Build a Fighting NALC (BFN) aims to build a national rank and file reform movement to transform NALC into a democratic, fighting union that engages with and mobilizes the membership to fight for better wages, working conditions, and a high quality public postal service.

We take inspiration from the Rank and File Movement which came out of the 1970 Postal Strike. Starting in Branch 36, the rank and file leaders of the strike organized an opposition group dedicated to transforming the NALC in their time. They won One Member One Vote for national officer positions, and eventually succeeded in electing Vincent Sombrotto president of NALC in 1978. They understood that without an engaged and active rank and file, the NALC could not succeed.

NALC members have been working for over a year without a new contract, with few updates on contract negotiations, and no substantial content about what is being put forward at the bargaining table. As of December 2023 prices for goods were on average 19% higher than in 2019, and from the grocery store to the gas pump, members are feeling the impact of inflation everywhere. NALC’s leadership has refused to put forward a fighting approach to contract negotiations to engage and activate the membership around, and Postmaster General Louis Dejoy has gone full speed ahead with his 10-year-plan to deteriorate service and pave the way for potential privatization.

The gains made by unions in the past few years, like the Teamsters at UPS, and in particular autoworkers in the UAW, show what’s possible when unions get organized around a fighting strategy to fight for our interests.

A broader reform movement is forming in NALC. The formation of the Concerned Letter Carriers (CLC) reform slate with current Vice President James Henry at the top of the ticket, and the announcement that Business Agent Mike Caref will be running to challenge the Renfroe administration in 2026 are very positive developments. But just replacing Renfroe is not enough, we need to utilize the 2026 national leadership elections to transform our union going forward.

Build a Fighting NALC seeks to be a part of the broader reform movement in NALC, and will be organized around a program, a concrete set of demands that we believe are needed to transform NALC into a fighting, democratic union. This program is not set in stone, it will be a living document that will be updated as the situation develops, and we seek to have it be voted on and adopted by members and supporters of Build a Fighting NALC.