Hot House with Richie Ray

A Facebook post started a debate over who deserves credit for defending Branch 41 President John Cruz against a Notice of Removal.Rather than argue on social media, Richie Ray went back to the original record.The grievance file. The emails written while the case was happening. John Cruz's own clarification. Orlando Gonzalez's Informal and Formal Step A work. The eventual arbitration preparation by Roy Jancio. And the emails concerning Paul Marks's involvement with the proposed pre-arbitration settlement.This isn't about denying anyone credit.It's about answering a bigger question:Can one person really claim a grievance victory when the case was built through multiple levels of the grievance procedure by multiple union representatives?

Jerry Kerner Jr. is not simply running for National Business Agent of Region 13—he is asking letter carriers to trust him with the responsibility of protecting branches, developing representatives, enforcing the National Agreement, and helping guide the region through one of the mostuncertain periods facing the Postal Service and the NALC.A city letter carrier since 2006, Jerry has spent twodecades inside the Postal Service and the union movement. He currently serves as a shop steward in Baltimore, has represented carriers in multiple offices, graduated from NALC Leadership Academy Class 15, served as a Branch AFL-CIODelegate, participated in the AFL-CIO Young Trade Unionists program, and worked as a Joint Alternate Route Adjustment Team member.But Jerry's connection to the NALC goes even deeper. Heis a second-generation letter carrier whose father served as a carrier, branch treasurer, branch president, and Regional Administrative Assistant in Region 13. Jerry grew up watching union leadership firsthand, traveling throughout the region and seeing what calm, knowledgeable and dependable representation looked like.Now he wants the responsibility himself.In this interview, we go far beyond the résumé.We ask whether being a strong shop steward truly prepares someone to command a regional office. We examine what Jerry has learned from watching generations of NALC leadership, what he would change in Region 13, why he joined the Concerned Letter Carriers slate, and what leadership means when members are frustrated, grievances are multiplying, USPS faces enormous operational and financial challenges, and confidence in institutions is being tested.We also explore one of the hardest questions facing national union leadership. How does the NALC fight aggressively for letter carriers while also recognizing that our members'livelihoods depend upon the survival and success of the United States Postal Service?Where is the line between partnership and complacency?Where is the line between protecting USPS and protectingmanagement?And when those interests collide, who comes first?This is a conversation about leadership, responsibility, fear, legacy, accountability and whether Jerry Kerner Jr. is prepared to carry the weight of Region 13 on his shoulders.

William “Billy” Moody is a U.S. Army veteran, longtimeletter carrier, labor leader, and President of NALC Branch 181 in Austin, Texas. Now he is seeking to become the next National Business Agent for Region 10 as part of the Concerned Letter Carriers slate.This interview goes beyond Billy Moody’s résumé.We will examine the experiences that shaped him as a leader, his record as a shop steward, Formal A representative, trustee, treasurer, vice president and branch president, and what he believes Region 10 needs from its next National Business Agent.But this conversation will also tackle the difficult questions facing the NALC nationally.What did Billy see and hear at the 2026 NALC National Convention? Why was there not a deeper convention-wide debate over the National Agreement and the direction of collective bargaining? Does he believe the national leadership is listening to the membership? What has created the demandfor change? And what specifically would the CLC slate do differently?Most importantly, Billy will be challenged to explain why members should trust the CLC with the future of their union and what accountability should look like if the CLC wins.

On this episode of The Hot House with Richie Ray,we sit down with Elliot Simmons, a Table 2 City Letter Carrier, union representative, educator, podcaster, and CLC candidate for National Business Agent of Region 7.Elliot began his Postal Service career in February 2015 as an RCA before becoming a CCA in 2017. Within months of entering the city carrier craft, he discovered a passion for representing working people. That passion grew into a commitment to grievance handling, education, contract enforcement, and developing stronger union representatives. After transferring to the Bismarck-Mandan, North Dakota Branch 957 in December 2023, Elliot continued building on that mission.But this interview goes far beyond Elliot's biography.We dig into his work with Cole Billups and their podcast, why independent union media matters, and whether podcasts and social media can make union leadership more transparent and accountable.Then the questions get harder.Why does Elliot believe he is ready to become an NBA afterentering the Postal Service in 2015? Does he have the experience, judgment, temperament, and knowledge necessary to lead an entire region? Why shouldveteran carriers and longtime union representatives place their trust in him?We also confront the criticism directly.Some people say Elliot can be difficult to deal with. So what kind of person is Elliot Simmons? Is he difficult, stubborn, aggressive—or simply unwilling to back down when he believes carriers are being wronged? Can he accept criticism? Can he admit when he is wrong? Can people around himchallenge him?Most importantly:Does Elliot Simmons truly love the letter carrier, and will the carrier always come before politics, personalities,friendships, and factions?We examine the core priorities of his campaign: expanding steward and Formal A training throughout Region 7, strengthening contract enforcement, taking more properly prepared grievances to arbitration, developing arbitrationadvocates, and creating meaningful opportunities for the next generation of letter carriers to become involved in the NALC.Then we go national.Elliot gives his assessment of the current state of the NALC, the grievance procedure, membership participation, transparency, leadership, accountability, and whether today's union is properly connected to the rank-and-file carrier.We also discuss the NALC National Convention and ask what Elliot saw, what concerned him, what gave him hope, and what the convention revealed about the direction of the union.Finally, we get into the politics.Why did Elliot choose the Concerned Letter Carriers?Why does he support the CLC slate?Why James Henry for President?Why Corey Walton for Executive Vice President?And why does Elliot believe 2026 is the moment for change?This is not meant to be a campaign commercial.It is a conversation about leadership, experience, character, accountability, contract enforcement, democracy, trust,and the future of the National Association of Letter Carriers.If Elliot Simmons wants the members of Region 7 to place their trust in him as their next National Business Agent, then he should be willing to answer the difficult questions.On The Hot House, he gets that opportunity.No softballs. No hiding behind campaign slogans. No automatic trust.Make your case.Earn the membership's confidence.And as Elliot himself says:Keep Fighting, Brothers and Sisters. Keep Fighting!

In this episode of Hot House with Richie Ray, Region 6NBA candidate Walter McGregory breaks down his journey from PTF to arbitration advocate and explains why he believes the time for change inside the NALC is now.Walter speaks on:His roots in labor and how growing up in a UAW household shaped his union philosophy.The current state of USPS and the operational crisis affecting carriers nationwide.Why morale is collapsing and why retention is worse than ever.The abuse of technology like DOIS, PET, and scanner data against carriers.The disconnect between NALC Headquarters and the workroom floor.Why the CLC slate formed and what makes it different.His vision for Region 6 and how smaller branches deserve equal representation.The contract fight ahead, including wages, COLAs, staffing, safety, and two-tier pay.This is a conversation about accountability, solidarity, and taking our union back.