Postal workers union members approve four-year contract
Members of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), the largest of the U.S. Postal Service unions, have voted to ratify a new four-year contract. The new contract will run through Nov. 20, 2010, and affect approximately 272,000 career employees in the Clerk, Maintenance and Motor Vehicle crafts.
The agreement provides for retroactive and future general wage increases and upgrades as follows:
Effective Nov. 25, 2006 – 1.3 percent salary increase of salary in effect on Sept. 2, 2006.
Effective Feb. 16, 2008 – all eligible employees will receive a one-level upgrade.
Effective Nov. 21, 2009 – 1.2 percent salary increase of salary in effect on Sept. 2, 2006.
The contract also contains continuation of cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) at current levels and a reduction in Postal Service health benefit contributions by one percentage point each of the four years.
The agreement also includes a Memorandum of Understanding, which, among other changes, will result in part-time flexible career employees being converted to full-time and management having more flexibility with regard to the use of noncareer, casual employees.
