In accordance with the 2021-2024 Collective Bar­gaining Agreement, career employees represented by the APWU will receive a $0.17 per hour cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), effective March 9, 2024.

The increase is the result of a rise in the Consum­er Price Index (CPI-W), and will appear in paychecks dated March 29, 2024 (Pay Period 07-2024). The COLA for full-time employees in each step and grade will amount to $354.00 annually, and the hourly rates for part-time employ­ees will be adjusted accordingly.

COLAs are separate and in addition to general wage increases. This is the fifth cost-of-living increase under the 2021 contract. The first increase, effective in February 2022, amounted to $0.63 per hour or $1,310.00 annually. The second, effective in August 2022 was $1.18 per hour or $2,455.00 annually. The third, effective in March 2023, was $0.10 per hour, or $208.00 annually. The fourth, effective August 26, 2023, was 0.48 per hour, or $998.00 annually. The total cumulative COLAs received so far during the 2021-2024 National Agreement is $2.56 per hour, or $5,325.00 annually.

Though Postal Support Employees (PSEs) do not receive cost-of-living increases, they have received several additional increases beyond the general wage increases for all employees in the APWU bargaining unit under the 2021 contract. However, when PSEs convert to career, the COLA increases are also included in their base wages going forward.

Rising inflation underscores the importance of our negotiated Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) within our union contract, made possible by the strength of our membership. COLAs are our best protection against inflation. Postal Workers are some of the few U.S. workers who receive COLA increases. Even in the postal world, we are the only postal union that has maintained full COLA in our union contract.

“Once again, union-won COLAs prove how invaluable our contractual rights are to postal workers and our families,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “We will continue to fight to maintain full COLA provisions in our upcoming contract.”

We will update this article with pay chart information as it becomes available.

Management continues to move forward with the planned opening of new Regional Processing and Distribution Centers (RPDCs) and creation of Sorting and Delivery Centers (S&DCs), which are large carrier delivery units with automated package sortation capabilities. Approximately four RPDCs are at least partially up and running, and 30 or so S&DCs have been opened. While management’s plans are subject to change, it appears that an additional 10 RPDCs and more than 50 S&DCs will open in 2024. Over the coming years, most APWU locals will be impacted by these changes.

National officers continue to share all information received from postal management and hold informative video conferences with national, local, and state officers around the country. We have held training on how to best protect clerk craft work from mail handler craft encroachment. The regional coordinators continue the important work of addressing and reducing the potential excessing of employees. National officers and staff have visited the RPDCs and S&DCs to observe the operations, speak with the employees, and address safety and other concerns. All of these will continue in the new year.

While few would argue that some of the postal network needs to be upgraded to address today’s mail mix and to capture more work, how the plan is implemented is raising serious concerns for the APWU and the public. Some examples:

• A number of consolidations of mail processing operations will be moving mail hundreds of miles to RPDCs. Management’s claims that the network modernization will speed up the mail runs counter to the reality that long-distance moves will only further slow down mail, hurt customers and workers, and drive business away. Announced management plans to move mail from Charleston, WV to Pittsburgh, PA (230 miles) and from Medford, OR to Portland, OR (280 miles) are cases in point.
• Management is not abiding by the law or their own Area Mail Processing (AMP) guidelines when it comes to holding community meetings for public input regarding mail moves. Meetings are being held with short notice, in the middle of the day when it is most difficult for the public to participate, comments are time-limited, and questions that arise from the public are not answered by postal officials. Even with these obstacles, local leaders have organized for, attended, and spoken up at community meetings, (as previously shared, grievances have been initiated regarding violations of the AMP Guidelines.)
• Management is scamming the public. All indications are that their decisions have already been made, prior to community input.

“I have assigned Executive Vice President Debby Szeredy to assist locals in their efforts to unite with the community against any changes in mail processing that will slow down service,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “We’ve been down this road before with former PMG Donohoe’s destructive actions to the mail processing network. Those plans were a complete failure and some aspects of management’s current plans, particularly consolidation of mail processing hundreds of miles away, are smelling more and more like Donohoe’s debacle and should be stopped in their tracks.”

The APWU will continue to oppose those parts of the “modernization plan” that disrupt, rather than improve, our mission to the people. Where proposed mail processing changes will slow down service, APWU locals have stepped up on the frontlines. In addition, APWU President Mark Dimondstein and Industrial Relations Director Charlie Cash met with the highest levels of management to raise our objections and press management to reassess some of their planned mail processing moves. The union will continue to diligently work to protect our job security and services to the public. ■

While still in its early stages, postal management is aggressively proceeding with their “network modernization” plans. Currently, three out of an estimated 60 future Regional Processing and Distribution Centers (RPDCs) are at least partially up and running – Richmond, VA; Charlotte, NC; and Atlanta, GA – with at least nine more scheduled to open next year. There are approximately 24 Sorting and Delivery Centers (S&DCs) (large carrier/delivery units) open, with plans for dozens more in 2024, and hundreds more in the coming years. These network changes will eventually touch almost every local.

As management constructs new buildings, centralizes processing, and installs new automated package sortation machinery, they must do it in accordance with our union contract, and in such a way that limits the negative impact on current employees. The national APWU leadership is fully committed to enforcing the union contract and, toward that aim, has initiated a number of actions:

• The APWU filed a major national-level grievance challenging management’s action where they are not properly withholding jobs in accordance with the job security protections of Article 12. Article 12 demands that all residual vacancies in all crafts and installations within 50 miles are held as “landing spots” for any impacted career employees facing potential excessing. The APWU is seeking to expedite this grievance.
• The APWU filed an Unfair Labor Practice with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to enforce management’s legal obligation to bargain over the changes it is making to the network. The APWU has its legal department taking a hard look at potential court action in relation to any unlawful acts of management.
• A grievance was filed charging that changes to the postal handbook and manual PO-408, previously the “Area Mail Processing Guidelines,” and now the “Mail Processing Facility Review,” were unilaterally made by management and interfered with the union’s rights to information and input on facility consolidations.
• The APWU filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the NLRB due to management not sufficiently responding to union information requests associated with the network changes. In response the Postal Service has begun providing some of the requested information.
• The five APWU Regional Coordinators are holding regional-level meetings with management, in accordance with the union contract, to address potential impacts. They have successfully reduced or eliminated many impacts on the current workforce. In addition, the APWU has prevailed in a significant regional area grievance, forcing management to reverse impacts and excessing in Utica, NY.
• The APWU has challenged management’s assigning most of the work in the new High Output Parcel Sorters (HOPS) to the Mailhandlers.
• The Clerk craft has expanded training for local and state union representatives on Article 12 (which deals with centralization of mail, consolidations of operations, and potential excessing) and on jurisdictional issues about assigning work to the Clerk craft or the Mailhandlers.
• The national union conducted a series of informational meetings that updated national, state, and local leaders on network changes, and will continue to do so.
• As previously reported, the APWU negotiated an important memorandum protecting existing retail and box section operations when letter carriers are moved to larger facilities with the S&DC plans.

“Changes in the mail mix, mail processing and the march of automation and technology are not new for the APWU,” said President Mark Dimondstein. “We have met these challenges over many decades and will continue to meet them today. The APWU leadership is fully united in our efforts to protect our jobs, serve the people, and keep the members fully informed as these network plans unfold.”

APWU-represented career postal employees will receive a union-won general wage increase (GWI) equal to 1.3 percent of base pay, effective Nov. 18. Non-career APWU-represented employees will receive an additional 1 percent, or a 2.3 percent GWI, as they do not receive COLA.

The raise will appear in paychecks dated Dec. 8, 2023. This latest wage increase caps off two years of strong raises secured in the 2021-2024 contract and follows record-breaking cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for career employees, which totaled $2.39 per hour, or $4,971 annually. COLAs are added to the base pay schedule, so PSEs will recoup these increases when they convert to career status.

“These negotiated increases can only happen because of the strength of our collective endeavor,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “We are already preparing for the opening of negotiations on our next union contract in July 2024, and the activism and organizing of our members will play a crucial role in delivering an even stronger collective bargaining agreement.”

Click here to download a PDF version.

Visit our website at www.apwuhp.com. More Open Season information is coming soon.

Welcome to Open Season 2023!

Your COLA is here!

Today career USPS workers covered by the APWU-USPS contract are seeing a paycheck with more money today. Whether it’s your car payment, gas to get to work, or maybe extra food in the pantry - this bump is because members said “we need wages that respect our work.” 
 

We have to tell the story that this increase is thanks to members fighting at the bargaining table. By coming together in our union, we can collectively demand improvements that we wouldn’t win.
 

We can make changes if we come together. If you're not yet an APWU member join today.

 

If you are already a member, text 91990 to commit to ask a not-yet-union coworker to join our movement.

 

BUILD UNION POWER!›

There’s some exciting news for PSEs. Postal Support Employees are now eligible for the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). The program includes comprehensive dental and vision benefits for employees who choose self, self plus one, and self and family coverage. 

Enrollment is open now through September 24 – so don’t wait. After that, you’ll only be able to enroll during the annual “open season” or withing 60 days of a qualifying life event.

Premiums for FEDVIP are paid by the employee with no agency contributions. Several regional and national plans are available. Participating PSEs pay premiums post-tax.

You can learn more and enroll at www.benefeds.com or call 1-888-337-FEDS.

In accordance with the 2021-2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), career employees represented by the APWU will receive a $0.48 per hour cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), effective Aug. 26, 2023 (separate CBAs covering IT/AS and HRSSC provide COLAs but on a different cycle).

The COLA boosts pay by $998 annually for full-time, career workers. It will appear in paychecks dated Sept. 15, 2023 (Pay Period 20-2023).

The increase is the result of a rise in the July Consumer Price Index (CPI-W).

Because Postal Support Employees (PSEs) do not receive cost-of-living increases, they have received several additional increases beyond the annual general wage increases that all employees receive under the 2021 contract. However, when PSEs convert to career, the COLA increases are also included in their wages going forward.

Total cumulative COLAs under 2021 Contract equals $2.39 per hour, or $4,971 annually

The COLAs are separate from and additional to annual general wage increases and step increases. This is the fourth cost-of-living increase under the 2021 CBA.

The first COLA, effective in February 2022, amounted to $0.63 per hour or $1,310.00 annually. The second, effective in August 2022 was $1.18 per hour or $2,455.00 annually. The third, effective March 11, 2023, was $0.10 per hour, or $208.00 annually. The total cumulative amount received so far in COLAs during the 2021-2024 CBA is $2.39 per hour, or $4,971 annually.

“After two years of high inflation, our union-won COLA is more valuable to postal workers and our families than ever,” said APWU President, Mark Dimondstein. “Postal Workers are some of the few U.S. workers who receive these increases and no one should take these benefits for granted. Even in the postal world, the APWU is the only postal union that has maintained full COLA in our contracts.”

Updated paycharts will be available in the coming days. Check back for updates.

Now is the Time to Continue to Build our Union!

Having a full COLA is a big deal that benefits us all, and maintaining it is no small feat. Our COLA comes from our union negotiated contract, but the contract is only as strong as our membership. Next year (2024) the APWU will be in negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

We All Have a Role to Play!

Building union power makes us all stronger. Every new member of the APWU is a new postal worker’s voice speaking up for good jobs at the USPS, whether it be a voice for better pay, better benefits, better service or demanding a better work environment with respect. Our Strength is in our numbers!

By stepping up and committing to organizing for a strong APWU you are helping build a better tomorrow for us all.

What Can You Do to Build Our Union?

• You can talk to your non-union coworkers about why they should join the union – and sign them up!
• You can attend a union meeting and other union activities -- and encourage your co-workers to join with you.  
• Join a union committee within your local/state organization, or consider becoming a shop steward.

For more information visit www.apwu.org/join or scan the QR code below:

The 2023 APWU Leave Calendar and Leave Chart are now available on the APWU website under Frequently Requested Resources.  The Leave Calendar is a great resource identifying pay periods, pay days, and holidays. The Leave Chart can be used to track current balances of advanced annual, earned annual and sick leave, as well as what leave has been used. The files are in PDF for easy downloading and printing.

The official results [PDF – Members Only] of the APWU Election of National Officers have been tabulated and were certified by the American Arbitration Association on Oct. 7. A summary will be published in the November-December issue of The American Postal Worker. 

The results have now been separated by local and posted to the Members Only section. Uncontested offices are not shown in the web posting, but will be listed in the magazine.

Ballots for the 2022 Election of APWU National Officers will be mailed to members’ homes, along with the election magazine, on Wednesday, Sept. 14. All members in good standing as of June 17, 2022, will receive a ballot.

To be counted, ballots must be returned to and received in the designated post office box in Washington, DC, by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Union members are encouraged to follow the balloting instructions carefully. To protect the privacy of your vote, place your ballot in the secret ballot envelope, and insert it into the mailing envelope. Information on the mailing envelope must be completed to identify legitimate voters, but mailing envelopes will be separated from secret ballot envelopes before votes are counted.

Members in good standing who have not received their ballots by Monday, Sept. 19, should notify their local or contact the American Arbitration Association between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m (Eastern Time) at 800-529-5218 to request a duplicate. Ballots may also be requested by visiting: www.electionsaaa.org/ballotrequest/apwu

All requests for duplicate ballots must include the member’s name, address, email address, employee ID number (or retiree ID number), the last four digits of the Social Security number, division (craft), local, and the reasons for the request.

The APWU National Election Committee will take custody of the ballots from the designated post office box at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5. Votes will be tallied at the Hyatt Regency Washington, 400 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington DC 20001.

Unofficial election results will be posted on the union’s website, www.apwu.org, as soon as they are available, and will be updated frequently. Official results will be posted as soon as they are available, as well. For more information, visit www.apwu.org.

Attend a virtual health fair

As we get ready for Postal Service Employee conversions, APWU Health Plan is here to help. Becoming a career employee is a life-changing and exciting time for a PSE. We want to educate new career employees on Health Plan benefits. As you know, we have two great plans that offer strong benefits for APWU members and their families.

Thursday, September 8, 1 pm–3 pm ET, Register Now

Thursday, September 22, 1 pm–3 pm ET, Register Now

Once registered, you will get an email confirmation with a GoToWebinar link and dial-in information. On the day before the virtual health fair date you selected, we will email you a reminder and include the dial-in information with instructions.

In accordance with the 2021-2024 Collective Bar­gaining Agreement, career employees represented by the APWU will receive a $1.18 per hour cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), effective August 27, 2022.

The increase is the result of a rise in the Consum­er Price Index (CPI-W). It will appear in paychecks dated September 16, 2022 (Pay Period 19-2022). The value of the COLA for full-time employees in each step and grade will increase by $2,455.00 annually, and the hourly rates for part-time employ­ees will be adjusted accordingly.

The COLAs are in addition to general wage increases. This is the second cost-of-living increase under the 2021 contract. The first, effective in February, amounted to $0.63 per hour or $1,310 annually. The COLAs received so far during the 2021-2024 National Agreement total $3,765.00 this year.

In light of the fact that Postal Support Employees (PSEs) do not receive cost-of-living increases, they have received several additional increases beyond the general wage increases for all employees in the APWU bargaining unit under the 2021 contract.

Rising inflation underscores just how important the continuation of our negotiated Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) is in our outstanding new union contract. The COLA is our best protection against inflation. Postal Workers are some of the few U.S. workers who receive COLA increases. Even in the postal world, we are the only postal union that has maintained full COLA in our union contract.

“At times of high inflation, our union-won COLA is invaluable to ourselves and our families,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “It pays to be union! It’s always a struggle to keep these COLA provisions and every postal worker should be proud we fought hard and prevailed to keep full COLA in our latest contract.”

Go to apwu.org/pay-information to view pay scales.

Last week we announced the APWU was preparing collective actions in response to the unacceptable delay in retroactive payments won in the 2021-2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Today, after concerted struggles with postal management, management has finally provided the union with firm dates the payments will be received by postal workers in APWU-represented crafts.

The retroactive payments will be processed on October 11, 2022. They will appear as a pay adjustment on paychecks received October 28, 2022.

“Those in management responsible for overseeing these payroll changes had so little respect for postal workers that they apparently thought a May 2023 date for the retroactive payments would somehow be acceptable. This was outrageous,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “Postal workers earned this pay, we deserve it, and we’re not in the business of giving management interest-free loans on the back of our labor. While we’re still unsatisfied with the delay, we sent a message and have gotten firm dates months in advance of management’s plan.”

“This delay in retroactive payments was unacceptable to everyone in our union,” said APWU Director of Industrial Relations Charlie Cash. “While we’re glad to have dates to look forward to, we will still file a national-level grievance seeking an appropriate remedy for all affected postal employees.”

The CBA included the following pay adjustments:

• Effective November 20, 2021: General wage increases of 1.3 percent
• Effective Nov. 20, 2021: Additional 1 percent pay raise for PSEs (who do not receive COLA)
• Effective September 25, 2021: New pay scale for Grade 11
• Effective Feb 26, 2022: Sixty-three cents/hour COLA, for career employees
• Effective April 9, 2022: Fifty cents/hour increase for the PSEs effective

Each of the above adjustments were programmed and included in our wages on June 4, 2022, with the exception of the 50 cents/hour due to the PSEs. That management error was corrected and included in pay from July 30, 2022.

The retroactive payments due to workers consists of the above adjustments on hours worked from June 4, 2022 going back to their respective effective dates, and between April 9 and July 30 for the PSE fifty-cent increase.

We will keep members updated on the grievance process regarding this unacceptable delay. 

The official and final version of the 2021-2024 Collective Bargaining Agreement  has been completed. The linked PDF is being made available for immediate use. The file is fully searchable and bookmarked.

Files have been sent over to the printer and the printing has begun on the hard-copy version of the contract. Once printing has been completed each local will receive a limited number of copies for their use. Additional copies will be made available for pre-purchase on the APWU Store in the coming days.