Just the Facts...

Just the Facts…
By Chuck Mulidore
NAPS Executive Vice President

If you are of a certain age, as I am, you might remember the TV show “Dragnet,” where super detective Joe Friday would take on some of the toughest cases in Los Angeles. His favorite tagline was “Just the facts, ma’am” as he sought to clear the clutter from a suspect interview or was taking notes from an upset citizen.

You’re probably thinking, other than, “You’re showing your age, Chuck,” “What does this old TV show have to do with me?” Well, I recently was reminded of that old TV show when another Postal Service management organization sent out a video full of untruths and misrepresentations about NAPS. So, in the spirit of Joe Friday, here are the facts—just the facts.

This very small organization of about 8,000 active members took NAPS to task, claiming we represent supervisors mostly in plants and logistics, which, I assume, is beneath them. They also state in their video that their membership consists primarily of postmasters, which actually is one of the few true claims in the entire presentation.

So, here are some facts. NAPS’ membership is approximately 25,000 EAS employees, representing over 500 positions in postal management ranks. Interestingly, over 4,500 postmasters also are NAPS members, meaning NAPS has nearly as many active postmaster members as that other organization does!

Oh, and we don’t inflate our numbers with craft employees, as does the other organization, which takes these employees’ dues money, even though the organization can’t represent them. Most impressively, over 95% of our members are actively working EAS supervisors, managers, postmasters, SDOs, MDOs, MMOs, plant managers, HR personnel, OPS support and district, area and Headquarters personnel.

We represent all EAS employees, making us the best, largest and most effective management organization representing EAS employees in the Postal Service. NAPS is strong, growing and financially stable.

The U.S. Court of Appeals sided with NAPS in our lawsuit against the Postal Service, affirming NAPS is the only organization that can represent all EAS employees in the Postal Service. Sorry, other organization, that’s just a fact. That organization even sided with the Postal Service against NAPS in our lawsuit.

The victory NAPS achieved as a result of its lawsuit will benefit all EAS employees—including postmasters—because NAPS now represents postmasters in pay and benefit consultations with the USPS. Yes, other organization, that, too, is a fact.

Perhaps the most egregious untruth from the other organization is its discussion of NAPS’ Disciplinary Defense Fund (DDF), which is 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. Really?!

Here’s a fact: NAPS charges you nothing. Now, that other group seems unable to understand how that’s possible and, as a result, comes up with all kinds of fake scenarios about what your costs truly would be as a NAPS member. Remember, now, just the facts.

As NAPS executive vice president, I administer the DDF. No one has paid out of their pocket for their representation—no one. That, too, is just one more fact. You see, at NAPS, we don’t deal in conspiracy theories, we just represent our members.

Of course, our primary focus always has been to educate and train our members how to stay out of trouble. But, if by some chance something adverse should happen to you as an EAS employee, we will be there with world-class representation.

NAPS is well-prepared to meet the challenges of the future and meet them we will! Your resident officers at NAPS Headquarters, your Executive Board members across the country and your local branch leaders are committed to maintaining the standard of effective representation that has been the hallmark of NAPS membership. You see, at NAPS, we deal in facts—just the facts.