President's Message

Greetings Local 302 members and friends!

Spring is in full swing with warmer weathers, the economy reopening and the pandemic fading. At this point, everybody reading this article is eligible for a free COVID vaccination, and postal workers are entitled to it at no charge with paid time off from work. I highly encourage you to take advantage of these programs, and GET VACCINATED! For more information, follow the links in this newsletter to our website for information about Emergency Federal Employee Leave (EFEL).

During the past few months, Local 302 has seen the conversion of almost 200 MHAs to career FTR status, and the hiring of hundreds of MHAs, with new members in every facility throughout the Local. We are always on the lookout for new shop stewards to step up and help represent all of our new and existing members, so if you are interested in becoming a Union representative- please contact me or your Branch President.

In March, Postmaster Louis DeJoy and the USPS Board of Governors released the USPS 10-year plan for Achieving Service Excellence and Financial Sustainability.  This plan is basically a road map detailing the USPS plan to return the Agency to profitability. This plan includes their intent to close and consolidate mail processing facilities throughout the country. In fact, we have already been notified that management intends to eliminate letters and flats from the North Bay P&DC in Petaluma beginning this year. This news came shortly after we were notified that the San Francisco ISC facility lost their lease, and management will be redirecting that mail to Southern California next year and excessing up to 115 mail handlers from San Francisco. Local 302 will obviously do everything we can to fight to minimize the adverse impact to our members in these locations, and throughout our jurisdiction. You can help justify the need for your jobs by ensuring that you make every scan and clock into the proper operation at all times.           

I am happy to finally be able to start meeting with you all in person again next month. We will be resuming our quarterly branch meetings and regularly scheduled general membership meetings, picnics and trainings next month. There is information in this newsletter with announcements on our long-awaited Santa Cruz picnic in September and Open House general membership meeting at our new Fairfield Local Office on July 25th. Also keep an eye on your bulletin boards and our website/app (npmhulocal302.org) for upcoming branch meetings in your facility. For those of you who might have not had a chance to attend a branch meeting, this is an excellent opportunity to enjoy a meal with your Union brothers and sisters and meet with your Local President, Branch President and stewards for updated information. We always have free Local 302 logo swag available to hand out to attendees.

Local 302 will be using a new vendor to distribute our annual logo item giveaways in 2021. As most of you know, each year Local 302 supplies either an apron or a T-shirt to each of our dues paying members. This year we have partnered with ADCO to allow our members to choose from a free shirt, apron, smock, hat, mask or cell phone powerbank. There is a flyer in this article with pictures and more information, and a link to the website to order your free gear. Proudly display your Union logos!

Since our last newsletter our members have received a wage increase and a recent increase in night shift differential. Career mail handlers have also seen two COLAs and  modest increases in our clothing allowance. Our current contract also provides for a final wage increase of 1.8% (2.8% for MHAs) in November 2021, and two more potentially substantial Cost of Living Adjustments for career employees. The National Union is already preparing to negotiate a new Contract when ours expires next September.

For more information on these items and more, please check out our website at www.npmhulocal302.org our download our app from your smartphone.

* NEW LOCAL OFFICE LOCATION: 3700 HILBORN ROAD # 200, FAIRFIELD, CA 94534

USE YOUR POLICAL VOICE TO HELP USPS EMPLOYEES

House and Senate introduced the Postal Reform Act of 2021, H.R. 3076/S. 1720. This legislation would repeal the burdensome mandate to prefund retiree healthcare benefits and calls for future retirees to enroll in Medicare. These actions alone would save the Postal Service $44 billion over ten years. Additionally, the bill would offer greater transparency by requiring additional reporting finances and performance, as well as a public dashboard to inform customers on delays.

H.R. 3076 already passed with the House Committee on Oversight, and S. 1720 has enough cosponsors that it would pass when it comes to the Senate floor for a vote.

I ask you reach out to your Representative and Senators, letting them know you support this legislation and ask they do too.

CLICK THE LINK BELOW - CLICK RIGHT HAND in WRITE

You can find a prepared letter at the NPMHU Action Center, https://npmhu.quorum.us/, with this message. Please share this request and link with your members.