Support Services Pay

In September the CPI-W Unadjusted Index (1967=100) rose to 734.441.  Any future cost of living adjustment depends upon the terms of a successor contract to the 2015 National Agreement.  We are still in negotiations.   

Under the 2015 National Agreement, employees accrued the following adjustments totaling $1789.00:

       $ 0.00     the first COLA which would have been effective September 5, 2015 (pay period 20-2015).

       $ 0.00     the second COLA which would have been effective March 5, 2016 (pay period 6-2016).

       $ 21.00   the third COLA effective September 3, 2016 (pay period 19-2016, pay date September 23, 2016)

       $333.00  the fourth COLA effective March 18, 2017 (pay period 7-2017, pay date April 7, 2017)

       $270.00  the fifth COLA effective September 2, 2017 (pay period 19-2017, pay date  September 22, 2017)

       $520.00  the sixth COLA effective March 3, 2018 (pay period 06-2018, pay date  March 23, 2018)

       $645.00  the seventh COLA effective September 1, 2018 (pay period 19-2018), pay date September 21, 2018)

In July, the final month of the six-month adjustment period for the seventh and final COLA under the 2015 Agreement, the CPI-W Unadjusted Index (1967=100) fell slightly  to 733.221. 

Effective September 1, 2018 PP 19-2018, with a pay date of September 21, 2018, the seventh COLA adjustment will be:

                                                           Per Annum:       $ 645.00

                                                          Per Pay Period:  $ 24.80

                                                          Cents Per Hour:        31¢                                                    

Under the 2015 National Agreement, employees accrued the following adjustments totaling $1789.00:

       $ 0.00     the first COLA which would have been effective September 5, 2015 (pay period 20-2015).

       $ 0.00     the second COLA which would have been effective March 5, 2016 (pay period 6-2016).

       $ 21.00   the third COLA effective September 3, 2016 (pay period 19-2016, pay date September 23, 2016)

       $333.00  the fourth COLA effective March 18, 2017 (pay period 7-2017, pay date April 7, 2017)

       $270.00  the fifth COLA effective September 2, 2017 (pay period 19-2017, pay date September 22, 2017)

       $520.00  the sixth COLA effective March 3, 2018 (pay period 06-2018, pay date March 23, 2018)

       $645.00  the seventh COLA effective September 1, 2018 (pay period 19-2018), pay date September 21, 2018)

In September, the final month of the six-month adjustment period for the fourth and final COLA under the 2017 IT/AS Agreement, the CPI-W Unadjusted Index (1967=100) rose to 734.441.

The final COLA will be:

                                        Per Annum:                   $479.00

                                        Per Pay Period:            $  18.40

                                        Cents Per Hour:                   23¢

effective October 27, 2018 (pay period 23-2018, pay date November 16, 2018). Under the 2017 IT /AS Agreement, employees accrued the following adjustment totaling $1706.00:

$333.00 effective April 29, 2017 (pay period 10-2017, pay date May 19, 2017).

$499.00 effective October 28, 2017 (pay period 23-2017, pay date November 17, 2017)

$395.00 effective April 28, 2018 (pay period 10-2018, pay date May 18, 2018)

$479.00 effective October 27, 2018 (pay period 23-2018, pay date November 16, 2018).

In March, the final month of the six-month adjustment period for the third COLA under the 2017 IT/AS Agreement, the CPI-W Unadjusted Index (1967=100) rose to 725.202. The third COLA will be:

                                        Per Annum:                   $395.00

                                        Per Pay Period:            $  15.20

                                        Cents Per Hour:                  19¢

The COLA will be effective April 28, 2018 (pay period 10-2018, pay date May 18, 2018).

Under the 2017 IT /AS Agreement, employees accrued the following adjustment totaling $1227.00:

$333.00 effective April 29, 2017 (pay period 10-2017, pay date May 19, 2017).

$499.00 effective October 28, 2017 (pay period 23-2017, pay date November 17, 2017)

$395.00 effective April 28, 2018 (pay period 10-2018, pay date May 18, 2018).

Click here for the IT/AS Pay Schedule 

Under the NPPN 2012-2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the nurses have received the following increases based on the change of the ECI from Quarter 2 for each relevant year.

• Effective August 23, 2014 (PP19-14), 3 percent increase.
• Effective August 15, 2015 (PP19-15), 2.2 percent increase.
• Effective August 20, 2016 (PP18-2016), 2.6 percent increase. 

Future increases will be determined by successor Agreement to the NPPN 2012 CBA. 

Click here for NPPN Full-Time Annual Basic Pay Rates (Effective August 20, 2016).

For CSRS Retirees:

The 2019 CSRS retiree COLA is based on the third quarter (July, August, September) average CPI-W index (1982-84=100) in 2018 over the 2017 third quarter average. The 2019 CSRS COLA adjustment will be 2.8% effective with January 2019 annuity payments.

For FERS Retirees:

The 2019 FERS retiree COLA is based on the third quarter (July, August, September) average CPI-W index (1982-84=100) in 2018 over the 2017 third quarter average. However, if the CPI-W quarterly average increases 3% or more, they subtract 1%. A 5% increase in the quarterly CPI-W average results in a 4% adjustment. If the quarterly average increases from 2% to 3%, benefits increase by 2%. A CPI-W quarterly average increase of 2% or less will increase benefits by the change in the CPI-W quarterly average. The 2019 FERS COLA adjustment will be 2.0% effective with January 2019 annuity payments.

For Social Security Recipients:

The 2019 Social Security COLA is based on the third quarter (July, August, September) average CPI-W index (1982-84=100) in 2018 over the 2017 third quarter average. The 2019 Social Security COLA will be 2.8% effective with January 2019 annuity payments.

For FECA Employees:

The percentage increase in the December CPI-W (1982-84=100) index from year to year determines the FECA COLA increase. After the ninth month of the 12-month measuring period for the 2019 FECA COLA the index rose 2.511%

Night Shift Differential is paid for hours worked between 6 PM and 6 AM.  The differential is fixed and can only be changed in some future round of bargaining.  Current differentials for employees covered by the 2015 National Agreement are here.

Employees earn sick and annual leave in accordance with postal regulations found in Subchapter 510 of the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM). Article 10, Section 2, of the National Agreement provides that "The leave regulations in Subchapter 510 of the [ELM], insofar as such regulations establish wages, hours or working conditions of employees covered by this Agreement, shall remain in effect for the life of this Agreement."

Full-time career employees earn annual leave based on their number of creditable years of service in accordance with the following accrual chart:

Part-time employees earn annual leave based on their hours worked in accordance with the following chart:

Sick leave for all career employees is accrued as follows:

(Updated 11/01/13) These charts [pdf] answer the question: Upon promotion, what pay step in the promoted grade will I get?

One chart covers the portion of the pay schedule that applies to employees hired before May 23, 2011. The second chart covers the portion of the schedule that applies to employees hired after May 22, 2011.

These charts are current, correct, and programmed into the USPS payroll systems. The charts in the ELM and some other places are outdated and not in use.

How to Use This Chart:

1. In the shaded 'From Grade' sections, find the grade and step from which the employee is being promoted.

2. In the shaded 'To Grade' section immediately below the section identified above, move down to the grade to which the employee is being promoted.

3. Move across to the right from the grade to which promoted, and down from the step from which promoted, and assign the intersecting step. Example, an employee is promoted from a grade 4, step H in schedule-2 to a grade 6 in schedule-2. Go to the section marked "From Grade 4" and move across to step H. Next go down to grade 6 in the light shaded section, and move across to until to come to the intersection at step H. Assign step H as the step to which promoted.