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Greetings fellow UPMA Members:

It seems like I just sent out the first weekly message and here we are an entire week later.    As you have heard many times we are definitely in uncharted waters as far as this current pandemic is concerned.   For those of you that have been with the Postal Service for a number of years we have had many different challenges but none, in my opinion, have risen to the level that this one has.    In talking with many of you and hearing the stories about the challenges you are facing, my heart goes out to you and I pray for strength, understanding and patience for all of you.  

On Tuesday of this week I conducted a telecom with chapter leaders where I went over some issues related to supplies available and other issues regarding how the USPS is dealing with COVID-19 and everything connected to it.    Also, along with the members of our Government Relations Team (Chris, Joel and Brian) we went over some issues regarding how the Postal Service may, or may not, be included in a possible future economic stimulus package that is being discussed on Capitol Hill.    I have had a number of telecoms this week with staff members of some of our key allies in the Senate requesting that they take a good hard look at this issue and the need for some meaningful support for the USPS.    The leadership at L’Enfant Plaza continues to crunch numbers and look at our current situation and to try and predict what will happen.  However, as you all know things are changing so rapidly, it is difficult to have very firm figures on these items.    We are encouraging the USPS to put together their best projections because that is what the people we talk to on the Hill are really looking for.    In order for them to support an appropriation as called for in Representative Neguse’s bill that he introduced this week, the members of Congress are looking for “just the facts” to borrow a phrase from the old Dragnet TV series.  We will continue to work to provide them that information.

A number of you have contacted me about the situation you are in and the challenges you are facing every day.    If you need someone to listen feel free to give me a call.   If you need some professional help I encourage you to reach out to EAP, they are there to help and they are willing to assist in any way they can.    If you and the management team in your office are feeling like you need some additional help I know that the consultants from EAP would be willing to talk with you on a telecom to offer some suggestions and tips on how to help you and the employees that work with you through this crisis.    Even though you may not feel you need the help right now, there may come a day down the line when you do and remember they are there to help.

Of course, none of us knows when we will reach the pinnacle of this mountain we call COVID-19, so we do not know when we will come out on the other side.   However, I am certain that will happen and I pray that it will happen sooner rather than later.   Time will tell.   

In the meantime, make sure that you are practicing social distancing, frequent hand washing and all the other precautions that you are encouraged to take.    As I have stated previously and will continue to tell you; what you do everyday matters to the American public and cannot be minimized.    Thank you for all you do and thank you to all your employees that are helping to keep the mail moving and getting the mail delivered on a daily basis.

Thank you,

Dan Heins
National President