USPS and its postal union, the American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO (APWU), have failed toreach an agreement during their extended contract negotiations, which took place in the week
between Christmas and the New Year.The Collective Bargaining Agreement was originally scheduled to expire on 20 November, but theunion and the USPS management extended the deadline to allow time for additional talks.
However, APWU president Cliff Guffey revealed that “no tentative agreement has been reached andnone appears imminent”, adding: “I am increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress in contracttalks.”
He noted that numerous meetings and discussions had been held after the labour contract expiredat the end of November. “However, six weeks later, management negotiators seem unwilling to makethe commitment necessary to reach a negotiated settlement,” he added.
Prior to the latest talks, Guffey stressed: “We are working to strengthen the Postal Service byrestoring work that has been outsourced or assigned to managerial personnel. Our members canperform those duties more efficiently and less expensively.” During the negotiations, the partiesalso discussed wages, benefits, and issues related to workforce structure.
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. Arbitrators appointed by each party will work with a neutral arbitrator to ensure thateach side’s interests are clearly understood, APWU said.
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.
