BRANCH 3 VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT SUNDAY, AUGUST 26th

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1 NALC U.S.A. AUGUST 2018 Volume 72, Number 8 BRANCH 3 BRANCH 3 VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT SUNDAY, AUGUST 26th Como Park - Bowen Grove Games Start at 10:30 am Teams need to be checked by 10:15 am. Please have rosters and $15.00 Registration Fee in to the union hall by August 13th. (Make Check Payable to Branch 3) Must be a Branch 3 member to play. Branch will provide the... hot dogs, water, pop and beer. You can bring a Snack or Dessert to share. Rosters must be in no later than August 13th. Rosters may be mailed to the Union Office at 4845 Union Road, Buffalo, NY Enclose a $15.00 deposit for each team. This will be refunded when your team shows up for the tourney. All forfeited funds will be donated to MDA. Make checks payable to Branch 3. Rosters can only include branch members and all have to be working at same station/office. They must be members of the Branch to be on the team. Team: **Only Branch 3 Members Are Allowed To Play In The Tournament!!!!** Contact Person: Station Phone Number: Home Phone Number: **If other family members plan to join your team for the day, please gather up a headcount so we can buy enough food and drinks for everyone. Even if you are not playing on the team, come down and root on your station. Enjoy the day and the fellowship of your fellow carriers.

2 BRANCH 3 OFFICERS President, David J. Grosskopf Jr mail3man@aol.com Executive Vice-President Mike Levering Vice-President, Becky Stockman Sec.-Treas., Kim Fitzgerald Asst. Sec.-Treas., Nancy Trzepkowski Trustee, Larry Kania Trustee, Renee Gronowski Trustee, Doug DiTondo Trustee, Pete Preziotte Trustee, Jack Lewis Editor, Justin Mongielo nalcbuzz@gmail.com Sgt.-At-Arms, Robert Koteras Insurance, Judy Kersten Director of Retirees, Kent Hankin President Emeritus, Russ Barbera, Jerry Kazmarczyk and Robert J. McLennan COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Bylaws Don Ford Charity Ann Dyson Convention Kent Hankin Fellowship Rose Becker Health, Death & Welfare Judy Kersten Information / Education Pete Preziotte Legislation Doug Fordyce Muscular Dystrophy Linda Deluca Newspaper Justin Mongielo Organization Rory Parker Safety Tony Vilardo BRANCH 3 REPRESENTATIVES Arbitration Advocates Doug Fordyce Health & Safety Rep. Tony Vilardo, Doug DiTondo Social & Recreation, Welfare Kent Hankin Alternate - Nicole Marasco EAP Linda DeLuca, Judith Kersten AFL-CIO DELEGATES Larry Kania - Bob Ohlenschlager - Don Ford John Wozniak - Don Karp - John Walton Kent Hankin - Susan Lewis - Zeb Robson Branch 3 Website: branch3nalc.com BRANCH Union Road, Buffalo, N.Y (716) BUFFALO STATIONS Union Stewards Amherst Renee Gronowski, Tom Rybacki Blasdell David Dukarm Central Park Jesse Osiadlo, Chris Porter Cheektowaga Doug DiTondo, Justin Mongielo Eastside Keith Puchalski, Diane Kruszka, Kiawanna Green Hiler Stephen Deck Niagara Square William Zeughardt Northside Traci Hoffman, Devlin Carter Southside Rory Parker Westside Mike Miskell West Seneca Greg Jean, Jeremy Schnaufer Williamsville Nicole Marasco, Keith Falgiano ASSOCIATE OFFICES Akron Alden Joseph Palumbo Angola Arcade Stephanie Moore Attica Susan Karalus Batavia Mark George Bolivar Cattaraugus Clarence Cuba East Aurora James Fatig Eden Valerie White Franklinville Fredonia Josh Settlemyer Gowanda Matt Lesefske Grand Island Michael Thursam Hamburg Jamestown Justin Love, Erik Kopp Lakewood Lancaster/Depew Lewiston Sean Magorien Lockport Rick Kerr Mayville Medina Middleport Newfane Niagara Falls - LaSalle Niagara Falls - Mai Olean Orchard Park James Isenhart Randolph Dawn Shelters Salamanca Silver Creek Kayla Mahiquis Springville Tonawanda Robert Klimek, John Guisipetti Westfield The Buzz is a publication of Branch 3, NALC, AFL-CIO. The Editor, President and Executive Vice-President reserve the right to edit any submission for content, clarity and length. All submissions are due by the 3rd Friday of the month. Anonymous submissions will not be accepted. Content may be republished by any union trade magazine as long as proper credit is given to Branch 3 and the author. 2 AUGUST 2018 THE BUZZ

3 THE PRESIDENT DAVID J. GROSSKOPF JR. THE NALC HAS A PLAN TO STOP THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE POSTAL SERVICE In last month s article I wrote about 45 s plan to privatize the US Postal Service. The only President in the history of the country to propose such a radical idea. Previous administrations have proposed ideas such as the contracting out of work, but not the complete dissolving of the agency as advocated by the current head shed. You have heard the NALC say it time and again, the United States Postal Service and its mission is not a partisan issue. Well on June 16th ten bipartisan representatives introduced a new House Resolution, H. Res. 993, 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. This measure calls to ensure that the USPS remain a Federal independent agency and not to be privatized. On Tuesday, July 17th at the National Convention in Detroit President Rolando announced the NALC had worked to introduce this piece of legislation. If you recall from my article last month this legislation (H. Res. 993) was needed because of the recent Office of Management and Budget (OMB) restructuring plan called Delivery Government Solutions in the 21st Century which among other things call for the privatization of the USPS. Not only is this new piece of legislation sponsored by 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans, but within 48 hours of its introduction our Congressional Representative, Brian Higgins D-NY-26 jumped on the legislation immediately. With ten initial cosponsors, as of the writing of this article 38 representatives have signed on in support. Clearly the bill is moving in the right direction with bi-partisan support. Again, we must ask ourselves what can we do help support H. Res. 993? As stated Congressman Higgins is already on board. I encourage all our members living in other districts to contact their Congressional Representatives asking them to cosponsor this resolution. On July 19th the House of Representatives approved a package (H.R.6147) of two fiscal year (FY) 2019 Appropriations bills, including a bill funding the Interior and Environment and a bill funding Financial Services and General Government (FSGG). The FY19 FSGG Act has broad jurisdiction over many Federal agencies including the U.S. Postal Service. As a result of all the hard work of NALC members, the House continued the NALC s longstanding language on six-day mail delivery in the Appropriation bills. This continued use of six-day language in both the House and Senate bills provides the exceptional work done by NALC members these past few years and our continued commitment. Additionally, there was the defeat of an amendment to H.R which sought to prohibit the Postal Service from carrying out any programs or task forces on expanded financial services. Introduced with short notice, the amendment was aimed as an anti-postal banking measure. In response to its introduction, NALC members contacted their Congressional representatives to voice their opposition. First the issue of Postal banking hasn t been considered by any committee and the manner this was done was a clear attempt to ram rod it through behind our backs. Thankfully due to a quick response from NALC members to their representatives, the amendment failed in a vote. 28 Republicans joined the whole Democratic caucus in opposition. The NALC will monitor the progression of the Senate FSGG bill, any conference committees around FY19 Appropriations. Switching gears, I d like to thank the delegates of Branch 3 who attended the National Convention in Detroit on a job well done. The Branch won two plaques for our work in the legislation forum. We were awarded two 3rd place awards for highest percentage of members contributing to LCPF and highest per capita contribution in LCPF. The branch is blessed with one of the best Legislation Committee Chairpersons out there, Doug Fordyce. His committee and all those involved do a tremendous job making sure the branch and the membership are at the forefront of legislative matters effecting the NALC. While 3rd place is admirable I believe we can do better. We need to do better in the area of Letter Carrier Political Fund. Therefore, I am asking the membership now, when we have the next National Convention in 2020, I d like for the branch to be number one in these two categories. If you are not currently signed up for LCPF please do so, we need your help in the fight on Capitol Hill to protect letter carrier issues. If you need a station meeting to be scheduled so as multiple carriers can sign up, let me know I will make arrangements. Let s lead the nation in the political fight for all things legislatively affecting the NALC! Delegates were in attendance at all times and completed the requirements necessary as set forth by the Convention Committee and represented the branch well. The fellowship displayed showed the branch that they are together as one. Part of the requirements for delegates is to attend two training classes. I myself attended more than two but in the City Delivery class they were going over the new prototype vehicles tested and the fact the national parties agree that letter carriers should no longer be working (Continued on page 4) THE BUZZ AUGUST

4 THE PRESIDENT (Continued from page 3) DAVID J. GROSSKOPF JR. out of the back of their vehicles. Therefore, the newly designed vehicles will have a curb side cargo access door to eliminate the dangers associated with working out of the back of your vehicle. Many work and performance related modifications are being made to the new vehicles. The convention for the branch was productive. From winning awards, to honoring our veterans, to a delegate addressing the floor on the mic, we had multiple first time National convention attendee s, to the multiple NALC heroes displayed on the convention floor big screens, Branch 3 was seemingly everywhere you looked! On Wednesday of the convention week nominations for National Officers took place. We recently went through our own local elections and now its time to elect National Officers. The position of National Business Agent for Region 11 was won by acclamation. Mark Camilli will be the new Region 11 National Business Agent starting in December. There are several National officer positions that will require the running of an election. As I ve always said when voting, do your homework. Seek out the candidates, ask them questions, examine their resumes etc. Being popular doesn t necessarily equate to being a competent representative. Watch your mailbox in the coming months for election materials and ballots and always remember to vote!! In closing I d like to thank the membership for all their support in these first two months in office. Many of you have called, texted and communicated that you are satisfied with new direction of local NALC. Let s continue to work together for the betterment of the whole. ~ In Solidarity,, David J. Grosskopf Jr. Tonawanda, NY MDA TRIVIA NIGHT SEPTEMBER 25th 6:30 Sign-in, 7:00 Start $ /50 Door Prizes and all proceeds go directly to the MDA at the Ice House Pub 715 Ridge Rd., Buffalo, NY President Grosskopf with Orchard Park carrier Andrew Lotocki at his fundraiser to fight his cancer diagnosis. BRANCH 3 and the BUFFALO BISONS ARE HAVING A DAY AT THE BALLPARK Monday, August 27th Game starts at 7:05 PM $3.00 per ticket There will be a limited number of tickets for sale. This is fan appreciation day with give aways each inning and don t forget that this game has a large FIREWORKS display. Mail your ticket requests with the check to the union office or just pick them up. Checks should be made out to NALC Branch 3 4 AUGUST 2018 THE BUZZ

5 EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT MICHAEL LEVERING LET S GO Building off of last month s article and going further into detail. When management attempts to cram downtime down our throats, carriers should request auxiliary assistance through PS Form 3996 if they are of the belief they cannot complete all the time assigned in 8 hours. Management will attempt to intimidate carriers to not follow reporting requirements. Their attempts are done by doing street observations, mail counts (1838-C), and 3999 s. Do not be afraid of these, they can actually prove why the additional time is necessary. Again, don t panic, just do what we do on a daily basis. Supervisors are required to observe carriers, the following is relevant: M-39: 134 Street Management Objectives Street management is a natural extension of office management. All carriers are to be notified to expect daily supervision on the street just as they receive daily supervision in the office. For a delivery manager to fully understand and control the organization, the manager must be aware of any conditions that affect delivery anywhere within the service territory Accompanying carriers on the street is considered an essential responsibility of management and one of the manager s most important duties. Managers should act promptly to correct improper conditions. A positive attitude must be maintained by the manager at all times Techniques The manager must maintain an objective attitude in conducting street supervision and discharge this duty in an open and above board manner The manager is not to spy or use other covert techniques. Any employee infractions are to be handled in accordance with the section in the current National Agreement that deal with these problems. EL Observation of Driving Practices To enforce a high standard of driving performance, supervisors must observe, at a minimum, the number of driving observations shown in Exhibit 141 and complete PS Form 4584, Observation of Driving Practices, for each driver under their direct supervision. Routine management observations are based on your employee status and time in service. They are as follows: 2 years plus: must be completed no less than once per quarter 4-23 months: must be completed on a monthly basis 0-3 months: must be completed on 30, 60 and 80 day reviews Non-Career: weekly for the first 30 days If management wants to count your mail, no problem let s go. Just tell them you have the right to verify the count, and count every single piece of mail including but not limited to DPS, FSS, Parcels, etc. Then write the time it takes to count the mail on the The following is relevant: M-01216: The issue in these cases is whether management violated the National Agreement by not allowing carriers to count the mail counted by the supervisor during a one day count. During our discussions, we mutually agreed to the following: On the day of a one day count when management performs the mail count the carrier serving the route, upon request, may verify the count. M Step 4 November 13, 1978, NCC A one (1) day count of mail should be utilized for the purposes intended by the M-39 Handbook and local officials are to ensure that one (1) day counts are not used for the purpose of harassment. M Step 4 January 17, 1977, E3-MD-C 1131 Data from the (one day) counts were not, nor will they be, used as a basis for disciplinary action. M Special Office Mail Counts When management desires to determine the efficiency of a carrier in the office, a count of mail may be made. The carrier must be given one day s advance notification of this special count. Use Form 1838-C to record count and time items concerned. The carrier must be advised of the result of the office mail count. If management decides to do a 99 with you, once again no problem let s go. Once out on the street do not let management set the pace by walking next to or in front of you, stop and politely tell them they are supposed to be behind you... observing. Leave parcels in a secure location and follow notification requirements for parcels. Do your job professionally, following every rule you are supposed to on a daily basis. Everything takes time, read the M-41, learn your job and treat everyday like a 99 and show management that parcels actually do take extra time. ~ In Unity and solidarity, Michael Levering, Executive Vice President THE BUZZ AUGUST

6 NALC NATIONAL CONVENTION Linda Dohn convention at mic during singing of Nproposing by all deleg ational Anthem ates BRANCH BRANCH 33 DELEGATION DELEGATION President G NBA elect Mrosskopf and Region #11 ark Camilli 6 AUGUST 2018 THE BUZZ

7 DETROIT, JULY 2018 VP Becky Stockman and Amy Dyson helping Keith Puchalski increase his donation to the letter carrier political fund! Pictured from left to right are first time National convention attendees with President David Grosskopf 3rd from left): Editor Justin Mongielo, Michael Haynes, Trustee Renee Gronowski, Steward Tom Rybacki and Mo VanKuren. Pictured above with President David Grosskopf (center) are our veteran delegates. LCPF Award, 3rd highest per capita contribution. Pictured from left to right: National EVP Brian Renfroe, Legislation Chair Doug Fordyce, President Grosskopf, EVP Mike Levering and Mobilization Director Ed Morgan. THE BUZZ LCPF Award, 3rd place highest percentage of members contributing. Pictured from left to right: National EVP Brian Renfroe, President Grosskopf, Legislation Chair Doug Fordyce, EVP Mike Levering and Mobilization Director Ed Morgan. AUGUST

8 VICE PRESIDENT BECKY STOCKMAN PRIVATIZATION AND $12.12 All over the news, the internet and even God forbid Facebook, we are hearing about the current administration s want to privatize the United States Postal Service. What this administration wants to do goes well beyond Postal reform, it will be the destruction of the United States Post Office as we know it. The age old battles of 6 day delivery, door to door delivery and mail standards are nothing compared to this current attack on the Post Office. What could privatization mean for us? To start it would be the loss of the unions and of collective bargaining. What is collective bargaining? As defined by the AFL- CIO-Collective bargaining is the process in which working people, through their unions, negotiate contracts with their employers to determine their terms of employment, including pay, benefits, hours, leave, job health and safety policies, ways to balance work and family, and more. Collective bargaining is a way to solve workplace problems. No collective bargaining, means no contract! So, for all the people that complain about the obey the order now and grieve later situation we currently deal with, now you have no grievance procedure. If you think management is out of control now, you just wait! The struggle now with management that has some clue as to how to run a mail delivery service, now imagine we are owned by a private company, how do you think that is going to go? Without collective bargaining, you can also kiss your raise, your COLA s, your Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Retirement and all other employee benefits goodbye. A private company is not going to keep our more than decent wages and benefit package, so that means good luck at your next job. As of late, I have been spending more time on Facebook and seeing the fighting about the current Nation politics and NALC politics, what most people do not seem to be grasping is WE NEED THE POST OFFICE TO SURVIVE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR UNION! It doesn't matter who you support, Democrats, Republicans, Tea Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party, Legalize Marijuana Now Party, New Black Panther Party, the Veterans Party of America. It doesn t matter if you support the Rolando and Renfroe Team or if you support the Clean Sweep Team. If the United States Post Office is not still alive, than you have nothing to stand for! You will now be in the workforce making sub par wages, and probably not even for the USPS. My job before starting at the USPS I worked at for 20 years, and I left making $12.12 an hour, most people complain about the CCA starting wage, well, it was a Godsent for me and my family. I will not go back to making shit as we called it at my old job, so I ask you to stand with the NALC in this fight. I ask that you download the NALC app and enable the push notification for when we, all members of the NALC need you to contact your political representatives and ask them to sign on with us on a piece of legislation. It is very simple to do and can be done right through the app. We also need everyone to step up and support the Letter Carrier Political Fund. As stated above it doesn't matter who you support in the political arena, we just need to get candidates that support us in office or help them to stay in office. It takes less than 5 minutes to sign up, and all we ask is a small donation, my starting donation every two weeks was far less than I spent in a week feeding my coffee addiction!! Call me (716) or call the hall and leave me a message I will send you a form that will walk you through the process. To everyone that is saying, we have been through this before and survived, this is not the same fight and is not giving a couple bucks to the Letter Carrier Political Fund really worth the risk? We have never had a POTUS look so hard at the USPS. WORK WITH US TO SAVE THE USPS! ~ In Solidarity Becky Stockman, Vice-President By making a contribution to the Letter Carrier Political Fund, you are doing so voluntarily with the understanding that your contribution is not a condition of membership in the National Association of Letter Carriers or of employment by the Postal Service, nor is it part of union dues. You have a right to refuse to contribute without any reprisal. The Letter Carrier Political Fund will use the money it receives to contribute to candidates for federal office and undertake other political spending as permitted by law. Your selection shall remain in full force and effect until cancelled. Contributions to the Letter Carrier Political Fund are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. Federal law prohibits the Letter Carrier Political Fund from soliciting contributions from individuals who are not NALC members, executive and administrative staff or their families. Any contribution received from such an individual will be refunded to that contributor. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 per calendar year. Any guideline amount is merely a suggestion, and an individual is free to contribute more or less than the guideline suggests and the Union will not favor or disadvantage anyone by reason of the amount of their contribution or their decision not to contribute. BRANCH 3 RETIREMENT SEMINAR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23rd 9:00 AM Magruder s Restaurant in Depew, NY Cost is $10.00 per person. There are only 100 slots available 8 AUGUST 2018 THE BUZZ

9 LAST PUNCH Douglas Lott, Central Park LETTER CARRIER LINDA DOHN To My Fellow Brothers & Sisters, I was one of the delegates that attended the 71st Bi-annual National Convention in Detroit. I encourage all carriers to attend at least one convention. It is truly an enlightening experience. You get another chance to educate yourself about your job and its impact on the community, along with sharing experiences and meeting other fellow union members from across our great country. I attended four of the many classes offered at the convention. One of them was WILLS AND TRUSTS which was heavily attended. We were provided with financial, estate and life planning information. The instructor gave several examples of famous people who made mistakes in their estate planning. Prince, whose real name is Rogers Nelson, had no will when he died at the age of 57. Now a judge in Minnesota will decide on the distribution of his estimated $300 million estate. Heath Ledger inadvertently omitted a child not yet born when he had his will drawn. Michael Jackson set up a trust but he failed to fund it; so it now goes before a probate court. These are just a few of the examples. The instructor stressed the importance of estate planning. If you die without a will state law governs the distribution of probate assets. Remember when you do your will, don t hide it so that it can t be found when the need arises. Many other aspects of estate planning were touched on by the instructor. The class started at 7:30 am and was scheduled to end at 9 am, but because of the great interest it ran over to almost 9:30 am. This was just one of the informative and interesting classes offered. Hope to see you at the next national convention in It s in Hawaii! ~ In Unity, Linda Dohn Northside carrier Gary Griffin, 32 years BUY TRADE WANTED: MILITARY WAR ITEMS All Countries All Wars SWORDS, DAGGERS, UNIFORMS, HATS, HELMETS, MEDALS, PATCHES, FLAGS, ETC. Matt Sopczyk, West Seneca JERRY KEOHANE Life Member of Branch 3 THE BUZZ AUGUST

10 DIRECTOR OF RETIRED MEMBERS KENT HANKIN We just got back from the National Convention. I considered it one of the best that I have attended and I have attended 20 of them. The classes are getting more informative each year. I was proud of the delegates who went. Most went to more than the required two classes along with the daily time that was spent on the convention floor. Classes were held before and after the convention time so it made for long days if you attended a class in the morning and one in the afternoon. The major thing was that the budget that the President put out that basically called for the privatizing of the Postal Service and all the cuts to the retirees. I still can t believe that only 18% of our membership is giving to the Letter Carriers Political Action Fund (LCPF). We really need everyone to be donating. Every one of the officers and delegates are giving at a minimum of $5.00 per pay period. We are all trying to lead by example. Now it is your turn to start giving even if it is only $1.00 per pay. That would be a big help for the National Officers since no dues money can be used for political reasons. Again please check to see who you have listed as your beneficiary for your life insurance and your annuity with OPM. If you are an active carrier, check with Shared Service. We just filled out the paperwork for a grieving widow only to find out that the ex-spouse is going to be getting both the annuity and the life insurance policy. The widow now has nothing coming in and also looses her health insurance. Please don t do this to your spouse. The COLA INCREASE FOR CSRS is 2.7% as of June and for FERS it is still stuck at 2.0%. God bless you all with a safe summer. ~ Kent Hankin, Director of Retired Members BURNS/CONNORS ASSOC. The object of this association is to protect in all ways the interests of retired letter carriers, renew old friendships, talk over old times, to promote good will and fellowship by means of planned get-togethers and, in general, try to advance the welfare of all our members mentally, morally and spiritually. We call and write our Congressmen and Senators when legislation is going to affect the Postal Service, the Union or active and retired carriers. We attend rallies as a show of support and we vote. We are looking for more retirees to join the Association. The dues are only $20.00 per year. Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of every month, with the exception of June, July, August and December. Meetings are held at the Magruder s Restaurant, 4995 Broadway, Depew. We have a small meeting at 1:00 and the luncheon right after the meeting for a small fee. Any retirees interested in joining the Burn-Connor s Association can come to any of the meetings or contact John Wozniak , Gary Marzolf or Kent Hankin ~ Fraternally yours, John Wozniak, Secretary Salvatore Favata Thomas Bauer DEATHS David Nowak Chester Stuben (Life Member) NEW MEMBERS Shannon Memminger Sherry Jaskier Matthew Szklarz William Daley Daniel Collins James Yager, Jr. James Dominguez William McCowan Tyler Smith Wanda Larmon Matthew Vazquez Ryan Lauer Jayson Hogg Nicholas Barlow Robert Miller Lindsey Mullen Cory Chapman Jonathan Gonzalez Albert Dawson RETIREMENTS Elaine Prentiss (Tonawanda) Robert Heiss (Williamsville) Scott McNess (Amherst) John Chwirut (Central Park) Nancy Shaw (Niagara Falls) Stephen Grice (Batavia) 10 AUGUST 2018 THE BUZZ

11 General Membership Meeting - July 25, 2018 President Grosskopf called the meeting to order at 6:33 PM with the Pledge of Allegiance. There was a moment of silence for departed members. There was a motion and seconded to waive the reading of the previous month s bills. There was a motion and seconded to waive the reading of the previous month s minutes. Director of Retired Members read the numerous thank you cards and letters. Old Business - President Grosskopf announced that the Route Adjustment for Zone 9 are complete and that they go into effect on July 28th. - President Grosskopf reminded all members of the committee sign up sheets. If you are interested in any committee either sign up at the August or September meeting or call the union office. If you are willing to chair a committee let the President know. - President Grosskopf and the Branch are still looking for CCA Liaisons, he would like at least one in every station. Spread the word to the recently converted CCA s with a clean disciplinary record and a professional attitude and work habits. - President Grosskopf announced the completion of the purchase of a new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox. He thanked the committee for all their time and effort. - President Grosskopf announced the up and coming events. They are: Volleyball tournament Sunday August 26th, Bison Baseball game Monday August 27th, Retirement Seminar Sunday September 23rd, Region 11 training October 20 to the 22nd. If interested contact the union office. New Business - We had five CCA s converted to career status in July. The Post office is continuing to hire additional CCA s throughout the summer. There was a discussion about CCA s being pulled out of hold downs also about what is happening with the unassigned carriers, are they being forced into routes yet. - President Grosskopf talked about a letter that is being sent to the CCA;s who are going on break. Stating that they are not guaranteed reinstatement and that they should go and talk to their supervisor about being reinstated. A copy of the letter has been sent to the NBA office and also to National. This is just an intimidation tactic and let the branch know about it. The contract states that you are to return after your break. - President Grosskopf talked about HR 993 to stop the privatizing of the Postal Service and also HR 6147 Appropriations bill which includes 6 day delivery provisions. - President Grosskopf talked about the National Convention and that all of the attendees were present and completed the requirements as per the Convention Committee rules. He went on to talk about the Branch getting two third place plaques. One for the best percentage of members donating to the Letter Carriers Political Fund (LCPF) and the other for the best per capita at $27 per member. He mentioned that the branch will be putting a push on to raise both of them. - President Emeritus Kaczmarczyk spoke about the class he attended about the Strike at 40 and then went out and raised his contribution to the LCPF. The next General Membership Meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 19th at 7:30 p.m. LABOR DAY PARADE - SEPTEMBER 3rd The labor movement in WNY is strong, and as a branch we have always been at the forefront of it! On Monday, September 3, a day dedicated as a federal holiday to our cause, Branch 3 will again be participating in the annual AFL-CIO Labor Day parade at noon on Abbott Road. Our muster point has yet to be announced, but lineup will begin at 11 and the Parade kicks off at 12. As before, there will be food and beverages provided, along with candy to toss to the parade goers. We re looking to have a strong turnout this year, and family can attend as well! Please join your union brothers and sisters in this fun family event, and help show our dedication to the folks who are there to see us march. RSVP with the , and thanks! - In fraternity, Zeb Robson THE BUZZ AUGUST

12 SUBSCRIPTION: $10.00 YEARLY UNION MEETING NOTICE AUGUST 15th BRANCH No. 3, N.A.L.C Union Road Buffalo, N.Y (716) Change Service Requested Time Value Mailing CIRCULATION MONTHLY Non - Profit Org. U.S. Postage P A I D BUFFALO, N.Y. Permit No :30 pm Officers Meeting 6:30 pm Stewards Meeting 3210 Genesee Street Cheektowaga, N.Y Please notify Branch 3 when you move West Seneca Printing, Inc. View The Buzz on-line at AUGUST 2018 Monthly Calendar of Events Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 5 6 9:00 am Chktg Breakfast 7 10:00 am Hiler Sta Holiday Showcase 9:00 am Jamestown Retirees Breakfast at Friendly s Retirees at Village Rest., 827 Military Rd :45 am Tonawanda Retirees at Jimmy J s 126 Wheatfield St. No. Tonawanda, NY :30 am Amherst & Kensington Retirees at Wehrle Family Rest. 5:30 pm Officers Meeting 6:30 pm Stewards Mtg. VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT 7:30 pm AFL-CIO Mtg SEPTEMBER 1 DAY AT THE BALL PARK 1:00 pm Burns-Connors Retirement Assoc. Magruders 2 3 9:00 am Chktg Breakfast 4 5 9:45 am Williamsville 6 9:00 am Southtowns 7 8 UNION NEGOTIATED HOLIDAY LABOR DAY PARADE Holiday Showcase 9:00 am Jamestown Retirees Breakfast at Friendly s Retiree s Brunch at Milo s, 5877 Main St. 9:00 am Kenmore Retiree s Breakfast at Olympic, 1601 Military Rd. Retiree Brkft at Alton s - Transit & Seneca The Deadline for submissions to the Buzz is the 3rd Friday of every month.