National Association of Letter Carriers

By the time you get this issue of the Wake Up!, the Open Season for the 2025 health benefits year will be almost over. This year has been busier than usual, with all the changes taking effect in 2025, including the switch from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) to the new Postal Service Health Benefits Program (PSHB). There have been many questions about what employees would or would not have to do. Everyone should have received a letter from OPM in October stating that if you are continuing with your current plan, then there is nothing you have to do. I still encourage everyone to use the login.gov account to check that you are on the plan you want to be on going forward.

There has been much talk about the Tentative National Agreement since it came out in October. Most members have looked at it by now and probably know how they are voting. Now, the question is: When will I receive my ballot? From what I’ve been told, ballots are being printed as I write this and will go out in the mail at the end of the week after Thanksgiving. The ballots will be due back on January 13. Historically, the percentage of members who take the time to fill out a ballot and vote has been low. I hope that this time and at any time, every member will take the time to educate themselves on the Tentative Agreement and make their voice heard by voting.

I hope for a great turnout at our December branch meeting. There will be a couple of different things going on that will make this meeting different from the ordinary branch meeting. First of all, we will be having steward appreciation night. Being a steward is a tough job. Our members who have stepped up to serve in that role for their offices are significant assets to the branch. They are out there on the front lines, dealing with all the issues that affect letter carriers on a day-to-day basis. It’s an often thankless job, and the branch appreciates what they do. We will acknowledge them at the December meeting, and it would be great to have other members from their offices there to support them.

The December meeting will also be the installation of branch officers for the 2025-2028 term. NALC National President Brian Renfroe will be there to perform the installation. December’s meeting is an excellent opportunity for members who want to hear from our national president and have not had the chance to do so at any other forums he has spoken at recently. If none of those reasons I mentioned grab your attention, we will have Chinese food instead of regular pizza in December, so come out for that. I hope to see you there!

As a reminder to those carriers who have been around a while and to those newer carriers who may not know, the penalty overtime exclusion period runs from November 30 until December 27 this year. There are a couple of things that change during the penalty exclusion period. First, during this period, there is no penalty overtime paid for work, which would be penalty time for the rest of the year. For regular carriers, that would be to work over ten hours on a regularly scheduled day, work over eight hours on a non-scheduled day, overtime worked on a carrier’s fifth regularly scheduled day, and work on the seventh day of the week. For PTF’s and CCA’s, this would mean any work over ten hours a day or over fifty-six hours a week.

The second significant change during the penalty exclusion period is that the twelve and sixty-hour work limits for a day and week are not in effect for carriers on the Overtime Desired List (ODL) or Work Assignment List (WAL) during this period. These carriers may be required to work past these limits; however, for carriers not on the ODL and PTF’s/CCA’s, there is no change to the daily or weekly hour limits that are in effect for the rest of the year. I hope to see some new faces at the December meeting!

In Solidarity,

Daniel P. Wheeler

Hopefully, every active member is now aware that the NALC has reached a tentative agreement with the Postal Service on a new collective-bargaining agreement for city letter carriers. You have most likely heard much about this tentative agreement, either in your office, online, or other places. You will read more about it from others in this issue of the Wake-Up! as well.

Some of the information may be redundant. but that’s OK. I feel like this information is important enough that a little redundancy is OK. For those members who have not looked at the tentative agreement, I would encourage them to do so. The entire document is available on nalc.org under News & Updates.

Per the NALC Constitution, ballots will be mailed out to each active member. Each member will have the choice to vote to ratify the tentative agreement or against ratifying the tentative agreement. If the majority of members vote “Yes” then the agreement will be ratified and take effect. If the majority of members vote “No” then the agreement will not be ratified. Barring an unlikely new tentative agreement during a two-week negotiating period we will then take our case to binding arbitration.

In arbitration both parties, the NALC and USPS. will make the case to the arbitrator as to why what they are proposing makes sense. There are three arbitrators involved in this process. Each side has chosen a partisan arbitrator and a third neutral arbitrator has been selected and agreed upon by both patties. The final decision by the neutral arbitrator will be binding to both parties. I don’t have any exact dates, but as soon as ballots are able to be printed up, they will be going out to each active member in the mail. There will be a few weeks allotted for the ballots to be returned. Once those ballots are returned they will be counted. The NALC president appoints a ballot committee made up of a member from each region to oversee the count.

There is a lot of information out there on this proposed agreement. Some of it is accurate and some of it is not so accurate. I hope each member takes the time to look over the agreement, ask questions if they need to, and makes the decision they think is the right one. Historically, the percentage of carriers voting on these agreements is fairly low. That’s a shame because the Union truly works best when EVERYONE is involved in the process. I understand that there is a lot in this tentative agreement. If anyone has questions regarding any of the content, please reach out to the branch office.

I would also like to mention a couple of branch officers. First is Ken Dusombre. Ken has been Branch 25’s Health Benefits Rep. for the last twelve years. Ken has decided not to continue on in that capacity going forward. Ken has provided amazing service to the branch in his tenure as HBR. Although we try to stay on top of all issues up here at the branch office it has been a great help to have someone who attends the health benefits trainings and keeps up on the extra knowledge it takes to be able to answer the members questions. Ken has always been there to respond quickly to any questions the members may have had regarding health benefits. Thanks for your service to the branch and enjoy your extra time Kenny!

Two more members of the Executive Council who will not be returning for the next term are Assistant Secretary Andy Coan and Safety Officer Jim Salvati. Andy has served as both branch secretary and assistant branch secretary over the last ten years. Jim has spent the past six years as Branch 25’s safety officer. Both Andy and Jim have done great work for the branch and were always willing to do whatever was needed. I would like to thank both of them for their service to the branch as well.

I would also like to thank the membership of Branch 25 for their confidence after being elected by acclimation for another term as branch president at the October branch meeting. The following is the complete list of election results for the 2025-2027 term:

In Solidarity,

Daniel P. Wheeler

I have written about LMOU’s in previous editions of Wake Up! but I wanted to discuss them a little further this month. LMOU stands for Local Memorandum of Understanding. Every office has its own LMOU. The LMOUs for all the offices in Branch 25 can be found on the web at nalcbranch25.com/pgs/lmou.html.

Most things we negotiate are done at the national level, however under Article 30 of the National Agreement there are certain issues that are left up to the local parties to decide. There are twenty-two items listed under Article 30 to be negotiated locally. The items that we get the most calls about here at the branch office are the ones dealing with annual leave, both prime time and non-prime time, selecting employees for the holiday schedule, and T-6 bumping issues.

We get questions from time to time on how these items get decided on or changed. Simply, they are negotiated between the branch and local management. Once our next contract is settled, be it through a negotiated agreement that is ratified by membership, or through arbitration, there will be a thirty-day time period in which these negotiations will take place.

If the LMOU is opened for negotiations, then the twenty-two items listed in Article 30 must be discussed by each side in good faith. Either side may also raise issues outside of the scope of the twenty-two mandatory issues as well. Many LMOU’s in the branch contain other items, if they are not in conflict with the National Agreement. There should be no worry that management can just take something out of the LMOU, as I have heard a few say they will do. If either side does not wish to discuss one of the items not on the list of twenty-two then there is no obligation to do so.

I would encourage every carrier to look at their LMOU. If there are items that letter carriers in any particular office wish to change, we may not know unless the issue is brought up to us. Even though the branch has negotiated these agreements many times over the years, there are always things that would benefit from making changes. Sometimes it is an actual change in policy and sometimes it’s something small like rewording ambiguous language.

I don’t have any contract update for you this month, therefore I don’t know exactly when the thirty-day negotiation window will open, but it shouldn’t be too far off at this point hopefully.

I encourage you to look at your LMOU and discuss it with other carriers in your office. Please let either your steward or the branch office knows of any potential issues we would be looking to negotiate going forward.

In Solidarity,

Daniel P. Wheeler

The NALC held its 73rd biennial National Convention last month in Boston. Branch 25 had twenty-one delegates who attended the convention. A few delegates have written about the convention in this month’s Wake Up! I won’t go into too much detail about the convention’s proceedings here. I was pleased to see a good mix of delegates from the branch this year. Some delegates, like Rich Donlon, have been attending for almost forty years, and a few were attending their first National Convention. I hope everyone will read the articles in this issue that some delegates have written about the convention.

The biggest issue that members were asking about heading into the convention was the status of our collective bargaining agreement. As almost everyone knows, our last contract expired in May 2023. The only information we got at the convention regarding the contract was that they are “very close” to having an agreement and are confident in having a good case at arbitration if it gets there. I wish I had more of an inside scoop to give, but that’s all the information I have now. It was great to see Branch 25 President Emeritus Dave Barbuzzi kick off the convention proceedings by leading the Pledge of Allegiance on Monday morning to start the convention! Look for a picture of that on page 4 of this issue of the Wake Up!

As I mentioned in my President’s Message in the July/August issue, the TIAREAP process that we had been under for route adjustments since 2022 expired on June 1 and was not renewed. We have had a few 271g special inspections that were requested by carriers completed since then. I have not heard of any management plans to conduct full office inspections in any of our offices in the fall. I have heard they are planning inspections in some offices in neighboring branches, so we will have to wait and see what they decide to do.

I will explain that to carriers who are unaware of what a special inspection is. Handbooks M-39 and M-41 clearly state that each carrier’s route should be adjusted to as close to eight hours as possible. When a carrier’s route is out of adjustment, the carrier has the right to request a special route inspection according to section 271 of Handbook M-39. Section 271 lists a few conditions that would allow for a special inspection. The one that we usually use to support these requests is 271. g. This states that when a route shows thirty minutes or more of overtime and/or auxiliary assistance over a six-week period for three or more days each week, the route qualifies for such an inspection. Even though routes are adjusted to the carrier, this metric still applies to the route if the regular carrier is not the one showing the time for the entire six-week period.

Once a special inspection has been requested, management will review the data and approve or disapprove the request. Usually, once a carrier asks for a special inspection, they know it qualifies. However, it is not unusual for management to deny a proper request. I would ask that any carrier requesting a special inspection notify the branch of their request so we can follow up on the status if needed. Once the request has been approved, the M-39 dictates that management must complete the inspection within four weeks of the request and that whatever adjustment needs to be made must be implemented within fifty-two calendar days of completion.

The fact that these inspections must be completed within four weeks means that the mail volumes usually benefit the carrier at this time of year. The fact that the inspections are being done “the old school” way again and outside of the TIAREAP process is also good because it allows us to fully pursue any potential issue through the grievance process, which was somewhat limited during TIAREAP. Whenever one of our offices goes through an inspection, we always try to get out to do route inspection training. That applies to special inspections, too. Anyone with any questions about special inspections should contact their steward or the branch office for more information. I hope to see you at the September branch meeting!

In Solidarity,

Daniel P. Wheeler

At just about the time that this issue of the Wake Up! is hitting your mailbox the NALC’s 73rd Biennial National Convention will be kicking off right here in Massachusetts. This year’s convention will be held at the Boston Convention Center from August 5th through the 9th. Branch 25 is sending 22 delegates. The National Convention is held every two years and is where the future direction of our Union is discussed and planned. Each branch around the country elects delegates to attend. Each elected delegate can vote on the proposed constitutional amendments, resolutions, and appeals that are brought forward to the floor. Every other convention there is an election held for National Officers. However, this year is not one of those years. The next National elections will be held at the 2026 National Convention. I’m not sure how many delegates will be in attendance in Boston, but usually there are somewhere around 6,000 at each convention.

Each day there is a general session during the day. This is where all of the business of the convention is conducted. Additionally, before and after the general session each day there are classes and training sessions where delegates get information on a number of different issues. The delegates from Branch 25 run the gamut this year. There are some first-time delegates and some who have attended many previous conventions. Expect more information on the convention happenings from some of the delegates in the next issue of the Wake Up!

This year is an election year for branch officers and shop stewards as well. According to the Branch 25 by-laws elections for shop stewards are to be held this October. Any member who has not served in a management position within the last two years is welcome to run for shop steward in their office. I would love to have a shop steward in all our offices. If you are interested in running for steward in your office or even just want to get some information on what the position entails and if you may be interested in representing the Brothers and Sisters in your office, please let me know. The following offices have no steward at the moment:

Amesbury — Andover — Gloucester — Holliston — Manchester — Maynard — Merrimac — Peabody — Topsfield — Woburn

Many members have been asking what is going on with route adjustments in the branch. The TIAREAP process which was in place for the last two years is no longer in effect. The MOU’s expired on June 1 of this year and were not extended. That means, at least for now, we are back to route inspections the old fashioned way according to the M-39. Currently in the branch we have had a few routes getting special inspections on route which have requested them. I am not aware of any plans that the Postal Service has to conduct full blown route inspections in any offices.

There have been rumors that some sort of process similar to TIAREAP will return in the near future, but those are just rumors at this point. There has also been talk that there will be a new agreed upon route adjustment process as part of our next collective bargaining agreement. Time will tell the tale. Until then I would encourage each carrier to deliver their routes as if the data may be looked at for the purpose of evaluating and adjusting their route.

Unfortunately some of the numbers that postal management gleaned from TIAREAP such as 22 minutes loading time and 1-hour office time are still being pushed on letter carriers. These numbers were never mandates on letter carriers. You will not find them in any handbook or manual. Even when TIAREAP was live they were only parameters for evaluation teams to look at. If local management is pushing these made up numbers in your office please keep in mind that they are just that...made up! I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer and we hope to see you at the branch meeting in September!

In Solidarity,

Daniel P. Wheeler

One of the topics we get the most inquiries about at the branch office is the topic of injured workers. Being a letter carrier is not an easy job, so it’s not surprising that many letter carriers end up hurt at one point or another during their careers. It should not be surprising that management doesn’t always fulfill their obligations to injured carriers. For this article, I will be talking about a traumatic injury. A traumatic injury is a condition of the body caused by a specific event or incident, or series of events or incidents, within a single workday or shift. Examples of traumatic injuries include a dog bite, a motor vehicle accident, or a slip and fall.

The first thing an injured carrier should do is to seek immediate medical attention, such as calling an ambulance if the severity of the injury necessitates it. After that, it is the employee’s responsibility to notify their immediate supervisor of the injury. When notifying the supervisor of the injury, asking the supervisor for their postal email address is a good idea. You will need that later. In the old days, injured carriers had to depend on management to get all the forms in paper versions and hope that they did the right thing when they returned them. With ECOMP, injured letter carriers don’t need to rely on management to ensure their claims are filed. ECOMP stands for The Employees’ Compensation Operations & Management Portal. This is where injured letter carriers will file their injury reports with the Department of Labor.

Registering for an ECOMP account is simple and can be done at any time, whether you have an injury to report or not. I recommend that every active letter carrier register for an account. The ECOMP website is ecomp.dol.gov. On the home page, you can click on the link asking you to register for an account. Once logged into your ECOMP account, you will be looking to file a CA-1, which is the form for traumatic injury. When filing the CA-1, you should check off the option to elect continuation of pay (COP). This means that after a three-day waiting period when you must use your own leave, the Postal Service will pay you COP for up to 45 days if you are out of work due to your injury. If you are out for fourteen days, you will get the first three days of your leave converted back to COP.

Your supervisor is required to provide you with two forms. The first is a CA-16, Authorization for Examination And/Or Treatment. This form authorizes your medical treatment to be covered. This form must be provided to the injured employee within four hours of request. The other form management must provide is a CA-17, Duty Status Report. Management fills out this form indicating the employee’s job requirements and gives it to the doctor. The doctor then fills out their part, which indicates what restrictions, if any, the injured employee has when returning to work or if they can return to work. This is the only form that needs to be provided to local management. Injured carriers should also bring a CA-20, Attending Physician’s Report to the doctor with them. This form can be provided by management or downloaded right off the DOL’s forms page on their website. This form was recently updated, and if filled out correctly by the doctor, it should be enough to get a CA-1 approved by the DOL.

There is much more to filing injury claims, but this gives members a basic idea of the first steps to take when sustaining an on-the-job injury. I recommend that every letter carrier call the branch office at 978-658-5820 if injured on the job. It makes the process much easier if we can help get things moving in the right direction right away

Injury Checklist

• Notify supervisor of injury (request supervisor’s email)
• File Form CA-1 in ECOMP
• Request Form CA-16 from supervisor
• Request Form CA-17 from supervisor
• Get Form CA-20

In Solidarity,

Daniel P. Wheeler

I will start this month’s message by congratulating Tony Bossi on his appointment to the position of Regional Grievance Assistant for Region 14. Tony, the former steward in Billerica, served the past few years as Branch 25 Vice President. Prior to Tony’s appointment to his current position, he served Region 14 as their Regional Office Assistant. Tony’s new position did not allow him to serve as Branch VP as well and he officially resigned as of April 1, 2024. Tony will still be around at branch meetings unless his travel for the new job conflicts. I am very excited for Tony and his new opportunity at the regional level and I know he will do great things going forward!

I have appointed Salem Steward, Gilbert Paredes, as Tony’s replacement as vice president. Gilbert was previously a trustee for the branch. Tony has left some big shoes to fill but I expect great things out of Gilbert in his new role for the branch!

At the March branch meeting I was able to hand out some more NALC membership pins. Pictured below receiving their pins are Trustee Bob Cronin (35 years), Burlington’s Dave Sicard (40 years), Amesbury’s Said Bejjani (25 years), Marblehead’s Lori Rocker (35 years), Lowell’s Eileen Nutter (30 years), and Marblehead’s Linda Johnson (35 years).

May 11 is the Letter Carrier’s Food Drive. I hope all Branch 25 letter carriers do their part to help make this year’s drive as successful as possible. There is a great need in our communities and we can help with that by doing our part!

In Solidarity,

Daniel P. Wheeler

One of my duties as Branch President is to be active in the legislative program of the NALC. The Letter Carrier Political Fund (LCPF) is a non-partisan political action committee (PAC) established to elect qualifed candidates who support letter carriers.

Each year, NALC fights to fend off attacks in Congress that threaten letter carriers’ collective bargaining rights, retirement benefits and livelihoods. We’ve been successful so far, and we want to continue helping to elect House and Senate candidates who will protect us, promote our issues and deliver our message to Washington.

Since union dues can’t be used to support candidates for political office, NALC relies 100 percent on member contributions to the LCPF, which in turn helps us support those on Capitol Hill who defend the issues that matter most to us. Our PAC brings together strong letter carrier advocates from all political parties in Washington who are dedicated to helping protect a strong USPS that provides universal and affordable service. The NALC uses the money from the LCPF to further essential causes for the nation’s letter carriers. Some of the legislation affecting letter carriers that the NALC supports are the Social Security Fairness Act, the Federal Retirement Fairness Act and the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act which was just introduced in the House on March 13.

The Social Security Fairness Act would help many Civil Service retirees who worked in the private sector and paid into Social Security. Because of the Windfall Benefit Reduction and Government Pension Offset provisions, these retirees don’t get the full benefits they should. The Federal Retirement Fairness Act would affect many carriers who worked as non-career employees (Casuals, TE’s or CCA’s). Currently, employees don’t receive credit for this time. The Federal Retirement Fairness Act would allow catch-up contributions to make those non-career years creditable towards retirement.

The Protect Our Letter Carriers Act is a bipartisan legislation providing $7 billion in funding for the USPS to replace collection box locks with more secure electronic versions. The bill would also require the Attorney General to appoint an assistant U.S. attorney in each judicial district to prioritize cases involving letter carrier crimes. The bill would also strengthen sentencing guidelines for these crimes.

The money from the LCPF is used to support congressional members who support these and other bills that are important to us as letter carriers. What can you do to help protect your benefits? Consider donating to the Letter Carrier Political Fund. We ask each member to donate as little as $5.00 per pay period to the LCPF. If we all contribute a little, a little becomes a lot. Your donation will help elect members of Congress who will fight to protect your benefits, not take them away. The NALC supports candidates for federal office who support issues of active and retired Letter Carriers, regardless of what party they may be affiliated with.

Over the next few months, members will hear from the branch asking for their help. It’s easy to sign up through LiteBlue. That information is found on page 9 of this issue of The Wake Up!

In Solidarity,

Daniel P. Wheeler

The topic of this month’s President’s Report is dignity and respect. It goes without saying that every employee should be able to go to work with the expectation of being treated with dignity and respect, whether by their fellow employees or management. Unfortunately, for many of us, that isn’t the case. We deal with many personalities in life and at work. We have differences, and not everyone we work with is someone we necessarily get along with. However, there is no excuse for not treating others with dignity and respect. I want to address the issue of management treating (or not treating) employees the way they should.

Management has a clear responsibility to maintain a mutually respectful atmosphere. Handbook M-39, Management of Delivery Services, states this clearly in Section 115.4 which states:

Maintain Mutual Respect Atmosphere

The National Agreement sets out the basic rules and rights governing management and employees in their dealings with each other. Still, 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.

This section of the M-39 clearly says that management is responsible for maintaining this atmosphere. Sadly, many managers don’t seem to take this seriously. In fact, some seem to make every effort to counter it actively!

Not all managers are this way. Plenty in the branch do their part and take dignity and respect seriously. Unfortunately, some managers don’t know how to and probably shouldn’t be managing other people. Local management is under pressure from their bosses for sure, but that in no way excuses their mistreatment of letter carriers on the workroom floor. The Postal Service has always been “about the numbers,” as most big businesses are. However, in my twenty-nine years in the business, I have never seen management more driven by the numbers. They are constantly looking to save a few minutes here and there. They try to squeeze carriers. They push “downtime” where it may not exist. They question every little bit of “stationary time.”

Much of the harassing behavior letter carriers feel from management stems from these interactions. While managers may have the right to pursue “downtime” or question a carrier’s times or “stationary event” occurrences, they don’t have the right to do so in a harassing manner. Many of these interactions are the types that add up over time. Taken as single events, they may not seem like a big deal. Over time, however, this constant pushing and prodding can be threatening.

If management behaves in a way that fails to maintain the dignity and respect they are mandated to uphold, this behavior is unacceptable. Unfortunately, dignity and respect grievances can be some of the toughest for us to succeed. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pursue them or that we can’t win them, though. We must have the proper evidence to back up a possible grievance. Witness statements can play a significant role in these grievances. If we can get people who have witnessed management’s lousy behavior to attest to it in writing, that goes a long way toward making our case. Often, people don’t want to get involved or expose themselves to possible retaliation, which is understandable. I would encourage everyone to stand up for their fellow Brothers and Sisters and give a statement if needed!

If management says that you have under time and you don’t believe that you do have any, be clear about it to management. The letter carrier is the only person who knows how long their assignment will take them on any given day. If you feel like management is crossing the line to the point where it becomes a dignity and respect issue, please inform your steward or contact the branch office.

In Solidarity,

Daniel P. Wheeler

This month’s President’s Report about something fairly common but something that many letter carriers don’t fully understand. That subject is a Pre-Disciplinary Interview (PDI). Many of the letter carriers we represent in PDIs have never had one and are unaware of what it means until the first-time management tells them they are being brought in for one. Some of these carriers are new, and some may have years on the job but have never been brought in for a PDI. The PDI is management’s first step if they are considering issuing discipline. A PDI is the employee’s “day in court”. It is the employee’s opportunity to offer an explanation of whatever event or issue that management is inquiring about. PDIs can vary wildly throughout the different offices and different managers. Some can be very informal, and some seem very official, with management reading from scripted questions.

Before we go too far talking about PDIs, I will say there is something called an Official Discussion. Such discussions are covered under Article 16 of the National Agreement. The JCAM (Joint Contract Administration Manual) has the following to say regarding discussions:

Although included in Article 16, a “discussion” is non-disciplinary and thus is not grievable. Discussions are conducted in private between a supervisor and an employee. Both the supervisor and the employee may keep a record of the discussion for personal use; however, these are not to be considered official Postal Service records. They may not be included in the employee’s personnel folder, nor may they be passed to another supervisor. Discussions cannot be cited as elements of an employee’s past record in any future disciplinary action. Discussions may be used (when they are relevant and timely) only to establish that an employee has been made aware of some particular obligation or responsibility.

Official Discussions are just that: discussions between the employee and management. They cannot be cited in the future, and no official record is kept. Management is not required to provide a steward for such discussions. However, management must make it clear that the discussion will not lead to discipline. If they do not clearly state this, a steward’s presence should be requested.

This brings us to what is referred to as the carrier’s Weingarten Rights. In 1975, the United States Supreme Court, in the case of NLRB v. J. Weingarten, upheld a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision that employees have a right to union representation at investigatory interviews. These rights have become known as the Weingarten Rights. These rights are the foundation of the grievance process. Anytime an employee is questioned by management, and that questioning may lead to discipline, the employee has the right to representation from a steward. Whenever management tells an employee they wish to talk with them about something, the first question should be, “Is it possible this interview may lead to discipline?” If management answers yes, the employee should request a steward be present during the interview. Management is required to provide a steward if one has been requested. However, it is the employee’s responsibility to make that request. There are offices with no stewards in the building. This does not release management from their responsibility to provide one. If there is no local shop steward, management must contact the branch office to have someone come sit in.

Management must also make the employee and steward aware of what the PDI will be about before it starts. If either the employee or steward requests, adequate time must be given to talk privately before the interview. Another major part of the Weingarten Rights is that the steward can actively participate in the PDI. The steward is not allowed to disrupt the PDI or to instruct the employee not to answer questions. For the most part, this is not an issue in any of the branch’s offices currently. However, it has happened before where management thinks the steward is only there as a passive observer to the meeting. This is not the case and is a violation of the National Agreement. Not all PDIs lead to discipline being issued. Some do and some don’t. Every letter carrier should know their rights. Knowing or not knowing could make a world of difference, even if it’s something you have never needed to know up until now. The USPS Weingarten Card is printed on page 6 of this issue of The Wake Up!. It may be something worth saving to refer to if needed. Remember, you only have rights if you know what they are!

In Solidarity,

Daniel P. Wheeler

Starting this month, Branch 25 will have a new treasurer for the first time in thirty-five years! Thirty-five years is a long time to do anything. Many of the retirees we honor at branch meetings don’t even have that many years with the Postal Service! To put Jim’s career as Branch 25 officer into perspective, there have been four NALC national presidents and seven United States presidents during Jim’s tenure as treasurer.

I want to personally extend my thanks and gratitude on behalf of Branch 25 to Jim for all his hard work and dedication through the years. The branch is in capable hands as Assistant-Treasurer James Metilinos will be assuming the treasurer role but, Jim will be missed! Thanks for everything Jim!

2023 was a busy year here in Branch 25. As of the (almost) end of the year there have been 508 total grievances in the branch. The breakdown of those grievances is as follows:

In Solidarity,

Daniel P. Wheeler