NALC ‘disappointed ’
Union to seek agreement in mediation
Jan. 20, 2012 — Today, the United States Postal Service declined to extend collective-bargaining negotiations with the National Association of Letter Carriers, triggering an impasse that will automatically send the matter to mediation under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. If no consensual agreement is reached in a 60-day period of mediation, the issues will be submitted for final and binding resolution before an “Interest Arbitration” panel, which under law must consider all the evidence presented by the parties.
Fredric Rolando, President of NALC, issued the following statement:
“I am disappointed by the Postal Service’s decision. We have been making steady progress in negotiations, right up through this afternoon. Our negotiations have been innovative, professional and productive and have been conducted at the highest level.
“Now that the formal litigation process has begun, we will pursue a negotiated agreement through mediation and prepare to vigorously defend our members in Interest Arbitration, if it reaches that step.
“Notwithstanding this turn of events, NALC continues to believe that a negotiated agreement is in the best interests of the parties, the businesses that rely on us and the nation we serve. We will continue to negotiate in good faith as mediation takes place under the law’s dispute-resolution process even as we prepare for binding arbitration, and we will work with Congress on vitally needed reforms. We also will work with our external expert advisers to advance a new business model that will revitalize and preserve the USPS as a vital element of the nation’s business and cultural infrastructure.”
CONTRACT TALKS STALL: Impasse Declared
(January 20, 2012) National negotiations between the National Postal Mail Handlers Union and the U.S. Postal Service over the terms of their 2011 National Agreement have stalled, and the parties have been unable to agree to another extension of the deadline for their bargaining. (Two prior extensions previously had changed the original November 20, 2011 expiration of the National Agreement to December 16, 2011 and January 20, 2012, respectively.)
The parties at the National level are still discussing how they will proceed from this point forward, pursuant to their joint authority to establish dispute resolution procedures; the terms of the 2011 National Agreement will remain in effect until the completion of those procedures. Under the statute that governs postal negotiations, if both sides agree, the parties may first engage in mediation and, if unsuccessful, go to binding interest arbitration. As noted, the parties currently are discussing how they will proceed.
The National Office of the NPMHU appreciates the patience and support of the membership. More information will be shared with the Local Unions next week.
from a personal perspective, the postal service will not dissolve. We agree, it must scale back. realistically. I wouldnt mind if they offered us an incentive to get us by and some college tuition fees. Let Congress be more lenient with college tax obligations accepting federal laid off employees, round this whole thing out. Something of the sort..Let us retrain for the world workforce. come on, its really what scares most employees. We’re smart, we work hard, we’re not incompetent. Let us all find employment we actually enjoy, it makes them happy, we’re happy, money is still flowing, there’s a formula here, I just know it. Throw some ideas around here. What I do know for sure, is everyone can be happy with less, its just hard to smile with nothing!
Rolando needs to step down, not thinking of what is best for us anymore
potter is not a very smart man but he made rolondo look foolish by wasting 2 months and going to abritaration anyway
what makes you all think that this contract was going to be any different than the past few contracts. The union has not fought for us on those either. The union is all about union dues, not about representing us. Time for the union to break apart–I think they already have
The post office will be here long after your dead.
It is incredulous to me that ANYONE thinks that arbtiration will get a better deal. If congress does nothing at all, the postal service will cease to function as an entity. How about economic reality? How can anyone say we must save our jobs and not even consider, how about lets save our company? The fact the the APWU managed to keep the no lay off clause was the beginning of the end for the post office in america. Does anyone under the age of 35 even use our services? None of my adult children have EVER used us. And why? Everyone knows why, because we are an obsolete anancronism that will cease to exist due to lack of use, one day soon. America is bound by one common thread, and it is not the USPS…….it is facebook, online pay, the internet etc. This company must contract to survive, it must retool and find innovative ways to get the communication business back. It must reduce the workforce to free up funds for the future of the business. The periodic mailers of america seem to be our only customers left. And even the demand for their products will decrease with time. Newspapers cannot keep up with the internet. The postal service’s management team have never been held accountable for our lack of innovation. No responsibility by either labor or management has finally caught up with our industry……Our days as a business are numbered, and everyone is focused on arbitration for a contract….sad.
GOOD !!!! Now the union can’t sell us out by creating a union only health plan ……wasn’t that your plan to take us out of FEHB and give us a union health plan with a medicare part b mandatory …..
It is sad that the USPS would make such a rash and disappoiung decision such as this.
In Solidarity,
Joe Paul
Clerk Craft Director
APWU