 The saying goes that some people seek out the spotlight while others are thrust into it. Ned Furru began his NALC career when he was thrust into a leadership role.
"When I walked in the door to the Post Office, still on my probationary period, and joined Branch 4802 in Greendale, WI, a branch of only about a dozen people, I was told that I was the new secretary-treasurer," he recalled with a laugh. "That was just the way it was."
But Furru, now a member of Milwaukee Branch 2, quickly got himself a copy of the National Agreement and got ready to fight management’s dishonest decisions.
"Someone had to step up and be the voice for the other workers," he said, and that's what he's done ever since.
Greendale merged with Milwaukee and Furru served as a Branch 2 steward before becoming an officer. He was Branch 2 president for five years, then became a full-time Regional Administrative Assistant for Region 7, looking after members in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
In 2005, NALC President William H. Young named Furru as the National Business Agent for Region 7 to fill a vacancy. Furru was elected to a full term as NBA by acclamation at the 2006 Las Vegas Convention.
As business agent he believes that the most effective way to better the carriers’ lot is through communication. "My main focus is still going to be improving the worklife of the rank-and-file members through the improvement of the labor-management relationship at all levels," he said.
Furru’s wife, Ann Szalewski, is a carrier in Minneapolis. They have a daughter, Mandy.
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REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS
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Richard Anderson
Chris Wittenburg
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