272,000 Postal Workers Ratify Agreement

by Mike Hall, Jan 17, 2007

Postal Workers (APWU) members overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new four-year agreement with the U.S. Postal Service, the APWU announced yesterday. The pact covers more than 272,000 postal clerks, maintenance and motor vehicle craft employees, and the mail-ballot votes were counted last week.

APWU President William Burrus says:

Wage increases, upgrades and cost of living adjustments were secured, and “no layoff” protection and other benefits were continued.

Along with the wage and benefit provisions, the new contract will convert some 10,000 current part-time flexible employees to full-time workers.

In a unique organizing effort, the APWU sent ratification packets to non-members complete with a union sign-up card. (The U.S. Postal Service is a so-called open shop, that is, the union must represent all workers, but employees are not obligated to join the union and if they are not union members, they cannot vote on contracts.) More than 700 new members signed up. Says Burrus:

We are very pleased that so many new members joined the APWU as a result of this process. This is the most successful short-term organizing effort in union history.

Tentative agreements have been reached with the National Postal Mail Handlers Union and the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association. The Letter Carriers (NALC) declared an impasse, and the union is pursuing an alternative dispute resolution.

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