This episode of From A to Arbitration is a highly critical assessment of the current union leadership, particularly the union president and executive vice president, and their handling of the DRT (Dispute Resolution Team) and other union matters.
Corey begins by announcing upcoming episodes and a special guest. He emphasizes the importance of Publication 552 and the need to hold management accountable, citing examples of past and ongoing issues.
A central theme is Corey’s deep concern about the union’s leadership, suggesting they may be either incompetent or actively working with management. He discusses several instances where union leadership appears to be failing to represent the letter carriers’ interests, especially regarding the DRT. This includes a specific example of a letter from members expressing frustration over a new DRT policy that seems to favor management, potentially to the detriment of the union’s ability to resolve grievances.
Corey argues the union leadership is not upholding their duties, highlighting their inaction on critical issues like non-compliance with contractual agreements and the rampant use of memos (such as those establishing load time limits) to bully and harass letter carriers, especially those in smaller stations who are less aware of their rights. He presents examples and supporting documentation, including case file excerpts, to substantiate his claims.
Corey criticizes the current leadership for what he perceives as inaction, citing their lack of response to member concerns and their failure to protect letter carriers from management’s aggressive tactics and monitoring of their work. He condemns the lack of education and support for the letter carriers, and predicts trouble for the union’s leadership in the upcoming election.
The episode ends with Corey predicting a potential leadership shift in the union and urging members to remain active and informed. He emphasizes the need for members to unite and fight back, highlighting the importance of the upcoming Zoom meeting.