Dinner Dance 2021

I am proud to announce that we will be having our Dinner Dance this year. It is time to get those dancing shoes and ourselves ready to celebrate together once again. This year we will honor letter carriers and their families. The Dance will be held on November 14, 2021, at 12 noon at Marina Del Ray. The price of the ticket is $90 and includes food and beverage. This is the first Dinner Dance since 2019 and tickets are going fast, so don’t wait until the last minute to secure your table. The branch is asking for each member to contribute $5.00 to support the Scholarship, Dental and Eyeglass Funds. The Branch is delighted to award the children of letter carriers with one of the four scholarships year after year.
Remember, as we get older, so do our eyes. The eye glass vouchers cover eye examination and glasses. The dental vouchers cover x-rays, a cleaning and also a discount on any additional work needed. All Dinner Dance tickets and Journal money should be submitted by early October. You can purchase tickets by calling the Branch or Carmen Flores, Melinda Hammond, Tayry Vega, Yvette Kinard, Patricio Montenegro or Helen Amill.

Heat injuries and OWCP

Vaccinations are now available to everyone. If you have not received your vaccination yet, there are numerous places that you can go to without an appoint- ment. Keep in mind, the coronavirus is still present, and we must be diligent in protecting ourselves with this new strain known as the Delta variant around.
If you test positive for COVID-19, The American Rescue Act has made it easier for CA1 claims regarding COVID-19 exposure to be approved, and the doctor no longer has to show cause and relation. The union recommends that you file your claim in ECOMP. This link can also be found at NALC.org under Workers Compensation.
In the summertime, letter carriers exposure to high temperatures increases; therefore it is imperative that you remain as hydrated as possible. Drinking one cup of water every 15-20 minutes is advised. Unfortunately, each summer there are at least one or more carriers injured due to heat exposure which results in lost time at work.
Heat injuries can occur even when you have kept yourself hydrated through- out your daily routine. Heat exposure can lead to muscle fatigue, lack of mental awareness, nausea and may also trigger other preexisting medical conditions. If you experience a heat injury, seek medical assistance as soon as possible. If you are unable to come to your station to fill out a CA1 form, you can ask management to mail it to you and then submit your claim through ECOMP, which is much faster.
Form OWCP 957, a Medical Travel Refund Request, covers all travel ex- penses which are not within walking distance of your doctor’s visits, therapy or pharmacy and are refundable. You must submit train fare receipts, gas station receipts and a copy of your doctor’s visit and/or therapy session. You have one year from the time you started your travels due to your on-the-job injury or CA2 to submit form OWCP 957 to OWCP. Tolls and parking fees are also refundable.
In closing, I would like to thank our Branch President Charlie Heege for be- ing instrumental in renaming the Letter Carrier Academy to the Anthony Puccio Letter Carrier Academy.
May everyone be safe, healthy and enjoy their summer. See you at the Dinner Dance.

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