Union administration

Convention history

National biennial conventions

NALC’s national convention is the union’s supreme governing body. The convention meets every two years and elected delegates from every branch across the country are eligible to attend.

At the convention, delegates elected by their local branch consider constitutional amendments, discuss key issues in standing committees, and set national policy for NALC. Delegates also have the opportunity to attend many educational breakfast meetings, workshops, and seminars that are run every day before and after the daily general business sessions. In addition, delegates to every other convention nominate national officers for election.

History

Ever since its founding meeting held in Milwaukee in late August of 1889, NALC members have met in a national convention to set the policy and direction of the national union, to discuss political measures that affect letter carriers and their families and to find solutions for problems they face during the course of their working day.

Annual conventions were held every year from 1889 until 1903. Then the union started holding biennial conventions which have continued to the present day, with the exception of skipping one year during World War II. A list of the previous conventions is below.

The 1996 Orlando convention gave the NALC Executive Council the power to select convention sites but to continue the system set out in the NALC Constitution of choosing cities on a rotating regional basis. The idea is to give the union greater leverage in negotiating with hotels and convention facilities by being able to select a site several years in advance.

The council vote follows a report from the national secretary-treasurer of the findings of the Convention Site Committee on information on cities considered as possible sites.

Past national conventions

Organized in Milwaukee in 1889.