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On today's episode of the Postal Blue Podcast, episode #12 which is entitled My Beef With The NALC. Today we speak about how the NALC, in my opinion, defend us to their fullest capabilities. There have been many occasions that the union has dropped the ball and continues to do so to this day. Let's go into more detail listening to the show. Appreciate everyone for listening.

#apwu #nalc #postoffice #postalblue

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Transcript

Introduction to Postal Blue Podcast

00:00:09
lastyles
What's going on, everyone? This is your boy L.A. Styles, AKA the L.A. Styles, the one and only. On another episode of the Postal Blue podcast. Yeah.
00:00:25
lastyles
Matter of fact, hold on. My my check, my check, my check. That seemed low. My check, my check, my check, my check, my check. We're going to leave it there.
00:00:41
lastyles
Y'all might hear the click and y'all might not, but we're going to leave it there. It still seems too loud though. We'll go down one, leave it there. She'll auto balance anyway. I hope we'll find out. But, uh, what's going on y'all? Welcome to another episode of the postal blue podcast, the mid, mid week episode.

Solo Discussion on NALC Issues

00:01:06
lastyles
Right again remember I did say that these will start toning down right as the further we go we really using a lot of the midweek episodes which we used to call the point fives to get more information out faster right. So nothing's changed same old same old right. So. Today say the episode is because we'll get right into it is why a lot of times.
00:01:36
lastyles
I don't want to bring the team into situations that might seem like we all kind of feel, even though we might all kind of feel that way, if that makes sense. And I just want to say it. So if any shots be thrown, they can they can come towards me. I'm i'm used to fighting those, right? This is one of those episodes, right? So I definitely want to get this out the way while I'm by myself, right? Just the case any shots are thrown from either side, management union, whatever the case is.
00:02:10
lastyles
Right. This episode is titled my problem with the N A L C. Okay. the My problem with the N A L C is not everybody's problem with the N A L C.
00:02:26
lastyles
Right. Everyone has their own fights. everyone might feel like they're getting slighted. A lot of people might feel like they're not getting slighted. Some people might begin proper representation, but then there's a lot of people that has to be a lot of people that's not getting proper representation or clear representation or full representation. I think that that would be my problem. I guess.
00:02:49
lastyles
This is my opinion and my point of view, right? to cut right into it and then we'll, we'll speak about is I don't feel like the union fights hard enough, right? I feel like that at this point the union has one gear, right? And that's the first level of,
00:03:14
lastyles
what used to be the first level or the first initiative of the fight, which was we'll follow agreements, right? That's what I used to hear a lot when I first came in five and a half years ago. Hey, we know what they telling you to do not right.

Concerns About Union Representation

00:03:32
lastyles
and They're not telling you to necessarily do something unsafe or illegal, right? They're telling you to do something though that they shouldn't be telling you to do because it's violating the contract. But although they're violating the contract,
00:03:43
lastyles
do it anyway. And then follow agreements, right? That got so, so popular to say, right? And the post office that management started a saying, Hey, and then me personally, I run into the situation before I'm speaking for my, again, my opinion and my personal experience is a combination of everything that I say,
00:04:09
lastyles
My opinion and my, my, personal experience. This is why I feel the way I feel. I'm not just saying things just to be saying it. I'm never the one to jump to conclusions, uh, without having some type of information to back it up first. Right. I even called the union starting off back when I was CCA and asked questions. Right. Once I, once I saw a couple of things like that, that shouldn't be right. No, that shouldn't be right. And then come to find it was right. Right.
00:04:38
lastyles
Now this is me knowing that we have a union, but not thinking about the union, but in the grand scheme of things, right? So I started calling the union store to learn things. Hey, what's going on with this? Hey, what's up with this? What about this? What about this? Well, what about that? What about this? And this is how I started finding out information, right?

Podcast and YouTube Channel Setup

00:04:57
lastyles
The game. Okay. They can do this. I'm in the wrong lane, right? And that's, that's really what I wanted to see. Am I wrong? Well, are they wrong? Right?
00:05:08
lastyles
So, and you don't know that until you start asking questions or start reading, most likely you're going to have to start asking questions first to find out what you need to start reading. All right. Or where you need to start reading it. What exactly? You know what I'm saying? So when it would be certain things, I used to ask, Hey, where can I find this in the contract? Where can I find that in the contract?
00:05:28
lastyles
Is that, is that in the MOU? Where's that in the M? Where's that in the, where's that in any type of black and white that I can find it so I can see it and read the verbiage myself. Cause typically people are going to,
00:05:42
lastyles
paraphrase things for you. You know what I'm saying? you ask them something, a and it's something that's a paragraph, really, they're going to just paraphrase it typically, right? It's not going to be verbatim. So, hey, where can I find that? And that's what y'all should be doing out there who don't know. Where can I find that? You know what I'm saying? Sometimes they'll screenshot it for you and they'll text it to you, something like that. Or they'll tell you if they know what article it goes under or whatever the case is, so you can go find that.
00:06:09
lastyles
But that's needless to say, that's how I started learning information. Right. Now, again, I'm looking at the the this gets out the way I am looking at the the computer. Right.
00:06:20
lastyles
I'm in my laptop setup in the corner. Y'all know typically I'm over there and y'all can see the whole, the backdrop, right? But I'm in the midst of setting up some other things. So it can be three people in here. So this setup is different than the mic two setup. And that's gonna be different from the two person podcast. So as ah ah the main camera we used to use, we still use, but that's back there. That'd be the full shot for when the two people a podcast or recording. and And then there's a third set up right here as well. So, so it's a work in progress. Now the things you see with my camera, this is a camera that I'm testing out that you can use on desktop or PC. Now when it comes to equipment, I might do review on my, on my, uh, my own YouTube channel.

Union's Inaction Against Management

00:07:10
lastyles
Right. The LA styles. Y'all make sure to go subscribe to the LA styles. I know what I'm doing today. I used to stream video games and things like that on ah the LA styles on YouTube. All right. But I haven't been doing that in a long time because of work and just switching up some things and things like that. I still play my games, though. That's my that's my piece. Right. So did this camera, you will see it zoom in and out as I go back and forth.
00:07:47
lastyles
See, and it does that automatically and it's very, very, very inexpensive. Supposed to be a 1080p camera, right? a It's AI system, of course, that's the doing all that. So you see it moving, it's doing that on its own. You could turn that on or off, but... Depending on how we how it shows after this, you know what I'm saying? I might let you guys know in a, well, probably not in a podcast video, but that's what LA style channel might come in at, things of that are nature. You'll see I'm using my my F. Deuce podcast mic, right? But I digress.
00:08:23
lastyles
yeah So my my problem with with with the union, right, is stemming from me getting more knowledge over over time, right. And then digging back into the OSHA guidelines and the and the federal guidelines, me feeling like the union don't fight enough. Now, side note, fight before I lose train of thought,
00:08:47
lastyles
You see me looking here because again, my audio levels is down here. Right. And I'm not used to the camera being right on top of the laptop yet. Right. This is me looking at the camera on the laptop. This is me looking right under at the ah ah at the screen. Right. You see me doing that. You got to pardon me. Right. I'm trying to make sure the levels and and things are a level. I'm not too high. I'm not clipping and things of that nature. The music is not way too loud. So.
00:09:14
lastyles
It's just really going to be a test episode kind of sort of, right? But I don't feel like they fight hard enough. And I feel like they also know that they don't fight hard enough, right? There's a lot of things that we could be doing and could be using in the contract and then make them meet us in the office, right? And then just keep killing them in the office. But instead of pulling them in the office, we keep waiting till they pull us in the office.
00:09:41
lastyles
or even just have a plan for when they pull us in the office. Forget just the basic regular representation, representing, uh, of the carrier or a clerk or whatever the case is. We need to be more proactive and I don't feel like the union, at least our branch is proactive enough in the fight. if I was in the union, man, I have,
00:10:04
lastyles
federal lawyers and I'd already talked to federal lawyers behind the scenes, just ask them questions. Cause I'm preparing, I might be preparing to do my own thing. You know what I'm saying? Uh, and get some class actions going on. Cause I feel like at this point in time as they almost come off like they do so little. So when it comes off again, my, my opinion comes up like they do so little that I start to look at you like, are you in leagues with them? You know what I'm saying? Like, are you helping them?
00:10:33
lastyles
Cause I got no, I got no, I got no, no reason to believe that you not because of how little you're doing and how, how little you're fighting on my behalf. You know what I'm saying? Like how long are we going to put up with harassment? How long are we going to put up with hostile work environment? How long are we going to put up with bullying? Everyone knows that this happens. Again, my personal opinion, personal experience.
00:11:03
lastyles
A lot of people don't talk to says that this happens to them. So a lot of people knows that it's happening, but what's been doing about it, right? FY there's a zero tolerance. Federal policy says that there's a zero tolerance for a hostile work environment, zero tolerance, possibly automatic termination for anybody who's, um, having or leading a hostile work environment or who's allowing the hostile work environment, supposed to be terminations zero, zero tolerance means it's termination, right? They're firing you. If it's proven, if it's proven,
00:11:39
lastyles
that you do have a hostile work environment, that you're creating a hostile work environment, or that you are allowing a hostile work environment. And that's because the government or the federal side don't want to take any type of lawsuits. They don't want to be responsible for that. So they say, no, you going to be responsible for that and how we're going to show people that it's not us that has anything to do with this. We're going to fire you, right? This is where EEOs come into place.

Experiences with EEO Process

00:12:06
lastyles
I'm not sure why we're still doing grievances.
00:12:10
lastyles
They're not doing anything, right? A grievance is where the union and management addresses an issue when they meet in the meeting. If it's pretty much proven that management was wrong in what it did, right?
00:12:32
lastyles
then the two sides acknowledge the fact that this is what happened and that it was on your part. And technically you're not supposed to do that action again, but management will purposely and intentionally do it again, not caring that it's a grievance. This is where the term do it anyway and follow grievance. So, Hey, this is what the contract say that you don't have to do this, but what I'm saying is do it anyway.
00:13:01
lastyles
and then just file agreement. So you ah you you know that you're intentionally finna violate the contract, but you don't care that you're violating the contract. This is not an extreme situation, which is the only time mismanagement is supposed to come into play. You're knowingly just every day, every day is not an extreme situation. Let's get that out the way. Every day is not an extreme situation. You can't use mismanagement every day. You're only intending to use it to get you away. That's on the management side.
00:13:30
lastyles
You want people to believe that, Hey, I can do what I want to, or we could do what we want to, when we want to, you know what I'm saying? And even the union tell y'all that y'all supposed to do what we tell y'all to do, no matter what, whether you like it or not and follow grievance. So that's what it makes it seem like. Are they, are they paying y'all off for something? This, this coercion, like some type of bribes being taken inside field.
00:13:56
lastyles
Right? Not to say this type of stuff is going on, but it makes me feel that, right? When management was tell carriers or tell clerks or tell them to handle the truck driver, that type of stuff. And then you would go to your union rep like, Hey man, this will just happen. This will do say, and then they look at you and say, Hey man, let's do what they say. And then we'll follow grievance. And two days later, you back in the same boat, where they telling you to do the same thing. Hey man, then we follow grievance last time. Yeah. Then we win the grievance last time. Yeah.
00:14:25
lastyles
So it was proven that they was wrong, right? Yeah. Okay. So what you want me to do? just, just do it with all agree with us again. Why are we still doing it? Why are we still doing it is my question. If they're not supposed to be doing it, this is the part I really don't get. And me personally, I would not do it.
00:14:52
lastyles
I will not do it. And I meet you in office whenever you want to meet in the office for a failure you to follow instructions. All right. Cause I'm only following proper instructions. I'm talking about me personally, only following part clear instructions, right? I don't do mismanagement.
00:15:08
lastyles
not Not intentionally. yeah I don't do mismanagement. So you're going to have to, uh, whatever. And we want to meet in office on this and I'm going to make sure I build a strong enough case. Right. When things get down, i but but I didn't get enough reading and research to know management versus mismanagement. You know what I'm saying? The difference they can manage. We can't have you do things. They can't tell you to do certain things, whatever the case is. But there's a lot of cases where that's not the case.
00:15:35
lastyles
There's a fair amount of cases where that's not the case. And they're just doing something that kind of showed it there that they have some type of power to do, even if it's just mismanaging. Hey, well, do it anyway. You know what I'm saying? But again, this ain't this ain't for management. This is and specifically for the NALC. You guys don't do enough, right? Now, I don't know if it's on you. I don't know if it's on the Department of Labor, but I feel like it's on the NALC because, again,
00:16:04
lastyles
I haven't even see y'all try to do something where the department of labor DOL will have to check you in like, Hey man, you going too far? You gotta step back a little bit. I haven't seen y'all ever get close to that. I haven't seen anything outside of follow grievance. I haven't even say, you know what? It's what we're going to do, but this, this is only for the strong, right?
00:16:29
lastyles
we need to start fighting cases. So when they have you do something, if it's super improper or whatever the case is, don't do it. When they say you're going to be fed a file instructions, say, Hey, I meet you in office and then I'm gonna get the stewards up the par to whatever defenses is that we're using going forward per the contract. Not telling you to do something outside the contract or violates the contract. Right. And then we're going to, we're going to get our defenses up, meaning we're going to learn more and more and more.
00:16:59
lastyles
to have better defenses when we go into the office because we're going to cut down severely on this mismanaging thing, right? If I don't see that, which I haven't saw that in the five and a half years I've been in now, it could have happened. Could be happening. Maybe some stations, maybe with some people, maybe sometimes, maybe sometimes of the year. I don't know. I have personally have never seen it in the five and a half years that I've been with the post office. And I find this strange, right? I, I have,
00:17:30
lastyles
I have been in a situation where carriers came to work. And it was a little past our work time and I called the

Following Union Advice

00:17:43
lastyles
union. Hey, what time management supposed to be here? What is our obligations? If we come here on a time and the station is not open, we can leave. Sure. Okay. What I got to do.
00:18:00
lastyles
Take a piece of paper, sign all your names on it. That's out there. Leave it on the door. Take a picture of it on the door. Go home because you you're not obligated to contact management to see where they're at or what they're doing or what time they're going to be at work. They should have been at work hours before you. Okay. Say less ah air everybody. Come on. What are we going? We gotta, we gotta sign this piece of paper. I got a piece of paper. All the carriers signed their names on it.
00:18:29
lastyles
put it on the door. Hey, we was here. Take a picture of it. Everybody got a picture of it. Take a picture of it. You know what I mean? Cause you can verify that your name was on it and your picture has a time step on on what time you was there and the building out open for us to work. And we all went home and we all got paid. We all got paid and that wasn't a particular fight against my, my management itself or my manager or my supervisor team is itself. It wasn't nothing personal against them. It was against the company as a whole man. And it was winter time and we just all out here and yeah, we could sit in our car, but sit in our car to win. We, hu how long are we sitting in this car? You know what I'm saying?
00:19:22
lastyles
sitting outside until, you know what I'm saying? It had already been like 15, 20 minutes or something like that. We still ain't see nobody. I'm like, man, we supposed to be out here to win. Like it's cold as a mud. You know what I'm saying? Burning heat in the car, burning gas. And I'm like, man, we ready. You can't be ready to work. But somebody should have been here like two hours or any who. So then that happened, right?
00:19:42
lastyles
Then things changed again. And I got my first taste of a EEO called EEO consultant. I talked to him. Okay. What's this? What's this? What's that? Get my information, get my information.

Criticism of Union's EEO Support

00:19:55
lastyles
Now, if anybody know me, was not too many people do. I love information. I love information, right? So much so that anytime I think it's a fight,
00:20:09
lastyles
i'm I'm like a lawyer reading the books. specifically for that fight. Like I'm i'm trying to be trained up for that fight. Cause I don't plan on losing. I don't want to lose, right? I did the EO, I won the EO, right? Cause things wasn't done right. And I didn't want, I wasn't finna just deal with harassment. Cause to me that was harassment at that point in time. And I saw some discrimination. We got that settled. one e I EO, right? The only time I actually, I ever filed a EO, I won the EO. On another show also said, I think I've helped four or five people.
00:20:43
lastyles
with their EO's and they've all won their EO's as well. So, so far I'm like five or six and oh, when I come to EO's, I've never lost the EO with me helping someone behind the scenes. And by helping, I mean this. Someone called me, texted me, hit me up. You know what I'm saying? How I go about following the EO. I say, what's the situation without being too personal? What's the situation?
00:21:08
lastyles
Okay, so typically yo has to fit in a ramp of hostile work environment. harassment or discrimination. It's really going to be harassment or discrimination, but hostile work environment is in there. Like it's like ah ah almost like an invisible third or it falls under one of the two. It might fall under harassment, but it's in there, right? So I say three, hostile work environment, discrimination, and there's various forms of discrimination, such as ah as ah race, ethnicity, gender, age, handicap, right? That's for those who got restrictions or just medical situations going on. That's in there, right? That's under EEO. And then you have harassment, right? And again, I make sure to tell people read what the we read what the definition is of harassment, discrimination, or a hostile work environment is first, right? Because we you want to be clear.
00:22:08
lastyles
This is how you're going to win your EEO. You got to, you want to make sure that you're not going in there just to try to be a whole or just to attempt to put paperwork on somebody, right? You want to make sure that is, that you really got a case instead of just wasting time. All right. Don't do what management do. I'm just creating crazy cases that you know, you're going to lose for whatever reason. Right. Cool. okay. Then what happened? Okay, cool.
00:22:34
lastyles
Has it happened multiple times, right? You got time, dates, the name, the, the, can you recall things that happened? That's happened, witnesses. Okay, cool. Sounds like you might have an EO then. He'll call that number. I'm gonna give him the number anyway. You know what I'm saying? I'm gonna give him the number anyway. But I didn't want, again, I didn't want them to waste their time. Okay, cool. Sounds like you got a case. Or a couple times like, well, I don't know. You might not have a case. I give you the number, but you probably should wait like,
00:23:03
lastyles
see if it happens a couple more times, right? or Or to see if it gets worse and just notate it. You know what I'm saying? Or make sure you got a witness with you. And they've won a they their cases, right? Knowledge is power. There's always power.
00:23:22
lastyles
The union I don't know. I don't think they help people with Eos. I remember asking someone one time, do y'all help people with Eos? All right. And they said, and I was told, I was told this, right? No, we don't help people with Eos because we don't want to be liable.
00:23:42
lastyles
It's what I was told. and That's no knock to the person because I don't know if that was right or wrong. Right. This is someone in the union though. I'm like, but in my head, I'm like liable.
00:23:54
lastyles
I'm in my head. I'm thinking you have somebody with the information. A lot of people don't even know what the EO is or what to look for to do with EO. Cause again, Grievous is not helping. He, they said, no, whatever said, no, they would be liable. Okay. I don't know what that means, but okay.
00:24:19
lastyles
I know it's to me, it's almost like things like that. Cause the EO's is a, is a greater, is a high level fight for the union against management. So I don't know why they wouldn't use that tool again, just to inform. These are, these are still people that's in your union. That's looking for information that your grievance can't help. So if I don't find an EO don't think you going to tell me is LA keep doing what you're doing, but follow a grievance.
00:24:48
lastyles
But why would I do that if I have a EEO and I can completely stop them from doing what they're doing? You get what I'm saying? I can stop them in their tracks with a right, with a proper EEO from doing what they're doing. There's a possibility again, depending on what is for what I can prove, depending on what is for and what I can prove. I can, I can possibly stop this action. So why wouldn't I do an EEO?
00:25:12
lastyles
Now they wouldn't tell me not to do EEO, but they wouldn't help me get the information to do one.

Questioning Union Dues

00:25:17
lastyles
I find that weird, me personally.
00:25:22
lastyles
Me personally, for somebody that's my union steward, right? My union slash union steward who supposed to represent me like a lawyer and I'm asking for assistance for for information. I'm not asking you to follow EEO, I'm asking for information so I can do it. And you tell me you can't help me, but I'm paying you every month.
00:25:40
lastyles
What am I paying you every month for? what What are we paying the union every month for if the only thing they're gonna do is tell us to do it and follow grievance? Mind you, I don't have to pay you in order for you to still tell me that. For those of you who don't know, you don't have to pay the union and they still have to represent you. Did y'all know that? Now again, I don't know this for all unions. Again, this is the Postal Blue Podcast.
00:26:10
lastyles
This is about the employees of the post office. Those are the people in the post office. Did you know that you can opt out of your union, not pay them and they still have to represent you regardless.
00:26:26
lastyles
So if you don't feel like you're you're properly being represented, if you don't feel like you're properly being defended and that your representation keeps letting management get over on you,
00:26:38
lastyles
Stop paying them. That's what I would do. Stop paying them, right? what what what Who pays a lawyer that keeps letting them get charges? That keeps letting them get charges. I keep going to jail.
00:26:54
lastyles
And I keep getting the full time. What about what I can do this on my own. I might as well just defend myself for better, for worse than because well when what good are you helping, especially if you're going to tell me, keep a just do what they tell you. I can do that without paying you, sir, and or a man. So what are my what am I or are we paying you guys for?
00:27:18
lastyles
If the only decision you can ever make is to, is to come back to the table and tell us, keep doing what management telling you, but follow grievance. At what point do I say, Hey man, I don't want the grievance money. I don't want to do the action.
00:27:35
lastyles
forget the grievance. If it's money, if if it has a monetary value, forget the grievance. I don't want to do the action. Why, why are they able to keep forcing me to do something that I don't want to do if if it's a violation of the contract?
00:27:55
lastyles
And again, the next, my follow-up question would be, so what am I paying you for? If my rights is going to be broken, regardless, whenever, And I can't do nothing about it and you not going to do nothing about it. And what am I paying you for that? It don't even make sense. I'm paying somebody to defend me who pretty much saying that they can't defend me. Mind you outside of your, your writeups, right? And yo days in court for whatever reason, investigating, they still have to represent you whether you pay them or not. So what are we paying them for? What are we paying them for?
00:28:33
lastyles
Right. This is, this is my problem with the NALC. At least again, in my branch, I don't feel like they fight enough. I don't feel like they'll fight enough. And management has y'all down to the point where they know only thing the union ever going to do is tell people to do it and follow a grievance. So they're comfortable in their instructions, whether the instructions are proper or not, because they know that the, meant that the union is going to back them up with the things that they say, do it and follow grievance.
00:29:06
lastyles
That's why they tell you that up front. Hey, what do you tell y'all? Ain't y'all supposed to do it anyway for all the grievance? They're telling us what you would say, because they know that you're going to say that, which backs up them, violating me still. This is why I say you almost look like you the opposite way.
00:29:23
lastyles
how could How could I not look at you like that? Right. That's why I say I'm kind of like in the middle. I'm on the fence. Right. I don't like the, the, the management side because they mismanaged a lot and I don't like the union side because you allow them to continue their level of mismanaging and you don't do anything. In my personal opinion, you don't do anything.
00:29:50
lastyles
Right? the The things that you are doing is like the bare minimum of things that you are doing. It's the bare minimum. You're not really putting no work in. That's my personal opinion.
00:30:06
lastyles
my personal opinion.

Union's Shortcomings

00:30:08
lastyles
so I can't wait till they see this. You know what I'm saying? We know that they see the show that they watch the show. Um, Um, and they're going to feel some type of way, but everything I said is true. Everything I said, it is true. I, again, I've been here five and a half years.
00:30:25
lastyles
Five and a half years I've only ever been in the office. I say five times at the most in my five and a half years, right? At the most. I can't recall every single one, but I remember going in for the EO. I remember before that I went in for an attendance review. Everybody went in for the attendance review when ah we got a new manager before.
00:30:51
lastyles
I went in for a letter of warning after attendance review.
00:30:59
lastyles
For attendance. That's three. I did another tennis review at my current station. Oh, we got a a ah new manager. That's four.
00:31:24
lastyles
It might've, it might've been only, it might've only been over four, but I still say five because maybe I'm forgetting one five in my five and a half years. I've only ever been pulled into office five times. And one of the times was to put paperwork on management. Two of them was attendance reviews. And one of them was a letter of warning for attendance. Right. which is an easy fight. So well, depending on what you're doing, right, depending on what you're doing, but,
00:31:53
lastyles
We got to do better, man. We got to do better and we got to be more proactive. when fight management and if the union are going to do it, then Hey, postal blue will be here to give you whatever information that you feel like you may need for whatever fights you feel like you win.
00:32:14
lastyles
And again, if you don't feel like you're getting the proper representation or the proper representing, when you do go in your days and courses and things of that are nature, and take your money back, right? Stop paying them. That's the very least you can do. Okay, well, just stop paying you then, right? And to do that, you got to make sure you get your paperwork in around your anniversary date.
00:32:33
lastyles
Find out what your anniversary date is. Right? You send this letter. You get this paperwork that the management could print for you. You send it in a certified letter. to the people in Washington, DC, or whatever the case is, to whoever to tell you who to send it to. um um And you is have to stop paying them union dues. Hit them in their pockets, you know what I'm saying? They get thousands, thousand hundreds of y'all left, thousands of y'all that stopped paying them, then they look crazy. Because they get paid from our union dues, especially the ones that's like in a higher union, that that's like at the union halls and things of that nature. They get paid from your union dues.
00:33:13
lastyles
Don't pay him. You're not doing your job anyway. We'll pay you for it. I may office for, I may office four times that I know of in five and a half years. Where's all my union do money going to them? And I haven't needed representation, right? all all four times that I went in there,
00:33:33
lastyles
Well, besides one, well, one time I took them in there, right? And it was me, the specialist, the manager, and the steward. The steward didn't say nothing. I talked the whole time. Well, at least I don't remember the steward saying nothing. I, so I spoke the whole time on what was happening. There's 10 other, whatever the case is. I don't think they was supposed to talk or whatever the case is. I don't know, but he didn't talk who the tennis review union, we just had to be present. So then need that. So that's two of those. He's had to be present for an attendance review. Okay, cool. And the other one was the attendance. The letter warning.
00:34:11
lastyles
I can't remember. Well, I'm assuming he says something in the letter of warning. I'm assuming he says something. So I'll give him the one time. So I've had to have representation where Union stuwart Stewart has has had to speak to me or speak for me one time in five and a half years and I have five and a half years of Union dues paid.
00:34:37
lastyles
and still get violated possible. Well, I'm one of the few is it's hard to violate me, right? Cause I got the information, but a lot of people don't have the information. So That's my problem with the NALC. They don't fight enough. Now, maybe your branch does. Wherever y'all located, y'all let me know in the comments below where you located, what branch you might be under. If you don't want to put your branch down there or don't know your branch, just let us let us know if your union fights for you. right If you get proper representing when you're around. How many rallies have y'all done? Do y'all do rallies? right are you fairly Are you getting paid fairly in your current current contract, upcoming contract?
00:35:17
lastyles
How many of y'all know or don't know what's what they're fighting for in your upcoming contract, right? That's a conversation that we need to have. So whatever you listen to this on, let me know in the comments section below on what it is. Represent your branch. I'm a, I'm a, I ain't going to say it right now. They, they got a specific episode coming, right? But these are my personal feelings.

Attempts to Become Union Steward

00:35:43
lastyles
All right. And again, two, two of my, my sisters, uh, walkers and fee. They both with, they both are union stewards, right? I am one of them involve them in this, right? and And they under two different unions as well. You know what I'm saying? So I'm a sister fee in Ohio, shout out my sister the fee and a walkers is here in Wisconsin, but then the two different unions, they, they union stewards, but I know that they feel similar to how I feel that they they don't fight enough. And it shouldn't be no problem with,
00:36:12
lastyles
knowing where your side lacks. When I'm on the desk, that that I speak on on the desk work all the time. I was on the desk today and I just spoke spoke on ill against the desk while being on the desk. It's things that's not done properly. It's just what it is. If they don't like it, then stop doing it for me to talk about.
00:36:29
lastyles
ah one being yeah The mismanaging and the in the and the fact that things are not working gives me content. If things worked, then that wouldn't be done to say, it'd just be happy days, good days will happen. Y'all this week, y'all good dogs chase, y'all dogs chase, y'all. He got chased by a spider. You got, that's what the conversation will be. But instead we'd be having to have these weekly because things just don't go the way it's supposed to go. No day, no given day at all. There's a consistent mismanagement and consistent lack of fighting every single day.
00:37:00
lastyles
And until that ends, then, hey, y'all, y'all gonna be content. Then if that's the case, y'all will be content for the masses until something gets done. also below, let me know how, how crispy y'all think the camera is. You know what I'm saying? I don't know if I gotta wipe the lens. It don't look like this. there Right? but I can see the mic. The mic looks crispy. The back looks crispy, but I don't know what my face look like. You know what I'm saying? yeah Let me know in the comments section below, which I think the don think the the video looks like. How's the audio?
00:37:34
lastyles
With that said, though, I'm gonna get up out of here. I appreciate y'all. I appreciate y'all. Get informed. That's the way to fight. Get informed. Whether it's on EO's, on grievances, me personally, I think we beyond grievances. So I'm just taking it straight to EO's at this point, if it's a case forward, which how they continue continually mismanaged. That's all that should always be a case for it because the the consistent mismanaging opens up the door for harassment out the gate in every, in majority of the cases I've seen for continuous mismanagement opens up the door for harassment. If you know how to look at it and again, read the definition of harassment.
00:38:17
lastyles
All right. Read the definition of harassment. Well, this should be like a a class action harassment suit or a class action hostile work environment by now from the union. And it hasn't happened yet. And I'm waiting. And at some point in time, I'm going to get to asking the right people what's going on. And then I'm going to come to the conclusion that you are with them. That's what that's me. That's me. You have to be with them because you're letting them s slide with too much stuff.
00:38:48
lastyles
Too much stuff. Right. With that, I'm gonna get up out of here, man. I'm your boy, LA styles, AKA the LA style. This has been my problem with the NALC or my beef with the NALC.
00:39:02
lastyles
Right. Still all love. Right. This is the only way we're going to grow is for people to get their feelings out there. I am a carrier still at the end of the day, although I do participate in the desk at times. But again, that's that's the union dropped the ball on it, too. You know what I'm saying? I've tried to be a union steward way before I tried to be on the desk. That that that was an epic fail. Never happened. Kept getting to run around for a long period of time, but then it never happened.
00:39:31
lastyles
Then I tried to be an instructor because I was already a trainer in the stations. After I made regular, I tried to be an instructor before and go downtown and then give the people the information, right? So Union, I tried to give people the information and tried to help where I could. That failed, right? Never made it to be a steward. Then I tried to be an instructor, right? Because I'm already giving people the information. You know what? What's the next level? I can get a whole class to information. Cool. Tried to be an instructor.
00:39:59
lastyles
That never happened. Never got an email to back about it. No, nothing. but Supposed to put my name on the list. So same thing with the, that I heard about the union store stuff, put it, put my name on the list. It never happened. right Put my name on the list for being an instructor downtown, for orientation, for training, never happened. right So I got to make a difference somewhere. So if I got to go to the desk to make the difference, I could kind of block men and chop them off at the feet. Now I'm the person in the station that's given instructions and I can do it that way.
00:40:30
lastyles
right And now the union seems to kind of be, ain't gonna necessarily against me, but they don't look to talk to me now that I'm on the desk, but it's like, I'm doing your job though, from the desk side. I'm doing your job, your jobs, but from the desk side, because y'all won't let me do it from your side. Who fault is that? Who fault is that?
00:40:54
lastyles
Right. Cool. I take that. If that's the case, I'll take that.

Closing Remarks

00:41:00
lastyles
All right. umm I'm never going to step down and wait two years to help people a day in my life. A day in my life of this, that part is to the union. I would never step down from being a two or four B purposely um i clear that purposely so I can sit around and wait two years without helping people.
00:41:22
lastyles
So I can satisfy some need of yours to in order to be a steward. That would never happen. I'm never waiting two years to help anybody. That's union politics. Y'all deal with that.
00:41:38
lastyles
Well, that's it, man. I'm gonna get up out of here. I'm the boy LA styles, like a VLA styles. I believe this has been episode 12 of the 12th of the postal blue podcast and I appreciate y'all man y'all make sure you hit that subscribe button that follow button on whatever platform you're listening to this on. i'm about to get this up right away, so hopefully this gets to you in the morning.
00:42:04
lastyles
I appreciate y'all man. The views is nice. The listeners, ah ah the listeners are there. So clearly somebody is getting the message. A lot of people is getting the message that you know what I'm saying? They liking the content. We appreciate that sharing is Karen. If you found this video helpful, make sure to share this with someone that might be in a situation, your coworker or whatever the case is that can also get the same information that you got. Right. Let them know where to find it.
00:42:31
lastyles
Also, make sure you rate us on whatever it is that you're streaming us on. That helps a lot. That helps a lot, right? I appreciate it. I appreciate it.
00:42:48
lastyles
And we'll be back, man, on another episode. Again, as far as grievances go, we should not be doing grievances. Everything should be Every time somebody i tell you to do it and file a grievance, your head should say, every time. Cause it don't even make sense. You want me to do what? Every time. That's what it should be, man. Smokey. With that man. Peace, man. may Oh, raid us, man. Raid us on whatever streaming platform that you listening to us on. Cause that shows the algorithm that people are liking the content.
00:43:30
lastyles
right And then they'll share the content more. And they'll put us out front more. And people can find us more and easier. And all that helps the community that we're trying to grow to to find a ah bigger solution on fixing this problem. Hey, listen. Postal Blue Union?
00:43:50
lastyles
Sounds like that could that could be something, you know what I'm saying? Hey, NAOC not doing their job. Hey, man, we got another union we can go to, at least as far as representation go. You know what I'm saying? We called a postal blue union, and they represented the fight way harder than than the work one we got. Who knows, man? i Only the future can tell, you know what I'm saying? I'm just throwing it out there. yeah and Anything is a possibility. Not that that's going to be a thing, but Anything is a possibility, man. Appreciate y'all, man. I'm gonna get up out of here, man. Y'all make sure to like, share, subscribe. Comment in the comment sections below.
00:44:24
lastyles
And read us on whatever you listen to us on man we'll be back man peace love make sure everybody be safe stay safe out there keep your head on the swivel as far as my carriers go. Make sure you got your mace your where your dog spray your dog horn make sure you carry your satchel I don't care how like chameleons y'all make sure to carry the satchel that is a part of your uniform right.
00:44:48
lastyles
dog spray, dog horn, satchel. If you ain't got that, you're wrong. Whether you use it or not, you're supposed to have it on you. If you don't got it, you're wrong. Stay safe, be safe. You know what I'm saying? And I'll see y'all on the next one. Peace.