(January 20, 2012) National negotiations between the National Postal Mail Handlers Union and the U.S. Postal Service over the terms of their 2011 National Agreement have stalled, and the parties have been unable to agree to another extension of the deadline for their bargaining. (Two prior extensions previously had changed the original November 20, 2011 expiration of the National Agreement to December 16, 2011 and January 20, 2012, respectively.)

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.

From the National Association of Letter Carriers:

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.

From the US Postal Service:

WASHINGTON — Separate contract negotiations with the National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO (NALC) and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, AFL-CIO (NPMHU) have come to an impasse. Under the statutory procedures that apply to postal labor negotiations, if both sides agree, the parties may first engage in mediation and, if unsuccessful, go to interest arbitration. The parties currently are discussing how they will proceed.

Contracts with both unions expired at midnight, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011. All parties agreed to extend negotiations until midnight, Dec. 16, 2011, and again until Jan. 20, 2012. The existing contracts will be followed until terms of a new contract are resolved.

The NALC represents nearly 196,000 employees who work as letter carriers delivering mail primarily in urban areas. The NPMHU represents more than 46,000 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.

Unlike the private sector, when negotiations fail, 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.

For additional information on labor negotiations visit this link.

From the US Postal Service:

On Jan. 22, prices for most USPS Mailing and Shipping Services change. Mailing Services includes domestic and international First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services and Extra Services.

Highlights include a 1-cent increase to 45-cents in the price of a First-Class Mail stamp and a 3-cent increase to 32-cents in the price of a postcard. The additional ounce rate for single-piece letters remains unchanged at 20-cents. For PO Box customers, a new shorter time period, a 3-month pricing option, is available.

Click here for more information on Mailing Service price changes.

Prices for domestic and international Shipping Services also changed. Shipping Services include Express Mail, Priority Mail, First-Class Package Service, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service, and other competitive products.

Priority Mail prices increased by an average of 3.1 percent and Express Mail prices increased by an average of 3.4 percent.

Click here for more information on Shipping Services price changes.

From the National Association of Letter Carriers:

The NALC has learned that 218 House members from both parties—a majority—have now signed on as co-sponsors of H.Res. 137, the measure introduced by Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) that expresses the sense of the House that the USPS should take “all appropriate measures” to ensure continuation of six-day delivery. “Our members’ hard work continues to pay off,” NALC President Fredric Rolando said. “This level of support will shore up our defense against the attempts by Congressman Darrell Issa and others to ‘save’ the Postal Service by cutting service—a counterproductive proposal that would surely fail if implemented.” Click here to find out whether your representative is among this majority, and if he or she is not, click here to find out how you can ask your House member to become a co-sponsor of H. Res. 137.

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

Nothing says “Hawai‘i” or conjures casual good times like the colorful Aloha shirt, which takes its name from the Hawaiian word often used as a blessing or greeting. The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the spirit of “Aloha” with five stamps, each depicting a different shirt.

Aloha shirts are made from boldly patterned fabric showing decorative images of Hawaiian life. Two of the five classic shirts depicted in the stamp art showcase surfers and their boards; one shows fossil fish, shells, and sea stars; another shows a tropical flower known as the bird of paradise; and one shows Kilauea, a volcano on the Big Island of Hawai‘i.

Some commentators have traced the “casual Friday” custom observed in America’s mainland offices to Hawai‘i, where Aloha shirts were first worn to work on Friday. The shirts, which have a straight lower hem and are worn hanging loosely over the trousers rather than tucked in, are now widely considered acceptable business attire in the 50th state, where the climate can make a suit and tie uncomfortable.

Art director Carl Herrman designed these stamps using photos by Ric Noyle.

These stamps will be issued at the postcard rate.

US Postal Service press release.

Office of Rep. Brian Higgins D-NY News Release

“The sign outside the William Street mail processing facility may say they deliver jobs but it seems to me these days the United States Postal Service is much better at delivering confusion and mixed messages. This could be a poster for the pervasive tone deaf bureaucratic disconnection from the public. On one hand they are providing little information but asking Western New Yorkers to trust that a shut-down is necessary; and yet their job posting seems to tell another story, one that certainly implies that the volume in Buffalo is there to support 50 additional jobs.

“Don’t get me wrong, I am all about creating jobs in Western New York but this sign is a slap in the face to the 700 employees preparing to lose their jobs at the hands of the USPS that has to walk through those doors every day.”

Click here to see the sign the Congressman is referring to.