News

The National Association of Letter Carriers has announced that the arbitration panel overseeing contract talks between the union and the United States Postal Service has issued its final and binding award. The decision sets the terms for a four and a half year contract (valid from Nov 2011 to May 2016) covering approximately 180,000 city letter carriers.



The new contract includes three general wage increases in of one, one-and-one-half and one percent and seven cost-of-living adjustments over the remaining life of the contract, which mirror the pay increases negotiated in 2011 by the APWU and issued in an arbitration decision to the rural carriers last year.



The contract also eliminates the temporary employee classification and created a new category of employee that can more easily convert to career positions as they become available. NALC also was able to hold onto the provision in the agreement that bans subcontracting in the letter carrier craft and for layoff protection for employees with at least six years' experience.