Bargaining Unit Notes
Branch 203 President Colby Fontinel attended a Contract Negotiation seminar in Washington DC for the latest news and updates regarding contract talks. He has provided a list of notes he had taken during the week.
Notes by Colby Fontinel:
“Keep in mind this is ALL Hypothetical” Brian Renfroe president NALC
These are the notes I took over the bargaining update, in Washington DC earlier this week.
There are many speculations on social media. Until anything actually comes of that, they need to remain speculations.
Plan
NALC training
Economics- cost of contract
2016 $3 billion
2019 $3 billion
2023 $4.1 billion
This would cost @ $4.5 Billion for new contract 2026
3 X 1.5% Cola same
Full step P $750
Table 2: 46 to 40 weeks
CCA additional 1% pay
Guarantee 4 hours pay in all offices
USPS feels the uniforms are part of the economic budget
- 2023 contract
10% increase for all carriers
Reduce PO cost to get better pay
After 12 years of having a CCA there has been a steady turnover of 50- 55%
Max hours- 4/10 hour days rotating days off. The 10 hours would be straight time
Would start at SNDC offices
Lose 28,000 routes off the start (nationwide)
TEST PHASE
Informal A virtual training July 1st
Members only/ learning management system/ NALC training with different modules Interest arbitration: a way of resolving disputes
Experts are doing studies about private sector pay compared to ours
Choosing an arbitrator (Nolan)
Other countries post office have gone privatized
Healthcare
Comparison plans
The job is a lot harder out there
Out on the route longer, there are going to be more accidents and more dog bites
More crime on city letter carriers
Retention rates. Used to be a job where you could afford a living wage. Now there are jobs where you can work less and get paid more or the same.
Exit interview for CCAs
Finance
Loss of $9 billion last quarter
Since 2006 $126 billion loss
Letter volume down 1.4 billion pieces
Parcel volume down 6%
CSRS is 64% funded
FERS is 74% funded
USPS talked about early out possibility for city side
USPS are unsure where they are money wise, to even start negotiating
Article 8
Never exceed max hours
Work assignment can sign the NS day list
8.5.D pecking order to utilize CCAs and PTFs before non OTDL carriers mandated
8.5.F protection
USPS wanted to change 8.5.G to say schedule up to 12 hours instead of work 12 hours
Revamp article 15
Replace 2 and 3. Eliminate and replace step 1 and 2 of the process
New proposal
1 steward/ PM/ grievant
2 labor (any time or location) no steward pay if you’d travel to meet them somewhere
3 Arbitration. Unilaterally remand any grievance to lower level
NALC working on an MOU for contract compliance
Backpay- language proposed for reasonable timeline
Back to arbitration
An arbitrator won’t go above or below previous contract
3rd week of July was the estimated time for a tentative agreement