Sept. 4, 2012 -- NALC President Fredric Rolando had a strong op-ed piece in Sunday's Arizona Republic, responding to a business writer's conventional wisdom about the Postal Service and taking the opportunity to enlighten readers about the real situation while highlighting the role of Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and his colleagues in causing the fiscal problems. The piece has drawn much attention, as seen by the number of comments below it online.

The Arizona Republic is that state's largest newspaper, and its Sunday circulation of 539,000 is the 12th largest in the country.

Meanwhile, the president's letter to the editor of the Columbian in Washington state on Friday, which responded to an editorial in the newspaper, already has been followed by two supportive letters.

A Sept. 2 article in the Kansas City Star about worker loyalty, timed to coincide with Labor Day, put a spotlight on Branch 30's Bob Drayer:

…[T]here are people like Drayer, the postal worker, who sounds truly befuddled when asked whether he’d ever wanted to do anything else. “I’ve always liked the Postal Service,” he said, noting that the National Association of Letter Carriers has helped improve working conditions over the years. After 50 years on the job, he no longer has to pay union dues and considers that a nice bonus for his tenure. Drayer credits good genes for his ability to keep a mail route going at age 77. “But mostly I just like delivering the mail. It feels like you really accomplish something at the end of the day. And I really enjoy meeting people and making friends. It’s joyful for me.”