From the National Postal Mail Handlers Union:
2016 No. 8 – May 25, 2016
You are reading the latest Contract Update produced and distributed by the NPMHU during the course of 2016 negotiations. These updates, along with the Union’s magazine and monthly bulletins, will keep mail handlers throughout the country informed and involved in the issues raised during this round of bargaining. As expected, a lot happened during the final days of this year’s regular bargaining period. The Postal Service and NPMHU negotiated right up until the clock struck midnight on Friday, May 20.
Despite these efforts, however, an agreement on all of the outstanding terms and conditions of employment could not be reached before the deadline.
At the same time, there were many issues that the parties were able to resolve during the 90-day timeframe for initial negotiations. Both sides made considerable progress in this regard. President Hogrogian and USPS representative Patrick Devine initialed over twenty tentative agreements concerning workplace rules.
That said, these tentative agreements are null and void if the parties fail to reach an overall agreement on a new National Agreement. Thus, the Union and Postal Service agreed to extend their negotiations indefinitely. This gives both sides more time to talk through economics and work rules not yet settled.
On May 24, President Hogrogian shared this information and more with the Local Presidents attending the pre-scheduled contract meeting in Washington, DC. He expressed optimism about the likelihood that the National parties would eventually be able to reach a negotiated settlement, followed by a ratification vote by the entire NPMHU membership.
Local Union Presidents and others in attendance at the contract meeting on May 24 had the opportunity to ask questions about the last 90 days of National bargaining. Their questions were both pointed and on point, demonstrating a high level of knowledge and interest in the bargaining process.
It is critically important that the entire Union maintains this engagement as the bargaining process continues through the upcoming weeks and months. As developments occur, circulation of these Contract Updates will continue, so please check your bulletins for more information.
NPMHU, USPS Contract Negotiations Extended Beyond Deadline
Source: 2016 Contract Update #8 (PDF)
I don’t know why there is even a mail handler craft anymore. They used to be the ones to unload trucks, by hand, and to dump mail sacks…period. Over the years, they stole bits and pieces of clerk work, and today, the line between “clerk work” and “mail handler work” is very, very thin, and varies depending on which processing plant you look at. Since mail handlers are confined to plants only, and clerks can work at plants, post offices, or District offices, the mail handler craft should be merged with the clerks, ending decades of fighting for jobs, and benefiting former mail handlers, as they would be able to survive excessing better than the present system allows. As a matter of fact, for sheer craft strength, ALL postal workers should be merged into one large work force, with one strong union representing them all. Seniorities could be merged, and the work could be bid on, so no one would be out of work. The varieties of work would benefit postal workers, also.
It was the Clerk union that settled for having PSE’S in their craft. Mail Handlers Assistants was shoved down the Mail Handlers throat. As a Union the Mail Handlers believe in having career employees and not this non career mess.
5/30/16 on radio Verizon strike is settled…….going back to work next week-money was way down on their list of demands, 7 or 8 on the list………but they still walk away with a 4 year contract and 12% raise over that period-all other demands meet. average union Verizon worker makes 130K a year. now compare that to the postal company unions who can not do any better than 1%. last real raise we got was 1970 when New York City Branch Letter Carrier President, Vince Sombrotto called and lead a Wild Cat Strike, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT RICHARD MILHOUSE NIXON settled the strike with the biggest raise a postal worker ever got. under Carter, Clinton, Ohomo we have gotten crap…….way past time to pull another Vince Sombrotto Wild Cat Strike……but this time lets do it to the DemonKKKats! with Ohomo in the White House and Killary & Bernie running for office, this was the year to do it………postal unions sissy mary cu@ts. 1% raise is a travesty! with 6-7% yearly inflation 1% is the express road to poverty
As usual the mailhandlers just follow the apwu and nalc agreements realizing they have the best job in the po. No brains all brawn.
The negotiations are extended “indefinitely” which means only as long as it takes for the APWU contract to be ruled on by the arbitrator so the NPMHU will know what they will get. Another “me too” negotiation. Maybe the NPMHU Leadership should stop sucking on the clerks hind teat and negotiate something on their own.
INDEFINITELY? Looks like another Mailhandler sellout….LOL
Paul Hogtogian is a mastermind. His strategies are being misinterpreted by some. I strongly believe that this will benefit the Mail Handlers in many ways. Good Job Paul, and keep up the great work. Patience and persistence prevails!
How did that strategy work out the last time when they kept extending until management called an impasse and trigger arbitration? we got no COLA’s or raises for the first two years and the first raise deferred until the third year as well as a big increase in casuals (MHA’s) from the arbitrator.
company union, not to be confused with Teamsters! wimpy mail handlers union will suck po mismanagement root for a crummy 1%!
They are not good situation because they hire more MHA and lower salary . They mess it up our benefit
The way to prosperity is to make Americans work for as little as possible, while allowing the rich to make as much as possible. And have the tax payers subsidize the businessmen by paying for food stamps, welfare, Medicaid, the income tax credit, and tax abatement. Why should a businessman pay a living wage when our government has the tax payer pay for what the business bastards should pay out? And the public employers don’t want to pay their employees either. Public employees are to feel guilty for being paid!
Looks like Hogrogian is ready to sell us down the river a la Cliff Guffey with the APWU.If he is optimistic about reaching a tentative agreement with these bloodsuckers you can be sure we will be screwed.
I guess much lower paid and much lower benefits,MHA’s,PSE’s and,CCA’s,with”sweat-shop”working conditions,will also continue indefinitely. How else could we described,commomplace and continued,60-hours+;workweeks?
My favorite things about that is the MHA’s and casuals are related to management so they get treated way better then the regulars that have been there for YEARS!
And they get to be 204B’s and stupidvisors.