Advertise on podcast: Classes of Mail

Just in time for the Veterans Day holiday, we're reading Article 11 of the JCAM, which covers all the provisions relating to holidays. Most importantly, we cover the difference between holiday scheduling, and regular overtime scheduling.

I'm finally getting back to re-reading the JCAM, and this is a marathon session. I read all of Article 10, which covers all types of leave: annual, sick, LWOP, AWOL, court, and administrative. It also covers some of the basics of the annual leave bidding process.

I go over the election results in the 2026 NALC national election, and I give my thoughts on some of the races.

Joshua Shrum (Parcels of Knowledge) joins me via Zoom for this joint episode about delayed mail. We talk about how management got us into this mess, and what we should be doing to hold them accountable and serve our customers.

Today I'm joined by Derek Liemohn, Chair of Build a Fighting NALC (BFN), and Michael Still, a previous guest on Classes of Mail and a member of the BFN organizing committee. They talk about their new podcast, a must-read book (or must-listen) "Undelivered," and what BFN is fighting for these days. Check out BFN and get connected: https://www.fightingnalc.org BFN Podcast The Relay Box, on Podbean (https://buildafightingnalc.podbean.com/page/1), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5n93qMaAJN9RDn2mqqDq77), Apple Music (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-relay-box/id6818376730), and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMEXcf4br9hE)! Undelivered Reading Group this week 10/22: https://www.fightingnalc.org/undelivered2 Secrets of A Successful Organizer Training 11/17: https://www.fightingnalc.org/undelivered2

In this episode, I talk about Enhanced Carrier Routing (the way mailers put our bundled mail in sequence), and how to deal with it when the routing is wrong. I also go over a recent conflict I had with a supervisor, and that leads to a discussion about malicious compliance.

Chris Persampieri (Next Generation Carriers) and I had a wide-ranging discussion about the fight of organized labor to achieve the 8-hour workday. There were riots, strikes, and social movements that gave workers a share of the wealth being created by industrialization and automation. In the intervening century, we've given most of those gains back.

Michael and I go over PS Form 4588 in detail, so you know what management is looking for, and how you can protect yourself.

*** WARNING: This episode include frank discussions about substance abuse and self harm. *** Austin and I have a VERY candid conversation about mental health, including telling our own stories about struggles with substances and self harm.

Michael and I dive DEEP into a letter of warning for attendance. We talk about how to protect yourself day in and day out, during the investigative interview, and when discipline is issued.

We go over the rest of the recommendations, and management's response.

On September 20, 2026, the OIG released a report of their investigation into the Post Office's acceptance of fraudulent shipping labels. It found that 97% of parcels with fraudulent labels are being... DELIVERED! And it cost the Post Office $1.6 BILLION in just one year! In this episode, I get through the first half of the report.

I didn't want to make this episode, but Michael was insistent. In the end, I'm glad he bullied me into it. We are both CLC endorsers, and we're broadly voting for the CLC, particularly at the top of the ticket. But it's not universal. You may disagree with our choices. In a few cases, we disagreed with each other! In the end, this is what union democracy looks like.

Chris Reed was IN STUDIO to give a training on Article 16. He's very knowledgeable, give good information that's approachable for carriers at all levels, and his deep voice will melt like butter in your ears. Also, Chris is running for Business Agent in Region 1.

Bill Kriebel joined me for one last interview before ballots come out. I really believe in him as a candidate for Business Agent in Region 12. On this episode, we talk about his experiences while running for office, and the emotional and physical toll it's taken.