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2010-2015
Collective Bargaining Agreement
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Issues 2010-2015
Collective Bargaining Agreement
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News & Events Current
Issues 2010-2015
Collective Bargaining Agreement 
News & Events Current
Issues 2010-2015
Collective Bargaining Agreement Follow APWU |
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Contract
Now Available
(02/09/12) The official 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement
between the USPS and the APWU is being printed and will be ready for
shipping shortly, Director of Industrial Relations Mike Morris has announced.
In the meantime, copies can be viewed and downloaded from the APWU Web
site or ordered from the APWU Store. [read more]
Arbitration
Hearing Begins
On Schedules
Of New Full-Timers
(12/13/11) An arbitration hearing began today on the first two of
several disputes that arose when management incorrectly implemented new
provisions of the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The disputes
involve the placement of newly converted full-time employees into non-traditional
schedules, and the denial of retreats rights to Clerk Craft employees
on posted Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT) duty assignments in their
former installations. [read
more]
Questions
and Answers
On the Contract
(10/20/11) The APWU and the USPS have agreed to a set of Questions and Answers
regarding the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement, Director of Industrial
Relations Mike Morris has announced. The Questions and Answers,
dated Oct. 20, 2011, cover an array of topics, including Postal Support
Employees (PSEs), supervisors performing bargaining unit work in small
offices, Non-Traditional Full-Time (NTFT) assignments, excessing, lead
clerks, acting supervisors, and the grievance procedure. [read
more]
Enforcing
the Contract
in Small Offices
(07/12/11) The USPS has begun implementing several policies in small
post offices that violate the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Although many of the disputes may eventually be decided at the national
level, Clerk Craft Director Rob Strunk is advising locals that it is
important that to challenge violations properly at the local level. [read
more]
Questions and Answers, Staffing Tool
(07/06/11)
The APWU has posted a series of Questions and Answers regarding
the recently-negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement, Industrial Relations
Director Mike Morris announced July 6.
The Industrial Relations Department also has posted a map that
shows staffing for Level 15-and-above post offices. [read
more]
Up Next:
Preparing for Local Negotiations
(07/01/11) The 2010-2015 collective bargaining agreement
has been ratified by the membership, and it is now time to move to
the enforcement phase of our new contract. This agreement has many
sweeping changes, and there is much work to do. The ratification of
the national contract has set the stage for local negotiations. Many
locals will choose to open negotiations in order to update their Local
Memorandum of Understanding (LMOU); preparations should be underway.
The USPS may also choose to open negotiations. [read
more]
APWU Members Ratify New Contract
(07/01/11) APWU members approved a new contract may 11, with
more than 75 percent of those casting ballots in favor of ratification.
The final tally was 69,451 to 22,351 in voting that ended May 10. The
agreement will expire May 20, 2015. “The new contract is an important
achievement for the APWU,” said
President Cliff Guffey. “We were able to retain protection against
layoffs, bring back thousands of jobs in each craft, and limit excessing.
As we made clear from the start of bargaining, management’s proposal
to eliminate our protection against layoffs was a ‘non-starter.’” [read
more]
Correction
to Maintenance Jobs Memo
In Collective Bargaining Agreement
(05/26/11) A correction has been made to the Maintenance Craft Jobs
Memorandum of Understanding that appears on page 181 of the 2010-2015
Collective Bargaining Agreement. [read
more]
Voter Participation Contest
And
the Winners Are…
(05/25/11) APWU President Cliff Guffey has announced the winners
of the union’s voter participation contest. The challenge, intended
to encourage participation in the ratification process, offered rewards
to locals that were most successful in mobilizing APWU members to vote.
[read more]
 |
(05/23/11) APWU President Cliff Guffey and Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe have signed the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Their signatures formalize the new contract, which was ratified by APWU members on May 11. “I am pleased that we were able to negotiate a contract that will strengthen the Postal Service for the future and protect the job security of union members,” Guffey said. A permanent printed version of the contract will be finalized soon. [read more]
APWU
Guide to
Local Negotiations 2011
(05/20/11) The APWU Industrial Relations Department has produced
a Guide to Local Negotiations that contains a wealth of information
to assist locals in bargaining over Local Memorandums of Understanding
(LMOUs) under the 2010-2015 National Agreement. [read
more]
Union, Management Agree
To Timeline for Local Negotiations
(05/18/11) In the wake of the ratification of the 2010-2015 Collective
Bargaining Agreement, the APWU and USPS have agreed to a timeline for
local negotiations, Director of Industrial Relations Mike Morris, has
announced.
[read
more]
Official
Local-by-Local
Ratification Vote Totals
(05/18/11) Details of the APWU contract ratification vote are now
available, including a local-by-local tally. The results are shown
alphabetically by state, with locals in each state listed alphabetically
as well. [read
more]
Union
Members Ratify Contract
(05/11/11) APWU members approved a new contract May 11, with more
than 75 percent of those casting ballots voting in favor of ratification.
The final tally was 69,451 to 22,351 in balloting that ended May
10. The agreement will expire May 20, 2015. “The new contract is
an important achievement for the APWU,” said President Cliff Guffey. “We
were able to retain protection against layoffs, bring back thousands
of jobs in each craft, and limit excessing. [read
more]
Ratification Vote Count Underway
(05/11/11) The counting of ballots in the ratification
vote on the 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement
has begun. As of 12:45 p.m., the numbers stand at 69,451 “yes” votes,
and 22,351 “no” votes. The numbers will be updated periodically
as they become available. The final vote count will be posted at www.apwu.org.
Guffey to Congress:
USPS Will Continue as 'Vital Public Service,'
But Needs Relief from Pre-Funding Mandate
(05/04/11) “We expect the Postal Service to continue as a vital
public service agency funded solely by postal customers for the foreseeable
future,” APWU President Cliff Guffey told a House Committee in
a May 3 statement. “However, the USPS needs immediate and short-term
relief from the unique and unreasonable requirement that it pre-fund
retiree health benefits,” he said. [read
more]
Vote on the Tentative Agreement:
Ballots
Due Back
In One Week
(05/03/11) With just one week remaining before voting ends on ratification
of the tentative 2010-2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement, union members
are reminded to cast their ballots. Votes must be received in the designated
return post office box by 9 a.m. on May 10. “I encourage every
member to participate,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “The
provisions of the contract will have a profound impact on our jobs and
our future, so it very important that union members make their voices
heard.” [read
more]
Guffey to Union Members:
Don’t
Let Anti-Labor Politicians
Stop You From Voting
(04/28/11) Some very powerful politicians have set their sights on
postal employees, APWU President Cliff Guffey has warned, and union members
must respond decisively. “Anti-labor members of Congress have said
the union’s tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement is too favorable
to workers,” the union president noted. “They favor contracting
out virtually all of our jobs. [read
more]
Additional
Questions and Answers
About the
Tentative Agreement
(04/28/11) Questions have been posed on the APWU’s Facebook
page about the Tentative Agreement for a new contract. Union officers
have addressed some recent questions.
[read
more]
Vote on the Tentative Agreement
If
You Didn’t Get a Ballot...
(04/18/11) Ballots for the ratification of the tentative 2010-2015
Collective Bargaining Agreement were mailed to eligible members April
8-11, and must be received in designated return post office box in New
York by 9 a.m. on May 10. The vote count will begin May 11. If you have
not received a ballot by Monday, April 18, contact the American Arbitration
Association by phone at 800-529-5218 to request a duplicate, or by e-mail
to apwu@adr.org. [read
more]
 |
(04/14/11) APWU members across the country cheered when President Cliff Guffey stood up for postal workers at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on April 5, but the inquiry into the union’s tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement set a troubling precedent nonetheless. With governors and state legislatures across the country chipping away at the rights of teachers, nurses, and firefighters to engage in collective bargaining, the committee’s decision to examine the APWU’s proposed contract took on an ominous tone. [read more]
 |
(04/11/11) A few provisions of the Tentative Agreement have been misunderstood
by some union members. APWU President Cliff Guffey sets the record
straight in video messages on Pay Raises vs. Health Benefit Costs and
Non-Traditional Full-Time Assignments. [read
more]
Video:
Pay Raises vs. Health Benefit Costs
Video:
Non-Traditional Full-Time Assignments
Excessing
Over 50 Miles
Senators
Introduce
Anti-Postal Legislation
Proposed Bills Threaten
Workers’ Health,
Life Insurance Benefits
(04/11/11) Powerful senators have introduced legislation that, if adopted, would
dramatically increase the cost of health and life insurance premiums for postal
employees, and would void provisions of the tentative 2010-2015 USPS-APWU Collective
Bargaining Agreement.
[read
more]
Typos
in
Tentative Agreement
(04/11/11) Several typos have been found in the Tentative Agreement
and have been corrected in the version posted online. Printed copies
that were included in the ratification mailing have not been corrected.
[read
more]
Ballots Mailed, Due Back May 10
Vote
on Tentative Contract
(04/08/11) The mailing of ballots for ratification of the tentative
Collective Bargaining Agreement began April 8 and will be completed April
11, the Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee has announced. Ballots
are due in the return post office box in New York by 9 a.m. on May 10,
and will be counted on May 11. “We achieved our primary goals:
to safeguard jobs and limit the hardships caused by excessing,” said
APWU President Cliff Guffey. “We retained our protection against
layoffs and we reclaimed work. In addition, we negotiated restrictions
on excessing." [read
more]
House Hearing:
Guffey
Defends Collective Bargaining
(04/05/11) In a contentious hearing before the House Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform, APWU President Cliff Guffey gave a vigorous
defense of collective bargaining and postal employees. The APWU approached
the labor negotiations with one primary test in mind, Guffey said: “What
will be right for the Postal Service, the American people it serves,
and the employees we represent? It is a testament to the value of collective
bargaining that the APWU and the Postal Service have reached a Tentative
Agreement that meets this test.”
[read
more]
Watch
the hearing on C-Span]
Video
Excerpt: Rep. Ross accuses union of "buying
votes"
MSNBC
report by Rachel Maddow
Guffey:
Collective Bargaining Can Be Win-Win
(04/05/11) "Public-employee unions and their employers can make
collective bargaining work — even when faced with a financial crisis,"
APWU President Cliff Guffey said in a guest editorial published on Politico.com.
[read more]
Maintenance
Craft Questions and Answers on the Tentative Agreement
(04/05/11) Several questions have been posed on the APWU’s
Facebook page regarding the Tentative Agreement for a new contract. Union
officers have addressed questions on how it would affect Maintenance
Craft workers. [read
more]
More
Questions
And Answers on the Tentative Agreement
(04/04/11) Several questions have been posed on the APWU’s
Facebook page regarding the Tentative Agreement for a new contract.
Union officers have addressed questions regarding the Clerk Craft
positions in small offices. [read
more]
Testimony to House Committee
To Be Shown Online
(04/04/11) Testimony about the APWU’s tentative
Collective Bargaining Agreement before the House Committee
on Oversight and Government Reform will be broadcast live
on the Committee’s Web site. APWU President Cliff Guffey
will testify. [full story]
Guffey to Testify Before House Committee
Chairman Blasts Contract as Too Generous
to Workers
(03/31/11) APWU President Cliff Guffey has been asked
to testify about the union’s tentative Collective
Bargaining Agreement before the House Committee on Oversight
and Government Reform, whose powerful chairman has publicly
condemned the proposed agreement and said it is too generous
to postal employees. [full
story]
Guffey
Defends USPS Viability,
Tentative Agreement on CNBC
(03/25/11) In a televised discussion of the financial
challenges facing the USPS, APWU President Cliff Guffey defended
the union’s
Tentative Agreement for a new contract with the Postal Service and reminded
viewers the nation’s mail system “is the backbone
of a multi-trillion dollar business in this country." [read
more/watch video]
APWU
Members to Vote
On Tentative Agreement
Mailing Starts April 8; Ballots Due Back
May 10
(03/22/11) Voting on the Tentative Agreement for the 2010-2015 APWU-USPS
contract will start with a mailing set to begin on April 8. The single-question
ballot will allow members to vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on
a contract, which, if ratified, would expire on May 20, 2015. Ballots
for the referendum must be received in the designated post office box
by May 10, 2011; the vote count will take place on May 11. [read
more]
Tentative
Agreement Available Online
(03/22/11) A full version of the Tentative Agreement between the
APWU and the Postal Service is available for union members to download
or view online. It can be found in the Contract News pages of www.apwu.org. [read
more]
Union
Officers Say, ‘Vote YES!’
(03/21/11)The APWU National Executive Board voted unanimously
last week to approve the union’s Tentative Agreement with the Postal
Service, and in a video for APWU members, officers working at the organization’s
Washington DC headquarters urged members to ‘Vote YES!’ The
NEB vote was conducted via a telephone poll. [read
more] |[video
message]
Briefings
on the
Tentative Agreement
(03/18/11) Members of the union’s Negotiating Team will conduct
briefings on the Tentative Agreement in a dozen cities across the country.
APWU members who wish to attend a meeting in their area should contact
their National Business Agent or Regional Coordinator for specific information
about the time and site. [read
more]
Rank-and-File
Committee
Approves Tentative Contract
(03/16/11) The APWU Rank-and-File Bargaining Committee voted unanimously
on March 16 to approve a Tentative Agreement with the USPS for a new contract.
The Tentative Agreement will be sent to eligible union members for a ratification
vote. Details about the vote, which the committee will supervise, will
be announced once plans are finalized.
[read more] | [RFBAC
video message]
Some
Questions -
And Answers - On the Tentative Agreement
(03/16/11) Several questions have been posed on the APWU’s
Facebook page regarding the Tentative Agreement for a new contract.
Union officers address questions regarding the conversion of Clerk
Craft part-time flexible employees and part-time regular employees
below. [read
more]
APWU,
USPS Reach
Tentative Agreement on New Contract
(03/14/11) The American Postal Workers Union and the U.S. Postal Service
have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, union President
Cliff Guffey announced today. “Despite the fact that the Postal
Service is on the edge of insolvency, the union and management have
reached an agreement that is a ‘win-win’ proposition,” he
said. “Throughout
the bargaining process, the union has sought to negotiate a contract
that would be fair to our members and that would enable the USPS to
succeed in the future,” he said. “The tentative agreement
accomplishes those goals. [full
story]
[A
Video Message from President Guffey] | [Highlights
of the Tentative Agreement ]
Rank-and-File
Bargaining Committee to Meet
But There is No Tentative Agreement,
Union Says
(02/24/11) APWU President Cliff Guffey has called the Rank-and-File
Bargaining Advisory Committee to Washington, DC for a briefing on contract
negotiations, but he said a tentative agreement has not been reached.
The panel will meet on March 2 with members of the union’s
negotiating team. “We have been meeting with the Postal Service
regularly,” Guffey said, “and although progress has been
slow, we feel it is important to update the committee on our discussions. [read
more]
With
Slow Progress, Contract Talks Continue
Union Asks for Members’ Continued
Support
(01/28/11) “Although progress in contract negotiations is slow,
bargaining is ongoing,” APWU President Cliff Guffey reported on
Jan. 28. Representatives of the Postal Service and the union are meeting
almost daily, he added. “I know that many of our members are eager
to hear details about our exchanges,” Guffey said. “Unfortunately,
while talks are ongoing, it is not feasible to elaborate on specifics.
Unless and until we reach agreement on all of the outstanding issues,
the concepts the parties have been considering are just that — concepts.
They will only have meaning if we reach agreement on a complete contract. [read
more]
Despite
Mounting Frustration,
Contract Talks Continue
(01/10/11) Although the union is “increasingly frustrated” at
the slow pace of contract negotiations, bargaining is continuing, APWU
President Cliff Guffey has announced. After briefing the Rank and File
Bargaining Advisory Committee on Jan. 4 and 5, members of the union’s
negotiating team held discussions with their management counterparts
on Jan. 6 and 7. “It remains to be seen whether management negotiators
are willing to make the commitment necessary to reach a negotiated settlement,” Guffey
said. [read
more]
Union
Frustrated by
Lack of Progress in Contract Talks
(01/03/11) APWU President Cliff Guffey has summoned the union’s
Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee to Washington, DC for an
update on contract negotiations, but he was quick to point out that no
tentative agreement has been reached and none appears imminent. “I
am increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress in contract talks,” Guffey
said.
[read
more]
Negotiations
to Continue During Holiday Week
(12/21/10) Contract negotiations with the Postal Service are ongoing
and will continue during the week between Christmas and New Years, APWU
President Cliff Guffey said on Dec. 21. Following a bargaining session
with Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe, Guffey said, “The union
is working to safeguard the jobs of our members and to lessen the pain
of excessing.” A moratorium on excessing outside of a craft or
installation, which was announced on Dec. 15, remains in effect while
bargaining continues. [read
more]
APWU,
USPS Announce Freeze on Excessing
Parties Agree to Moratorium as Talks
Continue
(12/15/10) The APWU and the Postal Service have agreed to
a freeze on excessing while contract negotiations continue, union
President Cliff Guffey has announced. “The moratorium on
excessing is a demonstration of good faith that will make the
holidays a lot brighter for many of our members,” Guffey
said. “The freeze will remain in effect as long as bargaining
continues, and will apply to excessing outside of a craft or
installation.” [read
more]
Bargaining Continues
(12/09/10) Contract talks between the APWU and Postal
Service have continued throughout the week and are ongoing,
President Cliff Guffey has reported. “We are pursuing
our goals,” he said. “If we are unable to reach an agreement
that is fair to postal workers, we are prepared to proceed to arbitration.” [read
more]
APWU IT/ASC Negotiations Begin
(12/09/10) Negotiations between the APWU and the Postal
Service for a new contract for Information Technology/Accounting
Service Centers began Tuesday, Dec. 7. The current Collective
Bargaining Agreement expires on Jan. 20. [read
more]
The
Washington Post: Wrong Again!
(12/07/10) A recent Washington Post editorial
is so riddled with inaccuracies that it’s hard to know where to begin to refute
them. But one thing is clear: The message — and the not-so-coincidental
timing of its publication — is that the anti-union newspaper wants
Congress to tilt the scale against workers just as the APWU’s
contract negotiations reach the final stages. [read
more]
Bargaining
Over New Contract Continues
(12/06/10) Negotiators for the APWU and the USPS met again on Monday,
Dec. 6, in an effort to hammer out a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
At face-to-face meetings at USPS headquarters and in telephone conversations,
the parties discussed job security, limits on excessing, pay and workforce
structure, APWU President Cliff Guffey reported. “I remain convinced
that if management is serious about wanting to negotiate an agreement,
a settlement is possible. But we are prepared to go to arbitration if
we are unable to reach an agreement,” Guffey said. [read
more]
Negotiations
Over New Contract Ongoing
(12/03/10) Contract negotiations between the APWU and the USPS continued
Thursday, Dec. 2, and Friday, Dec. 3, and union representatives will
be meeting over the weekend, APWU President Cliff Guffey said Friday
afternoon. “We are continuing to work hard to reach an agreement
with management that will be good for our members, as well as for the
Postal Service and the American people,” he said. [read
more]
Contract
Talks to Continue
(12/01/10) The APWU and Postal Service will continue contract negotiations,
and have agreed to extend the 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement
for a third time, APWU President Cliff Guffey announced Dec. 1. “We
have been working feverishly to reach an agreement that is good for postal
workers and the Postal Service, and we will continue our efforts,” Guffey
said. “We still believe there is potential to reach a negotiated
settlement.” [read
more]
Contract
Talks Approach Deadline
USPS Extends Bidding
(11/30/10) Union and management representatives continued bargaining
Nov. 30, and will meet again on Dec. 1 — the day the contract is
set to expire. “The final days of contract negotiations are always
the toughest, and that’s where we’re at,” APWU President
Cliff Guffey said. “But we are determined to meet the challenge
and negotiate a contract that is fair to postal workers and that will
strengthen the Postal Service. We will continue our efforts to reach
a just settlement.” [read
more]
Contract
Negotiations Resume
(11/29/10) Contract negotiations between the APWU and the Postal
Service resumed Nov. 29, with a Dec. 1 deadline fast approaching. Talks
will continue on Nov. 30. The union and management discussed returning
subcontracted work to USPS employees and issues related to workforce
structure, as well as pay and benefits. “The APWU is seeking an
agreement that will benefit our members and the Postal Service,” APWU
President Cliff Guffey said.
[read
more]
Contract
Extended to Dec. 1;
APWU, USPS to Continue Talks on Nov. 29
(11/23/10) Negotiators for the union and the U.S. Postal Service
have extended their Collective Bargaining Agreement for a second time,
until Dec. 1, and will continue bargaining on Monday, Nov. 29, APWU President
Cliff Guffey announced today. “Although we have not yet reached
agreement, we remain hopeful that we can arrive at a settlement,” he
said.
[read
more]
Operating Services Agreement
Extended through Dec. 8
(11/23/10) The APWU Operating Services Agreement typically
terminates with the APWU National Agreement. Since the union and management
have extended the National Agreement till Dec. 1, the Operating Services
agreement will be extended until Dec. 8. [read
more]
Operating Services Agreement
Extended through Nov. 30
(11/21/10) The APWU and the Postal Service have agreed to extend
the Operating Services agreement through Tuesday, Nov. 30, at noon
ET, said APWU Support Services Director Bill Manley. The parties
agreed to extend negotiations in order to “tie
up any loose ends after the deadline for the National Agreement passes,” Manley
said. The union and the Postal Service agreed on Nov. 20 to extend
the national contract until Tuesday, Nov. 23, at noon.
[read
more]
APWU 2010 Negotiations
Contract
Extended to Nov. 23;
Union, USPS to Continue Talks
(11/20/10 - 11:45 p.m.) APWU President Cliff Guffey announced that
the union and Postal Service have extended their Collective Bargaining
Agreement through Tuesday, Nov. 23, at noon. The contract was scheduled
to expire Nov. 20. “We do not have a new contract,” Guffey
said, “but we believe there is still potential to negotiate an
agreement. The union and management will continue to discuss the topics
that remain in dispute.” [read
more]
Postal Workers’ Contract
Extended to Nov. 23; Talks Continue
(APWU Press Release 11/20/10 - 11:30 p.m.) APWU President Cliff
Guffey announced that the union and the Postal Service have agreed
to extend the Collective Bargaining Agreement until Tuesday, Nov. 23,
at noon. The
contract was scheduled to expire Nov. 20, at noon ET. “We do
not have a new contract,” Guffey said, “but
we believe there is still potential to negotiate an agreement. The
union and management will continue to discuss the topics that remain
in dispute. [read more]
Contract Negotiations Update
Bargaining
Continues as Contract Deadline Nears
(11/20/10) Negotiations between the APWU and the Postal Service
are continuing throughout the day Saturday, with the contract set to
expire at midnight on Nov. 20. The union’s top negotiators and
high-ranking postal officials are discussing preserving jobs, issues
related to workforce structure, as well as pay and benefits. APWU President
Cliff Guffey reported on negotiations to the union’s Rank and File
Bargaining Advisory Committee and national officers during a break in
bargaining. “We
continue to focus on protecting jobs in order to limit the pain of ‘excessing’ on
our members,” he said.
[read
more]
Contract Negotiations Update
Guffey:
USPS Will Have to Do Better
(11/18/10) Postal Service negotiators continue to express interest
in APWU contract proposals, “but so far have failed to put anything
in writing,” APWU President Cliff Guffey reported to the Rank and
File Bargaining Advisory Committee on Nov. 18. At a morning bargaining
session, management representatives re-hashed their previous oral statements,
he said. “If they expect to get an agreement, they will have to
do better.” [read
more]
Contract Negotiations Update
Union
Pushes for Job Security
(11/17/10) APWU President Cliff Guffey briefed the union’s
Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee on Wednesday morning, saying, “Our
goal in these negotiations is to make our members feel as though they
can stick around and feel secure in their jobs. That is our obligation.” [read
more]
Contract Negotiations
Update
Guffey: ‘Real Efforts’ to Reach
Agreement Begin
(11/16/10) “Real efforts” to reach an agreement with the
Postal Service on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement
began Monday afternoon when the union’s top negotiators held
a closed-door meeting with high-ranking postal officials, APWU President
Cliff Guffey said. “We had a good meeting,” Guffey told
the union’s Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee Tuesday
morning. “We discussed returning jobs to our bargaining unit.” [read
more]
Contract Negotiations Update
APWU
Negotiators Meet
With Rank and File Committee
(11/15/10) Union President Cliff Guffey and the other members of
the APWU negotiating team briefed the Rank and File Bargaining Advisory
Committee on Monday morning on the status of bargaining. The current
Collective Bargaining Agreement expires Nov. 20. “Until now, the
Postal Service has not been serious about negotiating. We hope to change
that,” Guffey said. [read
more]
APWU
Rank and File Bargaining
Committee Scheduled to Arrive in Washington, DC
(11/12/10) The union’s Rank and File Bargaining Advisory
Committee is scheduled to arrive in Washington, DC on Nov. 14 to be
on hand in the event of late-breaking developments at the negotiating
table. With the current Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire
Nov. 20, APWU President Cliff Guffey remains optimistic about the possibility
that an agreement can be reached. [read
more]
Follow
CBA Negotiations On Facebook, Twitter
(11/12/10) With the Collective Bargaining Agreement scheduled to
expire Nov. 20, the APWU will post frequent updates about the status
of negotiations. To stay informed about late-breaking developments, union
members can visit www.apwu.org, or they can follow the union on
Twitter and Facebook. [read
more]
|
(11/01/10) I would like to thank the members of the APWU for electing me the Executive Vice President of the American Postal Workers Union. It is truly an honor. Thank you to every member who cast a ballot.
Unfortunately, the low percentage of members who chose to exercise
their right to vote was disappointing. If our union election reflects
postal workers’ participation in the congressional elections,
we will continue to have major problems. [read
more]
USPS
Wage, Benefit Proposal:
An Insult to Postal Workers
(11/01/10) Contract negotiations took a dramatic turn Nov. 1, when
the Postal Service presented its proposal for employees’ wages
and benefits, APWU President William Burrus said in an Update for
union members. “Notwithstanding my expectation that management
would seek to restrain costs, I was surprised to receive a USPS proposal
that would destroy 20 years of progress,” he said. [read
more]
Burrus
Shocked, Disappointed
By Retirement of PMG Potter
(10/26/10) Responding to news of the retirement of Postmaster
General John E. Potter, APWU President William Burrus issued the following
statement: The announcement of Postmaster General John Potter’s
retirement comes with shock and disappointment. We have had disagreements
on a variety of issues — most notably, the cozy relationship he
fostered with major mailers, and the policy of granting them excessive
postage discounts. But Potter has always considered the impact his decisions
would have on postal employees. Having begun his career as a distribution
clerk, he has never overlooked the contribution of workers. [read
more]
APWU
Grows Impatient
With Pace of Contract Talks
(10/25/10) More than half-way through the 90-day period established
for contract negotiations, the APWU is becoming impatient with the pace
of bargaining, APWU President William Burrus wrote in an Update for
union members. “I reject the premise that the serious discussions
necessary to identify the framework of an agreement should be deferred
to the final stages of negotiations,” he said. [read
more]
What's Going on?
(10/20/10 - question submitted
to Ask the President)
I have been a union member for over 30 years, and I feel I have a
right to know what is going on in negotiations. This is my job and
my life. You have said it is not in the union’s best interest to
negotiate in a public forum and that you do not intend to publicize the
specifics of the union’s discussions with management at this time.
It is my belief that I am entitled to know what is going on.
-- Pamela,
480-481 (MI) Area Local
[President
Burrus' response]
Congressman's Call for Concessions
Should Drive Postal Workers to the Polls
(09/27/10) A recent editorial by a California congressman demonstrates
just how important the November elections are for postal workers, APWU
President William Burrus said in an Update for union members.
In an article filled with inaccuracies about the Postal Service and contract
negotiations, Rep. Darrell Issa declared: “No union has or ever
will lobby for a layoff, so it’s up to USPS management and Congress
to demand concessions,” Burrus noted.
[read more]
Union
Denounces
USPS Attempts to 'Work the Refs'
Says Contract Negotiations Ill-Served
by Public Misstatements
(09/08/10) American Postal Workers Union President William Burrus
has denounced efforts by the Postal Service to influence
the outcome
of contract negotiations by issuing demands in public forums. “Unfortunately,
the Postal Service has begun posturing and manipulating numbers,” he
said. “Management is ‘working the refs’ in an effort
to influence the outcome of contract negotiations.”
[read
more]
Contract
Negotiations Begin
Union
Pledges ‘Best Effort’ to
Achieve Agreement
(09/01/10) Negotiations for a new national agreement between the
American Postal Workers Union and the U.S. Postal Service began Sept.
1 in Washington, DC. The current contract expires Nov. 20, 2010. “Every
contract negotiation brings special challenges, and this will be no
different,” APWU President William Burrus said at the opening
session. “Mail volume is depressed and revenue is down, but we
have faced similar circumstances before.
[read
more -Web News Article | Magazine Article]
Contract Negotiations Underway
(09/01/10) Contract negotiations began on Sept. 1, and bargaining
sessions are scheduled every week during the months of September,
October, and November. The current contract expires at midnight
on Nov. 20, 2010, and a lot of hard bargaining will take place between
now and then. In this round of contract talks, we will face some of
our toughest challenges ever: Many issues that have threatened us
in the past are looming again, and we will have to fight to retain
some of the gains we made in years past. We expect management to challenge
our cost-of-living allowance, our healthcare benefits, and our protection
against layoffs, and we anticipate that the Postal Service will
seek even greater flexibility in assignments.
[read
more]
Delegates
Designate Retention of
Federal Health Benefits a ‘Top Priority’
(09/01/10) On the fifth and final day of the convention, delegates
reaffirmed their commitment to the Federal Employees Health Benefits
Plan (FEHBP) by voting “yes” to a resolution that would
make retaining union members’ right to participate in the plan
a “top priority” for negotiators during 2010 bargaining. [read
more]
Major Mailers Make Billions,
But Demand Postal Worker Pay Cuts
(08/03/10) Although they make billions of dollars in profits from
excessive “worksharing discounts,” major mailers demand
pay cuts from postal employees, APWU President William Burrus notes
in an Update for union members. Their demand is part of a disturbing
trend — the transfer of wealth from workers to the very wealthiest
Americans, he says.
[read
more]
Preparation for Contract Negotiations
Rank & File
Bargaining Panel Meets
(06/16/10) “This will not be a giveback contract,” APWU
President Burrus told members of the union’s Rank and File Bargaining
Advisory Committee at their first meeting on June 16. “Negotiations
may be difficult,” he said, “but it is our job to find
a way around the obstacles we face.” Contract negotiations are
scheduled to begin on Sept. 1; the current Collective Bargaining Agreement
expires Nov. 20. [read
more]
Union Appoints Rank-and-File
Bargaining Advisory Committee
(04/19/10) With contract negotiations set to begin later this year,
APWU President William Burrus has announced the names of union members
who will serve on the Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee.
In accordance with the APWU
Constitution, each member of the National Executive
Board names one person to the committee; a 13th member, appointed
by the president, is a representative from the APWU Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Task Force.
[read more]
Members Input on Bargaining Is Welcome
(03/01/10)
With negotiations for a new contract set to begin in August (90 days
prior to the Nov. 20 expiration of the current contract), the Industrial
Relations Department is busy preparing for bargaining. As part of
our preparation, we seek input from union members and officers at all levels
of the organization. [read more]
Reflecting On The Record
Bargaining Rights Make a World of Difference
(03/01/10) Over the past several years I have been combing through
the union’s
archives to compile a record of contractual changes over the past
30 years. While doing this research on collective bargaining achievements
since 1980, it occurred to me that more than 90 percent of the APWU
members working today have fewer than 30 years of service: Their entire
careers have been influenced by the union’s efforts during this
period of time; Moe Biller and I are the only APWU presidents that
these members have known. [read
more]
The Challenges We Will Meet In Collective Bargaining
(11/01/09) The APWU will officially open negotiations for a new National
Agreement with the Postal Service sometime in August, approximately
90 days prior to the current contract’s expiration on Nov. 20, 2010,
and just days after the conclusion of our 20th biennial national convention.
It is essential that at the convention in Detroit we — members,
stewards, and officers of the American Postal Workers Union — are
united in the struggle. [read more]
