The nation’s 290,000 active and retired city letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) are proud to announce our endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz to serve as the next president and vice president of the United States. 

The debate on Tuesday night reinforced what we know: Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have the pro-labor record we support and the pro-worker vision we need in the White House in 2025 and beyond. Both have a strong history of fighting on behalf of unions and union members.

We know a Harris-Walz Administration will work with NALC to address unique challenges facing letter carriers and the Postal Service.

As a local prosecutor, state attorney general, senator, and vice president, Kamala Harris is a proven supporter of working families, organized labor, and the Postal Service. As a senator, she was instrumental in advocating for essential relief for the Postal Service at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She served as vice president of the administration that signed the Postal Service Reform Act into law. She is a fierce defender of civil rights, voting rights, and our democratic system. 

Governor Walz is a union brother and veteran. He is a former public school teacher who has devoted his life to public service. As governor, he has kept working families at the forefront by enacting a paid family and medical leave program, child tax credits, and universal free school meals for all Minnesota students.

A Harris-Walz Administration will work with NALC to address the unique challenges facing the Postal Service and our members, who are at the center of a $1.6 trillion shipping industry supporting 7.3 million jobs.

At NALC’s 73rd biennial convention recently held in Boston, nearly 5,500 delegates voted overwhelmingly to endorse and support the Harris-Walz campaign.

NALC proudly supports the Harris-Walz ticket and looks forward to working together to ensure the stability of the Postal Service, one of our country’s most treasured institutions.

The Leadership Academy consists of three week-long sessions held over a five-month period at the Maritime Institute near Baltimore, MD. During the classes, students discuss effective leadership skills and the union’s legislative agenda. They learn about topics such as the Dispute Resolution Process, strategic planning, branch financial responsibilities, retirement issues, route protection, workers’ compensation, effective negotiation techniques and communicating through traditional and social media.

Students are required to complete outside learning projects upon returning home following Weeks 1 and 2. Upon graduation, students will spend a fourth week working in their national business agents’ offices.

The Academy curriculum is designed to both develop and enhance the knowledge and skills that are essential for NALC leaders. In addition to the Leadership Academy staff, each of the resident national officers, as well as many headquarters staff members, help teach at the Academy, providing students with NALC’s top experts in each field.

Applications are available here and will be accepted until September 27, 2024. 

For more on the Leadership Academy, click here.

A few reminders:

• Registration begins Saturday, August 3 at 12 PM on the Exhibit Level of the convention center. Click here for a full schedule of events, including additional registration dates and times.
• The convention kicks off with a Welcome Reception on Sunday, August 4 from 4:30 to 7:30 PM in Exhibit Hall C. All Delegates and guests are invited and must show proof of registration to gain entry. Delegate credentials and guest badges can be obtained at the registration area.
• Complimentary shuttle service is provided between the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and hotels within the NALC block not within walking distance of the Convention Center. Click here for shuttle information.
• When in doubt, consult your Convention Pocket Guide, which will be included in your registration bag.
• Issues of the Convention Chronicle will be published daily for all NALC members on the convention webpage.

Additional resources can be found at nalc.org/convention.

Demings is a Democratic nominee. If confirmed by the Senate, she would fill Anton Hajjar’s seat, which expired on Dec. 8, 2023. Her term would expire on Dec. 8, 2030. Demings is a former member of the House of Representatives and unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Florida in 2022. Demings served as a social worker and police officer. In 2007, she was appointed chief of the Orlando Police Department, where she served until 2011.

Zollars is a Republican nominee who previously served as a governor on the USPS board. His term expired on Dec. 8, 2022, and if reconfirmed by the Senate, his new term would expire on Dec. 8, 2029. Zollars is the former Chairman/President/CEO of Yellow Transportation, Inc., a freight and shipping company. Prior to that, he served as a senior vice president of Ryder Integrated Logistics and as general manager and vice president of the Midwestern region of Eastman Kodak. He also served on the boards of Cerner, ProLogis, CIGNA and the National Association of Manufacturers.

The nominees will be considered by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. If advanced by the committee, the nominees need to be approved by a Senate majority to be confirmed. Both nominees will need to earn NALC’s support before any Senate action.

“President Biden’s announcement of these nominations comes while the administration continues to fail postal employees and union members by not acting on the misallocation of the Postal Service’s retirement fund obligations – a far more urgent matter,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “Reversing the government’s grossly unfair raid of the Postal Service’s pension assets would significantly improve the Postal Service’s financial stability and the service we provide to all Americans. If this administration is really pro-union, it will utilize its final months to take this action to benefit the hardworking members of the NALC that deliver an invaluable service to the people of this country. Mr. President, we’ve waited too long. Stop the raid on postal pensions.”

NALC is heartbroken by the murder of Octavia Redmond, our sister from Chicago, IL Branch 11. Today, Sister Redmond was shot multiple times on her route and was taken to the hospital, where she died. The perpetrator is still at large.

Octavia had been a letter carrier for 5 years and was only 48.

The 280,000 members of NALC mourn the loss of Sister Redmond. She was a public servant doing her job when her life and future were stolen from her. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family, friends and all her loved ones.

Like me, the members of NALC are outraged by this senseless act of violence that took an innocent woman’s life. For far too long, violent crime against letter carriers has been on the rise. Shockingly, now it is not uncommon for letter carriers to be targeted, assaulted, and even murdered. This is completely unacceptable, and we need immediate change.

Earlier this year, bipartisan lawmakers introduced the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act in both chambers of Congress. This comprehensive solution would deter these crimes from happening and hold those who commit these horrific acts accountable. In honor of Sister Redmond, we urge Congress to swiftly pass this bill. The nation’s letter carriers cannot wait any longer.

Every American deserves to go to work without fear and return home safely to their families. We will not stop fighting until this is a reality for all letter carriers.

NALC is committed to continue working with Congress, the Postal Service, and law enforcement on any solutions to keep letter carriers safe.

This agreement (M-02004 in NALC’s Materials Reference System) can be found here.

NALC and USPS bargaining representatives spent most of the past week “locked down” in a Washington, DC hotel focused on negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. This intense session enabled us to work undisturbed in a neutral space towards reaching a tentative agreement.

Since last year, bargaining representatives have worked tirelessly to achieve common ground on hundreds of proposals that would benefit letter carriers and reward us for our value and contributions to the success of the Postal Service. This week’s uninterrupted negotiations resulted in progress toward resolution of numerous outstanding issues. The number of unresolved issues has narrowed significantly, and we will continue negotiations in the coming week.

As the week ends, I am more optimistic than at any earlier point in this round of collective bargaining that we can and will reach a tentative agreement that meets the moment for our members and fairly recognizes and rewards them for their dedicated work and contributions to the Postal Service. However, if negotiations break down, we are fully prepared to pursue our goals in the interest arbitration process.

As has been the case for decades, our bargaining process progresses discreetly through sensitive and substantive discussion as opposed to public campaigns in the press or on social media that would hamper our public-sector union’s efforts. I deeply appreciate the diligence and commitment to achieving results in this process from NALC’s officers, staff, and professionals, as well as the continued good faith bargaining engagement of Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino and his team.

The proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register and will call for public comments. The DOL also anticipates a public hearing after the close of the written comment period.  

“The health and safety of letter carriers always comes first,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “NALC has fought for more than a decade in several avenues to achieve protections for our members from the dangers we face working outdoors in excessive heat. While progress has been made, a national rule that requires employers to provide comprehensive prevention is the ultimate solution. We appreciate Acting Secretary Julie Su for her engagement with our union and for prioritizing this important issue. NALC fully supports implementation of this proposed rule.”