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
Previously Adopted Labor Management Resolutions 2012-2018
The previously adopted labor management resolutions passed the delegates to the national conventions up through 2018 has been posted. This resource should be used by state and local organizations when preparing convention resolutions for submission.
Using the JCIM to Settle Disputes
(This article first appeared in the March/April 2021 issue of the American Postal Worker magazine)
Finalizing all the documentation around a contract is a long process. For the 2018-2021 contract, the APWU and the USPS first had to agree on the production of the written contract. This included agreeing to the finest details like the color of the cover, the font, and to use the cliché, making sure that every “i” was dotted and “t” was crossed.
It does not end there. Next was finalizing the Joint Contract Interpretation Manual (JCIM). This past December, the text of the JCIM was finalized and printed. I want to thank all of the national officers who helped update the new version.
Each state and local president was sent complimentary copies for their local. Additional copies can be purchased from the APWU store. You can also download a copy of the bookmarked JCIM and other important documents from this page: apwu.org/contract-informationand- frequently-used-resources.
Latest News from the Industrial Relations Department
March 19, 2021
Latest COVID MOUs and Liberal Leave Policy Extensions
President Dimondstein signed extensions on the COVID MOUs today through June 4, 2021
March 18, 2021
American Rescue Plan Act: Update on Emergency Federal Employee Leave (EFEL)
Multiple questions have been submitted regarding the recently passed stimulus bill known as the American Rescue Plan...
March 13, 2021
Biden signs $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Bill Into Law
On Thursday March 11, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law, providing desperately...
March 2, 2021
Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee Appointed
With national contract negotiations set to begin in June, President Mark Dimondstein has announced the names of union...
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