the empire state · fantastic job on the food drive…the may 11 effort garnered 74.3 million...

T he March 24th ral-

lies to “Save Sat-

urday Delivery”

were exceptional,

all over New York State, and

all site leads and branch offi-

cers involved, once again,

rose above and beyond ex-

pectations. My personal

“THANKS” to ALL ( NYC,

Long Island, Albany, Syra-

cuse Rochester, & Buffalo),

especially Br.36 President

Charlie Heege and site lead

Mike Kelly, who choreographed the biggest and best rally in

the entire country..Nearly 3,000 attendees heard Congressional

Representatives Meng, Nadler, and Engel, NALC VP George

Mignosi, NYS AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento, NY Public

Advocate Bill DeBlasio, and countless Local Legislators, Union

Leaders, and Local Community Activists, all who echoed a

resounding call to SAVE 6 DAY DELIVERY ..

Current Legislative Scorecard

H. Res. 30..26 of 27 Reps on ..only Collins NY 27 declined…

HR 630.. 24 of 27 on..we need Hanna, Reed & Collins..S.316

Gillibrand cosponsored

HR 961… 18 on.. we need Velasquez, Crowley, Serrano,

Lowey, S.Maloney, Gibson, Reed, Maffei, & Collins

Our recent lobbying trip to DC was again quite success-

ful..”Meet & Greet” at Hutchings Hall attracted 7 Representa-

tives ( S. Maloney, C. Maloney, Bishop, King, Rangel, Engel,

& Tonko) all who pledged support on 6 day delivery. Meetings

with both Senators offices were beneficial, as both are with us

on our issues..Our next year trip will be somewhat different,

with a change in hotels due in part to escalating costs.

Fantastic job on the Food Drive…The May 11 effort garnered

74.3 million pounds of food, an increase of 5 percent over last

year. The total food collected was the second most in the

drive’s 21 years, and the increase was the highest in a

decade….New York totaled over 4 million lbs, with Puerto

Rico registering 669,500 lbs..

President Rolando has accepted our invitation to attend our 60th

biennial convention , 8/4-6 in Syracuse. He will be joined by

VP George Mignosi, and Director HBP Brian Hellman.

**A special GET WELL SOON wish, to NYSALC Director of

Retirees Norm LeFrois, who recently underwent surgery..

Condolences to family and membership on the passing of long-

time Br.21 Elmira, NY President Nick DeRico.. and earlier this

year, Br. 137 Secretary Bill Shay.. May they rest in peace..

Region 15's first annual "Vinny's Walk" honoring

President Emeritus Sombrotto for MDA, will be held

on June 23rd 2013 in Battery City Park, NYC.

This project is the first of it's kind - It will be fun and

definitely for a good cause.

All questions should be directed toward Region 15

RAA Orlando Gonzalez

*Every Branch will receive credit individually

(towards your an-

nual donation)

for their participa-

tion. Awards will be

distributed as well.

As the event this

year is being held in

New York, it is be-

ing hosted by

Branch 36.

It is big and impor-

tant but only as big

and important as

we make it!

George Mangold

Summer 2013 George T. Mangold, President GM-28

The Official Publication of the New York State Association of Letter Carriers – N.A.L.C. The Empire State

Letter Carrier Representing Letter Carriers in New York State and Puerto Rico

National Asked & New York DELIVERED

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

NYSALC Executive Board 2

NBA Region 15 Larry Cirelli 3

NBA Region 11 Daniel Toth 4

Director of Education Mark Sobel 5

Director of Legislation Bill Cook 6

Editor Robert Morro 6

NY STATE ASSOCIATION

OF LETTER CARRIERS

George T. Mangold – President

(Branch 357)

Art Muoio – Vice President

(Branch 210)

Kevin Van Kuren– Secretary

(Branch 333)

Charles Heege – Treasurer

(Branch 36)

George Sarvis – Delegate at Large

(Branch 137)

Andrew Weiner – Alt. Delegate at Large

(Branch 562)

William B. Cook – Dir. of Legislation

(Branch 358)

Norman LeFrois – Director of Retirees

(Branch 210)

Robert Morro– Editor

(Branch 41 )

EXECUTIVE BOARD – DISTRICTS

Tinnelly District – Jay Jackson

(Branch 29)

Central District – James Lostumbo

(Branch 134)

Southern Tier – Genesee Valley

Jeff Potter

(Branch 333)

Niagara Frontier District

Lawrence Kania

(Branch 3)

Hudson Valley District – John Springman

(Branch 36)

Long Island District – Walter Barton

(Branch 6000)

Caribbean District – John K. Rivera

(Branch 869)

Director of Education – Mark Sobel

(Branch 294)

NY State Association of Letter Carriers

The Empire State Letter Carrier Summer 2013

George Mangold Larry Cirelli Daniel E. Toth William Cook

President NYSALC NBA Region 15 NBA Region 11 Director of Legislation

Home # (570) 369-4276 347 W. 42st Street 5445 Beavercrest Dr. Suite #7 P. O. Box 358

Cell # (347) 813-9582 New York, NY 10036 Lorain, Ohio 44053 Schenectady, New York 12301

Fax (570) 369-4276 (212) 868-0284 (440) 282-4340 [518] 374-1046

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [518] 374-1047 (fax)

[email protected]

Senator Chuck Schumer is flanked (L-R) William Cook, Larry Cirelli and NYSALC President George Mangold at this years D.C. Lobby Meeting

mailto:[email protected]

Larry Cirelli

National Business

Agent

Region 15

The Empire State Letter Carrier Summer2013


I f you are like me, you like a good battle, a good

challenge. When nothing is going on, time

passes slowly. Everyone hates being bored. Af-

ter the events of the last few months, being

bored would be great and we have enough challenges

to last a long

time.

We have beaten

five day delivery

but only for the

year. So that

challenge will

come up again

unless Congress

finally takes ac-

tion. I, for one,

am not holding

my breath.

We have the

challenge of a

new contract to

i m p l e m e n t .

Bored? I don’t

think so. The changes we have to make are daunting.

Add the new carrier academies, CCAs, OJIs, route

inspections and the cherry on the sundae, local nego-

tiations, we have no time to be bored or lack of chal-

lenges. Yes, it is a tough time but it seems lately it

is always a tough time. What are we going to do?

Give up? Lay down? Let management implement the

contract; use the CCAs any way they want? Pick or

ignore the OJIs? No. We are going to rise to the chal-

lenge. We are going to make sure they follow the

new contract. They don’t? We file grievances. They

ignore the Step B Decision; we file an unfair labor

practice. They harass or abuse our new CCAs? We

grieve and fight for their rights. Remember, the

CCAs are our future. Every full-time letter carrier in

the future will have

been a CCA. Our

future shop stew-

ard, officers, branch

president, NBA and

National Officers

will all have been

CCAs.

So keep a special

eye out for our new

brothers and sisters.

Make sure they

sign up for mem-

bership. Make sure

they learn the right

way to work. Make

sure they are

treated with respect

and dignity by

management, for they are our legacy if we want the

NALC to continue. Keep up the fight and enjoy with

me the challenges.

HAVE A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE SUMMER

NYSALC President George Mangold addresses the crowds at the rally to preserve 6 Day Delivery in NYC as Branch 36 President Charles Heege looks out

Daniel Toth

National Business

Agent

Region 11



HALLS OF CONGRESS

On May 19th and 20th, Region 11 conducted their 4th Annual

Regional Training in Syracuse, NY. President Fredric V. Ro-

lando addressed the attendees for well over two hours and gave

everyone a chance to ask any questions or raise any concerns.

President Rolando's attendance was greatly appreciated consid-

ering how hectic his schedule is. Thanks Fred. I'd also like to

thank the host branch - Syracuse Branch 134 and their president

Jim Lostumbo. There is a lot of work that goes into preparing a

regional training, and I would like to thank my assistants Ron

Adams and Mark Camilli for a job well done, and thanks to

those who also assisted: DRT members Dave Grosskopf, Randy

Hartman, Dave Schmidt, Dave Lozano, and Orrin Bowman.

Also - Thanks to Greg Rowe for conducting the Leadership

class.

In conclusion, we are facing many challenges - too many to list,

but two that are very important. Our first challenge is to edu-

cate and organize our CCAs. This can be accomplished through

orientation but must be advanced further through relationships

at the station level. Just as equally important is our second

challenge which is on the legislative front. As members of this

union, we must answer the call of our National President. When

President Rolando asks us to contact our congressmen/senators,

we must act. We are only as strong as those that participate. If

no one participates, we have no strength. If everyone partici-

pates, we will be a force that has to be reckoned with. We all

need to pay attention between now and September 30th to en-

sure that any legislation that may be passed is in the best inter-

est of letter carriers and their families.

A t the time of this writing, it is Memorial Day. I am

enjoying time with my family, and reflecting on

the sacrifices of our veterans who lost their lives

fighting for our freedom. When I think of Veter-

ans, I think about not only their job while they serve, but jobs

when they return back to civilian life. The United States Postal

Service as you know is currently hiring City Carrier Assistants

(CCAs). These CCA positions will be manned by a significant

percentage of Veterans. I encourage all Veterans to engage in

our fight to maintain six-day delivery and the quality of life that

all Letter Carriers have fought for year after year. These newly

hired CCAs are the future of the NALC. It is imperative that

we make every effort to educate and organize this new classifi-

cation of employee.

As Letter Carriers, our fight is in the halls of Congress and the

Senate. HR630 and S316 are two bills that are vital to the sur-

vival of the USPS and the NALC. Both bills are postal mod-

ernization measures that preserve Saturday delivery. I call on

all members of this great union to contact their congressmen or

senators either to thank them for co-sponsoring the above bills

or to ask them to sign on as a co-sponsor. This effort must be a

shared effort. All letter carriers, family, and friends must par-

ticipate in contacting their respective representatives in order to

preserve Saturday delivery.

I'd like to thank all those who participated on March 24th De-

livering For America Rallies. Region 11 had approximately

3000 members, families and friends in nine sites covering New

York and Ohio. The media coverage at these nine sites was

invaluable. Each site had TV, radio and newspaper coverage.

This would not have been accomplished without the leaders of

the NALC meticulously planning out every detail. Our mes-

sage was clear on the importance of delivering for America six

days a week.

NALC President addresses the NYSALC delegation at this years Lobby Meeting before they walk to the hill to meet with their representative and deal with NALC issues and the USPS


The Empire State Letter Carrier Summer2013

O n June 23rd, 2013, Letter Carriers in the Tri-State area will be breaking ground on a new annual event that will surely become the feel good place to be, for years to come. We are

all familiar with the Muscular Dystrophy Association and their steadfast effort to find a cure. Since the 1950’s the National Association of Letter Carriers has been part of this most worthy cause. Letter Carriers across the coun-try have embraced and wholeheartedly participated in the many fundraising programs put forth by the NALC. The NALC/MDA partnership is a success because of the understanding and overall giving nature of Letter Carriers and those they serve. We are confident that “Vinny’s Walk” will be another successful endeavor because not only is it a fundraiser, It is a fundraiser with a festival theme. Vinny’s Walk will allow, for the first time, all let-ter carriers from the Tri-State area to come together for a great cause and a great time. This walk is named after the great Vincent R. Sombrotto. As we all know, his accomplishments for Letter Carriers across this country are legendary. With his passing earlier this year, I am sure that we are all in agreement, that this will be a great way to pay homage to his legacy and the Sombrotto family. We will be giving him the ability to do the thing he always did best – to bring carriers together for a common cause. This Year’s inaugural walk is in Battery Park City, New

York. The center of this event is on Vesey Street. NALC

branches have been given instructions on how to allow

all that are interested to participate. Vesey Street is also

the location of the fundraising festival. There will be

Booths set up for all types of fundraising efforts. NALC

Branches from all over the region will be utilizing the

booths to compete for the “Booth Champion Award”. To

serve as an example, the hosting branch is setting up a

“Buck Stand”. They will be serving up hot-dogs, hamburg-

ers, Water and soft drinks for a buck ($1). There will be a

live DJ and a Children’s area offering plenty of fun activi-

ties. The entire event is open to the public. Battery Park

City offers Bike Trails, Pet walks and incredible scenic

views.

The park is also accessible via all forms of transportation,

whether public or private. This is the first effort of its

kind and excitement is building every day. We have re-

ceived confirmation that NALC President Fred Rolando

Plans to attend. We are also expecting many Political

friends and celebrities involved in the cause. Contact

your local NALC Branches or your Letter Carrier to find

out how to get involved. Also visit the website at

www.mdaevent.org/NALCwalk2013.

Save the date – Sunday June 23rd 2013 at Vesey Street in

Battery Park City NY. Come out and enjoy this historic

day with Letter Carriers and their friends and families

from all over the Tri-State area.

First Annual “Vinny’s Walk for MDA”

http://www.mdaevent.org/NALCwalk2013


William B. Cook

Director of Legislation,

NYSALC

Unions Do More Then Just Represent


F or union representatives it is hard to know

what day of the week it is lately, with so

much going on. While we are chasing down

the details of the new contract let’s not for-

get that we have the end of the fiscal year looming in

little over 3 months.

Keep a daily eye out for details between now and

when Congress recesses for the summer. THEN

watch out when they return after Labor Day. Those 4

weeks in September are critical.

One of our approaches is Delivering for America.

We are tasked to talk with our customers about the

business necessity of delivering their mail 6 days

each week. This is not our traditional role. Usually

we are speaking labor union language; saving jobs,

protecting benefits, etc. This type of conversation is

not what motivates the businesses. Their motivation

is the success of their business, not our success.

So as we approach businesses we need to think about

how we talk to them. We need to sell the benefits to

their business of 6 day delivery. Once we can figure

out how to do that, we will make great headway with

Delivering for America

Robert Morro

Editor

Customer Connect

Means More then Money

W hen Customer Connect began back in 2003 it was a means to generate revenue for the Postal Service and solidify the unions ability to help

the company expand and inject new business into the postal service model. Who could have foreseen the importance of that decision ten years into the future, at a time when the USPS is hem-orrhaging money there seems Customer Connect is an in-fusion of cash at this most critical time. But we are not only generating revenue we are building relationships with the business community and attracting more business through our great rates and great representatives, our let-ter carriers. The letter carriers are the life blood for Customer Connect in their interactive everyday dealings with the patrons on their routes and in their communities. Everyday those faithful em-ployees embark to serve the American pub-lic knowing that on any day a lead may generate thousands of dollars for the USPS and that knowledge pushes them forward to continue in guarantying the survival of the Postal Service. From it’s humble beginnings Customer Connect has in-fused over $1,723,531,553 for the postal service on the backs, legs and feet of its letter carriers. This small accomplish-ment helps improved our relationship between the Ameri-can people and the postal service. The NALC continues to be a strong labor union in these difficult times for the USPS and it is only with the dedication of those men and women that walk the pavement or drive their vehicles eve-ryday that keeps this company above water. We can not depend on management or the wizards in L’Enfant Plaza to achieve what is needed to get done in Washington. We must continue to put pressure on our representative in Washington to address the USPS issues and come to a so-lution that help us the postal service and the American public.

New York State Association of Letter Carriers 347 West 41st Street 2nd floor New York, NY 10036

the empire state · fantastic job on the food drive…the may 11 effort garnered 74.3 million...

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