Two contracts covering more than 250,000 U.S. Postal Service employees expired on Friday, with parties unable to agree on provisions such as pay rates and layoff protections.
USPS and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union have agreed to extend talks, though the union said the number of tentative agreements the two sides have so far reached is “relatively limited.” The National Association of Letter Carriers, meanwhile, declared an impasse in its talks. The union and the Postal Service will go to mediation, but appear headed for arbitration in 60 days. The two sides will use the mediation process to continue talks, as well as agree to the arbitrators who will issue a binding decision if they fail to strike an agreement.
The standoffs with NALC and the mail handlers come as the Postal Service is currently in the interest arbitration process with another major labor group, the American Postal Workers Union.
NALC said the “major issues” still outstanding include letter carrier pay and benefits, the use of non-career employees, no-layoff provisions and an array of new policies issued by management. The union recently sued the Postal Service over an expanding pilot program that divides current letter carrier responsibilities into two distinct jobs and would lead to some employees staying out making deliveries for longer periods each day. The group said the changes would “radically refashion” the letter carrier position.
NALC reaches impasse with USPS in negotiations for a new collective-bargaining agreement
USPS, APWU head to arbitration after rank and file committee rejects tentative agreement