Claim OwnershipClasses of Mail
Subscribed: 66Played: 5,957
Subscribe
© Alan Gegax, 2023
Description
This podcast is intended to empower city letter carriers. Through education, we'll make ourselves better carriers who are immune to discipline and mistreatment by management, and are forces for positive change and reform within our own union. I do not speak for the USPS or NALC (or anybody else, for that matter!), this is not an official USPS or NALC podcast, and all opinions and advice are my own or my guests'. Submit feedback, questions, or topic suggestions to classesofmail@gmail.com .
207 Episodes
Reverse
Michael and I read from a route protection handbook. We talk about how to ensure you get all the time credit your route deserves.
Great questions. Adequate answers. And some corrections.
Results from the election, our takeaways, and our future plans.
Michael and I answer some excellent questions from the mailbag, and we talk a little bit about tomorrow's Branch 2502 election.
More questions, more answers
Michael and I share fun stories from out on the route. We need a break from all the campaigning, and you probably do, too.
The campaign is in full swing, and momentum is building for the good guys.
The Goodest Oldest Boy sent a letter to the retirees of our branch. To call it misleading is to be generous. Michael and I respond to his letter, and we elaborate of his claim that we "have no plans to make our Branch better."
Michael and I talk about the different procedures and policies that exist at installations and stations around the country, and why answering questions from the mailbag might not be as easy as we originally thought. But we still do it, because we're here to help.
Paul Boulanger and I are both passionate about education. In this interview, we talk about what the newly recreated Director of Education will actually do, and what Paul's priorities will be when he takes the helm.
Michael Brasaemle went a little nuts and paid to send out a mailer to our entire branch for our election. He printed all the flyers at home, bought nearly 2000 stamps and 2000 envelopes, and came over to my house for an envelope stuffing party. We had quite a few people show up to help. On this episode, you get to meet some of those people, and hear their stories.
UPDATE: I am running for vice president, instead of secretary. Ballots for the election in Branch 2502 are out NOW!It's been about a year since my lifelong friend Rich Vala has joined me on the podcast. It's also been about a year since my branch had its tainted election. On September 3, 2025, I accepted the nomination for Vice President for Branch 2502. Now, we need you to vote.
1This episode has two topics, which wind up being related. In the first half of the episode, I get on my soap box and talk about why we, as workers, need to unite across class. We are wrongly villainizing other poor and struggling people, when the real enemy are those hoarding ludicrous amounts of wealth at the top of the class structure. (To skip this part, go to around the 12:00 mark.)The second half of the episode talks about what our diet COLAs really are. Spoiler alert: we ALL only get about 55% of the actual cost of living. The rest is supposed to be covered by our general wage increases. Obviously that hasn't been happening, and that's why we've been falling further and further behind.
Just when you thought it was safe to go to the union hall... In this episode, Michael and I talk about what happens when you have a Presidential Ruling (actually, TWO presidential rulings!) from the national president, and then your branch president decides to defy those rulings. Shenanigans ensue, people are disenfranchised, and the Goodest Oldest Boy becomes an unlikely ally. For real, hold onto your hat for this one.
Joshua Shrum joins me via Zoom for an interview. We discuss the ever-more-crowded field of postal podcasting. More importantly, we discuss Joshua's upcoming run for vice president in Branch 4374.
Please note that Article 8 is MUCH more complicated and nuanced than what Michael and I have room to describe in this episode, especially what constitutes an "opportunity." There is a fair amount of contractual ambiguity, and local custom, that all serve to muddy the waters.
David Grosskopf joins me again. He's always a great guest, and this time he's here to discuss his run for national trustee. We talk about what trustees actually do, and what his role would be on the executive council. We also discuss his recent victory at arbitration regarding scanner data.I have come up with a reference guide for Robert's Rules of Order that people can use at branch meetings. Send me an email, or reach out to me on social media, if you want a copy.
I got a letter in the mail yesterday from NALC Headquarters. It was unsolicited. As far as I knew, I had no outstanding issues pending at National. But I was wrong. it turns out my branch president tried one more hail Mary to disenfranchise the carriers in Branch 2502 by denying their right to run for office. The letter in my mailbox was an answer to that hail Mary. Guess how it went.
I ask Mike about the positions he takes in his platform. We talk about training, the grievance process, and much more.
On this episode, I read the entirety of Mike Caref's platform. This is in preparation for my interview with him, which will air the following day.
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
listening in northwest Indiana!
You are amazing! Thank you so, so much for reading the JCAM and M41!