Anibal (Sonny) was elected 1st Vice President in 2019. He has held this position for 3 years and was re-elected in 2022. Sonny began his long postal and Union carrier in 1981. In 1998 Sonny was elected as Shop Steward by a group of his fellow carriers. As a Steward, Sonny strived to become the leader his fellow carriers needed and pushed himself to learn everything he could to assist them. In 2005, Sonny graduated the 1st NALC Leadership Academy. He continued in the leadership path by being appointed to the route adjustment team, Customer Connect and becoming a Formal step A representative that same year. In 2006, Branch 36 carriers banded together and elected him as the Director of Compensation. Anibal never stopped working for the letter carriers of Branch 36. In 2022, Anibal was re-elected to the position of 1st Vice President a position he has held with pride and will continue to do so.

More than Colleagues

During our lifetime people will come and go, some expected, others not so much. If we’re fortunate there will be a few that will have a positive impact on our lives. David Velazquez and Pat McNally were two such people.
I’m not sure when I met David for the first time, but I’m certain it was at a union meeting at the branch; we used to sit at opposite ends of the first row. He was elected as a shop steward at Wakefield Station in 2007, and from then on, he rarely missed a meeting. David always carried himself with the quiet dignity of a man who only spoke when he had something to say, unlike those who like to listen to themselves talk.
I used to tease him about the fact that I never really heard him speak until the 2008 National Convention in Boston. A group of us went to a Karaoke Bar one night and David got up, grabbed the microphone, began to sing a Barry White song then refused to give it up. We all laughed until eventually somebody took the mic from him. This is just one of many fond memories of David.
As time went on, David accepted several committee positions at the Branch. When Charlie offered him a job, he never said no and always looked out for the best interests of the membership. He served on the Food Drive Committee, Minor Route Adjustment Team and Customer Connect to name a few. David was also elected as the Director of Safety for Branch 36 and from the very start, he took that responsibility very seriously. Through the years, we developed a friendship that eventually grew into a brotherly love for each other. I am a better person for having known him. He was there for me when I needed someone to speak with who would not judge me; I will always be grateful to him for that.
Pat McNally began his postal career in 1984 in Grand Central Station. Pat’s previous experience in union activism made it easy for him to get elected as shop steward and later as Chief Steward. He was ultimately elected as 2nd Vice President of Branch 36 in 1998, and served in that capacity until he retired in 2019. Pat was also a union advocate whose responsibilities included presenting cases in arbitration. I worked alongside of Pat, both as a letter carrier in “Grand” and later as I became more active in the union, as a steward for Lenox Hill Station. I would often seek his guidance on grievance handling and could always count on him for good advice in representing the carriers in my station.
McNally was always ready to volunteer his services whenever needed. He was always manning the grill at our yearly picnic and assisted in the various fundraisers held at the branch. Pat and David served the members with distinction and held themselves to the highest standards. Their legacy is a testament to who they were and how they treated people. I miss you both...