From the President’s Pen

A New Era Begins

Are you ready for the start of a new era? Me, too.
After a long and honorable campaign, Bob Rapoza comes away from Anchorage victorious. And so do we all. Whether you were lucky enough to be there in person to see him elected National President of NAPUS, or whether you were thousands of miles away, doing what Postmasters do best – proudly serving America – we all win with the election of Bob Rapoza, a man who believes in Postmasters and understands what we can do to help save the Postal Service.

Bob said it all when he stood before us and declared, “We Postmasters are proud of the excellent service we provide on behalf of our employer. Pride is a personal commitment and an attitude that separates excellence from mediocrity. Along with that pride we have a responsibility to lead by example.

“ We want our opportunity to lead given back to us so we can continue our mission to provide quality service to the American public. We are dedicated to that cause.”

President-elect Bob concluded his remarks by stating clearly what we will and will not do as we move into an uncertain future. “We’re NOT going to stand on the sidelines pitifully wringing our hands. We’re NOT going to moan and whine, wondering why we’re being treated so unfairly. We’re NOT going to belly-ache, or whimper, or gripe. We’re not going to withdraw, or retreat, or surrender.

“ Instead, my fellow Postmasters, we’re going to stand tall, always remembering we proudly represent the majority of America’s Postmasters. We’re going to face our challenges squarely with uncommon resolve and courage. We’re going to do the right thing for our fellow NAPUS members, our employer, our customers – the American people – and, most of all, we are NEVER, EVER going to give up! …Now, let’s get to work and do together what we cannot do alone.”

And finally, my fellow North Carolina NAPUS members, I wish to leave you with these thoughts: We are fortunate in so many ways. We live in the greatest nation in the history of mankind, where we are free to speak our minds and vote our consciences, believe as we see fit, and pursue happiness in life. We Postmasters have jobs that pay well and allow us to take care of those we love, plan for our futures, and live relatively comfortably. And, we have each other as we endeavor to make the working lives of those with whom we share this unique profession better. It has been my honor to lead you in that effort at the state level. Now, let’s all get behind our new leaders at all levels of our great organization during this critical time in our history. Let’s get on with making truly meaningful things happen for our NAPUS family and for all Postmasters.
I’ll see you around.
Drew
(Webmaster's note: Drew's articles will be on this page until the new president submits one. Then Drew's articles will go to the archives page.)

From the President’s Pen

Looking Ahead – and Holding On

We’re moving swiftly down a road we don’t recognize. We’ve never been this way before. Although landmarks seem familiar, the whole experience of doing what we do is suddenly so different that we sometimes feel lost. “Where are we headed?” asks a fellow traveler. “Just keep your head down and hang on,” comes the reply.

Postmasters have every right to feel uneasy and even a bit scared as the Postal Service careens toward an uncertain destination. Are we out of control? Does whoever’s driving this thing have any concern for our well-being, or just their own numbers? Experience tells us that good suggestions for changes in direction are often ignored, and so, we are really just along for the ride, having lost all authority to play a truly meaningful navigational (read that ‘managerial’) role quite a ways back.

So, for those of us who still want to help correct our beloved agency’s course (or simply don’t have the option of jumping yet), what can be done? Where can we look for hope and reassurance?

First, don’t forget that you’re not the only one going through this. You may feel alone at times, but you never really are – unless you choose to be. There are tens of thousands of people all over this country, some just a few miles away, others much farther, who spend each day working hard to successfully take on the same challenges you and I do. Now, what if we all – once and for all – connected with each other in a carefully coordinated effort to push back powerfully on some of the bad decisions being imposed upon us from above? What if we demanded as a huge, unified group to be listened to when we have a better idea, thanks to our community-level perspective, as opposed to the bureaucratic views from cushy chairs far removed from the real places where our customers live and do most of their business with the U.S. Postal Service? If we Postmasters would only realize our true potential, then, finally, through a well-developed and intelligently-executed strategic approach many of us like to call NAPUS, we could all be much more than backseat drivers, and we could once again feel more secure and in control of our situations and our futures.

This month, we were fortunate to learn that Bob Rapoza – whose candidacy for NAPUS National President we endorsed last year as a chapter – has received full-state endorsements from thirty-three other state chapters, as well. He now has the requisite number of votes to be elected at our National Convention in Anchorage. Bob is the kind of leader who can make a real difference for Postmasters, if only we will get together and stand with him.

This is no time to sit back, nervously trying to guess what may be coming around the next curve. This is not the time to withdraw or pout about what the Postal Service is doing to us. Sure, they unfairly yanked our convention leave – and did it in a pretty underhanded and disrespectful manner – but that should merely serve to wake us up and spur us on to fight back like the proud and devoted Postal managers we are.

I am thrilled with our newly elected slate of North Carolina Chapter officers, and I offer each one of them my heart-felt congratulations. We will be in very good hands, my fellow NC NAPUS Postmasters and aspiring Postmasters. Yet, as I’ve said many times before, even the finest leaders cannot be expected to do it all alone. They will need each and every one of us to be involved. Only then, can we realistically expect to help change the course we’re on.

Thanks once again to all of the fine folks who worked so hard (for so long) planning what turned out to be a wonderful state convention. I must admit, I was apprehensive about the effect the USPS’ convention leave decision might have on our turnout, especially with it hitting just a week before we were to convene. But only a few people cancelled, and those in attendance were enthusiastically involved in all we had in store for them. What valuable learning sessions. What fellowship. What fun! And, what a great return on an investment of a few days of annual leave. Thank you again, everyone.

Looking down the road, holding on tightly, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been on a ride quite as wild as this one. What do you say we all get behind our new NAPUS leaders and give them all the support they’ll need? Then, once again at some point, perhaps we can get some enjoyment – rather than indigestion and white knuckles – from this journey.
Drew

(May/June) 1.9 Billion Grains of Sand

How many dollars did the Postal Service lose last Quarter? Answer: The same as the number of reasons you should be at the beach June 7th.

Crisis mode is normal these days. We struggle constantly, trying to do our part to ensure the survival and viability of the agency we’ve devoted our working lives to. But the shifting currents are strong and unpredictable. Postmasters and OICs need to know that there is something they can count on, some solid ground they can have faith in with regard to their jobs and careers. I realize many of our friends and counterparts have all but given up and lost that faith, but I am here to tell you, we must not forget that we’re not alone. We have each other, if we’ll only grasp what that can mean, especially in times like these

But there’s even more to it than that. NAPUS is vital to helping preserve the U.S. Postal Service, too. Why? Because without this outstanding group of individuals who have come together to protect one another and help the Postal Service stay on the right course, conditions in the field would be far worse than they are; expectations would be even more unrealistic, morale would be even lower, our chances for success even more threatened.

Every dollar lost is another grain of sand washed out to sea, another reason for us to draw closer together, another reminder that this is a common struggle, a struggle we must win, yet one that we cannot hope to win alone.

Are you resigned to battling this rising tide all by yourself, or will you join us – your NAPUS family – in Atlantic Beach for a few days this summer?

Take your paid use-it-or-lose-it convention leave if you hold the proud title of Postmaster. And if you’re an OIC or PMR, still aspiring to become Postmaster, request annual leave, leave without pay, or non-scheduled time now. So much is planned to make this a highly informative, as well as enjoyable get together for all of us.

And finally, here’s one more good reason to attend the NC NAPUS Annual State Convention: We will elect new leaders for our Chapter. All eligible members interested in running for office are encouraged to do so. There’s never been a more important time for qualified individuals to step up and volunteer to take a leadership role.

Though I, personally, have decided not to seek a second term, I am very pleased to say that we do have at least one highly qualified candidate for this office. Vice President Darlene Williams has proven herself more than ready to take the reins, and she has my whole-hearted support and endorsement in her campaign to be elected as our next President.

I urge you to participate in your home state Chapter of the most important and respected Postmaster organization there is. Come to this year’s convention. Take part, learn, relax, laugh with your fellow Postmasters, OICs, and other members of the NAPUS family. Let your hair down a little. Let your voice be heard. Let Postal leadership see our numbers are growing rather than declining. But, if for some reason you can’t make it to the beach, you can still be a part of this important annual event by nominating a deserving Postmaster you know for one of NC NAPUS’ most prestigious peer awards, the Green Howell Award and Postmaster of the Year. Nomination forms can be found at our ncnapus.org website. Please do it today.

Now, more than ever before, you need NAPUS, and NAPUS needs you. I hope you’ll try to make it to the convention. We’ll be looking for you out on the sand.
Drew

PUT US IN, COACH!

“This is not about us fighting each other,” Postmaster General Jack Potter told us. My first thought: So, who said it was? Who are you trying to convince, Jack?

Mr. Potter was addressing NAPUS members at our annual Leadership Conference just across the Potomac from his Washington, DC office last month, one day before we headed to Capitol Hill to talk to members of Congress about legislation to help the USPS and Postmasters, active and retired. The PMG’s speech naturally centered on the current financial crisis, and what we managers must do in response to it.

We listened as he explained that the unprecedented challenges facing the Postal Service require not only the dramatic steps announced March 20th to streamline operations, but also teamwork among managers to get through this successfully.

Fair enough. My question is what took so long? For as long as I can remember, Postmasters have been asking to be included again as partners in the mission, part of the solution. Yet this dedicated group of managers has often been met with distrust, disrespect, even downright contempt. Postmasters have been stripped in recent years of most of their former decision making
authority. Routinely dictated to nowadays by people not in our chain of command, coerced into sacrificing more and more personal time in order to meet more and more unrealistic expectations, and given no say in the formulation of budgets and other goals, many Postmasters and OICs have been convinced that we are not seen by those above us in the hierarchy as having much to add to the USPS’ management efforts.

But, there are, of course, many more questions. Can we really expect anything other than more of the same? When asked amid this crisis for more help and greater cooperation, is anything really being requested other than for our complicity and agreement to cheerfully shoulder even more of the workload? To bravely endure even more stress? To generously sacrifice even more of our family time? One has to wonder, is this to be our role throughout the rest of our careers – to give more and more and more? Is this all we mean to the Postal Service, or will ever mean? If so, the entire Postal Service, our customers, and the nation we serve – not just Postmasters – will continue to suffer more than necessary.

Postmasters are – to borrow a phrase – too big to fail. We are, as a group, one of this organization’s richest resources, and, as individuals, tens of thousands of its most invaluable assets. The proof is on display every day in post offices all across this country. I believe treating such people as less than they are, or can be, is a grave mistake, especially during hard times. Such resources ought to be used wisely, not unwisely used up.

So, stay tuned. We’ll see soon enough what is to unfold and what it will mean for all of us. For those taking the VER, I know I speak for many of us who don’t have that option when I say, best of luck in retirement, we wish you well, you lucky #%&!@*&^%s!

And whether you’re going or staying, you need a little time at the beach. We all do. Now, more than ever before, a trip to Atlantic Beach is just what the doctors ordered!

Doctors Dominick and Darlene, that is! Past President/ National Vice President Dominick and Vice President/ Education Chair Darlene have teamed up to create the kind of NC NAPUS State Convention that you just don’t want to miss! You’ll read more about it in this issue, and, let me say, besides the great learning opportunities and fun social events on tap, there’s never been a more important time to hear from and talk with NAPUS and Postal Service leadership. We’re also working to bring one or more members of Congress to the convention to discuss issues relevant to the Postal Service and Postmasters in light of the economic recession.

To get the best rate you should sign up today using the registration form in this issue. And request leave right away (paid convention leave for Postmasters). Contact your friends and neighbors. Make it a group adventure. You’ll be glad you did, I assure you.

Finally, I wish to thank all those who attended the Leadership Conference and Legislative Trip. We had some very productive and memorable meetings with our Senators and House delegates and their staffs. First-timers and veteran Hill climbers marched side-by-side, ably presenting our legislative agenda and gaining assurances of support and co-sponsorship on a number of measures. Thanks, especially, to Juanita Meeks, our Legislative Chair, whose hard work and careful planning paid off throughout the week for everyone involved.

Thanks to Dinah Marshall and the rest of our NC NAPUS leadership and retirees for their help in making this such an enjoyable experience for our large group, which I’m happy to say, included our extended family members representing South Carolina NAPUS. What a great trip. If you missed it, please plan to attend next year. This is truly what NAPUS is all
about – working hard to help our fellow Postmasters and the United States Postal Service.

These are trying times, my fellow Postmasters. In closing, let me say, we must come together and stand together now. It is more important than at any time in your career or mine for all of us to understand, NAPUS is the answer. NAPUS is survival for Postmasters. No excuses will suffice anymore. Attend your next District meeting, to be announced soon. Do not leave this up to others anymore. You are needed, and you need NAPUS. I will see you soon, I sincerely hope.
Drew

Optimism % to SPLY
The New Year came in with friends and family counting down, “…Three! --Two! --One! --Happy New Year!” Cheers and hugs all around. A few good luck kisses. We welcomed the moment as we have so many times before, hopeful -- happily itemizing the changes-for-the-better that everyone always wishes for at these cheery celebrations.

And, for those few sweet, fleeting moments of the brand new year, we do believe that all great potential can truly be realized in the coming twelve months. Afterwards, though the magic and excitement of the big night ebbs, we manage to hold on to our hopefulness.

Optimism is an important part of our collective character as Americans. We’ve always had it. Even in the darkest of times, hopes of better days, answered prayers, and fulfilled dreams have made the journey seem possible and helped us find the strength to endure until we’d once again come out on top.

So here we are, post-celebration, the holiday trappings are mostly put away, stored in their boxes once again and waiting on the shelf for another year to run its course and bring us what it will. It’s the time when fanciful notions give way to more sober (pardon the expression) expectations.

So, just how far down have you come? Would you say you remain somewhat more optimistic than ‘SPLY,’ or to some degree less optimistic?

For an increasing number of Postmasters the outlook seems much less rosy than in years passed. In an atmosphere of mounting pressure and constant threats, ours is a job that’s lost much of its former appeal, even to those who’ve done it – and done it well – for decades. The early out is tempting many of our best and brightest to head for the exits before they might have otherwise gone, and leaving lots of not-yet-eligible people wishing they could.

Kind of makes you wonder what’s going on. Postmasters, the ones who have made all the successful years up until now possible for our Postal Service and our customers, are suddenly unable to manage operations without fastidious micromanagers hanging all over them ten to twelve hours a day? Reports and checklists; audits and telecoms; certifications to certify that we completed the report that certified our completion of the checklists of audits performed… Uh, excuse me, what about the mail? The customer who has a question? The employee who has a problem and needs my help? You know, the things we used to focus on before EXFC was elevated to celestial importance.

While the year is still new, and the possibility still exists that we will make it through this mess, let’s make a resolution together, shall we? Let’s reach out to each other, my fellow Postmasters, and I mean that literally. I ask every single one of you reading this to decide now to call or pop in on a neighboring Postmaster or OIC this week, and ask that person how they are doing. Let them tell you what they’re dealing with – good and bad – and then, let them let you do the same. We may feel alone sometimes, but that feeling should never be allowed to last too long. We must always remember – and never let our friends and counterparts forget, either – that we have each other. I urge you, make that call. Pay that visit.

What happens next is the best part.

What happens next is the best part. More and more of us will realize how therapeutic it can be to reach out to our fellow Postmasters, especially during tough times like these. People who understand first-hand what you’re going through can not only sympathize, but can usually offer some valid, helpful advice. Being there for each other is what NAPUS is all about. (If that sounds like an old slogan, you owe it to yourself – and the rest of us – to find out what it really means.) Attend the next NAPUS meeting in your area. Put in your leave slip now for June’s NC NAPUS state convention in beautiful Atlantic Beach. You get five days of use-it-or-lose-it paid Convention Leave each year. And, registration is free if you’re a first-timer. Why in the world would you want to miss out?

Besides, your fellow Postmasters and aspiring Postmasters need you there. The more people who attend, the more we all take away from the experience. You’ll see old friends and make new ones, enjoy informative and entertaining training sessions, participate in discussions with Postal Service executives and NAPUS leaders, eat well, dance the night away, and walk the beach until your stress level returns to sea level – at low tide.

But that’s June. What about the daily onslaught we’ll deal with until then?

But that’s June. What about the daily onslaught we’ll deal with until then? How many more daily reports will be required? How much more work will Postmasters be expected to perform, while also being expected to make budgets slashed recently by over 20% across the board? And will we see further degradation of the principles that once guided our leadership and inspired many of us to rise through the ranks of this great organization, principles such as dignified and respectful treatment of others, including those subordinate to us?

Will insult be added to injury as executives who recently enjoyed huge pay raises ask Postmasters to forego PFP earned bonuses, or any raises at all? How much more do they think we can take? How much more do they think we will take?

I have two words for you: Capitol Hill.

Each year, NAPUS heads to Washington, DC, for our annual leadership conference and legislative rally. Everyone is welcome. Please consider joining us in March as we lobby our Congressional leaders inside the Senate and House office buildings, where the nation’s top lawmakers sit face-to-face with their constituents and listen to their concerns. NAPUS, as you know, has been very successful in helping to turn issues of concern into law this way.

Please watch our ncnapus.org website for a survey I will be posting soon.

Even if you choose not to go, however, I want your input, so that I can pass your concerns along to the people in power. Please watch our ncnapus.org website for a survey I will be posting soon. Fill it out. Send it in. Sign it, or remain anonymous. It’s up to you. Either way, I promise to share the findings of the survey with our USPS superiors, as well as their superiors in Congress.

If nothing else I say makes you feel better today (and you’re all out of champagne), remember, we are all stronger when we stand strong together, even if we have to lean on each other a little sometimes. Let’s resolve to get together and fight for what made this job a great job when we first signed on. I believe we can do it. I say, “Happy New Year!” – and I mean it! (I guess you could say I’m still optimistic, even compared to SPLY.)

Finally, our warmest thoughts and sincerest prayers remain with our own Shirley Johnson, who in the space of three days lost her sister and brother.

See you soon,

Drew

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

It’s time.

We’ve all looked forward to the day when all Postmasters could come together as one unified group. We always knew that such a thing would benefit every one of us tremendously, but there were obstacles. Now those obstacles have met their match. Starting November 1st, a new NAPUS policy went into effect, offering free membership for a year to every Postmaster, OIC and PMR who has yet to join. This is a first! (But it won’t last; the offer ends December 31st.)

Now, the time has finally come for us to put old divisions behind us and get on with accomplishing what a Postmasters’ organization should do for its constituents – leveraging the strength that comes with unity to bring about swift and dramatic improvements to our working lives.

When we all pull together, with no rifts taxing our efforts and weakening our effectiveness, there is no objective we can’t reach. If it’s good for Postmasters and good for the U.S. Postal Service, we will realize it working as one.

In times like these, when demands and pressures unlike most of us have ever seen are increasing in intensity almost on a daily basis; when the ideal of dignified and respectful treatment for Postmasters by their superiors often seems to have been abandoned; when resources – already inadequate in many cases even to accomplish our traditional core mission – are slashed by double-digit percentages, even as plush Area and Headquarters offices retain sufficient funding to continue their relentless badgering of struggling field managers, we Postmasters need each other like never before.

The time has come for us to reach out to our neighbors for the help and understanding we need and to share the knowledge we’ve gained, to show the empathy and compassion we have for each of our counterparts, and to extend the helping hand that is so appreciated whenever it’s offered.

We’ll start simply. Get together with your neighboring Postmasters for supper or lunch next week. It doesn’t matter who belongs to NAPUS and who belongs to the League. Just call up the Postmasters and OICs nearby and set a date. Pick a place and make it happen.

While you’re together, talk about your common concerns, your common frustrations. Talk about the good things, the benefits we’ve all enjoyed working for the greatest delivery outfit in the world. Then, discuss what we can do to ensure that the USPS remains viable well into the future. One conclusion I know you’ll come to is that standing alone, we can do little for each other, but together, strong and united, we can make sure that the voices of Postmasters throughout North Carolina and across the USA are heard like never before. Finally, take a digital picture of your group – even if it’s only a handful of folks – and jot down a paragraph about who was there and what was discussed. Send both to me or Editor Sarah. Let others see what you’re doing to help get us moving in the right direction.

Before you say good-bye, be sure to invite any non-members to join NC NAPUS. The first year, as you know, is free, and don’t we all deserve to see what a truly unified group of Postmasters can accomplish in confronting our biggest challenges?
Drew

Click Here for Important Information about Function 2B and Function 4

Resolution Log (click here)

==============================================