▁N AL C ▁( s uc ceed ing ▁Vincent ▁R . ▁S omb rot to ) ▁after ▁a ▁rank - and - file ▁ball ot ▁in ▁which ▁Young ▁received ▁ 7 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁votes ▁and ▁took ▁up ▁his ▁post ▁in ▁December ▁of ▁that ▁year . ▁At ▁the ▁union ' s ▁national ▁convention ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁re - elect ed ▁president ▁by ▁acc lam ation ▁and ▁served ▁in ▁that ▁post ▁until ▁his ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁ ▁During ▁Young ' s ▁ten ure ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁N AL C , ▁the ▁union ▁developed ▁new ▁gr iev ance ▁procedures , ▁negoti ated ▁a ▁five - year ▁contract ▁with ▁the ▁US ▁Post al ▁Service ▁providing ▁for ▁regular ▁w age ▁increases ▁and ▁cost - of - l iving ▁adjust ments ▁which ▁the ▁membership ▁rat ified ▁by ▁a ▁margin ▁of ▁ 9 ▁to ▁ 1 , ▁and ▁increased ▁its ▁participation ▁in ▁politics . ▁A ▁Le ad ership ▁Academy ▁was ▁also ▁established ▁to ▁train ▁future ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁union . ▁Young ▁appeared ▁several ▁times ▁at ▁United ▁States ▁con gression al ▁hear ings ▁including ▁those ▁on ▁the ▁over ha ul ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁Post al ▁Service ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁the ▁contract ing ▁out ▁of ▁letter ▁car rier ▁jobs ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁and ▁the ▁implementation ▁of ▁the ▁Post al ▁Account ability ▁and ▁En h ancement ▁Act ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁At ▁the ▁time