Demings is a Democratic nominee. If confirmed by the Senate, she would fill Anton Hajjar’s seat, which expired on Dec. 8, 2023. Her term would expire on Dec. 8, 2030. Demings is a former member of the House of Representatives and unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Florida in 2022. Demings served as a social worker and police officer. In 2007, she was appointed chief of the Orlando Police Department, where she served until 2011.

Zollars is a Republican nominee who previously served as a governor on the USPS board. His term expired on Dec. 8, 2022, and if reconfirmed by the Senate, his new term would expire on Dec. 8, 2029. Zollars is the former Chairman/President/CEO of Yellow Transportation, Inc., a freight and shipping company. Prior to that, he served as a senior vice president of Ryder Integrated Logistics and as general manager and vice president of the Midwestern region of Eastman Kodak. He also served on the boards of Cerner, ProLogis, CIGNA and the National Association of Manufacturers.

The nominees will be considered by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. If advanced by the committee, the nominees need to be approved by a Senate majority to be confirmed. Both nominees will need to earn NALC’s support before any Senate action.

“President Biden’s announcement of these nominations comes while the administration continues to fail postal employees and union members by not acting on the misallocation of the Postal Service’s retirement fund obligations – a far more urgent matter,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “Reversing the government’s grossly unfair raid of the Postal Service’s pension assets would significantly improve the Postal Service’s financial stability and the service we provide to all Americans. If this administration is really pro-union, it will utilize its final months to take this action to benefit the hardworking members of the NALC that deliver an invaluable service to the people of this country. Mr. President, we’ve waited too long. Stop the raid on postal pensions.”

NALC is heartbroken by the murder of Octavia Redmond, our sister from Chicago, IL Branch 11. Today, Sister Redmond was shot multiple times on her route and was taken to the hospital, where she died. The perpetrator is still at large.

Octavia had been a letter carrier for 5 years and was only 48.

The 280,000 members of NALC mourn the loss of Sister Redmond. She was a public servant doing her job when her life and future were stolen from her. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family, friends and all her loved ones.

Like me, the members of NALC are outraged by this senseless act of violence that took an innocent woman’s life. For far too long, violent crime against letter carriers has been on the rise. Shockingly, now it is not uncommon for letter carriers to be targeted, assaulted, and even murdered. This is completely unacceptable, and we need immediate change.

Earlier this year, bipartisan lawmakers introduced the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act in both chambers of Congress. This comprehensive solution would deter these crimes from happening and hold those who commit these horrific acts accountable. In honor of Sister Redmond, we urge Congress to swiftly pass this bill. The nation’s letter carriers cannot wait any longer.

Every American deserves to go to work without fear and return home safely to their families. We will not stop fighting until this is a reality for all letter carriers.

NALC is committed to continue working with Congress, the Postal Service, and law enforcement on any solutions to keep letter carriers safe.

This agreement (M-02004 in NALC’s Materials Reference System) can be found here.

NALC and USPS bargaining representatives spent most of the past week “locked down” in a Washington, DC hotel focused on negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. This intense session enabled us to work undisturbed in a neutral space towards reaching a tentative agreement.

Since last year, bargaining representatives have worked tirelessly to achieve common ground on hundreds of proposals that would benefit letter carriers and reward us for our value and contributions to the success of the Postal Service. This week’s uninterrupted negotiations resulted in progress toward resolution of numerous outstanding issues. The number of unresolved issues has narrowed significantly, and we will continue negotiations in the coming week.

As the week ends, I am more optimistic than at any earlier point in this round of collective bargaining that we can and will reach a tentative agreement that meets the moment for our members and fairly recognizes and rewards them for their dedicated work and contributions to the Postal Service. However, if negotiations break down, we are fully prepared to pursue our goals in the interest arbitration process.

As has been the case for decades, our bargaining process progresses discreetly through sensitive and substantive discussion as opposed to public campaigns in the press or on social media that would hamper our public-sector union’s efforts. I deeply appreciate the diligence and commitment to achieving results in this process from NALC’s officers, staff, and professionals, as well as the continued good faith bargaining engagement of Deputy Postmaster General Doug Tulino and his team.

The proposed rule will be published in the Federal Register and will call for public comments. The DOL also anticipates a public hearing after the close of the written comment period.  

“The health and safety of letter carriers always comes first,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “NALC has fought for more than a decade in several avenues to achieve protections for our members from the dangers we face working outdoors in excessive heat. While progress has been made, a national rule that requires employers to provide comprehensive prevention is the ultimate solution. We appreciate Acting Secretary Julie Su for her engagement with our union and for prioritizing this important issue. NALC fully supports implementation of this proposed rule.”

Today, NALC joins all Americans in honoring and celebrating Juneteenth, a meaningful national holiday that celebrates freedom and commemorates the final emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.

On this day in 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to finally enforce President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – more than two years after it was issued. This monumental and historic day of liberation has long been celebrated by Black Americans on June 19 each year. Thankfully, Juneteenth is now celebrated by all Americans after it became a federal holiday in 2021.

While this day marking abolition and freedom is a time for celebration, reflection and reconciliation, we must also recognize and confront our nation’s painful legacy. This includes acknowledging the pain Black Americans and other people of color have experienced in our nation’s past, and the ways this has shaped our present. As we honor the Black community’s contributions to this country and celebrate freedom on this day, NALC reaffirms our commitment to continuing our work toward true racial equality in our workplace, our union and in America. We stand in solidarity with the ongoing fight to realize our nation’s promise of freedom, liberty and opportunity for all.

On behalf of NALC, I wish everyone a happy Juneteenth.

For many years, NALC and USPS bargaining representatives have “locked down” in a hotel to engage in intensive, around-the-clock talks, including in the current round of collective bargaining. To build on recent progress in negotiations, NALC and USPS representatives have agreed to spend an additional week in early July in a hotel to work toward reaching agreement on the few economic and non-economic issues that remain unresolved.

NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said:

“We are pleased with the recent progress and potential opportunity to reach a fair agreement that rewards all letter carriers and compensates us for our value and the critical role we play in the Postal Service’s success.

Our goals in collective bargaining remain steadfast. While our interest arbitration case is strong and we will not hesitate to utilize that process fully if necessary to achieve our goals, we remain committed to exhausting every possibility to achieve a tentative agreement that meets our goals for our members to consider for ratification.

As we continue the negotiations process, I appreciate the hard work and diligence of NALC’s officers, staff, branch leadership, and the rank-and-file members of our union for their activism, input, and support that shapes NALC’s bargaining priorities.

From resolutions that start at the branch level and become our official bargaining positions to the thousands of letter carriers that communicate current issues and their priorities, this activism is the foundation of what we have historically achieved in this process and will achieve in this round of collective bargaining.” 

Brother Farris entered the Postal Service in 1963 and served as president of Huntington Beach, CA Branch 2135. In 1973, he played a key role in the merger of 26 branches into Garden Grove Branch 1100, now the largest branch in NALC. He served as Vice President and President of Branch 1100 until 1979, when he was elected Region 1 National Business Agent. He was elected Director of City Delivery in 1986 and served in that position until November 1993.

“On behalf of NALC, I send my deepest sympathies to Brother Farris' family, friends and colleagues,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe shared. “In addition to his time as our union’s Directory of City Delivery, I am grateful for his years of dedicated service to Branch 1100 and Region 1, where I know he will be greatly missed. We mourn his loss.”

Following these votes, the Council has authorized the release of the investigator’s report and the committee’s report through the Members Only portal on nalc.org.

NALC members can log in here and access both reports.

These vehicles, which are the culmination of more than a decade of planning, designing, building and testing of the NGDV, were deployed to the Athens, GA, Sorting and Delivery Center and will be used to replace the current fleet of right-hand drive Long Life Vehicles. The final design of the NGDV was influenced by the feedback of NALC representatives and city letter carriers from around the country who reviewed the initial design of the vehicle in Oshkosh, WI, in July 2021. The initial production of NGDVs are gas-powered variants, with the battery-electric models scheduled for deployment in August 2024.

As more NGDVs are produced and deployed, NALC will update the membership through website posts and articles in The Postal Record.