north carolina - ncrlca.pairsite.com€¦ · this time of year, there are many new things going on....
TRANSCRIPT
1
President’s Message
New Beginnings
This time of year, there are many new things going on. The
change to Daylight Savings Time is one that can disrupt our sleep
schedule. Another is the recent mail count that was just conducted. I
hope everyone had a fair count and encountered no serious issues.
The change of seasons is upon us, with some of the trees and
flowers already blooming. Soon it will be time to start mowing the
grass and preparing the garden. The warmer temperatures will be a
welcome change.
This is also the time for planning your spring district meetings. Please contact your
assigned officers and NSS representatives as soon as possible to minimize scheduling
conflicts. If you are interested in becoming a delegate to the state convention, please
attend your district meeting and submit your name to be added to the delegate list. We
encourage everyone to become involved. There will also be elections for new district
officers, so please come and have your voice heard.
One very important thing that will be discussed at this year’s district meetings is
proposed district re-alignment. Last year, immediately following the state convention, a
committee was appointed to look at our present district structure and to make recom-
mended changes to be discussed at the spring meetings. The committee was comprised
of members from all regions of the state. One of the issues was the districts that had
offices in both Greensboro and Mid-Carolinas Districts. In those instances, a NSS rep-
resentative from both districts had to be in attendance to address issues that only ap-
plied to one postal district or another. By moving some offices and re-aligning or merg-
ing some districts, the committee made their recommendations. If your district is being
impacted by these proposals, your district secretary was notified by mail. If you have
any questions about the proposed changes, please attend your district meeting.
Now is also the time to make plans for our upcoming state convention in Atlantic
Beach. This year’s convention will begin on Sunday, June 24 with the memorial ser-
vice that evening. The formal proceedings will begin on Monday, June 25 and con-
clude on Wednesday, June 27. National President Jeanette Dwyer will be our assigned
officer this year. There will be a PAC Meal and Auction Tuesday night conducted on-
site this year with our outstanding auctioneer, Lonnie Thigpen, raising money for PAC
one last time. Please bring items for the auction and your wallet and be prepared to
have a good time for a good cause. Reservation information is in this issue and on the
NCRLCA website. We look forward to seeing you at the beach.
Until next time, be safe out there.
Mitchell Reece
Inside This Issue
Volume 34 Issue 5 Circulation 5400 Edited in Spring Lake NC March-April 2018
Official News Publication of the North Carolina Rural Letter Carriers’ Association
North
Rural Carrier
Carolina
Auto/Homeowners Ins. 11
Auxiliary News 23
Calendar 24
Chaplain’s Message 3
Constitution Form 20
District Representatives
& Area Stewards 16-18
Dues Rates 12
Membership Totals 5
National Convention 4
NCRLCA Website 10
Obituaries 3
Officer Assignments 2
Outstanding Member 22
OWCP 9
PAC 14-15
President’s Message 1
Provident Guild 12-13
RAFT 10
RCHBP 9
Retirement 7-8
Resolution Form 21
Safety 6
Stamp Trivia 11
State Convention 5 & 24
2
North Carolina Rural Letter Carriers’ Association
Officers
PRESIDENT
MITCH REECE
211 Wheel Crest Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27127-9729
Phone 336-764-2747
VICE PRESIDENT
BRENDA GIBBS
5877 Turner Smith Road
Browns Summit, NC 27214-9523
Phone 336-656-0123
SECRETARY/TREASURER
VICKI GRAY
424 Wapiti Drive
Spring Lake, NC 28390-1562
Phone 910-745-8815
Executive Committee
FEHB
AUDREY SOLOMON 333 Jeribec Drive
Willow Spring, NC 27592-8093
Phone 919-639-0767
Alamance 1 Guilford County 30 Rutherford/Polk 47 Piedmont 50 Tar River 51 Tidewater 52 Wayne County 56
RETIREMENT
RENEE JOHNSON 383 Clint Johnson Road
Wilkesboro, NC 28697-7243
Phone 336-984-2368
Smoky Mountain 11 Sea Level 23 French Broad 31 Johnson County 34 Mecklenburg 38 Roanoke 44
SAFETY
SCOTT DEAL 201 S Center St
Taylorsville, NC 28681-2538
Phone 828-234-5593
Brushy Mountain 3 Ashe 6 Burke/Caldwell 9 Central Carolina 16 Cumberland/Hoke 20 Yadkin River 26
Appointed Officers
CHAPLAIN
DOUG BYRUM
1112 Cuthbertson Road
Waxhaw, NC 28173-9751
Phone 704-843-3284
HISTORIAN
ROBERT A GURGANUS
376 Red Fox St
Shallotte, NC 28470-1813
Phone 910-269-8364
AUTO-HOME INS. REP.
BRIAN HAMLETT
7668 NC Highway 62 N
Blanch, NC 27212-9257
Phone 336-514-7406
P.A.C. CHAIRMAN
STEVE ROGERS PO Box 11372
Winston-Salem, NC 27116-1372
Phone 336- 414-7642
PROVIDENT GUILD
DALE SAIN 6289 Nobby Lail Rd
Connelly Springs, NC 28612-7425
Phone 828-461-5057
WEB MASTER
JEFF ESSICK
Contact at
Albemarle 2
Alleghany County 4
Peach Belt 5
Caswell County 14
Tri-County 25
Cleveland/Gaston 29
Union County 54
Southeastern 8
Foothills 10
Durham County 12
Catawba/Lincoln 15
Harnett 32
McDowell/Mt Mitchell 36
Rockingham 46
Roanoke Chowan 7 Wake County 24 Five County 28 Orange County 39 Person 41 Randolph County 42 Watauga/Avery 57
The North Carolina Rural Carrier is published bi-monthly as a benefit to the members of the NCRLCA. It is printed by Commercial Printing of Lincolnton, NC and
mailed at standard rate by permit from Vale, NC 28168. Articles and photos must be submitted to the editor by the 10th of the month prior to publication.
Late submissions may or may not be printed.
Articles are the opinion of the Author and not necessarily the NRLCA, the NCRLCA or the Editor.
3
Obituaries Chaplain’s Message
Doug Byrum, Chaplain
The Opinion That Matters
Read 1 Samuel 16: 1-12
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, God’s special possession, that you may
declare the praises of him who called you out
of darkness into his wonderful light.
~ 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
When I read today’s scripture passage, I wonder why
David’s father, Jesse, did not send for David when Sam-
uel asked to see all Jesse’s sons. Instead, Jesse left David
out in the field, tending sheep. Did Jesse forget about
David? Did he think that David was insignificant? Un-
worthy? It really doesn’t matter what Jesse may have
thought. What matters is what God thought. And God
had chosen David to be Israel’s anointed king. From Da-
vid’s line would come the King of kings, Jesus Christ.
At times we may feel that, like David, we’ve been left
out. We weren’t chosen for the desired position. We
weren’t asked to be on that committee. We didn’t make
the team. We didn’t feel wanted or loved. Other people
considered us insignificant. But just as God chose David
even when it seemed his father had forgotten him, God
chooses us. God doesn’t leave us out in the field. God
loves us unconditionally.
When we feel insignificant and unimportant, we can
remember that God’s opinion is the only one that really
matters. In God’s eyes, we are beloved daughters and
sons.
Prayer Focus:
Young people who feel
left out
Prayer: Dear Father , thank you for valuing us so
much that you gave Jesus to lead us to abundant life. In
his name we pray. Amen.
EETINGS
Alice Holshouser Linker, 94, of Rockwell, passed
away Saturday, February 3, 2018. She was born Octo-
ber 31, 1923 in Rowan County.
Mrs. Linker was preceded in death by her husband,
Arthur Lee “A.L.” Linker. A.L. was a rural letter carri-
er in Rockwell.
Mrs. Linker was active with the National Rural Let-
ter Carriers Association. She served as president of the
North Carolina Auxiliary and was also the co-chair
with Doug Byrum at the NRLCA National Convention
that was held in Greensboro.
District Spring Business Meetings
Business meetings must be held at least 40 days
before the State Convention. This year’s deadline
is May 16, 2018.
Districts will be electing their District Officers
for the 2018-2019 year and electing their delegates
to the 2018 State Convention.
All district meetings must have a State Officer
and the assigned Steward Representative in attend-
ance.
Please make every effort to attend this im-
portant meeting in your district.
Thought for the Day:
We are all important in God’s eyes.
4
National Convention
National Delegate Election by Secret Ballot
A secret ballot election for the delegates of the North
Carolina RLCA to the 2018 NRLCA National Conven-
tion will be conducted by mail. Ballots will be mailed
to members between May 21, 2018 and June 5, 2018.
Any eligible member who does not receive a ballot
or whom spoils a ballot may request a new ballot by
contacting the Election Committee Chairperson, Debra
Bennett at 910-436-6487. If you request and return an-
other ballot, only the replacement ballot will be count-
ed.
Counting of the National Delegate ballots will take
place on Saturday June 23, 2018 beginning at 10:00
AM at the Doubletree by Hilton in Atlantic Beach, NC.
Any candidate or designee may observe the ballot
tabulation.
In reporting the results of the election, the candidates
shall be placed on a roster in the order of votes re-
ceived. The number of delegates to which the state is
entitled shall be declared regular delegates; the remain-
ing candidates shall be declared alternates. In case of a
tie vote, the tie will be broken with a blind drawing
done by the Election Committee.
This year the National Convention will be held in
Grand Rapids, Michigan from August 14-17, 2018. The
deadline for delegate nominations this year is May 16,
2018. Anything received after that date will be returned
to the sender as post office box closed.
Included below are the rules for delegate nomination
from the NRLCA constitution, Article VI.
Section 2. Delegates
A. Eligibility
2. Only Bargaining Unit Members and Retired
Members in good standing may be nominated, elected
or seated as delegates. Such “good standing” status
shall be the sole prerequisite for determining eligibility
or entitlement to service as a delegate or to any pay-
ment or benefit, except that a state may establish rea-
sonable rules to ensure attendance at the Convention.
3. A member who accepts or acts at any time in any
capacity normally performed by a manager from the
end of one Convention to the end of the next Conven-
tion shall be ineligible to be nominated or serve as del-
egate.
B. Nomination
1. Within each state association, nominations for
National Delegate shall be submitted by U.S. Mail to a
pre-arranged post office box on a nominating ballot or
copy. The nominating ballot shall be signed and show
the name and address of the member making the nomi-
nation, and may include self-nomination. The nominat-
ing ballot and instructions shall be posted on the
NRLCA website and in all published issues of The Na-
tional Rural Letter Carrier from February – May.
2. Nominations must be received in the pre-
arranged post office box at least 40 days prior to the
opening of the state convention.
This year that day is May 16, 2018.
Candidate Announcements
for State Office The state officer positions to be elected are
President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer,
and three year Committeeman. To have your can-
didacy announcements printed in our newsletter
they must be mailed to the editor by April 10,
2018. Announcements will appear in the NCRC
May/June issue. Any late submissions will not
be printed.
All articles are limited to a maximum of 150
words and will be cut off at that point. They
will be printed verbatim with no editing by the
editor. In other words you are responsible for all
content of your submission. Carriers currently serving in a management position are
not eligible to run for a position in the Union.
Official Convention News Secretary/Treasurer
Vicki Gray
5
State Convention
The State Convention will be held at Doubletree by
Hilton in Atlantic Beach, NC on June 24 thru June 27,
2018 with the business session starting on Monday June
25. Complete address and reservation information for
the State Convention can be found on the back page of
this issue.
Elections for the positions of President and Vice-
President (one year term), Secretary/Treasurer (two
year term) and Executive Committeeman (three year
term) will be conducted on Wednesday June 27, 2018.
Included below are the rules for State delegates from
the North Carolina RLCA constitution, Article VI.
Section 3. State Delegates.
A. All districts shall be entitled to one delegate vote
for each six paid-up members or a fraction there-
of.
B. No delegate shall represent more than one district.
C. No district shall be represented in the State Con-
vention by proxy.
D. The total delegates from a district (if not in full
attendance) may be voted by the one or more del-
egates in attendance.
At this year’s State Convention, on Monday morning
we will have District Managers Russ Gardner from
Greensboro and Sandy Wyrick from Mid Carolinas
speak to us.
We will have our National President Jeanette Dwyer
as our esteemed guest speaker again this year. She will
be with us for all three days. Hopefully, she will have
news on the time study that she can share with us. She
will also let us know what else is going on nationally
with our association.
President Dwyer will also listen to your concerns
and answer questions from those in attendance. This is
one way to bring your local issues to the attention of
the National office.
Delegates will also be voting on the constitution
changes and resolutions from across the state. Elections
of officer’s to your state board will take place on
Wednesday.
Blank Resolution and Constitution change forms are
included in this issue on pages 20 and 21. Please submit
Resolution or Constitution changes to me by June 1,
2018.
North Carolina Membership Totals
on March 1, 2018
District District Name Members
1 ALAMANCE 89
2 ALBEMARLE 103
3 BRUSHY MOUNTAIN 158
4 ALLEGHANY 19
5 PEACH BELT 59
6 ASHE 35
7 ROANOKE-CHOWAN 68
8 SOUTHEASTERN 274
9 BURKE-CALDWELL 126
10 FOOTHILLS 161
11 SMOKY MOUNTAIN 134
12 DURHAM COUNTY 74
14 CASWELL COUNTY 26
15 CATAWBA-LINCOLN 153
16 CENTRAL CAROLINA 208
20 CUMBERLAND-HOKE 154
23 SEA LEVEL 189
24 WAKE COUNTY 422
25 TRI COUNTY 125
26 YADKIN RIVER 280
28 FIVE COUNTY 128
29 CLEVELAND-GASTON 128
30 GUILFORD COUNTY 197
31 FRENCH BROAD 166
32 HARNETT COUNTY 65
34 JOHNSTON COUNTY 91
36 MCDOWELL-MT MITCHELL 57
38 MECKLENBERG 370
39 ORANGE COUNTY 75
41 PERSON COUNTY 22
42 RANDOLPH COUNTY 78
44 ROANOKE 51
46 ROCKINGHAM 57
47 RUTHERFORD-POLK 53
50 PIEDMONT 283
51 TAR RIVER 152
52 TIDEWATER 281
54 UNION COUNTY 131
56 WAYNE COUNTY 65
57 WATAUGA-AVERY 83
North Carolina Total 5390
Official Convention News
6
Loose Dog!!
SAFETY
Scott Deal
Date:
Subject: Unrestrained Dog
Dear Postal Customer,
I regret The Postal Service is unable to provide package delivery service to you because of your
dog. While our overall goal is to provide the best possible delivery of your mail, we also must protect
our employees. Therefore, we instruct our letter carriers to avoid entering an area where in their
judgement there is a threat of injury or attack by any animal.
As information, dog bites, regardless of the extent of damage, are traumatic experiences and con-
stant hazards to the safety of our letter carriers. Our records show that, last year, nearly 5,600 Postal
Service employees were victimized by dogs, which resulted in unnecessary pain and inconvenience to
our employees as well as enormous cost to The U.S. Postal Service. Some of these attacks resulted in
the need for extended rehabilitative leave as well as costly and painful medical treatment. We have
taken preventive measures, both internally and through community efforts, to keep our neighborhoods
safe for everyone.
Our letter carriers are armed with a pepper-based repellent spray that is supposed to stop, at least
temporarily, a dog attack. It also leaves a temporary yellow marking on the animal, which helps local
animal control identify the animal. The repellent, called Halt, consists of .35% oleo-resin capsicum
(extract of cayenne pepper) and 99.65% mineral oil, propelled by an inert gas contained in an aerosol
spray can. The repellent has been accepted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Pesticides Regula-
tion Branch and has been registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is not only a
safe and effective way to reduce bites, but it is also a humane method of controlling animals. Each
year we host National Dog Bite Prevention Week to share useful tips on how to avoid being bitten and
how to be a responsible dog owner. The prevention of a dog attack can also avoid significant liability
for the dog owner.
I can understand your concern, especially since you have never known your dog to be vicious or to
bite anyone. However, studies on dog bites show that the problem is not vicious dogs, so-called
watchdogs, or dogs running loose. Most dog bites occur on the property of the owner, on the front
porch or inside the house, and frequently inside a fenced yard. In most cases, the dog had not bitten
anyone before and was not considered dangerous to anyone by the owner.
I hope you can understand that we want to deliver your packages and we will attempt to deliver
them but we also need to exercise caution when dogs or animals are present.
I can be reached at ###-###-####. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Postmaster/Supervisor etc…
CC: USPS Safety Office
do not hesitate to use it. Simply speak with your manag-
er and/or safety team if this need ever arises.
It is Postal Service policy that if there is a loose dog
and the carrier doesn’t deem it safe, we do not have to
dismount to affect delivery.
Please always remember, it is our responsibility to
perform our duties in the safest possible manner at all
times.
Stay Safe!
The U.S. Postal Service letter template below is
available to any carrier who feels the need for it. Please
7
RETIREMENT
Renee Johnson
In 2012, government employees were given an addition-
al option of Roth TSP to add to their Traditional TSP contri-
butions.
At that time, Greg Long was the Executive Director of
The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. (He
stepped down last year.) However, he has stated that he
wished they had given it a different name, because he wants
all federal/postal investors to understand something.
“The Roth IRA and Roth TSP are two very, very differ-
ent things.” Greg Long, Past Executive Director of The
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.
The Roth TSP account is the option available to us inside
our TSP investment choices. However, since I have been
asked questions about the differences, and have noticed the
confusion between these types of Roth accounts, I’d like to
take a moment to explain what a traditional Roth IRA is, and
then we’ll delve into the Roth TSP vs. traditional TSP.
What is a Roth IRA and how much can I contribute
annually?
According to the dictionary, a Roth IRA is an individual
retirement account allowing a person to set aside after-tax
income up to a specified amount each year. Both earnings
on the account and withdrawals after age 59½ are tax-free.
Many of you are familiar with this type of Roth IRA. It
has annual contribution limits of $5,500 for individuals
younger than 50; and $6,500 for those 50 and above. There
are other restrictions as well. An employer does not match
funds to these accounts.
What is a Traditional TSP account?
Traditional TSP is an individual retirement account al-
lowing a person to set aside pre-tax income up to a speci-
fied amount each year. For 2018, this amount is $ 18,500.
What is the difference between a Roth TSP and a
traditional TSP?
A Roth TSP is funded with after-tax dollar s while the
traditional TSP is funded with pre-tax dollars. The Roth
TSP still allows you to invest in the same funds as the
traditional TSP. Your contributions have the same ceil-
ings. Together, both Roth TSP and traditional TSP, the
limit is still $ 18,500.00.
*It can be higher if you’re older than 50 and contrib-
uting catch-up contributions, but let’s keep this as simple
as possible.
Your employer can match your contribution to a Roth
TSP, but the match must be contributed to a traditional
TSP.
How will TSP transactions work with Roth money?
If you make Roth contributions or transfer Roth mon-
ey into your account, you will have a Roth “balance” in
your account, in addition to any traditional “balance.”
Traditional and Roth money must be kept separate in
your account for tax purposes, but the two “pots” of mon-
ey together make one TSP account balance.
Any transactions you make — such as interfund trans-
fers, contribution allocations, loans, beneficiary designa-
tions, and withdrawals —will apply in equal proportions
to the Roth and traditional balances.
For example, you would not be able to make an inter-
fund transfer and put all your Roth money in the G Fund
and all your traditional money in the C Fund.
To demonstrate: Suppose you have a $100,000 TSP
account balance and 10% of your account is Roth
($10,000) and 90% is traditional ($90,000). If you do an
interfund transfer to put 10% of your account in the G
Fund and 90% in the C Fund, here’s how it will be done:
(Continued on page 8)
Interfund Transfer:
10% G Fund 90% C Fund
Roth Balance $10,000 Traditional Balance $90,000
$1,000 ➤ G Fund $9,000 ➤ G Fund
$9,000 ➤ C Fund $81,000 ➤ C Fund
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN ROTH IRA, ROTH TSP
AND TRADITIONAL TSP
8
The Treatment of… Traditional TSP Roth TSP
Contributions Pre-tax After-tax
Your Paycheck Taxes are deferred, so less money is
taken out of your paycheck.
Taxes are paid up front, so more money
comes out of your paycheck.
Transfers In Transfers allowed from eligible
employer plans and traditional IRAs
Transfers allowed from Roth 401(k)s, Roth
403(b)s, and Roth 457(b)s
Transfers Out Transfers allowed to eligible employer
plans, traditional IRAs, and Roth IRAs
Transfers allowed to Roth 401(k)s, Roth 403
(b)s, Roth 457(b)s, and Roth IRAs
Withdrawals Taxable when withdrawn
Tax-free earnings if five years have passed
since January 1 of the year you made your
first Roth contribution, AND you are age 59½
or older, permanently disabled, or deceased
(Continued from page 7)
Roth TSP and Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).
The year after you turn age 70½, the IRS requires you to begin receiving a minimum amount of money from your
account (unless you are still working). This is your RMD, and it is calculated based on your account balance and IRS
life expectancy tables. IRS requirements for RMDs apply to employer-sponsored retirement plans like the TSP with no
exceptions; therefore, RMDs will apply to Roth money in your TSP account, even though they do not apply to Roth
IRAs.
Roth TSP and Roth IRAs.
Roth TSP contributions do not count toward the limits on Roth IRA contributions. This just means that if you are
eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA, making Roth TSP contributions won’t lessen the amount that you can contribute to
a Roth IRA. On the other hand, it’s possible that making Roth TSP contributions may make you ineligible for a Roth
IRA.
That’s because your Roth contributions are counted as part of your adjusted gross income (AGI), while your tradi-
tional pre-tax contributions are not. Your AGI will be higher if you make Roth contributions than it would be if you
made traditional contributions of the same amount. This is just one of the factors you will need to keep in mind as you
evaluate Roth TSP.
Traditional/Roth Comparison Compare the effects of traditional and Roth contributions.
Tax Treatment of Your Contributions
The TSP will keep your traditional balance and your Roth balance in separate "buckets" in your TSP account for the
purposes of tracking contributions and transfers into your account. However, you cannot just tap one or the other balance
when you request transactions such as contribution allocation changes, interfund transfers, loans, and withdrawals. All
transactions will include a proportional amount from each balance. Transfers to a Roth IRA from a Roth TSP are not
subject to the income restrictions that apply to Roth IRA contributions.
Whether you choose Roth TSP or Traditional TSP, the important thing is to get started. Save for your future.
Here is a chart from
the TSP.gov website
that gives you an idea
of how little it takes to
make a difference with
compound interest
over the course of a
few years.
If Every Day, You
Saved the Cost of... You'd Contribute... in
20 Years
You'd Have*
in
30 Years
You'd Have*
in
40 Years
You'd Have* 1 mobile app ($1) $30 per month $13,860 $30,135 $59,745
1 bottled water ($1.50) $45 per month $20,790 $45,200 $89,615
1 specialty coffee ($3.50) $105 per month $48,515 $105,475 $209,105 1 dry-cleaned shirt ($4) $120 per month $55,445 $120,540 $238,980
1 take-out lunch ($7) $210 per month $97,030 $210,950 $418,215 1 short taxi ride ($8) $240 per month $110,890 $241,085 $477,955
9
S-T-R-E-S-S
RCHBP
Audrey Solomon
As you know, the count is over.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.
Let’s talk about stress.
What is stress? Stress is your reaction to any
change that requires you to adjust or respond. It is
caused by your reaction to changes in your environ-
ment. For example: If you feel threatened, your body
acts in a way to prevent injury. This is known as “fight
-or-flight” reaction. During this reaction your heart
rate increases, blood pressure rises, and muscles tight-
en preparing to protect itself. People react to stress
differently. What causes stress in some people are bet-
ter handled by another.
There are different responses to stress such as but
not limited too: physical, mental, and emotional.
Emotional symptoms include but are not limited to:
Becoming easily agitated, frustrated and moody.
Feeling overwhelmed, like you are losing control
or need to take control.
Having difficulty relaxing and quieting your
mind.
Feeling bad about yourself (low self-esteem),
lonely, worthless and depressed.
Avoiding others.
Physical symptoms include but not limited to:
Low energy;
Headaches;
Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipa-
tion, and nausea;
Chest Pain and rapid heartbeat;
Insomnia;
Clenched jaw and grinding teeth.
Mental symptoms include but not limited to:
Constant worrying;
Racing thoughts;
Inability to focus;
Being pessimistic or seeing only the negative
side.
A little stress is normal; however, chronic stress can
cause major health problems. Talk to your physician
about your stress symptoms. Your doctor can recom-
mend a therapist or counselor to help you handle your
stress.
I hope everyone had a successful count.
Are You Out On OWCP?
If so, your Association dues are not being deducted from your paycheck.
The National Office has advised us that all members out on OWCP must pay their dues to maintain their
membership.
You must be a member in good standing to enjoy the benefits of union membership, including your eligibility
for enrollment in the Rural Carrier Health Benefit Plan.
Please contact Vicki Gray, NC Secretary-Treasurer to make arrangements to pay your dues and remain a
member in good standing.
10
RAFT RAFFLE
New members must still be
employed with the rural craft 90 days after their enrollment
date. Any member that has separated or moved to anoth-er craft within those 90 days
is ineligible.
The recruiter will have one chance for each new member
they recruit. If they have re-cruited five new members,
then they will have five chances in the drawing at the
$250 prize.
Please visit the website
at WWW.NCRLCA.com for
the latest information and to
view this issue in color!
RAFT is the acronym for Recruit A Friend Today. The NRLCA began the RAFT program as
an incentive payment for our members; to encourage our members to recruit the non-
members of our craft to join our Association.
The National Office is no longer sending RAFT payments to individual members for any
new member recruited after July 1, 2017. They have encouraged the State to develop
their own incentive programs.
North Carolina has decided to implement a “RAFT Recruiter Raffle” as an incentive for our
North Carolina members to continue their efforts in enlisting new members. We will have a
drawing at the end of each quarter. This will be done for a term of one year initially. If this
proves successful, it may be extended the following year.
Every quarter the names of all recruiters will be placed in the hat for a chance at winning a
$250 prize.
The next drawing will be on March 31, 2018. This pool of names will be from all the new
members recruited during the previous quarter (October 1 - December 31).
11
North Carolina Dogwood Stamp From the Ratification of the Constitution Bicentennial Series
In the spring of 1787, having found the Articles of Confederation inadequate to meet the needs of the united but loosely-knit states, fifty-five delegates from twelve of the thirteen states (Rhode Island refused to participate) assembled in Philadelphia. Their purpose: To write a constitution that strengthened the states' unity, power as a nation, and viability in the world market-place.
On July 4, 1987, the United States Postal Service released the first of the Ratification of the Constitution Bicentennial Issue's thirteen stamps. From 1987-1990, the U.S.P.S. issued a set of stamps commemorating the signing of the Constitution by repre-sentatives of the first 13 Colonies. The stamps were issued in the 200th year after each state approved the Constitution, in the order each colony became a state, with the first stamp commemorating Delaware on July 4, 1987.. Every stamp features tradi-
tional symbols of their state.
The 25-cent Constitution Series commemorative stamp honoring North Carolina statehood was issued on August 22, 1989, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. North Carolina's state flower, the dogwood, is spotlighted against a rich, black background.
One of the original 13 colonies and the 12th state to ratify the Constitution, North Carolina is known as the "Tar Heel State". Although North Carolina was next to last in voting for the union, it was the first colony to call officially for independence from England in 1776.
Later, although the last to vote for secession in 1861, this proud state gave the greatest number of troops to the Confederacy and suffered the most casualties of any southern state in the Civil War.
Until well into the nineteenth century, North Carolina was the most isolated and sparsely settled of the original thirteen states. With progressive gov-ernments and a strong commitment to education, the state steadily shed its Rip Van Winkle reputation as agriculture-related industries — tobacco products, furniture, and cotton textiles — came to prominence.
The wide diversity in climate and soil gives North Carolina the greatest variety of plant life of any state in the Eastern part of North America.
Bob Timberlake, a North Carolina native and one of the South's most accomplished and widely recognized painters, created this dynamic design.
*Information From Arago™, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum,
Are You In Shape
For Spring?
Auto-Homeowners'
Insurance Rep
Brian Hamlett
Safety has always been an important part of being a rural
carrier, not only for ourselves but the communities in which
we serve.
With winter coming to a close, it’s a good idea to make
sure your POV is in good shape. Road salt, cold starts, and
snow banks are just a few of the winter wonders that wreak
havoc on our vehicles. It is your responsibility to ensure
your POV is in good working condition and meets state in-
spection standards. If you drive a LLV inspect it and
promptly report any problems.
With health and safety being the number one concern,
number two is probably liability. An accident caused by
neglecting the proper maintenance of your POV could pos-
sibly be cause to deny USPS liability coverage under the
Tort Claims Act. It would then fall on you and your private
car insurance. Is your insurance going to cover you if Tort
Claims coverage is denied? Ask your insurance agent and if
they say no or don’t know what your talking about, give
me a call. I’ll put you in touch with someone who can
help. And don’t let them try to sell you a commercial
policy. You do not need commercial insurance as a rural
carrier.
On another note, spring rapidly approaches and many
of us are getting in a “Spring Cleaning” mood. This is a
perfect opportunity to make sure your home is properly
insured. You do not want to find out you’re underinsured
when it’s time to make a claim. Contact your agent and
review your homeowners policy. Since home values gen-
erally increase over time, your homeowners insurance
policy should be changed as well. A thorough inventory
of the contents of your home can be invaluable in the
event of a fire or break in. Write down the name and
model of your things like electronics, appliances, and
furniture. A walk through your house with a video cam-
era can be helpful as well.
I hope you all had a good mail count and are making
preparations to join us at Atlantic Beach for State Con-
vention in June. Also don’t forget to attend your Local
District Meeting! This is the easiest way to get face to
face information from our State Board and District Rep/
ADR. Information will be available on the NRLCA In-
surance Marketplace should you need it.
12
Have You Joined The
Guild?
The Provident Guild is a Non-Profit, Fraternal or-
ganization, created and operated by Rural Carriers, for
our membership and Auxiliary Members to give their
survivors an amount of READY CASH for those days
when routine procedures of the courts and legal action
tie up our estates after death.
The Guild is not insurance. Rather, it is a Fraternal
Death Benefit Fund which guarantees you at least 30
times your annual dues and, depending on the number
of claims in any given year, can pay you up to 100
times your annual dues.
Top 10 reasons you should join the
Provident Guild
10. Your dues will never increase
9. You get an immediate relief payment of 30%
8. You only pay dues once a year
7. You don’t have to be a full time employee
6. Your spouse can receive this benefit
5. Your maximum benefits range from $1000-
$5000
4. You do not have to have a physical
3. You will not be cancelled at age 65
2. You only have to pay a onetime entrance fee of
just $2.00
And the number one reason you should join is…….
1. You will have peace of mind knowing that your
loved ones will have a little extra money to help with
your immediate expenses when you are gone.
An application for membership is included in
this issue on the next page. Please consider joining!
Thanks for your consideration.
Provident Guild Dale Sain
Current NCRLCA Dues for 2017-2018
Regular…Cash……………...…....…..$689.00
1187…Bi-Weekly….……….……….…$26.50
Retired……Cash………………..…...$111.00
1187R…Monthly……………….….…...$9.25
73, RCA, RCR, ARC…..Cash…….....$230.00
1187….…Bi-Weekly.…………..…...…. $8.85
WANTED 50 * 60 or 70 year
Long Term Members
Have you been a member for more than
50 years?
Do you know of a member that
has been with us for over
50 years?
If so please let us know so that
we can recognize their
service to our Association
Please contact Vicki Gray
at
910-745-8815
REWAR
The membership year begins July 1, ends
June 30. Checks or 1187 membership form
should be mailed to Vicki Gray, NCRLCA
Secretary/Treasurer, 424 Wapiti Dr., Spring
Lake, NC 28390.
Cash Dues are due by July 1st. Please
make checks payable to NCRLCA.
NOTE: “Dues, assessments, contr ibutions
or gifts to the NCRLCA are not deductible as
charitable contributions for federal income
tax purposes.
13
PLEASE FILL IN WITH TYPEWRITER OR PRINT LEGIBLY WITH INK ALL QUESTIONS MUST BE ANSWERED
DEATH BENEFIT DEPARTMENT, National Rural Letters Carriers’ Association and its Auxiliary
Date____________________ APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
Those who submit applications during July, August or September need to pay a full year’s dues plus the entrance fee. October, November or December submissions need to pay 75% of a full year’s dues plus the entrance fee. January, February or March submissions need to pay 50% of a full year’s dues plus the entrance fee. April, May or June submissions must pay the entrance fee plus 25% of a full year’s dues plus the upcoming full year’s dues.
Male Female Married Single Divorced Widowed
1.Name_____________________________________________________________________________________________________ First Middle Last
2.A. Home Address___________________________________________________________________________________________ Street ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City State Zip Code B. If Mailing Address is different from residence—Please List________________________________________________________ City State Zip Code 3. Date of Birth_____________________________________________________________________________ Ft. _____ In. ______ Month Day Year Age Weight Height
4. Occupation: Regular Carrier Substitute Carrier Retired Carrier Wife/Husband of Carrier
Widow/Widower of Carrier Wife/Husband of Substitute Carrier Wife/Husband of Ret. Carrier
5. Have you ever been a member of the Provident Guild? ___________________________________ Yes No
6. Is your wife (or Husband) a member of the Provident Guild?_______________________________ Yes No
7. 1st Beneficiary_____________________________________________________________________________________________
2nd Beneficiary____________________________________________________________________________________________
8. “I agree to the method for distribution of benefits as shall be Provided by the Organic Law as of the date of my death.”
9. I hereby declare that I have carefully read each and all of the above questions and answers, and that my answers are true.
_____________________________________ Signature of Applicant
______________________________________________________________ Recommended by: Guild Representative
Mail At Once To
Rural Carriers’ Provident Guild Diana Hausfeld
PO Box 105 Minster, Ohio 45865-0105
ACTION OF ADMISSION BOARD
Not to be filled by Applicant
____________________
____________________
____________________
CIRCLE CLASS DESIRED:
$10 $15 $20
$30 $40 $50
For Class:__________________
+ Entrance Fee $2.00
*Amount Enclosed;__________
14
As we finish what I hope was our last
traditional mail count, we have a lot of people to say
thank you to:
Your District Representative and Assistant District
Representatives; who spent much of their time at the
plants checking up on everything.
Your local office Stewards, who were there to answer
all of your questions and address your concerns.
Yourself, without your hard work and dedication, none
of this could have been completed successfully.
PAC NEEDS A DONATION FROM YOU!
You do not have to be well educated to serve in Con-
gress. Because of this, sometimes the decisions they make
are not always the best ones. Remember, there are two
parts to how we work and get paid. One part is negotiated
by our National Officers at contract time. The other part
is the laws passed by the U.S. Congress.
Your PAC donations allow us to educate our repre-
sentatives about the laws that will affect all of us. Your
PAC donations help protect us from what our elected offi-
cials can do with our future. PAC’s lobbying efforts are
as equally important as are contract negotiations.
We are in one of the most critical times in post office
history. Your donations now will affect the future tremen-
dously. With new competitors now delivering packages
for Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart, and other online services;
they threaten the need for daily mail delivery. We need to
speak up and inform our representatives of these issues in
order to protect our future. If you care about this, then
please make a donation to PAC. No amount is too small. If
every member of North Carolina made a donation, it
would make a huge difference in our state and our nation!
The beginning of spring doesn’t only bring warmer
weather and flowers; it also brings district meetings. If you
truly care about your future, please consider taking one
evening to attend a meeting. It only lasts a couple of hours
and is always at a great restaurant. This means you can be
educated and have a full belly! Plus, you could have a
chance at winning a $100 prize just by showing up! How
so? Come and find out! There are also other opportunities
to win hundreds of dollars in prizes.
Each donation to PAC could make the difference in
you having a secure future or questioning whether you
have a future at all.
Also, our State Convention is just around the corner!
Find unique items that you would like to donate. We will
then take these items and auction them off to raise money
for our PAC. I hope to see every one of you at these up
coming events!
Please send PAC Donations to:
Steve Rogers
PO Box 11372
Winston-Salem NC 27116-1372
(336) 414-7642
PAC CHAIR
Steve Rogers
Hallelujah!
It is OVER!
Postal Reform Legislation Passes Favorably Out of House Oversight Committee On March 16, 2017 the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed a substitute amendment
on H.R. 756, the Postal Service Reform Act of 2017, favorably out of committee. The bill passed by voice vote.
The substitute amendment had minor changes to the legislation. During the markup, five amendments were of-
fered; one by Rep. DeSaulnier (D-CA) and four by Rep. Issa (R-CA). The DeSaulnier amendment passed by
voice vote, and would require the Postal Service to notify a Member of Congress 10 days before sending out the
public notice of a Post Office closing if that Post Office is located in his or her district. The four Issa amendments
were all similar in nature, and sought service cuts if the Postal Service did not meet certain financial benchmarks.
One of the amendments attempted to cut a day of delivery if the Postal Service did not achieve a 2 percent growth
in net sales. That amendment, including two others that dealt with door delivery, were withdrawn. A final amend-
ment offered by Rep. Issa that would allow the Postal Service to convert door delivery to cluster boxes if the
Postal Service did not meet a .001 percent profit in a given year failed by voice vote.
H.R. 756 will now be referred to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce Com-
mittee because of the Medicare Integration provision in the bill.
In addition to H.R. 756 passing favorably out of committee, H.R. 760, the Postal Service Financial Improve-
ment Act of 2017, also passed favorably out of committee by voice vote.
* From the NRLCA website.
15
CAPITOL SAPPHIRE
LEVEL +$3000
Caudle, Daniel
Rogers, Stephen
SAPPHIRE LEVEL
$2000-$2999
Rogers, Tina
DIAMOND LEVEL
$1000—$1499
Prevatte, Brenda
Southern, Roger
RUBY LEVEL
$500-$999
Conley, Dennis
Cook, Heather
Hudgins, Bryan
Lineberger, Ronald
CONTRIBUTOR LEVEL
$1-$499
Allen, Roger
Althoff, Elaine
Amos, Kathy
Athey, Jayne
Bennett, Debra
Best, Raymond
Bowen, Ronald
Brantley, Tracy
Britt, Celeste
Byrd, Tony
Byrum, Doug
Cantler, Marlene
Carawan, Kerry S.
Caudill, Michael
Caudle, Carolyn
CONTRIBUTOR Continued
Chase, Gay A.
Comer, James
Corriher, Sally
Crutchfield, John
Deal, Scott
Derrick, Chris
Dudley, Rhonda
Dwyer, Jeanette
Essick, Jeff
Farmer, Jesse Ray
Fortune, Lee Ann
Frazier, Ken
Freeman, Betsy
Fuller, Kenneth
Fulwood, Phillip
Futch, Kelly Kenny
Gibbs, Brenda
Glass, Claire M.
Gray, Vicki
Greer, Tracy
Gurganus, Robert
Hamlett, Richard L.
Harpe, Derek
Heath, Van
Hedgepeth, Priscilla
Heller, Kathleen
Hogan, Catherine
Holmes, Zakiya
Hudson, Melinda
Huffines, Jerry
Huffines, Terry
Hunter, Eric
Inman, Robert
Jensen, Eileen
Johnson, Glenn
Johnson, Renee
Johnson, Bonnie
Jones, Judith
Josewitz, Mary
Joyner, Rachael F.
Kelly, Carl
Kenny-Futch, Kelly
Kight, Janet
Klamer, Cynthia
CONTRIBUTOR Continued
Koontz, Barbara
Laney, Christine
Lawson, Jean
Lester, Dexter
Ligon, Martha Sue
Lindsay, Connie
Liverman, Melissa
Mangum, Mary
McClanahan, Catherine
McClelland, Jadwiga
Mcintyre, Crystal
Mildner, Norbert
Neal, Deborah
Neal, Reginald
Norris, Harold
Parker, Donna
Ranker, Kim
Rasnick, David
Reaves, Cecil
Reece, Mitchell
Rogers, Tori
Sain, Dale
Schreiber, Jay
Simmoms, Phillip
Simmons, James
Small, Bethany
Snipes, Christina
Solomon, Audrey
St. Clair, Melinda
Stafford, Ricky
Stewart, Charles
Stewart, Kevin
Stow, Joshua
Swicegood, Casey
Taylor, Arles
Tussey, Angie
Tyndall, Tracy Shannon
Vance, Michelle
Westbrook, Betty
White, Brenda
Williams, Hugh Arnold
Young, Arthur
PAC Donor List As of January 2018
16
North Carolina District Representatives
Mid-Carolinas
Sally Corriher PO Box 460
China Grove, NC 28023-0460
704-855-2629
Greensboro
Jeff Essick
PO Box 12001
Winston Salem, NC 27117-2001
336-618-5095
Assistant District Representatives
Mid-Carolinas
Bethany Small
PO Box 11001
Southport, NC 28461-1001
910-477-2429
Greensboro
Bryan W. Hudgins
PO Box 26
Eure, NC 27935-0021
252-357-2406
Eddie Moss
PO Box 1271
Gaffney, SC 29342-1271
864-504-1712
Kelly Kenny Futch
PO Box 131
Sneads Ferry NC 28460
(910) -818- 4843
Gail Naillon
PO Box 12
Roxboro, NC 27573
336-455-3973
Daniel Caudle
PO Box 309
Pfafftown, NC 27040-0309
336-580-0089
Art Young
PO Box 512
Willow Spring, NC 27592
919-805-9936
Area Stewards
Mid-Carolinas
Brenda Prevatte
910-738-8424
Ralph Fernandez
321-278-9479
Scarlett Hall
910-658-2972
Adam Campbell
910-554-6574
Dennis Conley
571-447-0062
Greensboro
17
Disputing Your Mail Count?
The two-week mail count has finally ended.
The plants were visited in Mid-Carolinas and the
Greenville plant was visited. You have reviewed your
Form 4241 and provided a written dispute letter detailing
your reasons for disputing your mail count. Your dispute
sheet must provide as much documentation as you can
include: the dimensions of the disputed
mail piece, address location, number of
pieces, and why the pieces should have
been counted and placed in a different
column on the 4239 for proper credit.
Your dispute letters will be re-
viewed at the District level prior to the
effective date of the mail count—April
28, 2018.
When you receive your letter from
District Operations Support with no changes made to your
mail count totals, you have 14 days to grieve this decision.
If you do not receive a response letter from Mid-Carolinas
District Operations provided by the local manager, please
call your Assistant District Representative or me for assis-
tance.
Relief Day Work List (RDWL)
The relief day work list will be posted on April 21,
2018, for two weeks. Management will then have a week
to post the list with the names of those who have signed in
order of seniority with an effective date of May 12, 2018,
beginning of PP 11. This list replaces all previous relief
day work lists.
When a regular rural carrier is needed to work a relief
day, due to the unavailability of a leave replacement, per
Article 8.5 the manager will:
Select carriers on the list, in the order of seniority on a
rotating basis to work on their relief day.
If the need still exists, management will accept volun-
teers from regular rural carriers not on the list before re-
quiring regular carriers not on the list to work their relief
day. Requiring regular rural carriers not on the list to
work is by juniority.
Mid- Carolinas
District District Representative
A regular rural carrier on the list will not be required to
work if the carrier has at least one day of annual leave
(including an approved X day per option 1) or sick leave
adjacent to the relief day.
Per Article 9.2.C.5.f: the regular rural carriers on the
relief day work list who work the relief day will select one
of the following options:
An X day to be immediately scheduled by mutual
agreement between the carrier and the manager. The sched-
uled X day must be within the next 12 weeks. PS Form
3971 will be completed for the mutually agreed X day and
the scheduled X day will be given the same consideration
as approved annual leave.
Compensation at 50% of the carrier’s daily rate of pay,
in addition to receiving an X day within 12 weeks sched-
uled by the employer. (Code 3)
Compensation at 150% of the carrier’s daily rate of pay.
The carrier will not receive an X day. (Code 5)
Management must provide three (3)
working days notice to a regular rural
carrier when assigning an X day, ex-
cept from the beginning of the guar-
antee year through the designated
Christmas period.
If a regular works their relief day and
cannot complete the entire route due
to illness, the carrier will be compen-
sated 150% of the carrier’s hourly
rate for the actual hours worked, regardless of the option
selected. The carrier receives a J or K as appropriate and
PS Form 2240R will be submitted for the actual hours to
be paid at 150%.
Please remember that signing the RDWL does not pro-
vide you an entitlement to work your relief day. Manage-
ment must still follow Article 30 to provide coverage for a
route by utilizing the Matrix, PTFs or qualified leave re-
placements in the office. A leave replacement may not be
borrowed from another office until all available regular
rural carriers (on and off the relief day work list) have been
assigned to work their relief day.
If a regular rural carrier signs the RDWL, you cannot
say NO to working your relief day. When you sign the list
that means that you are ready and willing to work any re-
lief day needed. You can remove your name from the
RDWL at anytime. However, if you have been selected to
work your relief day prior to removing your name, you
must work that scheduled relief day. (Q & A 1999 Analy-
sis)
All regular rural carriers, not on the relief day work list,
who work their relief day will receive compensation at
50% of the daily rate of pay and an X day as scheduled by
management. (Code 3)
If you are disputing your
mail count,
do not sign PS Form 4241
stating that you agree with
the mail count data.
18
to work then your leave accrual stops.
If you are the carrier being converted to a regular sta-
tus as the result of a job posting, your annual leave will be
carried over and not paid out in a lump sum.
If you are not being converted to a regular carrier
when your leave accrual stops your earned annual leave
will be paid out in a lump sum. All sick leave will be
“banked” for a maximum of 3 years. If you make regular
or return to another designation 74 the accumulated sick
leave will be back into your account for use.
RCA’s assigned to an auxiliary route will start earning
leave after 90 calendar days. On the 91st day management
will do a Personnel Action Request form changing your
designation 78 to a designation 79.
It is management’s responsibility to notify the Human
Resources Department when you meet your 90 day status
but it is your responsibility to keep track of these days and
make sure management is submitting the proper paper-
work. I would recommend reminding management to do
the proper paperwork about a week before your 91st day.
If management fails to do the paperwork then that is when
you would initiate the first step of the grievance process.
Greensboro
District
Assistant
District Representative
Can Casing Equipment
Be Changed Over the last week I have received calls from concerned
carriers on whether management can change or downsize
their casing equipment. Especially with the abundant
amount of overburdened routes from this last mail count.
Many offices may see new routes created and auxiliary
routes. A lot of offices simply do not have the additional
space to accommodate these newly created routes.
I would like to discuss casing equipment and when it
may be changed according to a Step 4 decision (J95R-4J-
CO1250167) dated 1/16/03.
Management will determine the initial casing system
when a route is created. There are other times when they
can change the casing equipment. (PO 603 213.1 – 213.23)
1.When a regular route becomes vacant for any reason
including when a regular carrier retires.
2.When a route changes regular carriers, this includes
the awarding process.
3.When the casing equipment itself becomes unservicea-
ble, management at that time will replace the worn equip-
ment.
4.On an auxiliary route, management may change the
casing system at any time.
5.Lastly, the casing system/equipment may be changed
at any time by mutual agreement between management and
the assigned regular carrier to the route.
Other than these provisions that allow changes in equip-
ment there should be no changes to your casing system. If
this is happening on your route you need to get in touch
with your assigned steward ASAP so that we can get this
corrected.
Leave Earning For RCAs
One of the benefits available to the RCAs is the ability
to earn annual and sick leave in certain circumstances.
RCAs serving a vacant route or in the extended absence of a
regular carrier will convert to a leave earning status after 90
calendar days. On the 91st calendar day management will do
a Personnel Action Request Form converting the RCA from
a designation 78 to a designation 74.
You can only use these benefits while you are in a leave
earning status (Designation 74). When the route is posted
and awarded to another carrier or the regular carrier returns
Engineering Panel Update: Comments Have Now Been
Submitted by the Parties
Pursuant to the July 3, 2012 MOU on the Evaluat-
ed Compensation System Time Standards Project, the
NRLCA and the Postal Service have an opportunity to
evaluate and comment on the Industrial Engineering
Panel’s Final Report on the Rural Route Evaluated
Compensation System (“RRECS”), which it issued on
October 31, 2017. Thus, on Wednesday, February 28,
2018, the Union and the Postal Service each submit-
ted detailed comments to the Panel. The NRLCA and
Postal Service each put forward over 20 comments
that addressed a number of the Panel’s findings and
recommended certain adjustments, additional analy-
sis, and other actions for the Panel to consider. As
part of this process, the NRLCA and the Postal Ser-
vice also had extensive discussions about the Panel’s
report and, where the parties agreed on issues and
proposed solutions, they developed joint comments
for the Panel’s consideration in conjunction with the
individual party comments.
In accordance with the MOU, the Panel has ninety
days to review the parties’ comments and to issue a
final determination. The Panel may involve the parties
in further discussions on the outstanding issues, and if
necessary, that deadline may be extended.
We will update you with any developments here.
*From the NRLCA Website
19
How To Effect Change In The Union
We Need You!
We need you to participate in your union.
We need you to attend your State Convention and other meetings.
We need you to share your ideas with us.
We need you to VOTE for your National Delegates
when you receive your ballot.
We need you to consider becoming a local steward.
We need you to help recruit non-members.
We need you to keep our union strong.
Do you know that our current contract will expire in May of this year?
Is there something that you would like to see our Nation-al Officers negotiate for in our next contract?
Many things go into contract negotiations. Of course, our pay is a big one. Salaries, pay raises, EMA allowance, etc. Benefits include health and life insurance, retirement, sick and annual leave, and holidays. There are also our working conditions, seniority, and much more.
Do you have an idea for an improvement on an existing condition in our current contract? Perhaps you have a com-pletely new idea.
The way to influence change is through resolutions. We let our National Board know what we want through the res-olutions and the Constitution changes brought before the delegates at the National Convention.
New resolutions and Constitutional changes presented at the National Convention start their life at local district meetings and State conventions across this country. If you have an idea, let us hear it. Every change we have made as a union started out as a new dream from a member.
Please do not expect the union to just know what you would like to see happen. Take the time to submit a resolu-tion.
Included in this issue are the blank forms for you to use (pages 20 and 21). They may look complicated to fill out but they are not really. If you do need help, any board mem-ber will be glad to help you. Just give one of us a call.
These forms are also used to make changes at the State level.
Let’s see your vision!
Volunteers for NCRLCA State
Convention Committees
If you will be attending the 2018 state convention in
Atlantic Beach as a duly elected delegate, you may
volunteer to serve on one of the committees listed
below.
Please check which committee(s) you would like to
serve on. You may select more than one.
__Resolutions __Constitution
__Credentials __Tellers
Please Print Legibility
Name:_______________________________________
Local District # ________________________
Telephone #
Clip this coupon and mail as soon as possible to:
Mitch Reece
211 Wheel Crest Drive
Winston-Salem, NC 27127-9729
20
NRLCA CONSTITUTION CHANGE
The following proposed Constitution change is being presented by and is hereby summited to
the Constitution Committee of the North Carolina Rural Letter Carriers Association at the 2018 State Convention in
Atlantic Beach, NC for consideration and appropriate action.
The following procedures are suggested for effectively presenting Constitution changes to Committee:
1) Place only one Constitution per sheet.
2) Present in Word document format. Formatting instructions:
(a) Font - Times New Roman; Font Size – 11
(b) New Language BOLD; Omitted Language Strike Through
(c) Article ________________ Section ____________________ Paragraph ___________________
Explanatory paragraphs should be headed as follows: (If spaces below are inadequate, use additional sheets with appropriate heading)
PRESENT LANGUAGE:
PROPOSED LANGUAGE:
INTENT OF/REASON FOR CHANGE:
Mail to Vicki Gray, 424 Wapiti Drive, Spring Lake, NC 28390
To be presented to the Constitution Committee at the 2018 State Convention
21
NRLCA RESOLUTION CHANGE
Check Appropriate Box
___Binding
___Non-Binding
The following proposed Resolution change is being presented by and is hereby summited to
the Resolutions Committee of the North Carolina Rural Letter Carriers Association at the 2018 State Convention in
Atlantic Beach, NC for consideration and appropriate action.
The following procedures are suggested for effectively presenting resolutions to Committee:
1) Place only one Resolution per sheet.
2) Present in Word document format. Formatting instructions:
(a) Font - Times New Roman; Font Size – 11
(b) New Language BOLD; Omitted Language Strike Through
Identify any Handbooks, Manuals, or Documents (if appropriate) to be amended by:
Name of Document________________________________________________________
Article ________________ Section ____________________ Paragraph ___________________
Explanatory paragraphs should be headed as follows:
(If spaces below are inadequate, use additional sheets with appropriate heading)
PRESENT LANGUAGE:
PROPOSED LANGUAGE:
INTENT OF/REASON FOR CHANGE:
Mail to Vicki Gray, 424 Wapiti Drive, Spring Lake, NC 28390
To be presented to the Resolutions Committee at the 2018 State Convention
ISSUES Check one:
_GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
22
name of the candidate shall be reported to the
National Office by the State Secretary on the regular An-
nual Report. An appropriate award will be presented
by the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association at its
National Convention.
V. Other
These guidelines are not intended to be binding and a State
may use any other selection procedure that is suitable for
each State.
The announcement of the recipient of the award will be
made at the banquet at the State Convention. The State
Secretary shall report the name to the National Office and
the award will be presented at the National Convention
with State presentation at the Fall Booster.
This year the State Board has appointed the immediate
past three recipients of the award to serve as the Selection
Committee.
Please mail the name of the candidate, along with a re-
sume to ALL members of the Selection Committee listed
below, prior to the State Convention.
Jeff Essick
PO Box 12001
Winston-Salem, NC 27117-2001
Derek Harpe
781 Baltimore Road
Advance, NC 27006-7817
Brenda Johnson
525 Brown Road
Lillington, NC 27546-8804
Nominations are being
accepted at this time
for this award.
GUIDELINES FOR SELECTION OF OUTSTANDING MEMBER OF THE YEAR
I. Method of Selection
1. Nomination of candidates for the award shall be made
prior to the State Convention. Nominations may be
made directly from the members inviting such nomina-
tions. Also, local, county or district units may select can-
didates for the award.
2. In either event, the name of the candidate should be
submitted, with a brief resume of accomplishments, to a
Selection Committee to be named by the State Board, or
by any other means, which may be the prevailing policy
in the State Association.
II. Eligibility for Award
1. Any MEMBER of the Association may be nominated
as a candidate for the Outstanding Member of the Year
Award.
2. State Association Officers should not be arbitrarily
selected for the award nor should they be eliminated
from consideration. Officers have been chosen to lead
and serve, but it is frequently demonstrated that their
services go far beyond the routine duties of the office
and, thus may be worthy of selection.
III. Criteria for Selection
1. The primary consideration of the Selection Commit-
tee shall be:
(a) The service rendered by the candidate to the Rural
Letter Carriers’ Association;
(b) Attendance and participation in local, state and na-
tional meetings;
(c) Willingness to accept responsibilities and dedication
in performing those duties;
(d) Fraternal Attitude to others of the Rural Carrier
Craft.
2. The Selection Committee should also consider, as a
secondary matter, other service which the candidate may
have rendered, such as civic and community activities,
which reflect favorably upon the Rural Letter Carrier
Craft and the Postal Service.
3. Consideration shall be given for services rendered in
the immediately preceding twelve-month period, but not
completely limited to this period of time. New carriers
should be encouraged to seek to achieve this award.
IV. Presentation of Award
When each State Association has made its selection, the
23
NORTH CAROLINA AUXILIARY OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
LEANNE ESSICK 229 Essick Lane
Winston Salem, NC 27127-9129 336-816-0999
VICE PRESIDENT
JANICE FULWOOD 40 Mintz Cemetery Road
Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469 Phone 910-443-2071
SECERTARY/TREASURER
SUE KELLY 7661 Wilkins Drive
Fayetteville, NC 28311-9361 910-488-5424
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
ROANOKE HEATH
25722 US Hwy 64 Jamesville, NC 27846-9272
252-792-6614
BARRY CORRIHER 445 Corriher Gravel Road
China Grove, NC 28023-9497 704-855-2629
L.E. WHITE
1336 Schoolhouse Road Elizabeth City, NC 27909-9596
252-771-8180
CHAPLAIN MRS. CAROLYN WARD
3951 Virginia Rd Tyner, NC 29780-9797
252-221-4683
PROVIDENT GUILD CHARLES BRANTLEY
270 Hyman Ct New Bern, NC 28562-5499
HISTORIAN MRS. LUANN SHUE
325 Ed Weaver Rd Salisbury, NC 28146-8570
704-857-6926
JUNIOR SPONSOR MRS. SARAH STEWART
251 Cedar Drive Stoneville, NC 27048-8412
336-427-3675
JUNIOR OFFICERS
PRESIDENT BOBBY DWYER
305 W Oak St Lake Waccamaw, NC 28450
VICE PRESIDENT
BLAYNE COPELAND 106 Dogwood Lane
Camden, NC 27921-7668
SECRETARY/TREASURER MADISON HALL
9028 Main Street Godwin, NC 28344-8387
CHAPLAINS
Lily Gray & Isaac Groves
‘If we had no winter, the
spring would not be so
pleasant”
~Anne Bradstreet
Spring is the season of new
growth, and the signs of change are all around us. Springtime is seen as a
time of growth, renewal, of new life being born, of the cycle of life once
again starting and Easter. “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the
glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life.” ~Romans
6:4. Spring is a time of rebirth and new beginnings. I hope everyone has a
blessed Easter.
As we look to new beginnings,
there are a few dates approaching
that the Auxiliary and Junior mem-
bers need to keep in mind. Juniors,
remember to apply for the NC Aux-
iliary Scholarships (due June 1st)
and enter the National Junior Con-
test. Please see dates and details for
each of these (links available at
www.NCRLCA.com ).
We would love to see all our
juniors participate! Also, plan to
attend our NC State Convention,
June 24-27 at Doubletree by Hilton
in Atlantic Beach, NC.
Our nonprofit organization this year
is FOLDS OF HONOR. Since its inception in 2007, Folds of Honor has
carried forth this singular, noble mission. To provide educational scholar-
ships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service
members. Their motto says it best: Honor Their Sacrifice. Educate Their
Legacy. To learn more about this program please visit their web site
www.foldsofhonor.org.
Auxiliary News
from
LeAnne Essick
President
2017-2018
Program of Courage,
Honor, and Sacrifice
Humanitarian Project: Folds of Honor
Symbol: Folded Flag with Mail/Letters
Motto: “Honor Their Sacr ifice”
Americanism: Be A Donor (blood or organ)
Safety: Be aware of your sur roundings
Songs: “What A Wonderful World”
“Lean On Me”
“God Bless the USA”
Flower: Pink English Rose
Inspiration: “Live your life in such a way,
that if someone spoke badly of you, no one
would believe it.”~ Anonymous
Fundraiser Items for Sale
Folded Flag Note cards
(8) …….$5.00
Mailbox Postcards
(10)..........$5.00
Challenge Coin with Folded
Flag.......$10.00
Flag with Letters Pin ....$10.00
24
April 2018 May 2018
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat
1 EASTER
2 3 4 5 6 PAY DAY
7
1 2 3 4 PAY DAY
5
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
PP-9
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 PP-11
15 16 17 18 19 20 PAY DAY
21
13 MOTHERS
DAY 14 15 16 17 18
PAY DAY 19 ARMED FORCES
DAY 22 23 24 25 26
27 28 PP-10
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 PP-12
29 30
27 28 MEMORIAL
DAY 29 30 31
NCRLCA
424 WAPITI DR
SPRING LAKE NC 28390-1562
TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZA-
TION
US POSTAGE PAID
VALE NC
28168
PERMIT NUMBER
41
2018 NC State Convention
June 24 thru 27, 2018
Doubletree by Hilton
2717 W Fort Macon Rd
Atlantic Beach, NC 28512
**Updated Phone (252) 222-4010
Group code is RLC—Room Rate is $119.00 + tax.
Rate is good for Sunday June 24 - Thursday June 27
Reservations must be made by May 24, 2018
OFFICIAL
ELECTION NOTICE Elections for the office of President, Vice-President (one
year terms), Secretary/Treasurer (two year term) and
Executive Committeeman (3 year term) will be held at
the State Convention taking place at the Doubletree by
Hilton in Atlantic Beach, NC on Wednesday, June 27,
2018.
A secret ballot election for the delegates of the North
Carolina RLCA to the 2018 NRLCA National Conven-
tion to be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 14
through August 17, 2018 will be conducted by mail.
Ballots will be mailed to all members on or before
June 5, 2018. For more information see page 4.
Address Service Requested