Secretary's Report

Jayme Romine

 

Michigan State Association of Letter Carriers

This will serve as the official annual report of the Michigan State Association.

 

Based on December 2022 information received from the National NALC Secretary-Treasurer Membership

Department.

 

The MISALC had a total of 7,407 active members, 2,893 retired members, 1,034 lifetime members, 4

military, for a total of 11,338 members.

 

Michigan had one merger in November 2022, Branch 1056, Mt. Pleasant merged with Branch 2317,

Midland.

 

Michigan had two mergers in 2023, Branch 794, Cadillac merged with Branch 56, Grand

Rapids.

 

Branch 49, Manistee merged with Branch 618, Traverse City.

 

Brothers and Sisters;

 

I would like to show my gratitude to the delegates who attended the 96th MISALC state convention at Mo-tor City for this opportunity to represent as the recording secretary for the State Association. It is an honor to have been selected to step into this role and to have been mentored by the most selfless brothers and sisters active in our union today. With that, I would also like to thank the officers and executive board who served for the Michigan State Association next to me during the previous term. Throughout the immense pressure to successfully fill these large shoes left by my predecessor, Jane Grant, I also feel immense inspiration and faith with her guidance through our transition.

 

At the state convention, I joined Kyle Inosencio for the instruction of a TIAREAP class. As a Michigan district 2 REAT, I enjoyed listening to the concerns and curiosities of the delegates surrounding the route adjustment process and answering all their questions. Route preservation seems to be of the most common concerns. And with the obvious decline in mail volumes, one of the hardest to attain. Still, after 2-4 city routes are absorbed within a zone, territory assignments and job titles may be negatively affected, but our full-time letter carriers do not drop in pay step nor in guaranteed hours. Even if you’re living under a rock, you have heard the results of the rural craft route adjustments. We need to keep this in our perspective. We need to acknowledge the flaws within the rural craft’s joint process and celebrate the success the leaders of our union have had in ours.

 

Change in our future is inevitable. The United States Postal Service needs to change to stay relevant and competitive in the consumer market. Our contract, and negotiations of, are our security throughout the change. The laws which govern the aspects of our contract are our security throughout the change. No better way to protect these securities than to vote and to donate to our letter carrier political fund.

 

With Solidarity,

 

-- Jayme Romine

Secretary

 

July 2023