August 5-9, 2024 Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
ing—one that allowed hundreds of thousands of union soldiers to vote from the battlefields of the Civil War. • In 1891, the invention of Rural Free Delivery meant more equal access to service across the country. • In the 1910s, Parcel Post, mail order catalogs and a new ser- vice called Airmail helped create a continental market economy. • In 1971, the United States Postal Service we know today was cre- ated following years of underin- vestment and a wildcat strike led by NALC Branch 36 in New York. • And in the 2020s, the Postal Ser- vice helped the United States survive the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering essential goods to every American household and facilitating the highest-turnout election since 1900, thanks to vote-by-mail. Reviewing this history reminds me that the Post Office is always in transition, always responding to the evolving needs of the American peo- ple. But it also reminds me that we have the power to shape the transi- tion. The wildcat strike, started by a few carriers in New York City, led to the creation of the USPS. It also gave then-NALC President Radem- acher the leverage to negotiate for full collective-bargaining rights for letter carriers, giving us the chance to continue to improve our lives each time we sit down at the bargaining table. Our ability to respond to tran- sitions and work together to build a better future is what our union work is all about. We grow. We rise. And we do it together. That concludes the report of my office. What follows is a compre- hensive report of the activities of your union’s Headquarters depart- ments and of the NALC’s national and regional officers. Once again, brothers and sisters, welcome to the 73rd Biennial Convention. Grow. Rise. Together. Let’s get to work.
better jobs and lives for letter carri- ers over the last two years of tran- sition. As we look ahead, elements of transition remain. I am confident NALC will harness this power again and again. We are in Boston this week to chart our course for the next two years. We know there is still work to do to safeguard letter carriers’ interests in collective bargaining, the implemen- tation of the DFA plan, and stop crime against letter carriers and protect ourselves from violent attacks. Em- powered solidarity is how we move forward and achieve results. Celebrating 250 years There are many challenges ahead, and our work in the labor movement is never done. But I want to end this report with a reminder that we have much to look forward to as well. Next year, we will mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Post Office. Despite our frustrations with man- agement and never-ending efforts to improve wages and working con- ditions, working for the Post Office is something to be proud of. Created during the Second Conti- nental Congress in 1775, before the Declaration of Independence was even signed, the Post Office of the United States was created as the first function of the fledgling de- mocracy. The new government re- lied on the postal system to inform the electorate. High-priced post- age for letters, then sent mostly by businessmen and lawyers, sub- sidized delivery of cheap, uncen- sored newspapers. Letter carriers have been delivering democracy since the beginning. Since then, the Post Office has grown and changed with America. • In 1788, the Post Office deliv- ered the Federalist Papers that helped create the U.S. Constitu- tion. • In the 1860s, the post office cre- ated city delivery and helped reelect Abraham Lincoln with an innovation called absentee vot-
Volume 137/Number 7
July 2024
In this issue President’s Message National Officers 34 Branch Election Notices 54 Branch Items 56 1
The monthly journal of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS
President Brian L. Renfroe 2022-2024 Biennial Report
36 The Postal Record August 2024
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