APWU contract negotiations begin today
TweetNegotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement between the U.S. Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union began Sept. 1. The current contract expires Nov. 20, 2010.
“Every contract negotiation brings special challenges, and this will be no different,” APWU President William Burrus said at the opening session. “Mail volume is depressed and revenue is down, but we have faced similar circumstances before.
“The history of the Postal Service is replete with forecasts of doom and gloom, but such dire predictions have not prevented us from exploring every opportunity to achieve agreement.”
“Once again naysayers warn of the imminent demise of the Postal Service,” he said. “They demand wholesale changes to the foundation we have built over our 40-year history, ignoring the fact that each provision in the expiring contract has a history of give-and-take, the basic element of contract negotiations.”
“The road will be difficult and the outcome uncertain, but there are components of an agreement awaiting our discovery. I pledge the best efforts of the American Postal Workers Union to find a way to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.”
September 1st, 2010 08:49
Burrus has no clue just how bad it is on the workroom floor. There is litereally no mail in the building. There is no way we can maintain this large workforce with these high wages and still keep the postal service alive. It won’t happen and I’m sure this contract will go to arbitratration.
September 1st, 2010 09:19
Burrus is well aware of the drop in volume- but you don’t go into contract negotiations and start things off by offering concessions. But I think you’re right about the contracts most likely going to arbitration this time around.
September 1st, 2010 11:00
Without the wages we receive, how much more depressed would the economy be? It’s all fine and dandy to claim how overpaid workers are, but those same workers, that you claim are overpaid, are part of keeping the economy somewhat liquid. Those wages go to put children through college, buy cars, boats, go to the movies, eat out, buy houses, etc. Slash all our wages down to the level of the Indian, Pakistani or Chinese workers and who is going to be buying all these wonderful products in the stores? Actually none of those wonderful products will be available in such abundance since nobody will be able to afford them and therefore they won’t be stocked.
We are a service business and we offer primarily a service, therefore it is to be expected that 80% of our expenses would be in wages and benefits. At UPS the drivers make more than our carriers and at Fedex, depending on the local wages, they earn a comparable or higher wage than our carriers. The biggest difference I see between the USPS and many private firms is our abundance of management and EAS positions, which are redundant and non-productive. So there is a definite case that we need some downsizing and consolidation of facilities and possibly incentives for retirement. We also need to trim the size of our non-craft and non-productive workforce along with some increased flexibility in work rules. We also need to see management trained to follow the contract and treat their employees as they would hopefully also wish to be treated. Time to get rid of the mentality of I was abused as a PTF, so we need to abuse everyone else too.
September 1st, 2010 11:14
[...] APWU contract negotiations begin today – postalnews blog. [...]
September 1st, 2010 11:16
Like arbitration is something new ? Without fail the PO has started EVERY negotiation with stories of doom and imminent death. Yes volume is down but so are employee ranks except of course EAS, but that is on the way.
September 1st, 2010 11:46
Let’s see.Low mail volume,plenty of clerks(at least in my office)and an over abundance of management.Shortage of carriers,so day off OT is given to all carriers who want it.Did the Postal Service just come into a large sum of money?? I thought the 10 year plan included reduciing manhours.As clerks,we will not receive a fair contract this year and Burrus should expect that.His best bet is to extend this contract(it’s been done before)and hope that mail volume increases and we get that 50-55 Billion from congress.Maybe then,they will offer a decent VER instead of a joke,like the last one.Give us a years salary,and see just how many take it.In the long run,it would save the USPS tons.
September 1st, 2010 12:09
If the APWU gives an inch then I’m leaving the Union and taking my dues with me. Take it to arbitration and see where it ends up. MGT is stabbing each other in the back to stay ahead of one another and it’s ugly for them with the Delivery Unit Optimization(DUO) now being set up in every district. There is gonna be a whole lot of level 11 Postmasters real soon. The NALC is a joke with the agreement to do away with thousands of routes with the hope it would create some good will for their negotiations(good luck with that). The rurals, well what can you say about them, they already don’t have any leverage or pay. The APWU must stand strong and not let the chronies in DC take what they want. Good luck to all, fight the fight!
September 1st, 2010 12:12
Good luck President Burris. You will be segtting the stage for NALC to follow. We know you will hang tough.Poor mouthing is no excuse for denials of justifiable benefits to postal workrs. Jim Rademacher, pres. emeritus nalc.
September 1st, 2010 14:12
The “No Layoff” clause will the be first to go.
September 1st, 2010 16:43
Excessed and closed our Plant, now we have 22 EAS for less than 100 employees. Most of them are Postmaster’s on Higher Level Detail plus per diem and mileage. Yet we are so broke! I don’t think so, hiding money is more like it. They “found” excess monies from FERS in the millions just recently. <—–stepping off my soapbox.
September 1st, 2010 19:48
Volume may be down while harassment to make management’s DOIS numbers are way up. Volume is down which means pivot time for carriers is up too. The carriers are working harder due to more street time so I see no reason why the NALC should concede anything next year. Good luck to the clerks in these negotiations!
September 1st, 2010 21:45
clerks are the reason the po is goin down…..whether window or distribution…they dont care……everyone remember…..you would not get your pay if the carriers would not deliver
September 1st, 2010 21:49
thats why @ the convention in atlantic city we decided who did the work that kept the po goin…….and it wasn’t you
September 1st, 2010 22:03
burrus knows full well that the apwu has a lot to do…..good luck…you’re goin down….cause you deserve it…sorry…..its the truth…i dont think any clerk could deliver a route
September 1st, 2010 22:05
[...] APWU contract negotiations begin today – postalnews blog. [...]
September 1st, 2010 22:11
excess anyone……
September 7th, 2010 23:49
Good luck to President Burrus. The APWU must stay strong in negotiations! The NALC contract depends on it.
September 9th, 2010 16:22
SOME OF U MUST HAVE JUST WALKED IN THE DOOR, U HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT THE CLERK CRAFT, NOT THE CLERKS STEALING MONEY CARRIERS BEEN STEALING FOR YEARS NOW THE MAIL VOLUME IS DOWN AND U CANT STEAL TIME ANYMORE. BOTH UNIONS NEED TO COME BACK TOGETHER TO SAVE ALL JOBS. THERE ARE TO MANY EAS JOBS CUT A LOT OF THEM, THAT WOULD SAVE A LOT OF MONEY.