United States Postal Service letter carriers still don’t have a contract after their last one ended Spring of 2023.
This contract is for city carriers, numbering about 200,000. Rural carriers have a different union and different contract.
The current proposed contract with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) was published last fall.
So far it has faced an uphill struggle with dissatisfaction from some members and even logistical problems.
Contracts are ratified by paper ballot sent via the USPS. Local NALC member Austin Seibert said via email that some ballots were late getting to members so the deadline was extended. A decision is finally expected by January 27th.
Seibert said the original deadline was Jan. 13. He blames the USPS itself for ballots arriving later.
"Ironically due to the (Shipping and Delivery Centers) under (USPS Director Louis) DeJoy's Delivering for America Plan, many didn’t receive their ballots until too close to the deadline."
The latest contract offers an annual one-point three percent pay increase over three years or about 50 cents an hour which would be paid retroactively.
It also contains the commitment to make efforts for more air-conditioned trucks.
A contract overview can be read here.
Among the concerns stated at a rally last fall are better pay and benefits for entry-level workers.
“This is a fair and responsible agreement that serves the best interest of our employees, our customers and the future of the Postal Service,” said Doug Tulino, the deputy postmaster general and chief human resources officer in an article by the Associated Press.
Seibert has seen a mostly negative reception. "The general consensus is still a majority of carriers voting 'no,'" he said, adding that carriers have been sharing images of their "no" ballots online.
Seibert said that work stoppage is possible should this contract fail and subsequent proposals fail. However, he feels this is very unlikely.
Arbitration is another option, he said. "At arbitration, each side gets their lawyers to present a case and include witnesses and experts to present their point. After 14 days a binding decision will be made by the arbitrator and that will be final."
Neither the USPS, nor the NALC wished to comment for this story.
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