Classes of Mail

I'm finally getting back to re-reading the JCAM, and this is a marathon session. I read all of Article 10, which covers all types of leave: annual, sick, LWOP, AWOL, court, and administrative. It also covers some of the basics of the annual leave bidding process.

I go over the election results in the 2026 NALC national election, and I give my thoughts on some of the races.

Joshua Shrum (Parcels of Knowledge) joins me via Zoom for this joint episode about delayed mail. We talk about how management got us into this mess, and what we should be doing to hold them accountable and serve our customers.

Today I'm joined by Derek Liemohn, Chair of Build a Fighting NALC (BFN), and Michael Still, a previous guest on Classes of Mail and a member of the BFN organizing committee. They talk about their new podcast, a must-read book (or must-listen) "Undelivered," and what BFN is fighting for these days.

Check out BFN and get connected: https://www.fightingnalc.org

BFN Podcast The Relay Box, on Podbean (https://buildafightingnalc.podbean.com/page/1), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5n93qMaAJN9RDn2mqqDq77), Apple Music (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-relay-box/id6818376730), and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMEXcf4br9hE)!

Undelivered Reading Group this week 10/22: https://www.fightingnalc.org/undelivered2

Secrets of A Successful Organizer Training 11/17: https://www.fightingnalc.org/undelivered2

In this episode, I talk about Enhanced Carrier Routing (the way mailers put our bundled mail in sequence), and how to deal with it when the routing is wrong. I also go over a recent conflict I had with a supervisor, and that leads to a discussion about malicious compliance.

Chris Persampieri (Next Generation Carriers) and I had a wide-ranging discussion about the fight of organized labor to achieve the 8-hour workday. There were riots, strikes, and social movements that gave workers a share of the wealth being created by industrialization and automation. In the intervening century, we've given most of those gains back.

Michael and I go over PS Form 4588 in detail, so you know what management is looking for, and how you can protect yourself.

*** WARNING: This episode include frank discussions about substance abuse and self harm. *** Austin and I have a VERY candid conversation about mental health, including telling our own stories about struggles with substances and self harm.

Michael and I dive DEEP into a letter of warning for attendance. We talk about how to protect yourself day in and day out, during the investigative interview, and when discipline is issued.

We go over the rest of the recommendations, and management's response.

On September 20, 2026, the OIG released a report of their investigation into the Post Office's acceptance of fraudulent shipping labels. It found that 97% of parcels with fraudulent labels are being... DELIVERED! And it cost the Post Office $1.6 BILLION in just one year! In this episode, I get through the first half of the report.

I didn't want to make this episode, but Michael was insistent. In the end, I'm glad he bullied me into it. We are both CLC endorsers, and we're broadly voting for the CLC, particularly at the top of the ticket. But it's not universal. You may disagree with our choices. In a few cases, we disagreed with each other! In the end, this is what union democracy looks like.

Chris Reed was IN STUDIO to give a training on Article 16. He's very knowledgeable, give good information that's approachable for carriers at all levels, and his deep voice will melt like butter in your ears. Also, Chris is running for Business Agent in Region 1.

Bill Kriebel joined me for one last interview before ballots come out. I really believe in him as a candidate for Business Agent in Region 12. On this episode, we talk about his experiences while running for office, and the emotional and physical toll it's taken.

I talked with David about a phenomenal graphic he put out, detailing his qualifications and his accomplishments at Branch 3 in Buffalo. It's ludicrous, and I had to talk to him about it. Our conversation dives into his plans as trustee, and we highlight some of the parts of his resume I find most interesting.

Elliot Simmons, Candidate for Region 7 National Business Agent, dropped in on Zoom to talk to Michael and me about what it's actually like to run for office. You can donate to Elliot's campaign via the usual payment apps at ElliotSimmonsBranch957@gmail.com

What's it like when a reformer becomes branch president? What are the new considerations? What sort of pushback do they get from inside and outside their branch? How do they get their members to buy in, and contribute to the cause? Sam and Greg give excellent answers to these questions and more.

Joanie and I have a spirited conversation about her new website, training in general, and a bunch of other stuff. I've wanted to have her on Classes of Mail for ages, and she was a fantastic guest.

Rich Vala is a lifelong friend who also served as my campaign manager in my branch elections. He has good insights here, and provides an outside perspective on what we have to deal with inside the NALC.

As described in the title. We also get an update on Michael's shoulder.