Branch presidents may begin registering their MBA representative for the training through the branch president’s Members Only page. Each branch may register up to three people. The registration directions are below.

The class will begin at 2 p.m. Eastern time and is scheduled to be one and a half hours long, but usually finishes earlier.

NALC has developed the ability to create a registration and training gateway through the Members Only portal on the NALC website.

Registration

Once a meeting has been scheduled through the Members Only portal, branch presidents will need to register their members in order for them to attend. To access the registration option, branch presidents can go to the NALC website and log into the Members Only portal. Once logged in, choose the Meetings Menu from the menu on the left-hand side of the page and then select the Meeting Registration by Officers option. This will display a list of upcoming meetings.  From there, presidents can register a member(s) by entering their last name in the “Search” box and selecting the correct member from the drop-down list. A member can also be removed from the “Registry” list by checking the box under the “Delete” column next to the corresponding member. Branch presidents will not be able to register more than the maximum number of attendees per branch or exceed the maximum number of attendees for that session. The maximum number of registrants per branch and for the session, as well as the registered-to-date counts, are displayed on the registration screen.

Training materials

Training materials and other pertinent information may be supplied for each session in the form of PDFs. These documents will be available to registrants on their Members Only page. The documents can be printed, copied and/or saved.

Accessing meeting information and/or joining the meeting

When a registered member wants to access training materials, view topics, or join a meeting, they can go to the NALC website and log into the Members Only portal. Once logged into the portal, the member will choose the Meetings Menu from the menu at the left-hand side of the page and select the Join a Meeting option, which will display a list of those meetings the member is registered to attend. For each meeting, there will be three buttons: The “Documents” button will give the member access to the training materials; the “Topics” button will give the member access to a list of topics (if any); and the “Join” button. The “Join” button will appear 10 minutes prior to the start time on the day of the meeting. If you log into the Members Only portal sooner than 10 minutes prior to the start of the meeting, you will need to exit to the home page and re-enter to access the “Join” button. Once you select the join button, you will be taken to a Webex window titled “Starting your meeting…”. Scroll down to select “Join from your browser.” When joining, the member will be prompted to enter their name and email address in order to attend the meeting. Proceed by selecting the “next” button followed by the “Join Meeting” button.

If you are unable to view the bargaining update through the NALC mobile app, please log in to Members Only using your phone's web browser.

Rios began his advocacy for letter carriers when he became a shop steward in 2009, then served as area shop steward, local business agent and arbitration advocate, and in 2012 worked as a dispute resolution team representative. In 2015, President Fredric V. Rolando appointed him as a regional administrative assistant for Region 1, a position he held until his appointment as NBA. Rios is also a graduate of the NALC Leadership Academy Class 16.

Due to space constraints, attendance at the conference is limited to one representative from each branch and state association. Only the branch or state president or their designee may attend.

A registration process has been created online through the Members Only Portal, which can be accessed from the home page of the NALC website. Branch and state presidents must go into the “Meetings Menu” tab in the Members Only portal, select “Meetings Registration by Officers,” and then click “Collective-Bargaining Conference” to register themselves or their authorized designee.

The conference will begin with check-in of those registered from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1. An opening session and welcome reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 1. Conference sessions will begin at 9 a.m. and run all day on both Tuesday, June 2, and Wednesday, June 3.

NALC has arranged a block of rooms at the Washington Hilton Hotel for June 1-4 at a rate of $299/night plus tax for a single/double room. For reservations, click here or call 202-483-3000 and mention Group Code 973. The deadline for making hotel reservations is May 11.

If you are unable to view the bargaining update through the NALC mobile app, please log in to Members Only using your phone's web browser.

Today, the Postal Service announced it will temporarily pause employer contributions to the defined benefit portion of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) account through the end of the fiscal year. This pause has no immediate impact on any current or future retired letter carriers.

This move is necessitated by the Postal Service’s current financial situation and is a direct result of continued inaction by Congress to fix the legislative constraints that inhibit the Postal Service's ability to invest in its infrastructure and modernize to meet the needs of its employees and the American people.

If Congress were to allow for a new investment strategy for USPS retiree health and pension funds, a fair recalculation of the agency’s Civil Service Retirement System pension obligations, and an increase in the agency’s borrowing authority, this pause in FERS contributions would not be necessary.

It is time for Congress to act on these commonsense policy changes to protect our jobs, retirements, and the essential and reliable service we provide to every American.

More information is available here.

Today, NALC President Brian L. Renfroe will participate in a House field hearing in California focused on protecting democracy, election security, voting rights and vote-by-mail.

The event will be livestreamed at 11 a.m. PT. Watch the livestream here.

The hearing will be hosted by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Committee on Administration Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-NY).

The field hearing comes while voting rights and mail-in ballots are facing unprecedented threats. Last week, President Trump issued an executive order aimed at severely limiting mail-in ballots nationwide. At the same time, the SAVE America Act, a voter suppression bill that also targets vote-by-mail, has continued to be debated in the Senate. Identified as a top priority of the administration, the legislation passed the House earlier this year.

President Renfroe was invited to participate as a panelist to share letter carriers’ perspective on the recent attacks on mail-in ballots and how such drastic action could affect letter carriers’ work.

Other panelists include Dr. Barbara Simons, former chair of Verified Voting Foundation; Kevin Shelley, former California secretary of state; Brittany Stonesifer, voting rights and redistricting program manager at California Common Cause; professor Rory K. Little, UC Law San Francisco; and Gabriela Carcamo from The Arc San Francisco.

“The recent attacks on vote-by-mail threaten voting rights, our essential work and the entire Postal Service,” President Renfroe said. “Voting by mail is safe, secure and an essential part of our democracy. I appreciate the opportunity to bring NALC’s voice to this panel as we continue fighting to protect America’s access to mail-in ballots.”

NALC is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Judy Willoughby, former assistant secretary-treasurer and former national business agent (NBA) for Region 9,  on March 26 at the age of 70.

Sister Willoughby began her postal career in 1980 and joined West Coast Florida Branch 1477, where she quickly became a shop steward after witnessing management violations of the contract. She served as a steward from 1981 to 1983 and continued that service after transferring to Tallahassee, FL, in 1984, where she became a member of Tallahassee Branch 1172. She went on to serve Branch 1172 as trustee, vice president and branch president for nearly 12 years.

In 2000, NALC President Vincent R. Sombrotto appointed her as a regional administrative assistant for Region 9. Sister Willoughby also served in several appointed NALC positions in the North Florida District, including as an Employee Involvement facilitator, a member of the local joint steering committee and the joint route inspection team, and as Delivery Point Sequence coordinator. She had also been an arbitration advocate since 1988 and served as a local business agent for many years. She served as an executive board member for District 5 of the Florida State Association of Letter Carriers and as FSALC director of education.

In 2004, Sister Willoughby made history as the NALC's first female NBA when NALC President William H. Young appointed her as Region 9 NBA to fill a vacancy. She was subsequently elected to that position by acclamation at the 2006 national convention and again in 2010. She was later elected NALC assistant secretary-treasurer by ballot among the union's active and retired members, and she retired from the position in 2018 at the end of her term.

An Army veteran, Sister Willoughby held two associate degrees from St. Petersburg Junior College and also attended the University of South Florida.

“NALC mourns the loss of Sister Willoughby,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “She dedicated more than four decades to fighting for the rights of letter carriers, breaking barriers and setting a standard of service that will not be forgotten. On behalf of the NALC, I extend our deepest sympathies to her family and friends. She will be greatly missed."

A bargaining update has been posted to the Members Only Portal. To access it, sign in and navigate to Members Menu and select the Collective Bargaining tab. You will then see and be able to access “Bargaining Update 3/27/2026.” 

Take action

Call 202-224-3121 or visit nalc.org/action to ask your senators to OPPOSE the SAVE America Act.

“I urge all letter carriers to contact their senators and ask them to oppose this bill,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “This legislation is an attack on the validity and accessibility of mail-in ballots and all Americans’ voting rights.”

More information on the SAVE America Act

The House passed the SAVE America Act in February.

During Senate consideration earlier this week, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) introduced a substitute amendment (S.Amdt. 4420) that would strengthen the already harsh requirements of the legislation. His amendment would require all voters to show ID, require proof of citizenship to vote, and eliminate mail-in voting, with exceptions for military service, illness, travel and disability. The amendment includes other non-voting related partisan priorities of the administration, like banning transgender athletes from women’s sports and gender-affirming surgery for minors.

The legislation faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where 60 votes are needed for passage.

The SAVE America Act undermines the validity and security of vote-by-mail while aiming to suppress Americans’ right to vote. NALC sent opposition letters to both the House and Senate. 

The subcommittee called Postmaster General David Steiner and David Marroni, director of physical infrastructure at the Government Accountability Office, to testify. Since Congress oversees the Postal Service, it is customary for the postmaster general to be called to testify. This was Steiner's first opportunity since assuming the position last summer to lay out his vision for the agency before the subcommittee. 

In his opening remarks, Chairman Pete Sessions (R-TX) acknowledged that addressing the agency’s financial situation was critical. 

Ranking Member Kweisi Mfume (D-MD) recognized the recent threats facing the Postal Service, including President Trump threatening to put the agency under the Department of Commerce and fire the USPS Board of Governors last year. “The last thing we want is a privatized system,” he said. He also recognized postal employees' dedication and emphasized that no postal employee should ever fear for their safety while at work. 

In his opening statement, Steiner said that if the “status quo” continues, the Postal Service will run out of cash in 12 months. He referenced declining mail volume, the agency’s unfair Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) pension obligations, USPS’s frozen borrowing authority that has not been lifted in decades, the Postal Service being prohibited from responsibly investing its retiree and health pension funds, and USPS not controlling its workers' compensation claims for the current financial situation. He called on Congress to act now by raising the borrowing authority. “One easy action – increasing our borrowing authority – buys us time. Time that we can use to best determine what the Postal Service should do to best serve the American public,” he said.

NALC supports and has advocated for several of these commonsense changes for years. A recalculation of CSRS pension obligations, increasing the borrowing authority, and changing the investment strategy for retiree and health pension funds are key financial changes that Congress and the administration should adopt. In his testimony, Steiner suggested modifications on federal workers’ compensation for postal employees. However, NALC strongly opposes any limitations on letter carriers’ workers' compensation benefits.

In his questioning, Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA) referenced a recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) report that revealed the Postal Service spent more than 800 million dollars on grievances. Walkinshaw expressed skepticism about how an agency that cannot comply with a collective bargaining agreement would properly handle workers’ compensation claims. Steiner said USPS would “outsource” the process. 

Overall, members’ questions focused on service quality, shipping competitors, funding for Next Generation Delivery Vehicles (NGDVs), letter carriers’ participation in the census pilot program, postal facilities, employee safety and more. Several members thanked postal workers for their dedication and service.

“NALC will continue leading advocacy efforts for necessary policy and administrative changes to stabilize the agency’s finances,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “However, we will fiercely fight limiting letter carriers’ workers’ compensation benefits in any way or increasing usage of non-career employees in our craft as some in the hearing suggested. Even suggesting such foolish actions are insulting to America’s hardworking letter carriers.

“Local postal management’s lack of contract compliance costs the agency hundreds of millions of dollars. An agency that struggles to uphold the basic tenets of a mutual agreement should not have sole control over something as critical as workers’ compensation claims. The current non-career workforce in the city letter craft is a failed experiment.

“We’ll keep fighting like hell for a secure future for the Postal Service. But we’ll fight even harder against those who push any changes that would potentially harm our dedicated, hardworking members,” he said.

Following the hearing, NALC will submit comments for the record.

There were 142 branches and state associations that donated $263,269 to food banks across the country. With NALC’s match, the Shut Down Hunger effort raised $526,538 for food banks nationwide. According to Feeding America, this amounts to 5.26 million meals for those in need.

Delivering to every neighborhood and community in the country, letter carriers know when people are struggling. That struggle heightened last fall as letter carriers continued working uninterrupted during the shutdown. In communities, letter carriers are often the first to notice when something is wrong and take action.

“When we saw the prolonged effects of the government shutdown, we knew we had to step up,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “And we knew that if asked, our members would chip in to help those in need.

“I am extremely proud and appreciative of every single branch and state association that donated. Our results are remarkable and will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on communities across the country,” he added.

With the success of Shut Down Hunger behind us, preparations are well underway for this year’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on May 9. Branches can register in the Members Only portal until March 20. For more information, click here.