Classes of Mail

Hear our final thoughts, as well as a recap of what went down on the last day. Plus, two SHOCKING bits of praise from Michael and me.

Corey Walton joined Michael and me for a discussion about the convention, his candidacy, and (thanks to Michael Brasaemle's courage) Michael Rivera. You should listen to this episode, if for no other reason, to hear Corey's voice in full, high-quality audio.

We recap another day of victories for the reform movement, but more importantly, we get to hear the insights and wisdom of Melissa Rakestraw, a branch president from Illinois who I believe is on the right side of every single issue.

I LOVED having these guys in Hotel Room Studio. We go in depth into the controversy surrounding the wacky way we vote on resolutions at the convention, and how it interacts with Robert's Rules.

Michael Rivera joins Michael Brasaemle and me for a recap of day two of the 2026 NALC National Convention in Los Angeles

Michael and I are joined in Hotel Room Studios by C Moline, Greg Donaldson, and Sam Adams to discuss all the goings-on from today's convention. It was quite a day. Listen in to hear about Renfroe's big announcement, and another Michael Rivera victory.

We got to meet so many wonderful people today! Thank you for saying hello! We don't have much news to report, but we can report on the vibe.

Michael and I discuss the classes we're planning to take, and how you can find us during the convention. We also talk about a recent memo from postal management that limits supervisors' ability to settle grievances, and I go on a little rant about delayed mail at my station.

Margo and Chris dive deep into the issues that matter to the Stand Up Slate, and they explain why these issues are relevant to their roles as AFL-CIO delegates, and why these issues are relevant to letter carriers. It's one of the best conversations Classes of Mail has ever hosted.

Cristal Czajkoski joins me via Zoom to talk about a variety of subjects including her podcast Beyond the Satchel, her run for AFL-CIO Delegate, bylaw changes she's proposed for her branch, and her role as a political organizer. Specials guests: her two wonderful dogs.

C Moline comes on to discuss her run for AFL-CIO delegate. It doesn't get any better than this. She is phenomenally qualified, and she has the hearty endorsement of Classes of Mail. Listen and be impressed, and then vote for her in Los Angeles.

It's always a pleasure to have John Murphy on the podcast. On this episode, he talks about what our AFL-CIO delegates should be doing, and what he plans to do to revitalize the labor movement when he's elected.

Michael Rivera received his decision from the Committee on Appeals, and they overturned the Branch's conviction and suspension. He will now be a delegate to the upcoming national convention. In the second half of the episode, we talk about charges Rivera had previously brought against Brian Renfroe. Those charges will be appealed at the convention.

Here what the Stand Up Slate is all about, and why I support their candidacy.

"If the law is on your side, pound the law. If the facts are on your side, pound the facts. If neither are on your side, pound the table." You're going to hear a lot of table pounding in this episode out of Branch 70.I want you to think about something as you listen to this episode. What are the damages? The Branch 70 president compared Rivera's sharing of an election appeal to "yelling 'fire' in a crowded theater." The reason such speech is not protected is because of the obvious harm: loss of revenue, people get trampled, people can get killed. Compare that to the harm Branch 70 has suffered because people who read the appeal might have thought there was only supposed to be one microphone for nominations.4.5 years of suspensions, for a harm that Branch 70 doesn't even articulate.

I was followed all day recently, and it went well. I want it to go well for you, too. I have the 4584 that management used for my street delivery observation, and I'll go over it with you so you know how to keep yourself out of trouble.

This is the other side of the story. Branch 70 prepared a reply to Michael Rivera, and I am going to read every word of it and discuss it with Michael Brasaemle. This is part one of two. While listening, bear in mind the two statements, written within an election appeal and shown to be false, that have caused all this trouble. To summarize, one is that the Branch President didn't relinquish his microphone to accept his nomination. The other is that there was going to be one microphone for nominations, but there wound up being three.Again, both of those allegations wound up being false.Think about the harm those statements caused to the branch in general, and specifically to the members of the election committee. Financial harm? Emotional distress? Loss of work?Or did nobody care, because they're insignificant accusations.The Branch makes its case for why Michael Rivera deserves an 18 month suspension for those two statements. Listen and decide for yourself.

Michael and I talk about HOW you can make the most of your investigative interview. We read two actual interviews, and discuss the way the carrier's answers helped to defend against any impending discipline.

Today we continue our reading of the JCAM with Article 9. This article covers our salaries and our COLAs. We'll go over what a "diet COLA" is, and how we're all actually getting screwed by our COLA system. We also go into the wage provisions for carrier technicians.

Michael and I discuss management's improper use of the 3999 (one day inspection) for harassment, and other ways they harass carriers. Even more important, we talk about how to push back.

Michael and I talk about some convention resolutions, and give our thoughts and recommendations.

Michael and I revisit our endorsement of the CLC, in light of their closing ranks around what Michael and I perceive as the wrongdoing in Branch 70.

Michael Brasaemle and I go in depth with the story out of Branch 70. We'll go over the charges, national level decisions, federal laws, and more.

More presidential rulings, more insights. This time, shorter! And it's available on video by searching "Alan Gegax" on YouTube.

This episode is available on video by searching "Alan Gegax" on YouTube. Michael and I talk about a variety of presidential rulings, and what they can tell us about due process, appeal rights, and the NALC Constitution.

Management is destroying the Post Office from the inside. We're not going to be part of it.

This is the rest of Article 8, which includes your work hour guarantees, and a bunch of memos.

I met up with Eric Ellis at the close of the Region 1 Rap Session. He will be retiring in a few months, and we discuss how much retirees earn in their pension, and a few other topics of interest.

When the rap session ended, I met up with Bill Kriebel (NBA candidate) and Howard Komine (trustee candidate) to get their thoughts on Renfroe's speech, the way the rap session is run, and a handful of other topics.

The rap session has ended, and it was quite an event, especially on a personal level. Michael and I talk about Renfroe's speech, and share our experience at the event.

What does Michael rant about? I don't remember! Let's find out together. This was one of four episodes we recorded that day, and Michael was on a roll.(OK, I listened. The episode is mostly about route inspections.)

Three quick topics on this one. First, an apology to a CCA, for forgetting what it's like to be new. Second, please come and say hello to Michael and me at the Region 1 Rap Session happening April 30 through May 1, 2026, in Las Vegas. Third, I am looking for people to help me do research for upcoming episodes of Classes of Mail.

When the grievance process is delayed, carriers can be irreparably harmed. David Grosskopf joined me to talk about how we can best make carriers whole for the damage caused by management's violations of the contract. We also discuss the importance of filing grievances BEFORE the carrier gets harmed.

Michael and I answer your questions.

Inspired by the events surrounding Michael Rivera and Branch 70, Michaele Brasaemle talks about our LMRDA protected rights, and NALC policy. (NOTE: This episode was recorded BEFORE Michael Rivera was convicted by Branch 70)

My branch (2502) invited Mike Caref to come speak. I don't have a recording of his speech, but I did take a lot of notes. In this episode, Michael Brasaemle and I give our impressions, and we related what was said. As an added bonus, I drove Caref to a campaign event the next morning, then went out to breakfast with him. We talk about that, too.

C Moline, one of my favorite guests, comes on to give us some education about union activism, and to tell us what Build a Fighting NALC is up to.

Management's office times are total fiction. When they tell you that you're supposed to be out of the office in 30 or 45 or 60 minutes, they're trying to invalidate what's in the M-41. Michael and I go over what's actually in our handbook, and what all is supposed to be done on office time.

This one is a slog, but it's really important. This section of the JCAM goes into how overtime is supposed to be distributed, and it's probably the single biggest source of grievances. If you really want to know your rights as it relates to overtime, this is the episode for you.

I am not a political expert. I'm a teacher. And my opinions on candidates and slates and movements should be weighted accordingly. In this episode, Michael and I dig into our feelings about the CLC. What makes us confident they'll be an improvement over Renfroe and company? What gives us pause for concern? And what actual evidence is there to support any of these positions?

Michael talks about retirees. I tried to stop him. He also talks about the recent testimony of PMG Steiner before Congress.

Sometimes I think about what it would have been like if I would have realized earlier in my career that I don't have to run, that if I just do the job the right way, it can be low stress. It took me fourteen years to come to those realizations. Ryan Akers figured it out MUCH faster. He joins me on this episode to talk about what it's like being a newer carrier who actually knows his rights.[I forgot to add the outro music after the episode. Sorry about that.]

These are key provisions. We cover the fact that you are NOT an on-call employee! We also go over the rules governing overtime, out-of-schedule pay, and more.

Howard Komine came to Vegas to campaign with the CLC at my branch meeting. I was fortunate enough to meet up with him at his hotel for an in-person interview. This is Howard's first podcast interview, and he did GREAT! In this episode, he talks about his role as a trustee, how he runs his own branch, and why the oversight a trustee provides is so vital to our union.

Well, well, well... the shoe is on the other foot! Michael Rivera is a reformer from Branch 70 in San Diego who found himself in the national spotlight (at least among reform-minded podcasters) when he brought charges against NALC President Brian Renfroe; and then brought charges against the entire Executive Council. Michael recently ran for office in his own branch, and found what he believes to be significant deviations from the NALC's published election rules. He brought those issues to light with an election appeal, and published that appeal on social media, along with the appeals of two other members of his branch.Now, the members of the branch's election committee have brought charges against Michael for that publication. In this episode, we talk about the charges, and how the charges mirror similar charges that Michael Brasaemle and I faced stemming from our own branch election.

James Henry visited my branch last week, and he brought the energy! I found his speech to be heartfelt, enthusiastic, and indicative of where his mindset is. If you've only heard James Henry on podcasts, you owe it to yourself to give this a listen. I have the audio from his speech, and I also talk a bit in the beginning and end about what it was like to have him there in person, along with Howard Komine and Corey Walton.

There were some articles in the December 2025 Postal Record that are relevant to issues important to Michael and me. We discuss them.

Sometimes when you fight, you lose. Michael and I discuss what happened with our appeal, and why it's important to fight, even if you sometimes lose.

My surgery is now behind me, and things appear to be going well. I have my first follow-up in a few days, so this is everything I know as of the date of recording.

This episode is by request, from our friends in New York City. Michael bring the hits with some of his favorite grievance wins. It's a fun list, and the last grievance is a banger.

Mike Caref joins me to talk about the enormous grievance settlements that featured in the Office of the Inspector General report that was released earlier this year. We discuss some of the specific grievances, and the specific payouts. More generally, we go over what it takes to get management to actually comply with the contract.