Director of Education.
1440 7th Street Southeast
Winter Haven, FL 33880-4512
863-651-9429 / [email protected]
Greetings Brothers and Sisters of the FSALC!
I hope everyone, I hope this finds you and yours well and you were able to enjoy Labor Day, at least to some extent.
As many of you may have heard, the October 2020 training scheduled for West Palm Beach was cancelled due to safety concerns related to COVID-19. More information on trainings that may are to take its place will be disseminated once that information is available.
I was privileged to host 5 members of the FSALC Executive Board at Branch 1779’s Union Hall on August 20, 2020 for the FSALC Mary Lou Jackman-William Corbeau State Scholarship. In attendance with me were President Al Friedman, District 2 Chair Joanne Cannon, District 3 Chair Shane Ulbin, Secretary Cory Gibson and Treasurer Mike Clark. There were 120 applications submitted by the July 1, 2020 deadline, The following are the winners and runners up for the 2020 Scholarship year:
Female winners:
Rachel A. Barnick – Branch 4559
Heather J. Santiago – Branch 1071
Male winners:
Ian D. Aviles – Branch 1091
Nicolas Gannon – Branch 2689
Female runners up:
Veanna R. Cambiano – Branch 4716
Audrey J. Sovel – Branch 1753
Male runners up:
Christopher Knox Jr – Branch 3367
Brandon A. Santiago – Branch 1071
Congratulations to this years winner and runners up! Winners will be receiving notification of what the next steps are in the process.
A quick legislative note, make sure you have the NALC app and are reaching out to your Congressional Representatives whenever you are asked to. Our fight is very real, and we are extremely close to being able to reverse legislative damage done over a decade ago. This goes without saying, REGISTER TO VOTE! That’s all for now, keep yourself informed, stay active and be ready to act when the need arises!
In Unionism,
John W. Mitchell
Director of Education, FSALC
_________________________________________________________
Greetings Brothers and Sisters of the FSALC!
I hope everyone has recovered from the onslaught over the holidays and enjoyed our last “Holiday” until we reach Memorial Day.
FSALC District Trainings have been held in two of our five Districts, with the next trainings being held March 8, 2020, in District 1, March 22, 2020 in District 5, and finally March 29, 2020 in District 4. In speaking with NBA Pendleton, her staff will be teaching the finer points of the Department of Labor’s new ECOMP rollout for work related injuries. Legislatively, the FSALC District chairs have organized each meeting and will have someone from our HQ Legislative Department to speak on the latest trials and tribulations within the Federal Congressional sphere. I know you hear it time and time again, but we must continue to talk about the LCPF and how we as letter carriers cannot take a “laissez-faire” approach to legislation that affects you and me.
We have crucial legislation that is on the verge of being passed, but it requires our efforts. USPS Fairness Act (H.R. 2382/S. 2965) repeals the pre-funding mandate which is costing the USPS billions each year. This legislation has passed the House and the next step is getting it past the Senate. When the NALC calls on you to act, I hope you will be ready. Your job DOES depend on your participation, union dues cannot be used for this purpose.
I was privileged to be part of a local rally in front of FL Rep. Tomkow’s office alongside members from 5 other unions protesting HB1. If you aren’t aware, the Florida legislature wants to weaken unions, and make it more difficult for unions and employers to handle dues. Remember, all politics are local politics.
Lastly, Scholarship applications are available on this website for this year’s Scholarship. The entries must be postmarked by or on July 1, 2020.
This drawing will be held during the NALC 72nd Biennial Convention August 17 – 21, 2020, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
That’s all for now, keep yourself informed, stay active and be ready to act when the need arises!
In Unionism,
John W. Mitchell
Director of Education, FSALC
________________________________________________________
Dear Brothers and Sisters of the FSALC Association,
Allow me to introduce myself; I’m John W. Mitchell, the newly elected Director of Education for the Florida State Association of Letter Carriers (FSALC). It is my honor and privilege to serve as your Director of Education. In my recent conversations with FSALC President Al Friedman, the uncertainty in the political spectrum is one of the NALC’s top concerns. There are currently six (6) legislative pieces in work, and as a branch leader, it is imperative we understand them and how they could impact our way of life.
A quick synopsis is a follows:
USPS Fairness Act – H.R. 2382 (House Bill)
Status: Introduced by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
Co-sponsors: 242 (208 Democrats – 34 Republicans)
To repeal the requirement that the United States Postal Service prepay future retirement benefits.
HOUSE RESOLUTIONS
House Resolution 23 (H. Res. 23) – Door Delivery *Bipartisan Majority*
Status: Introduced by Reps. Susan Davis (D-CA) and Peter King (R-NY)
Co-sponsors: 247 (198 Democrats – 49 Republicans)
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of door delivery for all business and residential customers.
House Resolution 33 (H. Res. 33) – Anti-privatization *Bipartisan Majority*
Status: Introduced by Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Rodney Davis (R-IL)
Co-sponsors: 260 (220 Democrats – 40 Republicans)
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should take all appropriate measures to ensure that the United States Postal Service remains an independent establishment of the Federal Government and is not subject to privatization.
House Resolution 54 (H. Res. 54) – Six-day Delivery *Bipartisan Majority*
Status: Introduced by Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Sam Graves (R-MO)
Co-sponsors: 279 (212 Democrats – 67 Republicans)
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to ensure the continuation of its six-day mail delivery service.
House Resolution 60 (H. Res. 60) – Service Standards
Status: Introduced by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Co-sponsors: 191 (166 Democrats – 25 Republicans)
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate measures to restore service standards in effect as of July 1, 2012
Planning for Legislative training in each of the Districts is in work, with the goal of having them begin early next year. I know politics is everyone’s favorite topic (ok, not really) however we must do better in educating our membership on the perils that we face and how best to combat them. We MUST be ready for the 2020 election. It’s not about party; it’s about preserving the United States Postal Service and the jobs of Letter Carriers. Don’t wait to become active until the 11th hour; the time to act is now. If I can be of service please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
In Unionism,
John W. Mitchell
Director of Education, FSALC
1440 7th Street Southeast
Winter Haven, FL 33880-4512
863-651-9429 / [email protected]
