Episode 168: On to Boston

An episode of the From A to Arbitration podcast, hosted by Corey L Walton, titled "Episode 168: On to Boston" was published on July 29, 2024 and runs 201 minutes.

July 29, 2024 ·201m · From A to Arbitration

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Summary

This pre-convention episode of From A to Arbitration begins with condolences for the recent murder of a Chicago letter carrier and then focuses on preparing listeners for the upcoming NALC convention in Boston. Corey clarifies that "From A to Arbitration Shirt Day" will be Wednesday, not Thursday, due to scheduling conflicts with other events. He provides updates on the 50/50 raffle for MDA (now accepting Venmo payments in addition to Zelle), and the convention t-shirt sales, which are doing exceptionally well. He announces upcoming podcast guests, including Tyler Vasseur, John Poskin, Jason Leath, Charlie Miller, and a pre-convention episode from himself. Corey then reveals that Butch Lau, a retired postal worker, was his source for information about the "Trojan horse" nature of the TRAP memos, specifically regarding the use of GPS data for monitoring carriers. He criticizes the memos for allowing management to track and question carriers' activities without proper oversight, emphasizing the negative impact on morale and safety. He shares a humorous anecdote about his past collaboration with Butch on a safety initiative. Corey discusses the ongoing contract negotiations, expressing skepticism about Renfroe's claims of progress and highlighting the lack of transparency. He criticizes the delay in arbitration and the apparent manipulation of the process. He then shares several emails and scanner messages illustrating management's continued harassment of carriers regarding stationary events and office time, emphasizing management's focus on "making the numbers" at the expense of carrier well-being. Corey expresses his disappointment with the NALC leadership, particularly Renfroe, for its inaction on these issues. He then introduces a special guest, Mike Caref, who discusses the recent murder of a Chicago letter carrier and calls for greater protection of carriers. This segues into a discussion of the need for a stronger union presence, potentially including a postal police force, to address the increasing dangers faced by letter carriers. Caref also mentions a balloon release for the slain carrier and provides details about a CLC meet and greet in Boston. Corey then introduces another special guest, David Noble, who explains the parliamentary procedure of "calling the question" and its potential use to limit debate at the convention on key issues such as open bargaining and the Renfroe charges. Noble discusses concerns about the integrity of the election process. Next, Gary Lang, a branch president, shares his experience with the implementation of the S&DC agreement, detailing how it was manipulated by the national union for political gain at the expense of his branch and his members. This fuels Corey's ongoing critique of Renfroe's lack of integrity and leadership. The episode concludes with a discussion of the upcoming convention in Boston, the importance of member education and engagement, and a call for greater accountability from union leadership. Corey re-emphasizes the "slaughterhouse of failure" metaphor to describe Renfroe's tenure and his determination to help usher in a new era of fighting and transparency within the NALC. http://www.fromatoarbitration.com/

Episode Description

Corey then reveals that Butch Lau, a retired postal worker, was his source for information about the "Trojan horse" nature of the TRAP memos, specifically regarding the use of GPS data for monitoring carriers. He criticizes the memos for allowing management to track and question carriers' activities without proper oversight, emphasizing the negative impact on morale and safety. He shares a humorous anecdote about his past collaboration with Butch on a safety initiative.

Corey discusses the ongoing contract negotiations, expressing skepticism about Renfroe's claims of progress and highlighting the lack of transparency. He criticizes the delay in arbitration and the apparent manipulation of the process. He then shares several emails and scanner messages illustrating management's continued harassment of carriers regarding stationary events and office time, emphasizing management's focus on "making the numbers" at the expense of carrier well-being.

Corey expresses his disappointment with the NALC leadership, particularly Renfroe, for its inaction on these issues. He then introduces a special guest, Mike Caref, who discusses the recent murder of a Chicago letter carrier and calls for greater protection of carriers. This segues into a discussion of the need for a stronger union presence, potentially including a postal police force, to address the increasing dangers faced by letter carriers. Caref also mentions a balloon release for the slain carrier and provides details about a CLC meet and greet in Boston.

Corey then introduces another special guest, David Noble, who explains the parliamentary procedure of "calling the question" and its potential use to limit debate at the convention on key issues such as open bargaining and the Renfroe charges. Noble discusses concerns about the integrity of the election process. Next, Gary Lang, a branch president, shares his experience with the implementation of the S&DC agreement, detailing how it was manipulated by the national union for political gain at the expense of his branch and his members. This fuels Corey's ongoing critique of Renfroe's lack of integrity and leadership.

The episode concludes with a discussion of the upcoming convention in Boston, the importance of member education and engagement, and a call for greater accountability from union leadership. Corey re-emphasizes the "slaughterhouse of failure" metaphor to describe Renfroe's tenure and his determination to help usher in a new era of fighting and transparency within the NALC.

http://www.fromatoarbitration.com/