USPS further extends agreement with APWU union until 1 December

USPS has further extended its Collective Bargaining Agreement with its postal union, theAmerican Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO (APWU), for a second time until 1 December to continue

The labour contract was originally scheduled to expire on 20 November, but the union and theUSPS management agreed to a three-day extension to allow time for additional talks. As the newdeadline of 23 November approached, the parties agreed to a second extension.

The APWU President Cliff Guffey explained: “Although we have not yet reached agreement, weremain hopeful that we can arrive at a settlement.”

“Throughout this process, the APWU has worked diligently to negotiate a contract that willsafeguard our members’ jobs and strengthen the Postal Service,” Guffey said. “Restoring work thathas been outsourced or turned over to managerial personnel would bring stability to APWU memberswho have endured severe hardships due to excessing,” he said.

The terms of the 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement remain in full force and effect untila new agreement is reached, either through negotiation or binding arbitration, the union added.

Under the terms of the Postal Reorganisation Act of 1970, the Federal Mediation and ConciliationService (FMCS) appoints a mediator if the union and management fail to reach agreement on asuccessor contract and do not agree on an alternate procedure. If agreement is not reached within60 days of the expiration of the contract, both parties submit all outstanding issues to bindingarbitration. The two party-appointed arbitrators will work with a neutral arbitrator to ensure thateach side’s interests are clearly understood, the APWU said in a statement.

Although the union’s national negotiating team has full authority to reach a tentative agreementwith the USPS management, the Rank and File Bargaining Committee has the power to veto any suchagreement. If the committee approves a tentative agreement, under the terms of the unionconstitution it must be ratified by the majority of union members voting in a mail-ballotreferendum.

“The future of 220,000 postal workers and their families is at stake,” Guffey added. “We arecommitted to achieving a beneficial contract, and ask for the continued support of union members.”& amp; amp; amp; amp; lt; /p>

In the beginning of this week, it was announced that USPS has failed to reach new agreementswith two unions, the APWU and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association (NRLCA). While itagreed to extend the contract negotiation deadline with the APWU, he talks with the NRLCA resultedin an impasse without reaching any kind of agreement.