After two postponements caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the NPMHU finally held its 2020 National Convention in Denver, Colorado from August 8 to 11. This delayed—but not denied— Convention was the first time that representatives from the entire Union were able to gather in one place since the 2016 Convention in Chicago, Illinois. Through the hard work of all Mail Handlers and staff, the 2020 Convention was a spectacular event.

On August 7, most delegates and guests arrived in Denver. As they checked-in, delegates were supplied with all the resources they needed to discuss committee reports and act on the new proposals presented by the committees—including brand-new iPads, which delegates used to access the Convention materials.

On August 8, Delegates made their way into the Centennial Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency for the formal beginning of the Convention. For the next four days, delegates spent countless hours weighing the issues and setting the NPMHU’s course for the next few years. In his opening remarks to the delegates, President Hogrogian made it clear that careful consideration of these topics was critical to the success of the NPMHU’s future.

The delegates spent most of the Convention handling the official businessof the NPMHU. First, they heard the report of the Constitution Committee, which recommended several changes to the National and Uniform Local Union Constitutions. The most important of these accepted changes were a 50/50 split between the National and Locals on all future dues increases and a special, one-time dues increase of $1 separate from the annual increase.

As National Secretary-Treasurer Michael Hora laid out in his report, the National Union remains stable, but requires an increase in its financial holdings. This way it can continue to advocate for the interests of Mail Handlers on Capitol Hill, while also bringing its full power to the bargaining table. The adoption of the Constitution Committee’s proposed changes will ensure that it can meet the USPS negotiators on a level playing field.

Delegates also paved the NPMHU’s legislative path for the coming years. Legislative and Political Director Katie Maddocks explained that, although many NPMHU political allies are retiring or may lose their seats in the 2022 election, confidence remains that the NPMHU still has plenty of allies on Capitol Hill and in the White House. With the signing of the Postal Service Reform Act (PSRA) of 2022, the NPMHU hopes to push for continued reform and innovation. The Legislative and Political Committee followed the lead of Director Maddocks and recommended resolutions which called for universal voter registration and expansion of vote-by-mail, campaign finance reform, an increase to the minimum wage, and the passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. All were approved by the delegates.

The Resolutions Committee focused on non-political expressions of the NPMHU’s views, as expressed by the delegates. Important resolutions approved by the delegates included tributes to Congressmen and NPMHU allies John Lewis (GA-5) and Elijah Cummings (MD-7), opposition to USPS efforts to privatize and subcontract postal services, as well as encouraging members to “Buy Union–Buy American.” In between official Convention business, delegates were able to hear from important allies in the labor movement and politics. Delegates heard remarks from Rep. Don Bacon (NE-2) and Ed Perlmutter (CO-7), as they traveled to Denver from Capitol Hill. Both Congressman Perlmutter and Congressman Bacon discussed the wonderful achievements of the PSRA and their continued support for the NPMHU and postal reform.

Alongside these Congressional speakers were the NPMHU’s brothers and sisters in the labor movement. Dewey Jackson, a former member of NPMHU Local 321 and now President of the AFL-CIO Denver Area Labor Federation (DALF), expressed the support of the AFL-CIO for its NPMHU brothers and sisters. Speaking to the NPMHU delegates through video was LiUNA General President Terry O’Sullivan, who expressed the continued support of LiUNA for all Mail Handlers. As delegates departed on August 12, the NPMHU Negotiations Team was preparing to continue formal contract negotiations with USPS. Fresh off the invigorating energy of the National Convention, the NPMHU National Office is once again ready to face the Postal Service at the bargaining table.