VOLUME XXXV NUMBER 1 February 2018 The Washington State LETTER CARRIER Published by the Washington State Association of Letter Carriers PERSISTENCE President Brian Wiggins M uch of our everyday work, over time, may need to be assessed to promote our overall efficiency. Change is necessary to stay relevant to and be engaged with the many outside sources that continue to form us into the union that we are. Changes to what sets our policies can move through the legislation processes in far less time than what it has in the past years. An anti-labor Senate, House of Representatives and sitting President are making some of their dreams become our reality. Always, it seems, persistently looking for a way to slowly dismantle the way we function and represent each other. To stay in step with this vigorous activity, the State Association is transitioning its focus more to our interaction with these actions. Persistence, meet our friend, Persistence. The biggest change that you may not see is though our training program. Years prior to the current the State Association, in concert with our Regional office, produced what we needed to be relevant in our contractual disputes. Transitioning as I write this is that change. We no longer will have that function. All training will be produced and presented by our Regional office and staff. We are in con- stant communication with the Regional office and they are happy to continue to meet the needs of our state’s activists. The training dates and trainings will still be as available as they were. I have been assured that when our contractual needs change, so will our trainings. Your branch presidents have/will have all of the information they need to help make this a successful and functional structure. Director of Media From our last year’s convention delegates in attendance created a new elected position, Director of Media. This position, in addition to running the state website, will be the source of information in our digital age across Twitter and coming soon to Facebook. The membership has changed Continued on Page 5 NOTICE OF NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS Nominations for three (3) positions on the WSALC Executive Board for the 2018-2020 term and for Convention City for the year 2022 will close at 2 pm on Friday, June 1, 2018. STATE CONVENTION REPORT: ALL ABOARD FOR WALLA WALLA! Toby Swank, President Branch 736 H ey Everyone! Welcome to 2018! Can’t believe we’re here already. It seemed like it was going to be forever before we got to this point and now it’s all hands on deck. I am fortunate to have a committee in place locally to assist, led by Andrew Underwood who attended his first State Convention last year and I believe started to make his presence felt as most of you who got to know him seemed to like his approach. He’s currently serving as our Branch Secretary with ambitions of serving more both locally and at the state level. Both Andrew and I, assisted by the committee, are working hard to create what we hope will be a very memorable and fun convention for all of you. In doing so we are venturing into uncharted ter- ritory on some things but we have a great pool of resources here in Walla Walla to pull from so we feel like we can offer you a premium experience. I have gotten some early feedback on several aspects so I’d like to take a few min- utes to explain what it is we are trying to accomplish. First, the golf tournament. There was some concern about the price point of the golf tournament and whether or not it was going to be “worth” it to participate in the tour- Continued on Page 3 GOLF & CONVENTION ACTIVITIES, pages 5-6 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION, pages 7-8
Transcript
VOLUME XXXV NUMBER 1February 2018
The Washington State
LETTER CARRIERPublished by theWashington State Association of Letter Carriers
PERSISTENCEPresident Brian Wiggins
Much of our everyday work, over time, may need to be assessed to promote our overall efficiency. Change is necessary to stay relevant to and be
engaged with the many outside sources that continue to form us into the union that we are. Changes to what sets our policies can move through the legislation processes in far less time than what it has in the past years. An anti-labor Senate, House of Representatives and sitting President are making some of their dreams become our reality. Always, it seems, persistently looking for a way to slowly dismantle the way we function and represent each other. To stay in step with this vigorous activity, the State Association is transitioning its focus more to our interaction with these actions. Persistence, meet our friend, Persistence.
The biggest change that you may not see is though our training program. Years prior to the current the State Association, in concert with our Regional office, produced what we needed to be relevant in our contractual disputes. Transitioning as I write this is that change. We no longer will have that function. All training will be produced and presented by our Regional office and staff. We are in con-stant communication with the Regional office and they are happy to continue to meet the needs of our state’s activists. The training dates and trainings will still be as available as they were. I have been assured that when our contractual needs change, so will our trainings. Your branch presidents have/will have all of the information they need to help make this a successful and functional structure.
Director of MediaFrom our last year’s convention delegates in attendance
created a new elected position, Director of Media. This position, in addition to running the state website, will be the source of information in our digital age across Twitter and coming soon to Facebook. The membership has changed
Continued on Page 5
NOTICE OF NOMINATIONSAND ELECTIONS
Nominations for three (3) positions on the WSALC Executive Board for the 2018-2020 term and for Convention City for the year 2022 will close at 2 pm
on Friday, June 1, 2018.
STATE CONVENTION REPORT:
ALL ABOARD FOR WALLA WALLA!Toby Swank, President Branch 736
Hey Everyone! Welcome to 2018! Can’t believe we’re here already. It seemed like it was going to be forever before we got to this point and now
it’s all hands on deck. I am fortunate to have a committee in place locally to assist, led by Andrew Underwood who attended his first State Convention last year and I believe started to make his presence felt as most of you who got to know him seemed to like his approach. He’s currently serving as our Branch Secretary with ambitions of serving more both locally and at the state level. Both Andrew and I, assisted by the committee, are working hard to create what we hope will be a very memorable and fun convention for all of you. In doing so we are venturing into uncharted ter-ritory on some things but we have a great pool of resources here in Walla Walla to pull from so we feel like we can offer you a premium experience. I have gotten some early feedback on several aspects so I’d like to take a few min-utes to explain what it is we are trying to accomplish.
First, the golf tournament. There was some concern about the price point of the golf tournament and whether or not it was going to be “worth” it to participate in the tour-
NATIONAL BUSINESS AGENT PAUL PRICE .............. Pacific NW Region 2
316 SE 123rd Ave Ste A-5, Vanvouver WA 98683Phone ........ 360-892-6545
RICK HORNER ....... State Legislative Liaison / First District12505 NE 116th St Apt A-14, Kirkland WA 98034Phone: 206-818-9657..............................................................Email: [email protected]
BRAD ROBINSON ............................................... First District1725 Sunset Dr, Burlington WA 98233Phone: 425-275-7740 ..................................... Email: [email protected]
BRIAN WIGGINS ............................................ Second DistrictPO Box 12041, Mill Creek WA 98082Phone: 425-508-7577 .......................................... Email: [email protected]
JIM BURKE ........................................................ Third DistrictPO Box 546, Chehalis WA 98532Phone: 360-827-0337 .................................................... Email: [email protected]
JIM MUNNS ...................................................... Fourth District2106 Ruby Way, Yakima WA 98903Phone: 509-307-0141 .........................................Email:[email protected]
BRANDON WILSON ....................................... Fourth District1032 W 16th Pl, Kennewick WA 99337Phone: 509-499-3264 ............................................ Email: [email protected]
SHAREE ESCHENBACHER ............................. Fifth District PO Box 652, Nine Mile Falls WA 99026 Phone: 509-953-3027 ........................................................... Email: [email protected]
MICHEAL POFF .................................................. Fifth District10510 W Richland Ave #16, Cheney WA 99004Phone: 509-209-1820 ...............................................Email: [email protected]
CHRIS LARSEN .................................................. Sixth District6718 NE Bayview Blvd, Bainbridge Island WA 98110-1284Phone: 206-842-4175 ................................................Email: [email protected]
DON BENNETT .............................................. Seventh District14240 8th Ave S, Seattle WA 98168Phone: 206-714-9521 ............................................... Email: [email protected]
GARRETT SCOTT ......................................... Seventh District2010 Franklin Ave E #301, Seattle WA 98102Phone: 206-755-8821 ......................................... Email: [email protected] MARK MYERS.................................................... Ninth District16821 19th Ave SW, Normandy Park WA 98166Phone: 206-284-3420 ................................................... Email: [email protected] CAROL MESFORD ............................................ Tenth District6009 205th St E, Spanaway WA 98387Phone: 253-846-5633......................................................Email: [email protected]
Next Letter Carrier Deadline: March 15, 2018
WSALC OFFICERSBRIAN WIGGINS ..................... President / Legislative ChairPO Box 12041, Mill Creek WA 98082Phone: 425-508-7577 ........................................ Email: [email protected]: 442-Spokane / 1350-Wenatchee / 4213-Ephrata / 4513-Cashmere / 4573-Moses Lake / 6008-Quincy
RAY JOHNSON ................................................. Vice President1388 43rd St NE, Auburn WA 98002Phone: 206-718-5975 ....................................... Email: [email protected]: 852-Yakima / 2948-Cle Elum / 4118-Prosser / 4232-Grandview
SHAREE ESCHENBACHER .............. Director of EducationPO Box 652, Nine Mile Falls WA 99026 Phone: 509-953-3027 .......................................................... Email: [email protected]: 1528-Pasco / 3877-Richland
BROOKS BENNETT ......................................... WSLC Editor21110 46th Ave SE, Bothell WA 98021 Phone: 425-485-3842 ............................................................ Email: [email protected]: 1515-Port Townsend / 1906-Port Angeles / 5194-Oak Harbor
SHARLENE BOWES .............. Director of Retired Members1225 N Baker Ave, East Wenatchee WA 98802 Phone: 509-884-8694 .................................................... Email: [email protected]: All Retired Members
BRANDON WILSON .................................. Director of Media1032 W 16th Pl, Kennewick WA 99337Phone: 509-499-3264 ........................................... Email: [email protected]: Under construction /
TRACY COZAD ................................. Executive Board ChairPO Box 115, Castle Rock WA 98611Phone: 360-431-3269 ............................................. Email: [email protected]: 1104-Vancouver / 3008-Camas / 5479-Castle Rock
TAMMY GATLIN .......................... Executive Board Member1645 S 272nd St Spc 157, Federal Way WA 98003 Phone: 253-350-2307 ...................................... Email: [email protected]: 130-Tacoma / 450-North Sound / 791-Snohomish County / 1527-Anacortes / 4132-Lynden
BUDDY MATTHIAS ..................... Executive Board Member13118 147th St E, Puyallup WA 98374 Phone: 253-377-1812 .................................. Email: [email protected]: 1266-Lewis County / 1484-Puyallup-Sumner / 2038-Kent / 2103-Kelso / 2214-Longview
MICHEAL POFF ........................... Executive Board Member10510 W Richland Ave #16, Cheney WA 99004Phone: 509-209-1820 ............................................. Email: [email protected]: 736-Walla Walla / 1296-Pullman / 2914-Dayton
WSALC INFORMATION 24/7at your website: <wsalc.org>
Page 3 The Washington State LETTER CARRIER
WILSON JOINS
OFICERSDirector of Media Brandon Wilson
I have been a letter carrier in the post office for just over 2 years and that whole time has been
spent at Pasco, Washington. I’m a member of Branch 1528 where I cur-rently serve as our local Vice President as well as our shop steward. This is my first job in which the Union has played such an important role and I am thrilled that there are so many oppor-tunities to serve our members. My new appointment as Director of Media for the State Association will let me use my background in technology to our benefit. I attended Eastern Washington University with a major in Computer Science and have had various posi-tions with small software companies in Spokane as well as larger companies like Amazon.com. However, I soon realized that 8 hours in an office every day, just isn’t my pace and so that led me to the post office.
Outside of the post office, I spend most of my time wife my wife Stepha-ni and 2-year-old son Jack (plus our two dogs). We enjoy the hot weather here in the Tri-Cities and try to do as much biking and camping as we can.
nament. As far as how you feel about the value of the golf package that is a personal decision many of you will have to make. The price is actually a great deal. Wine Valley is one of the top courses in Washington State. It’s gorgeous. It’s long but the course plays hard and the ball rolls far. It would cost you more to play it on a regular day and would not include a catered dinner and contest and raffles through out the event. Additionally, thanks to corporate sponsorships it appears that most if not all of your money will go to the MDA. The goal of the tourna-ment as I understand it is to enjoy each other’s camaraderie and raise money for MDA. I think we’ve set the table to create an amazing environment in which we can accomplish exactly that. I would encourage everyone to embrace the format and enjoy the event and feel proud about the amount of money raised for a charity we all love so much, to me this seems more than “worth” it. I’m certainly looking forward to making my donation to the MDA, supporting my friends at a great event and working my tail of to ensure that you all enjoy it too.
Second, we have the Poker Run and Wine Tasting. Because we have so many wineries that are within walk-ing distance of your hotel we thought it would be fun to tackle the wine tasting in this format. It will be a great value and lots of fun. Additionally we decided to expand it throughout the weekend to give as many people as possible an opportunity to participate.
Third, for the first time in nine years the Walla Walla Sweets, our local collegiate-level baseball team, will unfortunately be on the road for opening weekend. We had planned on reserving the Sweets Deck at Borleske Stadium for that weekend. Thanks to the creative minds over at The Sweets we were able to come up with an event that in many ways may be a lot more
fun because of the personal nature of the competition. That’s the WSALC “Grudge Match” kick ball game, East vs. West. The spectators will be treated to an all you can eat event on the Sweets Deck and we’ll finally decide that pesky question.... who’s better the East side or the West side.
Finally, It’s not our intention to create an convention that is pricey or to make you feel uncomfortable with that but we knew going into this with Walla Walla being a destination location (just announced as one of the Top 50 places to travel in the world by Travel & Leisure) and it being peak season we would face some challenges in that area. Overall, Andrew, the committee and myself are excited and proud of the partnership and support we are receiving from our community. Each of the events we have planned for all of you throughout the weekend is intended to provide you a great ex-perience at a rate that is of good value compared to what you might pay for something similar if you had traveled to the Walla Walla Valley on your own. I hope that all of you are as excited as we are about the possibility of enjoy-ing these events and raising money for a great cause. I encourage all of you to get as involved in as many of them as possible and to enjoy the experience. After all, it might be another 17 years before we put you through this again, LOL. Hope all is well in your world and we look forward to seeing you in May!
Swank from Page 1
Page 4 The Washington State LETTER CARRIER
As technology increases our ability to communicate, NALC must stay ahead of the curve. From websites to email to social media, this union has continually developed the tools to put the most up-to-date information and resources into the hands of our stewards and mem-bers. We’ve now taken the next step with the NALC Member App for iPhone and Android smart-phones. The app was developed at headquarters with the needs of the average member in mind.The app contains links to work-place resources, including the National Agreement, the JCAM, the MRS, CCA resources and more. It also includes legislative tools, such as a bill tracker, an individualized list of your congres-sional representatives and PAC information. And one of the cool-est features: an Interactive Non-Scheduled Days calendar.When you install the app, it’ll ask you for your home ZIP Code, so it can give you the correct legislative information. You then sign up for notifications based on your inter-ests.We know that every member is unique and how you interact with the union is just as unique. Some members are involved in enforcing the contract. Some are involved in the legislative and political pro-cess. Some solely participate in the food drive. Whatever your in-
JCAM, the MRS, the M-39, the M-41, the ELM, the CCA Resource Guide, COLA and paycharts and so much more.There’s also a tab for member benefits. Learn about the Health Benefit Plan or the Mutual Ben-efit Association, find resources for new CCAs, contribute to the Postal Employees Relief Fund, join the Veterans Group and more.Click the menu and you can find all sorts of other resources, from social media, to how to get in touch with your NBA’s office. But one resource that is sure to be a favorite of carriers is the calendar.Most rotating calendars don’t take into account holidays or they only give you one-year’s worth of NSD dates. This app resolves all of that. Whether you have a rotating or fixed schedule, you can see your nonscheduled days for years in advance, if you want. And when your NSD lands on a holiday, the app shifts the holiday designation to the correct day, meaning you’ll know exactly how many days you have unscheduled. The calendar is also linked to the NALC Google calendar, so you’ll see important dates marked in red.The app is free and available in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Just search for NALC Member App.NALC is committed to using this technology to help letter carriers.
terests, click them here and when there is news about these inter-ests, we’ll send personalized push notifications to your device.The home screen is where you’ll see the latest news and social media posts from facebook and twitter. Read them, like them, share them, retweet them. This is your social media.From there, click on the news tab, to see all the latest news items from nalc.org.For those interested in the union’s legislative and political agenda, the government affairs section has tools for you. From “my congres-sional directory,” you can see if your House member and senators have sponsored postal-friendly legislation or if they’re on a com-mittee important to the fight for postal reform. From the bill tracker, you can read NALC’s stance on bills in Congress, how many cosponsors they have and more. We’ve also put buttons for fact sheets and legislative information, so you can know everything there is to know about these bills before speaking to your members of Con-gress. And of course, we’ve made it easy for you to let us know you’d like to sign up for the Letter Carrier Political Fund.We’ve also made it easy to access workplace resources, by clicking on that tab. From here you can open the National Agreement, the
Get in touch with the NALC Member App!
Page 5 The Washington State LETTER CARRIER
as much as our society, immediate information to keep our lives moving. Delegates have recognized this and ad-dressed our vacancy in these venues to communication. Different in another way makes this an elected position to the state association with a two-year term. Upon approval from our Na-tional Committee of Laws in October we had a vacant officer position. By authority given to me by virtue of title, I may position a member in good standing in this seat. I have made my decision and I have appointed Brandon Wilson of Pasco Br 1528 to fill this job. Congratulations Brandon, wel-come to the Council.
Legislative CallThe State Association will be
producing and conducting a legislative boot camp. Location details are in the works, projections put this event in the fall of this year. The likely venue is the Gold Bar site that we have used for other trainings. If YOU are motivated and interested, contact your branch president. Looking for an army of good members to put to work on our concerns through legislative activity.
Not much more to share with you other than we are preparing for State and National conventions later this year. Your state vice president, sec-retary and myself always “enjoy” the run up to and execution of our events.
Happy New Year, brothers and sisters. Remember, in the beginning, there were Unions!
Wiggins from Page 1
THEMEThe theme of the convention is “You Gotta Fight For Your Right … To Party!!” The subliminal theme throughout the weekend is a play on the 80’s hit by the Beastie Boys. There will be sprinklings of this throughout and people are encour-aged to participate in creative ways if they like. (80’s, 80’s hip hop, Beas-tie Boys, 80’s Party). Hope you all enjoy yourselves and we look forward to seeing you. Contact Toby Swank 509-520-5782 or Andrew Underwood 509-629-0344.
LODGINGThe Marcus Whitman Hotel and Convention Center will host the convention. All block rooms are sold out. But some premium rooms may still be available. The Marriot is our spill over and the block for the “Letter Carriers” still has 20 rooms available at $169 per night.
GOLFGolf Tournament is a 1 pm shotgun start. The price of $125 per player includes a catered awards dinner to follow the tournament. A very nice set of trophies is being created to award the winners (one is for the best over-all/corporate sponsor and there is one specifically for the best NALC team) so bragging rights are on the line to be displayed at a branch. Additionally there will contest and prizes through-out the course...all to raise money for the MDA. We have two hole-in-one prizes already (a car from Dodge and a hot tube from Walla Walla Sew and Vac). This should be an amazing a fun golf fundraiser and we’re hoping to just kill it for the MDA. Players wanting to “split the course” and play 9 should contact me to make those arrangements as we have a plan to ad-dress that.
WINE TASTINGWine Tasting Poker Run Kicks off Thursday and will run throughout the weekend. Participants will receive tickets and a map to seven hand picked wineries where they will receive a two glass pour (most tastings in WW will run you $10-20 each) of featured wines from those wineries. You will collect a card from each winery to create a winning poker hand. The winner will receive a basket with a bottle of wine from each of the wineries. Arrangements can be made to ship the wind back for the winner if needed. The cost will be $50 per person and all net proceeds will go to the MDA.
FRIDAY LUNCHEONLunch Friday will be $25 a person and will most likely be buffet style as well. Time to be coordinated with the state and events center.
FRIDAY EVENINGFriday evening will feature a Kick Ball Grudge Match at Borleske Stadium Home of the Walla Walla Sweets. This will be a EAST vs. WEST kick ball game with the winning team taking home a trophy and bargain rights to display at their Union hall of choice. Spectators are encouraged to turn out and root on their team. Tick-ets will be $35 and will include all you can eat non-alcoholic beverages and food (dogs and burgers). Alcohol will be sold at the event for those wanting that option. Net proceeds will go to the MDA.
SATURDAY BANQUETDinner tickets for Saturday will be $40; we’re leaning towards buffet style. There will be musical entertain-ment following the dinner. DJ, Dance floor style. Happy Hour at 6 pm. Dinner Service at 7 pm.
CONVENTION ACTIVITIES INFORMATION
Page 6 The Washington State LETTER CARRIER
J.O. Shelton MemorialGOLF TOURNAMENT
May 31st 2018 • 1PM Shotgun Start
Lead Sponsor $2500• Signage everywhere at tournament and on all promotional material provided by WSALC• 4 player team• Booth at tournament to promote products and services• Swag of choice in player bagsHole Sponsor: $1000• Signage at hole provided and on all promotional material provided by WSALC• 4 Player team• Booth at hole to promote products and services• Swag of choice in player bags(creative hole in one contest opportunities-limited)
All proceeds go to benefit MDA and are tax deductible.We encourage all sponsors to get as creative as they want with their booths and presence at the course bring your own
tents, shade, promotional materials, employees/volunteers, give aways….we encourage you to have fun promoting your business, products, and services. Please contact Toby Swank 509-520-5782 in advance to make accommodations
but no reasonable request will be turned down.
Contest Sponsors: $500• Dream Drive ($5 person, $20 team)• Putting Contest ($5 for 3 shots)• Chipping Contest ($5 for 3 shots)• Signage at contest provided by WSALC• 2 player team• Swag of choice in player bagCart Sponsorships: $100• Signage on cart provided by WSALC• Swag of choice in player bag
Tournamant Sponsor Opportunities:
@ Wine Valley Golf Club176 Wine Valley Road | Walla Walla, WA 99362
All proceeds go to benefit MDA and are tax deductible.
Player 1:____________________________________________________Telephone:______________________Company:________________________________ Address:__________________________________________City | State | ZIP________________________________________________________18 hole Handicap:______
I Wish to golf with:Player 2:______________________________________________________________18 hole Handicap:______Player 3:______________________________________________________________18 hole Handicap:______Player 4:______________________________________________________________18 hole Handicap:______
All players must complete their own registration form and submit with registration.Make checks payable to NALC Branch 736
Tournament to play: $125 per playerincludes 18 holes and a cart • Awards dinner at end of round
1 beverage of choice • and Player Swag Bag Mulligans ($5 each - cap 4) • Golden tees ($5 each - unlimited)
Page 7 The Washington State LETTER CARRIER
2017 WSALC MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Applicant must be a son, daughter, grandchild or dependent of an active, retired or deceased Letter Carrier. Applicant must be a high school senior or graduate when making application and must submit the form provided in the Washington State Letter Carrier (or photocopy thereof).
REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must have maintained a 2.5 grade point average in their last full year of school prior to application, or submit a copy of SAT or ACT scores, which reflect that the applicant meets the national average. Applications must be postmarked by April 1st, 2018. Applications must be sent by certified mail. Applicants must receive the endorsement of the President or Secretary of the Branch in which they claim eligibility.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS MUST ACCOMPANY THE APPLICATION: • A copy of most recent grade transcript to support a claim of 2.5 grade point average (cumulative) or a copy of SAT or ACT scores that reflect that the applicant meets the National average. • A separate statement of career goal or intent. • Two letters of recommendation, which reflect the applicant’s involvement in the community. These letters may include, but are not limited to, one from a school official and one from a member of the community in which they reside. • A brief personal resume. • A stamped, self-addressed legal-sized envelope must be included.
REGULATIONS: This award is non-renewable. Past recipients are ineligible to apply for future awards. There will be two or more scholarships in the amount of $1500.00 each, to be awarded at the 2018 WSALC Convention in Walla Walla, Washington. All funds shall be awarded after acceptance to the school of the applicant’s choice in conjunction with the WSALC by-laws. The funds shall be made payable to both the student and the school. The Memorial Scholarship Committee shall review all applications to assure that all eligibility criteria and requirements have been followed and met. Failure on the part of the applicant to meet the rules shall be subject to disqualification by the Committee. If disqualified, the decision of the Committee shall be final. The Memorial Scholarship Committee shall award the scholarships by random draw of all eligible applicants. This drawing shall be held during the Convention, at such time as selected by the President. The WSALC Secretary/Treasurer shall mail appropriate notification to the winners.
Scholarship applications WILL NOT BE OPENED UNTIL CONVENTION!
Scholarship Questions? If you have any questions, they need to be directed to your local Branch President.
Page 8 The Washington State LETTER CARRIER
2018 WSALC MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
APPLICATIONS MUST BE SENT BY CERTIFIED MAIL AND POSTMARKED BY APRIL 1, 2018
Fill out application and mail to: WSALC SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
c/o Al Floyd, Chair3724 Ensign Rd NE Apt 5-301
Olympia WA 98506
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY
Please accept my application for a WSALC Scholarship:
My name: ____________________________________________________ My home address: ______________________________________________ City, State, Zip: ________________________________________________ I am a senior in the school year of 2017-2018, or a high school graduate. Year of graduation: _______
(Please circle what applies)
I am the Son Daughter Grandchild Dependant, of Letter Carrier ________________________________________, who is an
(Please circle what applies)
Active Retired Deceased Member of NALC Branch # _____ City ________________________ State ________
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This is to certify that all rules and regulations are understood and agreed to in the submission of this application.
___________________________________________ Date ___________ (Signature of WSALC Member/Grandparent or Spouse (if deceased)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This is to certify that the above named WSALC Parent, Grandparent or Dependant is/was a Member in good standing in NALC Branch # ________.
___________________________________________ Date ___________ (Signature of Branch President or Secretary)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I certify that the foregoing information is correct to the best of my knowledge and that I have included all required items with this application. _____________________________________________ Date __________ (Signature of Applicant)
Page 9 The Washington State LETTER CARRIER
Continued on Page 10
THE END OF AN EDUCATION ERAJo Ann Pyle, Branch 79
In 1989 Jamie Lumm conducted the first shop steward college in Washington State. Jamie is a member of Branch 2038 in Kent and was the Director of Education
for our state association at the time. (He is currently the Director of Education for our national association.)
This revolutionary training was held at St Mary’s Con-ference Center in Toledo, Washington. I attended this shop steward college with other stewards from around our state. It was one of the best experiences of my NALC career.
Shortly after this, Jamie and then National Business Agent Jim Williams started training activists to teach oth-ers. We learned all about teaching adults. Different tech-niques are required as not all of us learn in the same way. These sessions included lots of practice for planning and presenting material. Some of the students were selected by Jamie to help teach at steward colleges and other training events. I became one of the statewide trainers and contin-ued in that capacity until recently.
In 1998 Sheila Grant from Pasco Branch 1528 was elected as the WSALC Director of Education. Sheila was all about new and creative ideas for teaching. She really embraced the cooperative and collaborative approach with the statewide trainers. Sheila started arranging for the trainers to meet at least once a year for a planning week-end, which we fondly called “planneries.” We all worked together to design and execute steward colleges, statewide training (SWT), state convention training, traveling training and more.
Four years later, Sheila snuck off in the middle of the night to go into management without a word to the rest of the trainers. The then state president Steve Schultz appoint-ed me to the Director of Education position, which I held for ten years. These years were some of the most rewarding for me.
During those ten years I worked with numerous state-wide trainers and ad hoc trainers. I enjoyed working with all of them and we became good friends as well as col-leagues. We continued to hold the planneries. We tried to do this on the Columbus Day holiday weekend so we didn’t have to take leave. We usually rented a place where we could all stay together, cook together and plan the training for the following year. We began working after breakfast on Sunday morning and we worked through the day. We were back to work Monday morning and worked until check out time.
We normally planned for one or two shop steward col-leges, SWT and convention training. At our planning week-
end we started out with input I received at the Committee of Presidents’ meetings that we held at the prior statewide training weekend along with other input from branch presidents and members. This is also where we developed curriculum for new colleges.
Are you wondering why I’m going into this detail about the planning process? I think this is one of the pri-mary reasons our training program was among the best in the nation. The creative process was so much more pow-erful when we talked through ideas and when new topics were surfaced there was a beautiful synergy when trainers put their heads together.
We tried to keep our training fresh and didn’t do everything exactly the same each time. Each trainer was encouraged to bring his or her new ideas into the mix. Of course we had basic shop steward college but we also did intermediate steward colleges where we did Formal A train-ing and Advanced Arbitration train-ing. We created a very successful Contract Interpre-tation college and a Deconstructing Discipline college. One of the steward colleges I’m most proud of was our 2011 Activist Centered Training where we taught non shop steward skills. We had classes on leadership, officer duties, branch by-laws, concerted activities, communicating with members, running meetings, strategic planning and much more. We did not want to step on our national association’s toes as they were putting on Leadership Academy but not everyone gets picked to attend that training. We started de-veloping our training based on the national Branch Officer training that I had attended in 1994. The statewide train-ers started there and blossomed out. My sincere regret is that we weren’t able to repeat this training, because it was fabulous.
Even though our steward colleges started at St Mary’s in Toledo, when that facility was sold we were fortunate to end up at Camp Huston in Gold Bar. This is where we have been ever since.
At each shop steward college we had legislative training and updates. I remember one basic steward col-lege in particular where there was a hot legislative debate
I want to thank every activist who helped with our training over those years. You contributed
so much to our union.
Page 10 The Washington State LETTER CARRIERPyle from Page 9
underway while we at Camp Huston. Trainers decided to have each student make calls to their congressional repre-sentatives and senators. It was so much fun. Many of these students didn’t even know who their representative was but we found out for them. I wrote the scripts on the flip chart and they all made t wo or three calls. Most of them had never done this before and might not ever have done it if we didn’t all do it together in this environment. Of course the trainers hoped these wouldn’t be their last calls.
Our statewide training weekend was also very success-ful. We originally tried to rotate this weekend to different venues in the middle of the state, but we eventually decided that it was important to use a union hotel. But there was (and is) only one union hotel in eastern Washington and it is the Coast in Wenatchee. So this is where we stayed. We had various classes going on at the same time and always included a basic steward track. NBA Paul Price normally attended and addressed the group with the latest news from the NALC. We often had someone from his staff teach one or more classes. We also always had legislative training and updates.
Many members and branches across the country envied our WSALC education program. We often heard that only one other state came close to having the quality of education that we did. We even occasionally had branches from other states send a delegate or two to our training events.
Activist Centered Training participants - 2011
The preceding paragraphs are your history lesson and now to the gist of why I’m writing about this. In 2004 an amendment to the NALC constitution was passed at the national convention in Honolulu. The amendment states:
Effective September 1, 2006, State Association financial resources previously expended on seminars and training shall be expended in pursuance of and consistent with the object stated above: 'to guide and direct all activities relating to legislation within the state.'
During the Honolulu convention a few leaders from our state and Oregon and I met with then NALC President Bill Young. During this conversation we talked about our training program. We explained that we worked in conjunction with our National Business Agent and that we always did legislative training and/or activities at all of our training sessions.
We continued doing training in our state for the next eleven years. During this time the subject of the amendment occasionally came up. I met with President Rolando at a Committee of Presidents meeting in San Diego in 2014. I talked to Fred about our training. I informed him that I discussed what we were doing with our national business agent and the importance of legislative training and activities. Our training continued until earlier this year when we found out we were no longer going to be able do our steward colleges and SWT. The 2018 statewide training would be permitted because we already had a signed contract. The reason given was the constitutional language.
Our training was never kept a secret from our national officers. I wrote articles about our training in every issue of the state newsletter. National officers receive our newsletter. I made a detailed presentation about our training at every state convention, in front of our assigned national officer in attendance.
So what changed? I can only speculate but here goes: Maybe other states complained that we did training and they couldn’t. Maybe people want what others have. Were we not doing enough legislatively? I haven’t heard that the latter is true. As far as I know we are doing a good job with our legislative work. And if we aren’t, what do we need to do differently? If there was a perceived problem with content or a specific trainer why didn’t we address that? How is more training opportunities a bad thing? Having been the president of a fairly large branch for twenty years I know that sometimes decisions are made that are not popular. But I’ve always believed members have the right to know why a decision was made. I have much respect for our national officers but I am perplexed.
Another aspect of this situation is that not all members and activists are cut out for being a shop steward. Not all members want to be an officer. Our statewide training gave activists the chance to do something else for the union. I remember one steward college attendee being terrified to stand in front of the group of twenty-four students and give a report. This same member attended numerous state sponsored trainings and actually began teaching a few years ago. She is the vice president of her branch, does Carrier Academy orientation and she’s not done yet. I believe she
Continued on Page 11
Page 11 The Washington State LETTER CARRIER
Pyle from Page 10might not have had the confidence to do all of this had she not attended our training.
I’m so glad many of you had the opportunity to attend WSALC sponsored training. I have such fond memories of getting to know many of you from around our state.
I really appreciate the quality training that we receive from the national business agent’s office but I believe our program was an added bonus and benefit for our members.
I also wonder about the per capita tax each branch apportions to the state association. Over the years delegates at state conventions voted to raise the per capita tax from 9% to 15%. This happened over time but minutes of the discussion during those conventions clearly document that these increases were intended, in large part, for our education program. We pay a higher per capita tax to our state association than many other states. If we can’t do our education program, what now? We want to make sure we have the resources to run our state association and have effective legislative activities but it is now probable that branches will need to do more of their own education. Perhaps some of this education money should be returned to the branches. Maybe we want to leave it the way it is. I suspect there will be some discussion about this at upcoming conventions.
As I’ve said before I am so ap-preciative of our state association’s commitment to education. Without all of you we wouldn’t have had nearly thirty years of WSALC education. I want to thank every activist who helped with our training over those years. You contributed so much to our union.
Never stop being passionate about learning new things!
WA STATEAUXILIARY OFFICERS RICK BAIRD .................................. President3711 N 25th St, Tacoma WA 98406Phone: 253-759-8483...Email: [email protected]
BRIANNA JOHNSON ............Vice President7134 27th Ave SW, Seattle WA 98106Phone: 253-304-9214 .......Email: [email protected]
PATTI JONES ................................ Secretary24616 64th Ave E, Graham WA 98338Phone: 253-847-9178........Email: [email protected]
JENNIFER SILVERS ...................Treasurer20205 71st Avenue Ct E, Spanaway WA 98387Phone: 253-375-6250 ................Email: [email protected]
CATHY DYE .......................State Organizer23806 86th Ave E, Graham WA 98338Phone: 253-606-1272 .Email: [email protected]
Just a reminder to all Auxiliary members that you are all invited to attend the 2018 State Conven-
tion in Walla Walla as Delegates this year. We believe all members should have a voice in our organization and be engaged in planning activities and strategies for expanding the Auxiliary throughout the State. We also encour-age Officers from the Branches to open a dialogue with their members on the value of promoting/starting their own auxiliary.
If you are planning to attend as a delegate or have a guest that would like to attend the Auxiliary sessions, please let me know at [email protected] or by phone at 253-606-1272, so we can plan for supplies and convention materials. I look forward to hearing from you and encourage active and retired carrier Auxiliary members to try and drop in and say hello and share your ideas and suggestions with us, as well. Registra-tion will begin at 6:00pm on Thursday in the hotel lobby. The convention theme is “You Gotta Fight for Your Right … to Party!”, a1980’s theme, so if you have any ideas for a convention activity, please let me know and we will do what we can to implement it. Additionally, if any Auxiliary mem-ber would like to include an article or photos in our Convention Booklet, we would be happy to do so.
We will be having a State Aux-iliary Raffle. Tickets will be $1.00 and proceeds will go to support State Auxiliary activities. Activities are still in the planning stages, so a letter will be coming out soon to all Auxiliary members with more detailed informa-tion.
Donations for the Silent Auction are still needed. Proceeds from your donated item/items can be designated
AUXILIARY CONNECTIONWSALCA State Organizer Cathy Dye
to the Letter Carrier Band, MDA, or the State Auxiliary. Please bring your donations for the auction to the convention or call if you would like someone to pick up the item prior to convention. A fun way to support your favorite NALC organization or cause!
We continue to welcome new members and are eager to help Branches start their own auxiliary, and mentor new members in activities to participate in, as their time allows. We are always open to suggestions and welcome any input you may have in expanding our organization. If there is anything the Auxiliary can do to help with an activity, a Branch Visit, Convention, or Call for Action, please don’t hesitate to call one of our State Auxiliary Officers.
Always here when you need us!
The Washington State LETTER CARRIER21110 46th Ave SEBothell WA 98021-7930
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE
PAIDSeattle, WA
Permit No. 1965
State Wide Training, Wenatchee ........................... March 16-18, 2018Basic Shop Steward College, Gold Bar .................. March 25-29, 2018Regional Steward College, Year 4, Gold Bar ............. April 8-12, 2018WA State Convention, Walla Walla .................... May 31-June 3, 2018National Convention, Detroit MI ................................ July 16-20, 2018Regional Assembly, Stevenson .............................. October 21-26, 2018
Important NALC Dates In This Issue:President's Report 1Director of Media 3Get the NALC App! 4Convention Information 5Golf Tournament 6Scholarship Application 8WSALC Education History 9Auxiliary Connection 11
OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD NOMINATIONS
Rick Baird, Outstanding Service Award Chair
It is time once again to remind everyone that nominations are due for the Outstanding Service Award. If you have previously submitted a name and that person was not cho-sen it is time to update your nomination to keep it current.
The rules are simple. It must be a member who is active in NALC functions and in community affairs. Please send nominations to: Rick Baird OSA Chair 3711 N 25th St Tacoma WA 98406
You may also submit your nomination at Convention.
Our 26th Annual Food Drive will happen on Saturday, May 12, 2018, which will be the ‘brown’ SDO if using the Richdon national color calendar. As of January 15th, I have not seen a registration announcement but it will be coming soon so if you don’t have a branch coordinator yet, GET ONE. Usually by March 1st all branches have registered on the Food Drive page under the Community Service link at NALC.org.
If you have any rural-delivery-only offices in your area, please help them get registered through us so they can get announcement cards. Branch Presidents can send contact info for themselves and their coordinators straight to me at I would really appreciate it. I will send any info I receive straight to you.
I hope for 70-degree weather and millions of pounds of food collected on this most wonderful day of caring for the underserved in your neighborhoods. Don’t forget to purchase posters, thank-you cards, t-shirts and yard signs. There are some local union printers to choose from and NALC National started their own “store” through a national vendor if you can’t find one locally. Send me an email at <[email protected]> if you want info on my local vendor out of Bothell/Millcreek. They have served us for a
GUESS WHAT’S COMING UP?WA State Food Drive Coordinator Chris Kelly
few years now and are sending items to many branches in many states.
I’m looking forward to another great Food Drive. Until then, have a great 2018!
