"If It Is To Be, It's Up To Me...& My Family"

Well Brothers & Sisters, since my last posting (August 20th), the Democratic and Republican National Conventions have taken place. As of this posting, there is less than two (2) months to the Presidential Election on November 4, 2008. Each Convention, I think, re-enforced to their party members, as well as the millions of viewers around the world, just what it is their parties and respective Presidential hopefuls think is important to country. Ultimately, it will you (and your family) and me (and my family) who will make the final decision on the Presidential Candidate that has our best interests at heart. Even though we (LIUNA, AFL-CIO, NPMHU) have endorsed Senator Barack Obama as the candidate that we feel best addresses the issues that concern us, there STILL will be those of you who will STILL vote for Senator McCain. This is a given that the Obama Campaign organizers has conceded. The "game plan" has been announced and the only thing left is for us to execute it. The key to our success depends on our ability to register new voters and making sure these newly registered voters vote. Incredibly, young people (18-25) are making the biggest impact on the newly registered voters total. With this in mind, I thought about my own family and what it meant. I have at least six (6) family members who fit in that age group. If I had to guess, because I do not know definitely, I would say that none of them have ever voted before in any election. That's a plus 6 that will be added to the final total. What's more, when you hear the various poll results, they are distorted because the + or - error number cited in those surveys does not include persons who do not use land lines (most young people only use cell phones). It also seems that for whatever reason, young people have been "awakened" by the message of Barack Obama and what he stands for and are "excited" about the potential impact his Presidency would have on this country and the world. I watched how the world reacted to Obama on his overseas tour. I watched as PEOPLE of ALL RACES cheered and even shed tears at the DNC. Since I made the decision to continue this blog, I have been pondering just what my next step would be and then it hit me. I have come up with a voter registration campaign that I have named "Man In The Mirror Vote". This title is taken from the song by Michael Jackson. You all have heard it before haven't you? It goes in part, "I'm startin' with the man in the mirror. I'm askin' him to change his ways. And no message, could have been any clearer, if you wanna make (our country and) the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and make a change". To me, within the context of this election, NOW IS OUR MOMENT, NOW IS OUR TIME! I am asking each mailhandler, each clerk, each carrier, whomever reads this blog, to take the responsibility of making sure that everyone in your immediate family that is of voting age votes in this election. I am asking you to follow this simple plan:

1. Make a list of everyone in your household, immediate family, or even extended family that you vow to take responsibility for.
2. Next, make sure that each of these family members are currently registered to vote. If they are not, get them registered immediately. (For the state I live in, Texas, for instance, the deadline to be registered to vote in the 2008 Presidential Election is Monday, October 6, 2008. Written Voter Registration Applications must be submitted by Tuesday, October 28, 2008.)
3. The next thing do is find out the early voting period for your state and let everyone agree on a date within this period that YOU CAN ALL TOGETHER GO AND VOTE as a group. Remember, during the early voting period, you can vote at any of the designated early voting locations. You do not have to vote at your individually designated precincts. That's the beauty of voting early! You can avoid the much anticipated long lines due to the historical nature of this election by voting early and not waiting until Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Additionally, if any discrepancies come up, you will have ample time to get them resolved and still be able to have your vote(s) counted.
   
4. And finally, again with respect to the historical aspects of this election, if you make a family outing of this occasion and take pictures, you can always treasure the fact that when history was made, and it will be made, your family was together and you'll always remember the specific details of your outing.
   

Here's a recap of important dates as they relate to voters in Texas:

• September 5, 2008 First Day to Apply for a Ballot by Mail
• October 6, 2008 Last Day to Register to Vote
• October 20, 2008 First Day of Early Voting
• October 28, 2008 Last Day to Apply for a Ballot by Mail
• October 31, 2008 Last Day of Early Voting
• November 4, 2008 General Election

For your convenience I am including the following link http://www.longdistancevoter.org/voter_registration_deadlines? to assist you in your planning. To see if your state even allows early voting go to http://www.earlyvoting.net/states/abslaws.php. If your state does not allow early voting, please follow Steps 1 & 2 and do whatever it takes to make sure that everyone on your list votes when the time come. This plan does not require a tremendous amount of time and effort and it is the least that each of us can do besides making sure that WE vote ourselves.

This is just one example of how many "small efforts" can add up to one "large accomplishment". If anyone can think of any way to improve upon this idea or you have an idea of your own that you would like to share with the rest of us, please contact me immediately and we can do our best to get it out there.

Final Thoughts

I returned to work on Mon. nite/Tue. (Tour 1) and was asked several times my thoughts on the Convention. As I stated earlier in my Mid-Week posting, the respect and camaraderie that I witnessed exhibited at this past Convention was for me, an honor to be a part of.

• In the scheme of things, you would have to agree that had it not been for the hard work of our National Officers, John, Mark, and the NEB, and the Committees and their members doing such a fine job of making recommendations that were so well thought out, the flow of the Convention and its business would not have been so smooth and uninterrupted...

• Brother Nick Mosezar (Local 318 President) and the entire Delegation of Local 318 get kudos for their job as the Host Local and the hospitality they afforded the Convention Delegates...

• John (Hegarty, Nat'l. President) performing at the House of Blues as the third Blues Brother...

• Late evenings/early mornings lounging around the pool...

• Disney World, the perfect family-friendly venue...

• Leaving Florida just ahead of Tropical Storm Fay...

Overall, I had a good time and I am now looking forward to implementing the strategies planned and discussed at the Convention to assure that we get Senator Barrack Obama elected as the next President of the United States as well as further our efforts in getting favorable legislation passed in Congress. I also plan to assist my Local/Branch Officers in any way that I can to educate our Members on the issues that matter to us the most. In order to accomplish this, I plan to continue this blog and use it as a means to communicate with the Brothers and Sisters of my Local as well as those of other Locals who choose to access the information that will be contained herein. I welcome any comments, questions or concerns that anyone may have. Please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience.


Thank you for your continued support,

b.shep.

Day 6

This is it, our last day! There is always a sort of "buzz" in the air on the last day because on this day the Delegates decide where the location of the next Convention. Since Conventions are held every four (4) years, the next is scheduled for the Summer of 2012. It had been noted earlier in the week by President Hegarty that the 2012 Convention would be the 100th anniversary of the NPMHU. With that in mind, it is sure to be an even more festive occasion then normal. The sites receiving the most serious consideration were the Island of Hawaii, Detroit, MI, Portland, OR, Las Vegas, NV, and the Island of Puerto Rico. Before a decision could be made, we had to narrow the site down to two (2). Delegates were encouraged to speak out in favor of the location they preferred. After listening to discussions, we voted and narrowed it down to Puerto Rico and Portland, Or, with Portland, OR being the final destination.

Next was the Report of the Resolutions Committee and the voting on the recommended resolutions the Committee presented. The Committee presented three (3) Resolutions, all which were approved by the Delegates. We then had the closing formalities and adjourned.

Day 5

We started the day with a video message from Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). She is the most senior Republican woman in Congress and has proven to be a trusted ally in our ongoing fight to get important legislation like HR-82, the Social Security On-line Privacy Act, HR-1110, which would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow federal and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pre-tax basis, HR-4236, the Mail Network Act of 2007. She went on comment on how she had toured postal facilities and seen mail handlers at work. We then went through our normal formalities, i.e. invocation, pledge of allegiance, and house keeping announcements followed by another video message from Congressman Christopher Shays (R-CT).


Congressman Shays spoke on the importance of electing a President who can have an influence on the National Labor Relations Board, Universal Health Care and the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. All of these things together would positively effect the quality of work life for the members of the NPMHU.


We also viewed a video message from Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the principal investigative committee of the House. Representative Waxman has a reputation for a vigorous approach to oversight land is well known for insisting that witnesses appearing before his subcommittee testify under oath, thus exposing them to perjury charges if they didn't tell the truth. He is responsible for The Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and the District of Columbia (Chaired by Danny Davis) which is a standing committee within the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Its jurisdiction includes federal employee issues, non-appropriation municipal affairs of the District of Columbia, and the Postal Service, including post office namings, holidays, and celebrations. So as you can imagine, this alliance is really a very important one.


We then listened to the Report of the Legislative and Political Committee. We also viewed a short video on the upcoming election and voted on the recommended resolutions presented by Committee Chairman Brother Rudy Santos (Local 320). Ten (10) resolutions were presented and all were passed by the Delegates overwhelmingly. The most important of these ten in my opinion was No. 10 - The Endorsement of Barack Obama for U.S. President. To see all ten, you can go to this link http://www.npmhu.org/Pubs/News/2008Convention/cv080815.asp.


The day's session concluded with a presentation given by Roger Blacklow, Legislative and Political Director and Bob Losi, Assistant Legislative and Political Director. These two Brothers are responsible for giving the NPMHU a "face" on Capital Hill. They are equally responsible for providing strategies, guidance, and materials to Locals in our quest to make our members more aware of our plans Right Here! Right Now! as they relate to the upcoming Presidential Election and any/all legislative matters. If you have any questions as they relate to your Hatch Acts rights, Roger suggests that you speak with him immediately. Contact me and I will get you his contact info.


After hearing Roger and Bob's presentation, I was suddenly reminded of something Brother O'Sullivan had said about the upcoming election. He stated that if we (the Democratic Party) can not get Barack Obama elected with all that we have been through with our current president, there is just no hope. I think as leaders of this national / local union, we have a solemn duty to go back to our respective Locals and by whatever means necessary, first educate (sound the alarm) and make sure that all of our members, their family members, our friends, their family members, and whomever else is of voting age, is registered to vote and that they vote when the time comes. Failure is not an option!

Day 4

We started off the day with a video message from Congressman John McHugh (R-NY). He is another example of someone from the opposing party who we support because he has demonstrated that he supports the issues important to us. His relevance to the issues that concerns us the most is that he is a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the chairman of the Committee’s Special Panel on Postal Reform and Oversight. At the close of the 109th Congress, Rep. McHugh's bill to significantly reform the Postal Service for the first time in 35 years, was signed into law by President Bush. He and Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) are working for us to make sure that the Postal Service remains efficient and does not make any changes that could potentially affect our jobs.

Next up was Neil Anderson of Union Network International (UNI). This organization represents over 1000 unions operating in 150 countries with over 1 million people involved. Their aim is to be a global representative for postal unions all over the world! UNI helps by educating workers and assisting the unorganized to know that they have the right to join and create unions everywhere. At the 2004 Convention, Phillip Boyer, the then Deputy General Secretary of (UNI), addressed the Delegation. At that time he informed us that in some countries delivering mail had already been contracted out and in others it had been proposed to charge for the delivery according to the distance from the Post Office! What Brother Anderson did was give us an update on the postal operations in these countries as a result of the out-sourcing. He went on to state that in each of the instances that the Postal Services out-sourced or privatized, none were providing that same type of service that the people had been accustomed to, and in some cases, service was no longer universal or provided to everyone. President Hegarty added that the NPMHU was using facts and figures provided by UNI on those occasions when testifying before Congress. At the end of his presentation, Brother Anderson, for lack of a better description, "literally begged" our Delegation to "do the right thing" as a picture of Senator Barack Obama was shown on the video screens. He stated that the world was watching, waiting, and hoping, that America would elect Obama and effectively change the world!



The remainder of the day was spent listening to and voting on of the conclusion of the Proposed Constitutional Amendments from the Convention floor. We also viewed a video message from Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL). She is originally from New York, NY and has most recently sponsored the Healthy Americans Act (H.R. 6444). This Act, co-sponsored by by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) in the Senate, guarantees universal, private health insurance for ALL Americans.

Mid - Week

I want to start off by offering a semi apology/explanation for being late on what I had promised as "daily updates". As you will recall in one of my earlier updates (either 1 or 2), I included a tentative schedule of events. If you noted, there were only 2 evenings (Monday & Wednesday) that did not have a group function planned. You will also note that for whatever the reason, these functions are not, and have never been publicized, to my knowledge, until now. I for one think that they should be and I'll share with you why. This is my 5th convention (total including NPMHU & LIUNA) and I will have to say without a doubt that the Delegates here have shown extraordinary respect and camaraderie. I don't know the reason; it could just be a trait of the mailhandler craft itself. But, no matter the reason, to me, it just brings us closer together, as ONE. We are able to fellowship with one another even though just hours earlier we might have just had a "spirited" debate on a proposed constitutional amendment or some other relevant issue. It gives us a chance to forge friendships that can last a lifetime. We used to have more union sponsored events at my Branch but not any more. I think that because of that fact, there is no togetherness or oneness in my Branch. I think that if We as officers and leaders of this Union can learn from this example set by the Nat'l. and apply it to our respective Locals and Branches, there is no way that we could not become stronger and more together. And I'm proud to tell you that when Mail Handlers throw-down, it's always a five star affair! On Tuesday nite, we had an exclusive function at the House of Blues-Downtown Disney. The entire club was closed to the public and hosted only Delegates and their guests. A good time was had by all, I know my family and I did! Wednesday nite was Local 311 Delegates Nite Out. Local 311 Delegate got together and shared dinner at Landry's. Thursday nite was our private function at the Epcot World Showplace Pavillion inside Epcot Theme Park. I sent my family but I didn't make this event due mostly because I was exhausted from the long days and short nights up to this point and partly because I felt obligated to do my daily update. Friday nite, because a venue could not be secured that would accommodate the entire Delegation, we had two (2) functions at locations again in Downtown Disney. One function was at Bongos Cuban Café and the other was at the Raglan Road Irish Pub. Again, these two establishments were closed to the public and only hosted Delegates and their guests. Oh, I just remembered, I forgot to mention that all food, drinks (and yes, I mean DRINK drinks), entertainment, and transportation to and from the functions was taken care of by the Nat'l.!! I'm talking about truly, truly, memorable. Then of course, our after the functions gathering spot is the pool and jacuzzi. So I hope you all will be understanding about the untimely updates and I promise to do the remainder as soon as possible.

Day 3

Day 3's session is convened in the afternoon due to the Primary Election, in this case for the Western Region VP. Voting is usually done from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. After the usual opening formalities, i.e. invocation, pledge of allegiance, announcements, we were given a demonstration of a "roll call vote". A roll call vote is required when the President can not distinguish during a vote by the entire Delegation which was louder, the ayes (yes) or the nays (no). Next was the Report from the Constitution Committee. This is the time when we get down to the "meat and potatoes" so-to-speak. This is where things get serious and often times heated. It was serious , and it did get a little lukewarm, but overall, everyone treated each other with dignity and respect. After a break, we had a video message from Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA).

Congressman Lynch is a long-time friend of the NPMHU who also spoke to us in person at our 2004 Convention in Boston, MA. He understands first-hand what it means to be a postal employee because he has several family members who are postal employees. Congressman Lynch is a sponsor of the Mail Network Protection Act. If enacted, this act would require the Postal Service to bargain and arbitrate with the Mail Handlers Union before outsourcing work to private contractors. We concluded today's session with the announcement of the Primary Election results. The end result was Brother Rudy Santos and Sister Dot Henderson receiving the two highest vote totals thereby placing them in another election to be held later this year in the Western Region.