Contract Negotiations
Once again, the USPS and the NALC seem to on the path to arbitrating another “NEW” National Agreement. Although there is still time for the parties to achieve an agreement that they mutually believe serves both sides, that does not appear to be the direction that we are taking.
Negotiations formally began February 22, 2023. NALC National President Brian Renfroe in the March 2023 edition of the Postal Record stated that the “first and foremost issue that must be addressed is staffing.” His remarks alluded to the fact that to recruit and retain letter carriers, the Postal Service needs “competitive wages.”
He further went on to say that the “staffing” crisis can also be addressed by shifting to an all-career work force and abolishing the city carrier assistant. Can these two items be negotiated or will it require the parties to arbitrate these issues.
I agree with the premise that the “staffing” of post offices is approaching a “crisis.” Too many “New CCAs” (approximately 40%) either leave or are terminated within their first 4 months. That number rises to over 50% by the end of the first year. The cost of training and recruiting “new” employees is draining financial resources for both the Postal Service and the Union.
In my opinion, it will also eventually destabilize the service because the Service that we provide will be a revolving “employment” which will lead too to many “Untrained” employees who will lack the skills to provide required services. That will be another source of instability.
The pandemic that we have all experienced I believe over the past several years also has lead to more “competitive” wages from lower paying jobs in the private sector that now pay higher hourly and comparable wages. Why would you want to be a “new” letter carrier who is exposed to a physically demanding job (heat, cold, dog attacks and recently human assaults in some areas)?
In addition, long hours of “forced” work and all kinds of management computer evaluations with unrealistic goals and no flexibility has driven many “new” employees to seek indoor work in the private sector where there is little or no supervision of any type. Attempts to “Robotize” or “dehumanize” the workforce will lead to further deterioration.
Recent attempts to address these problems by creating certain zones where some letter carriers are all career but most are still non-career is a problem unto itself. I have heard in the past from those in “low cost-of-living areas” who have opposed area /locality pay that “a letter carrier is a letter carrier. We all do the same job. We should all get the same pay".”
These recent attempts by our National Union to create some have(all career) and mostly those who don’t have(CCAs) are in my opinion the equivalent of putting a “band-aid” on a bullet wound. Our Union needs to make all letter carriers career employee(s) “NOW!” Not 3 or 5 or 10 years later if we are to survive. Hopefully, by the time you read this article, we will have a contract for you to vote “for” or “against” or we will be preparing to go to arbitration.
The Postal Reorganization Act requires the parties to begin or seek mediation when there is no agreement after 90 days of negotiating. That was May 20th! If we are to stay consistent with the “rule of law,” mediation should end around July 20th!
The parties could, however, mutually agree to continue to “talk.” But after 150 days, what else would there be to talk about. Instead, I believe the parties should go to arbitration and make their best arguments! Justice delayed (by postponing arbitration) can be termed Justice denied.
Will we see “aggressive” Union representation or will we see passive delays and unnecessary extension(s) of negotiations only to end up in arbitration?
Be Safe and Enjoy Your Summer and Quality time with Your Family and Friends!
Yours for the Union.
