Contract Expiration Approaches Bargaining Intensifies
2016 No. 7 – May 18, 2016
You are reading the seventh Contract Update distributed by the NPMHU during the course of 2016 negotiations. These updates, along with the Union’s magazine and monthly bulletins, try to keep mail handlers throughout the country informed and involved in the issues raised during this round of bargaining.
With the contract expiration date nearing, bargaining has entered its final stage. The parties have launched a series of meetings at a hotel in downtown Washington, D.C. These meetings will occur with increasing regularity as the week progresses.
The NPMHU bargaining team is hard at work. Postal Service representatives also are working to ensure that the agency’s interests are represented in this new contract. Much of this work is done at the eleventh hour, however. Considerable progress is expected between now and midnight on Friday, May 20.
Several tentative agreements have been initialed by both parties, and our hope is to have many more approved this week. In addition, both sides are presenting economic proposals to be hashed out in the coming days.
The purpose of meeting at the hotel is to further encourage the parties to work on reaching an agreement. With only one meeting room, and no scheduling conflicts, arranging meetings is quick and simple. In fact, multiple meetings on multiple sections of the contract can occur at once, or over the course of one day.
In addition to these meetings with the Postal Service, the Union has also been holding a series of internal meetings. During these sessions, the bargaining team reviews what has been discussed that day, and prepares for its upcoming meetings with the Postal Service. This includes researching proposals, drafting counterproposals, or reaching out to the Local Unions or Regional Offices for more information.
Participation from the field is crucial during this last week of bargaining. Although the Local Unions are not sitting at the bargaining table, information they provide to the bargaining team is invaluable to the negotiations that take place.
Next Tuesday, on May 24, 2016, Presidents from every Local Union will convene in Washington, DC to learn about the current status of negotiations. At that time, the attendees will be able to ask questions, and further participate in the process.
You too can play a role in bargaining by staying informed. Watch your bulletin boards and/or the NPMHU website for current bargaining information during the coming days.
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- Jefferson Peppers - Vice President - Central Region
- John Gibson - Vice President - Eastern Region
- David Wilkin - Vice President - Northwestern Region
- Lawrence Sapp - Vice President - Western Region