****Notice:****

This web site has been moved to a permanent location. All updates will be on the new web site although the older free site will be left online for a time to allow others to locate the new pages. Please update any bookmarks that you may have to this web site. The new address is:
www.txrlca.org
effective NOW!

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* Unofficial Site

     I'm Lisa Lee and I'm from Longview TX.   This web site is a project that I've been thinking about for a while. I'm not a web designer by any means, but have been learning as I go how to put together information and resources to be available to rural carriers around Texas and the country. There's lots of information online that can be helpful and I felt that it was time for the GREAT state of Texas, with the largest membership in the country, to join the other states that have unofficial web sites.  I welcome any input from officers, locals and members.
     I've been local steward in my office for a number of years.  This came about when I actually sat down and read our contract and PO 603 and saw all the things that were going on in my office that were contrary to these documents.  I became active in our union attending local meetings, became a delegate to state conventions and attended my first national convention last year in Madison WI.  I was proud to be present to see the passage of One Member/One Vote!  I must mention that this trip was totally at my own expense because of my lack of only 5 votes in the national delegate election.  The reason that I mention this is simply to emphasize the importance of voting in this election.  For those that can not attend state and national conventions, your vote for the delegates that will represent you is your voice!  Please use your vote to speak wisely and loudly.  Vote for those candidates that you know will best represent your interests, not just for names that you recognize.  And, please, don't throw away this opportunity to speak.
    I have worked for the Postal Service for 13 years as of June 18, 2001.  Almost 10 1/2 years of that time were spent as an RCA so I'm sure that you can understand when I say that I feel some change is definitely needed in our relief carrier system.  The majority of my time spent as a NON-career employee, I was working more hours than the career carriers, yet I now have only (almost) 2 1/2 years credited towards my retirement and remain at one of the lowest steps with minimal annual leave.  We have seen a recent change with the addition of the PTF postion in the contract extention, but this was not the solution to this problem.  In fact, it has done more damage by the changes that it has made to the one relief per route provision that we did have in our contract.  The contract extention was management's solution, not ours!
     This is only one example of why we must continue to fight for the changes to our association that will turn it into a true Union!  Our leaders should fight for improvements to our situation, not bargain away benefits that we currently have in exchange for minimal progress and certainly not for a step backwards.  

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