GROW. RISE. TOGETHER.
tion has been around since 1986— with a couple of pauses along the way—and we were excited to bring it back to continue providing additional resources to assist in educating and informing local NALC representatives. The quarterly publication addresses issues and problems that arise in our everyday work lives and gives practi- cal advice and skills on topics like ef- fectively running a branch meeting, conducting a training, or creating a branch publication. Similarly, in an effort to make in- formation more accessible, get in- formation out to members as fast as possible, and reach members in new ways, we have used the NALC pod- cast, “You Are the Current Resident.” Through the podcast, we have been able to take on topics, issues and concerns that are on the minds of let- ter carriers in an informal, conversa- tional way. Episodes have discussed contract negotiations, crime against letter carriers, heat illness preven- tion training, Medicare integration, USPS sorting and delivery centers, the morning routine of dealing with management, and the route adjust- ment process. This is a way for rank- and-file members to hear directly from various officers and staff of the union and learn about their areas of expertise.
NALC initiatives New beginnings also bring new opportunities for our union inter- nally. I am proud and excited about new initiatives that staff at Head- quarters have been working hard to create and launch to serve our members in new ways. First is a series of member-educa- tion initiatives. Primary among these is the development of a new eLearn- ing training platform, a new type of virtual training for our activists. We are developing a platform that will offer a series of comprehensive training courses in a virtual format. This program will not replace in-per- son training but expand opportuni- ties for those who want to get in- volved and might be unable to make it to training in person. It will also provide activists with the opportuni- ty to learn and further develop their skills on their own time. This will be an excellent resource allowing more members to get trained, ultimately continuing to improve representa- tion for our members. Additionally, we have dedicated resources to improving and stan- dardizing much of the education we provide in a more traditional, class- room setting. The first piece was the development of shop steward train- ing in a modular format. This format allows topics to be taught in succes- sion or in isolation. It is designed so it could be taught in its entirety over several days, or in segments as short as 15 to 20 minutes by topic. This flexibility will allow for its use in a variety of training opportunities such as seminars, branch steward meetings, etc. The curriculum was recently delivered by headquarters staff to a group in early July as a test. We anticipate modifying the curricu- lum based on feedback from this test class and making it available across the country soon. We also revived the NALC Activist newsletter in January 2024. The NALC Activist is a newsletter intended for shop stewards, branch officers and all local NALC leaders. The publica-
The Postal Record 33 August 2024
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