Fight Like Hell!

0:00:14 President’s Message: Trust in the democratic process. 0:05:00 Ballots for NALC national election to be mailed. 0:14:38 News from Washington. 0:23:32 Proud to Serve. 0:32:04 For your information: CCA temporary assignments to other post offices. 0:38:08 NALC Convention. 0:38:26 Convention Exhibitor Area. 0:40:27 Passed resolutions and amendments. 0:51:56 Carriers and the mail make news online. 0:59:43 The art of the burn. 1:07:11 Veterans Group. 1:09:31 Veteran profile: Alyssa Pinero. 1:12:57 Branch elections—campaign fundamentals by Executive Vice President Paul Barner. 1:19:53 ‘Passing the baton’ of leadership by Vice President James D. Henry. 1:24:03 Frequently asked IRS questions by Secretary-Treasurer Nicole Rhine. 1:30:52 What democracy looks like by Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Mack I. Julion. 1:36:06 City Delivery updates by Director of City Delivery Christopher Jackson. 1:42:43 EAP resources update by Director of Safety and Health Manuel L. Peralta Jr. 1:47:14 Thrift Savings Plan hodgepodge by Director of Retired Members Dan Toth. 1:53:08 Short Term Disability Insurance by James W. “Jim” Yates. 1:58:43 Whole health by Director of Health Benefits Stephanie Stewart. 2:04:15 Contract Talk: Grievance remedies. 2:15:10 FECA Transmittal 26-2, Part 3: The erosion of ECAB precedent by Regional Workers’ Compensation Assistant Coby Jones.

NALC's Emergency Response Team (ERT) deploys specially trained letter carriers to assist other members following traumatic events. In this episode, hear directly from four of our ERT members: Brooke Bollom, Bismarck, ND Branch 957; Rei Santiago, Elizabeth, NJ Branch 67; John Collins, Zanesville, OH Branch 63; Wayne Green, Winston-Salem, NC Branch 461Links:https://fsafeds.gov/https://nalchbp.org/ 00:01:00 - Peak season00:04:00 - National Rap Session recap00:06:30 - Open Season00:09:22 - Flexible Spending Account (FSA)00:13:58 - Roundtable with ERT members

This week’s Thanksgiving episode highlights how letter carriers give back to their communities. President of Flushing, NY Branch 294 Phil Kahn and letter carrier Andy Fontanetta join the pod to discuss the history and success of their branch’s blood drive and offer tips for any branch interested in holding a similar event. 00:01:55 - Peak season00:06:08 - Overtime exclusion period00:08:35 - Open Season and the NALC Health Benefit Plan00:12:30 - Postal Service Fiscal Year 2025 financial results00:20:29 - National Rap Session00:25:03 - Phil Kahn and Andy Fontantetta on Branch 294's blood drives

There’s a lot to consider when planning for retirement, and the best time to start preparing is right now! This week, we’re joined by Director of Retired Members Dan Toth to break down the ins and outs of navigating retirement preparation at any stage of your letter carrier career. Watch now or tune in wherever you get your podcasts: nalc.org/podcast 00:01:24 Region 2 Rap Session 00:02:54 Cincinnati Branch 43 Veterans Day & Retirees Breakfast 00:04:34 Executive Council and bargaining subcommittees prepare for the 2025 National Rap Session 00:05:50 Interpretive disputes update 00:07:16 Memorial for former Manchester, NH Branch 44 President Yankee 00:09:08 Open Season 00:11:28 Ask the Mailbag: Penalty overtime exclusion period 00:14:50 Retirement basics with Director of Retired Members Dan Toth

This week, we’re proud to feature NALC members who have served in our nation’s military or are currently on active duty in honor of Veterans Day! Tune in to hear overviews of essential topics and resources for our fellow veteran letter carriers. Our sincere thanks go out to our special guests and to all our veteran members for their service to our nation. Watch or listen wherever you get your podcasts! Info about NALC Veterans Group and the Veterans Group Guide are both available at nalc.org/veterans. 00:00:50 – Committee of Presidents 00:03:56 — NALC Health Benefit Plan Seminar and Open Season 00:09:17 — Bargaining Subcommittee Updates 00:10:50 — 2025 National Rap Session 00:13:50 — "Shut Down Hunger" Food Drive 00:20:20 — Introduction to Veterans Day Episode 00:25:01 — Nora Stamper | Seattle, WA Branch 79 | Marines | Veterans’ Preference—Discipline Process and the Merit Systems Protection Board 00:39:12 — Troy Saunders | Baltimore, MD Branch 176 | Marines | Buying Back Your Military Time, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Website, the Buy Back Estimator, and Annual Leave Accrual 00:47:27 — Artegus Felder | Montgomery, AL Branch 106 | Army | The Hoover Executive Order 5396, MOU 00165, and Wounded Warrior Leave 00:55:56 — Carman Montgomery | Mobile, AL Branch 469 | Active Duty Air Force | Military Leave and Uniformed Services Employment & Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) 01:07:02 — Charles Bundy | Chicago, IL Branch 11 | Navy | ID.me Virtual ID, Veteran License, State and County Benefits, DMV Plates and Stickers, and the NALC Veterans Group 01:14:04 — Shane Davis | Jonesboro, AR Branch 1138 | Navy | On-the-Job Injuries—OWCP/DVA Dual Coverage, Veterans and Mental Health 01:27:53 — (In English and Spanish) Christopher Cotto-Sanchez | San Juan, PR Branch 869 | Army | DD 214 Requests and the Veterans Affairs App

Listen to the October 2025 edition of The Postal Record. Browse the digital issue here.

This week's episode discusses a national-level interpretive dispute recently filed by NALC regarding S&DCs (Sorting & Delivery Centers), followed by a look at the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act. Then, we hear from four members of the Branch Leaders group: Kelsey Crosbie, Columbus, OH Branch 78; Linda Johnson, Duluth, MN Branch 114; Veronica Ramirez, Arlington Heights, IL Branch 2810; and Vincent Smith, Worcester, MA Branch 12. This episode is also available to watch on YouTube. Hear more from Rank-and-File Bargaining Committee members here. Have questions you'd like answered on the podcast? Email [email protected]. Keep up with NALC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky and Threads! 00:06:51 - What is an S&DC? 00:15:15 - Route adjustments and evaluations 00:16:38 - What is an MOU? 00:18:43 - TIAREAP expiration and M-02006/02007 00:21:27 - Route adjustment process 00:24:12 - The interpretive dispute 00:27:52 - Protect Our Letter Carriers Act 00:44:47 - Q&A 00:52:10 - Roundtable with Newer Member Rank-and-File committee members

Special Assistant to the President Doug Lape joins the podcast to go in-depth on the structure and goals of the Rank-And-File Bargaining Committees. Then, we hear from four members of the Branch Leaders group: Valerie Castillo, Salem, OR Branch 347; James Collins, Knoxville, TN Branch 419; Elise Foster, Chicago, IL Branch 11; Leigh Smith, Decatur, GA Branch 2225 Watch the full episode here. Hear more from Rank-and-File Bargaining Committee members here. Have questions you'd like answered on the podcast? Email [email protected]. Keep up with NALC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky and Threads! 00:09:22 - Interview with Special Assistant to the President Doug Lape 00:13:21 - Developing the Rank-and-File Bargaining Committees 00:18:18 - How were committee members selected? 00:23:30 - Goals 00:27:18 - Reports and meeting minutes 00:33:00 - What info and materials did the committees review? 00:35:30 - Structure and schedule / Economic proposals 00:45:00 - What's next? 00:47:10 - Feedback 00:49:40 - Roundtable with members of the Branch Leaders Rank-and-File Bargaining Committee