NAPS Membership Offers So Much
By Jimmy Salmon
Arizona Jerome V. Blanton Branch 246 Vice President and Postmaster of Clarkdale
Hello, fellow postmasters. It’s my turn to write this month’s column; here we go!
I decided to use this space and opportunity to encourage all postmasters to get involved with NAPS—whether that involvement is at the local, regional or national level.
If you aren’t already involved in your local branch, get involved. Attend a branch meeting or help the executive committee for your branch by running for a position. You also can help your branch by joining/creating a committee that deals with something specific, such as membership or representation.
Once you’ve done that, become active with your branch on a regional level. If there is regional training you can attend or help with, do that. And, after you’ve become actively involved at the local and regional levels, consider helping on the national level, such as with the Legislative Training Seminar or the national convention. Our 2020 national convention will be Aug. 17-21 in Grapevine, TX.
Networking
Some of the best opportunities I’ve been afforded have been to meet so many other USPS employees from all over the country. The ability to network with other NAPS members is one of the best things about membership. It gives you that network/friend to whom you can turn when you have a question about something with which you need help.
You might be a new Level-18 postmaster who never has dealt with contract routes. Maybe you haven’t done a lot with clerk operations in the past. Whatever the case, there is always someone to whom you can turn to ask a question or ask for help.
Information
NAPS Headquarters puts an emphasis on keeping us informed. They have done that by being active on social media and communicating often with members. I received my most recent email from NAPS Headquarters the other day and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of information provided.
One of the new offerings I’ve enjoyed is the NAPS Chat podcast, which is posted almost every week. It’s hosted by NAPS Director of Legislative & Political Affairs Bob Levi.
Guests often are one or more of NAPS’ resident officers or a member of the Executive Board, as well as members of Congress. If you haven’t taken the time to read these emails or listen to the podcasts, do so. I think you will enjoy them and appreciate the information.
Membership
If you are a new postmaster, first, congratulations! But, secondly, I would ask that you stay a member of NAPS and, importantly, become an active, involved member. NAPS is here for us postmasters, as well as supervisors and other EAS employees.
Lawsuit
If you didn’t know it, NAPS has filed a lawsuit against the USPS. The suit deals mostly with getting our pay on a fairer level, commensurate with the work we do. But another aspect of the lawsuit is to allow NAPS the ability to represent postmasters in pay talks. It’s a provision of Title 39 that a postmaster organization—NAPS—can represent us in pay talks. But the USPS doesn’t recognize NAPS as an association that can consult on postmaster pay and benefit issues. NAPS is working to get that corrected and to represent postmasters in every way.
I hope you all have a wonderful and safe fall and holiday season. I also hope you all consider becoming an active—or more active—NAPS member.
Categories: The Postal Supervisor
