Rachel Freehauf

This episode features Rachel Freehauf from Branch 205 in Fargo, North Dakota. Rachel is the branch treasurer. 

Transcript

unknown 0:00

Uh uh.

SPEAKER_02 0:22

Welcome to the History of Female Leadership in the NALC podcast. I'm Craig Schaefer. I'm a city carrier in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, branch 1015. Today I am so excited to have a sister from North Dakota go ahead and introduce yourself.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

Hey Craig, it's good to talk to you. Um, my name is Rachel Freehuff, and I am a city letter carrier in Fargo, North Dakota, and I am a member of branch NALC or branch 205 of the NALC here in Fargo, West Fargo, North Dakota.

SPEAKER_02 0:56

All right. And how long have you been with the NALC?

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Uh I have been a member since 1995. So yes, I am a postal relic at this point.

SPEAKER_02 1:09

I'm glad you're still here.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

That's uh 31 years. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

You put up with a lot of stuff, I'm sure. Um, so let's go back 31 years. And uh what what brought you to the postal service in the first place?

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Well, I was a college student. Um, I grew up in the in the geographical center of North Dakota, which is Rugby, North Dakota, and I went to college at UND in Graham Forks, North Dakota, on the border there between um North Dakota and Minnesota. So I had been in college for about two years and had changed my major probably two, three times. And I was funding my education, I was, you know, borrowing money, student loans, and really didn't know I what I wanted to do. So I was kind of floundering with a career path. And so um I was signed up for classes, had my roommate, all that stuff ready to go for junior year at UND. Um, but because I had had these concerns, because it was time to basically, you know, get a major and do what I was gonna do. So um I had talked to my mom about it, and she said, well, you know, the post office is hiring. And I thought, you know, maybe that's what I'll do. I'll take a break, figure out what I want to do. And in the meantime, this feels right. Like this is a career. I won't be just like sitting around, uh, you know, this is like good, productive, good paying job with benefits. So I'll give this a try while I'm figuring out what I want to go to school for. So the plan was always just a temporary thing until I got back to school. Well, then the rest is history. It's too good of a job to leave. And so I, you know, 32 years later, because I started my career at the post office in 1994 as a PTF mail handler, here I am. So that's kind of how it started. I um was actually going to school and I had a work study job there at UND where um I worked for a dean. And one of my duties was to sometimes carry like inner office memos across campus. And I thought it was the worst part of my job. So fast forward, and that's what I end up doing for a living, right? Out in the cold, brutal temps in North Dakota um every day of the week.

SPEAKER_02 3:30

I always love the stories of the different paths to the Postal Service, and it's there's no one ever has the same path. It's always, you know, you something lines and you know, it just ends up here, you know. And so that's uh that's awesome. So you you know, you've you've been around for a while. What what caused you to pursue, or let me ask you this. Was there something? And if so, what was it that caused you to pursue a leadership role in the NALC?

SPEAKER_00 3:59

You know, I don't I don't think that I ever pursued a leadership role. I I just became a leader. Um, what I was trying to do was just be an informed person at work. You know, starting out as a PTF letter carrier, I was fortunate enough actually. I think this was I was lucky that I was hired on as a mail handler. And then I went into mail processing, and then I became a city letter carrier. So for me, it didn't take me long to figure out if I'm gonna work at the post office, the best job here is to be a city letter carrier. So I got that right pretty quickly. So within a year, I and then, you know, I went through all the things that all new people do, PTFs, um, you know, trying to meet management's expectations, get the route done. And, you know, you just get piled on with more work. And I remembered the day where I'd kind of finally had enough and stuck up for myself. And um, you know, I decided that I needed to start going to the union meetings. I was a member, somebody signed me up right away. I was a member of the APWU before the NALC. So, you know, I was a union member, but I really decided I needed to show up in the meetings and find out like, what do you do when this happens? And I kind of saw this go down today at work. And how was that handled? So I started showing up at union meetings just to, you know, hear what was going on. And uh as soon as I did, I was hooked. I was like, oh, these are the people that know what's up, these guys are the advocates. These, you know, I have a very song strong like social justice core. And, you know, it just spoke to me like, wow, this is where you can make a difference. And um, so I was just hooked and started coming to the meetings, and I really just started filling in like wherever I was needed. And that's really the story of my uh career as a union leader, is not really seeking out leadership, but just plugging in where I could and doing the best that I could in that position. Um, and so I that ended up in in leadership roles, but it was never anything that I thought, oh, I want to be this or do this. It was just kind of an evolution.

SPEAKER_02 6:12

So that's awesome. That is really that is very cool. So you're just like, I'm here, I'll do whatever. That that's amazing. Yeah. So, you know, what positions have you held in the NALC?

SPEAKER_00 6:26

Well, I mean, just about everything after 31 years. So my first position uh as like a branch officer was I became the secretary treasurer, and that was probably about four years into being a letter carrier. So, I mean, I was just really good at showing up um at meetings and you know, doing those types of things. But that was my first branch officer job was a secretary treasurer. It was a combined um position at my branch. And I started out in Bismarck, North Dakota, which is branch 957. Um, so that's where I started my career. And so that was my first branch officer job. But then really, I always kind of referred to myself as the basically extracurricular everything. So I became like the food drive coordinator. I was on the safety committee, I was the EAP representative. Um, before we had Lick PIF, we called it COLSEP, Committee on Letter Carrier Political Education. I was like a tenacious COLSEP coordinator. Um, I started, I became an organizer. Um, so at leadership or at leadership or uh not leadership academy, but uh carrier academy, I was doing the organizing there. Um, just kind of like all the extra things that you need somebody to do, I was doing those. And then I started as a backup steward, um, started going to conventions, uh, state seminars. And at the time, my branch president was the state president. So when I went to my first state convention, uh, my branch, the other delegates encouraged me to run for state secretary treasurer. Um, they were like, you know, you do it for the branch, you do a great job, you should do it for the state. And I was a little timid, but I thought, okay, well, my branch president is the state president, like we work well together, he'll help me out. And so I threw my hat in and won that election. And uh my branch president actually didn't get re-elected. Oh wow. I had a new new state president to deal with, um, and he did a fine job. And eventually um he really started kind of pushing me into like doing more. Um he was a really great mentor and um just kind of started like pulling me up and giving me more jobs, and so I got really active in the state, became the uh vice president in the state association after six years, I think, of being a secretary treasurer.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

And then that's really when I kind of found my passion um was big picture stuff.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

You know, that's where I really had a lot of opportunities and experiences. And so I eventually became a state president and um, you know, thinking about this podcast, um, I was the state president for a total of eight years, and uh I never really thought about it until now that I was the first female state president in North Dakota. I'd never even really thought of that until it's awesome. You know, was listening to um to the other women talk about you know being the first. It was like, oh my gosh, I hadn't really considered that. Yeah, so that that's kind of a cool thing that very cool. Made me realize, geez, it's the first.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

Breaking that glass ceiling.

SPEAKER_00 9:58

And so that was kind of like the first chapter of you know, my or chapters of my NALC life was in Bismarck. Um, and then life kind of took me on a journey. Um, I was married, um, went through a divorce, and at that same time, I got selected to go to leadership academy. Um, so I was going through a lot of personal stuff, but had this great opportunity within the NALC. So I was a part of uh, this is really dates me now, leadership academy class three. Um so I'm you know, that was back in 2007. So almost 20 years ago. Um and so when I came out of Leadership Academy, I also then transferred to, you know, make my life more complicated. Um, get a divorce, transfer, move to a new city, start over, had to become a PTF again, single mom with a three-year-old, you know, in a new city. But um, that started my second chapter of my NALC career. And so it was a couple of years after that that I became the state president. And really my focus then shifted to all of you know the political legislation, um, and had a lot of cool opportunities and things through that. Um, so that's you know, kind of where things went. And then now, I don't know if I'm getting off subject, but um now I'm kind of at the point in my career where I choose to do the things that make me the happiest. Um you know, we've got a lot of capable young people, and I'm not somebody that stands in the way of others. So if I see somebody that wants to do a job and I, you know, feel confident like they could do a good job, I'm not gonna hold like a position. So now I'm doing things that I really enjoy. So I'm back to being uh the branch treasurer in my local branch here in Fargo. Um, I'm a state organizer. And that's a little different from other parts of the country. So in I'm a part of Region 7, which is North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin for everybody that's listening. And in our region, we have state organizers. So I'm the organizer in North Dakota, and so I love doing that. I love meeting new people, sharing like my passion about the NALC, um, giving them as much information as I can in class. And then I help all the other um academy organizers in my state to do the same thing, give them their resources, help them out with what they need. So I'm really enjoying this part of my life where I can um have a little less stress and really just focus on the stuff that I like to do, which is as little with management as possible at this point.

SPEAKER_02 12:45

So I don't blame you.

SPEAKER_00 12:47

I was a steward for many years too in my office, and uh, you know, I did that when I needed to, but that was never my passion.

SPEAKER_02 12:55

So you're right. We're we're very much the same on that. I I'll do the steward stuff if I have to, but I try to stay clear of that. I'm I'm much more in that same lane of the legislative and political stuff. I I'm very fortunate. I get to go out and help out on that stuff here and there, and it's I I really enjoy it much more than dealing with management. It is no fun. So I I'm I'm with you on that. And it's funny that you've kind of went full circle now, you're back to being treasurer. Um, and with that being a treasurer, what what are your duties as the treasurer for your branch?

SPEAKER_01 13:31

Well, um, you know, I'm doing all of the tax I do, you know, payroll. Everybody that's a treasurer is familiar with the LM, the Department of Labor, the annual report that you have to do. And I'm kind of a geek that way. Like I love doing taxes.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

So I enjoy all of that treasure stuff. I'm a numbers person. I mean, when I was a steward, my favorite thing was equalization. You know, people would say they hate equalization. I loved it. Like anything where I'm like plugging in numbers and putting things, you know, I love doing article eight grievances, just you know, simple number calculation stuff was always fun for me.

SPEAKER_01 14:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

You know, I'm that person who anytime there's a rise in the SP, I'm looking at my TSP, you know.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

I'm a numbers gal. I probably should have been an accountant.

SPEAKER_02 14:37

Yeah, because uh on our uh on all all our tax stuff, we have an accountant that does it because no one is like, uh, I don't do numbers. So we send it all to the accountant to do. So that that right there is amazing for your branch to have somebody that does it there because that's that's a cost saving thing there for sure.

SPEAKER_00 14:54

Yeah, it it is. And they did have actually our branch did have um an accountant that did that before I came in, but and my former branch, I had learned all those things, and so I it was at a time where you know we didn't have a lot of funds. That's another thing, you know. I've seen the ups and downs, and so I'm probably a little conservative. You know, our branch is doing really well financially, but um, I'm I'm I've lived through those lean years, and so um, yeah, when I came into Fargo, I was like, you know what, I can do all this stuff. We don't need to pay an accountant five thousand dollars a year or whatever it was back then, you know, I can do it for you, and I enjoy it. So I'm I'm happy in that position. And until there's somebody that says, Hey, I want to do that, you know, then like I've done with everything else. If I think, you know, hey, they're ready for it, I'll step aside and be there to help and guide them.

SPEAKER_02 15:49

Yeah. So that's awesome. That really is. That's that's really cool. Um, over the course of your career, you know, you've been here for a good while. Um, and especially back in the mid-90s when you started, it was still kind of new for the ladies to be carrying mail. It was you guys were outnumbered big time at that point. I mean, it's it's getting better now, but it's still, I mean, it's still male-dominated. But um, when you started, or you know, any time in your career, but probably more likely when you started, have you ever dealt with any kind of harassment or discrimination? And if so, uh, how did you deal with it? And do you ever, if there was an issue, did you feel it was resolved?

SPEAKER_00 16:35

Uh yes, I mean, I've I I have dealt with it. I've dealt with it as a letter carrier and you know uh within the NELC, but I would say, you know, it's it's not easy being an assertive woman, period, and being like that fighter at work. You know, that's not received well sometimes when you're a woman, you know, you can you can have a man, a male and a female saying the same things, and sometimes it's received a lot better from the man. And so that's something I've experienced. I mean, that still goes on. I think it's better, or maybe I'm it's just because I'm 52 and I don't really care anymore what the pushback is on it. Um, but I've kind of always, yeah, there's been a lot of that over the years. Um, I've had some issues with as I've kind of, you know, as I was climbing the ranks, I guess, so to speak. I never really thought I was climbing ranks. I never looked, like I said, I was never really trying to move into leadership positions. But as you do move up, you know, there's always the talk of, you know, how did how did she get that job? So, you know, there's there's things like that that happen. Um but I think also anybody that knows me, um, if they get to know me, they they can see what my strengths are too and and appreciate that. So you just gotta keep, you know, keep keep fighting on and keep yeah. Yeah.

unknown 18:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:10

I think all that stuff has been has been resolved. But yeah, it's definitely a challenge for women at times. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:23

You don't hear people say that about guys. And when I say people, it's usually guys that are saying it, how did she get that job? You know, what did what did she do to get that? And I'm like, come on, man. Go over there and talk to her for a second. You'll see how she got that job. She, you know, she's worked hard to get there. It's not anything else, it was no different than any other guy. But for some reason, ladies seem to always get that, and there's always a double standard on what you and I, if we like you said, if we walk in and say the very same thing, I I'm like, oh, well, look at him. He's really strong. The ladies, it's always a different, you know, and it's just like you guys, um it gets very frustrating.

SPEAKER_00 19:06

You get that a lot with postal management, you know, and and also my personality, at least at work. I don't know in my personal life if I'm so much this way, but having to, you know, anybody that works at the post office knows what we deal with. I don't have to explain it. Um But I have I over time I've grown to be somebody who just says what needed what needs to be said. And so sometimes, you know, that's perceived as being confrontational. And sometimes I walk into things thinking, okay, I'm not gonna say that, I'm not gonna say that, don't do that, and then my mouth is a flap and then I'm saying what needs to be said. So I I don't try to be controversial, but I I mean, really, that's what led me to where I've been at and how I've been able to serve is not being afraid to say what needs to be said and kind of challenge things. I guess I'm I'm a challenger, so that can frustrate people, but you know, I think it's how we move to better positions, and I'm not gonna hold any grudges for people that you know I argue with, but like debate leads us to better places, and we're seeing that right now within our own union, you know. Sometimes there's really uncomfortable things that are happening, um, but it's all for the greater good. We're gonna be in a better place if we can, you know, sort these things out. Um, we're gonna come to the best solutions. You can't be afraid to speak up and you know, or what somebody's gonna say. You can't be quiet. You gotta be, you gotta be a voice. And all of us that are advocates are a voice for the people who who can't speak up. That's important. And so that's something that has been my cross to bear. But I you know, you you gotta do what you gotta do.

SPEAKER_02 20:55

Yeah, and and and it's good. I I think that it's super important for the next generation of uh carriers in general, but especially the ladies, because like I said, you guys are still a little outnumbered here, and I think it's very important for the newer, younger generation that's coming in to see ladies like you and everyone else that's been on this podcast, in my opinion, um see that you know you don't have to just sit there and take it. You can you you you're more than uh qualified for the positions you're in, and if they don't believe it, they can come talk to you and find out just how qualified you are. And I I think it's super important. And I I've tried to, you know, tell some of the carriers in my branch, the the especially the newer, younger carriers, like, hey, you know, I'm not trying to plug my own podcast, but listen to these ladies because they are every time I do an interview, I'm like inspired again by the next lady just because of what you guys have to deal with on a daily and then just the amazing like like talent the NALC has, it's it's mind blowing.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

Yeah, there's definitely some very impressive women within our organization. And it's it's fun to see that shift. You know, I've seen a lot of change over my years. And so I've, you know, I've had five, I think five business agents, and you know, there's just there's been a lot of change. And I think a lot of people don't see the progress. I've seen a lot of progress. You know, it's easy to come in and think like, oh, we have so much work to do and we do, but we really have made a lot of progress. So yeah, I'm proud of my fellow sisters.

SPEAKER_02 22:37

Yeah. Yeah. And you should be very proud of yourself as well because you're right there with those phenomenal ladies that have uh made the change happen for everyone else. So um another thing um that I've noticed that when I talk to a lot of the ladies is with all the duties that you have taken on whether it be the state or what you know your advocacies you know anything that you do it takes time away from your family. And uh sometimes that causes issues either family or friends. Has that has your time away from your family or friends caused you any issues doing your NALC work?

SPEAKER_00 23:12

I think it's probably just caused myself the most stress um but it really hasn't caused any issues with uh friends if anything um it's probably to made it harder for me to keep in touch with my friends um but the you know I'm I'm somebody who I'm I'm I'm reserved and I have a few friends but we're really really tight and so those are the people that if I'm super busy you know and nobody's heard from me for a while we pick right up where we left off and my family's really great um my husband is a letter carrier um I transferred to Fargo um after 13 years as a carrier in Bismarck because I met him as a fellow union leader. He was a leader in his branch and so that's what the the move to Fargo and he is literally my biggest supporter and encourager. But yeah there's been things that you know real life happens and I've had to take breaks from things just you know for my for the well-being of myself and to be um a good advocate like you have to give yourself breaks um and that's something that I've had to do. So it has affected sometimes um you know like for example when I was the state president so I did four years in a row and then my parents both ended up having cancer at the same time. Wow and they live about three hours from me and so they were coming to Fargo because we have a really good cancer treatment center. And so they were you know they would come here they would I would I had FMLA I would take them over to the cancer center and I literally was going back and forth between their rooms while they were doing you know infusion. We would try to coordinate the appointments and um and then they would stay with me for a week because my dad was on a type of chemotherapy that he needed to have a pump and have it like taken off again in a few days. So um and then he didn't last for very long he was terminal when he got diagnosed and so about a year and a half you know of slowly watching him you know go through that. And so I remember specifically while he was dying we were um you know I had my state convention coming up and I had all that real life stuff happening and it it took its toll. And so when I got to my my my dad passed away and the next week was my state convention and I had been talking to my vice president and said you know what I just need a break. I I I need to take time for myself and my family when you go through stuff like that sometimes you start like what are what are my priorities and at the time I needed to prior prioritize myself and and my family and just take a break. And so I did um and my vice president picked up for me and did a great job and then I came back and did another four years. So I would say like you know people feel that pressure that they always have to be on but you got to take care of yourself too and not burn out. And so I'm really glad that I gave myself that opportunity it was hard to walk to walk away at that time but it was also like I had to I had no choice like I just needed that and so that was really that was really good for me to just like revitalize and yeah and then I came back and got got right back into it again. And so I've got like that state presidency of like tale of two terms or I mean there were more than it was four terms but so the early years um and things were very different when I came back for the other four years just of how we're structured within the NALC. So um yeah but back to how it affects your your family life yeah like sometimes real life just does and you got to take a break. But like I said my husband has been a huge supporter and while I was state president for many years he was the branch president. So I mean talk about two people living it there's there's we have to give ourselves breaks from the NALC because we come home and rehash the day you know rehash what the cases were in the office I was a steward he was a president I mean just not NALC nonstop. Yep so you got to give yourself a break sometime.

SPEAKER_02 27:48

Definitely and I can't imagine how much there was talking if both of you are into it because my wife listens to so much of it and she's just like okay I you know I think she's heard it enough that she kind of knows what I'm talking about sometimes but I can't imagine if she actually knew 100% and we were having a conversation yeah it I'm sure it gets a little overwhelming. And that leads me to my next question. When you do you and your husband are like you know what no NALC tonight we're going to do something this weekend whatever uh what do you guys like what do you like to do? I'm assuming that he probably enjoys whatever you do um what do you like to do to unwind, relax? Do you have hobbies?

SPEAKER_00 28:32

Yeah well he and I are kind of two Ps in a pod. We're really best friends and a lot of people that know us within the NALC are probably laughing right now because we get a lot of crap for how much time we do spend together. But we love to go camping and traveling and so we do a lot of that as much as we can. We're fall campers because you know we don't like the heat but we were uh starting to realize like our summers were getting a little monotonous so we've dipped a little more into the summer camping. So we just came back from a little vacation and this this coming weekend we're gonna go up to like the north shore of Lake Superior and spend some time up there. So we love to do that. Obviously as letter carriers like what's really great about being married to another letter carrier is you don't have to explain yourself when you come home from like a hot miserable day and you just kick it on the couch. I mean my he can't tell me like hey you gotta go do this or that and vice versa. It's like we understand we got to just chill on the couch and cool off or or warm up. You know we live in North Dakota so we are a state of extremes. I know people think it's cold here all the time but it's hot in the summer so we're we're really good at being lazy bum. And then myself I'm really into uh like ancestry and genealogy that's like a rabbit hole that I can go down and stay up till all hours digging into like family history. And then I've kind of started incorporating that into some of the trips we've been taking so like we've been to several places in Wisconsin and Minnesota where I knew my ancestors first came over. So I get kind of a thrill out of finding like where they homesteaded and things like that and just feeling that like connection. So that's like kind of my passion outside of work that I like to do. And just spending time with our kids. Our kids now are 31 26 and 21 um we don't have any grandchildren yet but we have one on the way so we've kind of been in those blissful years of just having like fun adult children. And so yeah we're getting ready for the next chapter of our lives we've got two that are um going to be married here by the end of the year and then like I said a little a grandchild on the way so we're it'll be fun to see where life takes us net next so we are definitely looking forward to retirement. I know some people worry about like what will I do? I'm not worried about that.

SPEAKER_02 31:09

I'm excited for that so yeah well congratulations on the upcoming grandbaby that is awesome um there was a couple things I had to ask uh or one one thing I had to say was I never thought about that about both of you being letter carriers because that's one thing I get home it's like today it was like 90 something degrees luckily I was just off but I would I would come home and everyone else my wife and my daughters you know they were either in school all day or at the office all day and they're like wanting they're like we should go outside and sit outside and I'm always like I don't really want to I want to stay in here because this air conditioning feels really good you know and my other qu my question when you said camping when you camp is it like tent or are we talking like RV?

SPEAKER_00 32:05

So we have a fifth wheel and yeah and so you know that's what we but we we graduated up to that I mean we're pretty we're very simple people we're typical letter carriers you know we're just simple and enjoy the the simple things of life so our our our camper isn't anything like super fancy but um but we will also like tent if we're on a whim and we just spent a week in a primitive campground in May. So we had our nice camper but you know we weren't like connected to anything and that was totally fine by us. But yeah I mean I like to be comfortable we you know for a living we're at the whim of what nature gives us so I do like to try to control my climate when I can and like I said we the worst is being hot. Like the perfect day for me in as a North Dakotan is 60 65 sunny no wind like that's the perfect I don't like heat. No me neither that's my Scandinavian I guess blood in me that I I like it cold before hot.

SPEAKER_02 33:14

Well you're in the right place if you like it cold too because I I've talked to some some of my uh friends up in the Minnesota up north you know even Iowa I consider that you know a north enough and uh I'm I'm just pretty much sure that that area is not supposed to be for humans in the winter it's just not supposed to be that is just crazy cold to me and I don't know how you guys do it. I'm glad you do I'm glad those folks up there get their mail but I'm glad I'm not the one putting it in the mailbox because when it gets to like 30 20 I'm like whoa this is I'm I'm too cold this is too cold for me. And so when you guys are dealing with the negatives no no no no no I can't do it.

SPEAKER_00 34:03

I mean I guess we're just used to it but yes when we have say like a brand new letter carrier and you know you you've got we've had days where we're training somebody for OJI on their first three days and it's literally 30 degrees below zero actual temp I mean you just tell those people hey this is the worst it will ever be it won't get any worse than this but I mean yeah you you gotta be nope I'll I'll I'm a little crazy maybe I don't know I I'm I'm just gonna I I honor you guys up there.

SPEAKER_02 34:38

I'm I'm super impressed you guys are super carriers up there because 30 below that is wow that I I don't even know what to say about it. I yeah no I'm not leaving my house sorry I will not be there today it is too cold so I don't I it like I said I respect the heck out of you guys for putting up with that I just couldn't do it. And then to think that you're doing that in the winter and then like today I'm I'm assuming it was hot there as well it was it was blistering hot here. But in the winters for the most part it's usually it'll 30s not negatives just 30s and that's cold enough I'm I'm good with that. So yeah I I don't know how you guys do it but I'm I'm glad glad you do. So you have you have definitely seen a lot of stuff in your career you've been around for a good while and uh if there was somebody if there's somebody listening to this and they're just kind of starting out and they're kind of considering dipping their toes into the NALC into the union um what would be some kind of piece of advice that you might give to them to kind of get them on the right path you know I would say just start like I did you know start showing up at the union meetings um because that's where you find out everything and that's where you you know can get get an education I just I can't imagine going to work every day and not having that peace you know um I'm just a curious person and I like to be in the know.

SPEAKER_00 36:23

So you know just show up um and and ask questions like we love it when there's people who are interested right and so find just ask questions be curious um kind of like throw scenarios out he would say you know hey this is this happened today and this is what management said and I was thinking this and you know what do you think about that? He would kind of pick my brain and at first I thought why why is he asking me you know I didn't really I was a little too naive to know he was just kind of seeing making me think um and started like kind of getting me with that mindset of weighing both sides and like yeah what do you do there? What's the argument you make? And so I think like just trying to connect to anybody that's got knowledge like I don't know anybody that I've ever like asked questions and look for help that hasn't been excited to like share or help me out. So just be open like the people who've been around they I just I see so many talented younger people um but sometimes I think that people for forget like the history that matters and so be curious about the history too you know I'm not like a contractual genius. When I went to leadership academy I was intimidated as hell. I mean I was there in 2007 that this was like the first 100 people that had gone to leadership academy and I have so many like classmates that have been national officers, business agents, you know, and they were impressive then and I thought oh my God what am I doing here? But what I learned about myself was I'm from a small place, a small branch and the opportunity that that afforded me was I could get into everything. Like I'm a utility player right and so I've just had that opportunity to do all these things. And so I discovered I'm a really well-rounded person. I'm not just a specialist in this area I know a lot about a lot of things and I think like for anybody new, you know just try to learn as much as you can about all areas and lean on those people that have been around and and know that stuff and just ask questions and we're looking for people to step up and be leaders you know that's a concern of mine is like who's next? Who's gonna fill that role you know and we're protective of these jobs but but not gatekeepers you know just so we just want somebody to to be curious enough and ask the questions and you know yeah so just just be open to other people and yeah everybody's willing to like share their knowledge I don't know anybody that's that I've ever dealt with or anybody in like my local that wouldn't be happy to have somebody new um show interest and to you know give them some background and help them out.

SPEAKER_02 39:36

Yeah yeah that's uh when you have somebody new that comes up and goes says something shows any interest it's pretty exciting to me anyway because yeah you kind of look around and you're like we're not going to be here forever somebody has to fill these roles and so yeah that's that's always a great feeling if you have somebody new that is just like hey I'm kind of interested in this oh we latch on we have to escape careful yes we have to be careful not to overwhelm people I see that too like sometimes somebody comes to a meeting and like right away we're like hey do you want to be the MDA coordinator?

SPEAKER_00 40:13

They're like no I just wanted to come to the meeting so like we are very anxious to have people helping us out but we have to just you know slowly bring in them bring them in and introduce them like I said to all those small things there's so many little things that we need help with and I just see like burnout from so many people because they have too much on their plate. Yeah you know if you can find somebody that shows a little interest and start introducing them have them do some small tasks and see where I just have to say like I have had so many doors or things open to me that I never would have thought I would have been interested in or good at because of the NALC. You know I talked about earlier being um of the food drive coordinator I learned as a food drive coordinator how to like do press how to be on TV and give an interview how to do media releases you know who who would have thought being a letter carrier you would learn that you know as state president I found myself sitting across the table from a senator talking about postal issues on Capitol Hill was that ever anything I ever envisioned when I left college and thought well I'll just hang out here for a while and make some good money until I figure out I didn't think I'd become a lobbyist on Capitol Hill. I mean the opportunities that are available and I don't mean like for a career I just mean that will broaden you and and and expose what you can get exposed to just amazing of various roles within the NALC I love helping out like new carriers I love being an organizer before I I you and I talked tonight I had a brand new person at work who texted me and said hey I'm struggling with trying to get signed up for health benefits like that just warms my heart that I can be that person for them that I have shown them like kindness and that they find me to be knowledgeable and helpful and comfortable that I can then help them with a simple thing like that. But how important is that I mean this guy's coming in on his 60 days and he's panicking and I was like we got this let's do this you know there's just so many ways that you can help people when you and I started I mean you were probably like me we had I actually had somebody in HR in my building that helped him with all that stuff. Like letter carriers now are just thrown to the wolves. And so there's so much that we can do to be like advocates and help them. I've had to I I tell them when I'm doing my organizing you know class for union orientation I am not HR. Like I have to like keep kind of like circling back to that because but I said but I've tried to become an expert because I that's what we do. This is what our union is about we try to be knowledgeable and the one that you we you can come to for answers. So I just I think I got on a tangent there. But there's just so great so many ways to help people that's fulfilling there's so many things that you can it's not just about like being a steward or this and that there's so many opportunities and ways to grow as a person within the NALC.

SPEAKER_02 43:36

Yeah and uh you know a lot of times a steward position is kind of a thankless job you know you do a lot of work and uh you you don't really get a lot of thank yous it's usually just that there's an issue you know and that's what they want to get dealt with and that's that's fair you know I mean they're paying their union dues and that's what it's there for. But uh when you help somebody out like you were saying getting them in the right direction on insurance Or whatever it might be, you do get that thank you usually, and it's like that makes it makes it worthwhile, you know. And you see this person that was completely lost, and you've kind of given them a little bit of uh security, and then they know that you're the person they can go to. And that yeah, I d you no one does anything for the thank yous or the accolades, but it is nice occasionally when you see that you kind of help somebody, you know, and and they, you know, and so especially someone new. And I think that a lot of times that kind of gets somebody interested in maybe moving forward. So, you know, I'm gonna try to listen to you and pull back on trying to get them jump as soon as somebody says they even look at me like they're interested, latching on to them. Uh, I'm gonna try to pull that back a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 44:48

But uh yeah, I it's a delicate balance, that's all I'm saying. You gotta you gotta make the ask, but you just don't scare them, right?

SPEAKER_02 44:56

Yes, I'm gonna I'm gonna work on that. I I probably need a little work on that one. Um, so I'm out of questions. Uh, if there's anything I missed, anything you want to add, the floor is yours.

SPEAKER_00 45:08

No, I guess you know, for anybody listening, as far as like you know, what's what's the exact name of the podcast?

SPEAKER_02 45:15

Female history of female leadership in the NALC. Yeah, it's it's catchy, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 45:22

I just like I'm gonna mess it up if I try to say it right now. Um but like you asked like about becoming a leader. Well, I never even tried to become a leader, it just happened because I was willing, you know, to just hey, yeah, I think I could do that. I think I said yes a lot because I didn't know how to say no at the beginning, but it was as good for me as it was for anybody. Like I said, it really opened, um opened me up to so many different things. Uh I just have had so many cool opportunities. And, you know, I've had some good things come my way too that I had to turn turn down. I've had some, you know, a couple of job offers that I said no to because of family, you know, I was just willing to do whatever I could do where I was at. So don't be, you know, I don't want people to think that being a leader means like, oh, you go work at the regional office or NALC headquarters. No, you can you can be effective right where you're at. And I think that for me, that's just like what I always tried to do was just like learn what I could in the position that I was and try to be the best I could be at it, all to help the organization, you know. And so I just would encourage anybody to just yeah, try to get involved and you will get as much out of it as you're giving, you know, it really, it really can just bring you to so many things. I got to work on a campaign, I got to be part of the Employee Free Choice Act campaign. I learned how to work with, you know, fellow AFL CIO, like those, those relationships and how important it is to have other people, you know, showing up for that rally that you're you're having in your branch. You know, you get as many people from other labor organizations. You just there's just so much that you learn. So yeah, I would just encourage anybody that's somewhat interested to start small. And you don't have to, you don't have to be focused on being like the president of the NELC. You can just shine right where you're at. And that's what being a good leader is about is just you know helping those around you right there in your backyard.

SPEAKER_02 47:49

So I now know why I've had multiple people reach out to me and say, you've gotta talk to Rachel. I now know why.

SPEAKER_00 47:59

Hey, you know what?

SPEAKER_02 48:00

That just says that you're you've been around for a long time because it's starting to be people are saying Rachel who oh no, yeah, I'm telling you that uh I've had multiple people like because I I always tell people, hey, if there's somebody you can think of, let me know because I'm always about trying to reach out. And you know, I've been lucky to meet a lot of phenomenal ladies, but you know, there's so many more that I haven't met. And so I'm like always, hey, if you know somebody, have them reach out to me. And um your name has came up more than once, twice or three times, big time. Uh you know, people have said you've gotta have her on, and like I said, I now know why, because uh you are right there in the list of all the other phenomenal ladies that I've had on here. I I'm sorry we've had some connection issues. Uh, we've been trying to get this set up for it's been a few months.

SPEAKER_00 48:56

We got it done.

SPEAKER_02 48:57

Yes, we finally got it done, and I I really appreciate you jumping on here after a long day at work. Um I like I said, I just can't thank you enough for putting up with me and my uh prolonging of everything. It's just been one thing after another for me. So um I hope you have a great night and thank you so much. And thank everybody else that's listening. Uh, thank you for listening and be safe and be kind.