Members of the largest US postal union, the American Postal Workers Union AFL-CIO (APWU) haveapproved a new labour agreement.
The four-and-a-half-year contract, which runs until May 2015, was ratified by 75 per cent ofunion members. About 50 per cent those eligible to vote did so. It affects about 205,000 employeesat USPS.
Under the agreement, which was reached in March, wages will increase by 3.5 per cent over theduration period of the contract with a 1 per cent rise in 2012, a 1.5 per cent rise in 2013 andanother 1 per cent increase in 2014. At the same time, there will be protection against layoffs forall career employees who were on the USPS payroll as of November 20, 2010.
The agreement also changes the definition of “full-time” in a way that gives the PostalService and its members greater flexibility. The “full-time” designation will thus apply to anyposition of 30 or more hours per week.
“The new contract is an important achievement for the APWU,” said President Cliff Guffey. “Wewere able to retain protection against layoffs, bring back thousands of jobs in each craft, andlimit excessing.
“The agreement includes many big changes, and I realise that some union activists areapprehensive,” he added. “With help from the national union, I am confident that locals canimplement the new provisions and protect the rights of APWU members.
The union would also support legislative moves to ease USPS’ financial obligations, he added.
