The US Postal Service has finally reached a “tentative” agreement with a mail union, bringing to anend the possibility of industrial action that could have affected its 140 million business and
residential customers.USPS said yesterday it had agreed a deal on a five-year contract with over 220,000 members ofthe National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), halting an arbitration process between them.
“Upon ratification, this agreement will benefit the postal service, our customers andemployees,” said Doug Tulino, USPS labour relations vice-president. “It addressesimportant issues related to labour costs, revenue and delivery operations. While long in themaking, we believe that this agreement will prove to be in the best interests of all concerned.”
Nearly half of US Postal Service workers rejected new long-term contracts, plunging unionsand USPS management into crisis talks earlier this year.
USPS still has to resolve a dispute with 118,000 workers belonging to the National RuralLetter Carriers Association (NRLCA), although it now has agreements with the 270,000-strongAmerican Postal Workers Union, and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, which has 55,000members.
The NPMHU and APWU secured 1.2%-a-year pay rises, cost-of-living adjustments and reductionsin their members’ health insurance contributions. The separate negotiations between USPS and thefour unions began in August last year.
