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Can You Handle the Truth?

Can You Handle the Truth?
By Chuck Mulidore
NAPS Executive Vice President

If you have watched the outstanding movie, “A Few Good Men,” the climactic scene involves a confrontation between the characters portrayed by Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. As the confrontation escalates, Colonel Jessup (Nicholson) utters the memorable line, “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!”

So now, you’re probably wondering, other than revealing some of my movie favorites, what does this have to do with you? Well, recently, a candidate for president of an organization that represents about 20% of the EAS employees who work in the Postal Service wrote a column about me, attacking a comparison of the two organizations I made in the March Postal Supervisor.

I suppose attacking NAPS leaders is good politics in that organization when running for president, but it reminded me of that famous line in the movie. So, after cutting through the untruths and misrepresentations of their presidential candidate, I have updated Colonel Jessup’s memorable line to “Can you handle the truth?”

NAPS membership in March 2024 was 27,726 EAS employees (including over 5,500 Postmasters), over 10,000 members greater than that other organization! Plus, here’s the best part: NAPS not only represents active postmasters based on the U.S. Court of Appeals ruling in NAPS’ lawsuit against the Postal Service, NAPS represents all 47,000 EAS employees who work in over 500 managerial positions in the Postal Service.

Oh, and we don’t inflate our numbers with craft employees who give their money to that other organization but cannot be represented by them. That is called the truth; no amount of deflection or distraction can change that. If you doubt me, read the text of the court’s decision on the NAPS website; the truth is out there!

Most impressively, over 95% of our members are actively working EAS employees; that other organization’s membership is 50% retirees. However, NAPS values the hard work, input and experience our retirees provide. Caring, knowledge and understanding are not limited to active EAS employees in effectively representing our members!

Perhaps the most egregious untruth from that other organization’s candidate is his discussion of the NAPS DDF—Disciplinary Defense Fund—that is included as a benefit of membership in NAPS, but not in that other group. Imagine being an EAS employee facing an adverse action and a rep from that organization told you to pay $3,000 toward your own defense, assuming the organization even accepts your case. Really?

Well, here is more truth: As a NAPS member, you would pay nothing. That other group does not seem to understand how that is possible and they come up with all kinds of fake scenarios about what your cost really would be as a NAPS member. They claim cases they accept cost upward of $60,000 to $80,000. Really?

Wow, perhaps if that money wasn’t spent on a law firm with exclusive rights over adverse action representation the cost would be much lower. Just sayin’! Remember now, nothing but the truth here.

As the NAPS executive vice president, I administer the DDF. No member has paid out of pocket for their representation—not one! Plus, we take all cases. We don’t screen cases, looking only for the winners; we take them all. In FY24, so far, NAPS has achieved a win or settlement in over 90% of cases.

The NAPS DDF is made up of attorneys, former MSPB judges and former Postal Service Labor managers—all of whom know the Postal Service processes better than a pricey law firm. That is why the NAPS DDF is the best in the business!

Finally, in perhaps the lowest level they have reached so far, that group’s current president chose to attack a member of the NAPS Headquarters staff who formerly worked there in a column in their magazine. Sad. It is not our fault that organization no longer could afford to keep said staff member who now works for me at NAPS Headquarters as our highly effective legislative and political director. I mean really, how low can you go?

Come on now, get it together over there. You see, at NAPS, we do not deal in conspiracy theories or fake news; we simply represent our members, and we do it well. We tell the truth and nothing but the truth.

So, to that other organization’s leadership: Can you handle the truth?