September 26, 2025
It Pays to Have a Union – APWU-Secured COLA in Paychecks Today
Check Your September 26 Paycheck for Your Hard-Earned COLA Boost
Today, the July 2025 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is included in postal workers’ paychecks. Career employees represented by the APWU are receiving a $0.39 per hour cost-of-living adjustment – that’s an extra $811 in your pocket every year if you’re working full-time. Thanks to our twice-a-year COLAs alone, career postal workers’ pay has risen by $1,206 more per year.
Postal Support Employees (PSEs) do not receive cost-of-living increases, but upon conversion, they will receive these COLA adjustments built into their salaries. Rising inflation underscores the importance of continuing our negotiated COLA in our outstanding new union contract.
No Waiting, No Delays – Just Results
This COLA showed up exactly when it was supposed to: in paychecks dated September 26, 2025. No management delays, no empty excuses – this COLA arrives on time thanks to workers standing together in our union and winning a contract that delivers real results.
This is not the “retropay” for the pay increases from the period of Nov. 16, 2024, through Aug. 22, 2025, which is scheduled for April 10, 2026. APWU will continue to press the Postal Service to make these payments sooner.
Updated pay charts can be found by visiting: apwu.org/pay-information.
Strength in Our Contract
While working people’s wages have fallen behind what it costs to afford groceries and gas, postal workers’ salaries have not. We’re among the few American workers who receive automatic cost-of-living adjustments. That’s the strength of your union contract; it ensures your paycheck keeps pace with reality.
“At times of high inflation, our union-won COLA is invaluable,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “Every postal worker should be proud that we fought hard and prevailed to keep full COLA in our new contract, ratified with a 95 percent ‘yes’ vote by members. We’ve said it time and again – It pays to be union! I encourage members to take this opportunity to sign up a nonmember today.”
This regular pay adjustment to keep up with inflation happens because we stand together. Every member makes the union stronger, and every strong contract makes your life better.
When it comes to your paycheck, your benefits, and your future, it pays to be union.
