National Association of Letter Carriers

There is a happy logic in the thought that when you've hit bottom, there's nowhere to go but up.

2020 was just that type of year ...

As the madness and horror of this year drags itself across the finish line, may all of us at Branch 25 take this opportunity to wish all of you and your families a shiny, happy and prosperous 2021.

NALC Branch 25 Monthly Meeting
Jan. 5, 2021 ... 08:00 PM EST
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A Letter Carrier at Christmas time ...

A rare breed during the best of times. A national treasure this year in particular.

To all the amazing carriers of Branch 25, congratulations on an incredibly difficult job well done. May you and your families enjoy a most happy and healthy holiday season.

Breaking news has a number of memorandums of understanding centered around COVID-19 issues being extended through next March.

MOU M-01932 covers five prior MOU's and you can find more to the story on the NALC website.

Please click right here to read President Fred Rolando's statement on this situation.

NALC Branch 25 Monthly Meeting
Dec. 1, 2020 ... 08:00 PM EST
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It's almost scholarship time again!

We have added a PDF with all the relevant info on the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Annual Scholarship. It is available on the "Carrier Resources" page and you'll also find a link on the home page

Best of luck ...

Because we need to see this ... You Tube

After a long election season, change will come at last. Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. has fought and won the good fight to become the 46th President of the United States.

As the hard work begins, may our prayers be with him ...

From the NALC National website ...

Nearly one hundred million early votes have been cast, two-thirds of which have been delivered by the Postal Service and letter carriers.

NALC members around the country have been working tirelessly to ensure that every ballot placed in their care is delivered to local election officials by Election Day. The protocols put in place by the joint election task force have proven to be successful. While there have been a few issues identified around the country, each has been quickly identified and addressed thus far.

This commitment and dedication of postal employees throughout the pandemic and this election season should be commended. Since its establishment 228 years ago, letter carriers have been and will continue to be the backbone of the United States Postal Service. They have been and will continue to be reliable messengers who rise to the challenges faced by this country and transcend chaos to deliver for the American people.

We are confident that when this election season ends, it will be clear that the efforts of letter carriers and other postal employees were critical to preserving our democracy.

NALC Branch 25 Monthly Meeting
Nov. 3, 2020 ... 08:00 PM
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As reported back in September, the annual leave carryover has increased to 520 hours for the year 2021.

Now, this change will also affect the lump-sum terminal leave payments for those preparing to retire in the new year.

Here's the story from the NALC website ... referring to the MOU M-01928 here.

Bowing to the pressure to do what's right and decent.

From The Hill website ...

"Hey, let's be careful out there."

Those of us old enough to have watched "Hill Street Blues" may remember Desk Sergeant Esterhaus and his wise words, imploring his charges before they'd hit the mean streets each episode.

Now, it wouldn't be such a bad idea if we kept those same words in mind each morning and all day.

This opinion piece from The Hill website outlines how service cuts to postal police and inspection services are figuring into the rise of mail theft across the nation.

Something else to keep in mind ...

Here's the info 4 U:

Branch 25 Oct. Meeting
Oct 6, 2020 ... 08:00 PM

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Federal judge Stanley Bastian (Yakima, WA) said he was issuing a nationwide preliminary injunction which was sought by the 14 states that sued the Trump administration and the USPS. The lawsuits challenged the Postal Service and its recent "leave behind" policy, where trucks have been leaving facilities on time regardless of whether there is more mail to load. They also sought to force the Postal Service to treat election mail as first class mail.

We're checking in with The Hill website today to get their take on the story.

"I have repeatedly made it clear to Mr. DeJoy that his actions have had consequences for many of my constituents and people across the nation. My report shows his decisions were reckless and caused significant harm to the American people."

Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) - Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee

Several stories culled from the 'Net ... keeping a wary eye on a service in turmoil.

One from the L.A. Times - one from the Washington Post.

Well ... whatever football is going to look like in the time of COVID-19, it has finally arrived !!!

The New England Patriots return to action this Sunday at 1 p.m., taking on the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. Cam Newton will be making his debut as Pats QB, looking to help redeem the Pats after their last meeting with the Dolphins at Foxboro (a 27-24 loss last season)

Wishing the Patriots all the best in their latest quest for glory ...

"We will be investigating this issue, but I believe the Board of Governors must take emergency action to immediately suspend Mr. DeJoy, who they never should have selected in the first place."

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)

The House Oversight Committee will investigate allegations that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy improperly reimbursed employees for political contributions to GOP candidates.

For the latest from the Washington Post, click right here.

NALC and the USPS have agreed to a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), increasing the maximum allowable annual leave carryover.

For leave year 2021, regular career employees will now be able to carry over 520 hours of accumulated annual leave from leave year 2020 into leave year 2021, up from the customary 440 hours.

You can access this latest MOU right here.

"It is clear that a subpoena has become necessary to further the Committee's investigation and help inform potential legislative actions ..."

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)

"We remain surprised and confused by Chairwoman Maloney's insistence on issuing a subpoena to the Postal Service in the midst of ongoing dialogue with her staff on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform to produce information in an orderly fashion. We fully intend to comply with our obligations under the law ..."

Unnamed USPS Spokesman

The House Oversight Committee has taken yet another step in its investigation of widespread operational changes at the USPS. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has been subpoenaed for all records relating to recent service delays. The deadline for compliance is Wednesday, Sept. 16.

You may read the SF Gate.com story right here.

"So amidst the media storm, NALC will continue to directly focus on what we are doing internally and externally to keep our letter carriers as safe as possible through the pandemic, to restore service disrupted by misguided directives and initiatives that have caused delays and non-delivery, to prioritize our commitment to successfully handle the increased volume of mail ballots and restore the public's confidence in our ability to do so, and to secure the pandemic-related appropriations from Congress. At this point in time, using the media to effect change would be a last resort."

NALC President Fred Rolando

Today, we have the latest posting from President Rolando. This PDF touches on several pressing issues facing letter carriers trapped in a reality most unique in the 245 year history of the United States postal system.

The PDF is right here, or you may access the accompanying PodBean podcast over here.

Stay smart ... stay safe! Happy Labor Day!

Safe to say, a headline I never saw coming!

Try and imagine what a politician could do with a 91% base in the bag ...

Here's a lifestyle piece you may have missed from the Washington Post.

Chicago Tribune ... Fox News

Newsweek ... Washington Post

ABC/MSN

Washington Post

You Tube

"Unfortunately, I do not have a time machine to take me to Monday when the drafters of this bill will learn from the Postal Service itself whether their politically motivated crisis narrative is based in reality." ... Rep. James Comer (R-KY)

Words which speak volumes. Shout out to the 26 Republicans who crossed the party line!

Business Insider • Fox News • CNBC

Hot Button
[noun], US informal
A subject that is important to people and about which they have strong opinions.

CBS News • SF Gate • NBC News

""The six-day delivery, the connection that the postal letter carrier has with the American people that gives us this highly trusted brand, and where the economy is going in the future, I think that is probably our biggest strength to capitalize on."

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

For your information ... Washington Post.

"To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded."

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

News to ponder ... Politico.com ... CNBC.com ... ABC.com

"Russia can't hack a piece of paper. That what a mail-in ballot is."

Jena Griswold - Colorado Secretary of State

"While the Postal Service earned high marks for brand recognition and public trust, the average citizen did not give much thought to the role of the institution nor its impact on the nation as whole."

Mark Weinberg

You.

It's you who get it done. Day in, day out. Rain, sleet and snow? Pfft, no problems there. Hurricanes, blizzards and earthquakes? May take a day or two, but you're back out there. When I think of this, I'm reminded of a viral drone video shot several years ago. A lonely LLV, delivering to a California neighborhood decimated by fire.

It's what you do ... and nobody does it better!

Now, possibly the greatest threats to your job and long-term security have reared their grotesque heads. A pandemic. An administration bent on tearing the whole system to shreds from within. Now, more ever, we need your day to day professionalism.

We need you.

To read a fine, hopeful opinion piece from MSN/CNN, click right here.

As always, stay smart. Stay safe. Take pride. And, thank you.

Keeping the links coming !!!

House returns for a vote this Saturday ... Politico.com

PMG DeJoy to testify before Congress ... Chicago Tribune

And, of course, Taylor Swift ... Deadline.com

The Hill.com

Boston Globe.com

NALC Website

"Every political season we treat political mail like first-class mail. It was always the priority to go out. Now they're treating it like bulk-rate mail. We recycle the bulk-rate mail that doesn't go out. But first-class mail, we always try to get it to you. We forward it if you moved, we try to find you. And now we're recycling political mail. It's supposed to go back to the candidate that sent it to us. Keeping up a log is the lowest form of accountability, the lowest form of keeping track of this mail. But we're not doing that.”

Michigan Postal Worker "Anonymous"


"As Postmaster General, you have a duty to our democracy to ensure the timely delivery of election mail. Millions of Americans' right to vote depends on your ability to get the job done."

U.S. Senate Democrats - from letter to PMG Louis DeJoy


"They don't have the money to do the universal mail-in voting. So therefore, they can't do it, I guess. Are they going to do it even if they don't have the money?"

President Donald J. Trump

Strange reading for weird times ...

Washington Post

New Yorker Magazine

Vice News

Senate Letter to PMG DeJoy (Aug. 12, 2020)

House Letter to PMG DeJoy (Aug. 12, 2020)

"One of the things that's led to a lot of head scratching is how some of these folks have been reassigned. We're not sure he (PMG DeJoy) put the right players in the right spots, but maybe he sees something we don't. We're all going to wait and see and hope he's done the right things, but who knows?"

Anonymous - USPS, Washington, D.C.

"It seems like they're just trying to turn customers away from the Post Office ..."

Jim Sizemore, APWU Local 164 Cincinnati, OH

"As they risk their health each day along with other front-line essential workers, letter carriers have become angry, frustrated and embarrassed by various USPS management initiatives that are now resulting in delayed mail and undelivered routes in many areas of the country."

Fredric Rolando, NALC President

The sad story continues ... read all about it!

Washington Post

Charlotte Observer

"Look, if they don't have adequate staff to deliver the mail in a timely way, then policymakers need to have a serious discussion about how to remedy that. And if American citizens and the American economy demand certain performance from the Postal Service, then we as a society and our policymakers need to figure out a way to deliver that service."

David Becker, Center for Election Innovation & Research

We know, Mr. Becker ... we know.

Click here for the Washington Post's latest take on the crisis at L'Enfant Plaza.

"Delaying mail service is unacceptable, do not continue down this road."

Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT), from a letter to PMG DeJoy.

Okay ... let's add a rare bipartisan element to the story, shall we? Just click here.

"The culture I grew up with, and of generations before me, is that you never leave mail behind. You serve the customer, you get mail to the customer. Prompt, reliable and efficient."

Mark Dimondstein - President, American Postal Workers Union

"In a presidential election year when many states are relying heavily on absentee mail-in ballots, increases in mail delivery timing would impair the ability of ballots to be received and counted in a timely manner - an unacceptable outcome for a free and fair election."

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), from a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

"Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?"

Johnny Rotten - Sex Pistols 1978

To borrow a line from the Washington Post ... "Democracy Dies In Darkness". The selection of recent news items we've linked to will hopefully shine some light on the sad situation at hand.

Washington Post.com

Business Insider.com

International Business Times.com

The Hill.com

Mother Jones.com

"It's just asinine to think that you can shut something down or throttle it back in terms of the pandemic when basically the lifeline for voting and democracy is going to be in the hands of the Postal Service."

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)

Time magazine has it's take on this disturbing and still developing story. Please click here to check it out.

"The Postal Service must make immediate, lasting and impactful changes in our operations and in our culture."

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

Major changes in how we do our jobs are in the wind ... and like a Category-5 hurricane, are headed straight for us. The fallout is sure to further damage a national institution stretched thin in the time of COVID-19. And just ahead of the most crucial election in American history.

To read more, please click this link.

Well ... apparently there WAS no meeting !!!

In a unilateral move, the United States Postal Service has decided to implement a new "delivery initiative test" without the participation of ... the letter carriers union.

The Expedited Street/Afternoon Sortation test (an extension of the Expedited Preferential Mail program) will be rolled out in 384 sites across the country later this month.

Locally, Beverly and Lawrence are the only two Branch 25 offices to be included in this program.

For further details, you can read the rest of this sordid tale by clicking here.

The National Association of Letter Carriers has made the latest Letter Carrier Resource Guide available to you in print.

This hard copy version of the guide can be ordered through the "Members Only" section of the NALC website.

If you prefer a more tangible reading experience, please click here. Please note that you will need your log in information or you'll have to create an account.

Over the past several years, the number of fire hazards among our aging LLV fleet has risen sharply. Some of these LLV's have already surpassed the 30-year mark in age.

When performing your daily vehicle check, make sure you look underneath the truck for any fluid leaks. When starting the vehicle, be aware of any smoke or questionable odors.

During your work day, if you should see or smell any smoke, vacate your vehicle immediately and dial 911. Get as far away from the vehicle as possible to keep safe. Do not attempt to empty the vehicle of its contents. Above all, protect your safety and the safety of anyone in the immediate area.

The Vice News website recently posted a story on this situation right here.

A revived, more ambitious Postal Service is a giant infrastructure project—only instead of laying asphalt or stacking concrete, it would deploy human potential and the spirit of civic duty ...

A story worth a few minutes of your time. Click here to read this fine editorial from The New Republic magazine.

As always ... keep smart and stay safe.

Resolve. Integrity. Responsiveness.

All fine qualities which describe the work you do each and every day ... even during a pandemic.

The Harris Poll Essential 100, which ranks corporate response to the COVID-19 emergency, placed the United States Postal Service at the top of the heap.

Read the story from the PR Newswire website by clicking right here.

Stay safe ... and as usual, great job!

National Dog Bite Prevention Week begins this coming Sunday, June 14th.

The numbers might be trending downward slightly from last year, but it's no cause for celebration. 5,803 attacks on letter carriers were reported for 2019. Make sure that you have "situational awareness" when dealing with customers and their four-legged friends.

This enlightening story from the PR Newswire has good information and host of handy tips for you.

I've said it in this space before (I said it last year, as a matter of fact) and I'll say it again ...

It's a very fortunate letter carrier who doesn't have a dog attack story to tell ...

"As a union, we aim to be an organization that brings together members of all races, creeds and ethnicities in the spirit of love and solidarity."

NALC President Fred Rolando

Just when you think a global pandemic is enough to deal with, the world finds another way to tear itself apart.

The global protests, triggered by the unwarranted killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, have affected cities nationwide. Postal property and letter carriers have been directly affected by the chaos.

Click here to read President Fredric Rolando's statement from the NALC Website.

We've just added your Local Memorandums of Understanding right here on site. These handy-dandy PDF files are ready for easy downloading.

Available to you by clicking the link on the right hand side of this page (just underneath the "WakeUp!" button).

Thank You, John Oliver !!!

If you've ever seen the show, you'll know the drill. There's a little profanity, a lot of silly humor and a well researched story.

The trials and tribulations of the USPS were displayed on this week's main segment.

If you need a bit of humor today, please click here to watch the clip via YouTube (about 18 min.).

With PMG Megan Brennan's retirement looming, it was inevitable that the position would need to be filled. Now, the USPS Board of Governors has done so.

The Washington Post has an overview of the situation. Access it by clicking here.

Read the take from the Salon.com website right here.

Please check back for the inevitable updates ...

Pro-Postal Service items continue to appear in the press during this pandemic, underscoring the important work we all do for the nation throughout these trying times. ...

One man's point of view regarding how vital a service we provide to so many small businesses across a struggling nation. Undoubtedly, one story among many:
If The U.S. Postal Service Sinks, So Does My Business.

A story for those among us who value poll numbers (like politicians, for example):
Americans Support Postal Service Bailout, Polls Show.

From "Small-Town America", an appreciation:
Here's What Trump doesn't Understand About The Magical, Vital Postal Service.

Finally, even though it aired before 9 a.m. on a Sunday, stories like this on a major cable news network like MSNBC do help reinforce the facts that we all take for granted:
The Power Of The Post Office - Ali Velshi, Weekends at 8 a.m.

Stay strong ... stay safe!

Worldwide pandemic aside, we are still professional letter carriers ...

As such, normal (remember normal?) safety-related issues remain of the utmost importance. Like dealing with extreme summer heat for one.

We are adding a safety memo from Manuel L. Peralta Jr., NALC Director of Safety & Health, regarding the Heat Illness Prevention Program (HIPP). This is the USPS's "Heat Stress Recognition and Prevention" training course. You can access the safety memo with one click.

And by clicking here, you can access the letter of April 9th from the USPS which is referenced in Director Peralta's memo.

As always, stay safe out there. Now more than ever!

"“The Postal Service is a joke because they're handing out packages for Amazon and other internet companies and every time they bring a package, they lose money on it.”"

Donald John Trump - 45th President of the United States

Sometimes, there are no words ...

Please click here to read a story hot off the presses of the Boston Globe website.

Found on the Web ...

From the AL.com (Alabama) website: "A Love Letter For The Post Office" by Kyle Whitmire.

Appreciation. Maybe you don't hear it every day. Hopefully you do. But as your days get harder during these unprecedented times, please know that so many Americans feel the same way as Mr. Whitmire does.

Stay healthy out there ...

"Even if a rate increase generates revenue, that money would be marginal to the total Postal Service debt, almost all of which comes from a congressional requirement to prepay pension and retiree health care costs for all employees, even those who haven't yet retired."

Lori Rectanus - Director of Physical Infrastructure, G.A.O.

We know ...

As the letter carriers, clerks and mail handlers of the USPS courageously struggle and suffer through the most challenging times we've ever known, dark forces of a more political nature continue to converge against all of us.

Here is a story from MSNBC pondering some of these political calculations (BTW, the answer to the opening question of this post lies within the postscript of the MSNBC story ...).

There are many who are very much on our side ... a few stories will offer testimony to this:

From the Chicago Sun Times: "Don't let Trump starve the Postal Service to improve his reelection odds."
From The Boston Globe: "The Postal Service Has Never Been More Valuable–Or More Endangered."
From Bloomberg News: "Don't Kill the U.S. Postal Service. Unshackle It."
From Salon.com: "As Trump Threatens To Kill Postal Service, #SaveUSPS Pushes For Action."

As reported by the Washington Post, President Donald J. Trump has signaled that he would hold up the CARES Act over the inclusion of any funding designed to help the USPS during these extraordinary circumstances.

This story from the Business Insider website sheds some light on a disheartening situation.

Something other than another COVID update, here we have a post from MarketWatch.com. Small item regarding Nancy Pelosi's efforts to secure USPS funding for a wide-ranging vote-by-mail system and deliver equipment to those fighting the COVID-19 outbreak.

The National Association of Letter Carriers, in conjunction with the NALC Veterans Group, has released a "Veterans Guide". The guide is currently offered in PDF format and is available on our "Veterans Page".

This new guide has been developed as a quick reference with valuable information relating to military service and the Postal Service. A hardcopy version of the guide is now being printed. All current members of the Veterans Group will be mailed the hard cover version of the guide a.s.a.p. In the mean time, check out the "Veterans Page" and download a copy.

More information on the Veterans Group can be found here.

We can take pause today knowing the House of Representatives did pass their version of the USPS Fairness Act by a healthy margin. We thank all those who voted in the affirmative. And we thank all NALC members who kept pressure on their representatives. This is a major step in the reversal of the "Pre-Funding Mandate" brought about by the 2006 passage of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.

But, more work lies ahead. NALC will keep us informed regarding movement on the Senate version of the Fairness Act, S. 2965. When the call comes, NALC members will need to keep on their Senators if we wish to see more progress.

Here is a link to the NALC.org story on this event and once again here is our contact sheet for reference.

The House version of the USPS Fairness Act (H.R. 2382) could be headed to the House floor as early as next week. Let's keep pressure on our Representatives by asking them for their support. This update from NALC.org gives you information on contacting your Representative ... as does our very own Congressional Contact sheet.

NALC and USPS have come together on a national-level grievance dealing with the career status of City Carrier Assistants (CCA's). This agreement will affect close to 4,800 current CCA's across the nation. More details can be found here at NALC.org.

"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives ..."

Senator Ted Kennedy - August 12, 1980

S. 2965 ... the Senate version of the USPS Fairness Act. Introduced in early December of 2019, it mirrors H.R. 2382 and takes up the cause of repealing the retiree health pre-funding mandate. Union activisim helped move the House bill forward and we need to do the same with S. 2965.

As you enjoy some well-deserved downtime this Monday, please consider contacting your Senator and help them see the wisdom behind co-sponsoring S. 2965. The "Congressional Contact Information" sheet is available on the "Carrier Resources" page of our website. Enjoy your holiday ...

We have made available, for your reference, a 2016 special edtion of the Wake Up! which deals entirely with the subject of route inspections. Please read this edition, then re-read it. As your inspection date draws near, read it again. It is chock full of information that you will find invaluable as you work through the process of your inspection.

You can download it here ... and you will also find it listed on the "Carrier Resources" page of this website.