The History of Female Leadership in the NALC
This podcast’s purpose is to give a history of women who have stepped into leadership roles within the National Association of Letter Carriers, and discuss the leaders of now and into the future.
The History of Female Leadership in the NALC
Amie Gallo
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This episode features Amie Gallo, Region 2 RGA. Amie is a member of Branch 111, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Welcome to the History of Female Leadership in the NALC podcast. I'm Craig Schaefer. I'm a city carrier in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Today I am so fortunate to have a sister from Utah. If you don't mind, go ahead and introduce yourself.
SPEAKER_01My name is Amy Gallo, and I am a letter carrier out of branch 111 in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am currently an RGA for Region 2.
SPEAKER_00Okay. And how long have you been with the NALC?
SPEAKER_01I started with the post office in 2006. And upon the advice of my dad, very first day I joined the union. So I've been a union member the entire time. I became active in the union probably around 2008, is when I, you know, became a steward and started my union work.
SPEAKER_00Okay. And uh what brought you to the postal service in the first place?
SPEAKER_01Um, my dad worked for the post office um and told me that it was, you know, really good money. It was great benefits. Um, so when I got married and um started having children, you know, I needed to start looking into something that was going to provide me long-term benefits um and retirement. So I took the postal exam and waited about two years and then got hired. All right.
SPEAKER_00And um you said that it took you from the time you started to the time you decided to step up as a steward. Um, it was about two years. Well, was there something that kind of uh caused you to decide to do that?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So I um when I hired on with the post office, I was about three months pregnant with my child. Um, and I ended up being put on medical restrictions at the end of that pregnancy, um, which my manager at the time or my supervisor at the time um violated. And so I started going into preterm labor. So they um I went through that pregnancy, came back about six months later. Um, I was pregnant again and had just converted to full-time regular. Um, I requested advanced sick leave for that pregnancy and it had been denied. Um, my steward at the time filed the grievance. I uh I was lucky enough to have Jamie Lum, who was an advocate and an RAA out of region two at the time. Um, he came to Utah, advocated my case, and we won it. He asked me if I would consider being a steward. And I, you know, from there I just sort of hit the ground running. I jumped in with both feet and never really stopped.
SPEAKER_00All right. Well, um, you know, you mentioned earlier that you're now an RGA. Um, if you don't mind, what positions have you held in in the NALC?
SPEAKER_01Um in my branch, I served as a frontline steward. I was also a formal representative for the branch. Um I became vice president right before shortly before I was hired as RGA. Um I served on the state board as a trustee and an editor for one term each, I believe. I'm B certified. I am an arbitration advocate. And um I am currently working on the informal step A training for headquarters.
SPEAKER_00Wow, you're all over the place doing a little bit of everything. Okay, so um I I always ask this because even if you held the same position as someone else, it seems like the duties are kind of like different for each person. So in your current position as an RGA, what what are your duties?
SPEAKER_01Um primarily uh my duties would be to answer phone calls from you know the smaller branches, is how our region has it organized. Um filing grievances in those smaller branches, trying to help those smaller branches get established if they don't have representation. Um if they don't have anybody that wants to, you know, stand up and represent them, then we'll start looking at potentially merging them with a branch who has more resources and are able to um, you know, absorb them and represent the membership better. Right now we are smacked up in the middle of our steward college season that runs from like February till about May-ish. So I've been doing a lot of steward colleges um within the region, and then I am over education for the region also work on you know developing new trainings and so once again, you're just doing a little bit of everything.
SPEAKER_00A little bit, yeah. Staying busy. Um so um this I kind of go into a little bit of a darker area here. I I hate to ask this, but it's very prevalent and it needs to be addressed. Um have you had any personal experiences with any kind of discrimination, whether it's from the Postal Service or the NALC? Um, and if so, how did you deal with it? And do you feel like it was resolved?
SPEAKER_01Um I have, you know, I think a lot of us women face the same, you know, if if we move up, so to speak, or you know, have desires or goals, then the accu key accusation out there is that we sleep our way up. Um, you know, and that that's really hard for me. Um, that's something that has been said about me my entire career. Um, you know, from being accepted to Leadership Academy to becoming a formal A and now to being an RGA, the only way that I could possibly have, you know, succeeded or gotten this far is by sleeping my way up. Um if I'm not offensive, because I work really, really hard. And a lot of times I have to work, you know, two or three hard two or three times harder than the men just to make myself known or to continue to receive opportunities. Um, you know, locally I faced some of my own discrimination in my branch. I was being interviewed for a position, and the person who was interviewing me asked me if I would be able to do the functions of the job that I had been doing for months, by the way, um, because I had young kids at home. So there was that. Um, you know, in the region, I was it was inferred that I should stop having children if I wanted to continue having opportunities. Um but you know what? I I mean, as normal as it was, like I said, I just had to buckle down and work twice as hard to even be able to be seen as someone who deserved those opportunities. Wow. So yeah, just just stuff like that. But I think the biggest one is that I've you know slept my way up. And that's you know, it's unfortunate for all of the men who have supported me as I've been coming up because they don't need that. Um, and I don't need that. Yeah, you know, nobody needs that.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's uh on that going with that, it is a two-way street because I mean, if you know if they're inferring that whoever hired you into these positions was also doing something wrong, and uh I mean, you wouldn't be where you're at if you won't didn't know what you were doing, or you wouldn't be there very long, we'll put it that way, you know, and so that's it's it's wild to hear that, but unfortunately, doing this podcast, you hear it regularly, and it's it's really sad. But um maybe sometime some of these people will um grow up basically and learn that you you can only hope, I suppose. Um, another question that is kind of a little tougher question is um, you know, especially with this RGA, I know I you know, locally just doing local stuff, you spend some time away from your your family, obviously, meetings or whatever events, things like that. But once you step up into an RGA or you know, working out of the business agent's office, whatever, or national, you are really taking some time away from your home life. Um, so has that caused you any trouble within your family or with friends at all?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. Uh definitely with my family, you know, I don't think it's a secret that my husband or my ex is still in Utah. And, you know, that's where my children are. So it's difficult because the plan was when I accepted the job, you know, the kids were gonna, my youngest was gonna finish her last little bit of school that she had. My ex was gonna be getting the house ready to be sold. And within six weeks of me getting the job, my ex lost his grandfather and then his grandmother. So, you know, it was kind of a double-edged sword because I was out here trying to get established out here and get comfortable and be out here on my own with zero support system. And then he was back in Utah, kind of trying to deal with the death of his grandparents, who he was extremely, extremely close to. Um, and you know, wrapping up everything that goes along with that, it was just too much for us. Um, and I think we were dealing with things on our own end individually and not really, you know, communicating a lot. So unfortunately, you know, that's the way it stayed. He's in Utah. Um, my three older kids are old enough to make a decision as to where they want to be. They're established in Utah. My family's in Utah, his family's in Utah, they're everything they know and love is in Utah. Um, and my youngest daughter, you know, she she's expressed that she would love to be out here with me. Um, and I think it's just, you know, she's missing mom. But at the same time, that's not really possible for me to do because I am traveling so much. So, you know, I couldn't bring her out here because she's only 10. And so unfortunately, I, you know, that's a sacrifice made there also. And it's a sacrifice for my kids, it's a sacrifice for my ex, you know. My ex and I are on really good terms. Um, we communicate a lot, we support each other. He's still very supportive of what I do. Um, but it definitely had an impact there for sure.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, definitely. And just to be clear, you're out of the business agent's office in region two, which is where where are you located?
SPEAKER_01We're in Vancouver, Washington.
SPEAKER_00And so that is quite a haul from Salt Lake City. So yeah, that's that's that's tough. Um I I'm I'm sorry that you you have that, you know, going on, but um, it sounds like you guys are making the best of a rough situation. Um thank you for sharing that. Um on a more we'll try to swing it more into a happy zone a little bit. And so uh for the few minutes that you do get away from your your job and you're able to close the computer and maybe even turn off the phone being wild and crazy. Um what do you like to do as far as unwinding, relaxing? Do you have hobbies?
SPEAKER_01Um, I don't really have any hobbies out here. Um, I haven't really gotten to a point where I've been able to go out and, you know, kind of explore and create or find hobbies. Um, but I do love I love being outside when it's warm. I love being near bodies of water. I love being with my kids, I love being with my puppy. Um love traveling and experiencing new things. Um, so anytime any of those things can fit in, I'm definitely um good deal.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's sometimes just getting out and getting some fresh air makes all the difference. So, yeah, that's that's one of the things that I enjoy doing as well. In fact, right before I was talking to you, we were out in the yard messing around and gonna go back out in a little while. Um, so you know, you've been around for a good while, you've done a lot of different things, you you know, you've seen a lot of stuff. If uh someone that is kind of you know on the fence about, you know, maybe I want to get more involved in the union, what would a piece of advice that you would give them on just starting out their journey in in ALC leadership?
SPEAKER_01I you know, I think the first place that we have to start is in union meetings. I think we have to go to union meetings. I think that we have to be there to understand, to begin to understand how the union works, what the union is for, what we can, what we can't do. Um, there's a lot of misinformation out there, you know, about what the union or what's within the union's scope. Um, and I think that just attending meetings and getting that basic understanding of how the meeting works, getting information funneled to you so that you understand more of again what the union can and can't do. I think that's the primary place to start. And then, you know, ask, ask somebody, ask a steward, ask a president, how can I get involved? You know, not everybody wants to be a steward. Some people are really, really great in the political and legislative fields. That's not my niche. I don't, I don't like it. I don't like politics at all. Um, you know, I'm a very straightforward person. Um, so I don't like the local game. Um, but I love the grievance work and the training of the stewards. So again, everybody has their niche. Maybe it's the food drive. Maybe you really like doing community work, then the food drive is something great, or MDA. There's a spot for everybody, I think, um, to get involved. And I think that you just have to, like I said, start by going to your meeting and asking how you can be involved, finding out, expressing what your interests are and finding out where that fits within your branch.
SPEAKER_00That's perfect. And thank you for pointing out that there is not, it's not just about filing grievances. There are so many other uh avenues you can go that all we're all under the same umbrella. I'm kind of the opposite of you, where I'm not as much into the the grievances and you know, doing the steward work. I I've done a little bit, but you know, I I try to stay away from that as much as possible. But the political stuff is my thing. So I I love that stuff. So, you know, and that's that's the point of this is to show that it's not just, you know, there's something for every single person. If they want to step up, there's something for them in our union. So thank you for pointing that out. Um, that's all of my questions. So I'm just going to, you know, turn it back over to you, ask you, is there anything else you'd like to add? Anything you'd like to mention that I forgot? It's totally yours.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I would love to talk about something that troubles me a little bit. Um, you know, seeing these newer folks and this new generation come up. Um, I love it. I love seeing all the potential, I love seeing all the interest, I love seeing, you know, people showing up and wanting to be involved. The part that I don't like is if somebody has goals, then suddenly they're a piece of trash. Um, and that blows my mind because, you know, as parents or as kids, we tell our kids have dreams, set goals, have aspirations. And that is something that, you know, people do goal boards all the time or dream boards, you know, it's not something that is normally frowned upon in the real world, but somehow when it comes to the post office or the NALC, if you want to be more than just a frontline steward or an editor or, you know, an LPO, then you're doing it for the wrong reasons. And I heavily, heavily disagree with that. Um, I think that just because you have somebody that has goals and aspirations, they can be doing it for all of the right reasons, but still want to be more for themselves and want to be more for the letter carriers that they work for and represent. So I think we need to change that mindset a little bit. You know, I've I've seen some really, really great people be losing out on opportunities because they've expressed that they want to be more down the line. And I just think that we, like I said, we've got to somehow change that thought process back to it's okay to have goals and want to do more and be more for the letter carriers. It's not necessarily about us, it's about what we want to do for them and what we feel we can do for them.
SPEAKER_00I don't even know what to say. I'm speechless. You're exactly right. I and so uh yeah, I 100% in agreement with you. That is uh great. I I don't even know what to say to it. That's perfect. So yeah, um, thank you for sharing that too. I mean, this you're powerful. I appreciate you coming on and saying all this stuff. It is really, really enjoyable talking to you. Um, I you're another one that I just kind of cold messaged on Facebook, and you were kind enough to get back with me and say that you would do it. And I can't thank you enough for taking some time out of your busy day. Um, and thank you on behalf of all the carriers in Region 2, and then just everybody. Thank you for uh all you do for us. We really do appreciate everything that you guys go through and all the sacrifices you make to you know help us out on the on the workroom floor. So thank you for joining me. I really appreciate you.
SPEAKER_01Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity, and vice versa. Thank you for everything that you do in the legislative and political field that I want nothing to do with. So I mean, I appreciate and respect you guys so much for being able to do that and wanting to do that type of work. And thank you for um extending an opportunity also for me to be on your podcast. I've listened to a lot of phenomenal women um come in and speak on your podcast. So I'm I feel blessed to be a part of it. Um, and I sorry I'm getting emotional, but I do think that it's a platform that we all really need. Well, so I appreciate it more than you know.
SPEAKER_00Well, you uh are right up there with all of the other ladies that I've had on here that are just phenomenal. Um, every one of you guys, I'd say you guys have carried 180 pounds of dead weight every episode, carrying me along here. And I I just really appreciate you. So thank you so much for joining me. And thank you for listening to my podcast. And be safe and be kind of like,