Hey, keep those cards and letters coming! Of course I’m kidding because I only received two
letters from the last issue. That’s okay I understand we all lead busy lives and who has the time for that. I did get
two responses though, no great surprise they were both from retirees. The same people, who when we need to write letters and
contribute to COLCPE can be counted on.
Over the years, many have asked me why I became so involved with the Union. Why would I take such a thankless job spending most of my time defending the “bad carriers”?
I tell them all the same thing, I don’t defend “bad carriers” … I defend the National Agreement. And
I tell them that they may be tomorrow’s “bad carrier”, it just depends on the supervisor’s opinion
or mood on any given day.
But the real reason I got involved in the Union is RESPECT. I have a tremendous amount of respect for what those guys did in 1970. Thirty-four
years ago they took a risk by going on strike, they gambled with their livelihood, their family’s security; they took
that risk for the prospect of a better life.
Every letter carrier owes a debt of gratitude to the carriers who took that risk so many years
ago. It seems to get forgotten in the daily squabbles over DOIS and street times, but remember we wouldn’t even have
the right to argue and arbitrate our differences if it weren’t for those letter carriers.
So I want to personally say thank you to all the retirees. Thank you for the National Agreement,
thank you for a contract and the right to arbitrate that contract if negotiations stall, thank you for a grievance procedure
to resolve our disputes and thank you to the two guys who took the time to write to me.
The first edition of “The Mailbag” is in
this issue. I will try to publish as many letters as space permits each issue (providing I get any). In the future, I will
be adding contract related items to the Garden State Letter Carrier. Don’t miss the New Jersey voter registration form
in this issue, if you’ve already registered cut it out and give it to someone who isn’t. Don’t wait until
the last minute to register, October 4th is the deadline. Until the next issue, work safe, be professional and
keep those cards and letters coming.
