African-American elected President of powerful Pittsburgh Postal Union for Second Consecutive Election
By Timothy Cox
Seventies-Soul-Report Editor-n-Chief
PITTSBURGH, PA – In what’s being described in historical realms, the powerful postal union in Pittsburgh, Pa. has re-elected an African-American to its highest post,
Theodore ‘Ted” Lee has been re-elected as Pittsburgh Postal Union Branch 84 President for the second consecutive election. (Special Photo).
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Theodore “Ted” Lee, 50 , of Churchill, Pa., was re-elected for his second term with the United States Postal Service (USPS) union, last November. He was first elected from 2016 to 2019 and last fall, was re-elected for the 2019 to 2022, three-year term.
The official name of the union is the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 84. The post is headquartered next to the city’s North Side main post office on California Avenue.
On both occasions, Mr. Lee was unopposed in earning his union leadership victories. When asked for reasons why rank-in-file postal employees trust his leadership, Mr. Lee responded:
“I’m all-in — and my members recognize that. They know I don’t play. I’m fair and I’ll stand up for them against management. And management recognizes I’m fair too.
If someone’s going through a grievance process, I’m right there to represent my members,” said the 25-year USPS Letter Carrier.
After graduating from Penn Hills High School in 1988, Mr. Lee spent five years in the United States Air Force before joining USPS. “I started from the bottom and worked my way up through the ranks,” he said. He also spent three years in the US Army National Guard.
Derek Ricketts, a 35-year Pittsburgh Letter Carrier, confirmed that Mr. Lee is a stand-up guy and has earned the trust of the union membership. “We’re proud of his hard work and commitment to our members,” added Mr. Ricketts.
The Pittsburgh NALC, was founded in 1890, and is comprised of 83 offices, including about 2700 active and retired members. Of total membership, Mr. Lee said approximately 25-percent are of African-American descent.
Mr. Lee and his wife, Noire Nicole Lee of Clairton, are the parents of a six-year-old daughter, Nia Nicole Lee. Mr. Lee is one of 10 children, where he grew up in Penn Hills. His father, the late Rev. Ozette Lee, is the former pastor of Jesus Is The Way Church in Braddock.
His mother is Mrs. Joan (Drewery) Lee. Mr. Lee and his family are active members of the Lord’s Church of Monroeville, where Niecy Dennis White is pastor. Mr. Lee serves as a board member and prayer leader. His wife is a member of the praise team and teaches children’s ministries.
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