Episode 102: Fight for our safety and understand our rights.

This episode of From A to Arbitration is a highly critical discussion of the NALC’s leadership and management tactics, focusing on Corey’s frustration with the union’s handling of recent grievances, particularly those related to heat safety. Corey begins by thanking a guest and previews future episodes focused on specific grievances and tactics for challenging management.

The central theme is a powerful critique of the union’s leadership. Corey argues that the union leadership has failed to adequately represent the interests of letter carriers, particularly in protecting them from potentially dangerous working conditions, such as the heat, and has not aggressively challenged management’s actions. He emphasizes the importance of a proactive, militant approach to grievances. He also criticizes the union’s leadership for not educating members about their rights and responsibilities regarding various grievances (like those concerning time-record manipulation or other forms of work).

Corey dissects several recent arbitration cases and grievance procedures, arguing that the union has allowed management to dictate terms in these situations and has not pursued stronger, more forceful remedies. He accuses the union of abandoning its members and being too focused on maintaining their positions instead of representing the city letter carriers.

A key point is Corey’s analysis of how management’s arguments frequently center on procedural issues (such as timeliness of grievances), thereby enabling management to avoid accountability and effectively silencing carrier concerns. Corey emphasizes the importance of challenging these procedural arguments and holding management accountable for their actions, regardless of whether a member has made a mistake, emphasizing that the union needs to be aggressive in defense of its members and their rights.

The episode concludes with a call to action, urging listeners to prepare for future challenges by studying arbitration precedents and the contract, and to vote for a union leadership that is actively committed to defending the rights and safety of city letter carriers. He underscores the importance of member unity and education in opposing management’s tactics and demands a more assertive role in representing the needs of carriers.