Classes of Mail

I ask Mike about the positions he takes in his platform. We talk about training, the grievance process, and much more.

On this episode, I read the entirety of Mike Caref's platform. This is in preparation for my interview with him, which will air the following day.

This is one of the most informative episode's I've ever done. Ron Speakman is an absolute treasure. He shares his knowledge about the worker's compensation system, and talks about what to do if you're injured on the job. Don't miss this one.

We get a few updates from Michael and from me. We announce our candidacy in the upcoming rerun of our tainted branch election, and we talk about some of the problems of mandating.

I received a letter from Brian Renfroe today, answering my question of whether it's permissible for me to be nominated for a branch officer position in our upcoming re-run election, AND to be nominated to serve as a steward. Turns out, yes. Yes it is. This ruling will strengthen involvement and democracy in my branch, which is a good thing.

I'm back from vacation! I'll probably talk about Peru at some point, but right now it's time to talk about my other big passion: education.

Michael and I answer questions from listeners.

Michael joins me in studio to talk about the importance of filing preventative grievances. Most of our grievances are reactionary, responding AFTER the damage has been done. Michael makes the argument that there is a role for grievances before the harms to carriers become great.

Carlton and Brian lost their bid to overturn the status quo in their branch election, but that doesn't mean they're giving up. I talked to them about their effort to update their branch's bylaws, the underhanded methods the good ol' boys use to thwart their efforts, and what the future looks like for their reform movement. Despite the discouraging subject matter, this episode serves as an inspiration for anyone who is dedicated to reforming their union.

This was a BANGER of a Zoom meeting! Michael and I took part in a national Zoom meeting with a bunch of other podcasters, and special guest Manny Peralta (Director of Safety). John Murphy did a great job of collecting questions about safety issues that affect all letter carriers. I know it's a long episode, but it is very much worth a listen.

Sorry about the sound levels. It was recorded off Zoom, and people were at different volumes. I did what I could to balance things out on the fly. This is my recording of the Zoom feed, and includes a little bit of prep in the beginning, and a little bit of post-Zoom conversation at the end.