Washington DC - Contract negotiations between the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and the U.S. Postal Service ended without an agreement on May 27. The union and management had agreed to extend the current labor contract, which expired on May 20, for a one-week period that ended at midnight.

With no new agreement in place, the APWU and USPS will begin a mediation process that is expected to last approximately 60 days. In the meantime, the terms of the current contract will remain in place.

During this round of contract talks, the APWU made the unprecedented move of bringing consumer issues to the bargaining table, insisting that quality service is crucial to maintaining a strong, public Postal Service.

“The American people want a strong, vibrant and public Postal Service – and so do members of our union,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein.

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The American Postal Workers Union represents 200,000 employees of the United States Postal Service, and is affiliated with the AFL-CIO. For more information on the APWU, visit www.apwu.org