News & information

January 2026

The Postal Record, Vol. 139, No. 1

Cover story

• After a year of standing strong, NALC is ready to fight on--2026 A look ahead

News and features

• News from Washington: Letter carriers focus on advancing bipartisan legislation in partisan Congress
• 2025 JCAM is now available
• Register now for the food drive
• Informal Step A Training announced
• Leadership Academy founder asks grads to serve other letter carriers back home
• Important benets new letter carriers should expect to receive from USPS
• Caretakers of the community
• George Meany: First president of the AFL-CIO
• NALC Branch Publication competition call for entries
• Positive news items about letter carriers and the mail
• From airwaves to the page
• Monthly columns by national officers and staff members

Flippingbook

FlippingBook allows The Postal Record to look like a real magazine right in your browser, on any device. You can read the issue, cover-to-cover, here.

Download the entire magazine here.

*DISCLAIMER* Please disable your pop-up blocker in Internet Explorer! Google Chrome is the preferred browser for The Postal Record.

Audiobook

• President’s Message

  Looking back and looking forward

• News from Washington

  Letter carriers focus on advancing bipartisan legislation in partisan Congress

• 2025 JCAM is now available

  On Dec. 15, NALC and the Postal Service jointly released the December 2025 USPS-NALC Joint Contract Administration Manual (JCAM).

• Register now for the food drive

  With only two months to go, time is running out for branches to register to guarantee they’ll receive reminder postcards.

• Informal Step A Training announced

  A standardized Informal Step A Training program designed for NALC representatives with little to no experience as a shop steward or filing grievances.

• 2026 A look ahead

  After a year of standing strong, NALC is ready to fight on

• Leadership Academy founder asks grads to serve other letter carriers back home

  The graduation ceremony capped several months of intensive training on the skills necessary for union members to become effective leaders.

• Important benefits new letter carriers should expect to receive from USPS

  Highlights of some of the important benefits for new letter carriers and their families.

• Caretakers of the community

  Whether on their routes, off the clock or after retiring, these are a few of the many carriers who go above and beyond to ensure that their customers and communities are cared for.

• George Meany

  First president of the AFL-CIO

• NALC Branch Publication competition call for entries

  Editors of branch and state association newsletters and websites are invited to enter NALC’s biennial competition for outstanding periodical publications.

• Carriers and the mail make news online

  Mail-centered stories that have appeared on social media and online news sites.

• From airwaves to the page

  A creative journey and tribute to lifelong friends

• Veterans Group

  Veterans’ legislative update and Veteran profile: Steven Abasta

• Executive Vice President

  An update to cases pending at the Interpretive step

• Vice President

  NALC needs you

• Secretary-Treasurer

  Reporting to the DOL: Forms LM-2, LM-3 and LM-4

• Assistant Secretary-Treasurer

  Postal protection

• Director of City Delivery

  USPS pilot testing and additional revenue streams

• Director of Safety and Health

  Safety committees

• Director of Retired Members

  Roth TSP—Another tool to manage your taxes

• Director of Life Insurance

  MBA Retirement Savings Plan 2026 update

• Director, Health Benefits

  New benefits and wellness programs

• Contract Talk

  Route inspections

• Workers’ Compensation

  Preexisting conditions

• Staff report - CLUW

  ‘Women of the World Unite’

• MDA Report

  MDA end-of-year wrap-up

• Monthly CSRS annuity payments

  for letter carriers who retire on March 1, 2026

• Monthly FERS annuity payments

  for letter carriers who retire on March 1, 2026