The Industrial Relations Department plays a major role in our organization's ongoing struggle for better wages and improved working conditions and benefits.
Resources from the Industrial Relations Department
Coronavirus disease 2019 Resources
Latest News from the Industrial Relations Department
September 8, 2020
Upcoming Webinars
The Industrial Relations Department will be holding a series of Webinars during the months of September and October for...
August 28, 2020
Retroactive Pay Scheduled
The retroactive pay (also called back-pay) due under the terms of the 2018-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement is...
August 4, 2020
Don't Give Them Your "Postal Pulse"
The USPS is once again starting their attempts to get their employees “engaged”. It is Postal Pulse time again! Most...
August 4, 2020
Responding to the NLRB Training Webinars: August 13, 2020
The Industrial Relations Department will be conducting two important webinars on August 13, 2020. The webinars are...
About the Industrial Relations Department
The Director of Industrial Relations is charged with responsibility for labor management, national negotiations, mechanization, safety and health for all divisions of the union, and the administration of the collective bargaining agreement.
The Industrial Relations Department's responsibilities and duties include the following activities:
- Administration of the contract negotiation process
- Interpretation and application of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (specifically Articles 1 through 36)
- Appointment and payment of arbitrators
- National-level grievances and disputes
- Compliance with arbitration awards
- Safety and Health
- Appeals to the "Administrative Dispute Resolution Process" (e.g., Step Promotion, Lump Sum, National Level Settlement)
- Family Medical Leave Act appeals and related issues
- Unfair Labor Practice charges
- Legal issues such as Privacy Act, Merit System Protection Board (MSPB) law and procedure, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Veterans Preference Act
- Collective Bargaining Reports (CBRs)
- Administration of computerized systems concerning the grievance-arbitration process and other provisions of the National Agreement through APWU Search, the Arbitration Payment and Scheduling System (APSS), the Step 3 Case Administration System (Step 3 CAS) and the Step 4 Case Administration System (Step 4 CAS)
- Tracking and reporting on the Consumer Price Index
- Research of arbitration, court and administrative decisions