Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Labor relations VP named
Michael J. Elston, former board secretary, appointed to role
Michael J. Elston has been appointed the Postal Service’s labor relations vice president.
In this role, he will oversee the organization’s labor-management relations, including contract negotiations, compensation, benefits and ensuring that employee strategies align with the Delivering for America plan.
Prior to this role, Elston served as the USPS Board of Governors secretary, an officer-level position.
Other previous USPS roles included chief counsel for appellate and commercial litigation; chief counsel for employment law; and associate general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer.
Additionally, he served as special senior advisor to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy for six months in 2020.
Before joining the Postal Service in 2010, Elston was in private practice representing clients in civil, criminal and investigative matters. He also held several positions at the Department of Justice.
On the Job
She makes it count
This finance specialist treasures customer connections
My name is Eleanor Gary and I’m a customer services supervisor for West Los Angeles station.
I’ve been with the Postal Service — oh, my word — for 31 years. I started as a temporary employee, then after I had my daughter, Alissa, I crossed over to delivering mail.
When I was out after having Jesse, my second child, my manager said, “I need a finance manager.” When I said I didn’t remember how to do that, he said, “It’s like riding a bike.”
Customer service covers so much now. For example, one recent morning I came in early to help with the morning operation, putting the right employees in the right place to expedite the mail. If you get off to a great start, it helps the day go smoothly and efficiently.
Later that day, I went to the finance office to assist retail associates at the window with passports and the Customer 360 platform — there are so many different things that I touch during the day.
One of the things I value most about my role is the direct connection I get to have with our customers, whether it’s delivering mail, resolving service issues, or simply helping someone through the passport process.
The Postal Service truly is a brotherhood and sisterhood, a sorority and fraternity. I even met my husband, Katiah Gary, a safety specialist for California 5 District, through the Postal Service. We took postal family to the next level.
Over the years, I’ve had the honor of supporting countless customers but also working alongside some truly inspiring leaders. I’m especially proud to be part of the team tasked to assist with special events and stamp dedication ceremonies. These events are not only fun they’re meaningful. They bring people together and create moments of joy.
Our most recent event was the unveiling of the Betty White stamp at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens. That one hit close to home: Betty White was once my customer, and I had the pleasure of processing her passport. She was as kind and warm in person as you would hope. That made the dedication all the more special for me.
I’m grateful every day to be part of this incredible organization.
“On the Job,” a column on individual employees and their contributions to the Postal Service, appears regularly in Link.
If you have feedback, we want to hear it
Our new ‘Mail’ column will give readers a voice in Link
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