On this episode of The Hot House with Richie Ray,we sit down with Elliot Simmons, a Table 2 City Letter Carrier, union representative, educator, podcaster, and CLC candidate for National Business Agent of Region 7. Elliot began his Postal Service career in February 2015 as an RCA before becoming a CCA in 2017. Within months of entering the city carrier craft, he discovered a passion for representing working people. That passion grew into a commitment to grievance handling, education, contract enforcement, and developing stronger union representatives. After transferring to the Bismarck-Mandan, North Dakota Branch 957 in December 2023, Elliot continued building on that mission. But this interview goes far beyond Elliot's biography. We dig into his work with Cole Billups and their podcast, why independent union media matters, and whether podcasts and social media can make union leadership more transparent and accountable. Then the questions get harder. Why does Elliot believe he is ready to become an NBA afterentering the Postal Service in 2015? Does he have the experience, judgment, temperament, and knowledge necessary to lead an entire region? Why shouldveteran carriers and longtime union representatives place their trust in him? We also confront the criticism directly. Some people say Elliot can be difficult to deal with. So what kind of person is Elliot Simmons? Is he difficult, stubborn, aggressive—or simply unwilling to back down when he believes carriers are being wronged? Can he accept criticism? Can he admit when he is wrong? Can people around himchallenge him? Most importantly: Does Elliot Simmons truly love the letter carrier, and will the carrier always come before politics, personalities,friendships, and factions? We examine the core priorities of his campaign: expanding steward and Formal A training throughout Region 7, strengthening contract enforcement, taking more properly prepared grievances to arbitration, developing arbitrationadvocates, and creating meaningful opportunities for the next generation of letter carriers to become involved in the NALC. Then we go national. Elliot gives his assessment of the current state of the NALC, the grievance procedure, membership participation, transparency, leadership, accountability, and whether today's union is properly connected to the rank-and-file carrier. We also discuss the NALC National Convention and ask what Elliot saw, what concerned him, what gave him hope, and what the convention revealed about the direction of the union. Finally, we get into the politics. Why did Elliot choose the Concerned Letter Carriers? Why does he support the CLC slate? Why James Henry for President? Why Corey Walton for Executive Vice President? And why does Elliot believe 2026 is the moment for change? This is not meant to be a campaign commercial. It is a conversation about leadership, experience, character, accountability, contract enforcement, democracy, trust,and the future of the National Association of Letter Carriers. If Elliot Simmons wants the members of Region 7 to place their trust in him as their next National Business Agent, then he should be willing to answer the difficult questions. On The Hot House, he gets that opportunity. No softballs. No hiding behind campaign slogans. No automatic trust. Make your case. Earn the membership's confidence. And as Elliot himself says: Keep Fighting, Brothers and Sisters. Keep Fighting!
