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Decertify NRLCA Poll

Your choice, your vote (Decertify NRLCA)


  • Total voters
    215
  • Poll closed .
What's the backup plan? Hope Teamsters represents us? Nothing official has been stated that teamsters will represent us from Teamsters if the NRLCA is actually decertified AND they have told us in the past that they do NOT want to represent us. You have no back up plan and are just accepting what a single angry individual who managed to get a decently sized petition against the NRLCA going says and THAT is concerning. If we have no union at all we will be steamrolled by the USPS out of the little scraps of benefits we have left. I don't like our union and it's actions, but I'm not going to vote to decertify it when there is no plan in place after it is decertified.
I agree 👍 💯 percent
 
I have a sinking feeling the powers that be might like the lack of involvement. If this union seriously made it a priority to have members get involved and stay involved, wouldn't that exist?
The truth is, small numbers participating that are setting up a tent in your camp are easy to control.
I want to invade that camp with RV's lol!
EVERYONE should have a voice.
Realistically, more members educated and involved would make national officers jobs much easier. They wouldn't spend so much time and effort responding to rumors or lies at every meeting.
I proposed a monthly DR zoom for area members, it was shot down by other DR's. They wanted to know how they would be compensated for additional hour. My theory was to take 2 hours off the day shift to compensate for evening zoom. It's me, me, me - at every level of membership.
At least they went forward with the national guideline steward training. Not that anything in that training couldn't be viewed on a YouTube video invite by general membership.

First timer prizes help to bring in bodies. But, you only get them to return if they get viable, relatable information.
Best of luck in your efforts.
 
I proposed a monthly DR zoom for area members, it was shot down by other DR's. They wanted to know how they would be compensated for additional hour. My theory was to take 2 hours off the day shift to compensate for evening zoom. It's me, me, me - at every level of membership.
Now that there fries my AZZ! Who the HEJJ cares how they get compensated for an additional hour! They’ve been paid, BY US! You want compensated an hour to benifit those who pay your salary, those who rely on YOU, those that can benifit from this zoom training/meeting!!! You’ve been paid! But, if you INSIST that hour out of YOUR time, for YOUR members, is to much to expect, here’s an idea…. CLOCK OUT EARLY 1 HOUR the day of the zoom meeting! leave 1 hour early! Go do your daily life things 1 hour earlier!
Zoom meeting time, clock back in, and BOOM, you’re being compensated that hour!
How many HOURS do WE work, uncompensated for? How many thousands/millions of packages did WE DELIVER during the pandemic, ALL UNCOMPENSATED!
UNFORKING BELIEVABLE! Don’t even try to benifit US, over an hour of YOUR time!

This is another reason why I hope we get the 30%! YOU WORK FOR US, we don’t work for YOU! WE pay your salary! YOU don’t PAY US!
do your jobs, benefiting/training/standing up/DOING SOMETHING for our behalf!
 
Do you honestly think if the DR's pulled these zoom meetings off, the members would flock in their off hours to take advantage of their effort?

I don't. How many actually attend the district meetings in your area? This is a place to be educated on current issues. NSS and a state board member are there to inform the craft.
Attendance is dismal in my area.
If we had zoom meetings I do think more would attend in my office alone. Our issue is 1-2 hr drive one way for any meetings. Sorry but after working 8-12 hr days plus me having a second job I barely have time for family let alone meetings. if we had zoom meetings and I got back into union i would make time. Many feel the same that I have talked to. We usually have 1 person per meeting go to field questions for all of us in office. When reps are made aware of this it’s meet with disapproval and sometimes downright hostility towards those who didnt Show. Then no questions are answered or just ignored outright.

sub wise majority outright hate/dislike Union. Most of us have always felt and been treated like second class citizens. Guess what that then follows us when we get regular. why do anything or help when for years we were not worth the time effort of Union. Earning AL for hours worked was not a win it was something that should have been from day 1. Maybe in my area subs are minority across the nation working well in excess of 40 hrs a week. I get it many of you have dealt with this for years before you became regular. It does not make it right for you or those after you and for Subs yet to be.

we Have the technology why not use it for the benefit of the craft. It seems like much of the Union is built around secrecy for some asinine reason or another. It protects no one or helps anyone by not sharing knowledge to all. All it does is further divide and weaken the craft. Is this by design or just incompetence on the unions part?
 
If we had zoom meetings I do think more would attend in my office alone. Our issue is 1-2 hr drive one way for any meetings. Sorry but after working 8-12 hr days plus me having a second job I barely have time for family let alone meetings. if we had zoom meetings and I got back into union i would make time. Many feel the same that I have talked to. We usually have 1 person per meeting go to field questions for all of us in office. When reps are made aware of this it’s meet with disapproval and sometimes downright hostility towards those who didnt Show. Then no questions are answered or just ignored outright.

sub wise majority outright hate/dislike Union. Most of us have always felt and been treated like second class citizens. Guess what that then follows us when we get regular. why do anything or help when for years we were not worth the time effort of Union. Earning AL for hours worked was not a win it was something that should have been from day 1. Maybe in my area subs are minority across the nation working well in excess of 40 hrs a week. I get it many of you have dealt with this for years before you became regular. It does not make it right for you or those after you and for Subs yet to be.

we Have the technology why not use it for the benefit of the craft. It seems like much of the Union is built around secrecy for some asinine reason or another. It protects no one or helps anyone by not sharing knowledge to all. All it does is further divide and weaken the craft. Is this by design or just incompetence on the unions part?
Nah, Not many were at the Zoom meetings for Contract or MMS. MMS was only their paycheck. 🤷‍♂️
 
we Have the technology why not use it for the benefit of the craft. It seems like much of the Union is built around secrecy for some asinine reason or another. It protects no one or helps anyone by not sharing knowledge to all. All it does is further divide and weaken the craft. Is this by design or just incompetence on the unions part?
I will try to answer your questions from my very limited perspective.

Part of it is money. Despite the belief that the NRLCA is spending union dues on lobster dinners, I think there is a lot of penny pinching that goes on. Everything seems to be done on the cheap: for example, the website and the union mag. I've said before, I could have produced a more professional looking magazine on my Commodore 64 back in 1983. And the website . . . <sigh> we all know they're not spending money there. They're just not willing to invest in hiring professionals to create and maintain this stuff, so we get what they pay for, which is not much.

Secondly, there remains (though this attitude is changing) a philosophy that members should get involved and attend meetings and conventions in person and if the union offers other ways where members can get info without attending meetings/conventions, that will discourage attendance at meetings/conventions, which is already dismal. That philosophy ran head long into COVID when the NRLCA discovered Zoom, which was free! So the "Attend Meetings in Person!" crowd ran straight into the "Pinch Every Penny Until It Squeals!' crowd and the penny pinchers are winning that battle and we're seeing so much more being done virtually via Zoom.

So it's not so much a conspiracy of secrecy--it's much more about the NRLCA not willing to invest money, IMO.

Which really comes down to them worrying about losing their positions (and possible criminal charges) if they misuse union funds.

Not defending them at all, just trying to provide a little context to what seems to be very baffling decisions made by the national board that don't seem to serve membership very well.
 
I will try to answer your questions from my very limited perspective.

Part of it is money. Despite the belief that the NRLCA is spending union dues on lobster dinners, I think there is a lot of penny pinching that goes on. Everything seems to be done on the cheap: for example, the website and the union mag. I've said before, I could have produced a more professional looking magazine on my Commodore 64 back in 1983. And the website . . . <sigh> we all know they're not spending money there. They're just not willing to invest in hiring professionals to create and maintain this stuff, so we get what they pay for, which is not much.

Secondly, there remains (though this attitude is changing) a philosophy that members should get involved and attend meetings and conventions in person and if the union offers other ways where members can get info without attending meetings/conventions, that will discourage attendance at meetings/conventions, which is already dismal. That philosophy ran head long into COVID when the NRLCA discovered Zoom, which was free! So the "Attend Meetings in Person!" crowd ran straight into the "Pinch Every Penny Until It Squeals!' crowd and the penny pinchers are winning that battle and we're seeing so much more being done virtually via Zoom.

So it's not so much a conspiracy of secrecy--it's much more about the NRLCA not willing to invest money, IMO.

Which really comes down to them worrying about losing their positions (and possible criminal charges) if they misuse union funds.

Not defending them at all, just trying to provide a little context to what seems to be very baffling decisions made by the national board that don't seem to serve membership very well.
Nailed it. Run like a mom and pop soda fountain because none of them come from a business world, with common business understanding...much like your local mgmt.
 
Nailed it. Run like a mom and pop soda fountain because none of them come from a business world, with common business understanding...much like your local mgmt.
I don’t think it’s necessarily lack of knowledge, though that is certainly part of the problem (they lack the ability to effectively make a winning argument about spending money on the website or the magazine—or a thousand other things that could make the organization more effectuve). I think it really is more so fear of losing their position if they spend unwisely, so better not to do anything than take a risk. Just do exactly what was done before that way you won’t be blamed.

But it is true that the dysfunction in USPS management is almost perfectly reflected in the NRLCA. There’s a prevailing attitude of do nothing, that way you can’t really get in trouble or blamed.
 
I will try to answer your questions from my very limited perspective.

Part of it is money. Despite the belief that the NRLCA is spending union dues on lobster dinners, I think there is a lot of penny pinching that goes on. Everything seems to be done on the cheap: for example, the website and the union mag. I've said before, I could have produced a more professional looking magazine on my Commodore 64 back in 1983. And the website . . . <sigh> we all know they're not spending money there. They're just not willing to invest in hiring professionals to create and maintain this stuff, so we get what they pay for, which is not much.
Many competing demands for the budget no doubt. Here's one that made the cut a couple years ago. Can't conclusively opine as to the value added in this expenditure vs the competition since not being a Plan member nor navigated the Member Guide.

These "RCBP Neighborhood" and assorted testimonial/health videos rest on the Plan website> menu>videos.

Cost: $296,467. (Legal Services was $840.189 same filing year)

CONCEPT:
"The Rural Carrier Benefit Plan approached us with a problem: an incoming member is given a hundred page “New Member Guide” that details for every benefit, every program, and every how-to, but very few actually read the packet. Consequently, a majority of their members weren’t taking full advantage of the plan, opportunities to save money, and resources to support a healthy lifestyle.
After breaking down the packet and working with the RCBP team to highlight the priority topics, we developed the RCBP Neighborhood; a twenty-part series of one-minute episodes utilizing the “after-school special” format to tackle each topic. The entire series took place in Mr. Reynolds’s front yard as he fields guest stars (both fictional and real), inquisitive neighbors, and of course the amicable letter carrier. Not only did the “neighborhood special” concept provide a visually engaging, accessible educational tone, but the concept of a front yard also played to the world of the member, allowing for many of the RCBP benefits to be contextualized in a “real world” place."
 
Many competing demands for the budget no doubt. Here's one that made the cut a couple years ago. Can't conclusively opine as to the value added in this expenditure vs the competition since not being a Plan member nor navigated the Member Guide.

These "RCBP Neighborhood" and assorted testimonial/health videos rest on the Plan website> menu>videos.

Cost: $296,467. (Legal Services was $840.189 same filing year)

CONCEPT:
"The Rural Carrier Benefit Plan approached us with a problem: an incoming member is given a hundred page “New Member Guide” that details for every benefit, every program, and every how-to, but very few actually read the packet. Consequently, a majority of their members weren’t taking full advantage of the plan, opportunities to save money, and resources to support a healthy lifestyle.
After breaking down the packet and working with the RCBP team to highlight the priority topics, we developed the RCBP Neighborhood; a twenty-part series of one-minute episodes utilizing the “after-school special” format to tackle each topic. The entire series took place in Mr. Reynolds’s front yard as he fields guest stars (both fictional and real), inquisitive neighbors, and of course the amicable letter carrier. Not only did the “neighborhood special” concept provide a visually engaging, accessible educational tone, but the concept of a front yard also played to the world of the member, allowing for many of the RCBP benefits to be contextualized in a “real world” place."
Never looked at the material. I know they spend money on things the majority of members don't actually use. Our web hosting is a joke. I was absolutely horrified when they first started discussing a web presence and they said everyone's member login would be their ssn. I had a few choice words about that. So did DOJ. They are truly out of their depth with any new technology.
 
If we had zoom meetings I do think more would attend in my office alone. Our issue is 1-2 hr drive one way for any meetings. Sorry but after working 8-12 hr days plus me having a second job I barely have time for family let alone meetings. if we had zoom meetings and I got back into union i would make time. Many feel the same that I have talked to. We usually have 1 person per meeting go to field questions for all of us in office. When reps are made aware of this it’s meet with disapproval and sometimes downright hostility towards those who didnt Show. Then no questions are answered or just ignored outright.

sub wise majority outright hate/dislike Union. Most of us have always felt and been treated like second class citizens. Guess what that then follows us when we get regular. why do anything or help when for years we were not worth the time effort of Union. Earning AL for hours worked was not a win it was something that should have been from day 1. Maybe in my area subs are minority across the nation working well in excess of 40 hrs a week. I get it many of you have dealt with this for years before you became regular. It does not make it right for you or those after you and for Subs yet to be.

we Have the technology why not use it for the benefit of the craft. It seems like much of the Union is built around secrecy for some asinine reason or another. It protects no one or helps anyone by not sharing knowledge to all. All it does is further divide and weaken the craft. Is this by design or just incompetence on the unions part?
Both..
 
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