<blockquote class="spPostEmbedQuote"><strong>D.B.Cooper said </strong>
I'm sure some Kool Aide drinker will get on here and explain how it's all our fault that the NRLCA is so effing ineffective and clueless... and how we should just be thankful to keep on paying their ever-inflating dues, so they can continue blaming us for THEIR failures... Geezy Louisy... if my pay had gone up over the past 10 years as much as my dues have... hail, I'd be saying pass me some of that Kool Aide too... <img title="Confused" alt="Confused" src="https://www.ruralmailtalk.ruralinfo.net/wp-content/sp-resources/forum-smileys/sf-confused.gif" /> </blockquote>
Well, I am far from a kool aide drinker, but I will say this. I have been with the post office since I was a TRC back in 2010, RCA 2011, Regular 2016. I have paid my union dues ever since I was an RCA, but always felt disconnect as if the union wasn't apart of our office. I have been extremely lucky in my going regular so quick, and I am thankful for that. My office has always been a small 12 route office where nothing was ever pushed to the union because management left the rural side alone. We did our jobs and went home.
Back in 2014, I was skipped on a Saturday work on a route. I grieved to the ADR assigned to my area. To my knowledge this was during the time Steward system was being reworked from the assistant state stewards or something. I felt so disconnected from the grievance. When I talked to the steward there wasn't much interaction. It seemed as if he was going through the motions. I felt my case was strong, but I was just an RCA who wasn't involved in how to handle grievance. I didn't even know what a viable grievance was. My case gets appealed to Step 2 and dies to my knowledge. The only form of communication was through a letter the steward sent me. Nothing else what so ever. I called when I received the letter. He replied its being handled. So to say the least my first form of interaction with the union was pretty bad. I second guessed my dues and all.
2016 comes and we are an office that postmaster like to cycle through on their way through the postal management job ladder. We receive an Postmaster who was just looking to move up the chain. Constantly out of the office serving as a stand in IMPU or however the title is. He started to create a really bad work environment. Attempting to manage us heavily as city carriers. Constant breaking of the Union agreements. A few carriers and I went to a district meeting. We voiced our opinion, and afterwards an ADR I had never met comes up and is talking about how to solve the issues and trying to convince us to get a local steward in the office to deal with the problems on the ground level. A lot of things a ADR can do, but a Local Steward has the common office knowledge typical that a ADR can't get easily.
We had a local election for a steward at the first county meeting in our area for at least 20 years. Everyone from my office but 2 carriers showed up. The ADR that was at the district meeting came down to be involved in our county meeting. We elected a county president, vp, and secretary, as well as a delegate to go to the state convention last year. Within 6 months of our local steward being trained, they had won 4 grievances, and stopped numerous other bogus attempts at management crossing silly lines they shouldn't have even thought about.
D.B. Cooper, I'm sure your frustration is well deserved with the union through the years. But serious be honest how do thing get any better if all we do is constantly b*tch about it in private, on the workroom floor, or on these forums. I only have said getting personally invested in the union instead of trusting other to do it for you because my office has been a good office in the past. We were invaded by upper management nonsense. No we don't win every encounter with them, but we win enough to give us peace of mind the union is here for us when we need them... Yeah I don't agree with somethings, i.e. two different pay scales for RCA and Regulars, but the NRLCA our way of stepping up and pushing back. And in order to affect change on the National level we need the common sense no bullsh*t people on the ground level to want to be involved and get up there to make it right.
And with your due raises, your dues only go up when you receive a COLA pay raise that was negotiate by the NRLCA. That the post office attempted to axe in the last contract, but we kept those raises thanks to the NRLCA attorneys. Its a small fraction, but it helps the union operate. And it is starting to put more focus on the ground level. I.E. training local stewards, anyone that wants to be a steward can hold an election and win. Then the NRLCA will pay for two days training plus mileage for that person to be trained.
Good things are going on all around you in this union, and you don't have to be drunk off the Kool Aide to see it. /sorry for the rant/
