Don’t Leave Annual Leave Behind - NAPS · 2020. 11. 16. · Don’t Leave Annual Leave Behind!...

December 2020

Don’t Leave Annual Leave BehindDon’t Leave Annual Leave Behind page 3page 3

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The Postal Supervisor (ISSN 0032-5384) is printedmonthly, with a combined September/Octoberissue, by the National Association of Postal Su-pervisors (NAPS), 1727 King St., Suite 400,Alexandria, VA 22314-2753; 703-836-9660; fax,703-836-9665; website, www.naps.org; generale-mail, [email protected]. ©2020

Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA,and additional mailing offices.

NAPS members receive The Postal Supervisoras part of their membership dues. Members notreceiving the publica-tion on a regular basisshould notify theirbranch secretaries. Non-member subscriptionprice: $25 per year.

Submissions—Articles submitted forpublication should promote the welfare ofNAPS and its membersin accordance with Article II of the NAPSConstitution & Bylaws.The NAPS resident offi-cers reserve the right toedit all articles, as wellas decline to publishsubmitted material.Branch officer articlesmust be not more than350 words. Send all arti-cles to NAPS Secretary/Treasurer Chuck Muli-dore at [email protected].

Reprint requestsand other correspon-dence may be ad-dressed to Karen Young; phone/fax, 540-636-2569; [email protected].

High-resolution photos may be e-mailed to [email protected]. Please includeyour non-USPS e-mail. NAPS neither assumesresponsibility for the contents of the articlespublished herein, nor does it necessarily agreewith the opinions expressed. Moreover, opin-ions expressed by an author do not necessarilyreflect the opinions of the author’s branch.

Advertising—Advertising inquiries shouldbe directed to Karen Young; phone/fax, 540-636-2569; [email protected].

The publication of any advertising hereindoes not necessarily constitute NAPS endorse-ment of the products or services offered.

Postmaster—Please send address labels,clipped from undeliverable copies, along withUSPS Form 3579, to The Postal Supervisor, 1727King St., Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-2753.

December 2020, Volume 111, No. 12

www.naps.org

Objective

The objective of the Asso-

ciation shall be to pro-

mote, through appropriate

and effective action, the

welfare of its members,

and to cooperate with the

USPS and other agencies

of the federal government

in a continuing effort to

improve the service, to

raise the standard of

efficiency, and to widen

the field of opportunity

for its members who make

the Postal Service or the

federal government their

life work.

FEATURES

24 Fostering a Work-Life Balance Work plays a large role in ourlives; technology allows us to always be connected to the office. Achievinga work-life balance promotes happiness, productivity and engagement.

RESIDENT OFFICERS

3 Don’t Leave Annual Leave Behind! Brian J. Wagner

4 A Holiday Season Like No Other Ivan D. Butts

5 Because You Persevere Chuck Mulidore

COLUMNS

13 Legislative Update Bob Levi

26 The NAPS Postmaster Joe Bodary

DEPARTMENTS

5 Thrift Savings Plan October 2020

8 NAPS of Note

15 67th National Convention Registration InformationRegistration closes July 24, 2021; hotel room block expires Aug. 4

16 Best Website and Newsletter Contests Deadline for entriesis June 30, 2021

17 2021 NAPS Golf Tournament

18 2020 SPAC Contributors

19 SPAC Scoreboard

22 Combined Federal Campaign USPS pledge form

23 Combined Federal Campaign Federal retiree pledge form

28 Louis M. Atkins Presidential Scholarships

29 Thoughts from the NAPS Branches Dioenis D. Perez andMark Velez

31 Notes from the National Auxiliary Catherine Towns

December 2020In This Issue

The Postal Supervisor / December 2020 3

Commentaryfrom the Resident Officers

he COVID-19 pandemic has all but encom-passed our lives since this past March. However,the pandemic hasn’t stopped active NAPS mem-bers from working diligently, with superhero ef-

forts, to bind our nation together with daily mail de-livery.

With the pandemic, USPS peak season and thestart of the holiday season on the minds of many

members, some may have lostsight of taking time off this yearfor their health and mental well-being. If so, they have put them-selves in a “use-or-lose” annualleave situation at the end of theUSPS leave year. Here’s the scoop!

Annual leave is a postal em-ployee-earned benefit with the in-tent to use leave, not lose it. It isrecognized in the ELM, Section512.11: “Annual leave is providedto employees for rest, for recre-

ation, and for personal and emergency purposes.” Itmay be nice to carry over annual leave into the nextleave year if you have special activities planned forthat leave or want to receive a nice terminal leavecheck if planning to retire.

However, the USPS does not allow for unlimitedcarryover of annual leave each year. Postal policy forannual leave allows a maximum carryover amount of70 days or 560 hours for nonbargaining employees.Another postal employee benefit is the ability to ex-change up to 128 hours of annual leave as part of theAnnual Leave Exchange (ALE) program.

Besides having some extra spending money fromthe ALE, a member avoids exceeding the maximumcarryover in the following leave year. These are somegreat employee benefits. However, the pandemic hascaused annual leave issues for some NAPS members.

Due to COVID-19, a large number of postal em-ployees have been quarantined. This has resulted inemployee availability issues and various staffing short-

ages in some post offices and postal facilities. As thepandemic continues to impact people and businesses,popular family and vacation destinations and cruiselines, to name a few, have either shut down or have at-tendance restrictions.

Speaking of restrictions, various states have issued14-day quarantine mandates if traveling into theirstate from a deemed COVID-19 hot spot. Even for gen-eral safety and health reasons, many NAPS membershave been very cautious to avoid any type of leisuretravel during the pandemic.

For whatever COVID-19-related reason, NAPSmembers have not taken weeks of annual leave in2020, resulting in many possibly being in a use-or-loseannual leave situation by the end of the Postal Ser-vice’s leave year. This was a concern for many NAPSExecutive Board and branch members who broughtthis issue to the attention of NAPS Headquarters.

Therefore, to protect EAS employees against theloss of earned annual leave due to the pandemic, dur-ing the August 2020 USPS/NAPS consultative meeting,NAPS requested the Postal Service increase the maxi-mum annual leave carryover and annual leave ex-change amounts for 2020 and 2021, respectively. ThePostal Service informed NAPS our request was a pay-talks issue that could not be discussed during themonthly consultative. However, the USPS consideredour request separately, outside the consultative and of-ficial pay-consultation process.

In a letter dated Sept. 3, 2020, the Postal Servicenotified NAPS that it had accepted our request, butwith an alternative increase to NAPS’ suggested re-quest and the reason why. In brief, the USPS agreed tomodify ELM 512.321, Maximum Carryover Amounts,for Leave Year 2020 by increasing the maximum annu-al leave carryover to 80 days (640 hours).

The USPS also agreed to increase by 40 hours themaximum ALE amount—to 168 hours for Leave Year2021. Provisions of the ALE program are unchanged,which stipulates only leave earned in the new year

T

Brian J. WagnerPresident

Don’t Leave Annual Leave Behind!

Continued on page 20

4 December 2020 / The Postal Supervisor

reetings, NAPS brothers and sisters. This is theissue of The Postal Supervisor in which I like totake time thanking you for your continuedhard work and dedication to completing the

mission of the USPS. I also want to wish you and yourfamily the very best of the holiday season—times wecan, indeed, hold on to and cherish into the new year.

This year has proven to be themost challenging time in our livesas employees of America’s PostalService. We are the managers whoare the backbone of binding Amer-ica together through the deliveryof mail service.

We have worked for a more fairand equitable pay system withcontinuing litigation to correct apay system that has been brokenfor years. A pay system, I mightadd, that a fact-finding panel of

three mediators unanimously found has created a se-vere break in the relationship with executive leaderswho use the high pressure of words to acknowledgethe brokenness of the pay system, but the anemia ofdeeds in correcting it.

You have faced the task of providing essential sup-plies and medical prescriptions forAmerica during a worldwide pan-demic that is devastating to ourcountry. As of this column’s writing,the pandemic has taken the lives ofover 220,000 Americans, including92 of our fellow postal employees.As essential personnel, you havecontinued to ensure that America’smail keeps moving.

We’ve had to face the challengesbrought about by decisions from theUSPS Executive Leadership Teamthat has diminished service andthreatened our status as America’smost-trusted federal agency. Wenow see a gloomy light cast on ouragency on virtually every news showand in every news article regardingthe Postal Service.

Through it all, you continue tobe the backbone of this agency. You

do all that is necessary to keep America’s mail moving.I have been proud to voice your praises to every legis-lator with whom I have had the pleasure of meetingon the numerous Zoom conference calls in which Ihave participated.

Now we come to the holiday season. The holidaysbring extreme challenges to some in dealing with priorlosses in life. Know that you are not alone and thereare resources available to help you through thesetimes. Whether you use the USPS Employee AssistanceProgram or your health-care provider through yourFEHB, support is available to help you make itthrough.

Your tremendous achievements this year demon-strate the total commitment of EAS employees to thevital and necessary task of leading employees in mov-ing America’s mail daily—regardless of whether youare on the front lines in the field or serve in supportpositions at plants, districts, areas or USPS Headquar-ters. Collectively, your efforts keep proving this phraseto be true: We Deliver!

Thank you for the work you are doing. Your con-sistent work in leading the USPS is validation that ourfight for fairness and equality is well-rooted with thededication of NAPS men and women who are theUSPS leaders. I am continually humbled to serve you

and voice your needs to the USPSExecutive Leadership Team.

As we move into the new year,I wish you and your family a gen-uinely blessed Christmas seasonand a happy, prosperous New Yearin 2021.

In solidarity …[email protected]

G

Ivan D. ButtsExecutive Vice President

A Holiday Season Like No Other

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lease allow me to wish a wonderful Christmasseason, a joyous and happy New Year andmany blessings to you and your family. I knowthe fall mailing season has passed into peak.

These are two of the most stressful times to be a super-visor, manager, postmaster or really any-level EAS em-ployee in the Postal Service.

You perform heroic, oftentimesthankless work, for long hoursaway from your family during theholiday season. Your sacrifices donot go unnoticed. This year hasbeen even more distressing as theglobal pandemic continues to rageacross our world. Not only has fallmailing and peak been stressful, allof 2020 has been one stressfulevent after another. Yet, somehow,the proud EAS employees of theU.S. Postal Service weather all the

storms and still move the mail.As a worldwide pandemic exploded across our

country last winter, the likes of which had not beenseen in over 100 years, you persevered. As hurricanesand tropical storms rolled across the Gulf states, youpersevered. As fires consumed large areas of the West,Rockies and Southwest, you per-severed. As floods overran thebanks of rivers in the Midwest,you persevered.

As a new postmaster generaltook control of the Postal Serviceand plunged this historic agencyinto election year politics, youpersevered. As staggering parcelvolumes descended on the PostalService, straining its capacity tooperate, you persevered. As theAmerican people—once again—trusted the U.S. Postal Service todeliver ballots on time in the faceof unprecedented mail delays gen-erated by poorly implementedand politically motivated seniorpostal leadership, you persevered.

You are the one thread thatruns through all the challenges.You are the one constant that al-

ways comes through for America. You persevere. NAPS appreciates you and all you do for the Postal

Service and your families. You may not hear that fromsenior postal leaders; perhaps you hear “politically cor-rect” platitudes. Unfortunately, we heard senior postalleaders tell us as part of litigation that you, EAS em-ployees of the Postal Service, were the reason behindthe massive delays of mail and the decline in service.

Imagine that! Senior executives providing courtdepositions that you are the problem, not them. De-spite the fact they are the very ones who set policyand run the organization. As Maya Angelou so elo-quently said, “When someone shows you who theyare, believe them.” So, we see who they are.

But we also know who you are. NAPS understandswhat you do each day in service to the public. You arethe ones who come to work to face the challenges, theones who run the plants, cover the vacancies, run thedelivery units and provide all the many other functionsthat go into delivering the nation’s mail—keeping thepromise of more than 245 years that this essentialagency, our Postal Service, created by the Founding Fa-thers in the U.S. Constitution, would persevere.

And so it does and always will—because of you.Because you persevere.

[email protected]

P

Chuck MulidoreSecretary/Treasurer

Because You Persevere

Thrift Savings PlanFund G F C S I

Visit the TSP website at www.tsp.gov

Fund L Income L 2025 L 2030 L 2035 L 2040

October 2020 (0.58) (1.30%) (1.61%) (1.76%) (1.91%)12-month 1.01% 0.00% 0.12% 0.00% (0.21%)

Fund L 2045 L 2050 L 2055 L 2060 L 2065

October 2020 (2.04%) (2.17%) (2.60%) (2.60%) (2.60%)12-month 0.00% (0.56%) 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

These returns are net of the effect of accrued administrative expenses and investment expenses/costs. The per-formance data shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. Investment returnsand principal value will fluctuate, so that investors’ shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than theiroriginal cost. The L 2010 Fund was retired on Dec. 31, 2010. The L 2020 Fund was retired June 2020.

October 2020 0.06% (0.42%) (2.66%) 0.05% (3.97%)12-month 0.82% 6.30% 2.69% 3.97% (10.53%)The G, F, C, S, and I Fund returns for the last 12 months assume unchanging balances (time-weighting) frommonth to month, and assume that earnings are compounded on a monthly basis.

PAID ADVERTISEMENT


NAPS of Note

In MemoriamNAPS is saddened to report the

death of Mark Dobie on Oct. 9. He wasa member of San Diego Mo TwomeyBranch 159. According to Branch 159President Stephnia Campbell, Dobiehad requested a transfer from Seattle sohe could spend more time with hisparents and work in the San Diego Dis-trict.

He initially was supervisor of Cus-tomer Service at the Southeast Station,then accepted a detail as acting manag-er of the San Diego District Safety Of-fice. In that position, he worked to im-prove safety for all district employees.He then returned to Customer Serviceas a supervisor at the Southeast Stationand Earl B. Gilliam Post Office.

Dobie contributed to the success ofthe San Diego management team andthe San Diego District. He was loved byall and will be missed.

Executive Vice President Ivan D. Butts andDirector of Legislative & Political Affairs BobLevi with Jon Ossoff, Georgia candidate forthe U.S. Senate.

Myrna Pashinski, Rocky Mountain Area vice president

Branch 159 President Stephnia Camp-bell (top left) and Director of Legislative& Political Affairs Bob Levi with staff forRep. Katie Porter (D-CA)

NAPS members entrusted their election ballotsto the employees of the U.S. Postal Service.

Sam Booth, LosAngeles Branch39 vice president

Zoom Meetings

PAID ADVERTISEMENT


Sen. Corey Booker (D-NJ), second row, left

NAPS resident officersand Executive Boardmembers participated inArizona Jerome V. Blan-ton Branch 246’s meet-ing where Jimmy Salmon(upper left) was namedthe 2020 Western RegionAnn Konish SPAC Hall ofFame recipient. Thisaward is presented to aPresident’s UltimateSPAC contributor ($1,000plus) in each region whoachieved this level twoyears in a row.

Executive Vice President Ivan D. Butts, Western Region Vice President Marilyn Walton, Pacific Area Vice President Chuck Lum and NationalAuxiliary President Patricia Jackson-Kelley participated in Los Angeles Branch 39’s general membership meeting in late October.

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

15—Rocky Mountain Area (AZ/CO/NV/NM/UT/WY)Myrna Pashinski21593 E. Layton Dr., Aurora, CO 80015-6781(303) 931-1748 (C)[email protected]

16—Pacific Area (CA, HI, Guam, American Samoa)Chuck Lum95-12222 Moea St., Mililani, HI 96789-5965(808) 227-5764 (C)[email protected]

12—Cotton Belt Area (AR/OK/TN)Shri L. Green4072 Royalcrest Dr.,Memphis, TN 38115-6438 (901) 362-5436 (H) (901) 482-1216 (C) [email protected]

13—Texas Area (TX)Jaime Elizondo Jr.PO Box 1357, Houston, TX 77251-1357(832) 722-3737 (C)[email protected]

14—Northwest Area (AK/ID/MT/OR/WA)Cindy McCracken3247 109th Ave. S.E. #A, Bellevue, WA98004-7532(206) 465-8689 (C)[email protected]

9—MINK Area (IA/KS/MO/NE)Richard “Bart” Green3530 Prescott Dr., Columbia, MO 65201(913) 205-8912 (C)(816) 763-2579 (O)[email protected]

10—Southeast Area (FL/GA)Bob QuinlanPO Box 490363, Leesburg, FL 34749-0363; (352) 217-7473 (C)(352) 728-5992 (fax)[email protected]

11—Central Gulf Area (AL/LA/MS)Roy Beaudoin3332 Pines Rd., Shreveport, LA,71119-3510;(318) 208-9421 (C) (318) 525-0397 (H) [email protected]

6—Michiana Area (IN/MI)Kevin Trayer8943 E. DE Ave., Richland, MI 49083-9639(269) 366-9810 (C)[email protected]

7—Illini Area (IL)Luz Moreno625 Alhambra Ln., Hoffman Estates,IL 60169-1907; (847) 884-7875 (H)(773) 726-4357 (C)[email protected]

8—North Central Area (MN/ND/SD/WI)Dan Mooney10105 47th Ave. N, Plymouth, MN55442-2536(612) 242-3133 (C)[email protected]

Brian J. [email protected]

Ivan D. ButtsExecutive Vice [email protected]

Chuck MulidoreSecretary/[email protected]

The resident officers may be contacted at 1727King St., Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-2753;(703) 836-9660; (703) 836-9665 (fax)

Resident Officers

Central Region (Areas 6, 7, 8 and 9)Craig O. Johnson9305 N. Highland Ct., Kansas City,MO 64155-3738; (816) 914-6061 (C)[email protected]

Southern Region (Areas 10, 11, 12 and 13)Tim Ford6214 Klondike Dr., Port Orange, FL 32127-6783; (386) 767-FORD (H)(386) 679-3774 (C) [email protected]

Western Region (Areas 14, 15 and 16)Marilyn WaltonPO Box 103, Vacaville, CA 95696-0103(707) 449-8223 (H)[email protected]

3—Mideast Area (DE/NJ/PA)Tony DallojaconoPO Box 750, Jackson, NJ 08527-0750(973) 986-6402 (C); (732) 363-1273 (O)[email protected]

4—Capitol-Atlantic Area (DC/MD/NC/SC/VA)Troy Griffin1122 Rosanda Ct., Middle River, MD21220-3025(443) 506-6999 (C)(410) 892-6491 (H)[email protected]

5—Pioneer Area (KY/OH/WV/Evansville, IN, Branch 55)Timothy NeedhamPO Box 21, Niles, OH 44446-0021(330) 550-9960 (C)[email protected]

NAPS Executive Board Directory

Northeast Region (Areas 1 and 2, including all NJ,except Branch 74)Thomas Roma385 Colon Ave., Staten Island, NY10308-1417; (718) 605-0357 (H)(917) 685-8282 (C)[email protected]

Eastern Region (Areas 3—DE, PA and NJ Branch 74—4and 5)Richard L. Green Jr.7734 Leyland Cypress Lane,Quinton, VA 23141-1377(804) 928-8261 (C)[email protected]

1—New England Area (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)Lisa Douglas60 Rockwood Rd., Hamden, CT 06514(475) 355-0575 (C)[email protected]

2—New York Area (NY/PR/VI)James “Jimmy”Warden137 Evergreen Court, Freehold, NJ07728-4122(917) 226-8768 (C) [email protected]

Area Vice Presidents

Regional Vice Presidents


Bob LeviDirector of Legislative &Political Affairs

Dear Dr. Franklin,write this about 230 years afteryour death and only days after the

2020 presidential election. Our na-tion’s governing document to which

you affixed your signature in 1787on behalf of the citizens of Pennsyl-vania did not envision elections dur-ing which American citizens maycast ballots for presidential candi-dates of their choice.

Rather, you and your foundingcolleagues entrusted state legislatorswith the supreme responsibility of se-lecting “electors” to the Electoral Col-lege who are tasked with electingUnited States presidents and vicepresidents. Well, Dr. Franklin,you understood that timeschange and the country need-ed to adapt to modernity andthe desire to expand therights of its residents.

After all, as a publisher,printer and inventor, youforesaw better than many ofyour contemporaries the ne-cessity to amend, edit and in-novate to satisfy the needs of our ever-evolving nation.Even at the age of 81—everthe optimist—when you satdown to sign our U.S. Consti-tution, you believed yourprogeny would need to navi-gate whatever challenges theywould confront in order to

“form a more perfectunion.”

Our country has suf-fered one such challenge in2020. A global pandemic isravaging our country,

which forced American citizens tochoose between staying home toprotect their health or exercisingtheir legal right and civic obligationto vote. Although your constitutiondid not speak about voting rights,your constitutional successors pro-vided for voting rights for all Ameri-can citizens, as well as judicial pro-tection for securing that right.

I am sure you would be proud toknow that your Colonial offspring,our cherished national postal sys-tem, stepped up to the plate to aidour democracy. Your post office—now our Postal Service—was enlistedto aid in distributing and returningelection ballots. In fact, over 65 mil-lion absentee ballots were cast bymail. The sheer magnitude of votesthat traveled through post officesmust astound you.

After all, the total United Statespopulation at the time of the Consti-tutional Convention was slightly lessthan 4 million individuals. Our PostalService’s dedicated workforce pulledout the stops to ensure ballots weretreated with the utmost respect andsecurity. In addition, the Postal Ser-vice employed some of the most so-phisticated technology to expeditethe transit of election ballots fromstate election authorities to Ameri-can voters. And, once ballots werefilled out, the same technology wasused for the return trip to electionauthorities.

As our nation’s first postmastergeneral, I do not think you couldhave imagined what a consequentialrole mail would play in selecting ournational leaders. But you recognizedthat, as one of the few American pa-triots who signed both the Declara-tion of Independence and the Con-stitution, our nation must adapt andinnovate to survive—especially dur-ing trying times.

However, Dr. Franklin, I must becandid with you: Your postoffice has been under fero-cious attack. The institutionis being victimized by Ameri-ca’s present political culture.During the ConstitutionalConvention, there were twopolitical movements: the Fed-eralists, with which you asso-ciated, and the anti-Federal-ists, led by Patrick Henry ofVirginia. However, there wereno official American electoralparties soliciting votes.

Since your death, such di-vergent interests establishedsuch associations. Clearly,differing economic and cul-tural perspectives fueled therise of political parties. Never-

A Letter toOur Founder

LegislativeUpdate

I


theless, when members of America’spolitical elite declare war on one ofthe few governmental institutionsactually established in our Constitu-tion, one has to take a long anddeep breath.

The Postal Service and the workits diligent employees perform arebeyond reproach. However, in 2020,the increased prominence the PostalService has played in facilitatingelectoral participation in the midstof a pandemic has rendered the fed-eral department collateral damage ina political campaign.

Accusations have been leveledthat postal capacity was under-mined with the intent of handicap-ping its capability to serve Americandemocracy. Others alleged that ill-timed capacity reductions uninten-tionally negatively impacted theprompt processing and delivery ofballots.

A number of federal judges de-cried the actions, one accusingpostal governance as being political-ly motivated. Such actions and com-ments weaken the agency’s strongpublic support, as well as the confi-dence to effectively fulfill its missionto “bind the nation together.”

Permit me to end my letter ask-ing for your help. Please use yourlegacy to inspire our postal leadersand elected leaders to strengthenthe Postal Service—not weaken it, torepair the damage done to the insti-tution—not deepen its wounds andto herald and reward its employ-ees—not snub and punish them.

It was reported that, on depart-ing the Constitutional Convention,you remarked to a group of yourPhiladelphia neighbors who wantedto know what type of governmentthe delegates created: “A republic, ifyou can keep it.” Our nation andour postal system should pay atten-tion to your timeless wisdom.

B. Levi

n keeping with tradition, NAPS will honor and pay respect

to those members who have died since the 2018 National

Convention at the upcoming 67th NAPS National Conven-

tion, Aug. 30-Sept. 3, 2021, at the Gaylord Texan Resort in

Grapevine, TX.

Although our fellow NAPS members no longer are with us

to share their thoughts, laughter and genuine NAPS fellow-

ship, we’ll always remember their spirit for NAPS and the U.S.

Postal Service. They will forever live in our hearts and cher-

ished memories.

Any NAPS branch that had a member die over the three

years since the 2018 National Convention held at Mohegan

Sun, please submit their first and last names, along with their

respective branch number, to NAPS Headquarters at the email

address below. The names will be given to our 2021 Host

Branch Committee for the Memorial Service to be held during

the convention’s Opening Ceremony on Monday morning,

Aug. 30.

Please submit deceased members’ names to NAPS Executive

Assistant Rebekah Leo at NAPS Headquarters at naps.rr@

naps.org by July 10, 2021. After July 10, names may be submit-

ted to NAPS Editor Karen Young at the national convention for

publication in the convention newsletter.

May 29 Deadline for all resolutions from states with conven-tions ending on or before May 24 to be emailed toExecutive Vice President Ivan D. Butts

June 30 Deadline for entries for the Best Website andNewsletter contests

July 10 Deadline for all other resolutions to be emailed to Executive Vice President Ivan D. Butts

Deadline for emailing deceased members’ names toExecutive Assistant Rebekah Leo

Important Convention Deadlines

In Memoriam

I

Registration Fee—$250The 67th National Convention registration fee is $250 if

submitted—online only—on or before July 10. After July 10,the fee is $325. No national convention registrations or pay-ments will be accepted after July 24.

No on-site registration will be accepted.Each official registrant will receive a confirmation receipt

via email as soon as they register. If you do not receive yourconfirmation, email [email protected] or call 703-836-9660.

Refund RequestsAll refund requests must be submitted in writing via

email to [email protected]. Full refund requests must be re-ceived at NAPS Headquarters on or before July 17. There is a$50 cancellation fee for refund requests received betweenJuly 18-31. No refund requests will be granted after July 31.

SubstitutionsAll substitution requests must be submitted in writing to

[email protected] no later than July 31. There will be no on-site substitutions. If you need assistance with a substitution,call NAPS Headquarter at 703-836-9660.

67th National Convention67th National ConventionRegistration InformationRegistration Information

Convention registration closes July 24 • Hotel room block expires Aug. 4

Hotel Rates and ReservationsGaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center

1501 Gaylord Trail, Grapevine, TX 76051877-491-5138

Delegates and guests attending the 67th National Convention are re-sponsible for making their own lodging reservation directly with theGaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center. The national conventionsingle/double rate is $189, plus applicable state and local taxes. Theresort fee has been waived. Self-parking is complimentary from Aug.25-Sept. 4; applicable only to those staying overnight at the GaylordTexan.

To make a room reservation online, go to www.naps.org; under the“About Us” drop-down, click on “National Convention.” You also maymake a reservation by phone by calling 877-491-5138. Use the groupcode: NAP. Check-in time is 4 p.m.; checkout is 11 a.m.

The room block expires on Aug. 4. Reservations made after that datemay be at a higher rate, if available at all.

To guarantee reservations, the hotel must receive a deposit of onenight’s room rate and tax by a major credit card at the time of thereservation. Cancellations must be received at least 24 hours beforearrival or the deposit will be applied to your credit card. The hotel con-firmation is your responsibility. NAPS Headquarters does not confirmlodging reservations.

Register for the 67th National Convention online only at www.naps.org

NAPS 67th National ConventionAug. 30-Sept. 3, 2021

Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention CenterGrapevine, Texas


Best Website Competition The NAPS Best Website Competition again is being con-

ducted in conjunction with the upcoming NAPS national con-vention at the Gaylord Texan Resort, Grapevine, TX, this August.

A branch wishing to enter the competition must email onlyits website address to [email protected] by June 30,2021, for forwarding to the competition judge.

Points will be awarded for content, design and technicalmerit, among other contest categories. The two entries receiv-ing the highest overall point totals will be named the competi-tion winners.

At the convention, all branches will be given the point to-tals of their entries by category, along with any comments thejudge may make.

NAPS Newsletter Contest The NAPS Newsletter Contest also is planned for the na-

tional convention. The entry deadline is June 30, 2021.Branches wishing to submit their newsletters may do so in

four categories: “Overall Excellence,” “Best Layout,” “Best By-lined Column/Editorial” and “Best News/Feature Article.” En-tries must have been published after August 2018.

The entry instructions include:“Overall Excellence”—Submit three consecutive issues of

the newsletter, stapled together as one entry. Staple a Post-itnote or similar to identify the judging category, your branchnumber and the newsletter editor.

“Best Layout”—Submit two issues (not necessarily con-secutive ones) of the newsletter, stapled together as one entry.As in the item above, identify the judging category, your branchnumber and the individual who lays out/designs the newsletter.

“Best Bylined Column/Editorial”—Submit one entryclipped from your newsletter (please do not submit the entirenewsletter). The entry must be an original work that carries thebyline of the author, who may or may not be the editor, butmust be a NAPS member. Identify the judging category andyour branch number.

“Best News/Feature Article”—Follow the instructions im-mediately above.

Please mail—do not email—entries to NAPS NewsletterContest, c/o Balent-Young Publishing, Inc., PO Box 734, FrontRoyal, VA 22630, to be received no later than June 30, 2021.Receipt of all entries will be acknowledged; please provide youremail address. Winners will be announced at the convention.

Send Your Entries!

f you want a great golfexperience, join us atCowboys Golf Clubnext August at the 67th

NAPS National Convention.Etched into the rolling hills ofGrapevine, TX, Cowboys GolfClub is distinguished as thefirst and only NFL-themed golfclub in the world. It’s also one of the region’s only all-in-clusive world-class resort golf properties. The CowboysGolf Club pays tribute to the five-time Super Bowl cham-pion Dallas Cowboys—integrating an historical tour ofthe accomplishments of the NFL franchise.

The Golf Tournament, in conjunction with the Nation-al Convention at the Gaylord Texan Resort, will tee off at 9 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, at the beautiful CowboysGolf Club. The tournament golf fee is $95 until July 15,2021, and includes breakfast, lunch and food while play-

ing. From July 16, 2021, untilAug. 1, 2021, the fee is $125.

Also included in the feeare non-alcoholic drinks onand off the course, rangeballs, golf cart with GPS andother tournament needs. Allplayers must have their ownbag and clubs, wear proper

golf attire; no metal spikes are allowed. Non-golfers canride with teams and eat for $39.95. Registration closesafter Aug. 1, 2021.

The course is approximately five minutes away fromthe Gaylord Texan Resort; transportation to and from thegolf event will be provided by the Host Branch Commit-tee. Participants also may take their own transportationto the tournament. Whatever your skill level or love ofgolf, you are not a “Lone Star” player when you are golf-ing, especially with NAPS members and friends.

Please print—One registration form per golfer/non-golfer

❏ Tournament golfer entry fee, postmarked by July 15 is $95; after July 15, the fee is $125

❏ Non-golfer fee $39.95 (food only)

Registration closes after Aug. 1, 2021

_____________________________________________________________________________________Name Phone # (include area code)

_____________________________________________________________________________________Mailing Address

_____________________________________________________________________________________City State ZIP

_____________________________________________________________________________________Branch # Non-postal email Golf handicap

(if available)

For more information or questions about theNAPS National Conven-tion Golf Tournament,contact Bob Bradford, National ConventionHost Committee chair, at(972) 264-3717 or email [email protected].

NAPS National Convention Golf Tournament SiteCowboys Golf Club1600 Fairway DriveGrapevine, TX 76051(817) 481-7277

Make checks payable toNAPS Convention Golfand mail, with registra-tion form(s), to:

NAPS GolfPO Box 456Hewitt, TX 76643-0456

You may rent Taylor Made M-6 clubs for $97. All players must have a golf bag and clubs to play.Participants are responsible for contacting the Cowboys Golf Club to rent clubs—(817) 481-7277. Transportation to and from the golf event will be provided by Host Branch Committee.Participants also may take their own transportation.

If you have a golf team or wish to play with a specific player, please indicate that information when mailing entry form(s) and check(s) to the address at right.

NAPS National Convention Golf Tournament Registration

NAPS National ConventionNAPS National Convention

IIGolf TournamentGolf Tournament


2020 SPAC Contributors

President’s Ultimate SPAC ($1,000+)

Salmon, James AZ Branch 246Wong, John CA Branch 497Franz, Kenneth FL Branch 146Gilbert, Belinda FL Branch 425Lynn, Patti FL Branch 296McHugh, James FL Branch 386Quinlan, Robert FL Branch 154Sebastian, Gerald FL Branch 386Strickland, Ann FL Branch 146Van Horn, Gail FL Branch 154Williams, Carolyn FL Branch 146Wommack, April FL Branch 386Maxwell, Sherry IL Branch 255Murphy, Gregory MA Branch 102Randall, C. Michele MD Branch 531Shawn, Steve MD Branch 403

Wileman, Dotty MD Branch 923McKiernan, Michael NJ Branch 74Amash, Joseph NY Branch 83Barone, Thomas NY Branch 202Gawron, Dennis NY Branch 27Roma, Thomas NY Branch 68Warden, James NY Branch 100Butts, Ivan PA Branch 355Allen, Rose VA Branch 526Green Jr., Richard VA Branch 98

October Contributors

President’s Ultimate SPAC ($1,000+)

Maxwell, Sherry IL Branch 255Green Jr., Richard VA Branch 98

SPACContribution

FormAggregate contributions made in acalendar year correspond with thesedonor levels:

$1,000—President’s Ultimate SPAC

$750—VP Elite

$500—Secretary’s Roundtable

$250—Chairman’s Club

$100—Supporter

Current as of February 2019

Federal regulations prohibit SPACcontributions by branch check orbranch credit card.

Mail to:SPAC1727 KING ST STE 400ALEXANDRIA VA 22314-2753

Contribution Amount $___________ Branch #___________

Name________________________________________________________

Home Address/PO Box ___________________________________________

City__________________________________________ State__________

ZIP+4__________________________________ Date _________________

Employee ID Number (EIN) or Civil Service Annuitant (CSA) Number ________________________________

Enclosed is my voluntary contribution to SPAC by one of the following methods:

❏ Check or money order made payable to SPAC; do not send cash

❏ Credit card (circle one): Visa American Express MasterCard Discover

Card number ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Security code (three- or four- digit number on back of card) _______________

Card expiration date: ______ /______

Signature (required for credit card charges) ____________________________________________

❏ In-Kind Donation (e.g., gift card, baseball tickets):

Describe gift _________________________________________ Value ______________

All contributions to the Supervisors’ Political Action Committee (SPAC) are voluntary, have no bear-ing on NAPS membership status and are unrelated to NAPS membership dues. There is no obliga-tion to contribute to SPAC and no penalty for choosing not to contribute. Only NAPS members andfamily members living in their households may contribute to SPAC. Contributions to SPAC are limit-ed to $5,000 per individual in a calendar year. Contributions to SPAC are not tax-deductible.


VP Elite ($750)

Lum, Chuck HI Branch 214Hafford, Darrell ME Branch 96Rosario Jr., Arnold ME Branch 96Yut, Rachelle OR Branch 66Butler, Phillip VA Branch 98

Secretary’s Roundtable ($500)

Melchert, Pamela AK Branch 435Cherry, Hayes CA Branch 466Kerns, John CO Branch 141Timothy, Pat NJ Branch 548Paige, Lillie OH Branch 46Bartko, Susan PA Branch 20Brooks, Lamarcus TN Branch 41Trevino, Barbara TX Branch 124Gruetzmacher, Bjoern WA Branch 61Taylor, Georgia WA Branch 31Simmons, Brandi WI Branch 213

Chairman’s Club ($250)

Derden, Margaret CA Branch 39Collen, Helen CT Branch 3Wright, Marcellus DC Branch 135McPhee-Johnson, Tayloria FL Branch 146Alos, Kanani HI Branch 214Eberhart, Keliinani HI Branch 214Lum, Laurie HI Branch 214Watabu, Iris HI Branch 214May, Charles IL Branch 14Randle, Kay IL Branch 369Wesley, Nancy IL Branch 493Webb, Marcel IN Branch 8Carter, Tonious LA Branch 421Moore, Robert MA Branch 43Jones, Marcia MD Branch 42Rosario, Tamara ME Branch 96Glenn, Sandra MI Branch 140Perkins, Ethel MI Branch 140Baker, Neil MN Branch 104Robinson, Theresa NC Branch 299Forde, Nicholas NY Branch 202Burgasser, Ted OH Branch 29Needham, Timothy OH Branch 133Smith, Ronald OH Branch 46Wiskoski, Ann PA Branch 387Blakely, Kathy TN Branch 41Holley, Deborah VA Branch 526

Supporter ($100)

Frazier, Rickey AL Branch 399

Region Aggregate:1. Southern ..............$44,962.502. Eastern.................$30,317.003. Western ................$27,561.754. Central .................$24,994.505. Northeast .............$24,361.85

Area Aggregate:1. Southeast .............$27,697.502. Capitol-Atlantic.....$18,409.103. Pacific ..................$14,890.504. New York ..............$12,005.855. Mideast ................$11,310.006. Texas....................$ 9,233.007. New England ........$ 8,750.008. Michiana ..............$ 7,269.509. Illini ......................$ 6,871.0010. Northwest...........$ 6,451.2511. Rocky Mountain..$ 6,220.0012. North Central ......$ 6,115.0013. MINK ..................$ 4,739.0014. Cotton Belt .........$ 4,418.0015. Pioneer...............$ 4,203.9016. Central Gulf ........$ 3,614.00

State Aggregate:1. Florida ..................$25,948.002. California..............$12,410.503. New York ..............$11,675.854. Texas....................$ 9,233.005. Maryland ..............$ 7,939.00

Members by Region:1. Central................................542. Eastern ...............................493. Southern.............................514. Western ..............................415. Northeast............................35

Region Per Capita:1. Southern........................$7.622. Central...........................$5.363. Eastern..........................$5.104. Northeast.......................$4.915. Western .........................$4.74

Area Per Capita:1. Southeast ....................$12.122. North Central ...............$ 6.503. Capitol-Atlantic............$ 6.224. Michiana .....................$ 6.225. Northwest....................$ 5.676. New England ...............$ 5.327. Illini .............................$ 5.098. Texas...........................$ 5.059. New York .....................$ 4.9210. Mideast .....................$ 4.75 11. Pacific .......................$ 4.7212. Central Gulf ...............$ 4.5013. Cotton Belt.................$ 4.4914. Rocky Mountain.........$ 4.0815. MINK .........................$ 3.9216. Pioneer......................$ 2.84

State Per Capita:1. Maine .........................$ 26.302. North Dakota ...............$19.403. Hawaii .........................$16.004. Florida .........................$15.095. Maryland .....................$12.60

Aggregate by Region:1. Eastern.................$15,300.002. Western ................$15,145.003. Central .................$15,015.004. Southern ..............$13,904.005. Northeast .............$ 9,699.00

National Aggregate: National Per Capita:$152,197.60 $5.58

Statistics reflect monies collected Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2020

SPAC Scoreboard

• • • • •

• • • • •

Drive for 5


Nash, Leon AL Branch 45Studdard, Dwight AL Branch 45Johnson, Deborah CA Branch 88Moore Tucker, Carolyn CA Branch 301Summerfield, John CO Branch 65Guevara, Richard FL Branch 154Ross, Randy FL Branch 81Derby, Karen IN Branch 169Waddell, Corey KS Branch 52Smiley, David KY Branch 390Hampton, Annette LA Branch 73Minor, Saundra LA Branch 209Saccoccio, Michaela MA Branch 6Brownfield, Patricia MD Branch 531McCarthy, Bernard MI Branch 23Roundtree, Wanda MI Branch 140Nelson, Matthew MN Branch 104Bye, Angie MO Branch 119Bye, Kevin MO Branch 119Marley, Carol MO Branch 131Warren, Anitra MO Branch 36Kindsvatter, Leo MT Branch 929Gilbert, Jevonda NC Branch 183Winters, Joseph NC Branch 177Holland, Dana ND Branch 937Leingang, Michael ND Branch 937Fuller, Tamyra NE Branch 64

Henkel, Tammy NJ Branch 287Walker, Veronica NJ Branch 237Schnepple, Kathleen NM Branch 295Andersen, Karen NV Branch 463Yuen, John NY Branch 100Fleck, Darren OH Branch 33Laster, Jacshica OH Branch 46Sudberry, Norris OH Branch 46Kolecki, Michele PA Branch 941Lach, Joe PA Branch 20Robinson, Andrea PA Branch 35Giorgio, Victor RI Branch 105Blanck Lovelace, Deborah SD Branch 946Nation, Linda SD Branch 946McMurry, Robert TN Branch 165Hammock, Alessandra TX Branch 86High, Gwendolyn TX Branch 86Scott, Michael TX Branch 589Slaughter, Donna TX Branch 229White Jr., William VA Branch 526Zamudio, Juan VA Branch 526Haslett, James WA Branch 31Patterson, LaTanya WA Branch 61Reedy, James WA Branch 61Abrams, Darlene WI Branch 72Canada, Pamela WI Branch 72Knepfel, Kim WI Branch 549

may be exchanged. NAPS appreciates the Postal Ser-

vice’s consideration and decisionduring the pandemic to modify pol-icy to protect active NAPS members’well-earned annual leave. NAPS isconfident these modified annualleave policies (carryover and ex-change) for the respective 2020 and2021 leave years are a thankful re-lief to potentially impacted EAS em-ployees.

However, this modification was aresult of the pandemic. Therefore,EAS employees should not expect acontinued modification to this poli-cy in future USPS leave years.

This column is meant to shine

light on the need for members tomaintain their mental and physicalhealth, not only during this pan-demic, but throughout their postalcareers. Furthermore, to plan aheadand use—not lose—well-earned an-nual leave. Peace of mind and goodhealth are priceless commoditiesthat can’t be bought by exchangingannual leave for cash. NAPS encour-ages active members to take annualleave each year as part of the threeRs: relaxation, recreation andrecharging.

Let’s not forget our associatemembers. Some may joke they areon vacation every day because theyare retired from the Postal Service.But don’t assume retirees have plen-ty of time on their hands. Many as-sociate members are regularly called

on by others to lend a helping hand.For our associate members, don’t

lose sight either of taking time foryourselves to relax and recharge.Your peace of mind, health and well-earned postal retirement are price-less, too. So, take care of yourself.

As you celebrate the holiday sea-son, I wish you and your family allthe best in health, happiness andprosperity. I encourage members toschedule more relaxation, recreationand recharging time with family andfriends in 2021. Time is a pricelessand limited commodity.

One commodity that also ispriceless and limited in this season ismy December ice-cream-flavor-of-the-month recommendation: frozenpeppermint hot chocolate.

[email protected]

Don’t Leave Annual Leave Behind!Continued from page 3


ork plays a large role in our lives. It

ensures we have food on the table

and a roof over our head. Today’s work is fast

paced and, with the ever-increasing amount

of technology available, being permanently

connected to the office is becoming easier

and easier.

For these reasons, achieving a work-life

balance has become a challenge for most

workers. In the past, it was more difficult to

take work home. Now, with smartphones,

personal and professional lines are blurred.

Many workplaces create a culture of pressure

to spend more time at work and have the

attitude of “first in-last out of the office.”

According to several recent studies, ap-

proximately half of all employed people feel

they are facing overwork issues. Achieving

the “American dream” often means over-

working in order to reach goals. People love

the idea of hard work and determination in

order to create success. On the surface, this

seems like a positive idea. But, in reality, what

effect does working long hours have on our

daily lives?

One person might believe they have

achieved balance when they can leave work

early enough to eat dinner with their family.

Someone else might view it as having a flexi-

ble schedule so they can study for a part-time

graduate degree. Yet another person might

feel fulfilled by spending their “free” time ad-

vancing their career by working longer.

In short, you achieve a balance when you

Fostering a Work-Life Balance

Submitted by the USPS Employee Assistance Program

W


have enough time to pursue bothwork and personal interests you like.However, when you feel as if oneside of your life is using up toomuch of your energy, you can be-come stressed, your productivity canfall and your personal relationshipscan become strained.

Developing that perfect balancebetween our jobs and family alwayshas been a challenge. Work-life bal-ance can be defined as the properprioritizing between “work” (one’scareer and ambition) and “life”(one’s health, family and leisure).Working late occasionally to finish aproject or deal with an emergency isunderstandable. However, routinelyworking late at the office or athome—chronic overworking—willtake a toll on a person’s life.

Research has shown that if youare spending most of your timeworking, you can suffer serious con-sequences with your health, familyand friends. Ultimately, your effec-tiveness in the workplace may de-cline. Let’s take a closer look at theeffects of overworking:

• Health effects—Working toomany hours puts your mind andbody at risk. Long hours in front of acomputer screen can impair yoursleep. Chronic sleep deprivation rais-es the risk for many illnesses, such asobesity and heart disease. A recentstudy indicated that working in ex-cess of 60 hours a week can lead toheart disease.

Stress is another side effect ofoverworking, which creates higherrisks for depression and anxiety. Thelifestyle that goes with overworkingtypically is lots of sitting at a deskand grabbing food to go, which rais-es concerns for possible high bloodpressure and cholesterol.

• Family life—Overworking cre-ates less quality time with your fami-ly, which can damage relationshipsover extended periods of time. If you

are married, overworking can placestrain on the marriage and lead tofrustration by spouses. Children alsofeel the impact of parents cominghome professionally burned out,making them more emotionallywithdrawn from their kids.

• Social life—Friendships taketime to nurture and maintain. Over-working takes away the energy need-ed to create deep friendships. Manypeople feel burned out and indicatethis as a reason for not engaging inface-to face socializing as often.

• Effectiveness and productiv-ity—Consistently logging too muchtime at the office harms productivi-ty, which raises the risk for accidentsand mistakes. Studies have shownthat employees who work more than60 hours a week do not accomplishmore productive tasks. People aremost productive for only a limitedamount of time each day.

Here are common signs that in-dicate you may not have work-lifebalance:

• fatigue• sickness• forgetfulness• anxiety• insomnia• anger• depression• lack of productivity• apathyWork-life balance is an impor-

tant aspect of a healthy work envi-ronment. Employees who have awork-life balance tend to feel moremotivated and less stressed out atwork. This increases employee pro-ductivity and reduces the number ofconflicts in the work environment.Maintaining a work-life balancehelps prevent our personal livesfrom suffering.

It’s important to remember thata work-life balance means some-thing different to everyone. Forsome, the balance often includes

regular vacation time and weekendsaway from the job. Others may wantflexible hours and the ability towork from home. Work-life balanceis in reach, but the challenge is mak-ing a conscious effort to achieve it.

Here are some tips to get youstarted maintaining a work-life bal-ance:

• Boundaries. Set work hoursand try to stick to them. Otherwise,you’ll be working long hours moreoften. Also, be mindful about turn-ing off technology so you are nottempted to focus on work emails.

• Daily goals. Meeting prioritieshelps us feel a sense of accomplish-ment and control. The more controlwe have over our work, the lessstressed we get. So, be realistic aboutworkloads and deadlines. Make a“to-do” list and take care of impor-tant tasks first and eliminate less es-sential ones.

• Self-care. Take care of yourselfby scheduling nonwork-related ac-tivities. By taking time out for your-self, you will gain clarity on what’smost important—now and in the fu-ture—and you will come back moti-vated. Schedule time with a friend,go for a walk or engage in a hobby.

The strongest predictor of happi-ness is work-life balance, according tothe 2017 World Happiness Report.Most of us will spend a large percent-age of our time at work. If we let it,work can take over and create stressin all aspects of our lives.

It is essential to find the right bal-ance and implement it in the work-place. This will allow you to switchoff from work and give you a healthyand more satisfying personal life.

The long-term value in encourag-ing and embracing a balance betweenwork and home life is highly benefi-cial. The push to focus on this funda-mentally is for an employee to behappy, productive and engaged.


The NAPS Postmaster

By Joe Bodary

appy holidays! It’s the mostwonderful time of the year. Bynow, your FY20 celebrations

are over and you’re celebrating thenew FY. Just a couple reminders inyour excitement, remem-ber to … Oh, wait, you’renot celebrating? FY20 didnot go well?

Yes, it was a tough yearand it doesn’t seem to begetting much better. Butyou must remember tokeep a positive attitude, es-pecially as leaders of your units.How you come across to your em-

ployees and customers sets theimage for the Postal Service. Some-times, things do not go as well as ex-pected, but that just creates moreopportunities to succeed.

During the holidays, it’s especial-ly tough as the workload increases—

both on the window andin delivery. It also can bechallenging at home try-ing to enjoy the holidayswith family and friends.The most importantthing is to keep a balancebetween work and home.You must be able to avoid

dealing with home issues at workand work issues at home.

You have electronic devices thatkeep you in constant communica-tion both ways; it’s up to you to usethem appropriately. Make a pointnot to check your work messages athome, except, maybe, once or twiceeach night rather than constantly.Everyone has dinner at a certaintime. I always made a point not tobe disturbed during that time. If thephone rings, it will go to voice mailand I’ll get it later. I’m not takingtime away from my family.

Likewise, when I see a call fromhome coming in while I’m at work, Ilet it go to voice mail until I have amoment to spare. I set up a codewith my family if it’s an emer-gency—just in case. I make sure Ikeep them to it.

Focus your full attention on youroperations, employees and cus-tomers while at work. Oftentimes,you have several people coming atyou at one time; you get flusteredand it’s hard to make proper deci-sions. You may have to stop personspolitely and listen to them one at atime so they know they have yourfull attention. It also helps you makewiser decisions.

Remember to thank them forbringing their issues to you, consult-ing with you or sharing their con-cerns with you. Keep in mind yourcalmness sends a message and helpskeep the stress down.

Dealing with customers is anoth-er focus that needs specific atten-tion. Usually when a customer re-quests to speak with the postmaster,it’s because of a problem. More oftenthan not, they are not happy. Take afew deep breaths to make sure you

Dealing With Holiday Stress

H


NAPS is pleased to announce we have a mailbox for members to submitphotos for our social media outlets. We want to hear from you! Memberscan send photos of NAPS activities directly to NAPS Headquarters at [email protected]. We will review the submissions before posting on our social media outlets.

We encourage members to submit photos of branch meetings, socialoutings, meetings with postal leaders, meetings with congressional leadersin their districts, attendance at career awareness conferences and more.

When submitting a photo, please tell us about the event, the names ofthe members in the photo and when the event occurred. Also, please sendhi-resolution photos; we want everyone to look good.

We look forward to increasing our presence on social media with thisinitiative. Like, follow, share!


Louis M. Atkins Presidential Student

Scholarships

National Association of Postal Supervisors

he Louis M. Atkins

Presidential Student

Scholarships are

awarded to honor former Presi-

dent Louis Atkins and other for-

mer NAPS presidents for their

dedication to NAPS members

and their families. These scholar-

ships are sponsored solely by

NAPS.

Applicants for this scholarship must be the

children or grandchildren of a living NAPS mem-

ber, active or associate, at the time of drawing.

Furthermore, the children or grandchildren must

be attending or have been accepted by an accredit-

ed two- or four-year college or university.

NAPS will award five $1,000 Louis M.

Atkins Presidential Student Scholarships. One

winner will be randomly selected from each of the

NAPS regional areas: Northeast, Eastern, Central,

Southern and Western.

Applications must be received

no later than Jan. 8, 2021. Online

applications only will be accepted

using the NAPS website. Please go

to www.naps.org under the

“Members” tab to apply for the

Louis M. Atkins Presidential

Student Scholarships, or go to

https://naps.org/Members-

Scholarship.

Scholarship winners will be announced in Jan-

uary 2021. In addition, the scholarship winners

will be listed in the March 2021 issue of The

Postal Supervisor.

Members whose child or grandchild have

been awarded a Louis M. Atkins Presidential

Student Scholarship will receive a check, payable

to the college or university listed in the applica-

tion, in January 2021. Scholarships may be used to

pay expenses in the student’s current or following

semester.

Deadline: Jan.8, 2021

T

Louis M. Atkins Presidential Student

Scholarships

National Association of Postal Supervisors

Deadline: Jan.8, 2021

T

Online applications only: https://naps.org/Members-Scholarship


By Dioenis D. Perez

hristmas is right around thecorner. It’s been a difficultyear, now with the stress of

the holidays, busy mailing seasonand still living withCOVID-19. It hasn’t beena normal year; everyoneunderstands this, exceptUSPS Headquarters regard-ing its EAS employees.

By the time this issueis published, some EASemployees in Levels-18 to-22 offices may have lost their posi-tions and were forced to either moveto another office or into a mail pro-cessing plant EAS position. It’s indis-putable: These EAS employees nowwill face additional hardships withtheir families during a pandemic.

USPS leadership would argue andsay it’s business, not personal. Oh,really? Then why wasn’t it a prob-lem to roll out and update approxi-mately 20 memorandums of under-standings (MOUs) through Dec. 31?

The MOUs were updatedevery 60 to 90 days sinceFebruary. These MOUsprincipally benefit all thecraft unions.

On Sept. 18, I receiveda NAPS Headquartersemail listing all 20 MOUsthat were approved by the

USPS. I was particularly interested inlooking for one that would benefitEAS employees. It doesn’t exist.

For years, the USPS has been try-ing to reimage itself by spendingmoney on EAS engagement trainingand emails and employee surveys.

And now, pandemic MOUs lookingto make it a friendlier and more car-ing work environment for all, notjust for craft employees.

There has not been one MOU forEAS employees during the pandem-ic. Then again, if you’re a peoplecompany and you support an en-gaged, positive and caring workingenvironment, you wouldn’t think tohave one, right? Wrong! A MOUthat would stop excessing CustomerService supervisors because their of-fices fell below the SWCs zone of tol-erance during a pandemic is nowwarranted!

Doesn’t the USPS know whattheir areas are doing during a pan-demic regarding eliminating EAS em-ployees from offices through theSWCs process? Offices that are losingan EAS employee because the areasidentified them below their SWCsare, indeed, below their complementlevels through no fault of the office.

The areas should have taken thetime to investigate first and ask thedistrict for reasons why offices areunder-staffed, instead of forcing thedistricts to remove EAS employeesfrom their offices. If they had donethis first, they would have learnedwhy an office fell below staffing lev-els before displacing an EAS employ-ee and negatively impacting theirfamily’s lives during a pandemic.

Many offices fell below theirstaffing levels because of resigna-tions, retirements and COVID-19.These offices don’t control the hir-ing; they’re short in authorizedCCAs, PSE and PTFs. Why punish of-fices that are paying a high over-

Thoughtsfrom the NAPS Branches

Displacing EAS Employees During a Pandemic?

C

are calm, listen to the customer,keep a low tone and, most impor-tantly, be very apologetic.

If it’s something you can resolveright away, do so. If not, let themknow you are going do everythingyou can to help. Get their name, ad-dress and a number with which youcan contact them and let themknow the specific time you can doso.

Keep your word! If you indicateyou will call them by 4 p.m., butyou still haven’t resolved the issue,call them at 4 p.m. and let themknow you still don’t have an answer,

but you will contact them at suchand such a time. This is by far thebest customer service; they knowyou care and you haven’t forgottenthem.

These are just a few tips to helpkeep your holiday stress under con-trol. Remember, too, if you are hav-ing issues keeping your stress levelmanageable, you always can call theUSPS Employee Assistance Program,24/7.

[email protected]

Joe Bodary is Michigan State Branch925 corresponding secretary and the re-tired postmaster of Lincoln Park.

Dealing With Holiday StressContinued from page 26


By Mark Velez

met a veteran in my lobby just the other day wearing a veteran’scap designating the war in which

he proudly served. We had a briefconversation about the Postal Service.As it ended, I thanked him for hisservice.

At that point, he said to me verydirectly, “Don’t say that; we don’tlike it.” I was taken aback and obvi-ously didn’t want to insult him. Hecontinued, “You don’t know what Idid out there to stay alive and safeand get home.”

At that moment, I realized Inever had thought about that aspectof combat—that a soldier can be inthe worst place in the world, feeling

alone, scared and wondering whatmight be around the corner. My fa-ther, brother and friends have servedour country, but I have neverthought about the danger theyfaced. I just dismissed what theymay have had to do to stay alive.

I’ve never been in any type ofcombat. The closest I’ve been to waris watching movies such as “Pla-toon” and “Saving Private Ryan.”These movies usually show someblood and death, but they clean upwar for us over a few hours, thenallow us to return to our lives. Werarely see the real horrors of combatand, to be honest, I don’t think Iwant to see it. I want to watch themovie and move on with my life.

That day, the conversation was

different. It made me realize I havenever really thought about thosewho serve, why they serve and ifthey are really okay with being acivilian again and returning home.This man made me think about that.It gave me a different perspective onwhat observances such as MemorialDay and Veterans Day mean to himand others who served.

Finally, as our conversationended, he said, “Can I give you a lit-tle advice?” “Of course!” I respond-ed. He continued, “When you see aveteran, just say, ‘Welcome back.’”

So, to all our veterans, each andevery day: Welcome back!

Mark Velez is a member of Flushing,NY, Branch 164.

A Different Perspective

I

time percentage because they’reshort-staffed? It’s not their fault.

The overtime percentage is war-ranted to provide delivery and win-dow services daily. Postmasters areworking nearly 30 hours in the crafteach week because of this. The areasand Postal Headquarters should beashamed of themselves for removing

an EAS employee from their officeduring a pandemic.

What’s really broken with theSWCs process is the communicationbetween the areas and districts whiletrying to resolve each office’s prob-lem. Instead, they take the easy pathby quickly removing an EAS employ-ee—without considering how they

disrupt that EAS employee’s andtheir family’s lives while working ina pandemic.

With dignity and respect, [email protected]

Dioenis D. Perez is Long Island, NY,Branch 202 vice president and postmas-ter of Syosset.

Work-life balance supports physical,emotional, family and communityhealth.

It’s important for all of us to gainself-awareness regarding our ownpersonalities and tendencies, assome people are more prone to im-balances than others. It may be chal-lenging at first to unplug or not sendthat email. Remind yourself that nothaving a balance will put yourhealth at risk and potentially impactyour loved ones’ time with you.

Once you start togain balance, you willfeel less over-whelmed in life. So,start today with get-ting your balance back.

Today, work-life bal-ance is about achieving the mix ofbusiness and personal life that’s rightfor you. We all are unique; the term“personal life” means something dif-ferent to everyone. It can includespending time with your friends andfamily, resting or participating inhobbies. Also, engaging in personal,

spiritual or educationaldevelopment, exer-cising or care-giving.It even can include

your work!Following the ideas

presented in this article is a good start to promoting a

healthy work-life balance. If you findyourself struggling with your bal-ance, your Employee Assistance Pro-gram is here to help. For more infor-mation, visit EAP4YOU.com orcontact your EAP at 800-327-4968(800-EAP-4YOU); TTY: 877-493-734.

Fostering a Work-Life BalanceContinued from page 25

from the National AuxiliaryNotes

By Catherine TownsMideast Area Vice President

reetings, friends and colleagues!This year has affected my life in

so many ways. I would like to share afew stories with you.

On Dec. 2, 2019, I lostmy best friend, FrancesJackson. She was a supervi-sor in the Postal Service andserved as a local NAPSbranch and state treasurerfor many years. After retir-ing, she served the localand state auxiliary as treas-urer for many years until her death.

I truly miss Fran, as I affection-ately called her. She was a friendwho was there for me and others24/7. A friend like that is hard tofind and never should be taken forgranted. The NAPS Auxiliary lost agreat servant.

I have served as a local and stateauxiliary president for 25-plus years,as well as on the National AuxiliaryBoard for many years. Having served

in these positions has allowed me tomake friendships and memories withwonderful people all over the country.I’ve always cherished my friendshipswith the New Jersey local and stateNAPS officers and members.

This year, due to the coronaviruspandemic, the New Jerseystate convention was can-celed. However, state andlocal NAPS members decid-ed to help the state auxil-iary with one of ourfundraising events. Thefundraiser was a great suc-cess! Thank you, local and

state NAPS members! And let’s not forget about my fam-

ily. I don’t know how I would contin-ue to make it through this pandemicwithout the love and care of my chil-dren, other family members and car-ing neighbors and friends. Most of all,I would not have made it without mybelief in the Lord, our God. I want toshare this poem from a greeting cardabout friendship that moved me:

Friendship Is …Friendship is the sunshinethat lights the darkest day,The helping hand we sometimes needto help us on our way.Friendship asks no questionsand never tells us lies …It stands the test of time,because true friendship never dies.Friendship is the greatest giftof any you recall—a friendship such as oursmust be the finest of them all.As 2020 comes to an end, I want

to wish everyone a safe and healthyholiday season. And, please, be afriend to someone!

G

What Friendship Means to Me

National AuxiliaryExecutive BoardNational Officers

Patricia Jackson-KelleyPresident(323) 752-6252; [email protected]

Laurie D. ButtsExecutive Vice President(484) 988-0933; [email protected]

Bonita R. Atkins Secretary/Treasurer(225) 933-9190; [email protected]

Regional Vice Presidents

Rick HallEastern Region (804) 621-3843; [email protected]

Elly SoukeyCentral Region(612) 715-3559; [email protected]

Beverly AustinSouthern Region(832) 326-1330; [email protected]

May NazarenoWestern Region(415) 312-5813; [email protected]

Area Vice Presidents

Elsie Vazquez New York Area(718) 727-8652; [email protected]

Cathy Towns Mideast Area(732) 247-8811

Skip CorleyCapitol-Atlantic Area(336) 908-1859; [email protected]

Linda RendlemanIllini Area(618) 893-4349; [email protected]

Mary CarusoMINK Area(402) 891-1310; [email protected]

Jane FinleySoutheast Area (404) 403-3969; [email protected]

Willie CarterCentral Gulf Area(205) 919-5645; [email protected]

Felecia HillTexas Area(281) 880-9856; [email protected]

Rebecca TurnerPacific Area(323) 997-5651; [email protected]

Region vacant: NortheastAreas vacant: New England, Pioneer, Michi-ana, North Central, Cotton Belt, Northwest,Rocky Mountain.


On the Move?

Have you moved or are planning amove? Let NAPS know, too!

Keeping your mailing address cur-rent at NAPS Headquarters helps uskeep The Postal Supervisor comingto you without interruption andavoid unnecessary “Address ServiceRequested” charges.

Please let us know your new addressand its effective date as soon as youknow it. Address changes may bemailed to NAPS at 1727 King St.,Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314-2753, or faxed to (703) 836-9665.

Don’t Leave Annual Leave Behind - NAPS · 2020. 11. 16. · Don’t Leave Annual Leave Behind!...

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