Hot House with Richie Ray

Big Rich

"Hothouse with Richie Ray” delves into the world of a city letter carrier, exploring the challenges and workplace issues that affect carriers. Richie educates both carriers and stewards, shedding light on the grievance process and the importance of union solidarity. Drawing inspiration from NALC members and podcasts like “From A to Arbitration,” “FedUp,” and “Classes Of Mail,” this show is a must-listen for those wanting a deeper understanding of the postal service and labor rights. Contact: hothousewithrichieray@gmail.com

  1. 6D AGO

    Episode 89: The Slogan vs The Reality “ Fight Like Hell” NALC, USPS, and the Crises on the Workroom Floor.

    I am very pleased to announce a series of upcominginterviews with candidates running on the CLC ticket as part of my podcast series. I invite all members and listeners to submit questions for these interviews, ensuring each question is directed to a specific candidate. When submitting questions, kindly adhere to the deadlines listed below and clearly specify the candidates to whom each question is addressed. I kindly request that all questions be maintained in a professional and respectful. Questions can be submitted to questionsonpodcast@gmail.com The deadline to get your questions in for Coery Walton deadline March 13, Danna Chambless, deadline March 13, Debbie Dixon, deadline March 13, Tom Rooney deadline March 20, Pam Donato deadline March 25 Board of Trustees questions for all three of these guys,John Cruz, Howard Komine, and David Grosskoph, deadline March 27, All New York 1 listeners, if you can donate 8 hours tobrother Rob Yauch, it will be greatly appreciated. His LSP number to donate to is # 26-4B-100-0562. You can fill out forms and submit them. PS Form 3970-D: Request to Donate Leave, available at Http://blue.usps.gov/formmgmt/3999.htm.  You can also mail PS Form 3970-D, Attn: Leave Share Program, HR Shared Service Center, Compensation and Benefits, PO Box 970400, Greensboro, NC 27497-0400 In this episode, we discuss the tough questions and thereality of fighting like hell. We go over the January 15, 2026, OIG Audit Report on Grievance Management. I bring up one of my old episodes, Episode 31. I ask all of you, Fight Like Hell for what? We discuss the abandoned carrier. The shadow of the new contract. The fight we need is contract enforcement and carrier safety. We discuss the open letter to the NALC National Leadership from the rank and file. We get into paper tiger national leadership, the questionis If we aren’t fighting to save the service, we are just fighting over the scraps of a dying company. The Transparency Blackout. We also discussed that yourbranch is grievance-rich but spirit-poor. Does the grievance check feel like a win, or does it feel like hush money? Grievance vs Reality, this is my two cents when we discuss this. This episode does not hold back on anyone; however, itdiscusses the true truths that our membership sees every day and is feeling as of right now, and there must be a change. I hope you enjoy this episode, and please make comments in the comment part of this page so we can get your view onwhat was discussed, what I got wrong, or what I left out. Please, this is for all of us to discuss and try to correct these real issues. I decided to do two episodes in one. In addition to thisepisode, this is kind of like a part two of the previous episode, but it kind of isn’t, fight like hell… for what? We discuss the NALC-USPS contract is expiring, and the slogan we keep hearing is “fight like hell,” but fight like hell for what? What gets deep in this episode is what letter carriers are actually fighting for. Management accountability-or lack of it. The grievance system is failing. GPS & scanning abuse, Harassment by Technology. Forced Falsification of scans. Safety and Service are the two biggest lies. No enforcement Systemic Collapse. Broken window policy: fix it, or it shatters.The union at cross roads. The path forward change, TRANSPARENCY, Accountability, the Concerned letter carriers are here for us for 2026, we need to vote them in so all these issues can be addressed.

    30 min
  2. JAN 24

    Episode 86: Mena Aziz from Branch 41 Merged discusses GrieveTrac

    donations of annual leave for New York 1 District carriersthat can donate annual leave to Brother Robert Yauch. You can email me for the flyer at Hothousewithrichieray@gmail.com LSP # 26-4B-100-0562 Please, everyone who can help, this will be a blessing formy brother, my friend, your fellow carrier, Robert Yauch In this episode, I have a very special guest, Mena Aziz, whogoes over his creation of GrieveTrac GrieveTrac Your Comprehensive Grievance Tracking System GrieveTrac is a modern, web-based grievance tracking systembuilt specifically for NALC Branch Officers and Formal ARepresentatives. It streamlines the entire grievance process—from intake toarbitration—ensuring accuracy, transparency, accountability, and timelyresolution. WhyGrieveTrac Matters Missed deadlines, lostpaperwork, and incomplete records weaken grievance enforcement. GrieveTracensures every grievance is documented, tracked, and resolved properly,protecting members’ rights and strengthening the union’s position. CoreFeatures CentralizedDashboard · Real-time view of allactive and resolved grievances · Advanced filters bystatus, type, station, or date  CompleteGrievance Records · Main Info: Type(Contract/Discipline), Status, Station, Incident Date, Issue Statement · Grievant Info: Name, EIN,Seniority, Status, Veteran Preference, Contact Info · Informal Step A: Filing Date,Supervisor, Steward, Refusal to Meet · Formal Step A: Forward Date,Meeting Date, USPS & NALC Reps, Disposition · DRT (Step B): Forward/ReceivedDates, Merit Status, Decision · Arbitration: Request Date, Type,Hearing Dates, Final Resolution  AutomatedNotifications · Deadline reminders atevery step · Automated emails to FormalA representatives · Bulk email wizard forStep-A forwarding  Analytics & Reporting · Custom reports to identifytrends · Data-driven insight intorepeat violations GrieveTrac Modules Grievance Management · End-to-end tracking · Separate contract &discipline workflows · Automated grievancenumbering · Archived resolved cases  Members Management · Member profiles &grievance history · OWCP case tracking · Eyeglass voucher tracking · Back dues invoicing &payments · Service pin management(20–75 years)  Stations & Assignments · Station directory · PS Form 1723 (120-daytracking) · Hold-downs, routes, andassignments  NALC Representatives · Stewards, Step-A Reps,Branch Officers · Station-based assignments& contacts  USPS Management Contacts · Postmasters, Supervisors,MDOs · Assigned stations withfull contact info  Document Generation · Auto-generated PS Form8190 PDFs · Pre-filled, print-readydocuments Why Branches Choose GrieveTrac ·  Full transparency& accountability ·  No missed deadlines ·  Paperless grievancemanagement ·  Stronger casedocumentation ·  Accessible anywhere,on any device Schedule a Demo Ready to revolutionizeyour grievance management process? Contact us today to learn more about GrieveTrac andschedule a demo.  www.grievetrac.com  www.grievetrac.com/contactus

    45 min
  3. JAN 3

    Episode 84: Discussing Just Cause Article 16 and Defenses to discipline with Brothers Bill Kriebel and Walter McGregory

    with Brothers Bill Kriebel and Walter McGregory In this episode, Brothers Walt McGregory, Bill Kriebel, and I go over Just Cause and Defenses to Discipline. We start with Just Cause-Article 16. We  GrieveTrac:  Your Comprehensive Grievance Tracking System Streamline Your Grievance Management Process GrieveTrac is an innovative Grievance Tracking System designed to simplify and optimize the management of member grievances. Tailored for NALC branch officers and Formal A Representatives, GreiveTrac empowers youto handle grievances with efficiency, ensuring transparency, accountability, and member satisfaction at every step. Why Grievance Tracking Matters Unresolved grievances can lead to decreased morale,productivity issues, and even legal challenges. A robust grievance tracking system like GrieveTrac ensures every complaint is logged, tracked, and resolved efficiently, fostering transparency and accountability within your organization. Key Features of GrieveTrac Centralized Dashboard Main Info: Grievant's Info: Informal Step-A: Formal Step-A: Dispute Resolution Team(DRT): Arbitration: Automated EmailReminders Detailed Modules Grievances Management Members Management Station and AssignmentManagement NALC Representatives USPS Management Grievance NumberGeneration Grievance Tracking Benefits of UsingGrieveTrac Contact Us Ready to revolutionize your grievance managementprocess? Contact us today to learn more about GreiveTrac and schedule a demo.       https://www.grievetrac.com/

    58 min
4.4
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

"Hothouse with Richie Ray” delves into the world of a city letter carrier, exploring the challenges and workplace issues that affect carriers. Richie educates both carriers and stewards, shedding light on the grievance process and the importance of union solidarity. Drawing inspiration from NALC members and podcasts like “From A to Arbitration,” “FedUp,” and “Classes Of Mail,” this show is a must-listen for those wanting a deeper understanding of the postal service and labor rights. Contact: hothousewithrichieray@gmail.com

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