From the Mail Handlers Union: As provided for in Article 15, Section .3E of the National Agreement between the National Postal Mail Handlers Union and the United States Postal Service, both parties have agreed to jointly produce a Contract Interpretation Manual (CIM), which represents a good faith effort to identify contractual issues on which the National parties are in agreement regarding interpretation and application of the parties’ National Agreement. Continue reading From the National Postal Mail Handlers Union: USPS management continues to implement its ill-conceived plans to realign its work force. Their plans involve massive bid reversions and job abolishments in almost every mail processing facility throughout the country. In most cases, management is basing its staffing needs on the flawed Function 1 Scheduler that the Postal Service uses to determine staffing levels at the large mail processing plants. Postal management continues to argue that these reversions and/or abolishments are necessary because of the continuing decline in mail volumes. Continue reading The National Office has been in contact with Postal Headquarters to discuss the deluge of bid reversions and abolishments that are being implemented across the country as a result of the Function 1 Scheduler. Continue reading On December 16, 2016, the NPMHU and the Postal Service announced that they had reached a tentative agreement to establish the terms of their 2016 National Agreement. The agreement is subject to ratification by a majority vote of the Union’s membership. The balloting process will begin no later than early January, with a 30-day period for return of ballots. Continue reading 12/09/2016 – The APWU prevailed in an arbitration that keeps hundreds of Clerk Craft jobs in the union’s bargaining unit. The decision clarifies what ability the Postal Service has to change craft work assignments for new machinery. When the new Small Parcel Sorting System (SPSS) machines were installed, the Postal Service first assigned all of the work to the Mail Handler Craft. After a closer and better review, the USPS reassigned some of the functions, including facing and separating packages as well as sweeping in rotation, to the Clerk Craft. Continue reading Tuesday’s election defied expectations and set historical precedents. The results were disappointing, but we recognize democracy in action, and look for ways to move forward. In August at our National Convention, the delegates endorsed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for President. Not only was she on the side of labor, but she was also a friend to the Postal Service. A Clinton administration and a Democratic majority in the Senate would have increased our chances at passing a comprehensive bill on postal reform, and would have protected the benefit programs of all federal and postal employees. Continue reading GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Jeffrey D. Velfling, the former Union Steward for Local #307 of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, and John L. Crosby, the former deputy Union Steward, were sentenced last month for their role in stealing approximately $14,500 in overtime payments which should have been given to their co-workers at the Traverse City Mail Facility. Theft of union funds by union officers is a federal felony offense. Each defendant was sentenced to two years of probation, a $1,000 fine, full restitution and a Special Assessment penalty of $100. Continue reading 2016 No. 9 – October 11, 2016 (pdf) You are reading the latest Contract Update produced and distributed by the NPMHU during the course of 2016 negotiations. With the completion of the 2016 NPMHU National Convention, the National Office and representatives of the U.S. Postal Service have returned to the bargaining table to reach closure on the issues that remain open before an overall settlement can be announced on the terms of the 2016 National Agreement. Continue reading From the National Postal Mail Handlers Union: Negotiations between the NPMHU and the Postal Service over the terms of their 2016 National Agreement have been revived, with the parties meeting in Washington, DC to resolve their remaining disputes. One of the primary reasons for extending the NPMHU-USPS negotiations deadline past May 20, 2016 was to await issuance of a related interest-arbitration award, and that event has now occurred. On July 8, 2016, an arbitration panel chaired by Stephen Goldberg issued its award, setting the terms of the 2015 National Agreement between the Postal Service and the American Postal Workers Union. With this APWU-USPS award now being implemented, the NPMHU and the Postal Service are jointly aiming to complete their bargaining process. Only a handful of issues remain, and talks are underway to resolve those differences. It will probably be late summer or early fall before all matters are finalized, but if and when a tentative settlement agreement is reached, it will be subject to ratification by the entire membership of the NPMHU. Please watch your bulletin boards for the latest information. Source: UPDATE ON NPMHU-USPS BARGAINING – National Postal Mail Handlers Union From the National Postal Mail Handlers Union: 2016 No. 8 – May 25, 2016 You are reading the latest Contract Update produced and distributed by the NPMHU during the course of 2016 negotiations. Despite these efforts, however, an agreement on all of the outstanding terms and conditions of employment could not be reached before the deadline. Continue reading
NPMHU
Mail Handlers Union and USPS Finalize Contract Interpretation Manual
Mail Handlers Union secures delay of proposed involuntary reassignments
Mail Handlers Union Moves to Challenge Wholesale Job Cuts
USPS, Mail Handlers Union reach tentative contract agreement
APWU Receives Favorable Arbitration Award in SPSS dispute
Mail Handlers Union President’s statement on election results
Two Michigan mail handler stewards sentenced for theft of grievance award
Mailhandler contract negotiation update: tentative agreement “within reach”
Update on Mail Handler contract talks
That arbitration decision awarded a contract covering 40 months, from May 21, 2015 to September 20, 2018. On the key economic issues, the award provided career employees with three general wage increases of 1.2%, 1.3%, and 1.3%, as well as a potential for five cost-of-living adjustments during the same time period. Non-career employees who are not eligible for COLA were awarded wage increases of 2.2%, 2.3%, and 2.3%, plus another 50 cents per hour spread over the contract. The award also included no layoff protections for career employees currently on the rolls, and a continuation in the cost-sharing adjustments for the costs of career employee health insurance.Mail Handlers Union Contract Update
These updates, along with the Union’s magazine and monthly bulletins, will keep mail handlers throughout the country informed and involved in the issues raised during this round of bargaining. As expected, a lot happened during the final days of this year’s regular bargaining period. The Postal Service and NPMHU negotiated right up until the clock struck midnight on Friday, May 20.
