APWU, USPS Reach Tentative Agreement on IT/ASC Contract

The APWU and the USPS have reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract that covers more than 1,200 employees at the IT/ASC (Information Technology/Accounting Service Centers) facilities in Eagan (MN), San Mateo (CA), St. Louis, and Wilkes-Barre (PA).

The parties agreed on the following wage increases:

1.3 percent effective Jan. 20, 2007

1.3 percent effective Jan. 29, 2008

1.3 percent effective Jan. 17, 2009

1.2 percent effective Jan. 16, 2010

The union and management also have agreed to continue the Cost-of-Living Adjustment salary increases in May and September of each year. The COLA formula will remain the same, with the new base index of September 2006.

The Postal Service will pay 95 percent of healthcare premiums for employees enrolled in the APWU Consumer Driven Health Plan, effective in 2008. The employees’ share of healthcare premium costs in other plans will increase 1 percent each year in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011.

Effective May 23, 2009, a new Step O will be added to the pay chart for DCS-14, DCS-15, and DCS-16. At the same time, a new Step Q will be added for DCS-17.

The union and management have agreed to consolidate and revise several job descriptions and pay levels. In addition, the parties have agreed that the entry level Accounting and Payrolls jobs will be upgraded from DCS-11 to DCS-13. The Accounting Help Desk, DCS-17, position will be upgraded to DCS-18. Computer Systems Analyst/Programmer, DCS-20, assignment will be upgraded to DCS-21. The upgrades will take place on March 1, 2008.

The APWU and USPS have agreed to gradually replace the Computer Systems Analyst/Programmer, Senior, DCS-22, with a DCS-23 position. This transition will take place over the life of the agreement.

In addition, the parties reached understandings on contract language changes in various articles and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and those changes are incorporated into this tentative agreement.

In accordance with the union’s Constitution, National Business Agent Bill Manley will travel to each center in the next two weeks to explain the tentative agreement and to conduct a ratification vote. All APWU members are invited to attend these sessions to learn about the agreement and to participate in the ratification process. Non-members are encouraged to join the American Postal Workers Union, so that they can participate in the ratification process and vote.

“Negotiating Committee members Steve Brooks (Eagan), Shirley Harrison (St. Louis), Ed Cox (San Mateo), and Pat Garvey (Wilkes-Barre), submitted numerous proposals for our members,” Manley said. “Although we didn’t achieve all of our demands, we have negotiated significant improvements to wages and working conditions, while maintaining our grievance procedure and our unqualified No-Layoff clause. On behalf of President Bill Burrus, we are proud to submit this tentative agreement to the membership for ratification.”