Stephanie LaGreca

This episode features Stephanie LaGreca, steward of Branch 370, Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:21

Welcome to the History of Female Leadership in the NALC podcast. I'm Craig Schaefer. I'm a member of Branch 1015 in Cape Girardo, Missouri. Today I'm very fortunate to have a lady that I actually met in person at the convention in LA. Go ahead and introduce yourself.

SPEAKER_00 0:39

Hi, I'm Stephanie Lagreca. I am from Branch 370 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, originally from 578 in Savannah, Georgia. And I've been an NALC member for about 11 years now.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Awesome. Okay. So you've been uh with us for about 11 years. Uh what brought you to the post office in the first place?

SPEAKER_00 0:58

Um so as a woman, you have a family you have to take care of. That's just the way life is. And I did retail and I was a district manager for retail and I worked for an airline, and I just wanted a job where I could leave work at work and have my nights and weekends with my family. Um, my husband's also military, he's retires next year, and we had to be able to move and transfer. Every time we transferred, I had to start over from scratch. So I needed something that was universal. Hence the post office. Um I got lucky because right after I had my daughter, I got the call from the Savannah post office and got hired right away. Um and after when I say right before COVID, I transferred to New Jersey. So it worked out perfectly.

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Okay. Wow. I I was wondering when you said that you transferred from Georgia, I was like, how in the world did she end up? So thank you for clarifying that.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

That was I had no idea it ended up being a mutual swap, which is even harder.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Oh wow, yeah, that is impressive. Wow. Okay. Well, that that was meant to be then. It was good deal. Well, um, you know, uh clearly you have taken on a role in your branch. What caused you to pursue this role?

SPEAKER_00 2:22

Um so I was very anti-union when I started because I came from an airline and we were not we went through a strike. I worked for Spirit Airlines. The pilots went on strike at the time. Um, none of us didn't know if we were gonna have jobs, we didn't know where our next meal was coming from. And then when the strike was over and the pilots came back, they were bragging about all the extra pay they got and how they delayed it an extra 72 hours, and it just made me like think this is disgusting. This is disgusting. Like, why would you do this to the rest of us? You know, you get paid quadruple what we get paid. And then about a year later, we unionized, and then within six months, they contracted out our jobs and we all lost our jobs. So I had a bad taste in my mouth from the union. And at my carrier academy, the guy didn't care, he was just trying to sell me on the union, the organizer, and I explained to him why he didn't like tell me it was different, he just wanted his numbers. Um, I signed up anyways just to see because I figured I could always get out. And I started to see all the abuse, everything they were doing, and I just couldn't sit by. Um I firmly believe that I can't complain if I don't do something about it. So I stepped up as a CCA and I was a CCA steward, and um I had a very good mentor, and then also um we had a female union representative there who's very strong, and both of them helped me realize that this was something I was good at.

SPEAKER_01 3:50

All right, yeah. And so um, if anybody is wondering, she is a steward for her branch, and um, you know, obviously it's a you know you you kind of mentioned beforehand that in your office you are definitely a minority in your office. So um uh being the only lady in your office, let lady carrier, um, but obviously you are doing the job well because you're in this position. Um, what do you what what exactly are your duties as a steward in your shop?

SPEAKER_00 4:27

So I'm a steward in a formal A, and if you ask my guys, they'll say I am the mother of them because I lecture them on everything and keep them out of trouble. Um, but I investigate all the problems we have, I try to solve them. I'm very lucky right now because my management staff, they're beaten into submissions, so they're pretty easy to deal with. But we've had so many problems, and you just you get used to it. And once you deal with one problem, you get to the next and you learn and you get better. And um it's not easy, but I mean, the stupid thing is where it starts. You learn all the rules, you read arbitrations, you learn the contract, and you're able to handle it. And I think for the guys, they're good with letting me do it because it doesn't emasculate them or anything because I'm the one who makes sure they have water, they have their electro like pops and all that. So it works out really well.

SPEAKER_01 5:22

Oh, so I mean, you you kind of acted like your steward position was all you do, but it sounds like you uh you take care of everybody in that office and the water and the electrolytes and everything, you're kind of taking care of their safety. So that I mean, that's awesome that you're doing all that stuff, and it's it's really cool that they are uh respectful and uh respect you and and look look at you as you know basically the one that's taking care of them. So that's awesome. Um well uh the the thing is though, a lot of times, and it sounds like you're in a good spot right now, but you've been around for a while, and in your uh in your career, have you dealt with any uh issues with harassment or discrimination? And if so, how did you deal with it? And do you feel like it was resolved?

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Um, almost every time we get a new supervisor, um I don't know where the post office gets these supervisors, but they all are very misogynistic and the same personality where they need to be the man and they need to tell everyone, and they can't stand a woman who just doesn't care what they have to say and is gonna do what they're gonna do. Um when I was a CCA in Savannah, I had a 204V who just came with 17 and he was very much like that. And he started sending me his location over the phone at 1 a.m., 2 a.m., you know, a Sunday in the middle of the day. And if it was like a one-time thing, I think maybe he went out and got drunk because he was young, you know, but it was all the time. And finally it was my drop day, and he sent it to me in the middle of the day that he was at some restaurant near the office. And so I text him back, stop texting me. I don't care where you're at. I I don't want anything to do with you, I don't even answer your text when I'm at work. And the very next day I went back to work and he tried to reassign me to another station. I was like, Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. We're not having this. So I had to fight him tooth and nail the whole time I was there. He didn't win very much, and he ended up getting moved to another station, but that's usually how they handle it. And then here, every time we've gotten a male supervisor, they need to assert their authority, and it usually comes out on me. I mean how many people can say that you know they get a write-up for not wearing a satchel, or you know, they get an EP because they were loud and emotional. They put me on EP for being emotional, like you would never do that to a man. You would never do that to a man. Um, but it is what it is. I just don't like how they have to bring someone down to make themselves feel bigger.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Yeah, it says a lot more about them, you know, that and and uh as as bad as it sounds, I mean, a lot of times uh I've noticed that managers take the path of least resistance, or at least who they think is going to be the least resistance. Obviously, they're going to these stations blindly because you are not a path of least resistance. I can guarantee you that. But, you know, unfortunately, as a as a lady, you know, uh you a lot of these more misogynistic managers look at you as I don't want to face that dude, so I'm gonna go after this lady over here. And uh that is wild about the sending your their location to you just randomly all the time. That is that is I haven't ever heard that one before, so that that one's a new one on me. My gosh. Um yeah, uh well, um I'm glad you were able to, you know, deal with it and and get it straightened up. And it sounds like it's a reoccurring deal with the um new management because if it's anything like our area, they they circle through pretty regularly. So I'm sure that one you're gonna continue to deal with, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

Right now, I think we're okay because they can't find anyone to come to our post office. They have tried to fire our postmaster so many times, but nobody wants to come over there. It's the punishment office.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

Well, I mean, we may have that as well sometimes. They I they kind of look at our office as the place where managers kind of go their careers go to die. So yeah, it is what it is. And uh they no one held a gun to their head, they chose that life, so so be it. Um another question I have for you that's a little more, you know, a little touchy at times is um, you know, with with the time you do spend doing your duties as a steward, and then, you know, the a lot of stuff comes. Well, I mean, we met in LA. You were away from your family, friends, or whatever. You know, you're you're doing the duties of your branch of your of the union. Has that caused you any issues with family or friends, the time that you have to take away from them to you know work for the union?

SPEAKER_00 10:28

Absolutely. Um, my husband's active duty military, he retires next year, and so a bulk of our marriage has been all about his career. And it's a little hard for him to realize like, I need to have a career now, you're transitioning, like it's my turn now. And so it's it's a little harder for him when he has to start picking up the slack. Um, my daughter, who was the child who was born right before I came to the post office, ended up being epileptic. So, with seizures and everything going on, I was the one who had to take off from work all the time. I had to have FMLA right away. I'm the one who had to do the appointments, and so now he's starting to see what I've dealt with all these years, and it's a little hard on him. He gets upset, he doesn't like you know when I bring work home. That was the whole point of coming to the post office to leave work at work. But he's become my biggest cheerleader. He gets down on it sometimes, but when I do something, he's the one screaming front and center. Um, my daughter's my biggest cheerleader when we have our hell no rallies, she's the kid out there holding the sign, screaming at everyone, getting the bullhorn, getting all the carriers in line. Like they're my biggest, they're my biggest cheerleaders.

SPEAKER_01 11:34

That's uh that's amazing. And it's really good for your daughter to see such a strong lady, you know, and see all the stuff that you do and and such a strong leader. Um, I think that's really important. And also, I did notice at the beginning when you said you left that job to come here where you could just go home at the end of the day. I thought we're gonna have to we're gonna have to address that a little bit because I have a feeling that's not the case. And here it circled back around to it. So yeah, I I kind of figured that uh as a steward, I'm sure you you get a few phone calls in the evenings and on the weekends and things like that.

SPEAKER_00 12:13

So yeah, I was getting waking up before 5 a.m. when we were in LA. Our start time's eight o'clock.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

So with the time difference, they were calling me at start time, making me yeah, you you had the big uh time change there, and I didn't even think about that because I had a couple hours, but you had three. Yeah, yeah. And when when there's an emergency, air quote emergency, it doesn't matter what time it is, I gotta call my steward and let them know. So um, and I'm yeah, uh so you were getting an early wake-up call. You were never late to the convention. Your carriers were letting you know that's they were just helping you out. Um, so okay, now we will say this at some point you have to close your laptop, you gotta, you know, set the phone down and say, I'm done with it for the day or the evening or whatever. What do you like to do when you aren't doing all this stuff? What you know, to unwind, relax. Do you have hobbies? What what what do you like to do?

SPEAKER_00 13:14

I read a lot, and then it ends up becoming where then I start reading work. I actually discovered this week um one of my branch members told me I don't know how to relax. And I think they're right. They were trying to help me learn how to relax, you know. I I don't know how. I'm so used to always just going, going, going, going. But um, I do like to read. I have this obsession with Christmas, so I think I spend 90% year round looking for new Christmas decorations because it's gotta, you know, it's it's my it's my jam. It makes me happy. Um, and then I just went through a house renovation, so I learned how to do b board and molding and everything. So I think that's a new hobby because I already want to change the molding in the rest of my house.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

Hey, I mean, that's a good hobby, and so and the Christmas stuff, you and my wife will get along great because it's it's November 1st, it's Christmas until through January, pretty much.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

Question Does she know who heat miser and snow miser are?

SPEAKER_01 14:17

I don't know about that, but I will ask her.

SPEAKER_00 14:20

You gotta ask her. Ask her. It's it's it's a niche thing. Yeah, it's a niche thing.

SPEAKER_01 14:27

Well, I will I will bring that up to her because uh if it's something that is dealing with Christmas, um we we do it. We it's uh it's an all-day putting up trees. Well, it's not even all day, it's it's a few days putting up trees and all this stuff, but hey, I mean, um I enjoy baseball cards, she enjoys Christmas. There's much worse things to be obsessed with.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

So I did you get to go to a baseball game in LA?

SPEAKER_01 14:55

No, I I I did not. Um, a couple of my buddies went and I saw pictures and I was thinking, wow, I guess I'm just chop liver over here. Nobody called them told me.

SPEAKER_00 15:06

But went to the angels game, versus the brewers.

SPEAKER_01 15:10

Really?

SPEAKER_00 15:11

Uh-huh. And they had that uh that young pitcher for the brewers.

SPEAKER_01 15:15

He was Jacob Mizerowski was pitching.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

I I have uh yeah, and I don't really like him because he's in our in my division with my if you notice behind me, my Cardinals. But um at the same time, I have been investing in a few of his rookie cards because I feel like he is the real deal. So um, yes, he that I would have loved to have seen that because he he's gonna he's amazing. He's something else, even though, like I said, he'd look better with the the birds on the bat on his chest. Well that's for another day. Um so uh you know, you you obviously you've you've been around a while, you've you're you're very strong in your office, you've uh you've done a lot of stuff in in your time with the post office, and you've seen a lot of stuff. So if there's someone in you know out there listening to this right now and and thinking about maybe you know taking that step into some sort of leadership role in their branch, what would be some kind of advice you would give that person?

SPEAKER_00 16:22

Don't let anything stop you. Don't let anyone gatekeep you. And if someone puts up robots, go around them. Think creatively and go around them because if you're gonna be a leader, you shouldn't need anyone else. They should be coming to you. And if your intentions are pure, they're good, you're gonna find your way. The only thing that should ever stop you is your own limitations. Don't let anyone else stop you. You know, you gotta do what you want to do.

SPEAKER_01 16:48

Yeah, exactly. And now I'm ready to run through a brick wall. Like, yes. You're right. And that and and that's perfect advice for someone that's trying to start out. Just you know, don't don't let anybody discourage you, you know. And that's um, you know, coming from what you've you know fought through, you know, with um different managers and everything, you could have easily said, you know what, I'm done with this. I I'm gonna do what I said. I'm gonna come in here, do my work, and I'm gonna go home and that's it. But that's you followed your own advice, and you uh you have obviously taken a leadership role in your branch, and uh though those carriers in your station are very lucky to have you. Um I'm I'm out of questions. You you've answered all my questions. So now what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna say, do you have anything that I missed? Anything you want to add? Anybody you want to shout out? It's this the floor is yours.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

Um, just I'm very proud of my branch this week. We are a small branch, a little over 100 members, and we had four resolutions pass at the convention. And that's the first time we've submitted resolutions, let alone had any pass in our history. We're branch 370, so I mean we are an old branch, and I was just very proud of everyone. The unity was there, it was a good feeling, even with animosity, elections, all that other stuff, we came back closer together. And I just I just feel good for my branch, and I'm so proud of them right now.

SPEAKER_01 18:26

So that's awesome. That it really is awesome. Um and congratulations on the resolutions. That thank you. That easy uh executive council, they're a tough crowd. So for you to get those through, and then the the the membership, yeah, it's it's not an easy process as we've seen that we it was kind of wild at times there, but uh yeah, that's that's amazing. That really is. And especially it you're you're uh inspiring me because I was under the impression your branch was a huge branch. I I I wasn't sure. Uh your branch is about the same size as my branch. And so I've always thought that it's on, you know, for the most part, you know, I'm like, it takes those big branches to do that. So you have just inspired me to get our branch to maybe, you know, try something sometime and try to do more, you know. So yeah, thank you. That I I had no idea. I thought it I really did. I thought I had no clue how big your branch was, but I assumed really big. So that's awesome. Well, congratulations.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

We're tiny, tiny and strong.

SPEAKER_01 19:30

Yeah, definitely, definitely. Well, um, Stephanie, I I you know, I I came up and started bugging you. I think I I think you are another person that I just uh cold Facebook messaged and said, hey, you know, I I see what you're doing over here. Would you be interested in being on? And you kind of were like, well, let me look into it. And you did. And um it was it was really nice to meet you out there in person. I was I'm really glad that we got to meet. You you're an amazing lady. You're doing so much good stuff. And like I tell, you know, so tell every lady that I've had on here, sometimes I get a little down. I get like, you know what, I don't know what's going on with our union. I I'm worried about us where there's so much division, there's so much uh you know, animosity amongst our union siblings. And then I talk to you, I talk to these other young ladies, and I'm like, wait a second, we're gonna be all right. We got some we got some killers out here that are coming up that are gonna take care of us. And so I put you right in that group. I appreciate you. I thank you for all you do, and um just keep up the good work. Yeah, you're you're gonna do whatever you want to do. You follow your own advice. You you got it covered. So once again, thank you. Uh, thank you for being on. I really do appreciate it. And uh thank you to everybody else that's listening. Uh be safe and be kind of a good thing.