TSALC Report Director of Retirees July 25, 2010

As the year goes on there have been many Items that are of interest to Retirees as well as active

Members of NALC. If you are concerned about the survival of the Postal Service please become familiar

With what is going on in congress. Right now House Resolution is making its way through congress

HR 173 to maintain a 6 day delivery. Without, the active carriers the Retirees bargaining power is

Drastically reduced and without the Retirees support the active carriers power is also considerably

Reduced. The loss of many jobs is at stake as well as the service to the people of America.

Do you want the Postal Service to be a fourth rate service or do you want the Postal Service to continue              

Its’, proud tradition of service? Many small businesses as well as people in rural areas and in many parts

Of the big cities as well will have their choices reduced when they mail a package or a letter. Without

The Postal Service the private companies will have less competition and they will definitely go up

In price, considerably, especially in areas that, are not profitable. Many active members that attend the

Union meetings have joined, COLCPE and are contributing to COLCPE. As retirees we must also do the

Best we can to contribute to the Strength of our retirements, and Health plans. Retirees can contribute

Directly from your annuity by phone call NALC retirement office at 202-662-2877 anytime or toll free at

800-424-5186. you will need your CSA retirement claim number. As your TSALC Director of Retirees I can

Mail you a form if you prefer. Call me at 713-748-9212

Thank You

Hector R. Salinas

Legislative Trip to Washington D.C., May 2010

     The legislative trip to Washington D.C. was very important this year because it not only opened my eyes to what is going on with the postal service concerning 6 day delivery but exposed the truth                           

About the financial stability of the Postal Service. The truth is the postal service has over 100 billion which it was required to pay for retirement and health benefits 75 years in a period of 10 years. There is no need to pay that far in advance. The postmaster of the United States said so under oath that shifting the funds would make the deficit go away or nearly go away. After he left the congressional review in public he backed off what he had said and went back to his old story. In order to keep a strong postal service we need to keep the 6 day delivery. If we go to 5 days It won’t be long before we go to 4 day delivery and our postal service will become a fourth rate service like so many other postal services throughout the world. If we go to a 5 day week we could lose over 90,000 jobs.

     The need for a 5 day week is Bogus and the postmaster is doing everything he can to make people believe that the postal service is broke and convinces the public that it is a done deal.  In my inter action with Congress we the Liaison told a large number of congress people from Texas the truth and they paid attention. Many of the Congress people told us that they will sign onto the HR 173 to maintain the six day delivery.  Many Business especially small business depend on us to continue to give the first rate service that we give at an affordable price.

     You can help in maintaining a first rate postal service by calling your congress person and asking them to sign on to HR 173 to maintain a 6 day delivery. The Postal Service cannot go to a 5 day delivery without the authorization of Congress.

     Another way you can help to keep the Postal Service a first rate service is by contributing  to COLCPE if you want to contribute a few dollars a payday call the Hall 713-6412366 or call me at 713-591-0674.    Please read your NALC Bulletin which is in your station on your bulletin board and also please read the may issue of the postal record , President Rolando goes into detail about the truth of what is happening with the Postal Service.

Hector  R. Salinas

HBR Br. 283

Quarterly report 4^th quarter 2009

President Mickey Morris in his third quarter report touched upon the Health care. These were excellent observations of what is going on in the struggle to get health care to all. We as Letter Carriers and Retirees are very fortunate that we have National, State and Local officers and members trying their best to keep what we have and add improvements to what we have helped provide. Sometimes it seems like an impossible task but yet many times we are victorious. In the last 4 years improvements have been made to our union owned plan NALC Health plan that our national officers worked hard to provide.

It is now up to us as union members to take a look and compare our plan with the best plans in the FEHB health plans.

 We are no longer the same old plan and if you don’t believe it check it out. We now have over one million providers and have more doctors and hospitals and virtually wherever you go our plan has you covered. Many letter carriers noticed because nationwide we gained more than 25,000 new enrollees last open season.  Please look at our plan and spread the word.

Thanks to Cathy Baldwin our new Business agent and the Austin branch for the hospitality they showed all the members who attended the school. She allowed me to address the members about the plan and

Asked me to give a talk about the NALC Health plan in the class room. This is very important to her as it is to me. Our active carriers and retirees depend on all of us to inform them. I am looking for more interest and improvements in our plan.

After open season is over December 14 I will be looking forward to be a part of the legislative fights, we will most likely encounter with our anti labor foes. To reclaim items we may have lost and make gains in items we need, to keep the U.S. Postal service strong will be on my mind constantly.

Thank you for reading my letter if you have any question call me 713-748-9212.

Sincerely &Fraternally

Thank you for electing me as your new director of retirees.  As director of retirees I plan to work hard to preserve and improve the benefits that have been earned through or national contract and through legislation.  The legislative liaisons and the continuous work with our congressional and senatorial friends is of great importance to retirees as well as active letter carriers, this will be at the top of my list of things that need to be accomplished.  There are other things that are of importance to retirees and carriers as well and one of those is The Health Benefit Plans, Especially the NALC Health Benefit Plan.  As the Health Benefits Rep. for Branch 283 I have worked with Retirees and active carriers on this issue extensively.  It has come to my attention and to carriers in my branch as well as carriers throughout the state that the NALC Health Plan is no longer the same old plan, with improvements made in 2007, 2008, and 2009 in my estimation we are the best.  Creating enthusiasm in the plan will be of importance to the State of Texas as well as to National.  For this reason I hope to be of help to any HBR who needs assistance and will try to answer your questions and direct you to someone who can especially those of you who have not attended training sessions lately nor need refreshment on any items.  Please feel free to contact me by e-mail or by phone if you prefer.  As Texans we can do our part to make improvements and strengthen our Union.

Hector R. Salinas