On April 16, 2013, the National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS) received a request to re-open Pay Consultations between NAPS and the Postal Service as a result of the Board of Governors electing not to move forward with the Postal Service’s plan to eliminate Saturday First Class Mail delivery.
In their announcement regarding Five-Day Delivery, the Postal Service made it clear that it was going to approach the Unions and Management Associations about re-entering pay talks/consultations. During our recently concluded National Executive Board meeting, NAPS decided it was not in the best interest of our membership to return to pay consultations.

NAPS’ desire not to re-open Pay Consultations does not signify any attempt to be uncooperative with the Postal Service’s efforts to address the USPS’ current financial crisis. In fact, in 2012 NAPS and the USPS entered the Fact-Finding process; which resulted in EAS employees receiving a third consecutive year without a salary increase. Supervisors, Managers and Postmasters have to pay an increased percentage of health benefits and future EAS employees will have reduced leave benefits and will pay increased percentages on their retirement contributions.

Due to hiring freezes resulting from the financial crisis, the USPS is understaffed by as many as 5,000 supervisory and managerial positions. Our members have performed admirably under these trying conditions, moving the mail everyday throughout the country and have given back more than their fair share.

While we can agree that much more needs to be done to balance the finances of the Postal Service, we feel that our members and the entire management team have made significant sacrifices and we have concluded that re-opening Pay Consultations would not be reasonable or effective for our membership.

We will continue to work with the leadership of the Postal Service to increase efficiencies and lobby members of Congress for the passage of meaningful legislation that will help the Postal Service.