Beyond the Satchel

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness month. September has also been a very hard month for everyone on our team, so we are releasing a long overdue episode focusing on mental heath. Please take care of yourself and those around you, and make sure hug your loved ones a little tighter next time.  If you are struggling or in crisis, reach out: Call or text 988 to get connected to someone free, 24...

It's been awhile, but we are back. We've been taking some time to reflect on recent events, and now we are moving onward and upward. We discuss a recent win in congress with the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act reaching majority in the House, and we talk about some National awards our branch received. Make sure you stick around until the end to hear another update on what Cristal has been up to. St...

On this episode, I take a break from Gencon to chat with the one and only Jon "Badmouth" Morris. He's a member of the standup slate, a group of movers and shakers running for AFL-CIO Delegate positons.

It's been awhile, but we're back...kinda. With Ken still mostly out of commission due to his recent knee surgery, we managed to squeeze in a quick recording to get a little bit of his response to what has been going on. 

Unfortunately, Ken was having some technical difficulties. We will be posting more parts to continue explaining what's going on. In the meantime, Cristal will speak to the events at the June branch meeting which, in our opinion, is where the first domino of all this got pushed over. 

We chat with Region 3 NBA candidate Ronny Morgan! We discuss his plans should he be elected, and we discuss his thoughts on some current legislative issues. Sidenote: The tech wiz is 100% to blame for the late posting. Maybe the next challenge should be her getting a video out on time..... ;) #nalc #usps #mail #mailman #postoffice #politics #podcast #union #beyondthesatchel #region3

We get a chance to chat with Mr. A to Arbitration himself, Corey Walton. Corey is running for NALC EVP on the Concerned Letter Carriers slate in the upcoming election. We discuss some of the current bills in congress, how we could improve the way the NALC handles politics, and whatever other topics pop up along the way. There's too much to discuss for just one episode, so we look forward to welcom...

We managed to sneak in an interview with Mike Caref again, and we came prepared with more questions specifically about his plans for better organizing how the NALC fights for legislation benefitting letter carriers. Don't forget! You can also find information about his platform and more by searching Caref4prez on social media platforms, or you can check out his website caref4prez.org The Joliet Sl...

In this episode, we discuss some of the first steps on what to do when you are injured on the job. We also talk about the current legislative bill, HR 3170, that would allow federal workers to be seen by PAs and NPs to treat on the job injuries. 

Your hosts recap what they've been up to recently. This includes Cristal getting to attend the Regina V. Polk Women's Labor Leadership program on a full scholarship and Ken losing the challenge that was put out for last month. They have also added on more members to the team. One of them is the guest in this show, Miguel Chavez! The team also discusses more about the need to protect carriers, and...

The boys are back for another roundtable despite an onslaught of technical difficulties. They discuss topics from the upcoming convention, how the post office is "broke", and of course... baseball.

Life was a bit hectic there for awhile, but your two favorite Beyond the Satchel co-hosts are back! We cover our thoughts on having letter carriers doing the census, Ken provides us with a beautiful shark metaphor, and Cristal's ADHD peeks through a little more than usual. Buckle up! We also announce another competition! We'll be posting shorts on our Youtube channel, and the host who posts the vi...

Some asked why we edit videos. This is your answer! No edits to be seen besides adding the intro and outro. We discuss how to take action on the NALC website, and we also address some items mentioned in the anti-privatization resolution. We also put out our own challenge for ourselves. If Ken says Uhmmm more than 20 times in this episode, he will get five pies to the face. If I do not talk for at...

We are getting back to the basics here on Beyond the Satchel. The two hosts talk about the Protect Our Letter Carrier Act. This bill focuses on getting funding to enhance security, higher severity punishments for crimes against carriers, and ensuring cases involving crimes against letter carriers are handled in a timely fashion. Hope you enjoy and learn something new. 

Hi Everyone! For the first time in what feels like forever, your wonderful hosts are recording without a guest to be seen. They discuss how the rally went, what we need to do next time, and question what it is going to take to get the membership out there screaming our battle cry. #nalc #podcast #mail #usps #beyondthesatchel #mailman #union #fightlikehell

Hey everyone! It is time for our second women's roundtable featuring our host, Cristal Czajkoski, Sarah Mae Hoerchler, Shay Benson, and Sarah Kurkowski. We all reflect on how we feel the rally on the February 22nd day of action. We also touch on the opening statement by President Renfroe on the beginning of negotiations.    #NALC #beyondthe satchel #mail #usps #union

The boys are here to talk about the upcoming rally, mental health, and whatever else happens to pop up as the conversation flows. The crew featured in this episode include our very own Ken Pratt, James Palinkas, Michael Scheib, Colin Walker, Louie Rivas, and Richie Ray.  #NALC #mail #union #usps #fightlikehell #mailman #rally #postoffice

We sit down and chat with our buddy, Scott Vana. We let the conversation lead where it may go, and we goof off just enough as per usual. Enjoy! #nalc #mail #usps #mailman #lcpf #postoffice #politics

We are joined by Parcels of Knowledge host, Joshua Shrum AKA the Roseville Wrecking ball. We discuss the call to action he put out, the February 22nd nationwide rallies, and touch a little bit on a new bill introduced in congress.  Here is the link to find out your Congress people and their contact info: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member Here is the link to the template Joshua Shru...

Hello Everyone! Today we are chatting with Ahmed Karrar. He is a 2026 candidate for Illinois State Senate in the 14th District. You can find out more about his platform and how to help support his campaign at karrarforil.com. You can also find him on a variety of other social media platforms. #mail #nalc #politics #illinois #lcpf #beyondthesatchel #usps #2026midterms #vote

Hello Everyone! Today we are chatting with Joey Ruzevich. He is a 2026 candidate for Congress IL-6. You can find out more about his platform and how to help support his campaign at Joey4Congress.com. You can also find him on a variety of other social media platforms. #usps #joey4congress #politics #congress #lcpf #nalc

Just in case you missed it, we took a break from hosting and went on another fellow podcaster's show, Hot House with Richie Ray! Be sure to check out his show on Spotify. We had a great time talking about the Letter Carrier Political Fund and whatever random thoughts that came to mind.    #mail #podcast #nalc #mailman #usps #postoffice #lcpf #politics #beyondthesatchel

We are joined by a CCA from Ken's home office as well as a CCA trained by Ken. We talk about their experience as a letter carrier so far, reminisce on the old days back when we were CCAs just starting out, and attempt to keep Ken's ego in check in this light-hearted episode. 

Welcome to the New Year! Let's make it a safe one out there on the mail routes, and here to help you achieve that goal is Aaron Purnell. We discuss some common safety issues in the workplace, working together to further safety goals, and remind everyone....please, for the love of God, WEAR YOUR GOSH DARN SEATBELT!!! #mail #nalc #postoffice #mailman #usps #safety #beyondthesatchel

While the boy is away, the women will play! With Ken on vacation, Cristal is flying solo in this episode and hosting a women's roundtable discussing women in leadership. #mail #nalc #postoffice #women #womenempowerment #leadership