Update: Postalmag.com suggests that maybe the rumor arose from the fact that NALC National Business Agents are meeting in DC, but says that was a previously scheduled meeting.

It’s just a rumor at the moment, so stay tuned. One hint is that the NALC’s web site abruptly removed the prominent ‘Contract Rap Session’ box from its web site:

Monday:

Today:

An interesting post from a blogger who works for Canada Post. He feels the CUPW shouldn’t have rejected participating in the “Corporate Team Incentive Program”, which sounds like something akin to the USPS “Pay for Performance” program.

A Major Disappointment In CPC/CUPW Postal Negotiations

USPS Press release: 

The Postal Service and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA) have reached a tentative four-year contract agreement. Upon ratification by union members, the agreement will run through Nov. 20, 2010, and affect approximately 66,000 career employees and 52,000 non-career employees who deliver mail to residences and businesses on rural delivery routes.

“This tentative agreement serves not only the interests of the Postal Service and NRLCA members, but also our customers,” said Labor Relations Vice President Doug Tulino. “Working together, we will continue to meet our universal service obligation by providing affordable, high-quality mail service to everyone in America.”

The Postal Service and NRLCA formally opened national contract negotiations on Aug. 25, 2006. This year was the first time new contracts were negotiated separately at the same time with all four of the Postal Service’s largest unions.

Earlier this week, the Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union also agreed to a tentative four-year contract. Negotiations continue with the National Postal Mail Handlers Union. Negotiations with the National Association of Letter Carriers were not successful and the two parties will now enter the dispute resolution process, which may include binding interest arbitration

WAGES, COLA

• General Wage Increases:
• 1.2% wage increase effective November 25, 2006
• 1.2% wage increase effective November 24, 2007
• 1.2% wage increase effective November 22, 2008
• 1.2% wage increase effective November 21. 2009
• Cost-of-Living Adjustments:
• The second full pay period after the release of the January 2007 index
• The second full pay period after the release of the July 2007 index
• The second full pay period after the release of the January 2008 index
• The second full pay period after the release of the July 2008 index
• The second full pay period after the release of the January 2009 index
• The second full pay period after the release of the July 2009 index
• The second full pay period after the release of the January 2010 index
• The second full pay period after the release of the July 2010 index

Special Leave Replacement Provisions:

• Newly-hired RCA’s will be paid actual or evaluated time for the route, whichever is greater, for the first five pay periods.
• An RCA/RCR assigned to a route without having been trained on that route will be paid actual or evaluated time for the route, whichever is greater.
• An RCA/RCR assigned to a route that he/she has not served in the past 12 months will be paid actual or evaluated time for the route, whichever is greater.

HEALTH INSURANCE: Employees’ share of health insurance premiums will increase by 1% each year during the term of the contract.

EMA, VEHICLES

Equipment Maintenance Allowance:

• The EMA base rate during the term of the contract will increase by 5 ½ cents.
• The EMA base rate will be increased by 3 cents effective with the January 2007 adjustment.
• The EMA base rate will be increased by ½ cent in October of 2007 t
• be effective with the January 2008 adjustment.
• The EMA base rate will be increased by 1 cent in October of 2008 t
• be effective with the January 2009 adjustment.
• The EMA base rate will be increased by 1 cent in October of 2009 t
• be effective with the January 2010 adjustment.

Postal-provided right-hand drive vehicles:

The Postal Service will provide 15,000 right-hand drive postal-owned or postal-leased vehicles on rural routes over a five-year period beginning January 1, 2009 and ending December 31, 2013.

Right-hand drive incentives:

The following incentives apply to ALL bargaining unit employees. 

• $1,000 incentive to purchase a new right-hand drive vehicle.
• $500 incentive to purchase a used right-hand drive vehicle.
• $500 incentive to purchase an approved right-hand drive conversion kit.

MAIL COUNT

• 4 week count in February/March 2007
• 2 week count in February/March 2008
• 4 week count in February/March 2009
• 2 week count in February/March 2010
• All counts include opt-in language
• 4 week counts include a holiday

Miscellaneous Work Rule Changes

• All regular carriers provided two opportunities each year to sign the Relief Day Work List
• Time to appeal to Step 3 changed from 10 to 15 days
• PTF’s eligible for court leave
• Retained “No Layoff” clause and added protection for PTF’s

Other Provisions

• The parties reached other understandings on contract language changes in various articles and MOU’s.

Negotiations with two other unions continue

The Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) have reached a tentative four-year contract agreement. Upon ratification by union members, the agreement will run through Nov. 20, 2010, and affect approximately 272,000 career employees in the Clerk, Maintenance and Motor Vehicle crafts.

In announcing the agreement today, Labor Relations Vice President Doug Tulino said, “We believe this tentative agreement is in the best interests of our customers, our employees and all postal stakeholders.”

The Postal Service and the APWU formally opened national contract negotiations on Aug. 29, 2006. This year was the first time new contracts were negotiated separately at the same time with all four of the Postal Service’s largest unions. Negotiations continue with two other unions, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union. Negotiations with the National Association of Letter Carriers were not successful and the two parties will now enter the dispute resolution process, which may include binding interest arbitration.

From the November 1 NALC News Bulletin: 

Young Issues Warning to Postal Bargainers

At main table negotiations held October 31 at NALC Headquarters, Postal Service representatives stated they were not prepared to make their economic proposal; did not know when they would be able to make their economic proposal; were not prepared to discuss the substance of their non-economic proposals; refused to withdraw any of their non-economic proposals, including those they acknowledged dealt with other crafts and not letter carriers. Finally, the Service refused to set a date for resumption of negotiations until November 9.

This astonishing performance came on top of their presentation of a series of regressive proposals they made at main table negotiations held on October 26 at NALC Headquarters. There, USPS proposed the elimination of time and one-half pay for work on Christmas Day, and other retrograde holiday premium and scheduling provisions; an increase in the number and usage of low cost non-career employees; elimination of key protective provisions of Article 34 (time and/or work standards); mandatory use of travel credit cards, with individual employee responsibility for payment, for travel on official USPS business.

‘Deep Disappointment’

NALC President William H. Young expressed deep disappointment with the Postal Service’s response to the serious and challenging full set of economic proposals put forth by NALC on October 24. He pointed to the calendar: “21 days to go, what can they be thinking?” On October 24, Young prefaced NALC’s far-reaching proposals by stating that a “dramatic shift in paradigm, to a cooperative relationship” was necessary to the survival of the Service.

USPS Ignores Effort

After the Postal Service’s October 26 and 28 presentations, Young commented:
“Frankly, it is astounding that the Postal Service has simply ignored the extraordinary effort we have made to change the name of the game in contract negotiations — to address honestly and forthrightly the unique challenges, and opportunities, of the current environment.

“Whether the Service is tone deaf, or driven by some ideological agenda, it is
unacceptable — and I measure my words carefully — for the Postal Service to
proceed in these negotiations as though it is business as usual — same old, same old.”

Coming out of the October 31 session, Young issued a warning: “If today’s Postal Service effort is any clue to what they are thinking about in basic economics, and they come to us with a stale and discredited formula of wage freeze, or lump sums or worse; increased letter carrier cost of health insurance; elimination or capping of COLA; elimination of No Lay Off protection — it will be a monumental confession of management failure — and an abdication of responsibility to their employees, to their customers, and to the American public.”

Young added: “Notwithstanding any provocation, NALC will be professional in its response. NALC will be responsible. But mark this well — NALC will not be silent, and letter carriers will not be happy.”

click here to download the entire News Bulletin in .pdf format