As previously reported, NALC has continued to negotiate for a new collective bargaining agreement with the U.S. Postal Service during the statutorily required 60-day mediation period. That period, which began with the formal expiration of the 2019-2023 Agreement on May 20, is set to expire on July 19. While discussions on the pay, benefits and working conditions of America’s city letter carriers continue to be productive, the parties have yet to reach tentative agreement.
NALC President Brian L. Renfroe and Executive Vice President Paul Barner are working closely together along with the union’s lawyers and a team of national officers and staff to reach an agreement with postal management that is worthy of the dedication and hard work of our active membership.
While reaching a voluntary settlement that properly rewards city letter carriers for the work they do delivering America’s mail remains NALC’s goal, preparation is ongoing for binding interest arbitration should that become necessary. The meticulous work of marshaling evidence and recruiting expert witnesses to make our case in interest arbitration proceedings has been going on for months.
Under the law, such an impasse would trigger the appointment of a three-member arbitration board comprised of a union advocate, a management advocate and a neutral chair to conduct a binding arbitration to set the terms of a new National Agreement.
With the deadline of the expiration of the statutorily mandated 60-day mediation period looming, NALC will continue, as has been the case in the past, negotiating with the USPS as the next phase of the process begins.
“As we have in recent rounds of collective bargaining, we will remain at the table with postal management as long as the prospects remain for reaching a tentative agreement that meets our goals,” Renfroe said on July 14. “But we will move expeditiously to invoke the procedures required by law to resolve an impasse in bargaining should that prove necessary.”
On July 14, 2023, the NALC Executive Council received charges proffered against President Renfroe by another member of the Council. The charges will be addressed in accordance with Article 10 of the NALC Constitution. This process will not distract from our efforts to achieve a collective-bargaining agreement or our preparation for binding interest arbitration. The NALC Executive Council is committed to following our constitutional process, and will not be deterred from our duties and responsibilities to fully and vigorously represent the interests of the nation’s city letter carriers