Tijuana Miller-Abbott

This episode features Tijuana Miller-Abbott, trustee of Branch 283, Houston, Texas. She is also a member of the ERT.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:22

Welcome to the History of Female Leadership in the NALC podcast. I'm Craig Schaefer. I'm a city carrier in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, branch 1015. Today I have the pleasure of speaking to one of my sisters on the ERT. If you don't mind, go ahead and introduce yourself.

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Hi, uh yes, my name is Tawana Abbott, and I am from Houston, Texas, representing branch 283. I've been a member of the NLC for 20 years. To me, being part of this union means being a guardian of the standards we worked so hard to establish.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

Very much so. All right. So you said you've been a member of the NALC for 20 years. What brought you to the Postal Service in the first place?

SPEAKER_00 1:06

A lot of people who know me know I'm about to say this. I know in their mind they're gonna say she's gonna say this right here. But I always say I'm a jackie of all trades, no master. Um I've always been a jack of all trades, but the common thread for me is uh I was in the military and um I got out and then I went to uh nursing and then I got out of nursing and then I went into the post office because I can't sit still. And I've always liked when I was in the military, I was a uh military policeman, so that's why I learned learned pretty much the importance of law, order, standing my ground. Then when I transitioned to healthcare, it taught me how to advocate for people in high pressure situations. So when I went into the post office and I saw that you could be a union steward and you can speak up and you can learn a contract, it appealed to me and I've I was there ever since. I always wanted to be an advocate for people that couldn't speak for themselves.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Well, you may have just kind of answered my next question, but I was uh wondering what would what caused you, was there a something that happened, or was it just already ingrained in you to pursue that leadership role in the NALC?

SPEAKER_00 2:17

I pursued it because I didn't believe in sitting on the sidelines while the rules were being broken, because I saw a lot of it. And again, being that my background was MP, I respect the law of our contract. So I've always been a contractual person anyway. And uh again, uh my background uh as far as nursing means I care about the well-being of people, so I I care about the well-being of a kit carrier. So I just said, hey, you know what? I wanted to be in a position where I could ensure that the contract was enforced fairly for everyone because I feel like I'm a fair person, I always have, always been. So that's it.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

That's awesome. That's a that's a different I that's one of the coolest things about this is learning so many things about different people that I I had no idea that you had been in the military or were a nurse. So I had no idea about that. And what the way you said that about how the two kind of intermingled to make you into wanting to do that, it that that's really cool. I like that. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 3:15

Thanks, Greg.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

So um what positions have you held in the NALC?

SPEAKER_00 3:22

Oh Lord, uh well, right now I'm currently wearing three hats. I'm a union steward at my station. Um, I'm a member of the board of trustees, and I'm also a CCA Academy instructor as well. So right now, those are concurrently, but I've been a skills facilitator, um, MBA board, um, food drive, um OJT trainer, instructor. I've I wore plenty of hats. Um I'm on the 80 team, I whatever you think of it.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Where are you at last week?

SPEAKER_00 3:59

I was at ERT for training. I was one of their I was I'm all I was on the board for ERT. Uh I was the second class, but Ed Morgan asked us to come out there to be a facilitator, which was an honor because you know I I love it. So that was that was great to uh teach the new the new wave of team members that we have now. And congratulations to all the new ERT members. Um might as well say why I'm gonna start.

SPEAKER_01 4:24

For sure.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

I was always excited about that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Yes, I I just had to throw that out there too. Uh I say you were trying to list them all off. You I mean, you got so many you couldn't keep up with them. I understand. Um so whichever one you want to pick, whatever whichever one, or if you have multiple you'd like to talk about uh in your current position slash positions, what are your duties?

SPEAKER_00 4:50

Um my duties are I'm gonna say diverse. Um as a steward, I see myself as the first line of defense, uh ensuring the contract is upheld on the workroom floor. As a trustee, I'm responsible for the financial and operational oversight for the branch, and that's new to me, so that's a lot right there. And then as an academy instructor, so far, I train our new hirees, give them the foundation and the discipline that they don't need to survive and thrive in this career in the postal service because we head into some hard times right now, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_01 5:23

Yeah, yeah, definitely. And if you don't mind, I mean I I don't mean to add another one to you, but can you just briefly uh kind of go over what the the ERT is? Uh and and because I I was just on a deployment this last weekend and I noticed that there were a lot of carriers that really didn't know a lot about it. Maybe they've heard of it, but they weren't really sure, and they were kind of mixing us up with EAP. And so if you don't mind, I I don't mean to put you on the spot here, but if you could just kind of briefly go over what that what what what the ERT is.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Emergency response team is for the now. Um EAP is for working goals to later on how to prevent it and and working on it. Um ERT is right then and there. When something happens, we are there for that carry. We we're letting them know that we're here for you. Um we'll we'll take off the the stress for you or the family members. We do all the paperwork, whatever that needs to be done to get the stress off of that carrier or that family's career or that uh that carrier's family, that's what we're there for. We're there for the now. Um, we're not there to try to treat you. We're there just to listen and to say, hey, we we know things are hard, but we're gonna get through this all together as brothers and sisters. And I I love this program. That's one of the best programs they could have made, and I hope it thrives and it moves forward and we have more classes. Um, but to have that that kind of rapport and and to go down there and then support your fellow uh brother and sister, that's a beautiful thing, despite everything that they're going through. We just want that, we just want the outcare to know that we're there for them no matter what.

SPEAKER_01 7:07

And I love it. Yeah, and it's uh it's kind of hard sometimes because uh as uh Manny and Ed really pushed, you have to take off that steward hat when you go in that building and you you're there strictly for uh aiding out and helping out our brothers and sisters, like you said.

SPEAKER_00 7:25

So that's absolutely and we really do.

SPEAKER_01 7:28

Well, thank you for that. I like I said, I I had someone else on that kind of spoke over the ERT a little bit as well, but I I just think it's super important and I just want to keep hammering it home because I I would love to get it out there more and more, and so that's great. Um so this next couple questions are a little bit not as fun, I guess you'd say. Um I as I always say, you know, the a lot of times ladies deal with a lot more than we do, um as far as like experiencing different kinds of discrimination, whether it be from the Postal Service or from the NALC. Um and I was just wondering, have you dealt with anything like that? And if you have, uh do you feel like it was resolved?

SPEAKER_00 8:16

Yes, I do. Um again, I can only I can only go back to what I've been through. Uh in my and I'm just going back in my career as an MP and a nurse, um, I've learned how to deal with all types of people and biases. It's unfair um treatment. I I mostly rely on my training. Um, I stay professional at all times. I stick to the documented facts. I try not to let my emotions cloud me, and I never let my emotions cloud. I just it's just that training I had. I just stick to the status quo of it. And by staying grounded in these rules, I ensured that my worth and my work speak for themselves. So when I dealt with certain entity entities and biases or didn't let it get to me, I stayed to what I needed to stay with, and that's what helped me kind of basically guide through what I needed to get through. But I've been through some things and just my my uh my my training, it just won't allow me to come out of character if to say. I stayed where I needed to be and I got to where I needed to get to.

SPEAKER_01 9:21

Good, good. Well, that was kind of some well, I I it always drives me insane for whatever reason that people treat anyone different for any reason, as long as you're not, you know, doing anything to me, why am I gonna be mean to you? I don't I don't get it, but it's uh it seems like it goes on and on and on, and hopefully someday it'll get better. But you know, I just try to be nice to people and see if that helps. That's all I can do and try.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

Well, you well, you speaking about it, and I'm glad you bring that out that you know it is a lot of issues out there for for women in general that we have to go through. But again, if we just stick to the status quo, stay in character, do not let them bring you out of your character. You it it will it all will work out, it really will. You just gotta be patient. Don't let anybody take you out of your character, never, because then you're doing what they want you to do, and you have to not do that.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

So and most of the time it's just because they're jealous, because uh, you know, yeah, you you're you're you're doing you're you're killing it and they're not, and so they're misery loves company, you know, I think is a lot of it. But uh it is so well another question that's kind of not not really fun is um, you know, obviously you're you've done a lot of different things. Uh you've you know, different positions. I'm sure it's taken you away from your home life and your friends a little bit more than I'm sure you would like. Um have have you had any issues with that where the time involved in your NALC functions and your your work has taken you away from either family or friends?

SPEAKER_00 10:56

Yes, it has. Um, in the past, uh, I'm a mother of twins. So early in my career, I actually gave up a lot of positions to make sure that I was in a life because I saw some of the things that my co-workers was going through. And I didn't want to leave my children per se like that until they got older. And then when they got older, that's when I started um pursuing my career more in NLC and moving up. And um and balancing them roles was it was about discipline. It was tough. Uh my family knows that my work is my is important. I love working, I'm a workaholic, everybody know that. But I'm also very um intentional about setting boundaries. So I make sure that when I'm when I'm when I'm off the clock, I'm focused on my piece and my people. Then it's about being reliable in it in every area of my life. So I had to know, had to have a cutoff time, which I did. I had a boundary, so I would actually cut myself off a certain time and I would get that time to my family. But it was times when I couldn't and missed some some basketball games and some some I missed a couple of birthdays too, but I made up for it. But my family understands what I was dealing with, what I was trying to do. I and I always kept the line of communication open with my children, my boys know this is what I'm doing, this is why I'm doing it, and they understood.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

So I'm that's that's important, is just keeping that home life balance, you know. And so that's that's really good. Well, speaking of home life, um when you're not doing all of your different different duties that you do, um, what do you like to do to unwind, relax? Do you have hobbies?

SPEAKER_00 12:40

You're gonna see you're gonna make me be better. Okay, so I love fantasy football. Oh my god, I love football. I love playing Madden football. Yes, I play Madden. Don't come online, y'all don't want this. Okay, you don't don't let the female uh uh-uh. I play, I play hard. So, but I love playing my Madden on my PS5. Um, I'm also um I'm a homebody, believe it or not. And um after all day of teaching, the class, delivery meal, I find peace in the quiet. Um, I love to write poetry. Everybody knows I love it. I love to write poetry to express my creative side. And I do play crossword puzzles, keep my mind sharp because I like to, I'm always trying to figure things out. So I find a genuine satisfaction in empowering others. Seeing a carry that I train uh succeed is how I recharge. Like I love to just like I'll go on Facebook and I'll look at other carriers that I've they've been in my class and I see that they're they're transpiring to management or they're going somewhere in their career, but I'm all they always say thank you, Miss T. That does something for me. I just I just love empowering young people in whatever position that they pick in the post office because we all under one umbrella umbrella, be happy, be fair, and do the right thing. And that's that's all I want. And I love it. I just I just like watching people do good. And yeah, I'm kind of boring, but that's what I do. I love my crosswit puzzles and I like writing poetry, so that's what I do.

SPEAKER_01 14:10

Nothing wrong with that at all. That's that's awesome. Yeah, I know, but that's uh honestly. Uh the poetry that's the first time out of all the interviews I've had a lot of different things that people like to do. I've not had anyone that does poetry, though that's that's really cool.

SPEAKER_00 14:23

Yeah, thank you. Yeah, I love you.

SPEAKER_01 14:28

Well, that's very awesome. I uh I'm I'm impressed. I I you're the first letter carrier that I know of that that I know that does poetry. That's that's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

So yeah, so fun fact when I was when I was nursing, I used to write obituaries for my patients' families. They say, Can you write obituary for my mom? You knew her, you took care of her, and I would actually write the obituary for them, and they would pay me for that. I was like, You ain't gotta pay me, but they would start paying me, and then all of a sudden they found I wrote this in another client, and they was can you write my obituary? So I wrote a bit about a good year, make some good money off of it too. I was really surprised.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

Wow, that is yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:10

Hey, you you make that money where you can make it, and yeah, yeah, just not wanting on that end, but it you know, I was I was glad to help out if I could.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

Yeah, obviously they they had seen what your work and wanted their family member honored like that as well. So that that's really that says a lot about you as well. Um, well, you know, we've discussed that you've been around for a while, you've you got some ears in, you've seen a lot of stuff, done a lot of things. Um do you have a piece of advice for someone that might be listening to this that's thinking I might be interested in uh pursuing some kind of uh role in the NALC? Um, do you have anything you would suggest for them?

SPEAKER_00 15:54

So, my advice for my future leaders and the ones who are trying to lead, stand tall in your experience. You don't have to shrink for anyone. Know your contract, like you know everything about your route and uh care for your members. And if you lead with that combination of strength and integrity, you will be untouchable and always, always be honest. You don't have to lie and play these dirty games. Don't do that. Honor, honor will always trump um disloyalty. So just keep your head up, stand tall your experience and stand on business, and you'll be all right.

SPEAKER_01 16:33

That's solid advice. Um, my branch president once told me, he said, always tell the truth because then you don't have to remember what you said.

SPEAKER_00 16:42

My word is my bond. I mean, to this day, things that other people can't, because of my integrity and the relationship that I built with my supervisors as I grew in my career, they can respect me. They'll say, Oh, Abbott here. Oh no, we okay, we trust Abbott. Now that goes a long way for me. We when I can say something management actually agree with me because they know I'm honest, that's better than anything. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 17:05

Yeah, I love it. Yeah, once again, it says a lot about you.

SPEAKER_00 17:08

Um thank you.

SPEAKER_01 17:10

Do you you know that's pretty much all I have for you? Um, we rolled through it pretty good. Do you uh do you have anything you'd like to add? Any the floor is yours.

SPEAKER_00 17:22

I don't have the floor. I'm gonna say, Craig, thank you for this experience. And I will get with other females that I'm pretty sure I know they would love this experience. And I'm I'm glad you have created this platform, and I hope it it goes, I hope it flourishes for you because this is something that that needed to be done, and I'm glad you did it, and I'm glad that I was part of it. So I really appreciate that. And thank you for taking the time out to do it. Well, I know you're busy too.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

Well, this this is uh it's got this has kind of become a hobby for me because I've found that um I learned things about people that I I know and people I consider friends, and that I had no idea about this. And I have been so fortunate, I feel, because of the NALC providing me the opportunities that I've been provided to go out and meet people, and then you know, I would have never met you if it wouldn't have been for the NALC, the ERT, you know, and so you know it's uh it's crazy to think that I'm uh I'm a letter carrier here in southeast Missouri, little bitty branch, 100 members or so. And I've met people from all over the United States, and and uh, you know, I told told my daughters when they started going to school or deciding where they were going to college, they would name a place and I go, that's fine, I could be I know people there. And then they'd try another one. No, I know people there. She ended up just staying home. She's like, I'll just go to college here since I can't get away from you. So uh I was like, it's it's just good to know that anywhere I'm at, I have friends and and uh I like I said, I don't really just consider co-workers, you know, the people that I have on this podcast and the people that I've met through all the different things. I I consider them friends and brothers and sisters. And like I said, I can't thank you enough for joining me this evening. I know, like I said, you are super busy and um it's it's just very it's an honor for me to have you ladies uh take your time away from your busy lives to come on here for a few minutes and tell your story. So thank you for that. Uh thank you for well uh you have a great evening and thank you everyone for listening to my podcast. Have a great evening, be safe, and be kind of