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Brother Obadiah Batten's journey is anything but ordinary. Before becoming a city letter carrier and union representative, he spent eight years serving his country in the United States Air Force, earned a degree in Software Engineering, and performed as a professional wrestler. Today, he's one of thenewest voices representing letter carriers as a steward and Formal Step A representative in Branch 496, Richmond, Virginia. In this episode of Hot House with Richie Ray, we dive into what shaped him, what motivates him to fight for carriers, how military discipline compares to USPS culture, and why serving your brothers and sisters has become his purpose. We also discuss the challenges facing newer carriers, the future of the NALC, and the importance of developing the next generation of union leaders.

In this episode, we break down a problem every city carrier and shop steward needs to understand customer packagepickups being removed from city carrier routes and performed by employees from another craft, including APWU truck drivers. We go directly into Publication 399, Pickup Services Field Guide, and explain what management is supposed to do, what the city carrier is supposed to do, how PS Forms 5630 and 3996 fit into the process, whathappens when package volume exceeds the carrier's vehicle capacity, and why the words “bulk mailing,” “high volume,” or “we need a bigger truck” do not automatically erase city carrier work. Then we take apart Staten Island grievance 25C1076from investigation through Informal Step A, Formal Step A, and the final Step B decision. The lesson is bigger than one grievance: this case demonstrates how a steward turns an allegation into a provable case through carrier statements, Publication 399, PS Forms 5630, PS Forms 3999, AMS/Edit Books, management's own admissions, Article 7.2, anddocumentary evidence. And there is an equally important lesson from what the case did not establish: although the union proved the cross-craft violation and got the pickups returned to Routes 625 and 629,Step B would not award the requested financial remedy because the file did not establish how much time was lost, which employees lost that work, and for how many days. That is a lesson every steward should remember when building thenext case.

This episode is a full-scale training session for shop stewards, branch officers, activists and every letter carrier who has ever wondered what a steward can actually do when management says no. Using the Fall 2004 edition of the NALC Activist as ourfoundation, we are going to break down five major areas: We are going to talk about power. Where does management's power come from? Where does the Union's power come from? Why does arbitration matter even when your grievance never reaches arbitration? What should a steward do when management says, "I don't have time for you today"? What happens when management tries to make the steward sit silently during an investigative interview? How do you document a denial? When should remedies escalate? And perhaps most importantly: Who are we training to take our place? Because a strong union cannot depend upon one president, one chiefsteward, one shop steward or one great grievance writer. A strong union creates more strong unionists.

This grievance began when a CCA who was working a hold-down assignment reported to work expecting to carry that route. Management later discovered that anotheremployee needed an assignment and decided to remove the CCA from the hold-down. The carrier objected to being removed, and a disagreement developed on the workroom floor. Management alleged that the carrier refused instructions, became argumentative and disrespectful, and created a hostile environment.Management then removed the carrier from the workplace and placed him in Emergency Placement, off-duty without pay, under Article 16.7. The Union challenged both the circumstances surrounding the removal from the hold-down and, most importantly, whether management had sufficient grounds to invoke Article 16.7. The Union argued that alleged insubordination, disrespect, raised voices, or a workplace disagreement do not automatically establish the type of emergency required byArticle 16.7. A major weakness in management's case was its own documentation. Management claimed the carrier had to be immediately removed because of the situation, yetinstructed him to return to work on his next scheduledworkday. So the central question became: If this was truly an Article 16.7 emergency requiring immediate removal from the workplace, where was the evidence of the emergency? That question became the foundation of the Union's grievance and ultimately the reason the Emergency Placement was overturned.

On this episode of Hot House with Richie Ray, we sit down with Justin Frew, candidate for President of NALC Branch 351 in Olympia. But this conversation isn't going to begin with anelection. Before somebody asks the membership to trust them withthe presidency of their branch, I want to know who that person is. Who is Justin Frew? What kind of letter carrier is he? What did he experience on the workroom floor? What pushed him toward union representation? What did his first grievance teach him? What did winning feel like? More importantly, what did losing teach him? We're going to talk about the grievances that stayedwith him emotionally, the mistakes that made him better, his relationship with management, and how he feels about the carriers he represents. Then we're going to get into the campaign. Why does Justin believe Branch 351 needs change? What problems does he see? What specifically would he do differently? And if the membership gives him the opportunity to serve as president, what kind of Branch 351 does he want to build and eventually leave behind? This isn't just an interview about winning an election. It's a conversation about experience, mistakes, growth, responsibility, leadership, and earning the trust of the membership.

Nearly 40 years ago, Raquel “Rocky” Acasio began her postal career as a PTF letter carrier in San Diego. Just one year later, she became a shop steward and she has been fighting for letter carriers ever since. In this special episode of Hot House with Richie Ray, we sitdown with CLC candidate for NALC Secretary-Treasurer Raquel “Rocky” Acasio for a conversation about her journey from the workroom floor to the national stage. Rocky discusses becoming a steward in 1987, serving on the Dispute Resolution Team at Step B, handling grievances at Informal and Formal Step A, and serving as Branch 70Secretary-Treasurer from 2014–2025 before becoming Branch 70 Executive Vice President in 2026. But this conversation is also about the future of the NALC. Why does Rocky believe change is needed? What doesfinancial transparency and accountability mean to her? Why is she running for national office now? And what would she do differently if the membership elects her Secretary-Treasurer? Most importantly, we discuss the power of the rank-and-file member. Your vote matters.Your voice matters. This election isn't simply about choosing candidates it's about deciding what kind of union letter carriers want moving forward. Whether you support the CLC or another candidate, educate yourself, ask questions, examine the records, and VOTE. The NALC belongs to its members. Hot House with Richie Ray Knowledge is Power Your Voice Is Power. Your Vote Is Power. ROCK THE VOTE! Weir Report as Rocky mentioned here is the link chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://fromatoarbitration.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Weir_Report_Renfroe_2023.pdf

This episode goes far beyond campaign talking points. Richie Ray sits down with Region 1 National Business Agent Allan Rios to discuss nearly thirty years of service to letter carriers. Beginning as a casual employee in 1996, Allan shares how his experiences carrying mail shaped the representativehe became. The conversation explores his journey from shop steward to arbitration advocate, DRT representative, Regional Administrative Assistant, and ultimately National Business Agent. Listeners will hear personal stories from Allan's carrier days, lessons learned representing thousands of carriers, his thoughts on today's challenges facing the NALC, why he chose to run with the Concerned Letter Carriers slate, and whyevery member's vote could shape the future direction of the union. If you've ever wondered what it takes to become an NBA or what keeps someone fighting for carriers after decades of service this is an episode you won't want to miss.

This isn’t politics as usual this is The Hot House. In this episode, we sit down with James D. Henry, candidate for National President of the National Association of Letter Carriers, for one of the most direct and unfiltered conversations about the future of our union. We’re talking about the real issues carriers are dealing with every day forced overtime, excessive discipline, staffing shortages, and a grievance system buried under thousands of cases. Nothing is dodged. Nothing is sugarcoated. We press on transparency why carriers feel disconnected from leadership and what will actually change. We challenge contract decisions, “give-back” negotiations, and the culture inside the union itself. And we go even deeper into union democracy, accountability, and where the line is drawn between leadership and control. We also tackle the future: the rise of artificial intelligence, electronic monitoring, and what it all means for the job of a letter carrier inside the United States Postal Service. This episode isn’t about promises it’s about answers. If you’re a letter carrier who’s frustrated, paying attention, or wondering what comes next… this is one you don’t want to miss.

For the third maybe even fourth time, Corey Walton returns to the Hot House with Richie Ray. But this conversation is different. This isn't about introducing Corey Walton. Most letter carriers already know who he is. This is about where the National Association of Letter Carriers stands today, why so many carriers are concerned about the future of the union, the role the Concerned Letter Carriers (CLC) campaign says it hopes to play in the upcoming election, and why Corey believes education has become one of the most powerful tools available to letter carriers. Corey has served as a city letter carrier for nearly three decades, represented carriers as a steward, Formal Step A representative, arbitration advocate, and safety leader,and built the From A to Arbitration podcast into a major educational resource for carriers. We'll discuss: The current state of the NALC. Why Corey decided to leave the comfort of local representation to run for national office. The importance of carrier education. The contract, arbitration, and the challenges facing today'sletter carriers. Why every vote matters. What Corey believes must change inside the union. Then... We'll end with one of the most entertaining parts of the Hot House... The Hot House Rapid Fire Game.

A Facebook post started a debate over who deserves credit for defending Branch 41 President John Cruz against a Notice of Removal. Rather than argue on social media, Richie Ray went back to the original record. The grievance file. The emails written while the case was happening. John Cruz's own clarification. Orlando Gonzalez's Informal and Formal Step A work. The eventual arbitration preparation by Roy Jancio. And the emails concerning Paul Marks's involvement with the proposed pre-arbitration settlement. This isn't about denying anyone credit. It's about answering a bigger question: Can one person really claim a grievance victory when the case was built through multiple levels of the grievance procedure by multiple union representatives?

Jerry Kerner Jr. is not simply running for National Business Agent of Region 13—he is asking letter carriers to trust him with the responsibility of protecting branches, developing representatives, enforcing the National Agreement, and helping guide the region through one of the mostuncertain periods facing the Postal Service and the NALC. A city letter carrier since 2006, Jerry has spent twodecades inside the Postal Service and the union movement. He currently serves as a shop steward in Baltimore, has represented carriers in multiple offices, graduated from NALC Leadership Academy Class 15, served as a Branch AFL-CIODelegate, participated in the AFL-CIO Young Trade Unionists program, and worked as a Joint Alternate Route Adjustment Team member. But Jerry's connection to the NALC goes even deeper. Heis a second-generation letter carrier whose father served as a carrier, branch treasurer, branch president, and Regional Administrative Assistant in Region 13. Jerry grew up watching union leadership firsthand, traveling throughout the region and seeing what calm, knowledgeable and dependable representation looked like. Now he wants the responsibility himself. In this interview, we go far beyond the résumé. We ask whether being a strong shop steward truly prepares someone to command a regional office. We examine what Jerry has learned from watching generations of NALC leadership, what he would change in Region 13, why he joined the Concerned Letter Carriers slate, and what leadership means when members are frustrated, grievances are multiplying, USPS faces enormous operational and financial challenges, and confidence in institutions is being tested. We also explore one of the hardest questions facing national union leadership. How does the NALC fight aggressively for letter carriers while also recognizing that our members'livelihoods depend upon the survival and success of the United States Postal Service? Where is the line between partnership and complacency? Where is the line between protecting USPS and protectingmanagement? And when those interests collide, who comes first? This is a conversation about leadership, responsibility, fear, legacy, accountability and whether Jerry Kerner Jr. is prepared to carry the weight of Region 13 on his shoulders.

William “Billy” Moody is a U.S. Army veteran, longtimeletter carrier, labor leader, and President of NALC Branch 181 in Austin, Texas. Now he is seeking to become the next National Business Agent for Region 10 as part of the Concerned Letter Carriers slate. This interview goes beyond Billy Moody’s résumé. We will examine the experiences that shaped him as a leader, his record as a shop steward, Formal A representative, trustee, treasurer, vice president and branch president, and what he believes Region 10 needs from its next National Business Agent. But this conversation will also tackle the difficult questions facing the NALC nationally. What did Billy see and hear at the 2026 NALC National Convention? Why was there not a deeper convention-wide debate over the National Agreement and the direction of collective bargaining? Does he believe the national leadership is listening to the membership? What has created the demandfor change? And what specifically would the CLC slate do differently? Most importantly, Billy will be challenged to explain why members should trust the CLC with the future of their union and what accountability should look like if the CLC wins.

On this episode of The Hot House with Richie Ray,we sit down with Elliot Simmons, a Table 2 City Letter Carrier, union representative, educator, podcaster, and CLC candidate for National Business Agent of Region 7. Elliot began his Postal Service career in February 2015 as an RCA before becoming a CCA in 2017. Within months of entering the city carrier craft, he discovered a passion for representing working people. That passion grew into a commitment to grievance handling, education, contract enforcement, and developing stronger union representatives. After transferring to the Bismarck-Mandan, North Dakota Branch 957 in December 2023, Elliot continued building on that mission. But this interview goes far beyond Elliot's biography. We dig into his work with Cole Billups and their podcast, why independent union media matters, and whether podcasts and social media can make union leadership more transparent and accountable. Then the questions get harder. Why does Elliot believe he is ready to become an NBA afterentering the Postal Service in 2015? Does he have the experience, judgment, temperament, and knowledge necessary to lead an entire region? Why shouldveteran carriers and longtime union representatives place their trust in him? We also confront the criticism directly. Some people say Elliot can be difficult to deal with. So what kind of person is Elliot Simmons? Is he difficult, stubborn, aggressive—or simply unwilling to back down when he believes carriers are being wronged? Can he accept criticism? Can he admit when he is wrong? Can people around himchallenge him? Most importantly: Does Elliot Simmons truly love the letter carrier, and will the carrier always come before politics, personalities,friendships, and factions? We examine the core priorities of his campaign: expanding steward and Formal A training throughout Region 7, strengthening contract enforcement, taking more properly prepared grievances to arbitration, developing arbitrationadvocates, and creating meaningful opportunities for the next generation of letter carriers to become involved in the NALC. Then we go national. Elliot gives his assessment of the current state of the NALC, the grievance procedure, membership participation, transparency, leadership, accountability, and whether today's union is properly connected to the rank-and-file carrier. We also discuss the NALC National Convention and ask what Elliot saw, what concerned him, what gave him hope, and what the convention revealed about the direction of the union. Finally, we get into the politics. Why did Elliot choose the Concerned Letter Carriers? Why does he support the CLC slate? Why James Henry for President? Why Corey Walton for Executive Vice President? And why does Elliot believe 2026 is the moment for change? This is not meant to be a campaign commercial. It is a conversation about leadership, experience, character, accountability, contract enforcement, democracy, trust,and the future of the National Association of Letter Carriers. If Elliot Simmons wants the members of Region 7 to place their trust in him as their next National Business Agent, then he should be willing to answer the difficult questions. On The Hot House, he gets that opportunity. No softballs. No hiding behind campaign slogans. No automatic trust. Make your case. Earn the membership's confidence. And as Elliot himself says: Keep Fighting, Brothers and Sisters. Keep Fighting!

In this episode of Hot House with Richie Ray, Region 6NBA candidate Walter McGregory breaks down his journey from PTF to arbitration advocate and explains why he believes the time for change inside the NALC is now. Walter speaks on:His roots in labor and how growing up in a UAW household shaped his union philosophy.The current state of USPS and the operational crisis affecting carriers nationwide.Why morale is collapsing and why retention is worse than ever.The abuse of technology like DOIS, PET, and scanner data against carriers.The disconnect between NALC Headquarters and the workroom floor.Why the CLC slate formed and what makes it different.His vision for Region 6 and how smaller branches deserve equal representation.The contract fight ahead, including wages, COLAs, staffing, safety, and two-tier pay. This is a conversation about accountability, solidarity, and taking our union back.

NALC Branch 758 President Phil  Bzura describes a long-running struggle over the grievance process in Region 6 and what he believes happens when regional leadership loses touch with the branches and stewards it is supposed to serve. Phil explains that the Dispute Resolution Process (DRP) was presented as a way to resolve grievances quickly and at the lowest possible level, reducing the need for arbitration andproviding timely remedies. But in Branch 758's experience, management repeatedly failed to meet on grievances and failed to provide requested information, while many Step B decisions provided little or no meaningful remedy. Branch 758 continued fighting. Eventually, a case went to arbitration and an arbitrator awarded $500 for management's repeated violations. From there, monetary remedies began appearing at Step B, and subsequent arbitration and pre-arbitration settlements produced escalating remedies reaching approximately $1,000. Under former Region 6 NBA Troy Clark, Phil says the branchobtained strong settlements, including precedent-setting agreements and meaningful monetary remedies. Branch 758 also negotiated a Formal Step A agreement worth $2,400 on two grievances. According to Phil, things changed dramatically after Clark's departure. Phil recounts learning from his own postmaster that two pre-arbitration cases had been settled for only $25 each. He and Steward Fuson immediately contacted Kyle to question why cases that had previously produced significantly larger remedies were suddenly being settled for such small amounts. The disagreement became deeply personal when, according to Phil, Kyle responded to concerns about the enormous amount of work Branch 758's stewards put into their grievances by saying, "Get better stewards." Fuson was sitting beside Phil and heard the remark. For Phil, that moment represents something much bigger than two $25 settlements. It raises fundamental questions about respect, accountability, grievance enforcement, thetreatment of local stewards, and whether regional officers remember that their responsibility is to serve the membership and support the branches. The interview also explores Phil's own history in the NALC where he started, why he became involved, his development from letter carrier and union representative to President of Branch 758, the sacrifices leadership has required, and why hecontinues fighting despite the frustrations he has experienced. Finally, the conversation turns toward the future of Region 6 and Walter McGregory. Phil will explain why he believes in Walter not simply as a candidate, but as a union brother and leader. The discussion asks what Phil has personally witnessed from Walter, why he trusts him, how Walter treats stewards and branch presidents, and why Phil believes Walter can restore respect, communication, training, aggressive contract enforcement, meaningful remedies, and trust between the Region 6 office and its branches. Ultimately, this interview isn't about $25 versus $1,000. It's about something much larger: What is representation supposed to mean? Who does regional leadership work for? What happens when local stewards feel abandoned by their own leadership? And what kind of leadership does Region 6 need moving forward? This is Phil  Bzura's opportunity to tell that story from where he came from, through the battles that shaped him, to why he believes Walter McGreggory represents the change Region 6 needs.