NAPUS
of
North Carolina

 

From the Vice President's Pen

 

What Has NAPUS Done for Me?

It's the question that separates.
Sometimes meant more as a statement than a question, it divides the active from the not-so-active members of our Postmasters' organization. It seeks to justify a lack of involvement for some, a claim of dissatisfaction for others. A core group of members who have done so much on behalf of those who are too busy or disinterested to lend a hand have traditionally spent a great deal of time and energy explaining themselves on this question I do not intend to excuse or explain anything here, except to say that the
facts speak for themselves. Battling against the rising tide, NAPUS has been working very hard to maintain and improve our quality of work life NAPUS has always been - and remains - far and away the best thing Postmasters have going for them, especially during these unprecedented times of unrealistic expectations, unfair treatment, and (for many) unbearable stress. I challenge every member of NAPUS, as well as Postmasters, OICs and others who are not yet members of NAPUS, to help me prepare an answer to the above question for those who will ask it in the future.

What has NAPUS done for you? NAPUS has called you to action.

None among us can deny that the job we signed up for and swore to perform to the best of our abilities has been redefined for us before our eyes. Would we have in fact taken this job, had we known then what we know now? Do our hopes and expectations for the future resemble those we held earlier on in our careers? Or are we now scaling back our aspirations, hunkering down to weather the relentless storm of constant crisis, operating daily in survival mode, simply trying to hold on for one more day? If your answer to any part of that last question is yes, or you know someone for whom it is, then you and I have work to do. We cannot allow this government service agency to which we've devoted our working lives to throw us and our fellow front line managers under the bus. What has NAPUS done for you and me? NAPUS has called us to action. And NAPUS will have done us a huge favor if we will only answer that call. We are our own best hope.
We must stand up together now and demand fairness How exactly do we do that? We show the people we work for that we are not only devoted to getting the job done for our customers, but that we are steadfastly devoted to one another and our shared interests. We send clear messages, starting with a physical demonstration of our commitment.

1. Plan now to attend the following three meetings. First, an informal get-together with your fellow Postmasters, OICs and PMRs from your county for supper one night this fall. The topics of discussion will include, among other things, our upcoming spring conferences, during which we will bring together people from neighboring NC NAPUS districts, building strength by increased participation, and turning commonly held concerns into momentum. Finally, we will command the attention of upper postal management with a record turnout at our action-packed NC NAPUS state convention in Atlantic Beach in June

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2. Complete a confidential survey. How better to demonstrate our views and concerns than through data generated by a simple and straightforward survey of Postmasters and OICs? I plan to post on our website very soon a confidential survey to be printed out, filled in and mailed to NC NAPUS. With real data based on the actual responses of Postmasters to key questions, we'll have a baseline from which to move forward in our relationship with District and Area management.

3. Say or do something to help. Let your voice be heard. Show your concern by doing something to help others cope. Write down some notes on what you are going through, how you're feeling. Consider sharing your thoughts with others through our NC NAPUS website or as a letter to the editor of the Tar Heel Postmaster. At the very least, call a neighboring post office. Talk to your counterpart there about how things are going.
Help each other.
Then, make plans with that neighbor to share the good feelings you both get from that experience with a larger group of your fellow Postmasters and OICs at supper (see #1 above). And don't stop there. Call your NC NAPUS county chairperson, District Director, or other officials and volunteer to help in some way. There's so much to do - and we need you. The next time someone asks what NAPUS has done for them; I'm going to forego the usual laundry list of hard work and changes we as a group have brought about for our membership. I'm going to say instead that we're all in this together, and therefore the best thing NAPUS can do for us is to convince everyone to help out by joining in. NAPUS is calling us to action. Shall we deny the efforts of our organization, question its value to all of us, or will we answer the call of our fellow Postmasters when they need us most?
Drew

 

 

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