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

President Dimondstein Signs Annual Leave Exchange and Annual Leave Carryover MOUs

In addition to the extension of the COVID-19 MOUs, President Dimondstein signed off on the two additional MOUs: one that allows for the increased annual leave carry over from leave year 2022 to leave year 2023 and one that allows for additional annual leave exchange prior to leave year 2023.  Click to view the MOUs

Latest News from the Industrial Relations Department

June 13, 2024

Industrial Relations Director Charlie Cash Announces 2025 Annual Leave Exchange and Carryover MOUs

Industrial Relations Director Charlie Cash Announces 2025 Annual Leave Exchange and Carryover MOUs

May 21, 2024

Solidarity Is The Antidote to a Toxic Workplace

As the “Chief Spokesperson” for the 2024 contract negotiations, I have both a huge and humbling task. The outcome of...

April 11, 2024

Grievance Moratorium will be in Effect Due to 2024 National Convention

The APWU and the Postal Service have agreed to a moratorium on grievances, disciplinary actions and arbitration...

March 19, 2024

Shining a Light on Safety for Workers’ Memorial Day

Industrial Relations Director Charlie Cash shines a light on safety for Workers’ Memorial Day, and the steps postal...

Previously Adopted Labor Management Resolutions 1968-2022

The previously adopted labor management resolutions passed the delegates to the national conventions up through 2022 has been posted. This resource should be used by state and local organizations when preparing convention resolutions for submission.

You can access the document here: Previously Adopted Labor Management Resolutions 1968-2022 | American Postal Workers Union (apwu.org)

Protecting LiteBlue from Cyber Criminals: Multifactor Authentication Required After January 15

APWU national officers are continuing to advocate for members who have had had their wages stolen in the recent online fraud attack on USPS systems. Below is an update on management’s introduction of multifactor authentication (MFA) for LiteBlue log ins.

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