Collective Bargaining Set to Begin Aug. 29

Negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the APWU and the USPS are scheduled to begin Aug. 29, 2006, union President William Burrus has announced. Management and union officials are expected to present opening statements and establish a schedule for future meetings. The current contract expires Nov. 20.

“Negotiating a new agreement is one of the union’s most important tasks,” Burrus said. “APWU members who wish to observe the first meeting are welcome to attend.” The meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, DC, at 11 a.m. The union’s Rank-and-File Bargaining Advisory Committee will observe the proceedings, as will members of the National Executive Board.

At the recently concluded APWU national convention, delegates established priorities for negotiations. They include:

• Maintaining job security — including extending no-layoff provisions; protection against the negative effects of consolidation, and continuing efforts to eliminate contracting out; 
• Winning real wage increases and protecting benefits — including winning fair wage increases, maintaining cost-of-living raises, winning salary upgrades, and protecting existing health benefits and retirement programs; (Many resolutions for upgrades of positions were presented, and all were approved by delegates.) 
• Establishing an all-career workforce — including the elimination of casuals and the conversion of Transitional Employees (TEs) at Remote Encoding Centers to career employees, and 
• Improving the methods for resolving craft jurisdictional disputes.

For updates on bargaining, check local union bulletin boards and visit www.apwu.org.