Vice President’s Desk
Joe Rodgers
There is no better time than the present to say to each and every one of you, “Thank You.” Thank you for your professionalism, your tenacity, your endurance and especially your patience under extreme weather conditions. It would be hard to imagine a more difficult winter to have delivered mail in, than this past one. Snow fall totals exceeded the past record that held firm from 1898-1899. In that year, Philadelphia had its 3rd-snowest year with an overall accumulation of 55.4 inches. This year, we knocked that record down into 4th place when we beat it with an additional 3 inches of snow (58.4 inches). Great Job!
I need you to know and never doubt the respect and admiration we have for the hard work you do everyday. If it weren’t for you, the letter carrier, the Postal Service would wither and die on the vine. Make no mistake; you are the backbone of this organization! You always find the means necessary to get the job done, despite a Postal Service that can’t seem to get out of its own way. I don’t say this for shock value; I say it because it’s the truth.
When you think about it, we somehow manage to get the job done regardless of the fact that we are understaffed, overworked, underappreciated and underequipped. For example, recently at one station the carriers in one zone were told to manually write down the numbers for each package that needed to be scan. When asked why, management informed the employees that they only had enough scanners for half the station. Really?!!
I hope the message I am trying to convey is apparent. Without you, there is no Postal Service. Your hard work and dedication is what keeps us in business.
Wanting to end on an optimistic note, it is good to know that spring is right around the corner. Stay safe and hope to see you at a general membership meeting.
Joe Rodgers, Vice President NALC 157