Greater East Bay Branch 1111 News Volume 45 Number 507
September/October 2027
Branch 1111 Plays Role at Dramatic LA Convention
Branch 1111 delegates come together for our traditional group photo at the National Convention
2027 Scheduled Day Off Calendar Inside!
Branch 1111 News
September/October 2026
NALC HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN SERVICE LINES General Claims Inquiries Hospital Precertification (Required) Prerecorded Benefits Information Prescription Customer Service Line
1-888- 636-NALC 1-800-622-6252 1-888-636-NALC 1-800-933-NALC
BRANCH PAPER DEADLINE The deadline for copy for Branch 1111 News is the 5th of each month. News stories, articles, letters, drawings, or cartoons, as well as photographs -- either recent or historical -should be submitted to the Branch office. Short notices of personal or shop floor interest are especially welcome. The Editor and Assistant Editor retain the right to edit, delete, or reject articles and artwork for the good of the Branch.
BRANCH 1111 OFFICERS Edward P. Fletcher, President Narciso Paderanga, Executive Vice President Mary Abante, First Vice President Eddie Murphy, Second Vice President April Patrick, Third Vice President Jimmie Braden Jr, Fourth Vice President Mary Phelps, Secretary-Treasurer John Ferreira, Asst. Sec-Treasurer Jose L. Corral, Sgt-at-Arms Jacob Morgan, Insurance Officer Rickie Cox, Trustee Ron Jones, Trustee Jeffrey Valentine, Trustee
Greater East Bay Branch 1111 News Branch 1111 News is the official bimonthly publication of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), Greater East Bay Branch 1111. Circulation 3,000 Offices Served:
Alameda, Alamo, Antioch, Benicia, Berkeley, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Danville, El Cerrito, Fairfield, Fremont, Lafayette, Livermore, Martinez, Moraga, Oakland, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasanton, Richmond, Rodeo-Hercules, San Lorenzo, San Ramon, Suisun City, Union City, Vallejo, Walnut Creek
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EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS
Elizabeth Corriea, Marisela Fletcher, Irene Hernandez Joshua Pearl, Ché Perez, Frances Swint, Ka Moon Yi
BRANCH 1111 OFFICE HOURS Monday-Friday: 8 am to 5 pm 402 – 37th Street Richmond, Ca. 94805- 2134 510-237-5111, Fax 510-237-5181
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/nalcbranch1111 WEBSITE: www.Branch1111.org Meetings are held every fourth Tuesday of the month except in December
BRANCH 1111 NEWS STAFF Editor - Joshua Pearl: joshpbranch1111@gmail.com
Assistant Editor – John Jekabson: jjbranch1111@gmail.com
Contributors -- Ed Fletcher, Eddie Murphy, John Ferreira, Narciso Paderanga, Mary Abante, Jimmie Braden, Liz Corriea, Ron Jones, Shana Lum, Mary Phelps, Ariel Uribe, Jacob Morgan, April Patrick, Elizabete Tavares, Views expressed in Branch 1111 News do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor, Assistant Editor, Branch Officers, or members of National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 1111
September/October 2026
Branch 1111 News
SEPTEMBER NALC BALLOTS COMING Ballots for the NALC national election will be mailed on or about September 28 to all eligible voters. Official election instructions will be included with all ballots. Any member who does not receive a ballot by Oct. 5 should contact the NALC Membership Department. To be counted, ballots have to be returned by mail by noon on October 19. The American Arbitration Association will prepare, print and mail the ballots and tabulate the votes.
HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU The following letter carriers have recently retired: Tina Huang and Dien Dao of Oakland; Lorie Perez of Fairfield; Lwin Myo of Pleasanton; Robert Iwata Jr. of Concord; Meidi Yan and Romeo Bermillo of Fremont; Alexander Yamat of Alamo; Menerito Floresca and Tam Tran of San Ramon; Juan Diaz, Roy Gignac and Joseph Johnson of Alameda; Alejandra Garcia, David Low and Ireneo Diangson Jr. of Berkeley. We wish them all many rewarding years of leisure.
MDA 50/50 DRAWING There are now more prizes to win through the Branch 1111 MDA 50/50 Drawing. We have San Francisco Giants tickets and also tickets to the Golden State Valkyries games.. These were the ticket winners at the July 28thmeeting: for Giants -- Rickie Cox, Ron Jones, Paul Petersen and Archie Threats (twice); for Valkyries – Rickie Cox, Jeffrey Desverney, Gary Gomez, Marisela Fletcher, and Ezekiel Bradley. The cash prize of $100.00 went to John Ferreira. The August 25th meeting winners were: Gift baskets by Darryl Gomez, Paul Petersen and Nancy Glen. Giants tickets by Darryl Gomez (twice), E Ka Moon Yi, John Ferreira, and La Tatiana Roberson. Valkyries ticket were won by Gary Gomez and Leticia Sanchez. The cash prize of $105.00 went to La Tatiana Roberson. Come try your luck at the next meeting.
Alameda carrier Carlos Diaz and former shop steward Joseph Johnson share a dual retirement party
CONDOLENCES
We are saddened to report the death of former Full Time officer Herschel D. Jones, Jr. He passed away at the age of 90. A memorial with Full Military Honors was held on July 24 in Dixon, Ca. Brother Jones was one of the early leaders of Branch 1111. He was a Steward in Concord at the time our merged Branch was created. His strong defense of carrier’s rights earned him the “Steward of the Year” honors in 1990 and also membership on the Branch 1111 Executive Council. He will be missed by all who knew him. Berkeley Zone 7 carrier Roxana Amaya has passed away. Our condolences and sympathies go out to her family, friends and coworkers. Pinole Active Carrier Suman Singh passed away at the age of 57 on September 6. Our condolences and sympathies go out to her family, friends and colleagues.
San Ramon carriers Menerito Floresca and Tam Tran also share their retirement day
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Branch 1111 News
National Convention Highlights and Brother Herschel Jones By Edward P. Fletcher, President
On day one of the 2026 National Convention in Los Angeles, President Brain Renfroe announced that he was not running for re-election. I believe that was the best move for him and our union. Given the last four years of misrepresentation, it is important to vote for leaders that will honor the will of the membership and fight like lions! Leaders that will clean up the backlog of cases at the DRT without diminishing the quality of the decisions. Leaders who will hold management accountable for continued non-compliance. Leaders who will build an army of arbitration advocates to fight like hell and not just say the words. James Henry is That Lion At the convention I and several Branch presidents had the honor of standing with James Henry when he was nominated for President of the NALC. The cheers were so loud after his nomination, that the chair had to ask the convention delegates to calm down. There were three individuals who were also nominated for president, but in my opinion, James Henry is the most qualified candidate. I have worked with James Henry for more than 13 years. In 2013 and when he was a RAA for Region 1, he was assigned to work with me on serval major class-action grievances in Oakland. We both conducted interviews and drafted the positions. All of those cases were settled in our favor! His commitment to the letter carriers and his work ethic is unsurpassed. He is brother that will not only fight for you, but with you in the trenches! He has won numerous arbitrations and obtained many favorable pre-arbitration decisions for the members of Branch 1111.
At a Branch meeting last year, we passed a motion to endorse all “Concerned Letter Carrier (CLC) Candidates.” The ballots will be mailed out around September 28, 2026, and will be due back by October 19, 2026. It is important that every 4
September/October 2026 member of Branch 1111 exercises their right to vote in the 2026 National Election. It was a Resolution Frenzy We had 79 National Agreement resolutions, 37 General resolutions and 8 Legislative resolutions. There were also resolutions submitted from the floor that never made it to a vote and were tabled until 2028. It was the most resolutions that I had ever seen in my 22 years of attending National Conventions. Quite a few of the resolutions were designed to give the Executive Council the ability to check the president. A lot of the members and delegates believed the Executive council was complicit, and/or did not do enough to stop Renfroe’s rogue and improper actions/conduct during his presidency. Because of the number of resolutions to be processed, all training classes were canceled on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday (first time ever). One of the most interesting resolutions was Legislative Resolution 6, which was regarding locality pay and area wages. The Executive council disapprove of it, but the supreme body voted to overturn their decision. The resolution requires the NALC Letter Carrier Political Fund to lobby for adding the USPS to the locality pay provisions in the LAW enjoyed in the 54 areas where Federal employees get them. For decades prior to this 2026 convention, all locality pay resolutions were disapproved. It is my hope that this resolution will pave the way to obtain locality pay in higher cost of living areas like ours!
Honoring Brother Herschel Jones The union was notified by his family of the passing of Brother Herschel Jones on May 25, 2026. Brother Herschel D. Jones, Jr., honorably served our country for 25 years in the United States Air Force, and retired as a Senior Master Sergeant in his first career. In his second career, he joined the United States Postal Service in Concord California as a letter carrier. Brother Jones honorably served the members of Branch 1111 as Chief Steward in Concord, a pioneer on the first Dispute Resolution Team for the NALC in the Bay Valley District, a Trustee, an Executive Council member, and as a Full-time Officer. I had the honor of working with Herschel on the DRT and as a Full-time Officer. Brother Jones was a relentless and fearless leader who fought tirelessly for the rights of all letter carriers in Branch 1111. He was instrumental in the development of Concord Shop Stewards and Chief Stewards who served as Fulltime Officers and/or DRT members for Branch 1111. Brother Herschel Jones will be missed by his fellow co-workers in Concord, his union family of Shop Stewards, DRT members and Branch Officers, both past and present. On Behalf of the members of Branch 1111, we cannot thank Brother Jones enough for his service above and beyond the call of duty to our country, and Branch 1111.
September/October 2026
Branch 1111 News
EASILY FORGOTTEN
Reflection 2026 By Narciso Paderanga IV, Executive Vice President
As I write this article for the upcoming bimonthly publication of the Branch 1111 Newsletter, I find myself reflecting on how quickly this year has gone by. We are already approaching the final quarter of the year, and I can hardly believe how much has happened in such a short time. This year has brought so many issues—different, unexpected, and new challenges that I have faced on the workroom floor. Each one has presented its own lessons and opportunities to learn, adapt, and grow. As I look back on the past several months, I realize just how much we have experienced and accomplished together. This year, I’ve noticed a remarkable increase in disciplinary actions issued to carriers. From attendance related disciplines to safety issues such as driving without seatbelts and leaving the engine running while they are not in the vehicle. Some carriers were placed in Emergency Placement (in an offduty status without pay) when they were caught. We’ve also had to defend carriers for allegations of creating a hostile work environment on the workroom floor. While we have been successful in these grievances, that success was largely due to management’s failure to follow certain principles of just cause and/or the procedures outlined in Article 16, we strongly recommend that each of you work safely at all times. This includes wearing your seatbelt whenever your vehicle is in motion and turning off your vehicle’s engine whenever you are not in the vehicle. We also recommend that we all refrain from creating or contributing to an atmosphere that lacks dignity and respect. Maintaining a workplace built on safety, dignity, and mutual respect benefits everyone. This would also exclude or prevent us from being in a position where we are placed in an off-duty status without pay for an indefinite period of time.
EVP Narcisio Paderanga IV won this award for his article “Take Action Now” The judges said “Appreciate the specific data cited to back the argument for a call to action against cuts to benefits and explains the impact of inaction very well”
By Berkeley Chief Shop Steward, Liz Corriea It amazes me how quickly one forgets to buckle up, not sure why someone would take that chance, at any time. In your own vehicle, do you buckle up? If yes, then why do you take those awful chances with your life in a Postal Vehicle. No one should be in a hurry and forgetful. Just yesterday I witnessed a carrier who was making a left turn right across from me and as he turned through the intersection, I could see he was not wearing a seat belt. WOW! What is a good explanation for not wearing that seat belt? There is none! So buckle up brothers and sisters before it’s too late. Just a reminder that Berkeley management are now constantly performing street observations, so please practice safety first, as long as you do, the harder it will be for management to find you at fault for anything.
BERKELEY BLUES NEWS! Have you heard the news? Berkeley now has all routes at SDC, adjusted at 8 hours. It’s UNBELIEVABLE! Of course it’s not true, there may be a few routes that have been adjusted close to 8 hours, however, for a lot of other routes, they are out of adjustment. Berkeley had gone through some route adjustments recently, some good, some not so good. We did lose a lot of routes. Now we have quite a bit of unassigned regular carriers along with our PTFs. Berkeley management has yet to do their part with these changes, and many grievances have been filed for that. Hang in there Berkeley carriers. Don’t forget to ask for a PS 3996 when needed. Don’t let management bully you into calling back without submitting your PS Form 3996. This was a short article hopefully the next one will be longer.
“Knowledge is Power.”
Berkeley Shop Steward Liz Corriea with former NALC President Fred Rolando
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Branch 1111 News
September/October 2026
Branch 1111 Retiree’s Celebration, August 25, 2026 Mary Phelps cut the cake enjoyed by retirees Nancy Glenn, Archie Threats, Sullivan Smothers and Neil Zarchin. Are you ready to join them soon?
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September/October 2026
Branch 1111 News
SCENES FROM LA
7
MONDAY
3
4
10
11
17
18
24
25
31 SUNDAY
5 A F E
5
11
12
18
19
25
19
26
4
E D
MONDAY
5
11
12
18
19
25
26
E D C
3
MONDAY
4
10
11
17
18
24
25
31
C B A
7 C B
14 21
B A
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
APRIL 2027
20
C
F
TUESDAY
13
D
E
28
7 A F
14 21
1 8
B A
15 22
D C B A
E
F
D
E
F
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
27 + 28
29
JULY 2027
13 20
7 F E
14 21
1 8
A F
15 22
C B A F
D
E
C
D
E
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
27 + 28
29
FRIDAY
12 19
E D
13 20
7 F E
C
D
B
C
26 + 27
HOLIDAYS
14 21 28
F
9
22
E
D
D
23
C
C
B
B
29 $ 30
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
2
3
E
E
D
D
9 $ 10 16
17
C
C
B
B
23 $ 24 30
1
A
F E D
SUNDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
2 $ 3 9
D
10
C
B
B
24
A
A
F
F
30 $ 31
FRIDAY
1
15
SATURDAY
2
C
C
B
B
16
A
A
F
F
22 $ 23 29
D
C
16 $ 17 23
E
7 14 21
MONDAY
1 8
15 22
30
E
C B A
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
D
E
2 9
16
28
C
3
10 17
D
B
C
A
B
23 + 24
F
THURSDAY
4
11 18 25
F E D C
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
5
6
A
A
F
F
12 $ 13 19
SUNDAY
20
E
E
D
D
26 $ 27
7 14 21 28
MONDAY
1 8
15 22 29
2 9
16 23 30
MONDAY
3
10 17 24 31
B A F
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
C
D
4
11 18
E
1 8
15 22 29
MONDAY
2 9
16 23 30
A F E D C
SUNDAY
7 14 21 28
MONDAY
1 8
15 22 29
F E D C
12 19
C
A
B
F
A
25 + 26
D SUNDAY
B
5
THURSDAY
6
13 20 27
E D C B
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
7 $ 8 14
F
15
E
E
D
D
21 $ 22 28
F
29
C
C
SUNDAY
WEDNESDAY
B
C
3
10 17
A
4
11 18
F
A
E
F
24 + 25 31
B
5
19 26
6 13 20 27
14 21 28
D C B A
FRIDAY
6
SATURDAY
7
E
E
D
D
13 $ 14 20
21
C
C
B
B
27 $ 28
SUNDAY
A
B
2 9
16
F
3
10 17
E
F
D
E
23 + 24 30
B
+ BRANCH MEETINGS
A
THURSDAY
4
11 18 25
WEDNESDAY
F
A
2 9
5 12
C B A
19 26
6 13 20 27
16
C B A
B A F
SATURDAY
5 $ 6 12
D
13
C
C
B
B
19 $ 20 26
F
D
A
C
27
A
SUNDAY
5 12 19 26
MONDAY
6 13 20 27
F E D
$ PAYDAY
ABCDEF – DESIGNATED DAYS OFF ON A ROTATING SCHEDULE
10 17
C
D
23 + 24 30
F E
31
B
C
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
E
F
THURSDAY
4
11 18 25
B A F E
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
5
6
C
C
B
B
12 $ 13 19
20
A
A
F
F
26 $ 27
JUNE 2027
1
15
D
2 9
16
D
B
C
22 + 23 29
E
C
30
A
B
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
3
10 17 24
A F E D
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
4 $ 5 11
B
12
A
A
F
F
18 $ 19 25
B
26
E
E
SEPTEMBER 2027
14 21
1 8
C B
15 22
E D C
THURSDAY
2 9
16 23
F E D C
A
B
F
A
B
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
28 + 29
30
FRIDAY
3
SATURDAY
4
A
A
F
F
10 $ 11 17
18
E
E
D
D
24 $ 25
DECEMBER 2027
7 A
3
D
7
E FRIDAY
E
8
MONDAY
NOVEMBER 2027 WEDNESDAY
B
7
D
TUESDAY
C
F
THURSDAY
12
D
MONDAY
AUGUST 2027 TUESDAY
E
TUESDAY
A
MAY 2027 SUNDAY
A
8 $ 9 A
F
E
15 $ 16
OCTOBER 2027
6
SATURDAY
1 $ 2 8
A
5 D
20
THURSDAY
F
6
B SUNDAY
A
13
26 + 27
C SUNDAY
B
6 F
WEDNESDAY
6
12
D MONDAY
4
TUESDAY
MARCH 2027
FEBRUARY 2027
JANUARY 2027 SUNDAY
2027 2027
14 21 28
1 8
B A F E
15 22 29
D C B A F
2 9
16 23 30
E D C B A
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
3 $ 4 10
F
11
E
E
D
D
17 $ 18 24
F
25
C
C
B
B
31 $ 1
Branch 1111 News
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September/October 2026
September/October 2026
Branch 1111 News
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September/October 2026
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September/October 2026
JOHN ZAMORA
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September/October 2026
Branch 1111 News
NALC Branch 1111
LIABILITIES & EQUITY Total Liabilities Total Equity TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Balance Sheet As of August 31, 2026
$2,512.02 $1,275,283.29 $1,277,795.84
O
ASSETS Current Assets Bank Accounts 100 - Petty Cash 64.03 126 PPCU-50 189,198.30 Mechanics Bank Accounts 154,253.02 PPCU-Acct 50 35,772.21 Citibank CD 101,486.22 United Bank Accounts 474,597.23 Total Bank Accounts 955,371.01 Total Current Other Assets 0.00 Total Current Assets 955,371.01 189 - Accumulated Depreciation -171,634.57 190 - Accum Deprec - Furn./Eq. -68,743.00 191 - Accum Deprec - Computer Eq. -11,561.00 192 - Accum Deprec - Copier -6,896.60 193 - Accum Deprec - Building/Improv-153,573.66 197 - Accum Deprec - Storage Shed -430.00 198 - Accum Deprec – Prior -61,391.17 Total Fixed Assets $ 322,424.83 TOTAL ASSETS $1,277,795.84
Meidi Yan, Fremont Post Office Carrier, retires after many years of dedicated service to her community. We wish you the best!
The United States Post Office – Los Angeles Terminal Annex, located at 900 North Alameda Street in Los Angeles, California, was the central mail processing facility for Los Angeles from 1940 to 1989. The $3 million postal annex opened in May 1940 with 1,632 postal clerks, carriers and laborers responsible for the processing of 2 million pieces of mail per day. The facility, which was kept open 24 hours a day, was equipped with the latest facilities At the time of its opening, it was considered "the most modern and efficient" post office in the nation
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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS GREATER EAST BAY BRANCH 1111 402 –37TH STREET RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA 94805- 2134 (510) 237-5111
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID CONCORD CA Permit 1
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Damien Tucker Sarah Bridges Edward Moore Dorsine Williams Matthew Luna Gabriel Loera Frank Li Jasviir Bhangal Erick Cuaresma Rachel Perez Chidebe Ube Weicong Zhang Rongfeng Liang Francisco Ponce Tiara Anderson Addison Blanda Ashley Hinch Demetria Finley Jason White Stanley Yang Angelah Cannon Aileen Castaneda Xunxiang Bao Rene Landaverde Daniel Urrutia Jasmanique Price Eron Aguilar Hernandez Demetrius Roberson Benjamin Thompson Cameron Flores
Alameda Antioch Benicia Benicia Brentwood El Cerrito Fremont Fremont Fremont Martinez Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Oakland Orinda Pleasanton Pleasanton Richmond Richmond Richmond Richmond San Ramon Vallejo Branch 1111 proudly congratulates Erin Hong, daughter of Piedmont letter carrier Leonard Hong, as she begins her medical school journey at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. Erin was a recipient of the Katherine Ellis Scholarship from Branch 1111 in 2019. We are proud to see Erin continue her educational journey into medicine and wish her every success as she pursues her goal of becoming a physician.
Branch Meetings are held on the 4th Tuesday each month, 7:00pm at the Branch Office The next Branch Meetings will be held on Tuesday, September 22nd and Tuesday, October 27th.