NALC Branch 181 Austin TX

National Association of Letter Carriers

2010 Washington Legislative Trip

TSALC LEGISLATIVE TRIP  

May 10 -12, 20010

Washington,DC                                                                                               (Mon – Wed)

Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill

Room Rate: $199.00 – (202)737-1234 – (800)233-1234

National COLCPE Contest

1,000 to 1,999 members
Austin, TX Br. 181 15.41%
Nashville, TN Br. 4 7.36%
Louisville, KY Br. 14 7.17%
Portland, OR Br. 82 6.16%

1,000 to 1,999 members

Austin, TX Br. 181                              15.41%

Nashville, TN Br. 4                                     7.36%

Louisville, KY Br. 14                                   7.17%

Portland, OR Br. 82                                    6.16%

MA Northeast Merged Br. 25                      5.94%

Branch 181 has won the National COLCPE contest for 2009 in the 1000-2000 member branches.  The details will be announced at a later date concerning the winner of the $1,000 (to be determined by National).

Branch 181 was the only branch in our division to be in double digits (over 15%).  The next branch (Nashville TN) was at a little over 7%.  So speaking honestly, we smoked them.

2010 SPRING SCHOOL TENTATIVE AGENDA - FEBRUARY 13TH - 15TH

 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS, REGION 10

2010 SPRING SCHOOL TENTATIVE AGENDA - FEBRUARY 13TH - 15TH

HOUSTON, TX, DOUBLETREE INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT, $99 - $109 NALC RATE: 281.848.4000

 

 

Saturday, February 13, 2010                                                                  

Pkg Assembly – Arizona Workroom    

Region 10 Staff & Volunteers                             8:00am – done

MDA GOLF TOURNAMENT – TOUR 18, HUMBLE               

ALL GOLFERS*                                                    11:00am - done

Registration -  Doubletree Lobby                                             

All Present                                                        3:00pm -  6:00pm

REGION 10 HOSPITALITYRoom # 717                                ALL                                                                            5:00pm - 10:00pm

 

 

 

Sunday, February 14, 2010                                                          Doubletree IAH                                                           All Day____                                                                             

Ballroom Foyer       Registration                                                 ALL                                                                           

7:00am - 10:15am

Kansas City Room              TSALCA Meeting                                        Auxiliary Members & Others Interested            8:00am -  4:00pm

 

Grand Ballroom…..OPENING SESSION…………………8:00am - 9:45am

NBA KATHY BALDWIN and RAAs KEN CLAXTON and JAVIER BERNAL: Welcome and Introductions

NALC RESIDENT OFFICER

 

BREAK…………………ALL………………………….……9:45am - 10:00am

.

Ballroom.Opening Session, continued/Presentations..…………10:00am - 12:15pm

 

LUNCH…………ALL………………………………………12:15pm -  1:30pm

CLASSES…………………………………………………   1:30 pm -  3:00pm

Dallas/Houston       

New Steward Training - Dispute Resolution Process and Stewards’ Rights and Responsibilities

Monterey                  

Branch Officer Training – DOL (LM) and IRS Reports and Recordkeeping

Seattle                       

Just Cause/Discipline – Unauthorized Overtime, Expansion of Street Time, FFI, Not Making (DOIS) Standards

Arizona                     

OWCP Claims Filing and Processing

BREAK…………………ALL………………………….…..3:00pm -  3:15pm

CLASSES…………………………………………………   3:15pm -  4:45pm

Dallas/Houston       

Overtime Bypass/Mandatory Overtime due to Operational Windows and Simultaneous Scheduling

Monterey                  

NRP (National Reassessment Process) – Withdrawal of Limited Duty – Part One

Seattle                       

Maximizing Full-Time City Carrier Jobs in a Withholding Environment

Arizona                     

Pending Legislation Active and Retired Letter Carriers Need to Know About

 

 

Kansas City. . . . . ..LBA/DRT/INSTRUCTOR MEETING

ALL Instructors, DRTs and LBAs ……………..5:00pm – 5:20pm

REGION 10 HOSPITALITY – Room  717                                  ALL                                  

5:00pm - 6:00pm and 9:00 pm - 10:00pm

 

Ballroom                  

Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament MDA fundraiser sponsored by Branch 283**                  6:00pm –  9:00 pm

 

 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS, REGION 10

 

2010 SPRING SCHOOL AGENDA - FEBRUARY 13TH - 15TH

HOUSTON, TX, DOUBLETREE INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT, 15747 JFK, $99 - $109 NALC RATE: 281.848.4000

 

Monday, February 15, 2010

 

CLASSES………………………...................................8:00am -  9:30am

Dallas/Houston       

NRP (National Reassessment Process) - Withdrawal of Limited Duty - Part Two

Monterey                  

Steward Training (Building the File) – Writing to Inform, Persuade, and Move to Action

Seattle                       

Maximizing Full-Time City Carrier Jobs in a Withholding Environment [repeat]

Arizona                     

How to Run a Meeting/By-Laws

 

 

BREAK……………ALL……………………………………  9:30am -  9:45am

 

 

CLASSES……………………………………………………9:45am - 11:00am

Dallas/Houston       

Just Cause/Discipline – UA OT, Expansion of Street Time, FFI, Not Making (DOIS) Standards [repeat]

Monterey                  

New Steward Training – Dispute Resolution Process and Stewards’ Rights and Responsibilities [repeat]

Seattle                       

Union Activists - Ideas for Organizing, Fundraising, Recruiting Activists, Committees, Training, etc.

Arizona                     

Overtime Bypass/Mandatory Overtime due to Operational Windows and Simultaneous Scheduling [repeat]

 

BREAK…………………………ALL………………………11:00am - 11:15am

 

 

 

Ballroom                                                           

RAFFLE DRAWINGS & RAP SESSION                   11:15am - about 1pm

 

 *Contact Ken Claxton, RAA, at 281-540-5627 or kclaxton@nalc.org for golf tourney info

 

 **Contact Ricky Dueboay (“Doo-boy”), VP, Branch 283 at 713-641-2366 or rickydueboay@nalc283.org for Texas Hold ‘Em tourney info 

 

               2009 Gold Card Members Branch 181

National officer Brian Hellman, Dir. of Safety and Health, assisted by Region 10 RAA Ken Claxton, recently honored Austin, TX. Br. 181 retirees with their 50 & 60 year Gold Card membership, along with other honorees,  

Seated L to R: William "Duck" Johnson [60 years], Everett Preslar [50 years],
Chester Spaw [72 years], Ralph Wassinger [50 years], Ken Claxton, Region 10 RAA. Standing L to R: William"Bull" Ganem [60 years], Ken Graves [51 years], Frank Richter [51 years], Brian Hellman, Dir.Safety & Health and Les Doss,Br. 181 Dir. of Retired members

Branch 181 leads in our division of the "Give Me 5" National Contest at 14%

Five lucky donors to COLCPE will win $1,000 each in a new “Gimme 5” competition announced by NALC President William H. Young. There’s a new twist to this year’s contest—the race to qualify is among NALC branches, grouped by size, with members of five winning locals automatically entered in the contest drawing.

How the contest works
For the 2009 COLCPE campaign, the union locals will be divided into five categories:

  • Branches with 2,000 or more members
  • 1,000 to 1,999 members
  • 500 to 999 members
  • 100 to 499 members, and
  • 50 to 99 members.

Between now and the end of the year, branches will strive to sign up as many active and retired members as possible as automatic Gimme 5-level COLCPE donors. The five branches with the highest percentage of members who are Gimme 5 contributors in their size category as of December 31 will be the winners. 

 Here are the December 2009 ranking odf the 1000-1999 division of the National "Give me 5" contest.

1. BRANCH 181 AUSTIN TX 12.71% (October)  13.8% (November) 14 % (December)

2. BRANCH 4 NASHVILLE TN 7.13% 7.2% 7.37 %

3. BRANCH 14 LOUISVILLE KY 6.73% 6.81%   6.7 %

4. BRANCH 82 PORTLAND OR 5.51% 5.81%   6.06 %

5. BRANCH 25   TEWKSBURY MA 5.73% 5.86%  5.9%

There are 34 other branches in the division, ranging from 5.6 to 1.1 percent donations. 

In Austin, Texas, COLCPE Coordinator
Les Doss relies on persistence—he
never passes up a chance to promote the
PAC at functions of his 1,000-plus member
Branch 181.
“At every branch meeting, every
retirees’ meeting and any other occasion
I get a chance, I talk about COLCPE,”
said Doss, who is retired. “The message
is simple. The reason that every member
should contribute is the power it gives
to our legislative personnel in Washington
to protect their jobs and their
retirement benefits.”
“Some carriers apparently believe
that they will always have a job with
the USPS and actually feel immune to
any downsizing,” Doss said. “They’re
wrong, but I don’t give up on them.
We need every carrier on board to

 

In Austin, Texas, COLCPE Coordinator
Les Doss relies on persistence—he
never passes up a chance to promote the
PAC at functions of his 1,000-plus member
Branch 181.

 

 

Les Doss relies on persistence—he
never passes up a chance to promote the
PAC at functions of his 1,000-plus member
Branch 1
Les Doss relies on persistence—he
never passes up a chance to promote the
PAC at functions of his 1,000-plus member
Branch 181.
never passes up a chance to promote the
PAC at functions of his 1,000-plus member
Branch 181.

BRANCH 181 MEMBERS AT SECRETARY/TREASURER TRAINING IN CHICAGO

                                           

 Karrie Blough - Secretary, William (Bill) Moody - Treasurer, and newly appointed TSALC Treasurer Bennie Lloyd in the "Windy City" Chicago for the NALC training seminar for Secretary/Treasurer.

 

 

 

 

HR 22 PASSES SENATE - October 10

 

 TSALC President Micky Morris called from D. C. - he is there for National Legislative training.  It seems there was a tomorrow morning deadline on Postal payment HR 22 was designed to relieve the Postal Service of.  Our friends in the Senate slipped it in for a vote without the amendments the NALC was against and it passed tonight.
 
I tried to get more details on the internet, but I am sure there will be news tomorrow.
 
Congratulations to all of you who have worked on this project - this is a huge amount of money our company can use for other projects that will hopefully make a difference in our lives at work.  The rumors of the Post Office not making payroll should stop, anyway.  And, hopefully all the talk of 5 day delivery will fade into a bad memory.
 
Thank all the people you know for giving to COLCPE - the influence of those well placed dollars enables our Union to exert the influence it took to get this deal done

 

Fredric V. Rolando
National President 

AtAt a time of national economic crisis, rumors and misinformation can often take on lives
of their own.
NALC has received reports from North Carolina, New Jersey and other states that postal
managers have been telling letter carriers and other postal employees that the Postal
Service has decided to drop one day of delivery each week to cut costs. Worse, some
have suggested NALC has agreed to this change. Nothing could be further from the
truth.
The Postal Service has proposed a shift to five-day delivery, but Congress absolutely has
not agreed to this change — and the NALC absolutely has not agreed to it.
The National Association of Letter Carriers strongly opposes the end of six-day delivery.
Indeed, I recently testified before Congress on the financial crisis facing the USPS and
urged the Congress to reject the Postmaster General’s proposal to repeal the law that
mandates universal six-day delivery. I said at the time, “Business is conducted six days a
week in America and America wants and needs six-day delivery — cutting service is the
worst thing we could do at this time.”
There is no doubt that the Postal Service faces the most difficult economic environment
since the Great Depression.
NALC is working around the clock to win significant financial relief for the Postal Service
in Washington though its campaign for H.R. 22, legislation that will save the Postal
Service an average of $3.5 billion per year over the next several years. We are working
with leaders in Congress and with the Obama administration to overcome budget rules
to pass this legislation. Thanks to the activism of countless thousands of e-Activists
and grassroots lobbyists, we have more than 315 co-sponsors of H.R. 22 in the House of
Representatives.
Carriers should consult with the NALC’s website (www.nalc.org) and its official publications
for information on the union’s positions on important legislative and collective bargaining
matters. NALC is doing all it can to protect city carrier jobs and the long-term

 

 
 NALC Executive vice President, Fred Rolando

Fred Rolando was sworn in as the 18th President of the National Association of Letter Carriers in July 2009, following the retirement of William H. Young.

A member of Sarasota, Florida Branch 2148, Rolando began his letter carrier career in 1978 in South Miami, Florida, as a member of Branch 1071. He served as a steward from 1979 to 1984, when he moved to Sarasota and soon became chief steward there.

“I got active in the union because of the antagonistic way management treated letter carriers,” Rolando explained.

In 1988, he was elected Branch 2148 president, holding that post until 1999. From 1992 to 1999, he also served as a part-time Regional Administrative Assistant for NALC Region 9 and was director of education for the Florida State Association from 1993 to 1999. He was named a full-time RAA for the Atlanta Region in 1999.

Rolando was first elected to national office by acclamation at the 2002 Philadelphia Convention as Director of City Delivery, having been appointed to that post in February 2002 by President Vincent R. Sombrotto to fill a vacancy.

During his service in the City Delivery post, Rolando had the opportunity “to become familiar with many of the specific issues that affect letter carriers, both common and unique to different areas of the country,” he said. He took a leading role in preparing the union for “future city delivery issues, which will likely include transitions necessitated by changes in the Postal Service itself.”

Rolando’s election as NALC executive vice president by acclamation at the 2006 Las Vegas Convention was another affirmation by his fellow letter carriers of their confidence in his abilities as a leader on the Executive Council.

More recently, Rolando focused on working with the U.S. Postal Service to restructure delivery routes of mail carriers in a manner that protected their contractual rights as employees while allowing the Postal Service to have flexibility to meet the financial challenges posed by changing communications technology and the economic crisis.

Rolando has a B.S. degree in criminology and psychology from Florida International University. He and his wife, Jolene, reside in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and have four children: two daughters and two sons.

 

of their own.
NALC has received reports from North Carolina, New Jersey and other states that postal
managers have been telling letter carriers and other postal employees that the Postal
Service has decided to drop one day of delivery each week to cut costs. Worse, some
have suggested NALC has agreed to this change. Nothing could be further from the
truth.
The Postal Service has proposed a shift to five-day delivery, but Congress absolutely has
not agreed to this change — and the NALC absolutely has not agreed to it.
The National Association of Letter Carriers strongly opposes the end of six-day delivery.
Indeed, I recently testified before Congress on the financial crisis facing the USPS and
urged the Congress to reject the Postmaster General’s proposal to repeal the law that
mandates universal six-day delivery. I said at the time, “Business is conducted six days a
week in America and America wants and needs six-day delivery — cutting service is the
worst thing we could do at this time.”
There is no doubt that the Postal Service faces the most difficult economic environment
since the Great Depression.
NALC is working around the clock to win significant financial relief for the Postal Service
in Washington though its campaign for H.R. 22, legislation that will save the Postal
Service an average of $3.5 billion per year over the next several years. We are working
with leaders in Congress and with the Obama administration to overcome budget rules
to pass this legislation. Thanks to the activism of countless thousands of e-Activists
and grassroots lobbyists, we have more than 315 co-sponsors of H.R. 22 in the House of
Representatives.
Carriers should consult with the NALC’s website (www.nalc.org) and its official publications
for information on the union’s positions on important legislative and collective bargaining
matters. NALC is doing all it can to protect city carrier jobs and the long-term
viability of the Postal Service.

 

 

Letter Carrier Shot

 

Mail carrier Daniel Kondas fatally shot while delivering mail in Maple Heights; suspect arrested

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Daniel Kondas delivered mail for 23 years and rarely missed a day of work. He loved to bowl and take care of a 1950s car, friends and neighbors said.

 

The 53-year-old kept to himself. He spent the bulk of his mail career serving customers in Maple Heights and Garfield Heights.

 

Kondas died Thursday night, about 13 hours after he was shot in the head while delivering mail on Corridon Avenue in Maple Heights.

 

 

"It appears it was an attempted robbery," Maple Heights police Lt. Tim Love said. "He was a random victim."

 

Police arrested Randie Winston on Thursday and questioned him about the killing. He was being held on suspicion of aggravated murder and will be charged early next week in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, the prosecutor's office said.

 

Valerie Parker worked for years with Kondas in Maple Heights.

 

She and other co-workers organized a candlelight vigil Friday night.

 

"He's just a wonderful person," she said, fighting back tears. "I don't know how to explain this."

 

Customers on Kondas' route described him as friendly and always on time. They said he always said hello and moved briskly as he delivered mail. Members of Kondas' bowling team dropped off flowers and a bowling ball on his porch early Friday afternoon.

 

A man stood in front of Kondas' home and wondered why anyone would kill his neighbor. He said Kondas kept a nice yard and grew up in the home he shared with his mother."He kept an immaculate lawn," the neighbor said. "You could eat off his driveway in the winter because it was so clean. He was a great guy."

The shooting occurred about 9:45 a.m. Thursday, and a man was seen running from the scene, police said.

The investigation led them to a home on Reddington Avenue, one street south of the shooting, where police arrested Winston.

 

Love, the Maple Heights police lieutenant, said that officers recovered several pieces of evidence and that Winston gave a statement to detectives about the shooting. Love would not say whether Kondas tried to fight off Winston but said both men struggled during the altercation and that the gun fired.

He declined to say whether Winston admitted to the killing.

"He acted alone," Love said.

Winston moved from Cleveland to Maple Heights about six months ago and does not have an adult criminal record, Love added.

About 1,700 letter carriers serve Cleveland and the inner-ring suburbs, said Victor Dubina, spokesman for the Postal Service in Cleveland. No statistics are kept on how often letter carriers are robbed or assaulted. Postal vehicles are often targeted by robbers but not the letter carriers, he said.

"It's a rare event," Dubina said.

Drew VonBergen, spokesman for the National Association of Letter Carriers in Washington, D.C., said letter carriers work in the worst parts of every city in the country.

Mail carrier Daniel Kondas fatally shot while delivering mail in Maple Heights; suspect arrested - Page 3

"It's a danger that a lot of people don't realize," he said. "It exposes them to a lot of potential situations."

 

Dennis Perk, head of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 40 and a 41-year postal employee, could not recall another Cleveland letter carrier being killed on the job.

 

Letter carriers are aware of the dangers in some neighborhoods, but they all are committed to their jobs, he said.

 

“You don't ever suspect you won't make it home from work," Perk said. "This is a tragic thing."

 

Perk worked alongside Kondas in the Maple Heights facility and called him a stellar employee.

 

"He did his job," Perk said. "He didn't bother anybody. Management loved him. We lost a nice person."

 

Why YOU should contribute to COLCPE

 

NALC-Backed Legislation to Improve FERS, TSP Benefits Passed by House
 

The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation (H.R. 1804) on April 1 that addressed two long-standing disparities in treatment between workers in the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS) and those in the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The bill provides service credit to employees covered by FERS for unused sick leave when determining their retirement benefits – as under CSRS. It also gives FERS employees who leave federal service and withdraw their retirement contributions the same right CSRS employees have to “buy-back” their service credit by re-depositing their contributions when they return to federal service. Both changes are strongly supported by NALC.

H.R. 1804 also includes a number of measures affecting the Thrift Savings Plan that are backed by NALC. Among these is a provision that makes enrollment of new employees in the TSP automatic with immediate matching contributions. Under this provision, agencies will automatically deduct 2 – 5 percent of pay from new workers paychecks and direct the funds into the TSP’s G Fund unless otherwise directed by the employees. This provision will ensure that no new employee misses out on the benefits of tax savings and matching contributions offered by the TSP – while retaining the worker’s right to opt out of the program and/or to invest their savings in any of the TSP investment funds. The current op-in enrollment would be replaced by an opt-out system, and the specific amount of the initial automatic contribution would be set by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.

The new legislation also gives the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, the agency that runs the TSP, guidance on two new TSP options:

  • One mandates the creation of a Roth option for TSP contributions – allowing federal workers to make post-tax contributions to the TSP instead of pre-tax contributions, which may make sense in some circumstances (though probably not for most letter carriers).
  • The other provides the Board the authority to create a “mutual fund window,” if it determines that it’s in the best interests of the TSP’s participants to do so. If created, the option would give TSP participants the chance to invest in a wide range of mutual funds while bearing all the costs of doing so. Specific rules and regulations governing this “window” would be set by the Thrift Board -- after consultations with the Employee Thrift Advisory Council, on which the NALC sits.

H.R. 1804 may be rolled into other legislation before it advances. The Senate is expected to take up consideration of legislation similar to H.R. 1804 in the near future. NALC will monitor its progress. 

 

                         About this site

 

This site is NOT the official website of

Branch 181, Austin Texas, 

National Association of Letter Carriers. 

 It, however, was created to be of

assistance to any NALC member

and for information purposes.

 

This site is a work in progress. 

We hope all members of Branch 181

will contribute and enjoy the site.

BRANCH MEMBERS IN WASHINGTON

Bob Bishop, Ken Claxton, Frank Arldt, Congressman Lloyd Doggett,

Bennie Lloyd, Les Doss, Emre Edwards, Judy Arldt

Bob Bishop and Jane E. Broendel, Secretary-Treasurer 

Emre Ewards and George C. Mignosi, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer 

 

Bennie Lloyd with one of the Legislative Aides




FROM THE PRESIDENT TSALC

 

Letter Carriers Successful

 

                As I have stated before, politics is a marathon; and only the strong survive.  Well, once again your representatives have shown their strength. 

                Texas State Association Officers, Congressional District Liaisons, Branch Officers, and Activist Members made a trip to Washington to lobby for you on The Hill.  We were there to continue growing our relationships with our Congressional Representatives, and to ask for their help in passing HR 22, a bill to provide some relief for our employer funding of retiree health benefits.  Our delegation joined representatives from seventeen other state associations, blanketing Capitol Hill.  It was the first time Texas had joined with these other states in our legislative/political efforts in DC, and the results speak for themselves. 

                A short history:  the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 provided, in part, that the Postal Service would fully fund retiree health benefits over a ten year period, from 2006 to 2016.  Although a substantial financial burden, the Postal Service felt this could be accomplished; based on the then current and projected business structure.  No one counted on, nor could they, the deep recession sweeping the country and the world.  The resultant economy has caused significant reductions in mail volume, while consistent growth in service needs has consequently placed the Postal Service in a tenuous financial condition.  Despite the current conditions, the Postal Service is required by law to make a payment into the retiree health benefits fund at a tune of 5.2 billion dollars at the end of September. 

                HR 22, entered by Congressman John McHugh, would allow the Postal Service to spread the payments over a longer period of time, up to about forty years.  It would also allow the Postal Service to draw on some of the current fund to help alleviate financial stress.  The Postal Service is NOT trying to get out of funding its retiree’s health benefits, like so many large companies have done, just trying to ease the yearly burden.  Otherwise, the NALC would NOT support this bill. 

                A quick factor of how much the hit on the Postal Service would be:  5.2 billion dollars, divided by sixty thousand (roughly what a letter carrier makes, including benefits) comes out to about 86,666.  I’m not saying that many letter carriers would lose their jobs if HR 22 is not passed, but the money has to come from somewhere. 

                But back to the main theme; your representatives worked hard while in DC.  For those who have never been on The Hill, your activists spend hours hearing about the issues, studying their presentations, and making arguments to your Congressional Representatives on your behalf.  This is the tip of the iceberg though.  State Officers, CDL’s, and activists spend many hours of time developing relationships with their representatives back home; the lobbying trip to DC is one of the significant steps in the process.    

                When a bill is submitted for consideration the presenter of the bill needs co-signers; without them, the bill goes nowhere.  The first co-signer from Texas was Rep. Chet Edwards of the 17th District, and he was the only one from Texas when we got to Washington.  Today, there are twelve co-signers, a significant number for this stage of the game and a testament to hard work and persuasive presentations by your activists.  The TSALC sponsored a reception for the Texas Congressional Delegation one of the evenings while in Washington.  It is encouraging to have our representatives attend, meet our members from around the state, and urge each of us to continue the fight.        

                By no means though, is this the end of the game.  Remember the marathon.  We need to make calls to our representatives, urging those not having co-signed to do so, and thanking those who have.  Review the list below; if your representative is not on this list, work to get them on, if they are, thank them. 

 


                I personally want to thank each of you for your continued support for our legislative efforts.  Please join us in the fight.  Contact your representatives, become a NALC activist, join COLCPE.  The job you save is your own. 

 

 

Co-signers for HR 22:

 

Rep. Michael Burgess – Dist 26- R

Rep. Lloyd Doggett – Dist 25 – D

Rep. Charles Gonzalez – Dist 20 – D

Rep. Gene Green – Dist 29 – D

Rep. Ruben Hinojosa – Dist 15 – D

 

 

 

              










 

 

                                            Meals on Wheels

Eddie Curiel is looking for carriers that would like to join the MEALS ON WHEELS team at Balcones station. We deliver meals twice a week Tues and Thurs, and we now have 14 employees on the team. If you have been thinking of volunteering for MOW let him know, it only takes bout an hour and you probably only will be asked to help out once every 6 weeks.  512-585-9144

                The Meals On Wheels Association of America

The Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) is the oldest and largest organization in the United States representing those who provide meal services to people in need.  MOWAA works toward the social, physical, nutritional, and economic betterment of vulnerable Americans. The Meals On Wheels Association of America provides the tools and information its programs need to make a difference in the lives of others.

MOWAA is a member organization, and its membership comprises of Senior Nutrition Programs in the United States.  MOWAA member programs throughout the country provide nutritious meals and other nutrition services to men and women who are elderly, homebound, disabled, frail, or at risk. These services significantly improve the quality of life and health of the individuals they serve and postpone early institutionalization.

As a national organization, MOWAA focuses on those issues that can best assist its member programs in achieving their individual missions of providing quality meals and nutrition services to as many vulnerable people as possible in the most efficient and effective manner, all  "so no senior goes hungry”®.

 

 

 

From Brad Ramey TSALC Vice President

 

Ponderings 

I wonder…

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

Why does pizza come in a square box?

How is it that we put a man on the moon before we figured out that it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

If a deaf person goes to court, is it still called a hearing?

Why are you IN a movie, but ON television?

Why is “bra” singular yet “panties” plural?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, then why is there a song about it?

If corn oil comes from corn and vegetable oil comes from vegetables, what does baby oil come from?

If electricity comes from electrons, does that mean morality comes from morons?

These are all important questions that need to be answered, but I have one that is legitimately more important…

WHY DO WE HAVE ONLY ONE COSPONSOR FROM TEXAS FOR HR22? (Chet Edwards – TX 17th House District)

 

Folks, your State Association and your employer have a common goal, but we NEED your help. 

 

HR22 is a resolution introduced on January 6, 2009, sponsored by Representative John McHugh (NY) to amend Chapter 89, Chapter 5 of the United States Code affecting the United States Postal Service’s contributions for annuitants’ health benefits out of the Postal Service’s retiree health benefits fund.

 

That may sound confusing, but simply put the resolution would shift the burden of making these payments from out employer to the Federal government, where it should be.  No other Federal Agency has to make these payments – just the United States Postal Service.  We are not asking for a bail out like the banks and auto makers, but if we do not get this resolution passed, the Postal Service may have to.

 

If we do not work with the Postal Service to accomplish this Code change, you, your job, and your family could be affected.  Retiree’s benefits could be adversely affected, the percent you pay for health benefits in the future could be affected, and the amount of money you bring home each payday could be affected.

 

As President Young said at the NBA training school in Houston last week, it may not be too long before Senators call the Presidents from the Postal Unions to Capitol Hill in order to have them agree to give backs just as they did with the auto makers and their Unions.

 

With the decline in mail volume continuing to set unprecedented records and our declining revenue generation combined with increasing costs, the USPS has to get some relief.

 

Please do yourself a favor and stop burying your head in the sand – it is time for YOU to take action that will help both you and your employer.

 

1)   Find out who your Congressman is.

2)   Get a mailing address and phone number so that you can contact your Congressman.

3)   Contact your Congressman and ask that they sign on as a cosponsor for HR22.  Then follow up to ensure that they actually sign on.

 

Your TSALC legislative representatives will be traveling to Washington early in March and will visit every one of our Congressmen from Texas encouraging them to sign on to HR22, but your calls, e-mails, and letters will go a long way in breaking the ice for our team.

 

Please commit to taking the 3 simple steps above today – don’t put it off! 

 

You can check to see if your Congressman has signed up as a cosponsor by logging on to “Thomas”.  Thomas is a website set up by the Library of Congress in honor of Thomas Jefferson.  Check it out!

 

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