APWU Goes to Court Over Service Standards

The APWU filed a brief in D.C. Circuit Court on Sept. 14 against the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), arguing that USPS service standards must be “legally enforceable.” In 2013, the union filed a complaint with the commission asserting that the Postal Service was systematically violating service standards as a result of plant closures.

To avoid addressing the complaint, the PRC concluded that service regulations are unenforceable. Contrary to all past pronouncements, the commission declared that service standards couldn’t be “violated” in any legally meaningful sense.

“This is an unauthorized revision of the law,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein, noting that the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) addresses USPS service standards.

“Until the commission’s rule of unenforceability is corrected, its ‘directions’ to improve service are nothing more than requests for cooperation from the Postal Service – no matter how much service deteriorates,” he said.