This post-convention episode of From A to Arbitration reflects on the NALC convention in Boston and looks ahead to future union activities. Corey begins by acknowledging the intensity of the convention and thanking several individuals for their support. He corrects a previous shout-out, noting that Corey Grott is not a listener or supporter of the podcast. He then shares numerous listener shout-outs, emphasizing the widespread support for the podcast and the ongoing fight for better working cond...
Aug 12, 2024•2 hr 10 min
This episode is a recap of the fourth day of the NALC convention in Boston, focusing on the continued appeals hearings and the ongoing fallout from the handling of the Renfroe charges. Corey begins by announcing the "From A to Arbitration Shirt Day" will be Wednesday and clarifies information about the 50/50 raffle. He then shares several listener shout-outs, expressing gratitude for the ongoing support and highlighting the contributions of various members and branches. Corey details the second ...
Aug 08, 2024•51 min
This episode provides a recap of day three of the NALC convention in Boston, focusing on the appeals hearing for the Article 10 charges against President Renfroe. Corey begins with listener shout-outs and then discusses the CLC's activities, highlighting the large turnout at both the meet-and-greet and the roundtable discussion. He also mentions the real-time convention updates being provided on Discord. Corey details Gary Lang's confrontation with Renfroe regarding the S&DC MOU, praising La...
Aug 08, 2024•28 min
This episode recaps the second day of the NALC convention in Boston, focusing on the CLC's activities and the overall atmosphere. Corey begins by highlighting the success of the CLC's meet and greet and roundtable events, both of which were extremely well-attended, demonstrating strong member support for the movement. He encourages listeners to follow the convention updates being provided on Discord. He then shares several shout-outs from listeners, thanking them for their support and highlighti...
Aug 07, 2024•35 min
This episode is a recap of the first day of the NALC convention in Boston, focusing on the vote to overturn President Renfroe's decision to prevent appeals of the Article 10 charges from being heard. Corey begins by expressing condolences for the recent murder of a Chicago letter carrier and then emphasizes the success of the CLC in ensuring the appeals went before the convention delegates. He highlights the strong support shown for the motion to overturn Renfroe's ruling. Corey thanks several i...
Aug 06, 2024•45 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration focuses on the upcoming NALC convention in Boston and the ongoing fallout from the Renfroe charges. Corey begins by addressing the "From A to Arbitration Shirt Day" scheduling conflict and providing updates on the MDA raffle and t-shirt sales. He then reveals Butch Lau as his source for information about the TRAP memos and criticizes the memos' design, arguing they intentionally opened the door for increased management surveillance of carriers. Corey express...
Aug 02, 2024•1 hr 39 min
This episode features Tyler Vasseur and Ernest Gonzales from Build a Fighting NALC (BFN), a rank-and-file reform movement within the NALC. Coreys begin by discussing the creation of a new section on the From A to Arbitration website dedicated to unique LMOU provisions, highlighting the need for greater transparency and resource sharing within the union. They also clarify Corey's previous comments about the TRAP process, emphasizing that his criticism is directed at those who used their positions...
Jul 30, 2024•50 min
This pre-convention episode of From A to Arbitration begins with condolences for the recent murder of a Chicago letter carrier and then focuses on preparing listeners for the upcoming NALC convention in Boston. Corey clarifies that "From A to Arbitration Shirt Day" will be Wednesday, not Thursday, due to scheduling conflicts with other events. He provides updates on the 50/50 raffle for MDA (now accepting Venmo payments in addition to Zelle), and the convention t-shirt sales, which are doing exc...
Jul 29, 2024•3 hr 21 min
This episode focuses on addressing the issue of management arbitrarily changing leave without pay (LWOP) requests to absent without leave (AWOL) and provides guidance on handling such situations. JB begins with a personal update, sharing his excitement about becoming a grandfather and reflecting on a successful baseball coaching season. He then expresses gratitude to those who have mentored and supported him in his union work, emphasizing the importance of paying it forward and sharing knowledge...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr 26 min
This episode features an interview with Charlie Miller, a long-time NALC activist and former branch president, focusing on the appeals process for the Article 10 charges against President Renfroe. Miller begins by expressing condolences for the recent murder of a Chicago letter carrier. He then provides background on the Article 10 process, explaining the steps involved and highlighting the unprecedented nature of the charges against Renfroe. Miller emphasizes the importance of the NALC's intern...
Jul 22, 2024•2 hr 42 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration features Ron Speakman, host of the FedUp podcast, discussing various issues facing carriers. Speakman begins by emphasizing the importance of carrier safety and encouraging listeners to prioritize their well-being over management pressure, particularly regarding heat-related concerns and the use of GPS tracking devices in postal vehicles. He acknowledges the union's reluctance to address GPS tracking concerns through grievances. The conversation shifts to th...
Jul 16, 2024•1 hr 30 min
This episode focuses on non-compliance with grievance settlements within the NALC. Corey begins by announcing upcoming podcast guests and reminding listeners about the 50/50 raffle and convention t-shirt sales. He then criticizes Renfroe's collective bargaining update, highlighting the continued lack of progress and the secrecy surrounding negotiations. Corey discusses the importance of open bargaining and criticizes those who argue against it, highlighting the fact that contract negotiations ha...
Jul 15, 2024•3 hr 7 min
This episode features an interview with Tyler Vasseur, a member of the Build a Fighting NALC (BFN) coordinating committee. Vasseur provides an update on the open bargaining resolution, highlighting its significant growth in support since a previous interview. He explains that the resolution's popularity stems from both widespread anger over inflation's impact on letter carrier wages and heightened expectations among union members due to recent successful contract campaigns in other sectors (Team...
Jul 07, 2024•55 min
This episode is a passionate rant about the NALC's failure to adequately address management's harassment and abuse of letter carriers. Corey expresses intense frustration with the current leadership, particularly President Renfroe, whom he accuses of cowardice and dishonesty. He criticizes Renfroe's dismissive attitude towards concerns about carrier surveillance via GPS data and stationary event monitoring, arguing that Renfroe's responses minimize the issue and fail to acknowledge the resulting...
Jul 02, 2024•1 hr 23 min
This episode features Colin Smalley and Chris Doles from IFPTE, a large international union representing various federal and private sector workers. They discuss their upcoming union election and the campaign to shift the union towards a more assertive, member-focused approach. They highlight the challenges of representing a diverse range of federal employees across numerous agencies and the lack of unity and coordination among federal sector unions. The discussion draws parallels between their ...
Jun 30, 2024•1 hr 17 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration features a question-and-answer session with Mike Caref, a presidential candidate for the NALC. The interview, conducted in person, covers a wide range of topics. Caref begins by outlining his top five priorities as president: securing a strong national contract, addressing postal service mismanagement, improving internal union organization and communication, and implementing a standardized training program. He then discusses the NALC's food drive, criticizin...
Jun 23, 2024•2 hr 41 min
This mid-week episode features an interview with James Brennan, a rural carrier candidate for Director of Steward Operations within the NRLCA. Brennan discusses the frustrations of rural carriers with their union's current leadership, drawing parallels to the situation within the NALC and the CLC movement. He highlights issues such as inadequate steward protection, insufficient training on new systems (like RRECS), management's abuse of overtime policies, and a reluctance to pursue arbitration. ...
Jun 20, 2024•35 min
Corey recounts a recent trip to Brooklyn, NY, highlighting positive interactions with local branch leadership. He then announces upcoming interviews with Mike Caref and James Henry (after the NALC convention). The core of the episode focuses on the NALC's handling of the Article 10 charges against President Renfroe. Corey expresses his discontent with the outcome, arguing that the panel's report was biased and omitted key evidence presented in the Weir report. He criticizes the panel for injecti...
Jun 17, 2024•2 hr 55 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration begins with the announcement that James Henry will be the CLC's presidential candidate. Corey expresses his surprise and positive impression of David Noble's previous interview and proposes a debate between Noble and Renfroe. He also announces an upcoming interview with Mike Caref. Corey then clarifies the events leading to James Henry's selection as the CLC's presidential candidate, refuting misinformation about the process and emphasizing that the CLC's ch...
Jun 10, 2024•1 hr 59 min
This episode features a three-hour interview (Part 1) with David Noble, a candidate for NALC president. Noble provides a lengthy personal history, highlighting his long career as a letter carrier and union activist, including his close relationship with former NALC President Vince Sombrotto. He emphasizes his extensive experience handling grievances and his role in past contract negotiations. Noble discusses his lawsuit against the NALC, aiming to increase transparency and candidate access to co...
Jun 01, 2024•2 hr 48 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration covers several issues facing city letter carriers. Corey criticizes business agents for failing to educate members on issues like the 22-minute load time and 60-minute office time, arguing that management is exploiting these poorly communicated policies. He highlights one exemplary business agent who aggressively challenged management's tactics, contrasting him with another who blamed members for the grievance backlog. Corey discusses the dangers of wire cag...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 53 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration is a passionate call to action and a detailed discussion of ongoing issues within the union, focusing on the need for a new leadership ticket and financial support for the "Concerned Letter Carriers" (CLC) initiative. The episode opens with announcements of upcoming guests (David Noble, Nicholas Vafiades, and others) and previews a series of episodes focused on crucial issues. Corey immediately praises a shop steward, Joshua, for successfully obtaining finan...
May 13, 2024•1 hr 21 min
This podcast episode discusses a challenge issued by Nicholas Vafiades, a business agent, to debate positions live and unedited. Corey accepts and calls for other challengers. Corey expresses strong disapproval of the current union president, citing incompetence and a failure to address critical workplace issues. Specific criticisms include the president's refusal to take responsibility, inability to tell the truth, lack of remorse, and penchant for blaming others. Corey uses the case of Susie M...
May 06, 2024•1 hr 53 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration focuses on the recent vote on charges against the union president and Corey's frustration with the union's leadership. Corey criticizes the current leadership for incompetence and a lack of transparency, arguing that they have not adequately represented the city letter carriers. The episode delves into the specifics of the vote, highlighting Corey's belief that the executive council's actions protect the president and diminish the letter carriers' concerns. ...
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 4 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration focuses on Publication 552, the Postal Service's policy on workplace harassment, and the Initial Management Inquiry Process (IMIP). Corey argues that management frequently fails to follow this policy, highlighting numerous cases where complaints were made but no IMIP was initiated. He emphasizes that Publication 552 outlines management's responsibility in responding to complaints of harassment and that failing to follow this policy is a violation. Corey expl...
Apr 23, 2024•58 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration covers a variety of topics, including fan mail, personal experiences, and a detailed analysis of a specific arbitration case. Corey initially apologizes for a technical issue that caused an earlier episode to be deleted. The main theme of the episode is Corey's frustration with the current union leadership and management's actions, focusing on the aggressive tactics used to pressure and control letter carriers. Corey specifically discusses the lack of accoun...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr 11 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration features a lengthy discussion on the "one-hour office time" policy and how letter carriers can fight back, delivered primarily by guest JB. The episode also touches upon personal matters (a baseball season and regional training) and upcoming guests (David Noble). JB's segment covers the importance of letter carriers' reporting requirements (M41) and how to document situations where more than eight hours are needed for route completion (using PS Form 3996 and...
Apr 16, 2024•2 hr 14 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration previews a forthcoming episode with guest JB, focusing on the "one-hour office time" policy. Corey discusses a recent Zoom meeting on "Building a Fighting NALC," highlighting the importance of unity and collective action within the union. Corey emphasizes the current precarious position of the NALC, critiquing the union leadership's perceived lack of leadership and engagement with the issues facing letter carriers on the workroom floor. He contrasts this wit...
Apr 15, 2024•49 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration is a passionate critique of the current union leadership, specifically targeting the perceived inaction and lack of accountability of the union president and executive vice president. Corey expresses frustration with the union's handling of recent issues and the lack of support for letter carriers on the workroom floor. The episode opens with a quote from Lord Acton about the corrupting influence of power, directly referencing Corey's concerns about the unio...
Apr 08, 2024•1 hr 7 min
This episode of From A to Arbitration continues the discussion of the Weir Report, focusing on the "heroes" and "zeros" (or "studs" and "duds") within the union during the period covered by the report. Corey dissects the actions and reputations of various individuals, including former President Rolando, Paul Barner, Eddie Davidson, and others. Corey praises figures like Barner for stepping up during a period of crisis and criticizes others (like Rolando) for perceived failures to act or dissemin...
Mar 30, 2024•53 min
