The parties at the National level are still discussing how they will proceed from this point forward, pursuant to their joint authority to establish dispute resolution procedures; the terms of the 2011 National Agreement will remain in effect until the completion of those procedures. Under the statute that governs postal negotiations, if both sides agree, the parties may first engage in mediation and, if unsuccessful, go to binding interest arbitration. As noted, the parties currently are discussing how they will proceed.

The National Office of the NPMHU appreciates the patience and support of the membership. More information will be shared with the Local Unions next week.

via CONTRACT TALKS STALL: Impasse Declared – National Postal Mail Handlers Union.

Jan. 20, 2012 — Today, the United States Postal Service declined to extend collective-bargaining negotiations with the National Association of Letter Carriers, triggering an impasse that will automatically send the matter to mediation under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. If no consensual agreement is reached in a 60-day period of mediation, the issues will be submitted for final and binding resolution before an “Interest Arbitration” panel, which under law must consider all the evidence presented by the parties.

Fredric Rolando, President of NALC, issued the following statement:

“I am disappointed by the Postal Service’s decision. We have been making steady progress in negotiations, right up through this afternoon. Our negotiations have been innovative, professional and productive and have been conducted at the highest level.

“Now that the formal litigation process has begun, we will pursue a negotiated agreement through mediation and prepare to vigorously defend our members in Interest Arbitration, if it reaches that step.

“Notwithstanding this turn of events, NALC continues to believe that a negotiated agreement is in the best interests of the parties, the businesses that rely on us and the nation we serve. We will continue to negotiate in good faith as mediation takes place under the law’s dispute-resolution process even as we prepare for binding arbitration, and we will work with Congress on vitally needed reforms. We also will work with our external expert advisers to advance a new business model that will revitalize and preserve the USPS as a vital element of the nation’s business and cultural infrastructure.”

Anyone interested in learning about the history of postal bargaining may wish to consult this time line or read the NALC’s official history, Carriers in a Common Cause, available from the NALC Supply Department.

The National Association of Letter Carriers and the U.S. Postal Service have agreed to extend the current round of contract negotiations until Jan. 20, 2012. The extension will allow the parties to continue to work on the important economic, health care, workplace and other contractual issues being discussed. “We are encouraged that progress is still being made and we want to take all the time necessary to reach an agreement that serves the interests of America’s city letter carriers,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. “We are committed to achieving a win-win contract at this crucial time in the history of the Postal Service.”

via NALC | The National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO.

The contract, which was ratified by union members in May, required the Postal Service to convert to full time all Clerk Craft part-time flexibles in Level 21-and-above offices and all part-time regulars, regardless of the size of their office. It also required management to convert all part-time flexibles and part-time regulars in the Motor Vehicle Craft, effective Aug. 27, 2011.

In accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the newly converted regulars should have been placed in residual vacancies or given schedules of five 8-hour days. Instead, management placed most of the employees into newly-created NTFT assignments, many of them with just 30 hours of work per week. This was improper, because the NTFT positions had not been posted for bid, so they were not residual vacancies. Residual vacancies are positions that remain vacant after the completion of a voluntary bidding cycle.

The union is asking the arbitrator to correct the contract violations by making all affected employees “whole” and instructing management to assign affected unencumbered/unassigned workers to schedules of five 8-hour days. We will report on the arbitrator’s decision as soon as we receive it.

via USPS Announces Moratorium on Post Office, Plant Closures; Arbitration Hearing Begins on Schedule of New Full-Timers.

“We have been working in good faith to hammer out a new contract and we hope that this extension will lead to an agreement that our members can enthusiastically ratify,” President Rolando said.

The entire NALC Executive Council and the USPS negotiating team were sequestered at a hotel in Washington for the seven days leading up to the initial Nov. 20 deadline to work around the clock on the terms of a new National Agreement. As teams continue to work on the terms of a new contract, council committees chaired by the union’s resident national officers have engaged management counterparts in intensive discussions on the full range of contract issues affecting working conditions and workplace rights during daily negotiations that often stretched late into the night.

President Rolando has coordinated the work of all the committees and has taken the lead on the key economic provisions of the contract, including pay, health benefits and other matters such as the structure of the city carrier workforce. As the expiration date approached, the focus shifted to finding innovative ways to reduce the cost of employee health care while preserving and protecting the benefits of NALC’s members.

The 2011 round of bargaining kicked off in August at a time of extreme challenges for the Postal Service, as the congressional mandate to pre-fund future retiree health benefits has crippled the agency’s finances. Over time, the talks have gathered momentum. In the end, the parties agreed that more time could help the talks succeed.

“We remain committed to negotiating a fair contract that will advance the best interests of the nation’s city letter carriers,” Rolando said.

via National Bargaining – Bargaining Home.

Update on health benefits bargaining: Some media reports have inadequately described our position on health benefits. NALC has made no agreements with the Postal Service on health care for active members or retirees, either within or outside of FEHBP. We have agreed to seriously explore mutually acceptable ways to deliver high-quality health benefits at a lower cost both to the Postal Service and to its employees. No agreement will be made that does not have the support of the NALC’s membership.

via Latest News | President Rolando speaks at National Press Club.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –Although the contracts with the National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO (NALC) and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, AFL-CIO (NPMHU) expired at midnight Sunday, Nov. 20, the Postal Service and the two unions agreed to extend the negotiations deadline until midnight, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011.

The NALC represents more than 195,000 employees who work as letter carriers delivering mail primarily in urban areas. The NPMHU represents more than 45,000 employees who work in mail processing plants and Post Offices. Respectively, wages and benefits for NALC- and NPMHU-represented employees exceeded $15.7 billion and $3.5 billion last year. Should negotiations fail, a process begins which could result in a third party determining contract terms and work rules for approximately 240,000 employees.

Unlike the private sector, when negotiations come to an impasse, postal employees are not permitted to strike as Congress has designated the Postal Service as an essential service to the nation. An arbitrator determines the final outcome and is not legally required to consider the Postal Service’s financial obligations when rendering a decision.

Mail volume peaked in 2006 at 213 billion pieces. The effects of the shift to digital communications coupled with the impact of the recession resulted in mail volume plummeting more than 20 percent to 167.9 billion pieces last year. Over the last four fiscal years, the Postal Service reduced its size by 110,000 career positions and saved $12 billion in costs. Expenses, however, continue to exceed revenues in part due to an overstaffed workforce.

The Postal Service ended Fiscal Year 2011 with a net loss of $5.1 billion, compared to an $8.5 billion net loss the year before. The 2011 loss would have been approximately $10.6 billion had it not been for passage of legislation that postponed a congressionally mandated payment of $5.5 billion to pre-fund retiree health benefits.

To become financially stable, the Postal Service needs to cut approximately $20 billion in costs by 2015. Some of these cost savings can be achieved by adjusting the size of its workforce and infrastructure to align with America’s changing mailing trends.

While actions under Postal Service control are making a difference, passage of comprehensive legislation is needed to give the Postal Service more flexibility in making business decisions and the ability to react quickly to changing market conditions.

The Postal Service successfully negotiated a contract with the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) AFL-CIO that expires May 20, 2015. The APWU contract achieves short-term cost relief, long-term structural changes and enhanced workforce flexibility. Employees represented by the APWU work as clerks, mechanics, vehicle drivers, custodians and in some administrative positions.

Negotiations with the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association (NRLCA), which expired Nov. 20, 2010, came to an impasse and will follow the current agreement until a third party determines the outcome of a new contract. Employees represented by the NRLCA deliver mail in primarily rural and suburban areas. The NRLCA represents more than 65,000 career employees and nearly 42,000 non-career employees who substitute for career employees on their days off.

via Postal Service, Two Unions, Continue Negotiations Past… — iv>   Outcome Critical to Postal Service, Employees, Future   WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –.

Following marathon bargaining sessions in the days leading up to the contract expiration, both sides now have agreed to continue talks in an attempt to reach agreement over the terms of the 2011 National Agreement. The deadline for negotiations – initially set at midnight on Sunday, November 20, 2011 – has been mutually extended by the NPMHU and the Postal Service in order to make every possible effort to reach a negotiated settlement. With bargaining sessions continuing well into the evening on the 20th, the parties have agreed to extend that deadline through Wednesday, December 7, 2011, and perhaps longer.

The parties continue to discuss a host of important and complicated issues. The negotiations are at a very delicate stage, and as of this writing it still is impossible to tell whether an overall deal is likely.

National President John Hegarty and National Secretary-Treasurer Mark Gardner have vowed to continue the negotiations for whatever period is necessary, as long as there is a realistic possibility that the negotiations will have a successful conclusion. Following this intense bargaining period, President Hegarty wanted to send his personal assurances that “the NPMHU bargaining team will continue to discuss and debate the countless proposals and counter-proposals that have been exchanged, and will continue to seek mutually beneficial solutions on the many issues that are important to the NPMHU membership, and to help ensure a viable Postal Service into the future,” adding that “in these extremely difficult economic times, we will continue our quest not only to preserve and improve the important work rules that govern our day-to-day operations, but also to retain a fair compensation package going forward.”

As previously publicized, if a settlement does occur, the tentative agreement would be sent to all eligible members for a ratification vote using a mail in ballot; every member will have the opportunity to vote – yes or no – on the terms of the proposed settlement. While it remains the strong preference of the NPMHU to reach a negotiated settlement, the NPMHU leadership will continue to keep its options open. If the NPMHU leadership ultimately decides that a fair deal cannot be reached, the NPMHU will be prepared to present its case on these important matters before a neutral interest arbitrator.

Next week, a pre-scheduled meeting of the Local Union Presidents will occur in Washington, DC on Thursday, December 1, 2011. During that meeting, President Hegarty and the National Negotiations Team will report on whatever progress has been made in negotiations, and will discuss the prospects for reaching a tentative agreement.

Please watch for additional Contract Updates, as you will be kept apprised of further developments as soon as they occur. Information about contract negotiations, and other important topics, can be accessed on the NPMHU website at www.npmhu.org.

The NPMHU bargaining team sends its thanks to the entire membership for its continued support as the Union endeavors to achieve a fair contract for all Mail Handlers.

via CONTRACT UPDATE #10 — Parties Continue Discussions Beyond Deadline – National Postal Mail Handlers Union.

“We have been working in good faith to hammer out a new contract and we hope that this extension will lead to an agreement that our members can enthusiastically ratify,” President Rolando said.

The entire NALC Executive Council and the USPS negotiating team have been sequestered at a hotel in Washington since Nov. 13 in order to work around the clock on the terms of a new National Agreement. Council committees chaired by the union’s resident national officers have engaged management counterparts in intensive discussions on the full range of contract issues affecting working conditions and workplace rights during daily negotiations that often stretched late into the night.

President Rolando has coordinated the work of all the committees and has taken the lead on the key economic provisions of the contract, including pay, health benefits and other matters such as the structure of the city carrier workforce. As the expiration date approached, the focus shifted to finding innovative ways to reduce the cost of employee health care while preserving and protecting the benefits of NALC’s members.

The 2011 round of bargaining kicked off in August at a time of extreme challenges for the Postal Service, as the congressional mandate to pre-fund future retiree health benefits has crippled the agency’s finances. Over time, the talks have gathered momentum. In the end, the parties agreed that more time could help the talks succeed.

“We remain committed to negotiating a fair contract that will advance the best interests of the nation’s city letter carriers,” Rolando said.

via National Bargaining – Bargaining Home.

Negotiations near deadline: The 2006-2011 National Agreement between the NALC and the USPS expires at midnight Sunday, Nov. 20. The entire 28-member NALC Executive Council is in Washington, DC, conducting round-the-clock contract negotiations as the parties consider a whole range of issues that take into account the economy, wages, cost-of-living adjustments and health benefits.

via NALC | The National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO.