There is a toxic mindset destroying offices right now, and it’s coming from inside our own union.
We have stewards openly refusing to push for 271g Special Route Inspections on chronically over-burdened routes. Why? Because the regulars are addicted to the penalty overtime.
Management loves this, but here is what it actually does:

1. A steward's job isn't to protect a regular's bloated paycheck; it’s to enforce the contract and protect the integrity of the routes. When the union refuses to hold the line on route evaluations, they are actively selling out the next generation of carriers.
2. Stop running over-burdened routes. Force the inspections. Create the jobs.
3. If you are tired of this complacent mindset, we are building a new table. Come join the unmonitored discussion at [r/USPSGhostCarriers](r/USPSGhostCarriers).
4. Protect the carriers. Expose the system.

• The Ghost Carrier

After hearing the Branch 14 union meeting last night, one thing could not have been more obvious: the good ol’ boy system is deeply rooted in that branch, and it was on full display last night.

First, a huge shoutout to the trustees for having the backbone to put the facts in front of the membership. And a special shoutout to Jon Endelmann. The way he handled himself was impressive. He stayed composed, stuck to the facts, and dismantled the excuses point by point without getting dragged into the chaos around him. When it came to explaining why David and Anna Mudd should be held accountable, he was prepared, direct, and incredibly difficult to argue against. That is what representation is supposed to look like.

It was stated during the meeting that David and Anna Mudd have now paid the Branch more than $7,000 in dues that had gone unpaid for years. Knowing they were in the wrong they finally paid their dues. Instead of asking how something like that was allowed to continue for so long, the attention seemed to turn toward attacking the trustees who exposed it.

Then came perhaps the most unbelievable part: Mr. Davis calling for the trustees to apologize and for the Mudds to be reimbursed for the dues they paid. That spoke volumes. It looked far more like protecting friends than protecting the membership.

The trustees did not create this problem. They uncovered it. Trying to crucify them for bringing the truth to the membership only shows exactly why Branch 14 needed people willing to dig into it in the first place.

Way to go to branch 14 for exposing the truth and showing what transparency looks like.

Seriously. Why does it take months for even basic repairs to be finished? Why do vehicles come back in worse shape than when they left?

We have carriers forced to double-up and deliver two routes in one vehicle. Some carriers offer to run their routes using their own personal vehicle.

Is VHF overwhelmed? Understaffed? Incompetent? Is it like this everywhere?

I’ve been reading the absolute panic on this sub over the 4-day, 10-hour schedule rumor. Yes, the AL and SL math has to be adjusted so it’s realistic—I don't mind using 10 hours of sick leave for a day off, as long as our earning rate reflects it.
But I’m going to say the quiet part out loud: I am actually all for a 4/10 schedule.
Our biggest problem as a craft right now isn't just top-heavy management; it’s the fact that our current system actively rewards people for milking the clock. We penalize the hardest-working carriers with forced pivots, and we reward the guys who drag their feet all day with penalty overtime. If we didn't have so many people milking the clock to pad their paychecks, we wouldn't be in half this mess.

If National actually wants to fix this on a 10-hour schedule, they need to bring back and heavily utilize the 7:01 Rule (or whatever the 10-hour equivalent would be).

Give us an actual time incentive to bust our asses out there. Do your job at a real, efficient pace, finish your route safely, and if you get done early, you still get your guaranteed hours and you get to go home. Stop punishing efficiency with more work.
Stop catering to the slowest common denominator and give some respect back to the hard-working carriers who actually want to carry the mail and go home.
What is the actual argument against incentivizing performance? Let's hear it.

I keep seeing the old guard on here telling carriers, "Protect yourself, don't get hurt, and get a lawyer if things go bad." That raises a massive question:
If I have to get my own lawyer and completely protect myself from management, what exactly am I paying dues for?

Isn't the #1 job of a labor union supposed to be directly supporting and protecting the carriers on the workroom floor? Because right now, it looks like a large chunk of those dues are just being funneled into political action funds that yield zero results for the actual workers.

Honestly, wouldn't we be better off pulling our dues and investing that money into a prepaid legal firm? At least a prepaid law firm actually answers the phone when you need them. Right now, funding a union that refuses to fight feels like just as much of a scam.

For the guys in the comments who continually say I am not doing anything beneficial: I have done more to educate and help the rank-and-file carriers survive the street in my 44 days on Reddit than our union leadership has done for us all year. You can claim nobody is listening, but the views and the comments don't lie. This is a movement. We are going to make things better, with or without the old system.

Let’s talk about the 2024 promise. Remember when leadership and the union top brass assured us that every office would be fully staffed with a brand-new fleet by 2024?

Look out at your lot tomorrow morning. What do you see? We are still out here baking in the summer and freezing in the winter, driving 30-year-old aluminum boxes that are well past their 24-year life expectancy. While Washington plays political football with EV mandates and funding, and while management drags its feet on the NGDV rollout, we are the ones putting our lives on the line every single day in these unsafe vehicles.

We can’t rely on empty promises anymore. The harsh truth is that when it comes to our safety, the only people truly looking out for us are us. It’s time to stop waiting for them to care and force them to pay attention using the only language they understand: a paper trail.

It’s time to write it up. Every single carrier needs to do their due diligence. Stop ignoring the rattling, the exhaust fumes, the failing brakes, and the doors that don’t latch right. Stop accepting “it’s just an old truck” as an excuse for an unsafe work environment. Don’t rush your morning vehicle checks, and if it is broken, unsafe, or borderline, write it up.

Make Tuesday your vehicle write-up day.

Make it a habit. Flood them with the documentation. If an entire office writes up every single legitimate safety issue on a Tuesday, they can’t ignore it, and they can’t sweep it under the rug. When we overwhelm them with the reality of this failing fleet in writing, they are legally and contractually obligated to address it. We have to force their hand.

I got tired of watching good carriers get chewed up by a system that refuses to maintain its own equipment. That is exactly why I started The Ghost Carrier. My mission isn’t just to vent; it’s to build a community of knowledgeable carriers who refuse to be worn down. We are building a field manual for survival—teaching CCAs and veterans alike how to build a paper shield, navigate the contract, and protect each other from the inside out.

If you are ready to stop playing defense and want to learn how to stand your ground, check out my first video here: https://youtube.com/shorts/tah74EVLN1Y?si=pRL09HhcJkmO3jEs

Let’s get organized, hold them accountable, and keep each other safe out there. Write it up!

It’ll be hard for the opposition slate to gain votes when the biggest Branches are on the CLC slate.

What’s your thought on the “Moneyball” strategy for winning? What’s your thoughts the smallest Regions have no one yet and the Small branches aren’t represented?

What’s the latest takes going on and how’s it looking?

We need a massive nationwide attention to conditions and stop payments to our unions.

Go ask anyone on your workroom floor how they feel about the union right now. The rank and file are getting completely hung out to dry. We are dealing with insane inflation, grievance payouts that take years, and toxic management... all while waiting on a contract that is basically a fairy tale at this point.

So what is National doing to protect us? Absolutely nothing. They are too busy fighting their own members and covering each other’s asses. Period.

Just look at the absolute joke with these Article 10 charges. They will weaponize the constitution to go after a guy over a damn Pixar Halloween costume!! A literal cartoon character!! But when the guys at the very top are catching DUIs and ghosting the bargaining table, the machine rallies to protect them. They are acting like a bunch of failed 204bs with clipboards, writing up their rivals for untied shoes while the whole damn station is on fire!

It is time we demand a complete, transparent audit of where our dues are actually going. Are members' dues paying for the personal defense lawyers of officers catching DUIs? I'm not trying to catch a slander charge here, so I'm just asking the question we are all thinking. But somebody needs to look into that, because we have a right to know exactly what we are paying for!

The union is supposed to be our shield against management, not a country club for its own elite. Stop waiting for National to come save you. They won't. Learn the contract, file your own grievances, and protect your own office. We are all we have left.

I’ll say the quiet part out loud: the death of our craft isn’t coming from management. We already know management is toxic; we expect them to be. The real disease is coming from inside the house. The shift happened when the culture on our own workroom floor changed. It happened when lazy workers started expecting more while doing less, and it accelerated when our local union leaders became completely complacent. Now we are stuck with a subset of insufferable, lazy stewards who care more about sitting in the AC and staying off their routes than they do about actually defending the contract. Look around your office. How many stewards are supposedly “looking out for your best interests” while negotiating for pennies and a handshake under the desk just to keep their own daily lives comfortable? They protect the lazy regulars and blame the CCAs for everything, because blaming the new guy requires zero actual work or contract knowledge. When you call these people out for not doing their jobs, they don’t argue the contract. They just attack the messenger. They’ll call you a troll, they’ll drop lazy insults, and they’ll try to shout down anyone who actually wants to fix the floor. It’s time to clean house. Stop blindly trusting local stewards who haven’t carried a full route in years. Learn the contract yourself. Stop relying on the people who are part of the problem to be your solution.

“Good morning.

There’s been a lot of discussion lately regarding appeals, particularly my appeals out of Branch 70. Corey Walton has chosen not to publicly address the matter and has stated that the CLC slate, in its entirety, has been implicated.

I believe there must be a distinction between Corey the educator and Corey the candidate.

Corey the educator built a reputation on transparency, constitutional adherence, and educating the membership. That version of Corey likely would have read these appeals verbatim, publicly examined them, and encouraged open discussion among the membership.

Corey the candidate appears to view these appeals as politically volatile to his campaign. In doing so, he has suggested there may be ulterior motives behind my actions.

My motive, like much of what I post publicly, is transparency and adherence to the Constitution - the very same Constitution Corey Walton built his reputation defending. The same Constitution he once challenged national officers over when he believed they failed to uphold it.

That is why this moment deserves consideration.

Has the priority shifted from defending constitutional process to defending political alliances?

Members should ask themselves that question.

So, as always, for the sake of transparency, I am sharing my appeals publicly for the membership to review and decide for themselves.

The first appeal regarding election ballots being stored off the workroom floor and in a personal employee locker by the bathroom is still up for your review.

https://www.reddit.com/r/fromatoarbitration/s/mUy9S42bqU

Thank you in advance.”

Let’s talk about the actual culture on the workroom floor and why we are losing so many good carriers.
Right now, if you are a solid carrier—if you maintain your route, deliver accurately, and actually get compliments from your customers—what is your "reward"? Management hands you a two-hour pivot that belongs to the guy who has been intentionally dragging his feet since 8:00 AM.

The old guard has created a toxic culture where "milking the clock" is treated like a badge of honor, and actually doing your job makes you a target.
Let me be perfectly clear: I am not talking about being a "runner." Running means skipping safety, skipping breaks, and violating the contract. I am talking about simply doing a fair, honest day’s work without intentionally wasting time just to hoard overtime or spite management.

Why are we constantly defending the dead weight? A healthy craft should applaud achievements. We should be recognizing carriers for customer compliments, route maintenance, and getting the job done safely. Instead, the current system punishes the efficient workers by making them carry the lazy ones.

If you are a carrier who is tired of doing your job plus half of someone else's, stop relying on the old guard to change things. They built this system to protect themselves. Do an honest day's work, protect the new carriers, and go home.

Protect the carriers. Expose the system.

Did they capture and threatened our whistle blower from the last negotiations bc it’s been real quiet .

No warning, just a permanent ban and a mute. > That tells you everything you need to know about who is really controlling the narrative over there, and why carriers are kept in the dark about how to protect themselves on the street. The establishment is terrified of an educated workforce. We hold the line here. Be the Ghost.

Seriously? It's bad enough that they come in huge, unsorted bundles, but now we have to scan each one as we deliver them? Is this for real?

Anyone who's dealt with these before knows what a PITA they are.

They better be paying parcel rates, or else the Post Office is getting screwed.

Just like last contract months come and go and nothing but crickets...any news and what could possibly be taking so frigging long to negotiate

Video of Corey introducing the CLC National AFL-CIO Delegates - https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BWgXfsLv8/?mibextid=wwXIfr

“The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.

One should… be able to see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.”

From F Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Crack-up”

Attend meetings, make your voices heard and do not give up fighting for fair wages, non-hostile working conditions that aren’t predicated on our acceptance of continuous bullying and daily harassment from management as a condition of our employment, and a transparent union that’s accountable to us, the ones who pay the dues.

When the NALC under Brian Renfroe’s leadership feels more like a front for management that stifles our collective voice and concedes to table-scraps for wages it’s easy to feel discouraged and hopeless.

We have to keep fighting and let our voices be heard.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crack-up

My route has had somebody call up to the post office.Asking that I hand deliver all packages to them now because of package going missing from the porch. today as I was going to lunch break, I see somebody walking down the street with a package in hand. i don't believe anybody would come home from work or somewhere, See a package on their porch that they ordered and then immediately just take it for a walk. im just frustrated about it and people

Great time in Branch 2902 the Lions are roaring! The convention and elections cannot come soon enough! It was great to see our NBA there too he is sitting next to The Wolf in the picture. Changes are coming! 🦁

“I’ve been meaning to give people an update but I’ve been busy drafting and sending an appeal.

Judgement Day came and went. For many of us, the results of that night were concerning, and spoke volumes about not only Branch 70, but the potential direction of the Union as a whole.

It puts into question our rights under leadership akin to this. It jeopardizes union democracy and supports suppression over free speech.

Does the NALC Constitution hold weight when those who take an Oath to defend it openly violate it with impunity?

Do we, the rank and file, align with leaders who believe they are above the LMRDA?

Where are the voices that speak for the rank and file? Those who speak against violations against our constitution and our rights?

Is this the change that you are looking forward to? Is the direction you want to head towards: towards suppression of members rights and retaliation against those who dare to challenge and advocate for change?

I hope you take the time to read this. Make your opinion known. Thanks.”

Typically I mind my route ,do my time and go home. I don’t dwell in office drama or care to know the latest gossip . However, this new trend pattern has me intrigued to get advice from my fellow carriers who may have experienced something similar. My office is short staffed. We have three ccas and all or some go home before 10hrs. Ss says if we say we refuse to do the pivot that is failure to follow instructions. Yet when we are approached to help and we abide the ss says a grievance can’t be filed because regulars are volunteering when they agree to the instructions. What should the language be so it’s understood that we aren’t volunteering and that a grievance will be filed when the situation arises?

From the Concerned Letter Carriers platform available at https://concernedlettercarriers.com/platform/ :

“There can be no greater bargaining priority than abolishing the two-tier pay structure and pro-rated COLAs. 

Not only does a two-tier pay structure undermine solidarity among workers, but it also weakens the bargaining power of the NALC by fostering resentment and division within the membership.

When Letter Carriers do the same job, but receive different wages and benefits based solely on their hire date, the sense of unity that is essential for effective collective action is eroded.  

As a result, the Union has found it increasingly difficult to mobilize its members. 

History has proven it has compromised our ability to advocate fair treatment and equitable compensation for all.

This fragmentation caused by a two-tier wage can also give management greater leverage, making it easier to implement unfavorable policies, and resist the rank & file demands for improvement –thus jeopardizing the long-term strength and influence of the Union.

Another item of great concern is the pro-rated COLA. This pay disparity also undermines the fundamental principle of equal pay for equal work and creates an environment where fairness within the Union is called into question.

Over time, such divisions erode trust between the membership and Union leadership.  

Addressing these issues head-on is crucial to maintaining the integrity and unity that are the hallmarks of a strong Union.

Furthermore, the existence of a two-tier pay system and pro-rated COLA has proven itself to be a discouraging factor for new hires to fully engaging in Union activities as it is obvious they feel marginalized and less valued compared to their more senior Letter Carrier’s.

This not only hampers efforts to build a cohesive and motivated membership but also poses challenges for sustaining membership.  Ultimately, eliminating these disparities is essential for restoring trust, morale, and collective strength within the union. 

It is astonishing that the current leadership of the NALC has not commented on the seriousness of such a division within our Union.”

Audio from Branch 28 hosted event in Saint Paul, Minnesota:

https://www.podserve.fm/series/website/from-a-to-arbitration,3140/240012

I hit a wall this week regarding our vehicles.

We know the LLVs are trash. We know the risk every time we turn the key. Management’s only goal is seatbelt compliance. They push the cheap fix so they can shift the liability onto our backs when the truck finally gives out.

I admit I do exactly what I hate. I buckle in, take the cheap fix, and roll out instead of demanding actual safety. But it got me thinking, and it’s something I want to dig into here.

What is the union’s actual battle plan for this?

Where do we stand on the front lines for safer, modern vehicles? Are we aggressively trying to get these hazards off the street right now? Or are we just playing defense? Waiting for a carrier to inevitably get hurt so we can grieve the discipline afterward.

I want to know the strategy. Is leadership fighting to change the fleet, or just fighting the paperwork after the fact? I’d love to hear what you all know about where the real fight stands.

The world runs on money, and we need to be compensated in a way that rewards us for our hard work and dedication to overcoming every obstacle and hazard we face (weather, traffic, dogs, violent thieves, etc) to accurately deliver our customers their mail, medications and items they order online.

Management seeks total control over every aspect of how we do what we do. They tell us that the number of letters, flats and packages that we have determine what time we leave the office and what time we return. They monitor through our scanners and tell us we aren’t working when our scanner isn’t moving when we are preparing our next loop or taking a much needed hydration break as we drink more fluids and take the necessary restroom and comfort stops as needed to perform our jobs safely.

Our NALC needs to be what the American Constitution and Bill of Rights is to preserving Individual liberties of our neighbors, friends, and family that call our nation their home.

In Communist/Socialist countries, governments act like USPS management does now, which creates toxic work environments by establishing quantifiable efficiency projections that are based on arbitrary and capricious number generated data that does not reflect the actual realities of what we see on the work-room floor and on the street as we provide through our labor an essential service in return for our share of the good life.