass Hariprasad Kowtha

Alameda Alameda Alameda Alamo Alamo Antioch Berkeley Berkeley Berkeley Berkeley Berkeley Berkeley Berkeley Berkeley Brentwood Brentwood Concord Fairfield Fairfield Fairfield Fremont Fremont Fremont Fremont Fremont Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Livermore Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland

Kevin Sato Shawn Smith Ulanda Veal Nailah Wyatt Daryonna Quinn Laurielle Cuthbertson Arthur Eng Camaree McCully Varun Nand Mahmood Puktianie Darylou Quiton Karlheinz Rebing Linh Do Brianna Lawless Justin Villahueya Maria Segura Ortega Shronda Johnson Neil Escobar Robert Hays III Elvira Gonzalez Janson Govea

Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Pleasanton Richmond Richmond Richmond Richmond Richmond Richmond San Ramon Suisun City Vallejo Vallejo Vallejo Vallejo Walnut Creek Walnut Creek Walnut Creek Walnut Creek

On September 22 the Branch will hold a virtual Informational Meeting. Call the Branch Office at 510-237-5111 if you’re interested in taking part.