In a landmark decision issued on February 22, 2022, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia recognized the National Association of Postal Supervisors as entitled to represent all United States Postal Service supervisors, managerial personnel, and postmasters in consultation with the Postal Service regarding compensation and pay policies. The court held that NAPS’s representation extends to all supervisory and managerial personnel, regardless of whether the Postal Service classifies them as Field, Area, or Headquarters employees.
The Court of Appeals also found that the Postal Service violated the Postal Reorganization Act by failing to assure that EAS compensation is comparable to the private sector and that all supervisors are paid some differential above the employees they supervise. And it found that the Postal Service violated the law by failing to provide NAPS with its reasons for rejecting NAPS’s recommendations during the pay talks for the 2016-2019 pay package, as required by Title 39.
National Association of Postal Supervisors President Ivan Butts commented, “We are elated over the Circuit Court’s historic decision that finally vindicates the right of all EAS personnel, regardless of where they work, to be represented by NAPS in consultation with the Postal Service over their pay and benefits. NAPS looks forward to broadening its representation in the days ahead and to the conduct of a pay consultation process that conforms to the expectations of the law.”
NAPS initiated this lawsuit in 2019, after the Postal Service rejected the unanimous findings of a factfinding panel that the pay package for 2016-2019 violated the statutory requirements. The Circuit Court’s decision, National Association of Postal Supervisors v. United States Postal Service and United Postmasters and Managers of America (No. 20-5280), returns the lawsuit to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for further proceedings consistent with the Court of Appeals’ decision. The decision is available on the NAPS website.