Hot House with Richie Ray

Episode 120: no show Hector The Staten Island Crew Round Table: The State of the Letter Carrier in 2026

The Staten Island Crew returns to the Hot House for anhonest and unfiltered round table discussion on the issues affecting letter carriers across the country. Joining Richie Ray are Paul Cobb, Jeremy Nieves, Jonathan Rodriguez, and no show Hector Narvaez as they discuss the current state of the NALC, the uncertainty surrounding the national contract, the lack of information regarding wage increases, and the growing concern that theletter carrier profession is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain financially. The panel explores the possibility of a four-day, ten-hour workweek, the impact of route adjustments, declining morale on the workroom floor, and the challenges stewards face when enforcing the contract without active membership participation. The discussion also tackles steward burnout, divisionamong carriers, management tactics, and what it will take to rebuild solidarity and engagement within the union movement. Most importantly, the crew asks the hard question: Can today's letter carriers still build a middle-class life through this career, and what does the future of the craft look like for the next generation? This is a raw, honest conversation from carriers who live these issues every day. Whether you're a new carrier, seasoned steward, union activist, or retiree, this is a discussion you won't want to miss.

Episode 119: The Workroom Floor Trap: DOIS, 3996s, Deems Desirable & Holiday Scheduling

In this powerful episode of Hot House with Richie Ray, we break down some of the biggest traps management uses against letter carriers on the workroom floor. We expose thetruth about DOIS and why it is nothing more than a management estimate not a contractual standard, notdiscipline, and not the final word on your workload. We explain why the PS Form 3996 is one of the most important protections a carrier has and why management cannot deny it simply because “DOIS says so.” Using the former Branch 99 Auxiliary Assistance Policy,we walk carriers step-by-step on how to properly request overtime or auxiliary help, what to say when management pushes back, and how to protect yourself when they refuse to make a decision. We explain the danger of bad DOIS practices how they create false route data, overburden routes, pressure unsafe work habits, and destroy future route adjustments. We also dive into Deems Desirable what it really means, how management abuses it, when it crosses the line intoharassment or retaliation, and how stewards should attack it through the grievance procedure. Then we tackle Holiday Scheduling, the pecking order, management manipulation, bypassing volunteers, forcingnon-volunteers improperly, and how to file strong Article 11 and Article 8 grievances when management ignores the contract. This episode is about more than forms and procedures. It’s about understanding your rights, protecting your route, exposing management’s abuse of technology, and reminding carriers that the contract not a computer runs the workroom floor. Knowledge is power. And if we know the contract, management loses the trap.

Episode 118: The Hard Questions | William Boone in the Hot House- Part Two

Part Two of the Hot House with William Boone shifts from biography to substance. This is where the campaign gets tested. Richie Ray presses Boone on whether his run for Director of Safety and Health is about personalities orpolicies and forces him to define what change actually looks like. This conversation tackles the biggest safety crises facing letter carriers today heat-related illnesses, postal robberies, dog attacks, ignored PS Form 1767s, retaliation for reporting hazards, and management’s repeated failure to protect carriers in the field. Boone is challenged to explain whatpolicies he would eliminate, what he would implement, and how he would hold management accountable when safety rules are ignored. The interview also turns inward, forcing Boone to address the strengths of the current leadership, identify weaknesses in his own campaign, and explain why members should trust him with one of the most important positions in the union. Part Two is where the pressure rises. Less biography. Moreaccountability. More vision. More truth.

Episode 117: Who Is William Boone? | The Man Behind the Movement – Part One

In Part One of the Hot House, Richie Ray sits down with William Boone, candidate for National Association of Letter Carriers Director of Safety and Health, to introduce the man many carriers are just beginning to learn about.This episode focuses on Boone’s foundation his journey into the Postal Service, his years carrying mail, his local branch roots, and the union experiences that shaped his activism. Before talking policy, politics, or national office, this conversation is about understanding who William Boone is, what drove him to fight for letter carriers, and the accomplishments that built his reputation. Part One lays thegroundwork for the deeper questions ahead, giving members a chance to hear his story directly and decide for themselves whether he has the experience, vision, and leadership to represent carrier safety at the national level. This is where the story begins. Before the platform. Before the campaign. Before the fight.

Episode 116: Third Class in Our Own Union? The Table 2 Divide Exposed

On this explosive episode of Hot House With Richie Ray, Richie sits down with Branch 701 President Sean McGlynn for one of the rawest and most emotional conversations yet about the growing divide inside the NALC. Sean breaks down why many Table 2 carriers feel abandoned, betrayed, and treated like second or even third-class members inside their own union. From the creation of Table 2 and CCAs, to the long-term damage caused by the DossArbitration Award, to frustrations with national leadership and convention politics, this conversation dives into the anger many younger carriers have carried for years. This is not just a conversation about pay charts. This is about identity. Representation. Retirement. Sacrifice. And whether the union still fights equally for ALL letter carriers. Sean speaks openly about: The financial gap between Table 1 and Table 2 Retirement inequality COLA disparities Convention representation Why many younger carriers feel ignored Concerns about the upcoming national election Whether the union can survive another failed contractcycle This episode is emotional. It is uncomfortable. And it is necessary. Because if the union refuses to confront the divide inside itself  then the future of the NALC may already be at risk.