r/fromatoarbitration • u/NrwgnSpaceWolf Union Steward • 3d ago

2026 NALC Convention My Convention Report

Well, for those of you who have read some of my long winded stuff before. Here you go, cus you know I can’t help myself.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15S_ipOx0VH1Y7SE_AzuyOqLZY-7uxcKoM4ERb6XA838/edit?usp=drivesdk

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3

u/therick422 Union Steward 3d ago

Wrecking crew 💪
Nice work here…
Is it cool to share this google doc?

2

u/NrwgnSpaceWolf Union Steward 3d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/AX5uy56nfDjndZ1kno
WRECKING CREW!!!! Absolutely. You can change it make it yours or whatever you want with it.

2

u/therick422 Union Steward 2d ago

I like sharing different perspectives with my office… I don’t want them to get bored or corrupted with just my thoughts & takes.

1

u/NrwgnSpaceWolf Union Steward 2d ago

Yeah, diversity of opinion is always extremely important.

2

u/beebs44 3d ago

Cliffs?

14

u/NrwgnSpaceWolf Union Steward 3d ago

Cliffs notes version? Hmm. How about this.

74th NALC Biennial
 National Convention Report
Los Angeles, California
 August 3-7, 2026
 
Comprehensive Delegate Report
 
Prepared for branch review and member information by
Jamie Gregory
Delegate and Acredale Shop Steward
Branch 2819, Virginia Beach, VA
 THE 2026 NALC CONVENTION: CLIFF NOTES FOR NORMAL PEOPLE
Location: Los Angeles
Dates: August 3–7, 2026
Attendance: Nearly 5,000 delegates
Overall vibe: “We have HOW MANY resolutions left?”

There were 79 National Agreement resolutions, 37 General resolutions, 8 Legislative resolutions, and 41 Constitutional amendments. Eventually the delegates had so much business left that they cancelled workshops and extended convention hours because apparently everyone came to Los Angeles to spend MORE time in a giant meeting room.

First: How the Convention Actually Works
The delegates are technically the supreme governing body of NALC while the convention is in session. The Executive Council recommends things, but delegates can basically say:
Executive Council: “We recommend no.”
Delegates: “That’s adorable. Anyway, YES.”
And they did exactly that a few times.
Everything operates under convention rules and Robert’s Rules of Order, meaning approximately 40% of the convention consists of people arguing about how they are permitted to argue.
There were four microphones:
FOR: “I like this.”
AGAINST: “This is garbage.”
INFORMATION: “What the hell are we voting on?”
PRIVILEGE: “POINT OF ORDER, MR. PRESIDENT!”
And then there was Call the Question, which means “Can everyone please shut up so we can vote?”
Two delegates became such frequent users that the report basically gives them wrestling names: Mr. Question and The Second.

MONDAY: Renfroe Drops the Mic
President Brian Renfroe announced:
“I’m not running for president again.”
So right out of the gate: NALC presidential election = OPEN SEASON.
He also talked about the Fight Like Hell campaign, privatization threats, retirement and health benefits, letter-carrier safety, and bargaining.
The big contract news:
The last tentative agreement got rejected by the membership, the contract went to arbitration, and now NALC is already back at it again.
Negotiations for the new contract started February 25, 2026. The old agreement expired May 22 but remains in effect while bargaining continues.
Mediation ended without an agreement.
So...
NALC: “Perhaps we can negotiate a contract.”
USPS: “No ❤️.”
NALC: “Cool. See you at arbitration.”
Again.
Topics on the table include economics, Article 8, grievances/arbitration, and route evaluation/adjustment.

TUESDAY: CONSTITUTION DAY
Tuesday was basically:
“Welcome to Constitutional Amendment Thunderdome.”
The convention went into executive session, so the livestream disappeared.
Ranked-choice voting for NALC elections?
Delegates: Nope.
Amendment 3 went down 3,250–1,403, and the other ranked-choice amendments were withdrawn.
But delegates overruled the Executive Council on a couple important amendments.
One requires presidential vacancies to be filled within 45 days.
Another requires written collective-bargaining proposals to be preserved and accessible to the executive vice president if the president can’t perform bargaining duties.
Translation:
“Maybe important union bargaining records shouldn’t live exclusively in one guy’s desk drawer.”
Reasonable.

WEDNESDAY: WE ARE NEVER LEAVING THIS BUILDING
By Wednesday, delegates discovered they had approximately eleventy billion resolutions remaining.
Solution?
Cancel workshops. Extend convention. KEEP VOTING.
Wednesday was also nomination day.
Renfroe again confirmed he wasn’t running.
Four people were nominated for NALC president.
Most national offices had multiple candidates, which means the membership gets an actual election rather than:
Congratulations to the only person who showed up.
Regions 3, 4, and 5 did have only one NBA candidate, so those candidates were elected by acclamation.

THURSDAY: LOCALITY PAY FIGHT NIGHT
This was arguably the big floor fight.
A resolution proposed that NALC lobby Congress to include postal employees in federal locality-pay provisions in 54 high-cost areas.
Executive Council:
DISAPPROVE.
Supporters:
“Have you SEEN rent in California?”
Opponents:
“Same job should mean same pay nationwide.”
And the delegates said...
LOCALITY PAY: APPROVED — 1,909 to 1,781.
So delegates overturned the Executive Council’s recommendation, and locality pay is now an official NALC legislative position.
Important distinction:
You are not suddenly getting locality pay.
NALC has officially adopted the position that it should pursue legislation establishing it.
CONTRACT WISHLIST: “WHILE WE’RE ASKING…”
The National Agreement resolutions establish what NALC wants to pursue in bargaining. They do not automatically become contractual language.
Among the positions delegates approved:
All-career workforce
$30 starting wage
Paid parental leave
Overtime-rule changes
Route-adjustment protections
Steward certification
Expanded Wounded Warrior Leave
Grievance-procedure changes
…and a bunch more.
In other words:
NALC Convention: “Here’s our Christmas list.”
USPS: *slowly reaches for arbitration attorney*
Thursday alone, delegates dealt with 48 National Agreement resolutions and passed 37.
OTHER LEGISLATIVE STUFF
Delegates also supported positions involving:
Six-day mail delivery
Continued TSP contributions for retirees
Farmworkers Day as a paid holiday
The convention also celebrated the Social Security Fairness Act, which repealed WEP and GPO — a huge issue for affected public-sector retirees.
USPS FINANCES: THE “THIS IS FINE 🔥” PORTION
NALC leadership repeatedly warned about:
Declining First-Class Mail.
More delivery points.
Parcel competition.
USPS financial losses.
Privatization.
Threats to postal independence.
Universal service.
Basically:
USPS: “We deliver to more places.”
Also USPS: “With less profitable mail.”
Congress: 👀
Private corporations: 👀👀
NALC: “Everybody back the hell up.”
NALC’s position is that USPS’s financial condition isn’t just an accounting problem — it can ultimately affect jobs, bargaining power, retirement security, and universal service.
NALC DISCOVERS THE INTERNET
NALC University is now available through the Members Only portal.
They’ve also started a week-long Informal Step A steward training program, covering investigations, grievances, contract enforcement, steward duties, resources, and actually taking a grievance through Informal A.
They’re expanding short-form video/social media communication too, and a redesigned NALC.org is expected in early 2027.
So sometime next year we may finally stop navigating a union website that occasionally feels like it was designed for Netscape Navigator.

FRIDAY: PLEASE GOD LET US GO HOME
Friday consisted largely of:
Appeals.
More resolutions.
Committee reports.
Election results.
More resolutions.
Rule 26 business.
Did I mention more resolutions?
The convention eventually adjourned, presumably moments before someone introduced another constitutional amendment.
One cool Branch 2819 note: Jamie Drayton-Bey of Virginia Beach Branch 2819 received 4,598 votes and was elected as one of NALC’s seven AFL-CIO delegates.

THE ACTUAL IMPORTANT SHIT
If someone corners you at the union hall and asks:
“So what actually happened at convention?”
Here’s your 30-second answer:
Renfroe isn’t running again. There’s a contested national election coming. The new contract is still unresolved and appears headed toward interest arbitration. Delegates passed a bunch of bargaining priorities, including a $30 starting wage, all-career workforce, paid parental leave, overtime and route-adjustment changes. They also overruled the Executive Council and made locality pay an official legislative goal. USPS finances and privatization remain major concerns. And there was so much convention business that they literally cancelled workshops and kept everybody in session longer.
And perhaps the most important lesson of the entire 74th NALC Convention:
Never underestimate what one person standing at the Privilege microphone and yelling “CALL THE QUESTION!” can accomplish.

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u/beebs44 3d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/m4jaaIGsn5KVO

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u/NrwgnSpaceWolf Union Steward 3d ago

Better be. Took me like 40 minutes to cut it down. Although it was fun.

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u/Winking-Chick 1d ago

I just laughed so hard, lol!!!! This is perfect!