Talks Continue at Discouraging Pace

In a telephone message Nov. 15, APWU President William Burrus told union members that wages and health benefit premiums continue to dominate contract talks. “Overall,” he said, negotiations are “continuing at a pace that is not conducive to reaching an acceptable agreement on or before midnight, Nov. 20.” Burrus reported that some progress is being made on non-economic issues, however.

The full text of President Burrus’ message is below:

This is Bill Burrus, president of the American Postal Workers Union, reporting once again on the progress of negotiations. Discussions continue between the APWU negotiators, with some success on non-economic issues. Overall, negotiations are continuing at a pace that is not conducive to reaching an acceptable agreement on or before midnight, Nov. 20. APWU has demanded that the schedule of meetings be accelerated and issues of importance explored in greater detail. 

As previously reported, negotiations on wages and health benefit premiums are expected to dominate the discussions during the final days, with agreement essential for successful negotiations. To date, the union has explored different configurations for possible agreement and offered several proposals for serious consideration. 

The APWU National Agreement covers the largest single bargaining unit in the country, so the cost of our wages and benefits are significant and dominate the discussions. APWU negotiators have presented proposals that recognize the competition of electronic mail conversion and the expectations of our membership. We will not leave any stone unturned in our efforts to reach a negotiated settlement. 

The next report will be Friday, Nov. 17. 

Stay tuned, and thank you for being a member. 

The toll-free number for the APWU Contract Negotiations Hotline is 800-992-APWU (or 800-992-2798).