Episode 189: My thoughts on the tentative agreement

This episode expresses Corey's strong disapproval of the tentative NALC contract agreement, characterizing it as a concession to management that offers little to letter carriers. He begins by announcing upcoming podcast guests (Mike Caref, Tyler Vasseur, and James Henry) and a multi-part series on 6-day counts. He then addresses rumors about his encounter with postal inspectors, emphasizing that it was a voluntary meeting with no negative consequences. Corey strongly criticizes the tentative agreement, arguing it represents a failure of leadership and a betrayal of the membership. He dismisses those who attempt to justify the agreement by citing the postal service's financial difficulties, emphasizing that the postal service's mismanagement is the root cause of its financial problems and that letter carriers should not bear the brunt of that mismanagement. He highlights specific areas of concern within the agreement: the retention of the CCA position, inadequate pay increases, and the lack of progress on issues like non-compliance, mandatory overtime, and toxic work environments. He then details Mike Caref's filing of Article 10 charges against President Renfroe, emphasizing the importance of holding union leadership accountable for its failures. He describes the meeting of national business agents from which Caref was excluded, highlighting this as a further example of the union's disarray and lack of transparency. He urges listeners to contact their business agents to demand accountability for this exclusion. Corey strongly criticizes the business agents' attempts to influence the membership's vote on the Renfroe charges, emphasizing the unethical nature of these actions and calling for disciplinary measures against those involved. He then shifts to discussing the planned October 14th contract rallies, emphasizing the need for member mobilization and public awareness campaigns to pressure the USPS into negotiating a fair contract. He encourages members to participate actively and to prepare for potential pushback from management. Corey provides examples of management's tactics to pressure and intimidate carriers, such as imposing arbitrary office time limits, using scanner data for disciplinary actions, and threatening to deduct pay for stationary events. He provides detailed instructions for responding to such actions through the grievance procedure, including the use of M-1458 to challenge the use of GPS data as the sole basis for discipline. He then discusses the importance of educating members about their rights and responsibilities and urges members not to be intimidated into accepting unfair treatment. Corey expresses his frustration with the current union leadership, emphasizing the need for a complete overhaul of the organization and a return to a more militant and member-focused approach. He closes by reiterating his commitment to fighting for the city letter carriers and urging members to vote against the tentative agreement. He promotes future episodes focusing on 6-day counts and encourages continued member involvement and engagement in the ongoing efforts to reform the NALC. http://www.fromatoarbitration.com/