This episode is a lengthy discussion, primarily focused on Corey's frustration with the union's response to various issues, particularly the falsification of heat training records.
The core of the episode centers around the importance of a strategic approach to grievances, contrasting a "checkers" approach (reactive and fragmented) with a "chess" approach (proactive and unified). He contends that some union leaders are not properly educating or preparing their members for these issues, leading to management's ability to continue harmful practices, citing specific instances where management failed to adequately address union concerns.
Corey delves into several arbitration cases to highlight patterns of management misconduct, particularly in the falsification of documents like heat training and time records. He argues that management often uses misleading metrics to create a perception of good performance while, in reality, placing carriers at risk. He emphasizes that falsification is a serious issue, often leading to removal in prior arbitration cases, and that the current approach of the union (often advising members to "just do the training") is inadequate.
Corey advocates for a more unified and strategic approach to these grievances, urging shop stewards and other union representatives to be more aggressive in challenging management actions and demanding complete transparency. He critiques the lack of collective action and unified strategy by the union, stressing that a fragmented approach (playing checkers) will only result in continued disadvantage. He emphasizes that the union must play chess to defeat management's checkers tactics. He offers specific strategies, like demanding documentation and requesting interviews to thoroughly investigate allegations of wrongdoing.
Finally, the episode highlights a recent memorandum from management concerning certified mail handling within delivery point sequence (DPS) mail. Corey emphasizes this as a crucial point for future grievances, providing the contractual language and the rationale for filing grievances concerning the placement of certified mail into the DPS stream. The episode ends with a passionate call for more proactive leadership within the union to support carriers and with a call to action for listeners to be ready to fight for their rights, encouraging the use of arbitration decisions to build a strong defense.
arb. Goldstein C-17898
arb Talmadge C-28539 a-b
arb August C-34357
arb August C-32489
certified mail in dps starts at 1:45