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.

Day 2

From this update on, just as I did for the last Convention, I will be reporting to you on the activities from a personal point of view that I hope will be both interesting and pertinent to Local 311. For a more detailed report, you can log onto our Nat'l. website at www.npmhu.org. The Nat'l. is also providing daily reports. I will still report on the highlights, even though it may sometimes seem like a duplication of information because I realize that every member does not own a computer or have access to the internet. If you have any questions about any aspect of the convention thusfar, you can e-mail me at bshepsr@gmail.com and I will do my best to get you an answer or explanation.

At the conclusion of yesterday's Update, I left you with a sort of "cliff-hanger" involving Sister Roxie Olds-Pride and the Judges of Election results. The outcome was announced at the start of today's session and unfortunately Sister Roxie was unsuccessful. She made a good showing for a first time Convention Delegate and if nothing else got her name "out there". I'm impressed with the fact that she made the attempt and with a little more preparation maybe next time she'll pull it off.

Next was National Officers nominations and almost just as last Convention, National President Hegarty, National Secretary-Treasurer Gardner, the Northeastern Region Vice President (VP), (this time) Paul Hogrogian, the Central Region VP, (this time) Jefferson C. Peppers III, and the Eastern Region VP, Sam D' Ambrosio all went unopposed and were therefore automatically re-elected. Our Southern Region VP, Bruce Miller of Local 310, Georgia was challenged by Terry "Corn Fed" Cordle of Local 318, Florida, and Western Region VP Rudy Santos, Local 320, Arizona, had two challengers, Dot Henderson, Local 302, Northern CA & Northern NV, and Eddie Cowan, Local 303, Southern CA. Due to there being more than two candidates, we'll have to have another primary election to take place on tomorrow morning. The results will then be announced sometime in our afternoon session.

For the second consecutive Convention, to go unopposed and be re-elected by acclamation, well, it really says something about the job these individuals are doing. President Hegarty, as did Secretary-Treasurer Gardner later in the session, took the opportunity to thank all of the Delegates for the huge show of support. President Hegarty then gave what amounts to a State of the Union Address outlining what had taken place since the last Convention and thoroughly expounding on issues we face as a labor organization in the near future and our ability to meet each and every one of them head-on. Each Delegate received this same report in written form called Report Of The National Officers. Anyone wishing to view this report in its entirety, please contact me and I'll make some sort of arrangements to get it to you.

Next we had our first Guest Speaker, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt-Baker. It should be noted that Sister Holt-Baker is the highest ranking African-American woman in the labor movement and she is originally from Ft. Worth, Texas. She spoke of growing up with parents who did not have unionized jobs and the struggles they faced as opposed to her uncle's job who was unionized. And as expected, she reminded the Delegates of the upcoming Presidential Election and what was at stake for working Americans and their families. She spoke well and I enjoyed what she had to offer.

To start the afternoon session, we had our second Guest Speaker, Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL). Congressman Davis is originally from Parkdale, Arkansas, and a former postal employee in Chicago. He is currently the chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Federal Sector, the Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, and always a friend of the Mail Handlers Union. Brothers & Sisters, if you do not remember anything else about what you read in this blog please remember this, the individuals that we/I introduce you to are done so with the intent that when you see and hear their names on TV or in the news know this, they are our allies and we need to do everything that we can to keep it that way! Now, back to Congressman Davis' speech. He pretty much gave up his personal interpretation on what our founding fathers meant when they came up the Postal Service. In his view, it was always the intent for the service to be three (3) things : government run, affordably priced, and universally accessible to all Americans. After hearing his speech, I for one truly believe that as long as he has a say, that's the way it is going to stay.




Following Congressman Davis was another Guest Speaker, Mr. Dale Wolf of Coventry Health Care, the underwriter for the Mail Handlers Benefit Plan (MHBP). Mr. Wolf gave us an update on the relationship we share since January 5, 2001, when Coventry Health Care came on board. He stated that Coventry has a commitment to customer service and membership growth, with the end result being improved health insurance for the hundreds of thousands of enrollees in the MHBP.




Closing out the session was Guest Speaker Terry O’Sullivan, General President of Laborers’ International Union of North America. Brother Terry is originally from San Francisco, California. Out of all of the speakers I have had the opportunity to listen to in my soon to be 30 year Postal career, Brother O'Sullivan is one of, if not the most, charismatic and motivating speakers I have ever personally heard. Every time that I hear him speak, he always says things that many would consider unspeakable. One this occasion, he did so again. Because of what he says, as well as how he says what he says, in all likelihood you will never see him on television or hear him on regular radio. On this particular Tuesday afternoon, he spoke about the upcoming Presidential Election and the FACT that RACE will play a part in how people will vote. He stated that it shouldn't make a difference but we all know that it will as long as there are racist people in this world.

More Pictures...

Just in case you can't see this in the picture below it says "Where dreams come true". I'm here to tell you, it is truly a dream here!

Opening Ceremonies

To bring you up to date, a sort of "mix-n-mingle", if you will, was provided by the Nat'l. and sponsored by the host Local (318), complete with live music (a band), good food, and you know it could not have been a mailhandler function without the "refreshments" (beer, liquor, & sodas). After having a continental breakfast (which will also be provided each morning by the Natl. Union) , we got underway at approximately 10:00 a.m. (EST). Before this Convention, or any NPMHU Convention for that matter can officially begin, a report from the Credentials Committee has to be adopted by the body. This report gives the total number of Delegates accredited, any protests and their dispositions, and the number of Delegates each Local was allowed to send. Our Local was allowed 114 Delegates but it was determined that we would only bring 20. Again, for the record, those 20 included, Local President D.T. Taylor, Local Vice President Larry Gipson, Local Treasurer Ron Shepard, Roxie Olds-Pride, and Alton Issacs, all from the Dallas P&DC. State Executive Board Member Linda Lewis, Branch President Harry Kimbrough, Sharon Prelow, and Peter Vargas, all from the Dallas BMC. Local Recording Secretary Eileen Mills, Sharon Ephraim, and Carol Barnes from the North Texas P&DC. Branch President Art Bunton and John Campos, San Antonio P&DC. Jose Garza, Ft. Worth P&DC. Branch President Charles Charleston, North Houston P&DC. Branch President Larry Guerrero, Linda Saenz, Nathan Braziel and Yours Truly (b.shep.) from the Houston P&DC. I know some of you may be thinking that 20 out of 114 is a small number, but when you take into consideration the cost factor, for a Local to be financially able to send 20 says a lot. The Local Presidents of some of Locals are the only ones in attendance. With this in mind, the rules are set up in such a way as to make sure no matter how many Delegates a Local chooses to send, the entire number of delegate votes for the Local will be cast/counted. For instance, Local 000 is allowed 100 delegates but chooses to send only 2. When those 2 Delegates cast a vote, each of their vote will count as 50 votes and together their Local will have cast a total of 100 votes.

O.K., back to the ceremonies. We first viewed a short video of events that had occurred since the 2004 Convention in Boston, MA., leading up to this Convention. Then we had the introduction of the Local Presidents and Nat'l. Executive Board (NEB) like players are introduced for an NBA All-Star game or the Super Bowl. Next was the posting of the colors, Invocation, and the singing of our national anthem. To our credit, the invocation and national anthem was done once again , just like the 2004 Convention, by mother and daughter, Sister Sharon & Ashante Ephraim. Sister Sharon, as I stated earlier, is a member of our Local 311 Delegation. I'm not kidding nor am I ashamed to say that I teared up during her performance; it was that good! After that, we had opening remarks from Nat'l. President Hegarty. Next was welcoming remarks from Nick Mosezar, Local 318 President for Florida, the host Local. A representative from the Orange County Mayor's office then read and presented a proclamation to the body. President Hegarty then made a presentation to special convention guests Hardy Williams and Efraim Daniels, both retired NEB Members. President Hegarty then introduced Mr. Gaut Ragsdale as our Parliamentarian and Mr. Bruce Lerner as our General Counsel. It was at that moment that President Hegarty raised the gavel and officially called the 2008 NPMHU to order! Next was Reports from the Rules (which included Sister Lewis) and Elections Committees. We ended the session with nominations for the Nat'l. Officer Election. Our own Sister Roxie Old-Pride was nominated by Brother John Campos to serve as a judge. The day adjourned at approx. 1:15 p.m. for the conducting of the election. the results will be announced at the beginning of tomorrows session, hopefully Roxie will be elected. That's it for today! Let me hear from you :-)

Pictures traveling to Orlando...

We left Houston at about 4:15 p.m. and entered Louisiana at approximately 6:55 p.m. There was some construction on I-10... Suprise!!??##@@


Approximately 12:01 a.m. ...




Approximately 1:05 a.m. ...



Approximately 4:00 a.m. (EST)....



We arrived at the Resort at about 12:30 p.m. (EST). Our trip went smoothly, no delayed flights, no lost bags, and surprisingly no high gas prices! Well, you know what I mean, nothing over $4!

Main entrance to Resort.

Entrance drive to Resort.



My youngest Son posing on vintage automobile.



Entrance to Convention Center.



Marquee for my building. My room is 5414.




Boats on lake.
















View from my 4th story room's balcony.
















Gifts that each Delegate received.











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Update #4

I am Billy “b.shep.” Sheppard, a Local 311 Delegate to the 2008 National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) Convention. The Convention will take place next week (August 10-16) at the Grand Floridian Hotel Resort and Spa at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. This is the fourth and final issue of my pre-convention reports. These reports have been my way of fulfilling the campaign promise I made that if elected, I would be your “eyes and ears” and provide you with daily reports from the convention. It does not reflect the views of the NPMHU or Local 311 and is produced and paid for entirely by me. Its purpose is to share information, entertain, and provide you, the rank and file membership, with the experience of actually being a delegate and attending the Convention! Ultimately, I hope that these reports will stimulate interest in what can be described as the nuts and bolts of just how our Local as well as National Unions work.

In Update #3 (July 22, 2008), I commented on my disappointment in not being able to gather enough data to submit a proposed constitutional amendment that had a good chance of being selected by the Constitution Committee for consideration and recommendation to the National Convention. Just prior to our last Local Election, Local President Taylor and I had discussed the subject and were in agreement in principle. I have since learned that because of how we both felt, he has resigned as the Branch President of the Dallas P&DC and is devoting his undivided attention to the office of Local President. Also, for those of you who may not have received or read the current issue of The Mail Handler, the quarterly publication of the NPMHU, it lists Local President Taylor and State Executive Board Member Linda Lewis as being members of the Legislative & Political and the Rules Committees respectively. Sister Lewis was also a member of the Rules Committee at the 2004 Convention in Boston, MA.

This past Saturday (August 2, 2008) I received my Local 311 Delegate Compensation Packet which consists of final instructions from both Local President Taylor and Local Treasurer Ron Shepard as it relates to official convention attire, credentials and salary/compensation. All total, my expense/salary payment was $4,358.59. Just for the record, my payment for the 2004 Convention was $3,698.71. For complete breakdown details of this package I have included the actual documents in PDF attachments. For those of you who may not have access to e-mail, contact me and I will provide you with hard copies.

Now for the major announcement that I mentioned in the last issue. Brothers and Sisters, I am excited to announce to you that I have set up a blog. For those of you who may not be familiar with the term blog, it can best be defined and described as an online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page; also called Web log, Weblog, hence Blog. It is located at http://yourpersonaldelegate.blogspot.com. I’ll have pictures galore for certain from points of interest along the drive to Orlando and throughout the convention. With a little luck, I'm hoping to maybe even have audio and video! I promise you that I’ll do my best to make this convention experience one that we will all remember! I’ll probably leave early this Saturday and travel all night. My blog will be updated at least once daily once I get there so give me a visit and post your questions or comments.

In closing as always, I want to thank all of you for your continued support, interest, and much appreciated feedback. If you have any questions, concerns, criticisms, or you just want to talk, please do not hesitate to contact me at your earliest convenience. Next stop, The Grand Floridian Hotel & Spa, Orlando, FL! :-)

P.S. - Please click on the word "Comments" (to your lower right) and tell me what you think of this Blog...