The NALC gives great deference to the will of the Branch, and ensures that its members have the final word at the Branch level. Further, any appeals to decisions made by the Branch must have a representative from the Branch to rebut such an appeal, and to represent in writing the will of the Branch. My Branch president decided that he was in the best position to be such a representative. "I'm the president. I speak for the Branch." But did he?... Listen in and find out.
Mar 02, 2025•40 min•Season 5Ep. 29
A contract is only as good as its enforcement mechanisms. Abiding by the contract needs to be easier than breaking the contract. Michael joins me to talk about our own contract, and why it is that management finds it so easy to violate its terms.
Feb 27, 2025•43 min•Season 5Ep. 28
On this episode, Michael and I give our reaction to Renfroe's Zoom meeting with Next Generation Carriers. We highly recommend you download it. Here's the link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ZJPDJrE9wLdlSPjiiwlIL?si=KnyewvNNQl-Bsi5BASwyXg We also talk a bit about the threat of privatization.
Feb 25, 2025•37 min•Season 5Ep. 27
Michael stopped in for a chat. This episode was recorded BEFORE the big news about expedited arbitration.
Feb 24, 2025•40 min•Season 5Ep. 26
Today's guests are Carlton Pinto (candidate for president), Brian Gutierrez (candidate for executive vice president), and Tayry Vega (candidate for financial secretary), from Branch 36 in New York City. They are challenging an incumbent president who has been a branch officer for 30 years. We talk about some of the changes they want to make to the way the branch runs, and the way the branch responds to its members. We also talk about what it's like to carry mail and live in one of the most expen...
Feb 20, 2025•34 min•Season 5Ep. 25
Today's guest is David Grosskopf, president of Branch 3 in Buffalo. He talks to us about what it means to be a leader.
Feb 17, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 24
Failure to be regular in attendance is the number one reason carriers get disciplined at the Post Office. Michael joins me to talk about how you can avoid getting fired for calling in sick.
Feb 14, 2025•30 min•Season 5Ep. 23
My letter to Renfroe, pleading for his help in restoring order to our branch, has been answered. A team of investigators appointed by the National Business Agent has been appointed to step in and take over ALL of our outstanding Article 10 charges, including the already-adjudicated charges against Michael and me.
Feb 11, 2025•17 min•Season 5Ep. 22
Just listen. Holy crap. Oh, and be warned, the music come in a bit hot at the end of the episode. I'm still figuring out that part of the podcast.
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 5Ep. 21
OK, we all voted no. Good job, us! So what happens next? Chris Pennock comes on the podcast to talk about what we can do with the momentum we have.5
Feb 04, 2025•24 min•Season 5Ep. 20
Michael is back in studio to talk about the "Historic" no vote on the Tentative Agreement. We also talk about how the rerun of our branch election is going. (Spoiler: it's NOT going!)
Feb 03, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 19
In this episode, I'll go over the provisions in the NALC Constitution that put the power in your branch in the hands of its members.
Jan 31, 2025•22 min•Season 5Ep. 18
Chris Pennock joins me to talk about building a reform caucus within your branch. We also discuss his journey to branch leadership (he's just been elected Vice President), and his fight against the good ol' boy system.
Jan 28, 2025•35 min•Season 5Ep. 17
It's happened again, folks. I've been poking the bear, trying to get my local branch in compliance with its own bylaws, and with the NALC Constitution. The result is that I have been removed from my position as an alternate steward at my station. The branch president is claiming that alternate steward are AUTOMATICALLY removed from their positions when new officers take their positions, but of course, there's nothing to that effect in our bylaws or in the Constitution. The reality is, the presid...
Jan 25, 2025•26 min•Season 5Ep. 16
Michael is back in studio, now with his own microphone! He went with the Rode PodMic. It sounds pretty good. Anyway, this episode is about the importance of the investigative interview. It's the carrier's "day in court," where they can defend their actions, plead their innocence, and lay the foundation for any grievances, should management decide to issue discipline. Michael and I talk about strategy, what NOT to say, and we go over your Weingarten rights.
Jan 23, 2025•43 min•Season 5Ep. 15
Mike Caref joins me via Zoom to talk about leadership, reform, and education. He explains the job of the National Business Agent, explains what gets carriers fired, and how to avoid getting fired. ( FILL OUT YOUR OWN 3971!) We also talk a bit about the contract and about Brian Renfroe.
Jan 20, 2025•47 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Spoiler alert! Things went our way at the branch meeting. Michael returns to help tell the story of what happened at the meeting. Chalk one up for the rule of law. (Rule of bylaws, anyway.) Hopefully after this episode, things will settle down, for a while anyway, and I can get back to educational topics.
Jan 15, 2025•59 min•Season 5Ep. 13
This is the tell-all episode where Michael comes back to the podcast studio (AKA my spare bedroom) and we go over the full story of the election improprieties and the series of Article 10 charges that have gotten us to this point. If you've been following this saga closely, there will still be some surprises in here, because the Good Ol' Boys have found even more ways to violate our Constitution and avoid answering questions about the election.
Jan 13, 2025•29 min•Season 5Ep. 12
We address some accusations put forward by our union officers, saying that what we're doing on this podcast is divisive and counterproductive. Obviously we disagree.
Jan 09, 2025•42 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Just a short pep talk. Keep up the fight!
Jan 06, 2025•10 min•Season 5Ep. 10
In this episode, I'll talk about a change I'm seeing in the way our union is being run. The rank-and-file are getting more and more power, because they are no longer being kept in the dark. Podcasts like From A to Arbitration are empowering carriers with information that shifts the balance of power away from management, and away from the gool old boy network that has been running our union for too long. Let's keep it going.
Dec 27, 2024•14 min•Season 5Ep. 9
We learn more today about the laws that govern the Post Office. We'll also talk about some jargon that's unique to the Post Office. Finally, we talk about why supervisors are often of such low quality.
Dec 21, 2024•33 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Tyler Vasseur is back on Classes of Mail. He puts the failings of our Tentative Agreement in a historical perspective, and talks about why we need to reject this agreement for the benefit of our own work/life balance, and for future generations of letter carriers. Your vote matters. Be the voice our union needs. To join Build a Fighting NALC, head to fightingNALC.com and sign up today!
Dec 19, 2024•29 min•Season 5Ep. 7
In this episode, Michael and I talk about the charges that were brought against us by the election chair. Labor laws are pretty clear that union members have free speech, and that freedom specifically includes the right to be critical of union officials. But here we are. Enjoy!
Dec 14, 2024•50 min•Season 5Ep. 6
In part two, we get into the election portion of our branch meeting. Tough questions were asked by the crowd, and NOT answered by our branch officers. To say it was lively would be an understatement.
Dec 12, 2024•49 min•Season 5Ep. 5
In this episode, Michael Brasaemle comes over to talk about what went down at our most recent branch meeting. We wound up needing THREE EPISODES to cover everything. This first episode covers my effort to force the president of my branch to fulfill his obligation under our bylaws to fill vacancies. Specifically, the steward position at my station that has been vacant for a year. This is what it looks like when you go up against entrenched branch officers who have been there upwards of 30 years....
Dec 10, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Today I am joined by a friend going back to Junior High. He is my primary sounding board for most of my activism within the union. And he served as my primary advisor for my run for vice president. Today, you will hear an outsider's perspective on what's been going on at my branch, and my history with the post office and the union. There are significant insights in this episode about who I am as a person. It's a great conversation, between two old friends.
Dec 03, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 3
WE'RE STILL VOTING NO! But now we have better reasons. Listen in for a more thoughtful analysis of some of what's known about the Tentative Agreement.
Nov 28, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Today we'll give an introduction to Season 5, and we'll get started in the Academy, talking about the basics of being employed at the Post Office. I tell some stories from my time as a carrier, and we all get to learn something. I really enjoyed teaching this material again. I hope you enjoy listening to it.
Nov 25, 2024•40 min•Season 5Ep. 1
It's time to move on from season 4 of Classes of Mail. I'll give another update on my local branch election, talk a bit about union accountability and ethics, and reiterate my position against the tentative agreement. Finally, I'll talk about what's to come in season 5.
Nov 21, 2024•19 min•Season 4Ep. 41
