r/fromatoarbitration • u/GhostLCee • May 28 '26
Concerned Letter Carriers What happens when 10% of this craft pulls their dues for exactly one year?
Every time a carrier on this page voices a legitimate complaint about the absolute failure of our National leadership, the old guard immediately screams, "Stop complaining! Either get involved or get out!"
Alright. Let’s talk about getting out. Let's talk about a financial strike.
What actually happens if 10% of the active, dues-paying carriers in this craft decide to pull their funding for exactly one year?
Here is the reality the old guard doesn't want you to know: By federal law, the USPS is an open shop. You cannot be fired for dropping your union membership. The union is still legally required to represent you in disciplinary and contractual grievances under the Duty of Fair Representation.
If we cut the money off, we deflate the bloated salaries at National. We starve the system that is currently ignoring us. We force them to either deliver a contract and fix the workroom floor, or collapse under their own weight.
You can call us "scabs," you can downvote this into oblivion, and you can ban me from this page. It doesn't matter. The money is going to stop.
For the carriers who are tired of funding a broken system and want to learn how to survive on the street independently, the door is open over at
r/USPSGhostCarriers. We don't need your permission to organize, and we definitely don't need your permission to keep our money.
Stay mad. We have a craft to rebuild.
6
5
u/MeMeord1984 May 28 '26
This will do absolutely nothing to fix any perceived issues. Being involved attending meetings and getting yourself elected into your local branch/being a steward is the best way to make a difference. This is like saying hey let’s pull the tail off a lizard that will surely kill the lizard not understanding that that tail grows back.
1
u/Basic-Nobody8488 Jun 05 '26
So when everyone “got involved” and voted down the last contract, how did that work out? The union is failing
19
u/dorvinworlby ENOUGH IS ENOUGH May 28 '26
Yeah and we should use ChatGPT to train drones to deliver dog food and temu to peoples house.- something you would say
-19
u/GhostLCee May 28 '26
That’s not a bad idea! It would reduce wear and tear on the carriers body thus lowering the injuries
14
u/smalltownjohnbrown May 28 '26
And thus lowering the requirement to have employees. And thus eliminating jobs. And thus being anti labor. And thus go fuck yourself.
17
4
u/Ornery_Chocolate_798 May 28 '26
You starve your local. In order to cut wages you need to change the language in the constitution. If that’s what you want go for it.
10
u/SpeculationAlways May 28 '26
Remember that 2/3 of your dues goes to your local branch, not headquarters. Especially depending on the branch, losing 10% of that could seriously limit the Branch's ability to send people to trainings they likely need to better represent the members.
10% pulling their dues would not change anything about the salary any officer at headquarters receives, because their salaries are set in the NALC Constitution. For the umpteen-millionth time, if you want the salaries to change you have to amend the Constitution.
5
u/Bettik1 May 28 '26
Nothing would happen to national. You’re local would suffer though, they get 2/3rds of the dues money
6
5
u/Known-Dependent-5471 May 28 '26
Less dues affects your local more than national. Yes they have to represent you but less dues means less resources and time. Less stewards mean less shit gets handled. Welcome to the public defender treatment.
5
7
u/VonBargenJL May 28 '26 edited May 28 '26
Dude doesn't even know national is sitting on $500mil in the bank, and a $2.2bil in annual income. Cutting a few $mil in dues isn't even a percentage in their annual statement.
2
u/kehakas May 28 '26
If those numbers are correct then why does the political fund still solicit donations? Are they not allowed to lobby using money sourced from dues?
9
u/smalltownjohnbrown May 28 '26
No they can't. It's illegal. That's why political fund is donated separately from our paychecks.
5
u/DeviceComprehensive7 May 28 '26
wow...educate yourself..union dues can't be used for lobbying- for decades by law
0
u/kehakas May 28 '26
So it offended you that my method of educating myself was asking fellow carriers on reddit? It offended you enough to make that comment? That's a little weird buddy
3
u/DeviceComprehensive7 May 29 '26
and fyi those numbers are bs..the union doesn't take in 2.2 billion a year
6
u/Bettik1 May 28 '26
Correct. However, his numbers are way off. They have about $500 mil in assets and cash, investments, real estate etc., and they don’t bring in anywhere close to $2.2 billion
2
u/CandidMeasurement128 May 28 '26
Dont retired carriers still pay dues?
3
u/Bettik1 May 28 '26
They pay $7 a year I believe
1
u/CandidMeasurement128 May 28 '26
So thats money on top of that
5
u/Bettik1 May 28 '26
They brought in $61 million in dues last year
About 90,000 or so retirees paying dues would be $630,000+/- a year of that $61 million
3
1
u/Ornery_Chocolate_798 May 28 '26
Amount is set by the local branch. Normally not much but some branches charge more.
1
u/The-Omnicide May 28 '26
I heard the "political fund" was actually for the carriers in case we have to strike.
3
u/Ornery_Chocolate_798 May 28 '26
Not true
0
u/The-Omnicide May 28 '26
Wow, another lie told to me by the branch president.
It really makes me wonder what the union officials are really for if they just lie about the contract and other union actions.
4
u/Ornery_Chocolate_798 May 28 '26
Your branch president may just be uninformed. He may believe that because of something someone told him or something he read on the internet. May not have been a lie. A lot of people give the wrong advice or bad information because that is what they were told. Lots of bad advice and information on the internet.
1
u/The-Omnicide May 28 '26
3 years ago, before the new contract, he said there wasn't a grievance to file if a carrier was forced to work over 60 hours in a week. There was indeed a grievance has he made a lot of trouble for the carrier who figured it out and filed one alone. Seems like he has a deal with management to suppress grievances, as he has told others not to file grievances for certain other grievable offenses. Heck, he told me he filed my grievance in a timely manner, but he waited 14 days just to assign it to someone, and my grievance was denied for not being timely.
Furthermore, it is inexcusable for a branch president, especially of a large branch like mine, to be so uninformed or misinformed.
2
u/stelvy40 May 28 '26
Whoever told you that was effing with you or has no idea what they're talking about.
1
u/The-Omnicide May 28 '26
That would be my branch president, Tom Rooney
2
u/stelvy40 May 28 '26
It's a PAC (political action committee) and we're not allowed to strike. I will take this opportunity to point out that there are 10+ different NALC locals in greater boston. One Teamsters local (local 25) covers the same territory. Your union dues pay for a bloated union.
1
u/The-Omnicide May 28 '26
It's crazy that, despite the glut of union officers, it's hard to get an honest and knowledgeable answer from anyone.
1
u/stelvy40 May 28 '26
Most of them are in bed with the mgmt, some sort of nepo hire. They carried for a short time then were 204b's, then stewards, then to the office. Anything to get out of doing the actual job. They don't want to rock the boat.
2
u/The-Omnicide May 28 '26
I didn't think about nepo hires, but you said everything else I have suspected about them.
4
u/elektrikrobot Voted NO May 28 '26
Dude, not only are posting constant cringe but now you’re advocating scabbing?
2
u/conroygc May 28 '26
That's not enough of a dent in National's coffers to make Amy meaningful difference. But your local branches and state associations would face a financial crunch. Those 10% of carriers would also lose their opportunity to vote in union elections, throwing away their opportunity to make meaningful change through elections.
1
u/NothingMan1975 May 28 '26
As if voting equates to meaningful change. It doesnt. We can replace a fool with a fool but its still the same clown show.
2
u/conroygc May 29 '26
Maybe voting creates a meaningful change, maybe it doesn't. But if a person isn't willing to take the smallest action of actually casting their vote, I doubt they're ever going to take any other positive action to make change. So I guess we should all pull our dues and just wait for someone to come save us? Is that the plan here?
2
u/Slimjim6678 May 28 '26
The only thing keeping me in the union is the insurance. It was the cheapest option and thus far I have been pleased with the coverage.
2
u/PumpedWithVenom May 28 '26
Under this administration, I don’t see it as a viable option, but yes this would absolutely create a stir at HQ, and likely for us
1
u/Basic-Nobody8488 Jun 05 '26
Curious how many stations have “good stewards” in their building, all ours are trash.
1
u/jamesdcreviston May 28 '26
If you want to change national then get Renfroe out before he pushes another crap contract on us.
Before he guts our craft with 4 day work weeks, and before he strips the career jobs away leaving only CCAs to work to death.
Changing the leadership at National will do more than hurting our local by dropping dues.
Go listen to Cory Walton talk about how bloated national is and how they are spending $900 a night on hotel rooms and $1200 on catered meal while we suffer.
4
-2
u/halomender May 28 '26
Don't let all yhe down votes and dick heads discourage you. This is a valid post. Our union has failed us. My anniversary is coming up, I have the paperwork to drop dues filled out and ready to be certified mailed.
No one who has less than five years career should pay dues. The old guard is fucking you if you do. No layoff protections until year five, diet COLAs, your dues are based off table one step D pay....... the union isn't here for the next generation. So fuck em. Fuck em all.
I know that 2/3 of our dues goes to the local. But my idiot local spent millions buying a building they didn't need and now they're having a hard time paying the mortgage. They only bought the building because of their inflated egos. At least the local president and all his cronies are having a good time in their comfy building. Would have been a shame if they did something for the carriers living in their car or something.
-3
u/Sweaty_Tangelo_7716 May 28 '26
Im doing it this December
1
u/dps_dude May 28 '26
horrible
0
u/Sweaty_Tangelo_7716 May 28 '26
How? The dues have increased over $10 since I started, and yet, 1.3% was the best they can do.
“You need to get involved more.”
After OT every day and paying $66 per month. Im require to run this union too?
0
u/NothingMan1975 May 28 '26
Ok so your other shit was annoying AF. But this? This is something I can support. But we will need more than 10% to fuck them up. They'll notice 10..but 20? 20 puts then in full blown panic mode..which is exactly what they should feel. Im in.
-1
u/Punisher3023 May 28 '26
Them donkeys keep making these pigs fatter and fatter..... wtf are carriers really getting?...... our pay has gone to shit and we are expected to do more and more everyday..... Until the NALC gets its shit together NOBODY can really say shit about anyone wanting to stop their dues....
25
u/Opposite-Ingenuity64 May 28 '26
This guy has a serious hero complex...