Members of the American Postal Workers Union approved a new contract on May 11, with more than 75 percent of those casting ballots voting in favor of ratification. The final tally was 69,451 to 22,351 in balloting that ended May 10. The agreement will expire May 20, 2015.

“The new contract is an important achievement for the postal workers and for the Postal Service,” said APWU President Cliff Guffey. “Throughout the bargaining process, the union sought to negotiate a contract that would protect jobs and strengthen the USPS so that we can better serve the American people,” he said. “The new contract accomplishes those goals.

The four-and-a-half year agreement includes innovative approaches to safeguarding jobs; returns outsourced work to APWU members; protects career postal workers from layoffs, and limits long-distance reassignments, Guffey said. It also increases workforce flexibility, and establishes a new pay scale for future employees. As a result of the new contract, the USPS will begin hiring for the first time in many years, the union president said.

The contract also provides for a 3.5 percent wage increase over the life of the agreement and retains cost-of-living allowances, with the first raise taking effect in November 2012.

APWU members will now make legislative activities a priority, the union president said. The union will support bills — such as H.R. 1351 — that will enable the Postal Service to remain viable in the future.

Bargaining between the APWU and the USPS began Sept. 1, 2010, approximately 90 days prior to the expiration of the old contract on Nov. 20. The parties agreed to several extensions while negotiations continued.

On March 14, the union and management announced a tentative agreement. The Rank and File Bargaining Advisory Committee voted unanimously to endorse the agreement, as did the union’s National Executive Board.