I've been thinking about the many directions that we as a membership are now taking as we head into our District, State then National Conventions. Many believe that I'm for hourly pay system also of the inability of our leaders to lead, and even more important our desire as a group to continue down the same path and expect different results.

I believe we need change and I'm for whatever it takes to make this Association what it once was, a proud influential bargaining unit in the USPS.

How ? We have the ability to start right now, tomorrow night my District meets to discuss,(Constitution&Bylaws and Resolutions) changes, also we will be electing the leaders of tomorrow. This has not always been a challenge in our District as we have a lot of potential movers and shakers in the State coming from our District. But what is holding us back?

The only thing holding us back is ourselves it's that fear that I might have to get involved and do more than just show up at these Quarterly meetings. I might have to speak my mind or even worse propose a change that someone might thinks stupid. This is not the case we need to go and participate because it's our future!
Only we can make the change that holds us back in our job, our lives our Association.
I know that you've heard the only stupid question is the one that isn't asked. Well the only resolution or bylaw that isn't submitted is the only stupid one.

We need to abandon our fear that has gripped this Association and it's members for way too long and embrace the Ideas that have so repulsed our Union for so long, these are the ideas of change, only then can we as a bargaining unit begin to have the resolve it takes to ask for so much more and get what we deserve.

On numerous occasions you have heard me say that the evaluated system is a dinosaur, and this is the case we are being dragged down by a system, that has had the only change, of taking more and more of what it takes for a evaluation. We need to change this system and it all begins with a resolution submitted at your District meeting.

Our Union is at a pivotal point in it's history one with which it's members, will have to decide to do what's best for our Union or continue a path of destruction that has seen the erosion of our time standards to a point of no return.
Will we even be able to survive another mail count and if we do get a decent 4 week count how far away is the implementation of FSM flats that your Union is bargaining our time standards away as we read this e-mail.

We are the answer and only through serious soul searching will we be able to make the tough decisions of change for the betterment of our membership or to continue hold on to a sinking ship. I hope the 2008 mail count was evidence enough as while we were receiving checks for the 2002 mail count the plans were being made to defraud us in 2008.

Ladies and gentlemen without a serious overhaul of the way we do business we are doomed, history has a lesson for us and that can be traced directly to the Wells decision, where we lost and continued our losses in this failed attempt in Arbitration in 2007. WE have to learn that the USPS is not our friend and they will do whatever it takes to destroy organized labor even if it takes privatization to do it. And if this is the case those looking at trying to build a career with this corporation need take a serious look at their future.

This is our chance to bring before the delegates a plan that can be researched over the next year, then brought before the Delegates in the 2010 convention. The opportunity of a future, or the destruction that has become our past. Think wisely this  Resolution and Bylaw time of year as  we are determining the very future of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association.

That's the way Jay sees it.