Episode 122: Brother Don Hess Duty, Sacrifice, and the Battle That Never Ended

Episode 122: Brother Don Hess Duty, Sacrifice, and the Battle That Never Ended

This episode of Hot House with Richie Ray is more than aconversation it's the story of a union activist whose life was forever changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Brother Don Hess began his career as a city letter carrier in Staten Island and quickly realized that simply paying union dues wasn't enough. He chose to stand up, become involved, and eventually serve as the Shop Steward at RosebankStation. Along the way, he experienced the victories, frustrations, and sacrifices that come with representing letter carriers during one of the most difficult periods in postal history. As the world shut down and COVID-19 swept through the country, Don continued serving while postal employees delivered America's mail through uncertainty and fear. Then the virus struck him personally. After testing positive for COVID-19, Don's life changed forever. What started as an illness became a long-term battle that ultimately forced him into disability retirement. Even today, years later, he continues to live with the effects of Long COVID. In this deeply personal interview, Don opens up about union service, friendship, leadership, perseverance, and what it means when your career and your identity are taken from you through circumstances beyond your control. This isn't just a story about COVID. It's a story about sacrifice. It's a story about survival. And it's a reminder that behind every badge number is a human being.

Episode 121: The Therapy Session Hector Narvaez From TE to Targeted, From Carrier to Fighter

This is not just another union interview. This is a story of survival, growth, and sacrifice. In this episode of Hot House with Richie Ray, Richie sits down with Hector Narvaez  a carrier, steward, and fighter whose journey runs through Port Richmond, Saint George, and New Dorp. From his early days as a Transitional Employee during the DAS Award era, to becoming a city letter carrier, to eventually stepping up as a steward under the old NALC Branch 99and now Branch 41 Merged, Hector has seen every side of this job. He has endured hostile managers, retaliatory emergency placements, personal attacks, and the emotional burden of standing between management and the carriers. But beyond the grievances, the discipline, and the battles, this is about the man behind the satchel. His family. His roots. His struggles. His regrets. His victories. And why, despite everything, he still fights. This is a therapy session. Raw. Real. Unfiltered.

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.