January 2024 Update
Following the expiration of the 2022 National Agreement on September 20th, the Union and the Postal Service agreed to continue negotiations. This extension of the bargaining process seems to suggest that the national parties still believe that a negotiated agreement is still possible. Negotiations will continue informally until such time as either party concludes that further negotiations are pointless. Should that end up being the case, the provisions of the Postal Reorganization Act will be utilized to resolve the bargaining impasse. This may involve the submission of all remaining disputes to an interest arbitrator for a final and binding decision.
Those who have been following the status of national negotiations know that a negotiated agreement, referred to as a tentative agreement, is subject to a nationwide ratification vote by the Membership. That is the reason it’s called tentative, because the Membership must approve the agreement through a ratification vote. Alternatively, should the dispute be submitted to an interest arbitrator, the result will be final and binding and not subject to Member ratification. We recently saw what happened with the Letter Carriers. The Letter Carrier Membership rejected a tentative agreement and then received a final and binding decision from an arbitrator.
So, what are the sticking points? Well, I’m guessing, but I suspect that the difficulties center around wages and the use of 204-b’s. MHA wages, the lower steps and the proportional Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) of pay scale M7, are likely to be the issues proving to be most difficult. The National Union stated from the onset of negotiations that there would be a focus on wages and the use of 204-b’s. There may be other sticking points as well and I’m sure that the Postal Service submitted proposals which the Union found unacceptable.
So, what happens now? The terms of the 2022 National Agreement remain in full force and effect. MHA’s will continue to progress from Step A to Step B after 6 months and Mail Handlers who have not reached top Step will continue to receive their Step Increases. Although, there are no remaining general wage increases or COLAs. Future general wage increases and COLAs will be provided under the terms of our next contract (and will likely be applied retroactively).
So, for now, we wait.
JL