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An Associate Audit

An Associate Audit
By Brian J. Wagner
Past NAPS President

Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to provide in-person and Zoom training on NAPS officer duties and responsibilities at various state conventions or during weekends for specific areas or branches. During these training sessions, we review the NAPS Dues Check-Off (DCO) Report related to membership, both active and associate.

For the record, active NAPS members are EAS employees still working at the Postal Service. Associate members are retired EAS employees who qualified for NAPS membership after their retirement. However, becoming a NAPS associate member is not automatic after retirement. Here’s the scoop!

According to the NAPS Constitution & Bylaws, Article III, Membership:

“(a) Former active members who were active members for at least 90 days prior to the date of their official postal retirement are considered to be in good standing with the association at the time of retirement and may not be denied associate membership. Associate members may affiliate with a local or state branch of their choice.

“(b) Associate members shall be entitled to all the same benefits granted active members.

“(c) Associate members shall pay dues at the national or branch level no less than an amount one-half the national per capita tax, which will include a subscription to The Postal Supervisor.

“(d) Associate members who hold offices at the national level shall pay the full share and same dues and assessments as active members of their branches.”

Pretty simple, right? However, with the 2024 National Convention fast approaching, those who recently retired from the USPS do not automatically become NAPS associate members. These respective retirees must complete a NAPS Form 1187-A to become an associate member if they want to be an eligible delegate to the national convention. It seems strange that you may been an active NAPS member for 30-plus years, but the day you retire from the USPS, you become a non-member and must rejoin NAPS as an associate member.

Here is the kicker. As past NAPS president and secretary/treasurer, I know NAPS Headquarters will be reviewing its current DCO report against the national convention registration to ensure those who are registering as an associate branch delegate are, in fact, associate members. This is a necessary process to ensure a
non-member, recent active member now retired, is not given a delegate credential to vote.

Therefore, it is imperative for a branch to audit their current DCO report to check if an active remember has a DCO status flag of RET (retired). If yes, get them an 1187-A as soon as possible to join NAPS, especially if they are a branch officer and/or a delegate to the 2024 NAPS National Convention.

Please note that associate members pay dues directly to the branch. NAPS Headquarters will deduct an associate member’s respective per capita ($1.75 per postal pay period or $2.75 with the current NAPS assessment) before sending the branch their monthly DCO. Branches need to “collect and protect” membership dues by collecting associate dues directly from their associate members.

Another associate audit to conduct is to verify if any of your associate members have paid their dues to the branch. If not, a branch will need to contact NAPS Headquarters to remove an associate member from their DCO as not to be charged the respective associate per capita for that member each month. This will cost the branch money. Again, “collect and protect” membership dues.

One other final associate audit to conduct is to verify all associate members on your DCO are alive and not deceased. NAPS Headquarters is notified by the USPS via a DCO flag of DEATH when an active NAPS member is deceased.

However, it is a branch’s responsibility, specifically the secretary or treasurer or secretary/treasurer, to contact NAPS Headquarters when an associate member has died so they are removed from the membership rolls. This is necessary to ensure the branch is not charged associate per capita each month for a deceased member. Again, “collect and protect” membership dues.

In addition, if a deceased associate member remains on the DCO, that deceased member is counted into the branch’s national convention voting strength. A NAPS branch could receive additional votes if a deceased associate member is not taken off the membership rolls.

Today’s takeaway: “Collect and protect” membership dues by doing a branch audit of all your members, including reviewing the active members who may be in your branch or should be in another branch due to a USPS Finance number being incorrectly affiliated with your branch.

After doing a full audit of the ice cream in my freezer, I can accurately report the ice-cream-flavor-of-the-month recommendation is Marigold Dreamsicle. Be safe and eat more ice cream!