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Peggy Swander, Editor The Michigander March/ April 2015
Page 1
POSTMASTER/OIC/MANAGER
National League of Postmaster’s, The Education Organization
Michigander
Official Publication of the National League of Postmasters
Michigan Branch
REALLY
BIG
NEWS!!!
Peggy Swander, Editor The Michigander March/ April 2015
Page 2
News and Feature Highlights from the League National website.
January 23, 2015
Consolidation Proposal Documents
Postmasters and Managers of America ----- PMA
After years of unsuccessful negotiations, the members of the LEAGUE and NAPUS Executive Boards have reached an agreement on a blueprint for the forming of one united Postmaster/Management Organization.
A committee was formed to work out the details of the proposal and this process was finalized on 1/21/2015. Representing the LEAGUE on this committee was John Olson and Jack Jameson. NAPUS was represented by John Galera and Daniel Heins. Both Tony Leonardi and Sean Accord worked many hours on differences between the two organizations and put together ideas that we felt must be in place in order for this be presented to you for a vote. The committee did an outstanding job combining the best of both
organizations into the documents can read on the national website.
PostPlan and other arbitration decisions including the loss of the 6 hour Postmaster positions (formerly EPM Postmasters) have devastated both organizations from a potential member standpoint.
Postmaster positions have decreased 10,000 employees in the last 10 years.
The decision to officially dissolve the League and NAPUS as we know them and to unite as a new organization is yours to make.
The official vote will take place at our Annual Convention in Washington, DC this summer. Please plan to attend for this historical vote.
POND SCUM Well, what do you think about all these new changes? I admit I have been having a rough time. How about you? While finding the balance between home and work has never been something I am proficient at, now I find myself at work longer than before. With the new changes in clerk staffing, my seasoned SSA has gone to my RMPO, I have a newly transferred clerk in my office that I immediately had to send to my newly acquired manual-RMPO to work. This leaves me alone. I hate being alone. Change. They always say “Change” is good for us. I agree change is good. But sometimes the implementation of change from those in charge of our postal universe can leave you and me shaking our heads. If change is good, steel bands should be used to keep things together but the band aids that being used to hold it
together are a going to come part. I feel like the superglue from in my pocket would be a better fix for the changes, then I think about my career and apply it to my lips instead. Someone once told me that if we are not challenged we become stagnant like pond water. I know all about pond water. It’s full of mold and bacteria. Sometimes it can have scum that completely covers the water. Mosquitos breed here. Water moccasins hide waiting for their victims. When we distance ourselves from change and we cut ourselves off from the challenges, we become completely reliant on ourselves and focus turns inward. This lack of movement over time produces mental bacteria. Bacteria can cause life to become dormant and nonproductive. Unlike a pond, running water from a stream is life-giving, it’s always moving and changing. No
Peggy Swander, Editor The Michigander March/ April 2015
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scum…just bubbles; life giving bubbles and rainbows and butterflies …ok maybe I am stretching it with the rainbows and butterflies. About now you are thinking “here we go with another stupid pep talk.” After reading the prior paragraph you think I expect you to try to make yourselves feel better by saying through gritted teeth “Change is good! Change helps me to grow!” And while that’s true, that’s not what has been on my mind lately. The level of frustration I have felt in recent months has been more intense than I have felt in a while. I have had some personal struggles and some work struggles that have left me feeling deflated, and even though I hate to admit it, defeated. I know that I am not alone in my frustration as many of my friends and colleagues have reached out for support. I have been watching the different personalities in my network, and I have seen that I am not the only one who has been pulling back and hiding in my shell. All is not well, is it my friends? I wonder if we are becoming a group of leaders who have had our hands slapped so many times that we are becoming submissive, and passive, and stagnant. Like pond water? I know I find myself leaning in this direction. Is this who I really want to be? Is this the depth of who I am? When I don’t speak up and stand up I feel this shadow of mental bacteria that
permeates my character. I have been distancing myself from possible confrontations over things I feel to be unjust. I have squelched my righteous indignation over the wrong I see in our postal world. I have been so defeated that I have drawn my pond scum around me like a baby blanket, and squelched the life giving bubbling brook of rainbows and butterflies. That is not who I am. That person is not who I want to be. That is most certainly not the leader that I want my employees to have. My question for you is “Is this who you want to be?” I don’t think so. If you are in a leadership role, you didn’t get there by accident. You didn’t hold still and find someone dump a postmaster certificate in your lap. You reached out. You took chances. You met challenges. You worked for it. DON’T STOP NOW. I am going to challenge you now. Don’t give up. Your challenge is this, every day when you look around your office take five minutes to better something. Throw that pond scum blanket to the side and better one thing. Don’t give up on who you were meant to be. The goal of this challenge is to show yourself that you won’t be beat down. You won’t be stagnant like pond water. Five minutes. One thing. You can do this! No more Pond Scum. Not for this girl! ~ Day Crosby
Happy New Year…. Or what I would have said two months ago had I not been so busy I barely remember my own name. By President Fred Smith. Well we survived that Holiday mailing season, we made it through with not enough employees and being pulled in many directions with the addition of our many RMPO offices. Not to mention the lack of support that some didn’t receive from their POOM’s, with them always wanting more every day. I want to commend you for your efforts and dedication to the Post Service, our customers appreciate all that you do. Now for the REALLY BIG NEWS. I’m sure that everyone has heard of the possibility of the two Postmaster Organization’s merging. With the declining membership, it looks like this is our only option; both organizations have their good points. But I will let you decide whether it is in our best interest to merge. Please take the time to visit the League’s National website for the latest information. Also, you will have two options to hear in person the reasons that we are talking about this merger. At our State
Peggy Swander, Editor The Michigander March/ April 2015
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Convention to be held in May, we will have a National Board member there to answer any questions that you may have. During the National Convention in June we will be voting on the merger. ____________________________________________________________________________ 2015 State Convention will be held at the Doubletree Hilton in downtown Bay City, May 6-8. Please note that this year’s event will be held one month earlier than normal due to the National Convention being moved to the end of June.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bay City - Riverfront One Wenonah Park Place, Bay City, Michigan, 48708, USA TEL: +1-989-891 6000
May 6-8, 2015
Room Rates are $99.00, rates will only be held until April 1st, please make reservations early.
Please visit the Hilton website for information on this location
Contact Mindy Barnwell or Dala Crosby our Convention Co-Chairs if you have any questions.
______________________________________________________________________________
National Convention will be held June 28- July 2
Visit the National League website for additional information.
112th National League of Postmasters Convention June 28 - July 2, 2015
Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel 999 Ninth Street NW Washington, District Of Columbia 20001 Reservations: 1-800-393-2505 Group: National League of Postmasters Room Rates: Standard Guest Room - $179.00 plus tax, currently 14.5% Reservations cut-off date is June 4, 2015.
If you are interested in attending the National Convention, please contact one of our Board members, for funding options. Please contact me if you have any issues that I could assist you with. See you in Bay City.
WE ARE SO LUCKY! By Retired
Postmaster Jean Dirkse
As Americans, we are the luckiest people on the
planet! We live in a country where we are
allowed to express our own opinions. Sometimes
I think this freedom of expression is carried a
little too far, but that is another subject. We are
allowed to vote for any candidate we choose in a
free election. Any group that wants to support a
candidate or try to derail another candidate can
put out mailings, robo-calls and television ads
trying to get us to vote the way they want us to.
Hopefully, voters research the candidates and the
issues before they go to the polls. We are faced
with decisions every day and each of us does the
best we can to make the right choice. I am
writing to you today asking you to make the
decision to be thankful.
I am thankful for this country and its leaders. I
am thankful that I had the chance to work at the
USPS as a postmaster and that I was able to
retire five years ago. I am thankful for good
health. I am thankful for my husband of 45
years, who appreciates me and values me. I am
thankful for three great sons and my almost
daughters. I am thankful for one granddaughter
Peggy Swander, Editor The Michigander March/ April 2015
Page 5
and a great-granddaughter and seven grandsons.
I am thankful for my parents, three sisters and
two brothers and all of the in-laws who are part
of our family. I am thankful for all the dear
friends who have walked into my life and
decided to stay. I am thankful for my faith in
God and the opportunity to practice that faith. I
am so blessed!
ON A SIDE NOTE:
I heard Megan Brennan is now the first woman
PMG. I listened to both of these leaders speak
when I attended the National League of
Postmasters Convention in Reno, NV last
August. I was really impressed by Ms. Brennan.
She took questions from the floor and carefully
listened to every concern. Those she had no
answer for she made notes on and even asked
some to email her directly with more details.
Wow! I think she will be a great leader going
forward in difficult times.
There is something each of you can do to
strengthen this organization. Please invite
another postmaster to attend a League event with
you. Please approach a retiring postmaster and
ask them to fill out an 1187R to join the League
Retirees. This does not happen automatically!
Once an employee is off the rolls, their dues
with-holding ends. We need to keep every single
person involved with our organization who
already is. Lastly, when our state convention is
held next May in Bay City, please pay $5 to join
the League Auxiliary and then sign up other
members of your family. We exist to support
working postmasters in the League.
2014-2015 MICHIGAN BOARD MEMBERS
Fred Smith, President
Marysville, MI Postmaster
C 810-841-2810
O 810-364-7922
Julie Peterson, Executive V. P.
Leroy, MI Postmaster
C 231-920-1703
O 231-768-4943
Mindy Barnwell, Vice President
Mt. Pleasant, MI Postmaster
C 989-763-0185
O 989-773-5276
Thomas McKenna, Vice President
Millington, MI Postmaster
C 810-790-0062
O 989-871-3932
Dala Crosby, Vice President
Kingsley, MI Postmaster
C 231-632-4064
O 231-263-5820
Keith Raymond, Vice President
Dryden, MI Postmaster
C 586-943-1046
O 810-796-2420
Laura Groat, Treasurer
Linden, MI Postmaster
C 810-287-8321
O 810-655-2076
Lora Herrmann, Secretary
Irons, MI Postmaster
C 231-510-1056
O 231-266-5738
Rosa Bush, Retired Postmasters
President
C 231-920-7011
Peggy Swander, Editor/Web
site/Historian
Lambertville, MI Postmaster
C 517-260-3407
O 734-854-2392
Jean Dirkse, Auxiliary President
Retired Postmaster
C 231-269-4207
Judy Buffmyer, Legislative
Chairperson
Retired Postmaster
C 248-563-9136
Denise Owen, Immediate Past
President
Clarkston, MI Postmaster
O 248-625-0648
Peggy Swander, Editor The Michigander March/ April 2015
Page 6
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF POSTMASTERS MICHIGAN STATE CONVENTION
MAY 6-8, 2015
Bay City
Hilton DoubleTree-Riverfront “Celebrating” 103 years”
Register before April 30, 2015 pay $50.00. Registration fees will increase after May 1, 2015.
Fee Paid… Now After May 1 _____Postmaster/OIC $50 $100 _____1st Timer Postmaster/OIC $50 $100 _____ Retired Postmaster $50 $100 _____Auxiliary Member $50 $100 _____Guest of Postmaster/OIC $50 $100 _____B.R.A.T.S.* - Youth attendee $50 $100 _____Daily Rates Thur/Fri/Sat(please circle) $35 $45 Please Print
NAME________________________________________________
Work Office/ZIP ________________________________________
HOME ADDRESS_______________________________________
CITY/ZIP______________________________________________
HOME EMAIL ADDRESS________________________________________ Auxiliary, Guest, or B.R.A.T (circle one)
NAME________________________________
Auxiliary, Guest, or B.R.A.T (circle one)
NAME________________________________
Please make checks payable to NLPM- Michigan Branch
Send to: Laura Groat
7156 W. Rolston
Linden, MI 48451
Peggy Swander, Editor The Michigander March/ April 2015
Page 7
Come and Join us!!
By Retired Postmaster Rosa Bush
Are you a retiree now with this new wave
of changes? Did you know your
membership doesn’t carry over? You
need to fill out Form 1187R, yes another
form! You can get it off the League web, I
can email it, BUT I would love to MAIL it
to you! We need to march on together to
make sure we continue to receive our
monthly checks with no cutbacks!!!
Since my last news article a good friend
has retired, Sue Guernsey, & she has
been very busy!! Every time I see
something on Facebook she is on a bus
trip going somewhere with friends & her
husband Elmer. She needs to slow down,
it’s not like she has to hurry back to
work! Rookie Retiree!!
Speaking of Facebook, a while back I got
a request to be friends with my old
POOM Phil Williams! I was so excited
that he wanted to be my friend! I’m sure
when I was his AO Postmaster that there
were a few times I wasn’t his buddy.
Amazing what retirement does to the
mind!
I mentioned in my last article that I would
love to hear from you…guess what??? I
have another friend, Dan from
Cheboygan! He’s still working & just
wanted to say hi! He sounded a little
down & I felt bad telling him about my
adventures. We talked about our details
together, laughed & shared some
moments. When we hung up, I smiled &
Dan if you’re reading this…you made my
day! Thank you
Any retirees out there that would like to
get together at the 3 digit meetings, let
me know!! Also State Convention will be
coming up & would love to have you
there.
Call me or email me with your
adventures. I would love to post them in
our newsletter. Send me pictures so I can
see your smiling face! After all we are still
FAMILY!
Keep Smiling! Rosa
231-920-7011
Michigander, Peggy Swander, Editor March/April 2014
Page 8
Michigander
A Publication of the National League of Postmasters
Michigan Branch
Peggy Swander, editor
Postmaster, Lambertville, MI 48144
Non-Profit Organization
US Postage Paid
Permit #19
Hadley, MI
