The NALC and the Postal Service have agreed upon the selection of National Arbitrator Shyam Das as chairman of the three-person arbitration board that will set the terms of the next collective-bargaining agreement between the union and the USPS.
“We will vigorously defend letter carriers’ wages and benefits and seek to advance our bargaining goals through this step of the process,” NALC President Fredric V. Rolando said. “Those goals include achieving the best possible contract for our members and laying the groundwork for a revival of the United States Postal Service.”
Das is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s labor panel and has been a full-time labor arbitrator since 1977. He has served on national arbitration panels involving postal workers since 1996 and has chaired arbitration proceedings involving United Steelworkers and the Major League Baseball Players Association.
The board is now working on a schedule for hearings. Once arbitration is underway, those hearings and related testimony could last for several months. After the proceedings are complete, the arbitration panel will meet to broker a final and binding “award” that sets the terms of the next contract.
“We will call on working carriers to be witnesses and advocates for their fellow carriers,” Rolando said, “and we will need the full support and cooperation of the membership to put on the best case possible.”
The last time an NALC-USPS agreement was reached through interest arbitration was in 1999 (see chart below).
The last time an NALC-USPS agreement was reached through interest arbitration was in 1999. See chart below.
| NALC Collective Bargaining History, 1971-2007 | ||
| Contract Term | Type of Settlement | Bargaining Structure* |
| 1971-1973 | Negotiated settlement | JBC: NALC, APWU crafts, NPMHU, NRLCA |
| 1973-1975 | Negotiated settlement | JBC: NALC, APWU, NPMHU, NRLCA |
| 1975-1978 | Negotiated settlement | JBC: NALC, APWU, NPMHU, NRLCA |
| 1978-1981 | Healy Award (partial arbitration) | JBC: NALC, APWU, NPMHU |
| 1981-1984 | Negotiated settlement | JBC: NALC, APWU |
| 1984-1987 | Kerr Award (arbitration) | JBC: NALC, APWU |
| 1987-1990 | Negotiated settlement | JBC: NALC, APWU |
| 1990-1994 | Mittenthal and Valtin Awards | JBC: NALC, APWU |
| 1994-1998 | Stark Award (arbitration) | NALC |
| 1998-2001 | Fleischli Award (arbitration) | NALC |
| 2001-2006 | Negotiated settlement | NALC |
| 2006-2011 | Negotiated settlement | NALC |
| * In many rounds of bargaining, two or more unions formed a Joint Bargaining Committee (JBC) to negotiate with the Postal Service. The NALC has negotiated on its own since 1994. | ||
I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows. I believe that somewhere in the darkest night, a candle glows. To Dream the Impossible Dream! I get it, you are being funny. Well……………….nothing is impossible. No One can take away our Dreams.
Don’t think so. Can you copy and paste that VER Information here because I cannot find it anywhere? Aslo, talked to some people who had just been in meetings yesterday and the Clerk VER is comming and could be posted any day now or even hours.
USPS Offers Separation Incentive to NALC Employees
6.14.2012 – USPS reports: “USPS is offering a Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) opportunity to employees represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers ( NALC ) In addition, USPS has reached an agreement with the NALC to offer a separation incentive (up to $15,000) to employees the organization represents.” – NALC Statement – Federal Times
Look WHO SPONSORED the PAEA in the SENATE:::Sen. Thomas Carper [D-DE]
Sen. George Voinovich [R-OH, 1999-2010]
Sen. Olympia Snowe [R-ME] (joined Apr 04, 2005)
Sen. Byron Dorgan [D-ND, 1992-2010] (joined Apr 11, 2005)
Sen. Edward “Ted” Kennedy [D-MA, 1962-2009] (joined Apr 11, 2005)
Sen. Patrick Leahy [D-VT] (joined Apr 12, 2005)
Sen. Patty Murray [D-WA] (joined Apr 12, 2005)
Sen. Ted Stevens [R-AK, 1968-2009] (joined Apr 14, 2005)
Sen. Jeff Bingaman [D-NM] (joined May 18, 2005)
Sen. Norm Coleman [R-MN, 2003-2009] (joined Jun 14, 2005)
Sen. George Allen [R-VA, 2001-2006] (joined Jun 16, 2005)
Sen. Lincoln Chafee [R-RI, 1999-2006] (joined Jun 20, 2005)
Sen. Carl Levin [D-MI] (joined Jun 20, 2005)
Sen. Daniel Akaka [D-HI] (joined Jun 21, 2005)
Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D-NJ] (joined Jun 21, 2005)
Sen. Joseph Lieberman [I-CT] (joined Jun 21, 2005)
Sen. Conrad Burns [R-MT, 1989-2006] (joined Jun 22, 2005)
Sen. Mark Pryor [D-AR] (joined Jun 22, 2005)
Sen. John Warner [R-VA, 1979-2009] (joined Jun 22, 2005)
Sen. Ben Nelson [D-NE] (joined Jul 14, 2005)
Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL] (joined Jul 19, 2005)
Sen. Charles Schumer [D-NY] (joined Jul 21, 2005)
Sen. Charles “Chuck” Hagel [R-NE, 1997-2009] (joined Jul 28, 2005)
Sen. Jon Corzine [D-NJ, 2001-2006] (joined Sep 06, 2005)
Sen. John “Jack” Reed [D-RI] (joined Oct 21, 2005)
Sen. Thad Cochran [R-MS] (joined Dec 21, 2005)
It was not just the republicans, prominent democrats like the late TED Kennedy sponsored the garbage too. VOTE THEM ALL OUT!
I totally agree with Erick. It was voted in by both parties. It’s a bi-partisan raping of the USPS for a bi-partisan covering of the ass!
WINGMAN you are brain washed by the union. The Democrats helped pass the 2006 law and they were the majority till 2010. They dont care anymore then the Republicans if the USPS gets their money back. Both parties need that money to make the deficit look better.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH THE ”WINGMAN”
Das has been a long time well respected arbitrator and having him as the head of the panel is good news for the NALC. Like a lot of members, I’m afraid of the details of the contract given the current situation, but going to arbitration is the smarter move right now. No doubt Das will have been keeping up with the incompetence and ill behavior of management and that will reflect in his decision. One hopes that the House will show some reason for a damn change and try to work with the Senate for a halfway decent reform package. Senate bill 1789 does not release enough of the billions being paid into the retirement health benefits fund back to the service, so maybe if the House can draft legislation that does so, a compromise bill will work out. The lawmakers have their own asses on the line and there has been a tremendous amount of demand both from the industry and the public to revert the prefunding money back where it belongs and out of the hands of those bastard Republicans who are robbing it blind. We must keep up the pressure.
What am I missing? I checked my crystal ball and seen nuthin”. Why the APWU?
Tom Maier
Assistant Director
CLERK DIVISION
(202) 842-4220
(202) 842-8517 (FAX)
Patricia Williams
Assistant Director (A)
Lyle Krueth
Assistant Director (B)
Lamont Brooks
Assistant Director (C)
MAINTENANCE DIVISION
(202) 842-4213
(202) 289-3746 (FAX)
Gary Kloepfer
Assistant Director (A)
APWU NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
Cliff Guffey
President
(202) 842-4250
(202) 842-4297 (FAX)
Greg Bell
Executive Vice President
(202) 842-4250
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Elizabeth Powell
Secretary-Treasurer
(202) 842-4215
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Mike Morris
Director
Industrial Relations
(202) 842-4273
(202) 371-0992 (FAX)
Rob Strunk
Director
Clerk Division
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Steven G. Raymer
Director
Maintenance Division
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Robert C. Pritchard
Director
Motor Vehicle Division
(202) 842-4240
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Bill Manley
Director
Support Services Division
8009-34th Avenue, South
i believe the letter carriers will make out fairly well in the arbitration.
they really had no choice but to go to arbitration after they saw
that donahoe was a liar and untrustworthy individual that could
not be trusted any further than he could be thrown. you simply cannot
bargain in good faith with a habitual or pathological liar.