We're back to normal episodes. This week will kick off Season 4's objective of making sure we treat each other well. The NALC Constitution governs the way our union will run, from the national level down to the branch level. In this episode, we'll read through the first four articles, which cover the basic setup of the union, and the rules surrounding the biennial convention.

Some of the best minds in the NALC are at the national convention, and I was lucky enough to have two of them on the podcast. In this episode, we will learn A TON about handling grievances, making good arguments, and making yourself discipline proof. This conversation was truly one of the highlights of the convention for me.

A very tired Michael Brasaemle and I sit down to decompress after the conclusion of the NALC convention in Boston. We'll give our general take-aways, we'll talk about what the experience was like for a first-timer (me) and a second-timer (Michael), and we discuss the social aspects of being here.

Tyler Vasseur and I got a chance to sit down on Thursday morning at the NALC convention. We talked about the driving issues of the Build a Fighting NALC (BFN) movement, chief of which is "Open Bargaining." On this episode, we'll learn how the movement started, what it's accomplished, and where it's going.

Fred is a branch president from Ohio, and he's the host of the Delivering Solidarity podcast. We'll talk about what it's like to be a union president, and we talk about the importance of communicating with your members. As a nice bonus, we talk a bit about podcasting itself.

Holy crap, I got to have Corey Walton on Classes of Mail! We talk about the value of educating our fellow carriers, and the need to have a union that's ready to fight management. And, starting at the 5:30 mark, Corey endorsed me for vice president of Branch 2502. Not too shabby!

The convention is awesome! I finally got to meet Marcie Miller, a master facilitator, Carrier Academy instructor, and an on-the-job instructor. We had a great discussion about the academy, our shared passion for teaching, and how to do right by our new employees.

I got to talk to David Grosskopf! He's a fantastic president who fights for his fellow carriers, and fights for his community. In this episode, we talk about his resistance to the plan to move mail processing from Buffalo to Rochester. He engaged his own members, the APWU, politicians, the media, and the public, AND HE WON! We finish by talking about the lessons the NALC can learn on a national level.

In this episode I'll go over the rules that will govern the proceedings at the NALC convention in Boston. I also discuss Robert's Rules of Order more generally, and talk about how these rules apply to branch meetings.

This episode is a heartfelt message about why I decided to run for vice president of Branch 2502. I'll talk about what motivates me, what's important to me, and what I plan to focus on when I get elected. I would encourage you to contact anyone you know at East Las Vegas and ask them about my love for City Letter Carriers. Ask them if I'm willing to fight for them. And please, share this episode with folks you know in Branch 2502.