OFFICER NOTES
PRESIDENT`S REPORT

By Don T. Griggs
  Greetings to the Officers, Delegates, Special Guests and family members as we begin the 92nd Biennial Convention of the Georgia State Association of Letter Carriers here in Augusta, Georgia. I pause to give a "Big Thank YOU" to President Tim Gunnells, the executive board and the members of branch 263 for accepting the challenge of hosting the convention. A special thanks to those that serve on committees to ensure that the convention is as enjoyable as productive.
 
  During the past two years I have presided at all executive board meetings and training sessions. I have taken each opportunity to speak with the members about important legislative matters that could have lasting effect upon their benefits or employment and encouraged them to become more active in the legislative process. My number one subject has been the importance of "job security insurance" and how to pay the premiums through automatic contributions to COLCPE. I also encouraged them to become e-Activists and Carrier Corp members, especially during the last presidential election.
 
  I attended all State Chairs legislative conference and Region 9 Quarterly meetings with the exception of one, due to illness. I have walked the halls of the Cannon, Longworth and Rayburn buildings often enough that I no longer need the directory, but can find each congressional office by memory, as I lobbied letter carriers concerns. In my efforts to broaden my legislative and labor prospective I have signed up to several such websites for email alerts and updates. They include the national AFL-CIO, Georgia AFL-CIO, MOVEON.ORGPOLITICALACTION, Labor Notes, Congressmen David Scott and John Broun District Updates and Senator Saxby Chambliss News Updates and Weekly Reports to name a few. I have participated in quarterly and sometimes weekly updates with the Southern Region Field Coordinators, presently Bridget Early.

  I have kept the Congressional District Liaisons informed and instructed them in the performance of their duties, as well as the State Legislative Liaison. I assigned each board member to be responsible for a CDL in order to provide additional leadership and worked with branch presidents to get a workable phone tree. During the last general election I was assigned as a phone bank captain and I also walked neighborhoods knocking on doors encouraging voters to go to the polls. Lastly, I have used the local daily newspaper to inform the general public or correct misleading articles about the USPS.

  I pray that the sessions will be informative and productive, but most of all in a manner of brotherhood and true unionism. I finally want to thank my wife, Yvonne, as I seek one final term as president, if it be the desire of the convention, and thank the members for the opportunity to serve for the past two years. May God bless each one of us with his traveling grace as we journey home.


Georgia State Association
of Letter Carriers

Proud to serve the Letter Carriers of this great state
Vice-President Report
Jacob Alston

Greetings Brothers and Sisters of the Georgia State Association of Letter Carrier. I would like to thanks all the Brothers and Sisters that attended the Training Session at the Atlanta Hilton on January 8 and 9, 2011 for coming. I know that you will take the information you obtained back to the members not in attendance.

I would like to once again say thanks to all those in attendance at the training session for their generous donation in support of the Royal E. Smith Scholarship Fund.

As Chairman of the Royal E Smith Scholarship Fund it is with pleasure that I announce the winner of our scholarship for the Year 2010 is Jeremiah Phillips whose father is Letter Carrier Van Phillips of Branch 263, Augusta, Georgia. Again congratulations Jeremiah.

Brothers and Sisters as I write this Article we are in a new year but we are faced with many of the same issues that were present last year, for instance, we still have to convince the congress to correct the error made by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to overcharge the Postal Service by Billions of dollars for payment into the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Representative Stephen Lynch (D-Mich.) introduced H.R 5746 on July 15, 2010 called the United States Postal Service CSRS Obligation Modification Act of 2010, intended to correct the error made by OPM.

I am asking all active and retired members that read this Article to immediately contact their Representatives by mail, phone or other means available and insist that he/she sign on to support H.R. 5746. 

More information on 5746 can be found on the NALC website www.nalc.org.