TJ Branch, Manager of the NPMHU Contract Administration Department has announced his retirement to be effective on April 14. We are honored to recognize TJ’s unyielding commitment to the members of our great Union. TJ became a Mail Handler in Richmond, VA in 1973.  After serving as chief shop steward, he was elected to the office of Administrative Vice President and Virginia State Executive Board member in 1992.  He also served as an arbitration advocate and in many other key functions at both the Local and National levels. TJ served the membership as a National CAD representative for twenty-three years, closing out this run as Manager of that department since April of 2013.  In that role, he has been the NPMHU’s chief spokesperson on all matters contractual to include National bargaining and involvement within the RI-399 National Dispute Resolution Committee.  TJ was an active participant in the last seven rounds of collective bargaining with the Postal Service.  We wish TJ and his family well as he begins a new chapter in his life, and we thank him for his many years of dedicated service to the NPMHU. Please join us in congratulating TJ on this well-deserved retirement.

With TJ’s retirement, President Hogrogian made several appointments within the Regional and National Contract Administration staff described as follows. Hogrogian appointed National CAD representative Teresa Harmon to Manager of Contract Administration effective April 15, 2017. Teresa has served the Contract Administration Department in several capacities since her appointment in 2012, first as the Eastern Regional Director- a prelude to her swift appointment to the National CAD staff.  She has been a Mail Handler since 1987, and first became a steward in 1989 at the Merrifield, VA postal facility. Since then, she has served as Chief Shop Steward, Branch President, and Virginia State Executive Board Member for her home Local 305. As an arbitration advocate, Teresa has arbitrated several hundred cases and negotiated hundreds of pre-arbitration settlements, not only in contract and discipline matters, but also jurisdictional disputes under RI-399 and local impasse cases under Article 30. As CAD Manager, Teresa will superintend all contractual matters at the National Office and all Regional Offices. Teresa will sit on the Article 12 Task Force and shall represent the members’ best interests in all forums.       

                President Hogrogian next appointed Regional CAD Representative Charles Manago to the National CAD staff effective May 13, 2017.  In 2012, Charles accepted an appointment to Contract Administration as Southern Region Director, a position he held to this date.  Charles Manago entered the Postal Service in 1986, and has served as a shop steward, Chief Steward, and Branch President of the Merrifield, VA postal facility for more than ten years.  Brother Manago has also served as the Vice President of Local 305, which represents Mail Handlers in four states and the District of Columbia.  Throughout this time, he has served as an arbitration advocate for the Mail Handlers in Local 305.  Please join us in welcoming Charles to the National CAD.

                With Charles Manago’s appointment to National CAD, President Hogrogian chose to realign a Regional Director appointment to their respective Region. Regional CAD Representative Eileen Mills will shift from the Eastern Region to the Southern Region Director effective May 13, 2017.  Eileen started as a Mail Handler in 1984. She has served as the Southern Regional RI-399 Dispute Resolution Committee Member. She was the Recording Secretary of Local 311 (Texas) for five years. Prior to that position, Eileen served two terms as the Branch President of the North Texas P&DC. She is an experienced arbitration advocate, and is proficient in matters of OWCP, FMLA, VPP, and ERRP. Eileen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Union Administration from the National Labor College and continued s to be an asset to the NPMHU. Eileen is eager to transition to the Southern Region, home to her Texas roots.

  In conjunction with TJ’s retirements and the subsequent appointments within the CAD staff, National President Paul Hogrogian has appointed Eugene Horton to the open position of Eastern Region Director. Eugene’s appointment will be effective on May 13, 2017. Prior to this appointment, Eugene served as Vice President of Local 305, and Branch President of the Charlotte NC P&DC. He is a skilled arbitration advocate and Local Union trainer. Eugene was an elected delegate to the 2012 and 2016 NPMHU conventions, serving the membership on the Rules Committee in 2016. In addition to studying at Texas University, Eugene participated in a plethora of training programs to include basic and advanced shop steward training, Advocate training, MAPS, FMLA, MHA, Local Memorandum Negotiations, ergonomic, and OSHA Safety. Eugene will be a welcome asset to the Contract Administration team.

Please join us is wishing TJ Branch the very best in his forthcoming retirement, and congratulate Teresa Harmon, Eileen Mills, Charles Manago and Eugene Horton in their new positions in the NPMHU Contract Administration Department.