War on APWU Per Diem?

(This article appeared in the January/February 2026 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine)

During the 2024 contract negotiations, the APWU submitted a proposal to make per diem rights permanent for APWU-represented employees. The Postal Service balked at this proposal but ultimately agreed to extend the Per Diem Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through the life of the agreement (2024-2027).

However, on Nov. 6, 2025, the Postal Service notified the APWU that they intend to cease per diem payments for students attending off-site training, effective Jan. 1, 2026, and return to simply providing three meals a day at the Three Squares Eatery. This is the very definition of bad-faith bargaining and is indicative of the obstructionist management officials that the APWU deals with daily.

“This notice from the Postal Service is deeply troubling and unexpected,” said Maintenance Division Director Idowu Balogun. The Per Diem MOU was jointly negotiated, mutually agreed upon, and has governed travel reimbursement practices for years. It cannot be—nor has it ever been—subject to termination by one party acting alone. Management’s attempt to retract this MOU outside of traditional bargaining procedures represents a step backward in labor-management relations. If allowed, it could jeopardize the financial stability of employees who rely on standardized per diem provisions while performing required travel assignments.

Let us be clear:

• The APWU does not recognize unilateral attempts to terminate a joint agreement.

• The Per Diem MOU remains in effect, intact, and enforceable.

• Any effort by USPS to disregard this agreement violates established contractual principles and undermines the rights we have fought hard to secure.

The APWU has already met with and will continue to meet with the Postal Service and has initiated a comprehensive review. We will take every necessary action—contractual, administrative, and legal—to challenge this improper action. We are fully prepared to defend the negotiated protections that ensure our members are not forced to incur out-of-pocket travel costs while performing essential duties for the Postal Service.

We encourage local and state organizations to remain vigilant and file individual grievances every time management refuses to provide per diem for students. We will continue to advocate that students be reimbursed for any money spent on food out of their own pocket (up to the maximum allowable per diem) while attending off-site training.

The APWU stands united in protecting the rights and benefits of our members. We will not allow the erosion of jointly negotiated agreements, nor will we stand by while management attempts to bypass the bargaining process.

APWU Initiates Two New National Disputes

The APWU recently initiated two national-level disputes challenging the Postal Service’s decision to implement the Field Maintenance Operations (FMO) Work Order mobile application and the unilateral revisions of the “MS-47, TL-5” handbook.

The APWU did not agree to the new FMO mobile application. As previously reported, the Postal Service notified the APWU of their intent to pilot a new FMO Work Order application that would digitize many tasks that had previously been done on paper. That national dispute was filed on Sept. 16, 2025. APWU members ardently expressed their displeasure with the FMO Work Order application and the many problems it has created, ranging from inaccurate data, cell service outages, disciplinary actions, equipment accountability, and more.

The most recent “MS-47, TL-5” dispute was _ led on Sept. 19, 2025, again challenging management’s unilateral revisions imposed on the APWU after negotiations and agreed-upon handbook changes. It is disingenuous for management to create a new handbook that cuts custodial staffing hours and then attempts to negotiate over language that was already agreed upon, only to begin further unilateral revisions after management achieved their staffing reductions. This is the bad-faith bargaining we have become accustomed to when dealing with management. We will send additional information to the field as we learn more.